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Basic Planet Transit Guide

Sun (1 month to change sign): Self-expression, general seasonal energy, confidence, growth

Moon (2-3 days to change sign): Emotions, desires, habits, introspection, people or feelings from the past, intuition

Mercury (a few weeks to a month to change sign): Communication, mental clarity, mental fog, confusion, information, short trips, technology, mental shifts, trade, businesses

Venus (3-5 weeks to change sign): Connections, love, relationships, social life, brief attraction, infatuation, beauty rituals, shopping sprees or new spending habits

Mars (4-8 weeks to change sign): Drive, temper, lust, physical energy, outbursts, accidents, vigor, violence, ambition, motivation

Jupiter (around a year to change sign: Growth, expansion, excess, opportunity or loss, travel, law, risks and risk-taking, luck, optimism, exaggeration, truth, overconfidence or overestimation

Saturn (2.5 - 3 years to change sign): Structure and restructuring, authority, discipline, laws, rules, boundaries, restriction, trails, challenges, work, responsibilities, consolidation, blockages, delays, loss, misfortune, falls, fails, blows to ego or progress, sadness or melancholy, seriousness

Uranus (7 years to change sign): Community, rebellion, revolution, freedom, innovation, new ideas, technology, science, sudden changes, chaos, cataclysmic events, change

Neptune (13 - 15 years to change sign): Fantasy, hopes or wishes, illusions, dreams, creativity, intuition, spirituality, disillusionment, delusions, madness, a generation's "dream", illumination, deception, confusion, breakdowns, disintegration, flooding, drowning, sensitivity, sacrifice, martyrs

Pluto (12 - 20 years to change sign): Power, power struggles, transformation, taboos, sex, inevitable change, destruction, psychological pressure, regeneration, control, obsession, compulsion, death, endings, a generations challenges and transformations, deception, manipulation, intense emotions, trauma

“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)

Books and Resources (Paganism, Witchcraft and More)

This list has been updated over the years and will continued to be updated over time. If you re-post this elsewhere, kindly credit me because it’s taken a long time to compile what I feel are useful resources on the following topics. The very basics are covered in my FAQ.

Last updated: 6/20/2015

Paganism:

A Pagan Primer — For Those New to Paganism

Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by River and Joyce Higginbotham

Pagan Spirituality: A Guide to Personal Transformation by River and Joyce Higginbotham

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler

Connecting to the Power of Nature by Joe H. Slate

Exploring the Pagan Path: Wisdom from the Elders (a collection of articles, essays and general commentary from various pagan authors)

ChristoPaganism: An Inclusive Path by River Higginbotham and Joyce Higginbotham

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson

Wicca:

Wicca for the Rest of Us

Wicca Resources

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner 

The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk (most recent edition only, old editions have inaccurate info that has since been updated)

Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle by Deborah Lipp

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Scott Cunningham) – note that this book is somewhat outdated, due to it being written in the 1980s.

Witchcraft (non-Wiccan):

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes

Crone’s Book of Charms & Spells by Valerie Worth

Witchcraft: a History by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart

Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery by Kris Bradley

Candle Magic for Beginners by Richard Webster

Master Book of Candle Burning by Henry Gamache

A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk by Peter Paddon

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary and Jane Cox

Non-Wiccan Witchcraft Reading List

Witch of Forest Grove: Sarah Anne Lawless

Welcome to Witchcraft - A Post for Beginners

The Salem Witch Hunt: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) by Richard Godbeer

Witchcraft by Type:

Hedge Witchery Resources

Traditional Witchcraft Resources

Historical Witchcraft Books

Sea Witchcraft Resources / Sea Witchcraft Tag

Cottage Witchcraft Resources

Kitchen and Green Witchcraft Resources

Green Witchcraft: Walking the Green Path

Kitchen in the Cottage

Urban Witchcraft Resources

College Witchcraft/Tips

Chaos Magic:

What is Chaos Magic?

Resources for Sigil Magic and Crafting

World Mythology:

www.sacred-texts.com (free archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore, and the esoteric)

Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies by Alice Mills

Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology: Heroes, Heroines, Gods, and Goddesses from Around the World by Philip Wilkinson

The Oxford Companion to World Mythology by David Leeming

World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide by Roy Willis

Hellenic Polytheism and Greek Mythology:

www.hellenion.org

www.theoi.com

neokoroi.org

baringtheaegis.blogspot.com

Hellenic Recon Beginner’s Guide

Reconstruction of Hellenic Polytheistic Practices

Hellenic Calendar

An Outline for a Presentation on Hellenismos

Hellenic Resources by Bayoread

Hellenic Resource Download Bundle 1 by Elaphos

Hellenic Resource Download Bundle 2 by Elaphos

Orphic Incenses

Hellenic Terminology

Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monst​ers by Donna Jo Napoli

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire

Old Stones, New Temples by Drew Campbell

Greek Mythology and Prehistory by W. Harris

The Gods of Reason by Timothy Jay Alexander

A Beginner’s Guide to Hellenismos by Timothy Jay Alexander

Hellenismos Today by Timothy Jay Alexander

The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton

Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths? by Paul Veyne

Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored by Sarah Kate Istra Winter

Homer’s Iliad, The Odyssey and Homeric Hymns

The Homeric Hymns (PDF) and The Orphic Hymns (PDF)

Homer’s Odyssey (PDF)

Homer’s Iliad (Theoi.com)

Hesiod: Works and Days (PDF version here)

The Theogony of Hesiod (PDF version here)

Magic in Ancient Greece:

Magic in the Ancient Greek World by Derek Collins

Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden

Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Georg Luck

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation (PDF)

Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion

Greek Folk Religion by Martin P Nilsson 

Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World by John G. Gager

Magic in the Ancient World by Fritz Graf

Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World by Matthew W. Dickie

Roman Polytheism:

Click Here for Books and Resources

Kemeticism and Ancient Egyptian Mythology:

www.egyptianmyths.net

Kemeticism by The Twisted Rope

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard H. Wilkinson

Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art by Richard H. Wilkinson

Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Pinch

Celtic Recon and Myth:

Celtic Folklore on Sacred Texts

The Celtic Recon FAQ

The Religion of the Ancient Celts (Sacred Texts)

What is Celtic? 101

Carmina Gadelica by Alexander Carmichael

The Celts: A Very Short Introduction by Barry Cunliffe

The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales by Patrick Form

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend by Miranda Green

Gods and Heroes of the Celts by Marie-Louise Sjoestedt

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton

Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz

Druidry/Druidism:

druidry.org

druidnetwork.org

Druidry - A Mega List of Resources

Non-Wiccan Witches: Modern Druidry

Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions (Sacred Texts)

Asatru, Heathenism and Norse Mythology:

www.thetroth.org

grumpylokeanelder.tumblr.com

“Alright, I’m interested in this Norse stuff. Where do I even start?”

The Eddas: The Keys to the Msteries of the North by James Allen Chisholm

The Poetic Edda (PDF)

The Prose Edda (PDF)

Exploring the Northern Tradition by Galina Krasskova

Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs by John Lindow

Dictionary of Northern Mythology by Rudolf Simek

Teutonic Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

The Nature of Asatru: An Overview of the Ideals and Philosophy of the Indigenous Religion of Northern Europe by Mark Puryear

Crystals and Stones:

The Encyclopedia of Crystals by Judy Hall

The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

Crystal Healing by Judy Hall

Rocks & Minerals by Chris Pellant  (identification handbook)

Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham

Crystal Grids: How and Why They Work by Hibiscus Moon

The Book of Crystal Spells by Ember Grant

Herbal (Magical, Medicinal):

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl

Compendium of Herbal Magic by Paul Beyerl  

The Green Mantle: An Investigation Into Our Lost Knowledge of Plants by Michael Jordan

The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore by Margaret Picton

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham (good for quick reference, but not in depth information)

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham 

A List of Threatened Magical Herbs

Resources to Start Learning Local Plants

Notes: please take care before using herbs for medicinal and/or supplemental purposes. Many herbs are toxic (some authors fail to mention this!) and/or have harmful side-effects. Always do research and consult a professional before use. 

Fae and Faerie Faith:

My Masterlist of Fae Resources

Fairy Faith 101

Working with Faery (Info and Resources)

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans

Runes:

Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic by Edred Thorsson

Runelore: A Handbook of Esoteric Runology by Edred Thorsson

The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Runes by Nigel Pennick

Authors to avoid (due to misinformation, historical inaccuracies, poor research, potentially harmful advice, and/or failure to cite sources):

Silver Ravenwolf (here’s why)

DJ Conway

Edain McCoy

Ann Moura 

Ralph Blum (runes)

approach Llewellyn-published books with caution — there are some great ones, but many aren’t well researched and may contain misinformation.

if all else fails, Google the author and ask around to see what people have to say about them - many bad authors have entire pages or discussions dedicated on why to avoid them!

always fact check information (especially if it involves ingesting anything or putting anything on the skin — just because an ingredient is natural does not mean it isn’t harmful/toxic)

How do I know what to believe? Critical Thinking and Pagan Books

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

🌙 The Moon Phase You Were Born Under — And What It Says About Your Emotional Blueprint

We often speak of Sun signs as identity, of rising signs as masks, and Moon signs as emotions. But we rarely ask this question: What was the Moon doing when I was born? Was she just beginning to glow… or was she already starting to let go? The Moon phase at your birth isn’t just a backdrop, it’s an emotional rhythm, an imprint of your soul’s internal timing. It speaks of how you process feelings, how you grow through life’s tides, and what kind of light you carry, growing, full, fading, or new.

P.S. There’s a little poll waiting for you at the bottom! Should we explore the Moon phases through the zodiac signs next… or wander through the houses? You get to decide.

🌑 New Moon — The Seed

You were born in the hush before the story begins. When the sky is dark, and everything that could be is still curled inside silence. This is the phase of souls who begin where others end, who carry invisible blueprints in their chest and build futures from intuition alone. Your emotions come from a place before language, raw, instinctual, searching. You feel life deeply, but often quietly, like waves moving under frozen lakes. You may feel like no one truly sees you because you are still writing who you are. Still dreaming what you’re meant to become. You don’t need to follow a path. You are the path.

🌒 Waxing Crescent — The Spark

You came into the world when light was still fragile. Just a sliver. Just a whisper. And that’s how you move through emotion too, like someone protecting a candle in a storm, always hoping it will catch. There is a quiet bravery in your soul. A kind of soft persistence that keeps reaching, even when no one’s cheering. Your emotional life is shaped by longing, by almosts, by the ache of beginnings not yet named. You often wonder: Will it be enough? Will I be enough? And yet something in you always rises. Always grows. You believe in what hasn’t happened yet. And that belief makes you a lighthouse for others still finding their way.

🌓 First Quarter — The Clash

You were born into friction. The Moon in one direction, the Sun in another. A crossroads written into your bones. This is not a phase of ease, it’s a phase of pressure, of turning points, of inner battles that demand movement.  Emotionally, you live with a constant inner tug-of-war. One part of you wants peace. The other part wants to break every pattern you've inherited. You feel things like storms breaking against glass, loud, urgent, necessary. You are not here to stay quiet. You are here to challenge the blueprint, to carve a new door where others saw a wall. You don’t just feel, you ignite.

🌔 Waxing Gibbous — The Refiner

You were born in the inhale before the full light. When everything is almost - almost complete, almost clear, almost ready. You carry that ache for alignment in your chest like a second heartbeat. Your emotions aren’t chaotic, but they are relentless. You feel the pull to improve, to shape, to polish every part of yourself and your world until it reflects what you know it could be. You may overthink, not because you doubt yourself, but because you care that deeply. You are a sculptor of inner truth, chiseling slowly, lovingly, toward wholeness. Your life is not about getting it perfect. It’s about honoring the process of becoming.

🌕 Full Moon — The Mirror

You arrived in the moment of full glow. All things exposed, all feelings magnified. You don’t carry a light, you are the light. And because of that, your emotions are rarely subtle. They are floods, revelations, reflections. You see yourself most clearly through others, but that mirror can be both gift and distortion. In life, you may struggle with projection, wondering which parts are truly you, and which are echoes of who others want you to be. Your emotional life is theatrical, intense, and wildly intuitive. You feel it all. And when you allow yourself to own that intensity instead of apologizing for it, you become the moon itself, pulling tides, revealing truths, and giving light in the dark.

🌖 Waning Gibbous — The Teacher

You were born after the peak. In the glow that lingers. This is the phase of reflection, of wisdom uncoiling itself from experience. You carry the soul of someone who’s already seen behind the curtain and now wants to help others understand what it all meant. Emotionally, you live in layers. You feel first, and then you translate. People may see you as calm, but inside you, entire stories are unfolding. You are often the one others turn to, because you make pain make sense. You don’t need loudness to lead, your truth ripples outward in quiet waves. Your life is a gathering of meanings. You feel like a book always being written, always one chapter ahead of those around you.

🌗 Last Quarter — The Releaser

You came into the world already letting go. This is the phase of endings, of clearing, of sharp truths and softer aftermaths. You carry a strange freedom in your chest, the kind that comes from burning bridges that no longer lead to you. Your emotional life is one of cycles. You love, you shed, you learn. Again and again. You don’t cling, you transform. In the world, this can make others uncomfortable. They want certainty. You offer clarity. And clarity often costs comfort. You are not here to keep things intact. You are here to break illusions so new roots can form. You are the truth after the storm. The ache that knows: even endings are beginnings.

🌘 Waning Crescent — The Dreamer

You were born in the hush before the Moon disappears. When light is thin, and dreams speak louder than words. You carry a softness the world has forgotten. A depth that doesn’t scream to be known, but waits quietly to be felt. Emotionally, you are porous. You feel what’s yours, and what isn’t, and everything in between. Your life may feel like a long remembering, of something you can’t quite name, but always carry. In real time, you may drift, retreat, dissolve, searching for silence not to escape, but to return to yourself. Others may call you distant. But really, you’re listening to a frequency most have tuned out. You are the final breath before rebirth. The lullaby between lifetimes. The poem that doesn’t need to end.

Blooming Flowers near the glacial ice toe (2013) Located: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

I hate to be a bother, but would you know where I can find free ebooks or something on witchcraft? I have looked and scoured site after site and I've read posts where people say you can, but I sure haven't found a single one. I'm new and not open, so I'm so lost.

Why yes! I actually have several Free PDFs I can give you that I’ve collected over the while!

Herbal Enchantments

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews

The Ultimate Book of Spells

The Gardnerian Book of Shadows

Every Witch Way

Witch Crafting

Wicca In The Kitchen

The Magical Household

Circle, Coven, and Grove

Magick When You Need It

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Spells For The Solitary Witch

A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk

The Great Book of Spells

Spell Crafts

Scottish Fairy and FolkTales

The Call of the Horned Piper

Book of Protective Charms

A Whole Folder of Nature/Herb Books

Cornells Digital Witchcraft Collection

All of these are, to my knowledge, still up and running! Enjoy these, I’ll add more if/when I find them! 

constantly-disheveled.tumblr.com/ask

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Basic herb bundle for protection, prosperity and love.

Basic herb bundle for protection, prosperity and love.

You will need:

Cotton twine

Large leaves of basil

3 sprigs of rosemary

3 cuttings of lavender ( leaf and flower on stem)

Leaves /stems of sage (common/garden)

1: Lay out large leaves of basil with shiny side down. Placing twine under these will help with the bundling after.

Basil will serve as the outer shell of the bundle.

2: Inside the basil layer, lay some sage leave, followed by the rosemary and lavender at the ‘core’ of the bundle.

3: Layer more sage

4: Lay the last few basil leaves, now shiny side up.

5: CAREFULLY tuck the top layer of basil and fold up the bottom layer of basil.

(Kind of like folding up a tortilla or a pastry shell)

The goal is to get the shiny side of the basil on the outside of the bundle, having the sage and rosemary snug inside.

Use the previously placed twine to fasten the bundle.

BE GENTLE-fresh basil will tear easily. Not that it’s a big deal. The bundle will work fine. But, it won’t be as aesthetically pleasing.

6: With a new, longer piece of twine. Wrap the base snug and then wrap the twine firmly (but not so hard you bruise the leaves) and spiral up to the top.

7: Wrap once and tuck the tail to fasten.

8: Hang your bundle where you dry your herbs. I like a window with subtle light.

In a week or two (depending on humidity) it should dry out and be ready for use.

Tips:

It helps to occasionally check the tension on the twine. Herbs may shrink when drying Periodically snugging them up can help the bundle keep shape.

Always use caution when burning.

Use a fire safe dish or bowl.

Watch for drifting embers

Keep some form of cover handy to snuff out any flare ups.

**Dry lavender leaf can burn quickly!**

Do not just go waving burning bundles around all willy-nilly.

You got a brain- use it

-The Cranky Old Pagan

Witchy Youtubers

Here’s a list of some of my favorite witchy/spiritual youtubers that I can’t get enough of. This is by no means a complete list, feel free to add onto it!

Anais Alexandre

Annie Tarasova

Ashera Star Goddess

Avalon Cameron

Azura DragonFeather

Broom Closet Artistry

Creosote Coyote

Dewdrop Dwelling

Ember HoneyRaven

Ethony

Harmony Nice

Hibiscus Moon

Jessi Huntenburg

Joanna DeVoe

Joey Morris

Kelly-Ann Maddox

Laura Daligan

Molly Roberts - HerSpeak

new age hipster

Oolong Witch

Orriculum

Owlvine Green

Samantha Valens

Scarlet Ravenswood

Snow Orchid

Sunshine MorningRae

The Sea Priestess 

The White Witch Parlour

The Ladygravedancer

WitchandMoon

WyllowWynd The Thrifty Witch

May the moon light your path.

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Witch’s Ladder Iron Key Curse

“Take a length of waxed cotton twine to bind the spirits tight, as long as your forearm, soaked in red wine for a fortnight.

Tie three sprigs of mugwort, culled under the summer moon, dried through the winter, burned as spectre’s commune.

With cunning words we bind together in aged knotted script, three iron nails dug from the earth of a rotted crypt.

Take an old penny with a hole driven into the Queen’s eye, and through it slip the wine soak cotton so that it may lie.

Bind a rabbit bone to give agency to that earthbound wight, that from the grave they may ride out in harrowed flight.

With an iron key to anchor our spell and lock away secrets true, or open forgotten doors through which our dreams are born anew.”

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