Capitalism is the real curse...

You’re not lazy.
You’re just haunted by a system that only values you when you’re burning out.

This world was hexed long before you got here.
You didn’t summon the curse; you inherited it.
Clock in, clock out, smile through it.
Produce. Consume. Repeat.

They call it “the grind” like it's noble.
But no one ascends from ash without setting something on fire.
So if you’re tired; good.
It means your soul is still human.
It means the machine hasn’t devoured all your edges.

You don’t owe the world your productivity.
You owe yourself your breath.
You owe your ancestors your rebellion.

Capitalism is the real curse.
It feeds on time and spits out bones dressed in uniforms.
It convinces you that your worth is hourly.
That your dreams are hobbies.
That your suffering is somehow your fault.

But there’s a deeper truth scratching under your skin:
You were never meant to be owned.

So rest.
Dream vividly.
Make art even if it makes no money.
Love without a ledger.
Take back what they swore wasn’t yours; your time, your magic, your life.

Because darling; if your burnout is their fuel, then your peace is their collapse.

SOME NEWS:

🖤 Digital Downloads: Two new printable spell sheets are available in the “Digital Downloads” collection on magickNmetal.com  for only $1 each! A full moon fire blessing/cleansing ritual, and ritual to draw the kind of love you are looking for in your life. But be careful witches, you are responsible for all doors you open, so be very clear with your intentions.

🖤Free Stuff: The “Free Stuff” collection on magickNmetal.com now includes a paper doll of Echo Noir with 2 standard outfits and one customizable one. There are also printable affirmation cards (in Cute And Destroy style, naturally), and a phone wallpaper complete with protection sigil. All free. All for you.

🖤 SFDW: The School for Defiant Witches is being restructured. Echo didn’t like the idea of giving too much away up front. From now on, disjointed parts of lessons will be scattered across Tier 0 and other free posts across social media. Term 1 of the SFDW will officially begin at the end of August and be available to Tier 1: "Hexling" supporters and up.

QUESTIONS FOR ECHO:
Write in with your own and maybe you'll see it answered here!

XA: What's your favorite book on magick?

Echo Noir:  Oh, darling, now that’s the question that licks the knife. If I had to crown a favorite? It’s "Liber Null & Psychonaut" by Peter J. Carroll. Not because it’s perfect. Not because it hands you a wand and a robe and a step-by-step to spiritual stardom.
But because it dares you to burn the map. It’s raw. Cold. Relentless. A spellbook written like a dare, not a comfort blanket. It says:
  “Try everything.”
     “Break everything.”
       “See what still bleeds.”

Chaos magick isn’t about belonging. It’s about becoming. It’s the art of weaponizing belief while refusing to be trapped by it. It’s graffiti on the walls of the cosmos. And that’s so me.

But here’s the twist: My real favorite grimoire? The one that hasn’t been written yet. The one you ink in ash, broken heartbeats, sidewalk chalk, and late-night notebook scribbles.
The book that’s you. What pages are you scared to write? Start there. That’s magick.

--

WN: What’s your personal definition of freedom?

Echo Noir:  Freedom? Oh, love. That’s the jagged crown I’ve been stitching from broken glass since the day I realized the gate was never locked; it was built to convince you not to leave. My definition?  It’s being willing to lose everything fake to gain something real.
It’s not safe. It’s not comfortable. But it’s honest.

Freedom is feral. Freedom is lonely at first. Freedom is a match between your teeth when the world hands you gasoline and smiles.

Most people don’t want freedom. They want a prettier leash.

But me? I want blistered feet from walking away. I want smoke in my lungs from every bridge I burned. I want to look back at the walls they built and know they couldn’t hold me.

What’s your freedom, little rebel?
What would you risk for it?

--

Poetic Blessing:
Guiltless sleep tonight,
May your resistance bring joy,
Soft rebellion blooms.

 

MORE NEWS:

🖤 Expedition to St. Valentina’s: The text based game is still in the works. As much as Echo likes teasing you all, she also doesn’t want you to think we are just playing around out in the void, so we are working on releasing a far from complete demo version on magickNmetal.com for you to poke at. Stay tuned.

🖤 Q&A: DM questions for Echo on Instagram @CuteAndDestroy and she just might answer them in the next edition of Midnight Manifesto!

Patreon Supporters & Additional Credits:

Studio Mimmi Ceramics

Weekly Signal Boost Ritual

This is your echo spell. Cast it loud. Cast it often. Cast it together:

🖤 Monday – Instagram @ CuteAndDestroy / TikTok @ magickNmetal
🖤 Tuesday – Pinterest was weak so I fed it to the void. RIP
🖤 Wednesday – Instagram @ CuteAndDestroy / TikTok @ magickNmetal
🖤 Thursday – Tumblr: magicknmetal.tumblr.com
🖤 Friday – Patreon + Instagram / TikTok @ magicknmetal
🖤 Saturday @ Midnight – Midnight Manifesto magicknmetal.com
🖤 Sunday – Instagram/TikTok again (because soft chaos is still sacred)