Welcome To Witchcraft - A Post For Beginners

✨My pages on casting runes in my book of shadows/grimoire✨

Witchcraft Books by Bree NicGarran

Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft

For the witch whose town is devoid of occult shops and covens, learning the craft can be a daunting task indeed. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for a budding practitioner to make a start.

Stroll down the forest path with Bree NicGarran, author of The Sisters Grimmoire, and discover the surprising ways you can practice your craft with commonplace items from the supermarket and the craft store. Build a travel kit for on-the-go magic. Create your own spells from scratch with a step-by-step guide. Learn how to make your own witch webs and magical powders. Uncover the secrets of walnut charms and witchballs and much, much more. Every page carries tricks of the trade and homegrown charms from the files of the Grovedaughter herself.

From besoms to banishings to a bit of good advice, Grovedaughter Witchery is the ideal book for any witch with an inclination toward a practical, no-frills approach to witchcraft.

The Sisters Grimmoire: Spells & Charms For Your Happily Ever After

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, Who’s the cleverest witch of them all?

With the spells in this book, it just might be you!

Inspired by the well-known works of The Brothers Grimm, this volume boasts over sixty original spells lovingly crafted from favorite fairy tales, along with helpful spellcrafting instructions and several indices to aid you in your journey. All of this is wrapped up with useful chapter forewords discussing the various themes within the tales, some insight into the creative process, and a bit of discussion on ethics and the usage of magic.

Whether you’re ready to yell “All Heads Off But Mine,” looking to turn your luck around with some Buried Coins, or just wanting to show the world What Big Teeth you have, there is sure to be a spell within these pages that is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

After all, who couldn’t use a bit of Happily Ever After?

Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils

From the author of Grovedaughter Witchery comes a volume of potions and powders for all occasions, suitable to enhance the craft of any practitioner.

Old standards like Banishing Powder and Blessing Oil meet new classics like Dream Dust and Stargazer Wishing Oil. Need to rid your house of a troublesome spirit? Try a sprinkle of Ghost-Be-Gone Powder. Looking for a way to get your zest back after spellwork? Brim With Vim Vitality Oil might be just the thing. Over 200 original formulae await you within these pages, along with helpful hints, safety tips, and detailed instructions for creating your own magical powders and oils.

Collected for the first time in a single volume, these recipes are the product of twelve years of experience and much experimentation. While magic is never a guarantor of success, the potions within these pages just might give your spells the edge you need.

Visit my Amazon Author Page for listings and book reviews! You can also visit my Wordpress shop to order books and other witchy goodies directly from me. (All orders billed through Paypal. Nominal shipping charges will apply.)

Make sure you check out my podcast, Hex Positive, on your favorite podcatcher app! (Part of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.)

If you own a shop and would like to carry my titles, please contact me at BreeNicGarran@gmail.com for wholesale information.

“my dear, we are all made of water. it’s okay to rage. sometimes it’s okay to rest. to recede.”

— Sanober Khan  (via wordsnquotes)

Not that long ago I purchased a tarot book that finally gave me the confidence to start making my own spreads and WALLA! My first ever spread! I got the inspiration from a few other’s that I have seen wandering around, but I really wanted one that was more unique to my own situation. I would also love to hear feedback, so please let me know how it worked for you! :)

Sometimes I wake up or just go about my day and suddenly an anxiety attack comes on, but I have no clue what action may have caused it. This spread helps me go through the steps of revealing what happened and how to get prevent it from happening in the future. Or at least recognizing it in the first place and be able to take the steps towards improvement. Feel free to twist up the question to your liking or expand it further. 

My Anxiety Spread - also good for ptsd & depression

How am I dealing with the situation?

What triggered the anxiety?

Why do I feel stuck/trapped?

What am I not facing/seeing?

How do I work through it?

please do not remove caption.

Hellenic Polytheism Start Pack

Pillars of Hellenismos

Hellenismos in Application Post #1

Xenia

Miasma

Khernips

Veiling & Binding

Giving Offerings to Cthonic Theoi

Giving Offerings to the Ouranic Theoi

Offering Ideas

How I Deal With Being a Secret Hellenist Post #1

How I Deal With Being a Secret Hellenist Post #2

How I Deal With Being a Secret Hellenist Post #3

Festivals and How to Start

Hekate’s Deipnon, Noumenia, and Agathos Daimon

How to Make a Kathiskos

Hestia in Hellenismos

How to Pray, Praise, and Worship the Theoi

The Titanomachy Post #1

The Titanomachy Post #2

The Ages of Mankind

How to Make a Shrine { @modernhellenismos }

Ritual in Hellenismos { @mythologyrules }

Pillars of Hellenismos   { @mythologyrules }

Pillars of Hellenismos { @soloontherocks }

Finding Your Ritual Calendar { @hearthfirehandworks }

Hellenic Terminology Page { baringtheaegis }

What Even is Hellenic Polytheism? What are Some Good Links to Read When First Getting Started? { Royalautumnfrost }

Building Your Worship { @pomegranateandivy }

Pomegranateandivy’s Hellenic FAQ { @pomegranateandivy }

What’s Miasma? { Royalautumnfrost }

Household Shrines { @baringtheaegis }

Household Gods {@hearthfirehandworks } 

Difference Between Hellenic and Hellenistic { @soloontherocks }

Delphic Maxims (Printable PDF) { Hellenicgods.org }

Example of Daily Rituals { baringtheaegis }

Ritual Formula { @mythologyrules }

Relationships with the Theoi { @baringtheaegis }

How to Pray and Praise (Hymn and Prayer Formula) { @baringtheaegis }

Ways to use Tarot for Mental Health Maintenance

Someone (I won't mention them because I didn't ask permission first) asked me to make a post about the ways in which tarot can be helpful for mental health maintenance. I've been thinking about witchcraft and health in general and also about tarot and health. Anyways here is the post!

Disclaimer: This will not be a post about how to use tarot to predict mental health outcomes. This is also not a substitute for help from a licenced or certified mental health professional.

Using tarot for when you don't know what you're feeling

There are times when you might feel something but don't always know what it is you're feeling or why you're feeling that way. I always reference Blanche from the Golden Girls when it comes to this feeling, she called the feeling "magenta". You can simply ask two questions, "what is this feeling?" and "why am I feeling this way?" This might be helpful for anyone but especially those that attend mental health therapy. Having at least some insight into your feelings to share with a therapist.

Tarot to ease your mind about potential outcomes

Even the most calm and collected person can have moments of doubt or worry about the outcome of a situation. Instead of asking your cards for a concrete outcome, ask the cards the following question "what is the best possible outcome of this situation?" If the card is what you consider a positive card then meditate, pray, and/or do spellwork to encourage that outcome. If the card is one that makes you feel uneasy or one that you'd rather not have as an outcome for a situation. Ask the cards again "what can I do to change this outcome?" or if you feel that this is not applicable to the situation "what can I do to find peace with this outcome?"

Tarot for self reflection

Tarot can also be a great tool to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, you can ask yourself some of the following questions.

What are some of my strengths?

What are some of my weaknesses?

What parts of myself do I hide?

Why do I hide certain parts of myself?

Who would I be if I felt completely safe to be my most authentic self?

I hope you found this post helpful and please reach out to a medical professional if you are having mental health struggles. Tarot and divination in general are wonderful tools but there is nothing wrong with realizing that you need medical intervention. You owe that to yourself and you are worthy of receiving the best care possible, mind, body, and soul!

- Erika, The Clumsy Witch

Floriography

Victorian-origin flower meanings were conceived as a code, but can also be used for correspondences. 

This table from a Smithsonian PDF has several common breeds and sentiments as a shorthand, but here are some lengthier resources:

Language of Flowers website (includes seasonal information)

List with a couple household herbs

Book scan from the early 1900s

Long archived list with sexy obscure flowers

Floriography’s most intuitive use is for love spells. Put yarrow in a stave-off-heartbreak talisman, leave a couple violets in a vase on your altar, whatever. However, by the time you get to something like white chrysanthemums (truth), there’s all kinds of divining and revelatory “show yourself” work you can do. 

Jewish Angel Work

I don't see a bunch of writing about angel work in general, and what I do find is often heavily Christianized! I wanted to talk about what angel work can look like from a Jewish perspective.

(Gentiles may interact and enjoy, but understand that this is for educational purposes and not an invitation to appropriate! 🤍)

A Jewish-Specific Perspective

Judaism views angels in ways other traditions may not share! Some examples:

Angels aren't former humans. They are their own distinct beings just like demons, cows, land spirits and butterflies. People who pass away, even children, are not considered "angels returning home." These angels have specific forms and looks depending on the type, some more humanoid than others.

Angels don't have free will. This does not mean they are held hostage or can't have their own personalities, but their will is an extension of HaShem's Will, serving a specific role in making that Will manifest. Kind of like employees in a corporation doing their tasks!

They don't have names. Or at least, they don't have names we're supposed to know or ask for. They may be incomprehensible to humans, or maintaining a level of anonymity as to not distract from HaShem. Either way, asking for a name is often discouraged in traditional texts.

They AREN'T all here to help you. While it all serves a Divine Will and is therefore Good in the grand scheme of things, many angels serve completely neutral functions from a human perspective. Some could even be considered harmful to humans, the most prominent example being HaSatan. (Even still, HaSatan isn't seen as a true villain. He's just doing his job.)

Some of them are ONLY here to help you! Historical Rabbis were big on the concept of guardian angels. The Talmud says "Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow.'" (Midrash Rabba, Bereshit 10:6.) Every living creature, including you, has a guardian angel to help you along your path. Some translations say the angels hit the grass, and that's not the only story of angels smacking things, so that guidance isn't always gentle, but it's always in the right direction.

Types of Angel Work

Spirit guides. Like mentioned above, guardian angels can help encourage you to "Grow! Grow!" and keep you on a path in line with spiritual health and lovingkindness.

Communing with HaShem. Gd is extremely esoteric. Angels help us send and recieve messages in an easier-to-conceptualize way! Meditation and prayer can also play into this. Beyond every-day applications, angels can also appear unexpectedly with important messages.

Communicating with other spirits. As angels are often messengers, I also think it's helpful to call upon their aid when working with other spirits!

Working with angels of various functions. Modern day Rabbis often marry angelic theology with scientific phenomena, with angels overseeing the process. By that extent, we could ask those angels for help/guidance when relevant!

Protection. Psalm 91, often recited for protection, depicts HaShem commanding angels on your behalf to guard you in all ways. One bedtime prayer names the four archangels to surround us.

Shalom Aleichem is traditionally sung on Friday nights before Shabbat dinner. It invites angels of peace to basically come and hang out with us during shabbat, then to leave in peace once shabbat is over. Many arrangements also make a good lullaby.

Other Notes

Metatron (מֶטָטְרוֹן) is a specifically-Jewish angel who gets appropriated a lot in spiritual circles. He does not appear in the Tanakh, but is mentioned in the Talmud and largely fleshed out in kabbalistic literature! (Islamic literature does mention him by different name, ميططرون, Mitatrun/Mitatrush. Solidarity.)Lots of people recognize Lilith as closed, but the same attention hasn't been given to Metatron. He's a very complex and ambiguous figure worth a whole post of his own so I won't get into it here!

This post is by no means comprehensive! This is just a very "quick" overview of a very rich field of study.

Further Study

On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel: Angels in Ancient Jewish Culture-- Mika Ahuvia

A Gathering of Angels: Angels in Jewish Life and Literature-- Morris B. Margolies

Ascending Jacob's Ladder: Jewish Views of Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits-- Ronald H. Isaacs

“Where do I start?”

The question I receive the most in regards to witchcraft is, “Where do I start?” so I decided to make a quick guide on the most helpful areas to me as a beginner. 

Visualization - Learn to use and work with your imagination. Visualization involves using your imagination to alter your mind’s eye, and is used in several  aspects of witchcraft. 

Intent - Learn how to formulate a well-constructed goal for your spell work.

Grounding and Centering - Learn to ground to release energy; Center to focus and bring yourself back to reality. 

Channeling - Learn the various energies you can channel or draw from and how they can correspond with your intent.

Protection - Learn about shields and wards, from putting them up and taking them down, to using other methods of protection - this can involve the use of various magickal components such as herbs or crystals. A method of protection should be employed before all acts of spell work, in my opinion. 

Different types of magick - Learn about the different types of magick and make note of what your interests are - there are SO many paths to choose from. 

Divination - If divination is something you’re interested in, research different methods of divination: some good starter methods IMO include scrying, pendulum, runes, and tarot cards.

After you’ve got some idea of your witchy interests, do some further research! See what path is right for you, and expand on it. 

edited on 10-6-2018