Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.
Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.
If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.
These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.
Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.
Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.
Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.
Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.
Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.
If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.
New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.
Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.
Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.
Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.
Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.
The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.
Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.
Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.
Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.
Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.
Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.
Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.
Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.
Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.
Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.
Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.
Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.
Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.
Resources:
You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst
Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]
Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]
You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.
A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.
A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.
Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.
A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.
A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.
A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.
A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.
Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.
A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.
A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.
On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.
A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.
Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.
Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.
A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.
Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.
A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.
And a last tip- if something is too hard for a mortar and pestle, a plastic bag and hammer works too.
Where may I purchase a pair, please and thank you.
in the late 1790s it was in style to wear earrings depicting the execution of louis xvi.
Please burn your green candles, say your prayers, do your spells for the Amazon right now. It's burning and has been for weeks, media refuses to cover it, the most diverse ecosystem that harbors beautiful creatures, plantlife, 20% of our oxygen is dying and going up in flames.
I hope something is done soon. My heart is aching
As a witch who’s always on the go it can sometimes be hard to focus on magical self care. I’m traveling and moving and working with lots of people and life is kind of a whirlwind and I love it but sometimes it all gets to be a little… much. In all of the hustle and bustle my ability to take care of myself and my ability to take care of my magical practice can start to go south. I forget to practice good magical hygiene (such as cleansing and banishing) and I start to feel a little disconnected from the whole thing.
When this happens I like to turn to magical self care! Now, there are two types of magical self care: there’s magic that is used as self care and there’s self care for your magic. The methods I’m about to discuss happen to be useful for both!
Grounding is a vital part of learning to practice magic in a safe and healthy way. The term comes from the process of grounding an electrical circuit. Essentially if an object is negatively charged, grounding allows excess electrons to flow from the object into the earth, and if an object is positively charged, electrons flow from the earth into the object. It’s a method of balancing and equalizing the flow of energy.
Similarly, in witchcraft grounding is the practice of balancing personal energies. Many things can pull us out of balance, emotional turmoil (for empaths it doesn’t even have to be our own emotional turmoil, often we pick up other people’s emotions far too readily!), illness, performing rituals or spells, astral travel, even simple things from our day to day lives can create a state of too much personal energy or too little personal energy.
This can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience.
Symptoms of unbalanced energy:
Dizziness, feeling spaced out, light headed or a floaty feeling
Headaches
Forgetfulness
Misplacing or losing things
Feeling generally unwell or exhausted
Daydreaming and an inability to focus
Sensitivity to light and noise
Feeling over stimulated and nervy
Bumping into things or other general feelings of clumsiness
An uncomfortable sensation of buzzing under the skin
Nausea and vomiting
Pain
Irritability
Insomnia
These symptoms typically become more severe the further out of alignment you are.
It is essential that you learn to ground properly before beginning to practice magic. Often I see newer witches who have yet to learn this skill experiencing unnecessarily strong backlash from their spell work.
Magic is energy! When you move and manipulate energy in such powerful ways it can and will pull your own energy out of balance. Grounding allows you to avoid the unpleasant side effects of spell casting which means a you’ll be a happier witch and have more time and space to practice your craft!
There are many ways of grounding yourself, I suggest you try a variety of methods and find the one that is most effective for you.
Rooting Yourself
This method works best if you are barefoot and standing on grass or dirt. Imagine your energy extending down through your legs and sinking into the earth, becoming roots and burrowing into the soil to trade energy with the earth. Feel the earth’s energy flow up into your body, filling you all the way to your head and then back down and out through your roots. This energy will cycle through you and clear away any excess energy as well as solving any energy deficiencies you might have. Continue this until you feel calm and comfortable.
Laugh
Laughter is an amazing way to release pent up energy as well as building our personal energy from within! Give yourself time and space to have a good laugh, put on your favorite comedian and enjoy yourself.
Food
Nourishing your body can help to reconnect you to your physical self and refuel depleted energy. Sit down for a hearty meal and give it your full attention, this helps to pull you back into your body fully after astral work or other intense spiritual experiences and gives you a moment to rest and relax.
Water
Water is a wonderful conductor of energy, sitting with your feet in a stream, your hands under a running faucet, or drawing yourself a bath can equalize your energy very quickly. Playing in the rain can also equalize your energy but if it’s sunny out visualizing rain washing your energy clean will work just as well.
Go for a walk
Getting out in nature, especially if you can walk barefoot, will allow your body to trade energy with the earth and equalize your energy levels. Walking in nature also helps to build mindfulness and create a sense of ease in your life!
Wind Visualization
Sit comfortably and begin to visualize your energy body. When you have a solid image of it in your mind imagine a strong gust of wind blowing your energy around you, removing blockages, carrying away excesses and refueling any energetic deficiencies.
Exercise
Gentle exercise can help to release any excess energies. Do not ground this way if you feel lethargic, exhausted or in any kind of pain. This method is ONLY to be used when you have an energy excess!
Body Awareness
Simply giving your body attention can encourage your energy to equalize on its own. Take a few minutes to consciously take stock of every inch of your body. Begin at your head, feel your scalp, then move to focusing on each part of your face. Move downward and feel your neck, your chest, then your arms, your elbows, your wrists, your fingertips. Focus on your torso again, now placing your energy on your stomach, feel it move with your breath. Continue this all the way down to your toes. Try to remain relaxed throughout this process.
Let Yourself Cry
Crying or screaming will release excess emotional energy very quickly. If you’re the sort of person who loves a good cleansing cry then this one is for you.
Stones and Crystals
Certain stones and crystals can be grounding. Hematite is particularly good for this purpose.
Play in the dirt
Getting in contact with the earth through gardening or rolling around in the dirt like you did when you were a kid allows your body to exchange energy with the earth. So let go of your adulthood for a few minutes and get in the dirt!
Grounding is a wonderful tool to use but it isn’t a cure all. It’s also not always desirable to be completely grounded! There are certain types of magic that can be hindered by grounding and other types of magic that are simply not energy based and won’t require grounding to be effective.
When working with spirits being too grounded can make it more difficult to connect to the entity
If you’re fueling magic with emotions or excitement grounding beforehand will not help. You want your emotions and energy high in order to perform that sort of magic.
Sigils generally do not require grounding
Any kind of astral or out of body practice will be made much more difficult if you’re grounded beforehand. Ground after this sort of practice, not before
Dream work will be hindered by grounding
Grounding is most often used for post-spell backlash but it can also be utilized in your day to day life to enhance focus and happiness, lessen anxiety and protect you from emotional runoff.
If you struggle with any of the symptoms of being ungrounded regularly you might benefit from adding a few minutes of grounding into your daily practice!
Yep
For outside:
Drive sturdy sticks into the corners of your property to bolster those areas and strengthen wards. It adds firm definition to where you are warding. Using sticks from your property is a great way to connect everything on your land
Hammer three nails in the ground near your front door to act as a potent warning to spirits below.
Use solar powered lights to line your path to the door to keep it feeling bright, warm, and inhabited. Keep a small light on your keys and it will help to keep you from getting lost. Make sure to program all lights and keychain lights at the same time to sync them together.
Enchant wreaths to draw in abundance and repel misfortune and negative entities.
Choose a striking door knocker to act as a guardian against thieves and predators.
Plant hardy flowers and bushes that are native to/thrive in your area around all entrances and exits. Find out what the bees in your region like (if possible)!
Use windchimes to ward off entities looking for stagnant places. Sound and motion tend to clear away that kind of energy.
Draw (or use energy instead of a drawing utensil) a sigil on the outer walls of your home, especially on pillars and doorframes. You can do this before your home is completely built if you are in that process!
Draw similar sigils and/or statements on your driveway in the summer to bake them into your land and charge them. You can use water in a squeeze bottle to do this as well, and it will fade away immediately if your area is hot.
During the winter, you can also use water to cut through the snow or to freeze onto your property. Be careful, of course, and bear in mind where you or your pets may walk.
Use potted flowers to hide non-deteriorating crystals and wards. Put permanent wards inside the pots before planting.
For inside:
Enchant and place coins or other small tokens above every doorway and in every windowsill of your home to draw in wealth and repel malevolent forces. Bobby pins, dimes, toothpicks. It all works, but I recommend charging them every month or so.
Hang tapestries or other kinds of wall decor to break up stretches of potentially stagnant spaces. Clocks move and typically have a sound, which have always served me well in cleansing and keeping up with the flow of energy.
Salt lamps are actually quite useful. They are very dangerous for animals and small children, though. If you're good with the lamps being safe, they are excellent at cleansing, warming up, and protecting an area.
Rugs can be used to make wards all ob their own. You can create a design on the underside if you want, or just use energy to enchant it.
Wipe vents down with some sort of ritually clean and positively charged solution. Gem elixir, moon water, herbal tincture, etc.
Enchant fixtures already setup to protect you and your family. Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, security systems, locks, etc. Use energy opposed to physical materials for most of these to protect their functionality.
Ward your attic. Birds get in, squirrels get in, entities and energies get in.
If you have a chimney, ward the fireplace or surrounding objects. Grates and screens are awesome for this.
[credit: @risingwoman on Instagram]
A collection of categorized links for your Yule needs! What is Yule? [X] Yule is celebrated on slightly different days depending on who you ask, but the broad spectrum is: December 20th to January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and around June 20th (give or take a few days) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Yule correspondences
Celebrating Yule
Yule: A very merry sabbat
Guide to Yuletide plants + herbs
Yule - ‘tis the season
Yule practices
A Yule ritual
50 Yuleisms
Yule potpourri recipe
Witch balls / more witch balls
A twelve-herb sachet for Yule
Mini herb wreaths
Yule log
Yule craft ideas
Pine protection balm
Dried orange slices
Herbal shortbread
Bread dipping oil
Chocolate Yule log
Yuletide muesli
Yule tea
Yule Punch
Non-alcoholic mulled wine
Winter sabbat wine
Merry Yule spell jar / Season of peace spell jar
Holiday ornament snow spell
Yule bath spell
Blessed Yule - for a positive holiday season
Winter solstice spell
Spell for a happy family gathering
Yule energy sun spell
Winter stasis spell sachet
Holiday home blessings
Safe delivery envelope spell
The return (2 card)
Yule spread (3 card)
Tarot spread for Yule (3 card)
Winter inspired spread (5 card)
Yule reflection + advice spread (5 card)
A Yuletime tarot spread (6 card)
Music ideas / Winter witch playlist
Altar/celebration ideas / Yule altar guide
Yule plants / Mistletoe Lore
Yule oils/incense / Yule incense
Emoji spell for luck during Yule and Solstice
Spell ideas for the holidays
Updated June, 2020. Please inform me (via askbox) of broken links!