247 posts
Latest Posts by witchshkt - Page 8
To Create a Personal Worry Stone or Relieve Tension
You will need:
A dark, round stone from a garden, park, seashore, or river bank, small enough to carry with you.
Eight smaller dark stones, forming a square around it.
A small dark-colored bag or purse.
Timing:
Monday evening, especially during the waning moon
The spell:
Hold the central stone between your palms and gently enclose it, saying softly, “Into this stone i put all fears, doubts, anxiety, [name specific causes of worry]. Take them from me that i may be free.”
Set the stone in the center of the square of stones and say, “Limited be, confined, no longer mine.” Put the worry stone in the bag or purse.
Take the smaller stones outside and leave them there.
Still outside, shake your fingers, pointing downward to the ground, and say, “Anything remaining, now is draining away.”
Take your worry stone with you to work or any potentially anxiety-provoking situation and wash it weekly.
“1001 Spells: The Complete Book of Spells for Every Purpose,” by Cassandra Eason
@sophia-the-weird
Rose Water Recipe
You Will Need:
A small or medium sauce pan/pot
3 Fragrant Red Roses
8 to 10 oz. of Spring Water
I recommend that you let your water be blessed and charged by the sun the day before making this, you could use Moon Water if you wanted to also. Make sure that the water is drinkable though, so don’t use Ocean Water for example.
Make sure that your petals are free of all dirt and bugs and if you MUST use store bought roses, thoroughly wash the petals before doing this as they get sprayed in the store with pesticides.
Pour your water into your pot and then add the petals one by one making sure again that there are no bugs or dirt that may have been missed.
Using a wooden (or plastic if you don’t have wood) spoon, gently submerge the petals, they’ll float, but try to get the tops wet too. Heat slowly on Medium Low heat, do not bring to a boil.
After about 30 minutes your water should be turning a light pink color and should be quite fragrant. I let mine heat for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the color and taste. Definitely give it a taste and see if you think it’s strong enough for you, you can always add more petals.
The petals should be iridescent once it’s done. Go with what you feel on when you think it’s done, but it shouldn’t ever take more than an hour. Once you’re done fill a jar or bottle with the Rose water and store it in the fridge.
This keeps pretty well, up to two months in the fridge, but I wouldn’t let it go much longer than that unless you had to.
I hope that helps you guys out, like I said it’s super simple and a lot of it has to do with preference. :) wiccanwolfinthewoods I’d love to see how yours comes out! :)
Magic to Replenish Energy
As a spoonie witch, using magic to help regain my mental and physical energy has been extremely helpful. I decided to compile some resources to make life easier!
Tea/Drinks:
Mental reboost tea spell
Easy energy tea spell
Energy boost tea
Rejuvenating tea
Morning coffee spell
Daily energy chant (for your morning drink)
Lemon cayenne wakefulness potion
Spells:
Spoonie spell for energy + Spoons spell
Rain energy spell
Electric charge spell (storms)
Solar charged spell
Energy boost spell
Pick me up energy spell
The “I’m Tired, I’m Dying” Spell
Full bloom spell
Odds and ends:
Moon bathing + Energy bath
Energy shower scrub
Recharge yourself (with crystals)
Sun meditations
Motivation charm bag
Spell jar/sachet for energy
“I Shouldn’t Be Awake But I Have to Be” Jar Spell
Emoji spell for healing from burnout
Sigils for energy: [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]
Related resources:
What to do when witchcraft drains you
Spells and sigils for energy
Witchy things to do when you’re low on spoons
Simple spell work for low energy days
You may also like:
Rejuvenating witchcraft
Spoonie witch masterpost
Bedridden witchcraft series
How to return to the craft
How can I find the energy to practice when I’m dealing with bad depression? I feel like I can’t do anything.
My best advice for you is don’t force it. Don’t have any energy/will to practice? Don’t practice. I’ve taken very long hiatuses to deal with depression. I just took one that was a good part of the year, I’m still getting back in the flow of my craft.
Try to do some little witchy things to keep you going until you’re ready to practice again.
Make tea or coffee (x)
Keep crystals around, put ‘em under your pillow, in your pockets, etc.
Whenever you find the energy to clean yourself (brush your teeth/hair, use a washcloth, take a bath/shower), do it with the intention of both cleansing and cleansing.
Listen to music that makes you feel powerful/witchy
Use color correspondences (x)
Burn incense/candles if you’re able to do so safely
Doodle sigils on paper/your arms
Open a window at night and breathe in the fresh air
Watch witchy movies
Anything else you can think of :)
SELF CARE! Do what you need to, witchcraft will always be there <3
Some posts you may find helpful:
Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms
Spoonie witch masterpost
Bedridden witch series
Magic to replenish energy
Rejuvenating witchcraft
Drink magic masterpost
How to return to the craft
Getting To Know Plant Allies
photo source
Use It!
One of my teachers was very insistent that before I was allowed to study a plant, I had to get to know it first. Head knowledge is one thing, but when you are working as a herbalist you have to have more than that.
Before using any herb, even for these exercises it is important to look up contraindications for the herb. Herbs are medicinal, even in small doses. Personally I like to use this book. And remember to always tell your doctor if you are taking any herbs!
Based on the type of herb, make a decoction or infusion. Fragile herbs, usually dried leaves or flowers, are better suited to an infusion (let steep in nearly boiling water for 20 minutes). Hardier herbs such as roots can be simmered in the water for 20 minutes (decoction).
Sip slowly, taking notice of how the tea feels in your mouth. Does it trigger a salivary response? How does it taste? Anything your experience is worth taking note of. I’ve never been sad I took too many notes!
Take a bath with it. If a full bath isn’t possible, do a foot or hand bath. I was taught to start with water as close to room temp as possible. This can be a good way to determine if the herb has warming or cooling properties.
Again, make notes! Lots of them.
Get creative with how you experiment. Cook with them, use them for facial steams. Any way that you’re called to, and remember, take notes!
Study It - Materia Medica
It’s time to make your own herbal! We’re going to take our observations and start a Materia Medica. This is the term herbalists have been using since the 1st century AD, thanks to the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides. Modern science now often uses the term pharmacology but I greatly prefer the Materia Medica.
Some witches will combine this with a Materia Magica which goes into the magical correspondences for the herbs. But this post won’t be covering that.
How each herbalist organizes the Materia Medica is going to vary, but it should hit a few key points. And, of great importance, is to track your sources! Any information that you include in your MM needs to have a citation so that you can track your info.
Latin Name
My Materia Medicas always start with the Latin name for the herb. Herbs have many, many different names. Both through history and throughout the world. The best way to ensure that you’re using the correct plant is to use the latin name. But then, after that, I make not of common names and historical names.
History/Lore
If a herb has an interesting history, or appears in folk lore I make note of that next. It can be interesting and is helpful for knowing the herb. There’s a lot of knowledge to be gleaned from old stories!
Description
If you’re inclined for either wildcrafting or foraging, a section on the cultivation and appearance of the plant.
Chemicals
Now, we get into the medicine of it. Herbs work because they contain chemical compounds. A lot (all?) of modern medicine is derived from the manufacturing of these chemicals.
Make a list of the chemicals that are found in the herb. Making note, where you can, of what these chemicals actually DO. Over time you’ll want to get to know which ones are the active ingredients and how the work. Yup, it’s science!
Herbal Actions
Actions come next. Herbal actions are a whole language to learn. But as you are putting together the Materia Medicas you’ll start to get the hang of things! An action describes the way a herb works on the body.
It can seem a bit overwhelming, so here is an example.
Bitter is an herbal action, and it is aptly named. Herbs with this action typically taste… bitter! The action that they have on the body usually starts in the mouth where it stimulates saliva production as the first step of aiding in the digestive process. (they do a lot more but we’re keeping it simple for the example).
Examples of bitters are: arugula (also called rocket), dandelion greens, and black coffee.
Here’s a very simple way to experiment yourself! Take some time to sample one of the above mentioned bitters and see how your body reacts.
Christopher Hobbs is an herbalist I respect a lot. He has a handout that he uses in his classes which lists herbal actions, indications (we’ll get into that next), and lists example herbs.
http://www.christopherhobbs.com/webdocs/class-handouts/keville-hobbs-2016/Herbal-Actions.pdf
I highly suggest printing this sheet out and keeping it handy, reading it over often. Eventually it’ll become more intuitive, but it takes time and practice.
Indications
Indications are where we want to use the herb. IE: where is the herbal action of the herb indicated? This is going to be a list of conditions that the herb in question is good for treating.
For example, Corn Silk (zea mays) is an antiseptic, demulcent and a diuretic. Because of this, it’s indicated for use with a urinary tract infection. (it’s indicated for other things too, but I’m trying to keep things fairly basic!)
The demulcent soothes the irritated skin, the diuretic helps to increase urine output, and the antiseptic of course helps to prevent the growth of harmful organisms.
Medicine
The last section of my Materia Medica deals with dosing and contraindications.
I like to include dosing for both teas and tinctures as they are my personal favorite ways for treating people.
Contraindications means anything that counteracts with the herb. St John’s Wort is a popular one for this, as it has many. It is a highly reactive herb and can interact negatively with many drugs!
It is very important to know how the herb interacts. People think that because herbs are natural/plants that somehow this excludes them from the realm of medicine. But the very reason that herbs are effective is because they ARE medicine!
When I am working with a client, I do my best to take a detailed history, even things they don’t think is important. But I also inform them of every herb I am giving them and encourage them to do their own research. And it’s important to be aware of your body when you are taking herbs. From the practitioner to the person taking the herb, everyone needs to do their own due diligence.
If you found this post useful, or have any comments/thoughts/etc I would love to hear it. If there is interest I can do posts on salves, tinctures, etc. And perhaps examples of my own materia medicas.
The Fields of Asphodel: The Afterlife from a Pagan Perspective
Originally posted on nightshadeandroses.wordpress.com.
Death is often a topic avoided by polite company. It is one of the most mundane taboos in American culture, something that is avoided and shunned at all cost. This is made apparent by the ways in which we treat the dead and dying, often opting to shunt the elderly and the terminally ill into medical facilities rather than allowing a home death. Oftentimes, we do not even discuss death unless someone is actively dying and we can no longer avoid it.
Much of why we avoid death is fear. And that fear is certainly valid since, despite how deeply we may believe in an afterlife, we can never know for certain if our view is correct. Or if there is an afterlife at all.
As a child, I was terrified of death. At night, I would spend hours staring up at the ceiling, scared that I would one day die unexpectedly in my sleep and that staying awake would somehow prevent Death from coming for me. That fear of death stayed with me throughout my childhood and into my young adulthood (though I stopped fearing that I would specifically die in my sleep, thankfully.)
Most of my fears stemmed from the various unknowns around death. Growing up in a not-totally-religious home but with a Christian father, most of my ideas about the afterlife were from a Protestant Christian perspective. I was taught that when I died, I would either go to Heaven or Hell, and that I needed to obey God and accept Jesus Christ as my savior in order to get into the “good” afterlife.
“But what if I’m not good enough?” I would often ask my Dad. Or “but what happens if someone is mostly good but isn’t Christian?” His answers, while meant to be comforting, often scared me more. They often boiled down to “don’t worry about it; just pray.” For someone like me who always struggled to connect to the Christian God, I found the silence during my prayers as confirmation that maybe I wouldn’t have access to the “good” afterlife.
Even after I officially converted to Hellenismos/Hellenic polytheism, my view of the afterlife and of death remained mostly unchanged: I was still afraid of dying and of what would happen after. But, as a devotee of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, death isn’t exactly something that I can wholly avoid. So, I was forced to confront my fears head-on, diving into the Hellenic myths surrounding death and the afterlife.
What I discovered of the Underworld was entirely unlike my conception of the Christian afterlife. In the Underworld, all souls except for those who are exceptionally great and influential are seen as equals and granted the same afterlife. The dead are able to wander throughout the Fields of Asphodel, great misty meadows filled with sweetly-scented flowers. Those who were exceptional in their lifetime are able to celebrate in the Elysian Fields, which is blissful and heavenly.
While the Underworld is a lot more somber than the idea of Heaven, I find solace in the fact that I won’t be condemned to burn for eternity regardless of what religious beliefs that I hold (as Tartarus, the closest equivalent to Hell, is reserved only for monsters and the truly wicked and irredeemable.) I also enjoy the concept of all people being equal in death. Not only that, but the afterlife is not necessarily eternal; the concept of reincarnation was present in various ancient Greek mystery cults like Orphism and the Eleusinian Mysteries. So while the afterlife may not be as exciting as Heaven, I won’t be trapped there forever. I will be able to be reborn and live a new, different life. So while I’ll no longer be “myself,” I will be able to forge a new life filled with experiences, opportunities, and growth to nourish the essential part of me that lives on between incarnations. Life is not seen as a preparation for Death in Hellenismos; life is meant to be lived fully, completely, piously, and beautifully. Life is meant to be lived for its own sake.
I won’t deny that all of my fears of death are gone. There is still that fear that there may be nothing after this life. It could be a void, like the emptiness of a dreamless sleep. Even though this may be the case, I am less afraid of that possibility. Because followers of Hellenismos are encouraged to live to their fullest potential rather than treating life as a dress rehearsal for what comes after, I am more content with the time that I have. With that, I know that when I am old and dying someday, I will be able to look back without regret or disappointment of what I may leave behind. But if there is an afterlife, I look forward to wandering the Fields of Asphodel, the domain of my Queen.
If you enjoy my writing, please consider supporting me at patreon.com/nightshadeandroses orko-fi.com/nightshadeandroses!
NORTH NODE PROBLEMS
1st house- STOP looking for people to give a fuck. The world doesn’t owe you anything. Focus on yourself only and you’ll find it’s not so bad to be alone.
2nd house- STOP looking for ways to combind money. Acquire this on your own. Sometimes money isn’t meant to be thrown around/away. Learn to save.
3rd house- STOP thinking you know so much about life and beliefs. Arrogance will only result in humility. Be open to new experiences.
4th house- STOP trying to impress everyone with some “image” of yourself. Look within to find peace. Focus on your roots and family.
5th house- STOP looking for groups and cliques for comfort. Learn to embrace your own creativity and independence. Individuality can bring a new kind of freedom.
6th house- STOP thinking you know everything about spirituality. You are not perfect. Actively work on self improvement.
7th house- STOP isolating yourself. Learn to accommodate and compromise. It’s “we” this time, not “I”.
8th house- STOP hoarding money for yourself. Share with the people close to you and your relatives. Know that it’s okay to take advantage of inheritances.
9th house- STOP living just day by day. Form some values for yourself. Look into beliefs and be able to find the best ones.
10th house- STOP hanging onto the past and your roots. Embrace your adult self. Learn how to be away from your family and people that drag you down.
11th house- STOP secluding yourself and thinking the only way to do things is alone. Groups and organizations can help you. Find something that is worth fighting for together.
12th house- STOP pretending to be something you’re not to fit in. Being too focused on self improvement can create a selfish person. You are not exempt from this.
Online Grimoires
A quick list of free grimoires you can use and access online: If you want your grimoire added, message me with a link
Book of Shadows
Cornell Witchcraft Collection
Dark Books
Exemplore
Free Occult Books
Grandpa’s Learn Stuff
Herbal Grimoire
Hermetics
Luna’s Grimoire
Magickal Connections
Museum of Witchcraft
Pagan Lore
The Book of Shadows
The Magick Cabinet
Sacred-Magick
The Witch’s Master Gimoire
Ultimate Encyclopedia of Spells
Violet Witchcraft
Witchcraft Archive
Witchology
World of Wicca - directed more towards Wicca beliefs but can still be used
good questions to ask tarot
in my opinion you can ask the tarot anything, but here are some ideas for those who don’t know where to start
Love/Relationships:
- What kind of partner would be best for me?
- How will I know when I’ve found the right person?
- Is my heart ready for a relationship?
- Is the person I’m interested in right for me?
- Is there anything I need to know about the person I’m interested in/dating?
- Are there any red flags in my relationships that I’m oblivious to?
- Is the person I love deceiving me in some way?
- What purpose does this relationship serve in my life?
- How can I build more emotional intimacy between me and my partner?
- How can I attract love into my life?
- What’s the biggest obstacle in my relationships?
- What stops me from getting emotionally vulnerable with my loved ones?
- How can I be more sensitive to my loved ones needs?
Career/Life Path
- How can I become more open to understanding my life’s purpose?
- What would be the result of pursuing the career I have in mind?
- What should I do to figure out which career path is meant for me?
- What obstacles do I need to overcome in order to achieve my goals?
- Are the goals I’m working toward right for me?
- What can I do right now to better align me with my life’s purpose?
- How can I unlock my hidden talents?
- What skills do I possess that I can utilize to get closer to my goals?
- What’s the best strategy to advance in my career path?
Feeling Stuck/Depressed/Anxious
- What is the root of my emotional turmoil?
- Why am I still carrying this emotional baggage?
- How can I let go of emotional burdens stopping me from being my best self?
- What is the reason that I feel stuck and directionless right now?
- Where can I find my next new adventure?
- Why does _________ bother me so much?
- What can I focus on to clear my mind of what’s weighing me down?
- What action do I need to take to be more emotionally balanced?
- How can I find what makes me happy?
Relationship Troubles or Break-ups
- What is the root of the problems in my relationship?
- When did these problems start to cause conflict?
- Should I try to stay and work things out or should I just move on?
- Is my relationship causing more harm than good?
- I know this relationship is bad for me but I don’t know how to leave. What should I do?
- What purpose did this relationship and its ending serve in my life?
- What was I able to learn from this experience?
- How can I ease my mind and let go of my grief?
- Why did this break-up have to happen?
Spirituality
- How can I become more aligned with my spirituality?
- What purpose does spirituality serve in my life?
- What does my higher power look/feel like?
- What does the universe want me to know right now?
- How can I open myself up to receive messages from the universe and/or my higher power?
- How can I gain more awareness of my subconscious mind?
- What’s blocking my intuition?
- How can I become more in tune with the universe’s vibrations?
- How can I find my spiritual purpose in my life?
- What action can I take to strengthen my spirituality?
You!
- What’s something unique about who I am?
- How can I gain more awareness of my identity?
- What best describes my personality?
- What is a trait that others can see in me that I’m oblivious to?
- What kind of hidden talents do I possess?
- How can I unlock my true passion?
- How can I be more confident in my self-expression?
- What’s a good way to learn to express my true emotions?
- Where do you see me in the future?
- What do I still carry with me from the past?
Working with the Land: 5 Ways to Practice Local Witchcraft
In witchcraft, there is no one book that contains all of our knowledge of the practice. Instead, we rely on dozens, if not hundreds, of books to learn our Craft and our place in it. We buy books on a range of witchy and occult topics, filling bookshelf after bookshelf with our collection in hopes that we can learn everything we can. I love reading books on witchcraft and the occult. I love to learn about other people’s experiences and the knowledge they have accumulated through years of study and practice. Unfortunately, much of witchcraft is based on practices handed down by witches of European descent. Just about every single book on witchcraft rehashes the same old information, from the Celtic Wheel of the Year to the elements and cardinal directions. Almost all of these practices come from Europe, specifically England, Ireland, and Scotland, with some Norse thrown in there if they talk about runes. Sometimes you will see a bit of Hindu and Native American traditions thrown into the mix, but otherwise, it’s largely English (unless you read specifically about a different tradition) There is nothing wrong with this; modern witchcraft and Wicca are based on English and Irish traditions, so it makes sense that most books pull from the same sources that began this resurgence of witchcraft around the world in the first place. However, the longer I have practiced, the more I have come to realize that “traditional” European witchcraft isn’t always possible, especially for those that do not live in England!
What do you mean, “it isn’t possible?” Every book on my shelf makes references to trees and herbs and even some wildlife that are mostly found in England or in northern North America. If you have been keeping up with me, you know I do not live in England, and I most certainly do not live up North, as much as I may want to. I am stuck in Georgia, a very southern state with hair-raisingly high humidity, melt-your-skin-off summers, and depressingly, rainy winters. I live in the northern part of Georgia, where we have mountains and forests, but just a little south of me the entire terrane changes. Needless to say, I don’t have access to rowan or birch trees, hedgerows full of healing herbs and sweet fruits, fresh maple syrup, or even snow (although occasionally we are graced with its presence). Instead, I have pine trees and live oaks, poison ivy, Spanish moss, fire ants, and muscadines. Very different plants grow down here and a lot of those “witchy” plants books always talk about won’t survive the summers here, so even if I wanted to grow them in my garden, they wouldn’t make it. This is why learning to practice local witchcraft is so important, but where is a witch to begin?
Local witchcraft refers to working with the plants, animals, crystals, and spirits of the land where you live. Witchcraft, especially traditional witchcraft, which is historical, cultural, and folkloric in nature, is highly based on animism. Animism is the belief that all things, living and nonliving, have a spirit and thus vibrate with its own energy. This practice can easily be applied to any witch, no matter their location. Here are some ways you can introduce local witchcraft into your magical workings.
1. Get outside.
This is first and foremost the most important part of local witchcraft. Sit in a local park, go for a hike, or even sit in your front yard. Spend some time relaxing and observing the world around you. Take note of anything or everything you see. Attempt to feel the personality and atmosphere of the place. This in and of itself is a very magical experience. If you want to, write some of these observations down so you can research them later to see their significance or how you can use certain living and nonliving things from your local environment in your spell work. The notes you take while you are just observing will help you later and can get you started on new pages in your Grimoire or Book of Shadows!
2. Adjust your liturgy to your location.
Used a big word there! Liturgy is the form or formula you use during a religious or spiritual act. What I mean to say is, when you set up your altar, cast your circle, or create your magical associations for the elements, use the land around you to help. Many people rely on traditional references to create their altar or pentacle, but it doesn’t make sense to place Water to the West if there is a large lake or ocean to your East. Use your locale to determine the placement of the elements. My personal associations are to have Earth associated with North because there are mountains just North of me; Water is East because a lake and the Atlantic Ocean are to my East; Fire is South because the equator is South where the temperatures are much hotter than here; and finally Air is West because the vast, windy plains are to my West. For those of you in the Southern hemisphere, you may wish to place Fire North, as the equator is North of you. If there is a mountain range directly to your East, put Earth East. Using the land to determine your placement of the elements will enhance your craft and make it more relatable to you. Rearranging my associations has completely changed my magic for the better.
3. Learn local folklore and visit local sacred spaces.
No matter where you are if you do enough digging and ask the right questions, you can find some amazing folktales. Hedgecraft is largely folkloric in nature, so using local legends and stories in your craft is important. The stories they tell in Britain about the dandelion are great, and you can definitely use those tales in your magical workings, especially if you are of English descent. I am, so I use it because I connect with it, but my family is has a tale of its own about dandelions from Arkansas, where my dad was born, and I like to use it too. Go down to your local library and see what you can find. Talk to locals who have lived in your area all their lives, especially elderly people. They may not even realize the stories they have passed down are magical folktales, but you will. Go and visit local historical sites, which are usually sacred. For example, I live close to the Kennesaw Mountain Battle Field, which was the location of a pretty large battle during the Civil War. In Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah there are three large, famous graveyards that hold some pretty powerful magic if I do say so myself. On the other side of the lake is a beautiful state park. These places have their own stories and items I can use in my practice. For example, I can pick up grave dirt in Savannah, with permission and an offering of course, or holy water from the Chattahoochee River in Helen that comes straight from the mountains. Find the sacred places in your area and see what they have to offer. Remember to offer a biodegradable offering and only take a little bit so you don’t disturb the local ecosystem.
4. Identify seasonal changes and major natural forces of nature.
Some of the practices commonly mentioned in regards to celebrating the Celtic Wheel of the Year don’t always make sense to me here in Georgia. In February, we don’t have a bunch of snow and if it is a warmer year, plants started budding and coming up by now. It’s not often a dormant time here in Georgia. By Mabon, most crops have been tilled, meaning its really not a harvesting time. Most of the traditional foods for Mabon are no longer in season. Some of the moon names also don’t always fit either. June, for example, is the strawberry moon, but the peak for strawberries in Georgia is April. Strawberries are done by June! Spend time learning your local seasons and how you can adapt your changes to fit in with the Wheel of the Year. What changes do you see throughout the year? When do the flowers bloom? When are different fruits and vegetables harvested? Which insects are active
at which times? I eat summer squash and blackberries during Litha, instead of Lammas or Mabon. During Ostara, we may have strawberries. Don’t just focus on the seasons though. Are there certain storms or wildfires that are common in your area? How can you use them in your craft?
5. Create a genius loci profile.
Genius loci means “spirit of place.” As a hedgewitch, it is part of my job to learn about the local spirits, whether they are the spirits of the Otherworld or the spirits that reside in local plants, animals, crystals, and other nonliving objects. Its all well and good to order herbs and crystals offline or to buy them in a shop down the street or using images of animals in foreign countries in your spellwork. However, using local herbs, crystals, and animals often enhances your magic because the land, and therefore local spirits, are more familiar with those creatures. Learn about the species in your area, both plant and animal. Research endangered and invasive species. How can you preserve those endangered species? What can you do to stop invasive species? If it’s an invasive plant, learn its properties and pull it up! Incorporate it into your magical workings and save the local ecosystem at the same time. Research local animals and learn about myths and magical associations. Study the local plants and learn their magical and medicinal properties, scientific names, as well as those that are edible. Wildcrafting is such a joy! When you are doing this, remember to keep a detailed record in your Grimoire or Book of Shadows as a reference.
If you practice witchcraft and are looking to increase your understanding and enhance your practice, I strongly suggest you learn about where you live. When you use the land around you in your personal practice, it makes everything more relatable to you and the spirits around you, thus making everything magical.
Do you use your location in your magical practice? Let me know in the comments below!
Looking to learn more? Here are some suggestions on where to get started.
How to Create A Genius Loci Profile by Sarah Anne Lawless
Working with Spirits: Making Friends with the Genius Loci by Lady Athena
Spirits of Land and Place by ThoughtCo
Creating and Using Planetary Pentacles
(Part one of the Talismans, Pentacles, and Sigils series)
The Greater Key of Solomon contains numerous planetary pentacles for use in magickal operations. When properly constructed they are quite potent and require little additional input from the magician aside from periodic maintenance making them an excellent method of low energy spell casting. Rather than reproducing all of the pentacles here, please refer to this excerpt from the Greater Key before beginning.
Construction
Choose a pentacle appropriate for your working. In general Saturn pentacles deal with destruction and baneful magick, Jupiter with wealth and protection, Mars with war and domination, Sun with spirit control and status, Venus with love and emotional/sexual domination, Mercury with knowledge and acquisition, and the Moon with freedom, divination, and water. Note that these are not hard and fast classifications and the realm of influence for each planet varies widely so choose your pentacle carefully to ensure you receive the greatest effects.
Gather your materials. Traditionally pentacles were engraved on a disk of metal corresponding to the planet however this is a huge pain in the ass as well as expensive and toxic in many cases. Using metal is not strictly necessary though if you plan keeping it around for long term use, it can be beneficial. Paper works perfectly well and I suspect other materials would also be adequate so feel free to get creative. You will also need a Bible and a means of calculating the planetary hours (please see the “planetary correspondences” and “calculating the planetary hours” sections below for more information).
On the day and hour associated with your planet (day and hour of Jupiter etc), draw the pentacle in an appropriately colored ink. While it may be tempting to print out your pentacle, avoid doing so because the process of drawing it by hand is the majority of the casting method. It doesn’t matter how the end product looks - a shitty pentacle will work just as well as a beautiful one, it’s the process that matters. You may start later than the planetary hour or finish drawing after the planetary hour has concluded but take care not to start early otherwise your pentacle will not be infused with the correct planetary energies. If you plan on drawing pentacles regularly, a compass and ruler will make your life much easier.
Casting - this is the easy part. During the correct day and planetary hour, light some incense and hold the pentacle over it while reciting Psalms 8, 21, 27, 29, 32, 51, 72, and 134. Next read the Bible verse associated with your pentacle over it. If your pentacle has any special instructions (such as the 6th pentacle of the Moon), do them now. Using the correct hour is more important than the day so you can fudge this if necessary but it will not function as reliably.
You’re done! If you want to keep it around feel free to though I personally find that paper pentacles are only good for one or two uses or as a component of a planetary talisman.
Calculating the Planetary Hours
Every day is ruled by one of the classical planets and each hour of the day is also ruled by a planet. These combinations of planetary day and hour can serve to either strengthen or weaken the planets effects depending on how the two interact with each other which in turn effects the outcome of planetary-based spellwork. For example Saturn (the great malefic) and Jupiter (the great benefic) don’t play well together so curses cast on the day of Saturn in the hour of Jupiter will be weaker than normal or may not function at all. Conversely, Saturn and Mars serve to strengthen each other so a curse could be made more aggressive by casting during the day of Saturn, hour of Mars. The nitty-gritty of choosing the correct combination of planetary day and hour is outside the scope of this post so for our purposes we will be focusing on matching day and hour as this is when the planet’s influence is strongest.
Planetary hours are calculated from sunrise to sunset and from sunset to sunrise so though they are based off a 24 hour cycle, they are not one hour long nor does their duration and starting time stay consistent throughout the year. Instead the time between sunrise and sunset is divided into 12 equal parts as are the hours between sunset and sunrise. Each day begins on it’s ruling planet - the first hour of Sunday is the hour of the sun, the first hour of monday is the hour of the moon, and so forth. The following chart is useful for illustrating the procession of the hours but remember: these are not the times in which the planetary hour occurs
Quite frankly, manually determining the planetary hour is a pain in the ass. The good news is there is literally no reason whatsoever to do this by hand (unless you’re a masochist I guess). There are a number of programs, apps, and websites that will determine them for you based on your geographic location. ChronosXP is a good option for Windows and there are numerous free apps in the Android and iOS stores. This is a good option for those of you who prefer to use your browser.
Planetary Correspondences
Sun - gold, yellow, Sunday
1st Pentacle - “Behold His face and form by Whom all things were made, and Whom all creatures obey.”
2nd Pentacle - Angels: Shemeshiel, Paimoniah, Rekhodiah, Malkhiel
3rd Pentacle - Daniel 4:34
4th Pentacle - Psalm 13:3-4
5th Pentacle - Psalm 91:11-12
6th Pentacle - Psalm 69:23, Psalm 135:16
7th Pentacle - Psalm 116:16-17
Moon - silver, silver, Monday
1st Pentacle - Psalm 107:16
2nd Pentacle - Psalm 56:11
3rd Pentacle - Psalm 40:13
4th Pentacle- “Let them be confounded who persecute me, and let me not be confounded; let them fear, and not I.”
5th Pentacle - Psalm 68:1
6th Pentacle - Genesis 7:11-12
Mars - iron, red, Tuesday
1st Pentacle- Angels: Madimiel, Bartzachiah, Eschiel, Ithuriel
2nd Pentacle - John 1:4
3rd Pentacle - Psalm 77:13
4th Pentacle - Psalm 110:5
5th Pentacle - Psalm 91:13
6th Pentacle - Psalm 37:15
7th Pentacle - Psalm 105:32-33
Mercury - mercury, mixed colors, orange, Wednesday
1st Pentacle - Spirits: Yekahel, Agiel
2nd Pentacle - Spirits: Boel and other Spirits
3rd Pentacle- Angels: Kokaviel, Gheoriah, Savaniah, Chokmahiel
4th Pentacle - “Wisdom and virtue are in his house, and the Knowledge of all things remaineth with him for ever.”
5th Pentacle- Psalm 24:7
Jupiter - tin, blue, Thursday
1st Pentacle - Angels: Netoniel, Devichiah, Tzedeqiah, Parasiel
2nd Pentacle- Psalm 112:3
3rd Pentacle- Psalm 125:1
4th Pentacle- Psalm 112:3
5th Pentacle- Ezekiel 1:1
6th Pentacle- Psalm 22:16-17
7th Pentacle- Psalm 113:7
Venus - copper, green, Friday
1st Pentacle - Angels: Nogahiel, Acheliah, Socodiah (or Socohiah), Nangariel
2nd Pentacle - Canticles 8:6
3rd Pentacle - Genesis 1:28
4th Pentacle - Genesis 2:23-24
5th Pentacle - Psalm 22:14
Saturn - lead, black, Saturday
1st Pentacle - Psalm 72:9
2nd Pentacle- Psalm 72:8
3rd Pentacle- Angels: Omeliel, Anachiel, Araughiah, Anazachia
4th Pentacle- Deuteronomy 6:4, Psalm 109:18
5th Pentacle- Deuteronomy 10:17
6th Pentacle- “Set thou a wicked one to be ruler over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand.”
7th Pentacle- Psalm 18:7
For an explanation of the meaning of the symbols contained in the pentacles, please see SonofBel’s excellent post on the subject
hello my lovelies! long time no post! x
here is my midsummer/summer solstice/litha/etc spread! i recommend for crystal use incorporating rose quartz, citrine, moonstone, carnelian, garnet, tigers eye, or amber into ur practices on this beautiful day. of course, any crystals u can get your hands on will be beneficial if thats what you choose to do, but a little bit of rose quartz did no one any harm ;)
for candles/incense, i keep my black candles for the later period of the year when im screaming around my house n pretending to not b terrified of LIFE :) right now, i bring in red (love n passion, baby!), oranges (bring in those new beginnings which are always appearing in front of u this time of yr!), and yellows (communication n GOOD HEALTH SO SAY GOODBYE TO UR ALLERGIES - jks, sadly). white is always good - really just the classic warm colours that can be used for either chakra channeling, meditation, spell work, etc. in the incense-sphere, lavender and chamomile are GREAT for this time of year. I also rec dragons blood for any sexy charms/spells/etc u might be doing.
i hope this has helped and that u enjoy using this spread! pls lmk (if u want) if u do use it omfg i LOVE hearing from u guys and learning what worked for u/what didn’t and the results u got!
happy midsummer/summer solstice/litha to all u magical folk out there - have a fab time of yrrrrr! x
I wanna share my favorite source’s keywords for the planets:
Sun: affection, ambition, authority, burning, children, citrus fruits, coins, constitution, courage, creativity, dignity, domineering, ego, emperors, energy, extravagance, fame, father, fiery, fire, gambling, generosity, gold, haughty, health, honour, hot, husband, identity, individuality, jewellery, joy, laughter, life, light, lions, magnanimity, nobility, ostentation, orange, passion, peacocks, pomp, popularity, positive, power, pride, prosperity, purpose, royalty, simplicity, spine, spirit, spotlights, stardom, strength, Sunday, superiors, vitality, warmth, will, yellow
Moon: agriculture, changes, childbirth, community, dairies, emotions, families, fecundity, feelings, fermentation, fluctuation, fluids, general public opinions, health, insanity, instinct, intuition, mariners, maternity, Monday, moods, mother, nursing, oats, plumbers, public, reproduction, response, silver, tears, the common people, the people, water, women, women
Mercury: air travel, authors, bargaining, books, clerks, clothing, commerce, computers, dealing, documents, editors, history, hygiene, intellect, language, lectures, logic, mercury (metal), messages, mind advertising, nerves, post, respiration, signals, talking, telephones, trade, transport, transportation, typewriters, Wednesday, wind, wit, writing, youth
Venus: amusement, art, beauty, boudoirs, brass, confectionery, dance, desire, dimples, doves, emeralds, entertainment, fashion, femininity, flowers, grapes, humour, immorality, intimacy, justice, lingerie, love, marriage, marriage, money, music, partnership, partnerships, pleasure Adornment, relationships,social interactions ,romance, relaxation, sexual intercourse, social centres, societies, style, women
Mars: armour, armies, blood, butchers, cars, controversy, disease, drive, energy, engineering, executives, garlic, guns, heat, heroes, incense, inflammations, iron, knives, locks, murder, passion, penetration, pipes, pirates, radiators, razors, sarcasm, stamina, sport, surgery, tobacco, virility, war, wrestlers
Jupiter: amplification, big, capitalism, celebrations, college, courts of law, doctors, expansion, feet, foreign countries furry animals, glory, gluttony, grand, humour, joviality, large, law, legality, luck, ceremonial magic, merchandise, merit, millionaires, monasteries, optimism, orthodoxy, over-indulgence, philanthropy, philosophy, preachers, prestige, professors, profit, pulpits, religion, science, ships, splendour, success, thighs, tin, Thursday, travel, truth, wisdom, religion, priests, The Law, courts and justice, aristocracy, publishing, overseas travel
Saturn: agriculture, archaeology, architecture, bones, cattle, civil service, death, domination, fatigue, history, land, leather, minerals, monogamy, monotony, obstacles, old age, perseverance, restriction, Saturday, self control, time, twilight, underground, widows, yesterdays. Old Father Time, Traditions, history, stability, authority, order, mines, death
Uranus: attraction, break-ups, chaos, disruption, divorce, earthquakes, eccentric, exciting, fanatical, freedom, major change, outrageous, quirky, rebellious, revolutionary, shocks, sudden, surprises, unconventional, unprecedented, unpredictable, unusual, changes, revolutions, anarchy, innovations, technology, earthquakes
Neptune: alcohol, art, confusion, cynicism, deception, deep, disguise, disillusionment, dissolving, dreams, drink, drugs, escapism, fraud, ideas, imagination, instability, music, mystery, mysticism, oceans, poisoning, sea, smoke-screen, socialism, softness, transcendence, veil, water, yearnings, reform, ideals, trends, art
Pluto: communism, compulsive, crime, darkness, death, deep, hidden, magic, mystery, nuclear energy, occult, orgasm, paranoid, profundity, psychology, rebirth, recycle, reform, renewal, reproduction, revolutionary, self-transforming therapies, healing, sex, subconscious, taboo, transformation, unconscious, underneath, undermining, underworld, volcanoes, the underworld, detectives, disruption, decline, regeneration
!!!
Calling My Jewitches
I would love to hear some other Jewish polytheist’s and Jewish witches opinions on/experiences with Lilith. I’m trying to gain a more nuanced understanding of her but a lot of research is clogged and saturated with appropriation and traditional occultism, so I’d love to just talk to some other Jewish folks directly and pick their brain a little bit about who she is and what she means to *you!* Feel free to message me :3
using psalms/tehilim for warding
שמוש תּהילים Shimmush Tehilim [“Use of the Psalms”] is a work attributed originally to האי גאון Hai Gaon in the 10th century. It’s unclear to me at this point what role it played in Jewish life though many contemporary Jewish sources describe it as relatively little-known. As the story goes, a Christian convert named Johannes Gottfried Seelig translated the Shimmush Tehilim into German in the 16th century where it became a mainstay of Pennsylvania Dutch magic. In the 19th century the work was translated from German to English (Secrets of the Psalms by Godfrey Selig) and in the early 20th century became a popular source for rootworkers. [1] It’s been around the block! To me that suggests efficacy and I’ve found quite a bit of success with it myself.
This is a topic rife for study by the Jewish witch, here I’m going to focus of the use of the Psalms for warding a home.
Here are a few ideas for warding of a space, listed by Tehilim/Psalm number.
For each of these tehilim, the Shimmush Tehilim recommends reciting them followed by setting your intention with a petitionary prayer. Most of these are designed for personal protection. To adapt them to create a relatively simple ward of a space, I recommend methodically walking through the space while reciting the tehila and setting intention. For something stronger, write a more complex ritual that combines a few of these methods.
61: The quintessential tehilah for warding a home. It is especially strong when placed after the previous tenants have left but before you move in. If that isn’t possible because you’re warding a place you already live in, consider combining this tehilah with one or more tehilim below.
44: Walk through the home, reciting this and set your intention. Reapply often.
59: Recite this from the second verse through the end at solar noon and just before sunset for three days in a row.
91: This tehilah is often called “the anti-demonic psalm” and lives up to its name. The Shimmush Tehilim suggests reciting it 7 times for its basic effects. For stronger protection, consider reciting it 7 times for 7 consecutive days. In particularly challenging cases, recite it 99 times (7 times a day for 2 weeks, then one more time the next day). I think this is overkill for a day-to-day ward (I find that it also keeps benevolent spirits out), but it is helpful for thoroughly cleansing a space.
For creating warding amulets
31: Recite this tehila (again, quietly) over a small dish of oil (pick what feels best to you). This oil can then be used to charge an amulet of your choosing to divert עין הרע ayin ha-ra, the evil eye.
68 + 101: Write both of these on a bit of parchment if you can get it (if you cant, use something more sturdy than paper) to create a protective amulet.
To create a protective anointing oil
20: Mix rose essential oil, olive oil, and salt. Recite this tehila over it, followed by setting your intention (the Shimmush Tehilim stresses that this is done in a quiet voice). The resulting oil can be used to anoint thresholds for warding the home (or on anything else for that matter). The oil will need frequent reapplication.
For a quick, short-term ward
17: Shimmush Tehilim suggests reciting this in the morning after waking, followed by setting clear intention. This one is for short term warding of a person or space. In the most ideal conditions it can last until sunrise the next morning, though in personal practice I only rely on it for a few hours after sundown.
Posts in the home warding series…
Mezuzot: warding a Jewish home
Using Psalms/Tehilim for warding
Using sigils to create amulets
Anchoring and focusing a ward
A glance at my warding procedure
Erosion: physical considerations in warding
Magics for Wishing
Updated: July 31, 2017
Wishing
[Animist Wishing Well Shrine]
[A Basic Wishing Spell (Green Witch Edition)]
[Bay Leaf Wish Spell]
[Birthday Spell] (tw: music autoplay on blog)
[Birthday Spell]
[Birthday Wish Spell]
[To Bring Your Wish Into Reality]
[Dandelion Blossom Oil]
[Firefly Wish Spell]
[Full Moon Wish Spell]
[Full Moon Wish Spell]
[Full Moon Wish Spell]
[Full Moon Wishing Spell]
[Flying Wish Paper]
[Genie in a Bottle]
[To Have Your Wishes Answered]
[How to Make a Wish Spell Jar]
[Jar & Candle Wish Spell]
[Jar of Wishes]
[Jirachi Wish Tag Spell]
[Karou’s Necklace of Wishes]
[Lemon Juice, Red Ink Spell]
[To Make a Wish Come True]
[To Make a Wish Come True (2)]
[Mermaid’s Tears]
[Rosey Wishes Spell]
[Shooting Star Wish Spell]
[Simple Full Moon Ritual]
[Simple Text Message Wish Spell]
[Simple Wish Spell]
[Simple Wish Spell]
[Sweet as Snow Spell]
[A Two-for-One Moon Wish Jar]
[Winds Wishing Spell]
[Winter Wishes]
[Wish Board Conjuration]
[Wish Ornament]
[Wishing Powder Mix]
[Wishing Spell]
[“Wishing Well” Spell Jar]
[Yule Wish Bottle]
Manifestation
[Elemental Manifestation]
[Manifestation Bowl]
[Manifestation Box] (cw: sigil)
[Manifestation Spell]
[Manifestation Spell]
[Manifestation Spell]
[Manifestation Triangle]
[1-2-3-4 Multi-Purpose Spell]
[Planetary Decagram]
[The Polar Spell]
[Simple Candle Magic]
[Simple Origami Crane Spell]
[Simple Way to Cast a Spell]
[Spell of Manifestation]
[Spell: Find What You Need]
[Want Spell]
Bone Reading Post #1—Methods
Honestly I may or may not actually make this a series, but this is an underappreciated divination method so I wanted to go over some different ways to do it today.
Throwing bones
My personal method (and the one I’ve seen most often) is to ask a question, throw the bones, and divine from the pattern. This usually involves an animist approach—the bones themselves have spirits, and so are able to have meanings and speak with the reader.
There are two ways I’ve seen this often done. One is that each bone has a meaning. The closeness of each bones, which are covering which, and which are separate from the rest all contribute to the overall interpretation. The other way is to throw a random bundle of bones and divine purely from the pattern itself.
Divination Tools
Another method is to make divination tools with bones. If one chooses to draw symbols on a collection of bones, this could be done to make a set of runes, or dice for astragalomancy. One could also make a bone pendant for pendulum readings, or perhaps a large vertebrae as a planchette for a Ouija board.
Pyro-osteomancy
This divination method is done by burning bones and divining from the remains. According to Kris Hirst, who’s quoted in the article “Bone Divination” on Learn Religions, “Oracle bones were used to practice of a form of divination, fortune-telling, known as pyro-osteomancy. Pyro-osteomancy is when seers tell the future based on the cracks in an animal bone or turtle shell either in their natural state or after having been burned. The cracks were then used to determine the future. The earliest pyro-osteomancy in China included the bones of sheep, deer, cattle, and pigs, in addition to turtle plastrons (shells).“
Sources
Wigington, Patti. “Bone Divination.” Learn Religions, 17 April 2019, learnreligions.com/bone-divination-2562499. Accessed 9 May 2019.
The Schrödinger’s Cat Tarot Spread
1. The Cat: The Situation What is the situation? 2. The Poison: The Obstacle What is the problem? 3. Limbo: Advice What else do I need to know? 4. Alive: Best Outcome What is the best outcome? 5. Dead: Worst Outcome What is the worst outcome?
[x]
[The “Spooky Action At A Distance” Tarot Spread]
✨🕯️💖I want to see your Hag stones! I was recently gifted one and I am so drawn to it 💖🕯️✨
Smoke Cleansing With Wood
Smoke Cleansing. For most of us, Our first thought, Or go to would be white sage And While sage is great to use, It is to often relied on as the cure all and the only option. There are so many other herbs, and barks around us to use for their cleansing smoke that they are easy to overlook.
My favorite wood to use is Palo Santo (Holy Wood from Peru) But not everyone has access to that. And for this reason, I present to you all, (SOME) common Woods, And their magical correspondences.
Also note that the fallen leaves from these trees can also be used to smoke cleanse. Grind them up, And burn on charcoal.
Birch- Purification, Blessing, Protection, Expel negative Spirits
Cedar- Cleanses negative atmospheres
Holly- Purity, strength, Protection
Hawthorn- marriage, love and protection.
Juniper- Protection, and clears negativity
Oak- healing, strength, money
Pine- Purification, health, fortune, fertility, and prosperity
Willow- Healing, protection, enchantments
One of my machined dice boxes. I’m going to be giving this one away in a set of items that can be shipped to any part of the world, since I had so many requests from UK followers. :)
Tarot Spread - Were Your Ancestors Witches?
• 1 • Did My Ancestors Practice The Craft? • 2 • Where Were They From? • 3 • Who Were They? • 4 • How Can I Identify These Ancestors? • 5 • How Can I Learn About Their Practice? This is my personal spread I came up with myself. Enjoy! 💖
“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)
Placement analysis
Ascendant/first house/rising posts 🌺
Moon posts 🌷
Mercury posts 🎡
Venus post 💌
Mars posts 🎢
Moodboards
Aries sun, rising , moon
Taurus sun, rising , moon
Gemini sun, moon, Venus
Cancer rising, moon, Venus mercury, sun
Leo moon, Venus , mercury , rising sun & mars
Virgo sun & rising , moon
Libra rising, moon, venus sun
Scorpio rising, moon, mercury mars Venus
Sagittarius rising, sun, moon, mercury
Aquarius rising, moon, mercury sun
Capricorn moon sun,rising, mercury Venus
Pisces rising, sun , Venus , moon & mercury
Culture posts
Rising/ascendant Gemini
Moon Gemini
Moon Leo
Moon Capricorn
TIPS
Tips on reading tarot 🃏
Tips on manifesting 📝
My personal online journal of number synchronicity
12:12
11:44
9:11
9:19
1:11 / 11:11
MISC
What the Venus signs are attracted to
My favorite placements + why they’re my fav
Pros n cons of the signs
Explaining the different types of psychic abilities and a few mediums that are used
Things you can do to strengthen the different types of psychic abilities
What the houses represent
Explaining what detriment means
My reading prices
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE: an inspired “love” tarot spread by The Talking Heads.
Perhaps you have caught the eye of someone sparking something unexpected in you. Maybe you need a little assistance in deciphering the fickle nature of The Lovers and the journey that may partake amongst you. You want to understand the tender nature at hand and reassure that your heart is in it’s rightful place as events transpire. This spread is to help assess the emotions and feelings you are having towards your person of interest. Remember: the cards are merely an outline and guide to your story, but ultimately, you write your own ending. *feel free to switch out any lyrics you may not connect with for each card
The significator card: The Lovers
1. i feel numb, born with a weak heart, i guess i must be having fun: this card represents your overall feelings at the moment towards them; where your heart is lingering. feel free to draw another card applied to the first one if you feel the need for more clarification. add another draw if you’re curious about what they may feel for you.
2. and you’re standing here beside me, i love the passing of time: this card represents the situation that has brought you and them together. remember as best as you can what events lead up to your first initial meeting, or what you could currently be involved in with eachother.
3-4. i can’t tell one from the other, i find you, or you find me?: the strength and weakness of your heart placed in a romantic situation. either card could be the strength or weakness–you must decipher between the two meanings.
5. share the same space for a minute or two: a future challenge that you may come to face involving them. love invites challenges to the table in order to test it’s foundations of trust and compassion. do not be so alarmed, but prepare yourself.
6. eyes that light up, eyes look through you: represents the outcome between you and them.
Tarot Cards and Their Meanings
Wands:
Ace: Beginnings, birth, energy, self-image, new opportunities
2: Potential, planning, choices, contemplation
3: Long-term, foresight, putting things into motion
4: Rewards, celebrate good times (come on!), teamwork, home
5:Competition, conflict, brainstorming
6: Praise, self-confidence, recognition, role model
7: Defense, threat, perseverance
8: Progress, energy, swiftness
9: Perseverance, wounded, guarded
10: Responsibility, burden, stress or success
Page: Adventures, inspiration, ideas, journey, desires
Knight: Risk-taking, experiments, travel, fun, passion
Queen: Creativity, independence, friendly, optimistic, beauty
King: Leader, pride, energy, charisma, passion
Cups:
Ace: New feelings, awakening, imagination
2: Equality, respect, harmony, sharing
3: Friendship, celebration, fun
4:Withdrawal, indifference, boredom
5: Sadness, mourning, disappointment, regret, suffering
6: Kindness, caring, memories, childhood
7: Fantasy, illusion, creative brainstorming
8: Travel, retreat, spirit quest
9: Contentment, host, wish fulfillment
10:Happy home, shared love, peace, family
Page: Sensitive, gentle, Imaginative, kind
Knight:Romantic, flirt, artist, emotional intensity
Queen: Empathetic, sensitive, emotional, psychic, mother
King: Wise, calm, emotionally mature, father
Swords:
Ace:Truth, intellect, communication, clarity
2: Standstill, mediator, indecision
3: Loss, sorrow, betrayal
4: Rest, mental restoration, reflection
5: Defeat and self-defeat, irritability, arguments
6: Support, moving, retreat, mental healing
7: Gathering information,mental tests, strategy
8: Helpless thoughts, limiting beliefs, excuses
9: Worry, anxiety, insomnia, repressed thoughts
10: Finished, closure, give up
Page: Curious, student, intellect, thoughtfulness
Knight: Debate, explorer, rushing, revolutionary
Queen: Truthful, self-aware, teacher, intellect
King: Objective, intelligent, assertive, fair, logical
Pentacles:
Ace: Healthy beginnings, investing, grounded, opportunity
2: Play, changes, multitasking, adapting
3: Planning, employment, teamwork, assistance
4: Stable, saving, cautious, boundaries
5: Unstable, illness, supportive friends, lack of security
6: Charity, generosity, giving back, assistance
7: Assessment, trial and error, editing, feedback
8: Repetition, precision, commitment, meaningful work
9: Luxury, discipline, earned rewards, fruits of labor
10: Wisdom, home, wealth, legacy, home
Page: New project/job, Student, new studies, cautious
Knight: Loyal, dependable, hard working, practical
Queen: Mother, Fertile, down to earth, nurturing, protective
King:Wealthy, successful, loving father, stubborn, practical
Major Arcana:
The Fool: Trust, Beginning, open minded, innocence
The Magician: Will, personal power, intention, resourcefulness
The High Priestess: Inner Wisdom, Meditation, spirituality
The Empress: Mother, creativity, nurturing, sensuality
The Emperor: Power, structure, stability, father
The Hierophant: Responsibility, knowledge, teacher, belief system
The Lovers: Sexuality, union, love, cooperation
The Chariot: Determination, Control, momentum, competence
Strength: Courage, Strength/ inner strength, survival
The Hermit: Guidance, wisdom, perspective, solitude
Wheel of Fortune: Luck, expansion, destiny, change, movement
Justice: Ethics, law, balance, fairness, accountability
The Hanged Man: Release, waiting, surrender, sacrifice
Death: Regeneration, ending, closure, transformation
Temperance: Experimenting, creating, combining, compromise
The Devil: Limitations, attachments, commitment
The Tower: Sudden shock, chaos, destruction, questioning beliefs
The Star: Renewal, peace, optimism, boundlessness
The Moon: The shadow self, dreams, confusion, intuition
The Sun: Playfulness, acceptance, personal growth, enthusiasm
Judgement: Transition, maturing, reviewing
The World: Integration, connection, wholeness, completion, options
Hey guys! It’s been a long time but I’m working on some posts for later. I’m probably am going to work on a reversed version of the cards for next time. Thanks for reading!- Samantha
Witches Sabbats: Lughnasadh
Autumn draws near and with it, comes Lughnasadh.
Lughnasadh, pronounced “LOO-nah-sah” and known also as Lammas, is a Celtic festival that occurs from the 31st of July through into the 1st of August. It was observed fervently throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man and marks the beginning of the harvest season.
Also called: Lúnasa (modern Irish), Lùnastal (Scottish Gaelic), Luanistyn (Manx Gaelic).
Lughnasadh is the celebration and ritual of the first harvest of fruit, wheat, and grain. This festival both acknowledges and celebrates the waning of light - Lughnasadh is the initiation of Winter preparation.
It is named for Lugh Lámhfada. and is in honour of his step-mother, Tailtiu who perished of exhaustion after clearing the fields of Ireland ready to be planted, sowed and seeded. Lughnasadh was originally a set of rituals, gatherings and funerary games (named Tailteann Games, or Áenach Tailteann) in honour of Tailtiu’s death and sacrifice.
Some Symbols of Lughnasadh:
Wheat
Corn
Barely
Oats
Onions
Grapes
Straw dolls/straw bales
Corn dolls
Wood
Tarot (strength)
Runes (Eihwaz)
The Colours of Lughnasadh:
Yellow
Orange
Red
Violet
Dark green
Brown
The Stones & Crystals of Lughnasadh:
Carnelian
Cat’s Eye
Citrine
Marble
Sale
Granite
Lodestone
The Herbs of Lughnasadh:
Heather
Blackberry
Rose
Sandalwood
Goldenrod
Important/Celebrated Foods of Lughnasadh:
Bread
Apples
Corn
Beer/Ale/Mead
Grapes
Onions
Apricot
Pear
Activities to be done during Lughnasadh:
Baking/Cooking: Sharing food is a good thing to do with each sabbat, especially those with agricultural ties. If you incorporate seasonal foods, and foods associated with the sabbat itself, it can be seen as an offering or as being done in honour of what you’re celebrating.
Take some time to enjoy nature: Lughnasadh is a time when the seasons are changing, so take this time to walk and enjoy the last that summer has to offer. Collect things whilst you walk to put on your altar if you have one.
Construct an altar: if this is something you do, decorate your altar with some of the items mentioned in the list above. If you’re pagan and have a deity who corresponds with this holiday, leave an offering on your altar. In Lugh’s case, he is a god known for his skills in craftmanship and His ability to turn His hand to anything. He is also known for playing the harp, so anything you have crafted or that has taken skill to create will be well received by Him.
Decorate your home: if you like, small decor changes can really get you in the mood and act as a celebratory act.
Bonfires: Invite friends and/or family to a bonfire. Not only is Lughnasadh a celebration of waning light and of the god Lugh, it is a celebration of fire. Share plans to remove negative habits or influences from your life with your loved ones, burn representatives of negativity, drink to future prosperity and toast to Lugh.
Light a candle and do the same, if you are not yet an outed witch.
Craft: as mentioned before, Lugh is a god of craft and skill. Make something! Finish a project you’ve been putting off!
If you don’t want to do something in Lugh’s name, you can make dolls out of corn (a very traditional activity) and they can be left on an altar if you have one, used as decoration or turned into a poppet.
Acts of athelticism: The funerary games of Lughnasadh were its primary reason for creation. To honour this, you can do something on a small scale, such as jogging or yoga, or going to the gym, if you are able.
Trading: Bake some bread and give it to your friends/family/coven in exchange for herbs, or some canldes! That’s just an idea. but you get the gist of it.
Lots of trading took place at historic Lughnasadh celebrations, as they assembly for this season festival was always large.
Feasting: Ties into the baking/cooking aspect, but using things that come from the first harvest is a good way to honour Lughnasadh and Tailtiu.
🌿🌹 Smokable Herbs 💨✨
Smoke is used cleansing and purifying, and much more🌫
🍃 Good day, Witches of Tumblr! 🍃
Not everyone may have the habit of smoking, but smoking has always had a sacred purpose in every culture and many religions. The history of smoking began in shamanistic rituals that took place as early as 4000 bc. It is considered a very social activity and was used as a social tool.
While some may say the smell of smoke is unpleasant, and people don’t want it around them. But did you know you can smoke certain herbs, and actually make a very lovely tasting, and even pleasant smelling, blend? Some herbs are highly medicinal and can give you benefits. Keep reading if you want to know more!
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**Disclaimer**
it is very important you do the proper research to see if you can smoke a certain herb. Also if you start feeling sick after smoking it cease use of it immediately. You may be fine ingesting a certain herb, but you could have an allergy to smoking said herb. Please note that some of these could be poisonous if eaten, we are speaking of smoking only. I also don’t recommend replacing smoking herbs with getting medical treatment if you need assistance. Be very careful if you have health conditions and don’t smoke if you’re pregnant. I am also not trying to persuade you or anyone else to smoke!
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With that said, lets begin to learn what herbs you can smoke and how to put together a herbal smoking blend! Get ready to raid your apothecary!
There are tons of herbs that are smokable. Each herb has its own unique taste and effect, and by mixing them together you can create a perfect blend for your next ritual! Curate special blends for spells and other workings and label them. The possibilities are endless for what you can make. Not only do herbs have magickal properties, but medicinal properties for minor ailments too!
🍃 🌿 So What Herbs Can I Smoke? 🌹 🍃
✨My personal favourite is the taste of Rose 🌹 ✨
I will reveal some properties of herbs you may have already in your apothecary!
🌺 Blue Lotus
Medicinal:
Sedative properties, gives a calming euphoria
Magickal:
Opens the root chakra, helps one embrace their true spiritual essence
🌿 Sage
Medicinal:
Remedies for colds, Relaxing properties
Magickal:
Used for self purification and healing
🌹 Rose
Medicinal:
helps with slow circulation, great for colds, pms, headaches
Magickal:
Divine Love, Strengthens relationships
🍃 Lemonbalm
Medicinal:
Sedative and anxiolytic effects
Magickal:
Used for psychic enhancement and spiritual development
💐 Lavender
Medicinal:
Relieves stress and anxiety
Magickal:
Brings Love and Protection, Peace and Harmony
🌿 Mullein
Medicinal:
Great for the respiratory system
Magickal:
Protection against nightmares and sorcery, and spirits
🌿 Peppermint
Medicinal:
Cooling and calming feeling
Magickal:
Increases vibration in spaces, used in spells for healing and purification
🌾 Chamomile
Medicinal:
Enhances ability to sleep, reduces tension and anxiety
Magickal:
Removes Hexes, Curses and Spells
🍃 Raspberry Leaves
Medicinal:
Lowers blood pressure, muscle relaxant
Magickal:
Bathing in Raspberry leaves for love spells, brings healing and protection
🌿 Catnip
Medicinal:
Curbs tobacco cravings, Relaxing properties
Magickal:
Sacred to Bast, Used for love spells
🌸 Pink Lotus Stamens
Medicinal:
Sleep aid, euphoric properties
Magickal:
Psychic opening, spiritual development
🍒 Uva Ursi
Medicinal:
Diuretic properties, Helps alleviate pain from sprains
Magickal:
Increases intuition and psychic abilities
🌸 Wild Dagga
Medicinal:
Mood enhancement, brings mental clairty
Magickal:
Keeps snakes at bay when carried as a charm
🌾 Calea
Medicinal:
Calming sensations, mild relaxation
Magickal:
Used for lucid dreaming
🍃🌿 Making A Blend 🌹🍂
Creativity is at the heart of herbalism, so be creative when building a blend!
The Basis of the Blend
1. Base Herbs
2. Supportive Herbs
3.Flavourful Herbs
1. The Base
Your base herb is fluffy and light.
So herbs such as;
🌿 Damania
🌾 Mullein
🍃 Red Raspberry
2. Supportive Herbs
These herbs play a supportive role in your health and offer some type of benefit.
So herbs such as;
🌿 Hops
🌿 Skullcap
🌿 Hyssop
🌿 Horehound
🌿 Thyme
🌸 Passionflower
🌿 Mugwort
These herbs have many health benefits, such as nervous system and respiratory system health.
3. Flavourful Herbs
These herbs will add zest to your smoking blend.
So herbs such as;
🌹 Rose
🌸 Angelica
🍂 Anise
💐 Lavender
🌺 Monarda
🍃 Spearmint
Recipe Example
🍃 2 Tablespoons of Mullein
🌹 1 Tablespoon of Rose
🌾 ½ Tablespoon Chamomile
if you want you could add a bit of Lavender or another •Flavourful Herb• to make it more interesting!
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🍯 Adding honey to your blend can really sweeten it up!🍯
✨ Enchant the herbs before you smoke them, do it ritualistically if you want!✨
✨Use these herbs in your spells to take in the essence of •the elementals•!This will empower you and your magick✨
My personal favourite blend is;
🐝 Beelieve in Love 🐝
🌹 1 Tablespoon Rose
🌾 1 Tablespoon Chamomile
💐 1 Tablespoon Lavender
🍯 ½ Tablespoon Honey
I really hope you found this useful and learned something about smokable herbs, and incorportate it into your craft!
Thank you so much for reading,
and blessed be! 🐝
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