Astrologic Correspondences

witches, let’s talk spell books.

this is such a huge part of our craft, and i think its about time we talk about it.

a side note before we start, there is an amazing video that personally inspired me by a witch (herspeak) that you can watch here! i will include some of the information she gives in her video in this post for those of you who don’t have the time to watch!

first off… grimoire? book of shadows? whats the difference? what on earth even is a book of mirrors?? wait… there’s even more??

well first lets quickly talk about the different types of books!

grimoire: a textbook of magick, a reference book filled with anything you desire or need to remember (lists, correspondences, how-to’s, spells)

book of shadows: for wiccans/pagans, this can be seen as more religious, but it is typically more known for its personal/spiritual journal aspects (religious or not); some may use it for references also

book of mirrors: a book of reflections, for recording experimentation and its results including successes and failures (some like to keep their book of shadows pure with only successes)

book of light: a book used usually by wiccans/pagans that is used by eclectics, referring to light as knowledge; used for notes and information often to be shared whereas a book of shadows is personal and private (sort of makes me think of a less organized/personal grimoire)

the tree: a seax-wica (an anglo-saxon paganism) version of a book of shadows

book of ways: a devotional book for wiccans/pagans

(of course all of these things are up to further interpretation!)

back in the day when witchcraft was more ruled by covens, only one spell book was required for each coven, but now that witchcraft is often a solitary and/or personal path, witches are often encouraged to have their own! most witches will have either a book of shadows or grimoire. some witches will have both, and some will have one book that includes the aspects of both and call it one or the other.

let’s start with the basic thing nobody talks about… the book itself!

what should you use? well first off, you don’t need some big, expensive, and fancy leather book straight out of hocus pocus. if its so fancy that you aren’t going to work in it, don’t use it! you could use…

a sketchbook

you could make a book (a traveler’s notebook is a great idea)

an online book

a binder and insert pages

an old thrift store book and paint over the pages

you could even write and paint on paper and paste all over your walls and work space and make a room your ‘book’

you could choose something that relates to your field of magick if you have a defined one, get creative!

make sure your book a reflection of you. but remember, we are what makes books come alive. reading is what makes languages have purpose. without you there to read it, your book is meaningless. the connection between you and your book is beyond special from the first moment you begin working!

so where on earth do i start? if you already have one, what’s holding you back from working more?

well what interests you? if you don’t know yet, here is a wonderful masterpost of types of magick! find what you like, what sounds cool to you, what resonates with you, research it! (maybe make an entry about it and your discoveries!)

once you know your interests, don’t waste time on things you aren’t interested in. if you don’t care about herbal magick, don’t write down a seven page list of all herbs and their properties. i personally had to retry creating a grimoire a few times in order to learn that lesson.

so how do i bond and grow comfortable with my book? how do i create a connection? how do i give it my personal touch?

do what makes you happy.

create your own aesthetic. maybe ask friends around you what your aesthetic seems to be if you don’t know yourself. don’t follow that big ole leather book stereotype unless you like it. if you do, another great idea for aging your pages are coffee and tea stains on your paper. 

sleep with your book under your pillow! bond with it like you would your tarot deck. carry it around throughout the day. let it become a companion.

your book isn’t just a place to write about your craft, infuse your craft! if you like lunar magick, bathe it in moonlight. if you like herbal magick, spray your pages with an herb and water mix.

don’t stress about organization or a table of contents yet. you can put an index at the end when you know you’re done. its your book so you’ll probably have a sense of where things are anyways, but if you’re forgetful like me, use some labelled bookmarks!

in fact, don’t stress about it at all if you can! your book shouldn’t stress you out. mistakes happen. keep negative energy away. you and your book are a conjoined, powerful force! you can paste over pages, paint over them, or even just rip them out. in the wonderful words of herspeak in the aforementioned video, nothing is special until you say it is. 

remember, it might take a couple tries to get it right, and that’s okay! you might have to make a couple throughout your lifetime to hold all the knowledge you learn, so no worries.

don’t just copy and paste other peoples’ information into your book, that isn’t how you learn. take note of things that are important to you. are you memorizing or understanding? allow yourself to understand. if it shines and you find it important, write this information in your own words and in a setup you enjoy.

you don’t have to be an artist to make a beautiful book! your book is already beautiful, unique, and magickal because its yours!

here’s some ideas for pages in your book!

correspondence lists. i definitely think color correspondences are important for just about every witch! what do these things mean to you? how do they make you feel and what do you relate them to? do this with other things you find interesting!

devote a page to your sun and moon sign or maybe you and your partners signs and how they interact.

create a protection sigil just for your book.

make a page about your totem animal/spirit animal. please don’t appropriate these terms though, you can also use daemon, patronus, eomkin, or even just your personal corresponding animal.

you could make a page for each holiday, its history and dates, and add a paper pocket into the page filled with recipes.

you could collage things that make you think of a deity you like whether you’re secular or whether you participate. if enjoy and appreciate a deity, give em a page! if you worship or work with one or many, dive in much deeper and show how that relationship affects you.

paste in pictures from books or parts of posters that show what magick means to you.

practice spirit work? draw the spirit! collage the spirit. find art that makes you think of the spirit and pop it in there.

press plants you find, tape them in, bring a little greenery into your book. label them if you like. give them your own names if you don’t know your plants well.

write your dreams out, decorate in a way that feels right, use colors according to how it made you feel.

draw out the ingredients you want to use in a spell/potion/oil. dab a bit of the creation on the page.

make a page for your familiars. list any spells for them, where you found/adopted them, their breed and things about them, what’s their favorite snack, and if your familiar is cooperative, maybe try to get a paw/nose print!

make a pendulum chart.

find one of those adult coloring books. tear a few pages and stick them in either randomly or maybe in a page about meditation. when stressed, use it as a meditative practice.

chakras, what they mean to you, correspondences, and which you may need to work on. here is a fun test you can take that tells you if your chakras are under-active, over-active, or open.

any fictional/real witches or wizards that stood out to you? why?

write about magickal experiences you had as a child you can’t explain today. what about imaginary friends and were they imaginary?

get geeky. make spells about video games! inspire spells based on favorite characters and abilities or get inspiration from your favorite playable mages! get really creative with this one.

make a page about past lives if you know of any.

what do the elements mean to you? what are your favorites? which do you feel connected to?

stick envelopes in there and put recipes, spreads, all sorts of things in there to save some pages! utilize fold out pages for long chunks of information.

do you cast circles? what do you use? what do you think the energy looks like? the color? the shape if you don’t see it as a circle? draw the seen and unseen.

make a page about your spiritual or psychic gifts. how did you discover them?

make a list of things to research. cross them out as you do.

print out aesthetically pleasing pictures you find portray you and your craft. collage your personal aesthetic/witchy moodboard

i could list on and on, but i hope i’ve given you some creative inspiration! make your book what you want! keep researching and gain inspiration from others if you’re ever lost. feel free to message me if you ever have questions!

happy casting!

Depression Support Jar Spell

If you/a loved one are in a slump and need a little extra push getting out of it, this spell is for you!

materials:

jar

lemon (for happiness, purification, beauty and longevity) and/or orange peel (for confidence and creativity)

rose quartz, for love, inner beauty and empathy

black tourmaline, for absorbing negative energies

black tea, for courage and stimulation

cinnamon, for purification and strengthening love

clove, for attracting prosperity and love

elderberry, for healing and banishing negative thoughts/energies

mustard seed, to promote courage, faith, and endurance

pink/Himalayan salt, for purification, cleansing and self-love

catnip, for love, happiness and beauty

a rosebud, for love and beauty

black and pink candle (optional)

taglock, if you’re doing the spell for a loved one (hair, nail clippings, a photograph, or simply a piece of paper with their name written on it)

in my experience, when you’re doing the spell to support a loved one, it works best if the person (1) knows that you’re doing the spell, and (2) is receptive to the help. if they aren’t willing to accept the help, or don’t know that you’re doing the spell, the spell will be much less effective.

Please note that this jar spell is not a substitute for real medical advice/attention. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of harming yourself/others, please seek professional help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-8255, English and Spanish available), making an appointment with a therapist, or checking yourself into the closest emergency room.

instructions:

Tip: before adding each ingredient to your jar, hold each ingredient in your hand and visualize its properties and intentions. This will make a world of difference!

Cleanse your jar and your space as you normally would. Prep your space for spellwork by casting a circle, or however you would typically prep your space. I like to take this time to meditate on my intentions, and clear everything out of my head before starting my spellwork.

If you have black and pink candles, go ahead and light them now.

Add your salt to the bottom of your jar. Next, your stones. Then, add your tea, cinnamon, mustard seed and catnip. Then, your clove, elderberry, lemon/orange peel, and rosebud. Lastly, you’ll add your taglock. As you add your taglock, visualize yourself (or, the person you’re doing the spell for) happy, confident, and fearless. Visualize the depression and self-doubt melting away. You may choose to meditate at this step.

Finally, cork your bottle, and (optional) drip the melted candle wax of your black/pink candles on top of the cork, sealing the jar shut. If you plan on giving this jar to a loved one, you may wish to gift it to them.

Carry the jar with you/your loved one, or place it under your pillow/on your nightstand. If the jar begins to feel dull, or if the depressive thoughts continue, sit out in the sun with your jar and allow it to recharge.

Blessed be, witches! <3

Support me and my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thevirginwitch

How can you tell if a "magic" book is full of it? I'm sure with experience you can, but what about beginners?

Reading these books needs a good ‘bullshit detector’.  There are a few telling signs:

1) Look at the book’s bibliography. A bibliography can give you, if it’s a good one, the primary sources an author used, and can give you an idea of other books to read. A bad bibliography can save you time - if a book hasn’t got one, or it’s a very short one, or it references only other neo-pagan texts, it’s not going to be long on facts and you might be better off reading something else.

2) Magic and witchcraft aren’t inherently religious. If the book implies or states that a neo-pagan religion is necessary in order to practice witchcraft, it’s probably not worth the read.

3) If the book says it’s about a neo-pagan religion of some kind, but talks endlessly of spells instead, it’s probably a waste of your time if you’re looking for the religious practice first. Some neo-pagan faiths will involve practicing magic, but others don’t.

4) Neo-pagan books that talk about ancient matriarchal religions spanning Europe, a ‘Great Goddess’ and all that jazz, are based in the historical theories of Margaret Murray. They were all fairly thoroughly debunked, but it still lingers in neo-pagan circles.

5) Know that things like the ‘Triple Goddess’ and the Wheel of the Year are modern inventions - they aren’t ancient, and forcing ancient deities or practices into those concepts will not always work or be appropriate.

6) If the deities you’re reading about are described as being very different from their historical selves, it’s probably a good sign that author hasn’t done their home work very well. 

7) ‘The Burning Times’ did happen - but it was not a systematic genocide of a pagan religion or practitioners of magic. What you had was a mass hysteria created by the church, and taken advantage of by greedy people. They had no qualms in killing unloved neighbours or relatives for their property, with witchcraft as a scapegoat. Maybe a few witches died - but so did thousands of Christians who were unfortunate enough to be disliked, or without family, or to be a better farmer or gardener. ‘Nine Million’ is certainly hyperbole, and is not factually accurate.

8) Be aware of things that don’t fit: for example, we have what’s called the ‘potato test’. Potatoes are not native to Europe and were not discovered until explorers began invading South America. So an author that talks about an ancient Irish potato deity, for example, is absolutely full of it.

9) Authors who are patronizing and talk down to their readers, no matter the subject, should be tossed on their ears. You’re a beginner, perhaps, but you’re not stupid and you’re not a child. You don’t need the author to coddle you or ‘simplify’ the information - their assumption that you do is just rude. If you wouldn’t let someone talk to you like that in real life, why would you read a book that does the same thing?

10) Whenever you can, space your neo-pagan or magical reading out with primary sources and proper non-fiction history and anthropology texts. A primary source is going to give you the closest thing to being there, at whatever time and place you’re looking at. Academic texts can be a chore to get through, but they’re going to give you the grounding you need to have a detector of your own.

Read what you can get your hands on. At first, like you said, it’s hard to tell the gold from the dross, but you’ll get the hang of it. A couple of really awful books will give you a guideline, and you’ll find authors you can trust vs. authors you can’t.

Read critically. Don’t be afraid to be a skeptic.  Similar doesn’t equal same - cultures have similar concepts but it doesn’t make their gods or their practices the same thing with different names. If you think something sounds like horseshit or too good to be true, it probably is.

Good luck, and happy hunting. :>

Crystals that are NOT suitable for placing in water / making gem water

This list will explain common stones that are either toxic to use for drinking in gem water or stones that are soluble in water. :)

Alunite: Non toxic but soluble in water

Anglesite: Toxic and slightly soluble in water

Arsenopyrite: Potentially toxic

Azurite: Harmful

Azurite-Malachite: Harmful

Azurite-Pseudomalachite: Harmful

Bunsenite: Toxic; allergen; avoid skin contact

Calomel: Possibly hazardous to health

Cerussite: Toxic

Chalcanthite: Harmful; easily soluble in water

Cinnabar: Very toxic!

Cinnabar-Opal: The cinnabar stored in the opal is toxic

Crocoite: Toxic 

Cuprite: Harmful

Durangite: Potentially toxic

Eclipse Stone: Limestone with orpiment, toxic

Eilat Stone: Harmful

Erythrite: Potentially toxic

Fiedlerite: Toxic

Fluorite, Antozonite variety: Potentially harmful

Galenite: Toxic and slightly soluble in water

Gaspeite: Harmful; allergen; avoid skin contact

Greenockite: Toxic

Halite: Not toxic in small quantities, but dissolves easily in water

Iron-nickel Meteorite: Harmful; allergen; avoid skin contact

Jamesonite: Potentially toxic

Lemon Chrysoprase: Potentially harmful; allergen; avoid skin contact

Lopezite: Very toxic! Hazardous even through skin contact

Malachite: Harmful

Millerite: Toxic; allergen; avoid skin contact

Minium: Toxic

Nickeline: Toxic; allergen; avoid skin contact

Olivenite: Potentially toxic

Orpiment: Toxic

Proustite: Potentially toxic

Psilomelane and Pyrolusite: Harmful

Pyromorphite: Potentially toxic

Rauenthalite: Toxic

Realgar: Toxic. Store in dark, securely locked place.

Scorodite: Potentially toxic

Sphaerocobaltite: Harmful; allergen; avoid skin contact

Stibnite: Harmful

Tetrahedrite: Potentially harmful

Ulexite: Non toxic but slightly soluble in warm water

Valentinite and Senarmontite: Harmful

Vanadinite: Toxic

Wulfentie: Potentially toxic

Sigil Magick Masterlist

Basic of sigils, and types of sigils:

What Are Sigils

5 Types Of Sigils

Linking sigils

Mixed Sigils

Hypersigils

Sigil Construction, and sigil methods:

The construction, and application of a magickal squares

How to make Sigils

Word Sigil Method

Verbal sigils

Hand Tapping Sigils

Photograph Sigil Method

Automatic Writing Sigil Method

Eyes Closed Sigil Method

How to make Acoustic Sigils

Emoji Spells

Tribal Sigils, And How To Make Them

How I Make My Sigils 

Charging:

Ways to charge a sigil

Ways to charge a sigil. 2

Ways To Know If Your Sigil Is Charged

Activating:

Ways to activate a sigil 

Active, And Passive Sigil Activation

Walkthrough:

How to use sigils

How exactly do you use a sigil?

Sigil utility:

Body Sigils

Sigil Placement

Sigil Triggers

Inverted Sigils

Forgetting Sigils

Sigil surroundings

Tracing sigils into the air 

Advanced sigil magick:

Sigil Altars

Sigil Matrix

Sigil Matrices

Alphabet of Desire

Alphabet Of Binding

Magickal Circles

Runes:

Bind Runes

Bind Runes 2

beginner witch etiquette guide

- 💫🕊🌿

with the rise of chatter about whatever the hell is going on over there on tik-tok, i figured it might help to throw together an etiquette list for baby witches who may be struggling to navigate through deities/energies/spirits/etc

[ spirit work ]

- ouija boards are only dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing! and they’re very dangerous if you don’t. these can safely be used for divination after you’ve properly cleansed your space and board & warded yourself up good; and just source a good board. make sure you say goodbye, cleanse and banish when you’re done, be respectful, don’t press their boundaries. i mean really spirit work is so tricky just you really need to do your own research here i could just keep going on and on. there’s so much that goes into spirit work so please read up plenty on it before trying to talk to anything in any way. really really heavily recommend picking up a mentor here before getting into spirit work.

- graveyard visits. honestly as a baby witch i used to walk along the paths in graveyards and leave trinkets and little flowers for headstones that felt particularly ‘heavy’ to me, i don’t know why after a while that started not to sit right with me but.. if anyone has input on that comment below. anyway, don’t step over graves, always be respectful, don’t be loud and don’t f*ck in here, don’t get drunk and litter your f*cking cigarette butts or whatever, this is a resting place. i’m personally a magnet for spirits and have a tendency to take things home with me so i always cleanse after a visit, i strongly advise the same! when collecting graveyard dirt always always always ALWAYS stay away from the actual. grave. sites. let me say this one more time. do not. ever take dirt from above someone’s resting place. under any circumstances. not even for a hex/curse. this isn’t something to debate, it’s disrespectful, it’s distasteful, and it’s gonna bite you in the ass. take from the sides areas or just wherever there isn’t a grave right there. still ask permission, and always give thanks & leave something behind. remember to still be mindful of c*ps, please don’t get arrested or worse for your craft.

[ fae ]

- to touch on.. hexing.. the fae. i don’t. i don’t really know what to say here. if you hex the fae you’re going to d*e or literally be cursed the rest of your life i mean you’re just asking to be screwed over in the most dangerous and ruthless way possible i don’t understand the purpose i don’t understand the motivation or mindset behind this but please for the love of everything do not? do not f*cking do this. don’t hex the fae, don’t cross the fae, don’t neglect the fae if you choose to work with them, it’s not hard to understand a basic level of respect and give/take to be able to create a safe and enjoyable relationship with the fae. ofc there’s plenty of other research to be had before working with fae but, anyways

- commanding fae? again, these beautiful beings are so.. so much stronger than us? they’re not of this realm, you trying to ‘command’ fae will get you into deep sh*t and again just don’t be a j*ckass why do i even have to make this post right now. they’re not your pets or playthings to toss and boss around, wtf? there’s no ‘leashing’ fae and while i’m here; you can’t f*ck fae either??? i’ve seen two posts saying tik-tok witches claim to, and no. you cannot. no.

[ taglocks ]

- burning taglocks, and burning your own.. taglocks. so, understand that burning a photo/chunk of hair/whatever of someone’s is a big deal, it’s serious juice so really make sure you know what you’re up to and that this person deserves what’s coming to them. that being said it’s also the perfect explanation why you should absolutely never ever burn your own f*cking taglocks. i think i saw that this was recommended for dysphoria and growth spells or something? whatever, it doesn’t matter just please don’t burn your own taglocks. it’s only outcome will be destruction and chaos.

- know that what i’m about to say absolutely doesn’t apply if you’re hexing/cursing an abuser or something along these lines; always get consent before collecting and using a taglock for the subject at hand, nothing really more to add here just don’t cast non-consent love spells for example or whatever else you’re using the taglock for, let them know what’s up and make sure they’re cool with it.

[ deities ]

- deities can call upon you and show interest in working with you- absolutely! what they will absolutely never do is scoop you up and force you into offerings and devotion. they don’t choose you and suddenly you have to do “x, y, x” and certainly if these instructions are coming to you “through another witch”. they’re scamming you, or it’s a demon. get out.

- you don’t have to do an offering every single day to work with deities, communicate well however you can, leave what you can when you can and just do your best, they see your intentions and as long as youre not greedy, hold your own, and you’re respectful, you’ll have a great relationship with really any deities youre working with :) closed practice deities are ofc off limits so please make sure you’re researching well before trying to delve into something that isn’t yours to reach out to!

-

i’m sure there’s so much more to say but this is just off the top of my head here, please stay safe witches, always do research on new areas of your craft!

Gonna charge my crystals under my kitty from now on 😂

(Source)

If you see this

You were visited by the magic kitten of rest. Reblog to have a good night’s sleep.

Lavender “elf leaf”

•Latin Name: Lavandula (Feminine)

keep in mind there are many different types of lavender out there :)

Signs: Pisces, Virgo

Chakras: Third eye 👁

Planets: Mercury, Neptune

Deities: Selene

Lavender Magickal Attributes:

aids with anxiety, insomnia, depression, protection, visions, bug bites, clarity, attracting men, purification, stress, minor burns, calm conflicts

Common Magickal Usages:

Drink tea or eat food incorporated with lavender to increase your brain power/ function

Put lavender into your pillow cases to aid in a restful sleep throughout the night

Carry lavender or use it in your every day beauty routine to promote and long and healthy life

Sprinkle lavender in your business or home to ward away evil spirits / bad energy

Wear lavender perfume or incorporate lavender into your love spells to attract men

Burn lavender during meditation to promote physic awareness and insight

Boil it in the home to drive out negative energy and turmoil forces