Freya! Ever Since I Listened To Neil Gaiman's 'Norse Mythology' I've Been Wanting To Draw Her Really

How Magic Works

These are just some of many different theories about how spells work. For anybody who really enjoys “magical theory” like I do or is looking for validation that there’s something to all these weird spells! None of these serve to discredit magic, but rather add a deeper level of understanding to it. The success of a spell could be credited to more than one of these, or something else entirely!

Law of Attraction. Basically, the idea that you attract what you focus on. A popular example is focusing on the color red, and seeing how much red is around you that you didn’t notice before. This is most effective for spells involving personal matters and success, by formally opening your eyes to details and opportunities you may have missed otherwise. 

The Placebo Effect. It’s a proven fact that our bodies can heal ourselves merely by belief that what we’re doing helps! This can extend beyond health spells to things like confidence, performance ability, and other things that aim at personal improvement. The placebo effect may be all that spell needs to be successful ( and it wouldn’t have happened without the spell!)

Direct cause/effect. Something about the spell and the way it was cast directly affects the outcome. Example: a sigil designed for protection, when looked at, serves as a constant visual reminder that you are protected, subconsciously strengthening your wards.

Science/chemistry. This is most true for kitchen witchery and herbalism. Chamomile, lavender, and other herbs aren’t corresponded with calmness and sleep for nothing… they’re made up of chemicals that have been scientifically proven to calm the nerves and aid in sleep!

Quantum physics. There’s a phrase called “Quantum Woo,” where people use quantum physics (often incorrectly) to explain any type of magical thinking or practice. While the ultimate theory behind quantum physics was recently disproven, the discoveries made through research still hold true. Basically, we know particles behave differently when observed, and our energies can effect this. We just don’t know why that is. This is the baseline behind a lot of energy work.

Divine string pulling. Ask and ye shall receive. This is where we depart from the physical to the spiritual side of magic. Many people do magic by appealing to divine forces, Mother Earth, God(s), the Universe, whatever you want to call it. This could be with an offering, a ceremony, or even just bedside prayer. The divine force hears the request, and grants it by affecting change and “pulling strings” to cause the desired outcome.

Spiritual string pulling. Very similar to the previous point, but with entities that are not worshipped or seen as divine. Many believe that spirits can still affect change “behind the scenes.” A spirit worker may make a deal with a spirit for luck or protection, or someone may ask their ancestors for good fortune and health.

Personal string pulling. Instead of asking an outside entity, this is the idea that we, as the practitioner, pull the strings. This is most seen through the “cone of energy” method of casting, where we raise a lot of concentrated energy and intent in a space, then release it all at once to do its thing. You also see it with sympathetic magic, where by doing something to a poppet, we actively affect that change on the target. No middle man included.

I love this artwork, it belongs to @paperwitchco 🎃

Chamomile Sleep and Offering Syrup

To go along with the syrups I’m planning to post now we come to Chamomile Syrup. This is really good for when you are having a hard time sleeping and want to add something to your tea when you don’t have the actual chamomile tea. Or you want to add a little extra boost to your Chamomile tea. You can also use this in your drink to help ground and center yourself.  Add it to teas, coffee, or liquor as you please. This also is really good as an offering! 

1 Cup water

1-2 cups sugar or sugar substitute

5-10 bags of Chamomile tea OR 1 cup chamomile flowers

STEPS

Place water and tea bags or flowers into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add in sugar or sugar substitute; stir until the sugar has dissolved completely before turning down the heat and allowing simmering for 10 minutes

Make sure to stir it every so often as to make sure nothing on the bottom burns

Remove from heat, cover, and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes.

Once it is cool, take out the tea bags, or strain the flowers, and transfer into a jar. Store in the fridge

Don’t worry if it doesn’t look that dark at first, it’ll darken as it cools to a nice goldish color.

Grimoire ideas

About you:

How you got started in the craft

Your spiritual journey

Things you connect to (animals, elements, plants, ect)

Types of magic you do

Your natal chart

Your deities (if you have any)

Correspondences:

Remember, you don't need to write down correspondences you will never need! So instead, write about...

Crystals you have/want

Plants you can grow yourself/already have around you. Check your spice cabinet

And list things to use those for! So that would be herb bundles to burn, salves, recipes, and so on.

Other things you can use in magic that you already have

This would be things like sea shells, snail shells, grass, dirt, candles. Get creative!

Other witchcraft stuff:

Your sigils

Planets

The sun/moon +moon phases

Zodiac signs

The elements

Symbolism (animals, shapes, and whatever else you wish to add)

Spells:

What makes a spell that works!!! This should help with making your own spells

What NOT to do

Different types of spells

Spells you will actually use

Divination:

A section on tarot cards and their meanings

How to use a pendulum

Meanings of oracle cards

Rune meanings and how to cast them

Lesser known forms of divination!!!

Mental health:

Grounding and centering

Burn out care and being energy efficient

A list of what motivates you to do your craft

Small spells for self care

Astral work:

Your astral space (a map, a description, drawings of important locations)

Your astral body, if it's any different than your physical one

A list of spirits and important information about them

Protection, sheilding, banishing, and safety

Manners when interacting with spirits and what NOT to do

Methods of projection/travel that work for you

Post-astral grounding methods

General spirit work:

How to interact with spirits and how NOT to interact with spirits

Protection, banishing, shielding, and other safety things

How to give offerings (there's more than one way!)

Methods of communicating with spirits

Signs of spirits

Ways spirits can send signs and messages (animals, dreams, and so on)

A list of different kinds of spirits you work with/have encountered

A section for research, especially if you're doing deity work.

Grounding, if it helps you afterwards

A log of interaction with spirits. This can be like a divination journal but with spirits, if that's what you do.

📅 Weekly Rituals 📅

Monday

🔮 Correspondences: travels, dreams, psychic powers, peace, mystery, healing, home, fertility, emotions, family, divination

✨ Ritual: brew green tea and put all your positive intentions for this week in the tea by stirring it clockwise for good luck. 

–

Tuesday

🔮 Correspondences: bravery, business, courage, strength, war, partnership, passion, protection, sexual intentions, work, victory

✨ Ritual: connect with the strength and bravery of nature by going on a walk outside, a hike, or at least opening your windows wide open and letting the fresh, cold air of the morning in your home. 

–

Wednesday

🔮 Correspondences: art, astrology, communication, focus, creativity, education, excitement, inspiration, wise

✨ Ritual: take a ritual bath or cleansing shower, and repeat the following mantra “I cleanse myself so I may feel light, creative, peaceful and at ease”. 

–

Thursday

🔮 Correspondences: abundance, money, luck, growth, personal development, prosperity, health, expansion, altruism

✨ Ritual: on a bay leaf, write a keyword or sigil representing a wish or dream of yours, focus on it with all your intention, then burn the leaf with a white candle to make it happen. 

–

Friday

🔮 Correspondences: affection, friendship, love, romance, beauty, social interactions, harmony, birth, reconciliation

✨ Ritual: after working or studying, bring harmony to your desk by thoroughly decluttering any unnecessary item, cleaning up the dust and magically cleansing it with sage or Palo Santo. 

–

Saturday

🔮 Correspondences: banishment, spiritual communication, justice, curse, death, cleansing, purification, time, end, debts, home

✨ Ritual: to get rid of a curse or negative energy, fix a black candle in a bowl by letting some wax melt at the bottom of the candle. Then fill up half the bowl with water. Turn on the candle, then focus all your intentions on banishing the curse. When the candle has reached the water, the negativity will be gone. 

–

Sunday

🔮 Correspondences: ambitions, goals, career, growth, beginning, masculinity, health, spirituality, success, prosperity

✨ Ritual: read your tarot by drawing 3 cards (Past, Present, Future) to learn from last week’s mistakes, understand your current mental state and prepare for next week. 

🌱🍵 Green Garden Goddess Dip 🍵🌱

for Midsummer - Litha

1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

1 T. garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

8 oz. spinach, triple washed, patted dry, and de-stemmed

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 cup loose parsley, washed well

1/4 cup chives, sliced

1 T. freshly chopped dill

1 T. lime juice

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. hot sauce, of choice

1 - 8 oz. container plain vegan soy yogurt

In a non-stick skillet, saute the green onion and garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes to soften. Add the spinach and continue to saute until the spinach just wilts. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool completely. Transfer the spinach mixture to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, except the vegan yogurt, and process for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Add the vegan yogurt and process well to combine. Taste and add additional salt, hot sauce, or lime juice, to taste. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl, cover, and chill for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve as an appetizer with raw vegetables, bread slices, crackers, or chips, or use as a condiment on sandwiches, cooked vegetables, or grains. Yield: 2 Cups

🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵🌱🍵

SAMHAIN SOUL CAKES RECIPE

Souls cakes are small round cakes which is traditionally made for Halloween. Originally the poor would knock on doors of wealthier families begging for leftover soul cakes, in turn for a prayer. And thus the trick or treating tradition began! A great offering for the dead, and your family at that matter.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cup flour

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup cold butter

A pinch of salt

Splash of vanilla

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 tsp all-spice

A pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs 

Dried cranberries/currents/raisins

Candied Orange Peel

A spoon full of honey

3 tbsp almond milk

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts 

For a simple frosting:

3 tbsp softened butter

3 tbsp cream

1 tsp vanila extract

Red or orange food dye

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup almond milk/alternative milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large bowl combine flour, spices, salt, and baking powder. In a smaller ball, rehydrate your dried fruit with apple cider vinegar (sounds weird, but trust me it soften the tart bite of dried fruit).

Cut cold butter into the flour mixture until it becomes evenly crumbly. Mix in sugar and eggs. Once completely combined, add your almond milk, dried fruit and candied orange peel. Add in hazelnuts and honey. 

Kneed dough until it becomes solid, if you think it’s too liquidy, add in more flour. If it’s too dry, add in more almond milk. 

Once you’ve got your dough, plastic wrap it, and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Kneed the dough out, roll it, and cut them into circles. I personally use a biscuit cutter, and that works fine ~ Although you can use a knife or a cookie cutter as well!

Place them on baking sheets and with the flat end of a knife, make crosses that come to look like plus signs. Not too deep to cut the cookie in half, but not to shallow or else it will fade away while baking.

Place them in the oven for 25 minutes, or until done. While baking, combine your frosting ingredients and beat with a fork. Shovel into piping bag with a thin tip.

Once the cookies are out of the oven, let them cool to room temperature before frosting. Now with your festive orange or red or even black frosting, pipe along the cross to define it. You could also skip the frosting all together if your not a frosting person - but I suggest it since these cakes are not overly sweet.

\ Garnish to your liking and serve for a tasty Samhain! \

~ Blessed be, Angel….

My Grimoire So Far...

September seasonal produce 🍎