Building A Magical Home

Building a Magical Home

One of my favorite quotes about the magic of homemaking comes from Cory Hutcheson, host of the New World Witchery podcast. He says, “Home is a transformational act. It is the thing you do to turn a space into a space… that is full of ritual and significance and meaning. So there is sort of this ongoing relationship you have with the space that makes it a home.”

The act of creating a home, of making a space your own, is inherently magical. But if you want to make your space feel a little more witchy, here are some ideas to get you started.

Charms and Talismans

Making your own magical objects can be a powerful way to bring magic into your space. The best thing about making your own charms is that you can make them look however you want, so it’s easy to disguise them as ordinary household objects. You can make a charm for any intention by combining objects based on their magical correspondences.

I’ve talked about protective charms in previous posts, so I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it here. The simplest protective charm is keeping a large piece of iron under your bed to keep away nightmares, evil spirits, and negative energy. You could also make your own protection charm, like a witch bottle.

You can create a “happy home” charm to bring peace, harmony, and happiness into your home. This charm could include herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and/or bay leaves, as well as other items that you associate with peace and good fortune, like lucky coins, crystals, or black cat fur. Write your desires for a harmonious and happy home on a piece of paper, fold it up, and add it to the charm. You could store these items in a green bag, bury them in your backyard (in this case, make sure you’re only using biodegradable plant matter — leave out the coins and crystals), or place it inside a household object like a lamp or an end table.

If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep issues, try making a dream charm to help you sleep well and have sweet dreams. To make a simple dream charm, fill a blue or purple bag with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and any other objects that you associate with peace, restfulness, and sleep. If you want to have lucid dreams or receive psychic messages in your dreams, include a bit of mugwort. Place the charm in your pillow or under your mattress. (I personally swear by this one, as it’s helped a lot with my insomnia.)

Charms are great for homemaking magic because you’re actually creating a magical object, which can then become a permanent fixture of the space.

Magical Decor

You can use magical items to decorate your home to bring certain qualities into that space.

Hanging or displaying a broom is said to bring good fortune, protection from evil, and good hospitality. Cauldrons are used to represent the Goddess, rebirth, and raw potential. Horseshoes hung above door frames bring safety and luck to all who cross under them, and keep unwanted guests away. If you can get them legally and ethically, animal bones, teeth, claws, and feathers can represent the spirit and energy of that animal. You can also put up images of spiritual and occult symbols — I have an image of the Sun tarot card hanging in my bedroom to promote positivity and growth.

If you need to be a little more subtle with your witchy decorations, working with the magic of color is a great way to do that. Gathering a lot of items of a single color in one room changes the energy of that room. Here’s a quick guide to give you some ideas:

Yellow is associated with divination, mental clarity, the element of air, success, communication, and inspiration.

Purple is associated with divine power, spiritual awareness, mystery, astral travel, magic, and authority.

Blue is associated with healing, psychic abilities, the element of water, peace, truth, and patience.

Red is associated with protection, the fire element, sex, power, vitality, and love.

Orange is associated with ambition, creativity, breaking through blockages, and career success.

Pink is associated with romantic love, friendship, self love, compassion, and emotional well-being.

Green is associated with nature, herbalism, the earth element, money, wealth, prosperity, and luck.

Brown is associated with grounding, animal magic, stability, and balance.

White is associated with purification, cleansing, the full moon, new beginnings, healing, and spiritual growth.

Black is associated with protection, truth, outer space, banishing, and transition.

Decorating your home with colors that are meaningful to you can create a powerful magical space. You may also have your own color associations (for example, yellow is a very “happy” color for me), so feel free to incorporate those into your decor as well!

Growing Magical Houseplants

Most witches feel a very deep connection to nature and draw power from the natural world, but we can’t all live in a cottage in the heart of the forest. Even if you live in a tiny apartment in the city, you can still bring nature into your space by keeping houseplants. Many popular houseplants have magical uses, and many popular magic herbs can be grown inside. Here are a few to get you started.

Aloe. This is one of my favorite plants. Aloe brings luck and protection, especially protection on an energetic/spiritual level. I like to keep aloe in my bedroom to protect me while I sleep, as well as to bring luck and inspiration while I’m working at my desk.

Basil. Basil is very popular in money spells, and will attract prosperity and luck to your home. However, it also has protective properties — both spiritual protection and protection from bugs, since basil is a natural insect repellent! Basil can also be used in love spells, and is just generally a good plant to have around for good vibes.

African Violet. This flowering plant attracts positive spiritual energy into your space. It has associations with the moon and the water element, and is very good for promoting spirituality and psychic power.

Rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs that every witch should have on hand. It’s so darn versatile, it can be used as a substitute for virtually any other herb, and can be used for almost any intention. Some of the most common magical associations for rosemary include: cleansing, purification, protection, healing, mental activity, and enhancing memory. According to author Deborah J. Martin, there’s an old English saying that, “Where rosemary grows, the woman rules the house.” Like basil, rosemary is a natural insect repellent.

Lavender. Lavender brings peace, love, and gentleness, which makes it a perfect addition to any home. It can be used in spells for cleansing and purification, enhancing psychic abilities, and stress relief. Lavender is also a powerful addition to love spells. Keeping lavender in the bedroom can aid in restful sleep, while lavender in the kitchen will bring harmony to the home.

Sage. Sage is the most talked about cleansing herb, and with good reason. Unfortunately, a lot of the sage bundles you can buy at metaphysical stores are made with white sage (Salvia apiana), which is sacred to Native American peoples and is endangered due to overharvesting. Instead of buying those, why not grow your own garden sage (Salvia officinalis), which has a lot of the same magical properties? Growing sage in your home will purify the space and protect those who live there. Sage also has an association with wisdom and mental prowess.

Hoya. Hoya is a common houseplant that you’ve probably seen even if you don’t know it by name. It has a distinctive appearance with waxy, dark green leaves and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. Hoya aligns and balances the energy centers within your body, as well as in the surrounding space. It’s associated both with grounding and with spiritual openness, so it can be great for balancing the two.

Peppermint. Peppermint has a variety of magical uses, but my favorite way to use it is for gently opening up blockages and getting things moving. It’s great for cleansing, but is more gentle than rosemary or sage. Place it in any room where you tend to do a lot of healing work, or where you could use some peace and love. Peppermint is also used in dream magic, so growing it in the bedroom may bring on vivid or lucid dreams.

Orchid. Orchids are used in magic for love and lust. Historically, orchid has been used in folk medicine to promote male virility and “Jezebel root,” used in American folk magic to attract wealthy male lovers, is a type of orchid root. If you live with a significant other, try growing an orchid in the bedroom to promote passion in your sex life. Otherwise, grow orchids in your home to promote love or to attract romance.

Catnip. If you have cats, they’ll love this one. Catnip is actually a type of mint, and has strong lunar associations. It’s said to make one more charming and attractive, and is especially useful for attracting women. At the same time, catnip promotes courage and fierceness. It is also, of course, associated with cats and feline deities, so this is definitely a plant you’ll want to keep around if the cat is one of your animal guides.

If you have a yard space that you can turn into an outdoor garden, your magical plant options are limited only by your local ecosystem. Some outdoor plants that have magical uses include roses, sunflowers, rue, lemon balm, and strawberries.

Creating an Altar

Altars are focal points of magical and spiritual energy. Many people, both witches and non-witches, find that having a designated space for their spiritual practice creates a deeper sense of sacredness and purpose.

An altar can serve lots of different purposes. Many witches use their altar as a magical work space to prepare spells, meditate, and do divination. You may choose to dedicate your altar to a deity, your ancestors, or some other spirit(s) you work with. You can also build altars for specific intentions, such as a money altar or a love altar — performing rituals at this altar everyday is a powerful method for manifestation. You altar may be some or all of these things, or it may just be a place to sit and connect with the spiritual.

You can set up an altar on any flat surface, like a shelf or table, or inside a container like a jewelry box. Your setup can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. An altar can be huge and complex, with statues and candles and flowers, or it can be as simple as a tealight and an incense burner. It’s all about what appeals to you.

Resources:

New World Witchery pocast, “Episode 143 — The Magical Home”

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

“Candle colors and their meanings” by Michelle Gruben on the Grove and Grotto blog

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

“The Magic of Orchids in Wiccan Love Spells & Rituals” on the Art of the Root blog

Numbers and their Meanings

0 - the void. infinite possibilities. eternity. cycle. circle of life.

1- independent. will. beginnings. pioneering. individuality.

2 - balance. partnership. diplomacy. contrast. polarity. connection.

3 - creativity. joy. communication. self expression. groups. fun.

4 - foundations. pragmatism. material reality. problem solving.

5 - adventure. change. innovation. risk. freedom. challenge. conflict.

6 - harmony. community. domestic. love. healing. service.

7 - spirituality. truth. intellect. personal growth. solitude. metaphysical.

8 - authority. manifestation. business. leadership. abundance. goals.

9 - wisdom. closure. completion. serice to humanity.

191 notes View Post

yaboidiablo

5 years ago

School Witchery

Magic resources for all my student witches out there! Remember, magic isn’t going to save your grades if you don’t also put the effort in. But it can certainly support you through your journey as a hardworking student <3

General tips and advice:

To the witches who are going back to school

Magical school tips

Back to school witch tips

Tips for high school witches

School witch tips

Herbs and crystals to help with school

Kitchen witchcraft for school lunches

University/college witch tips

Everything you need to know about being a college witch

College witchcraft

College witch tips

Little tips for the college witch

Dorm life:

Dorm friendly offerings & altars

Dorm hacks for the college witch

Dorm room witch tips

Dorm witchery

Living magically with roommates

Kitchen witchcraft for the dorm

Candle/incense alternatives: [X] [X] [X]

Studying:

Witch study tips

Study candle spell

Study sachet

Spell for focus on homework

Stay strong and carry on study spell

Student witch hacks for focus and concentration

Back in focus spell bottle

Studying tips for witches

Tests and exams:

“I can do this!” motivation bottle

Cramming for a test spell

A charm to help you succeed on exams

Using sigils on your tests (tip)

Sigils masterpost for finals week

A spell for finals week

Focus for finals spell bottle

Final exam spell

Other spells:

A spell for good grades

Back to school success sachet

School success sachet spell

Knot spell for doing well in school

Sweet school year spell

“Leave me be” spell

Spell to banish anxiety and get a good mark

Restful sleep spell jar

Spells for back to school (masterpost)

Sigils for school, study and education (masterpost)

All About Divination

Thank you for your trust in my guidance. But I have already answered many of your divination questions. Please refer to this list and explore as you wish.

Scrying 101

Runecasting 101

Runecasting vs. Tarot

Phyllomancy 101

Oneiromancy 101

Charmcasting 101

Cartomancy 101

Recommended Decks (with links to photos and a video)

How many decks should you have?

Who is better at which system?

Kipper vs. Tarot, Lenormand and Sibilla

Lenormand 101

How to Read with Lenormand

Answering Yes or No with Lenormand

How to Predict Timing with Lenormand

How Mirroring is Done

How Lenormand Interacts with Tarot

The Twin Cards in Lenormand and Tarot

Lenormand Cards as Feelings and Thoughts

Tarot + Oracle + Lenormand Spreads

Extra Man and Woman Lenormand Cards

The 12-Step Lenormand Grand Tableau

Lenormand vs. Tarot

Tarot 101

How to Truly Master Tarot

How Tarot Readings Really Work

Recommended Books

Tarot Meanings

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Suit

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Number

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Card

What It Means to Get Contradictory Cards

What Tarot’s Colors Say About Your Future

The Major Arcana as People

How to Remember the Major Arcana

How to Read “Good” Cards as “Bad”

How to Tell Physical Appearance

How to Determine Locations

How to Read Pentacles for Love

How to Decide Which Meaning to Use

How Context Dictates Meaning

The Soulmate Cards

The Forever Alone Cards

The Polar Opposite Cards

The Major and Minor Twins

The “Bad” Cards as Advice

The Cards as Yes or No

The Cards as Someone’s Feelings

The Cards as Advice vs. Outcome

The Court Cards as Thoughts or Intentions

Tarot’s Extreme Meanings

Tarot’s Twins in Lenormand

Literal Card Meanings

Career and Finances Meanings

Meanings for Timing

When Reversed is Better than Upright

The Kings in Real Life

The Queens in Real Life

How the Men in Tarot Will Treat You

The Court Cards and Gender

Physical Attractiveness of the Court Cards

The Real Deal with Tarot’s Pages

The Knights in Fiction

The Queen of Cups in Fiction

When the Court Cards Refer to You

The Best Couples in Tarot

The Emperor’s Love Compatibility

Christian Symbology in Tarot

Tarot and Sexual Behavior

True Love Combinations

Old-time Tarot Meanings

The Past and Future Cards in Tarot

Tarot Meanings for Different Decks

Why We Read Tarot Symbolically

How to Read Reversals

Tarot Combinations for Health Issues

Tarot Combinations for Mental Illness

Tarot Combinations for Cheating

Tarot and Astrology

Tarot and Countries

The Kinds of Wedding in Tarot

The Hierophant is Forever

The Lovers is Not About Choices

The Hermit in Love

The Spokes of the Wheel of Fortune

The Tower’s Duality

The Moon is Not Your Friend

The Star is the Trickiest Card in Tarot

The World is Overrated

The Greco-Roman Gods in Tarot

My Favorite Card and My Least Favorite

The Three Most Misunderstood Tarot Cards

The Three Best Cards in Tarot

The 12 Most Underwhelming Tarot Cards

Tarot Spreads

Past Life Spread

Life Purpose Spread

General Life Prediction Spread

Soulmate Spread

Sex Life Spread

Future Children Spread

Death Prediction Spread

Dream Interpretation Spread

High Priestess Spread (For Quick Predictions)

True Colors Spread (For Questions of Intentions)

Two Paths Spread (For Making a Difficult Decision)

Combined Spreads (Tarot, Oracle, Lenormand)

Ancestors Spread (For Speaking with the Dead)

When Spread (Timing with the Celtic Cross)

Major Arcana Grand Tableau (Yearly Reading Spread)

The What If Spread

The Three Wishes Tarot Spread

The Storyboard Tarot Spread

Using Tarot to Find Your True Gods

Using Tarot to Find Your Rising Sign

How to Perform the Celtic Cross Spread

Tarot Tips

How to Achieve Truthful Tarot Readings

How to Be the Best Tarot Reader You Can Be

Never Pull Clarifiers

Never Use Significators

Never Hold Back Truths

Never Read for Someone You Dislike

The Perfect Deck for Everyone

Reasons to Have Multiple Tarot Decks

Where to Buy Tarot Cloths

Do Not Worry About Mercury Retrograde

How to Enchant Your Tarot Decks

How to Use Tarot to Protect Someone

How to Use Tarot to Control Another Soul

How to Use Tarot for Vengeance

How to Predict Sports Matches with Tarot

How a Tarot Reader Influences Readings

How to Use Tarot to Confirm Your Gifts

How the Rider-Waite Can Help You

What to Do with Rogue Tarot Cards

What to Do When Tarot Scares You

You are Not Cursed

The Importance of Reading Reversals

The Language of Tarot

Tarot Needs All of its Cards

Who to Invoke During a Reading

How to Stay Safe During a Reading

Do Not Confuse Honesty with Hate

On Using Playing Cards Instead

The Right and Wrong Ways of Mixing Decks

The Most Common Tarot Reader Mistakes

The Myth of Not Reading Tarot for Yourself

Tarot Rules and Superstitions

How to Close a Tarot Reading

Tarot Etiquette

Formally introduce yourself

Use it often

Acknowledge the card that it assigns to you

Respect its identity

Do not cleanse it

Never ask it the same question twice

When You Can Ask the Same Question Again

Do not ask it basic questions

Do not use it for spying

Never dismiss its predictions

Never use another deck to confirm its answers

Read with it when you are emotional

Do not talk about it negatively

Do not blame it for your own mistakes

Do not pull away from it

Do not think of it as evil

Do not anger it

Deal your cards the right way

Shuffle your cards correctly

Respect tradition

Practice etiquette, conduct and decorum

Tarot is easily offended

On Charging Your Tarot Decks

On Modifying Your Tarot Decks

On Not Using the Whole Deck

On Secondhand Tarot Decks

Pirated Decks Also Deserve Respect

How to Store Tarot Decks

How to Greet and Thank Your Tarot Deck

How to Make Amends with Tarot

Keep your tinctures away from it

Spend time with it

Never discard it

Use a cloth with it

Trust it

Sibilla 101

Sibilla Starter Kit

How to Predict Timing with Sibilla

Oracle Cards 101

How Oracle Cards Complement Tarot

Tarot + Oracle + Lenormand Spreads

Other Divination Systems

Alternatives to Tarot

How to Really Learn Palmistry

All About Spells | All About Astrology

9K notes View Post

yaboidiablo

4 years ago

May Money Find You. Like to charge, reblog to cast!

90K notes View Post

yaboidiablo

3 years ago

Cowboys kissing. you agree. reblog

26K notes View Post

yaboidiablo

5 years ago

I left the room for one sec and... she’s in my spot.

She’s camouflaged 🧡💚

Ball

1 note View Post

yaboidiablo

5 years ago

Basic Homesteading Skills

Crafts

quilting

embroidery

cross-stitch

knitting

crochet

sewing

Cooking and Baking

homemade bread

homemade butter

homemade extracts

dandelion jelly

Canning

26 canning recipes

canning jars 101

60 canning recipes

Gardening

edible trees to plant

what to plant to save the bees

cure and braid garlic

save seeds for next year

braid onions for long term storage

build a greenhouse

Animals

homemade chicken feed

raising mealworms for chickens

why to raise nigerian dwarf goats

Outdoors

starting a fire with sticks

trail signs

knotting

find true north without a compass

Medicine

homemade neosporin

all purpose healing salve

121K notes View Post

yaboidiablo

4 years ago

Gonna charge my crystals under my kitty from now on 😂

(Source)

14K notes View Post

yaboidiablo

5 years ago

MAGICK 101: The Principles of Magick

I see very few blogs out here teaching the basic principles of magic, so I wanted to provide a guide to what I’ve found are the important principles. (with gifs!) I divided things that I think will be helpful when creating or altering spells and things that are helpful when figuring out if a spell will succeed or why it failed.

SPELL CREATING PRINCIPLES

Law of Similarity

These first two principles are from James Frazer’s The Golden Bough and are fundamental to all of magic. Frazer describes this law as “like produces like.” This law says that manipulation of an image or likeness yields manipulation of the thing itself. Here’s some examples of the Law of Similarity in Graeco-Egyptian magic:

Stabbing a human figure with nails to cause pain to the person

Drawing the caster holding their love interest on a leash in a “love leash” spell

Writing a spell in a circle around someone’s name to encircle them and restrain them

Putting a love spell that aims to have the target “burn with love” into a lit oil lamp

Walking on a written spell to have the target “underfoot” and under your control

Similarity isn’t restricted by literal similarity, it extends to metaphorical similarity as well. Idioms and puns were widely used in Egyptian myth and magic

Law of Contagion

Frazer puts this one quite well: things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other. I will extend this law to say that magical energy can be transferred or shared between objects by contact and that transferal is strongest if they are in contact or very close. Examples in Graeco-Egyptian magic include:

Using the hair of the target of a love spell in an oil lamp

Writing a spell to Seth on a donkey hide (an animal of Seth)

Burying a separation spell at the home of the couple to affect them

Hair is super useful (and sometimes required) for any spell targeted at someone. I know people who keep or trade hair as collateral.

MAGIC TIP: If you need to perform substitutions in a spell, use the Law of Similarity and Law of Contagion for selecting the substitution (ex: use red wine mixed with an animal’s hair instead of blood from that animal)

Law of Durability

This law basically is covered by the Law of Similarity, but, because it’s so important for picking items, I’m including it separately. Magic done with more durable items will yield a longer lasting effect. For example, a spoken spell will be weaker than a spell written on paper. A written spell will be weaker than a spell carved into stone. This law applies to enchanting as well: more durable items will stay enchanted for long.

Law of Layering

The law of layering must be applied carefully because it is about complementary layers, not throwing as many things at a wall as possible.

The principle is the more layers that are used in magic, the stronger the magic will be. More layers build more power. Some ways to add layers are:

Have a pre-spell ritual, like bathing and meditating

Cast spells in a designated space for casting with items designated for magic

Make motions that mirror the words you’re saying

Add objects to a spell via the Law of Similarity, the Law of Contagion, or objects along your correspondence

Perform a spell in a group instead of solo

Reinforce a spell by doing it for multiple days in a row or once every week, month, etc.

These are examples to give you an idea of what I mean by “layers”. All of these actions work to build or reinforce the energy of a spell.

SPELL SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

Law of Likeliness

My mentor compares magic to stacking a deck: you’re manipulating chance to get circumstances in your favor. This means two things. The first is magic cannot make the impossible happen. Magic will not cause things to levitate, or conjure fire from nowhere, or anything else that is not possible in our universe. The second is if an outcome is less likely, stronger magic will be required to achieve it. Some decks are easier to stack. Take a money-drawing spell used on someone who makes commission versus a salary worker. The same spell will be far more effective for the salesperson, whose income is highly dependent on chance, than the salary worker.

Law of Agency

No magic short of possession can rob a human of their free will. For example, if you do a love spell on someone whose sexuality doesn’t align with yours, it will have no effect. If a person is resistant to a certain energy in their day-to-day life, they will similarly be resistant to that energy when sent via magic.

I hope these principles are informative and help you with your magic!

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yaboidiablo

4 years ago