Cunning Folk - Blog Posts
The Herbs of Saint John
Before sunrise this morning I went out and took part in my first bit of French-Canadian folk magic (ie Sorcellerie). Since I’m really bad at timing things properly and planning ahead it was a little haphazard but overall I’m proud of myself for connecting with my ancestry.
I’ll provide links below but the quick and easy rundown is this: herbs are most magically potent on Saint John’s Eve and must be gathered between midnight and sunrise on Saint John’s feast day (June 24th). The herbs vary from place to place except for Mugwort (which sadly I haven’t found near my home), but I did find that yarrow grows in my yard which I find very exciting. The herbs must also be protected from sunlight for 24 hours before being dried and stored/used. If any of the herbs I’ve gathered this year remain by next Saint John’s Eve they must be discarded because they will have lost all power.
As I said before I harvested Yarrow from my yard but I was also able to gather some Bittersweet Nightshade, which for me has a special connection to The Great Earth-Indweller.
I added some Fayerieism flare to the gathering by performing a Plant Swaying Charm over both plants that I harvested from.
Blessings to you all
*the lighting is my porch light*
Half-formed ramble about magical identity
I’ve recently started coming to the realisation that, well that I don’t think “witch” really fits me anymore. This isn’t to say that I still don’t practice witchcraft or that it would be wrong to call me a witch, but more that my personal craft has developed in way that makes me question if it’s a moniker that still fits me.
Over the past several years, my craft has been moving more and more into the realm of charms and cures. I craft simple charms for people to gain luck and love. I walk folks through the processes of pulling off stagnant energy and uncrossing work. I still get requests to cleanse and bless homes. Owning a home and land for the past year has pushed me even more into the role of “village witch” I’ve started learning the language of my land, looking at potential plant and animal allies around me.
I think the two biggest influences for this change are my joining Fayerie Traditionalism/Fayerism and my study of folk magic
Fayerism focuses on spiritual ecology and the harmonious relationship between the Seen and Unseen worlds. Folk magic (as a magic of the people) is all about domestic life of the individual and the community.
All this is just a round about way of saying that I feel as if I’m growing into more of a “cunning woman” than a witch. My arte focuses on healing ailments (alongside modern medicine of course), attracting prosperity, and blessing those around me. I use my craft to help those around me whenever I and however I can, whether they be human or other-than-human persons.
And to be honest I’ve been moving away from the “witch” title for a while, although privately. Testing different mantles to find something that fit, sticking with “sorcerer/sorceress” for the most part. It wasn’t until last night that it stuck me how much like the cunning folk of Europe I’ve become.
I won’t correct any that call me “witch”, for as I said, I still practice witchcraft alongside other forms of magic. I’ll still be using the hashtag to appease the algorithms and I’ll still promote my services as a witch, but I think I’m going to start referring to myself as a “cunning woman” and see how that feels. I might even look into regional variants of the profession and see if the French had a localised term for the “cunning person/folk healer/white witch” as a nod to my ancestry
Round or oval stones symbolize the feminine as they represent the female reproductive system, and pointed stones symbolize the masculine as they represent the male phallic side. ............................................................................................ Make a Wish: While you are in the river you can grab a stone and make a wish, while you do so focus on your wish and visualize how it has already materialized. After this, throw the stone with all your strength, go and don't look back.
Study so that you don't call expressions of indigenous spirituality "witchcraft."
Watership Down : The Prince of Rabbits (The Prince of a Thousand Enemies)🐰☀️🌕 fan-comic by ~fiszike (http://fiszike.deviantart.com)
Theory without practice is dead and fruitless, and Practice without theory is impossible and harmful.
Crab Shell Podwer🦀
Crab Shell Powder Is Used To Reverse Damaging Situations And Attacks. This is why Crabs Always Walk Backwards.
“As she spoke, vipers and toads fell from her open mouth.” – from “Diamonds and Toads (or, The Fairies)” (Illustration by Cory Thomas Hutcheson 2020)🐍🐸
ZHEANI - LIE AND LOOK🐸🍄✨
Necromancy
1: When going to a cemetery, ask the Psychopomp or death deity of your choice for permission.
2:If you visit a graveyard and it has doors, you must knock on the door three times. as a form of respect and to tell the deceased that you have just arrived and that you want to pass.
3: After step 2. You can leave offerings at the same door you knocked on for the dead
4:Offerings: coins, coffee, The alcohol: Whiskey, Rum, Brandy,legumbre .
5:If you are going to collect graveyard dirt or dust. it is important that you know how that person died that is, if he died of natural causes, by engermerdo if he died calmly or violently. for this you could use some divination method, such as: the pendulum. and ask “Is the filth of this tomb suitable for my purpose?” If you get a positive answer, then ask “Is (the spirit of the tomb) willing to sell me some of its filth?” Again, if you get a positive answer ask "Is the spirit willing to accept my offering of (offering) in exchange for some of its dirt?" If you get a positive answer, then make the offering and collect the dirt. negative answer, either 1) move to another grave or 2) return to the same grave at another time.
6:If you don't have a pendulum handy then you can simply walk towards the center of the graveyard. Mentally contact the spirits around you, explain your situation and ask if there are any spirits that would be willing to help you complete your goal. So you can feel a psychic pull towards a certain grave. Once a grave is chosen, strike the headstone three times and place your palm on it mentally declaring your goal again asking the spirit if it will help you. If the spirit grants permission, then you can go pick up the dirt. Next, you will cut a small section of grass and then remove the dirt about 4-6 inches down. Never take more than you need. When you're done, place a silver penny in the hole, then replace the grass. Put your dirt in a container like a plastic bag or glass jar. Remember to label the container with the name of the deceased, as well as the dates of their birth and death. Upon returning home, you may want to put the dirt on a plate or other flat surface to dry if it's wet. Then, too, through a sieve or strainer to remove any rocks, roots, or plant matter.
Necromancy
1: When going to a cemetery, ask the Psychopomp or death deity of your choice for permission.
2:If you visit a graveyard and it has doors, you must knock on the door three times. as a form of respect and to tell the deceased that you have just arrived and that you want to pass.
3: After step 2. You can leave offerings at the same door you knocked on for the dead
4:Offerings: coins, coffee, The alcohol: Whiskey, Rum, Brandy,legumbre .
5:If you are going to collect graveyard dirt or dust. it is important that you know how that person died that is, if he died of natural causes, by engermerdo if he died calmly or violently. for this you could use some divination method, such as: the pendulum. and ask “Is the filth of this tomb suitable for my purpose?” If you get a positive answer, then ask “Is (the spirit of the tomb) willing to sell me some of its filth?” Again, if you get a positive answer ask "Is the spirit willing to accept my offering of (offering) in exchange for some of its dirt?" If you get a positive answer, then make the offering and collect the dirt. negative answer, either 1) move to another grave or 2) return to the same grave at another time.
6:If you don't have a pendulum handy then you can simply walk towards the center of the graveyard. Mentally contact the spirits around you, explain your situation and ask if there are any spirits that would be willing to help you complete your goal. So you can feel a psychic pull towards a certain grave. Once a grave is chosen, strike the headstone three times and place your palm on it mentally declaring your goal again asking the spirit if it will help you. If the spirit grants permission, then you can go pick up the dirt. Next, you will cut a small section of grass and then remove the dirt about 4-6 inches down. Never take more than you need. When you're done, place a silver penny in the hole, then replace the grass. Put your dirt in a container like a plastic bag or glass jar. Remember to label the container with the name of the deceased, as well as the dates of their birth and death. Upon returning home, you may want to put the dirt on a plate or other flat surface to dry if it's wet. Then, too, through a sieve or strainer to remove any rocks, roots, or plant matter.
Types of water and its uses.
Sea water: good for cleansing and healing rituals, for cleansing crystals (some crystals may be damaged), check first. for banishing and protection spells. Storm water:for spells related to emotional strength, confidence, motivation and strength. Known for strengthening spells. Curses. River water: to advance, concentrate energy, protect, get the energy flowing which is also good for cleansing for this very reason. also when you do some kind of spell and you want to get rid of it or throw it away you can do it in a river.
Rainwater: Multipurpose especially for growth and rebirth spells and spells you want to keep gaining power over time. Snow water: spells that focus on purity, endings, and change. Slow working spells. Dew water, love and fertility spells, delicate magic and for fairy work.
if there is no peace at a table there is no appetite and if there is no appetite there is no unit.
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ZHEANI Sparkes
Getting ready for the holiday season.
Hexing
This spell is similar to the one given above and will cause your enemy to have extreme bad luck in all his/her endeavours. Again you will need to obtain a piece of clothing from your enemy, if you cannot acquire a piece of clothing, then try to get anything which belongs to him. On this piece of clothing write hisiher name in block capitals. Take a bowl and put in it some heavily salted water, to this add some pepper and tobacco from a used cigarette. Mix this substance well and over it say: "Demons and spirits of hell, Charge this with your venomous spit. Fill it with the negativity of your realm, Make him suffer slowly, no, not too quick. Take my hatred from whence it spawned, Bad luck is his from dusk to dawn. SO MOTE IT BE.'' Go to the garden and dig a hole, place the piece of clothing in the hole and over it pour the liquid substance. Say: "From this day and hour (name of enemy)'s life will change. Heishe will have no peace till he/she changes ways. Negativity engulfs you and it is what you deserve." Cover the hole. The spell is finished. Book: PRACTICAL MAGICKALEVOCATION M. McGrath
"A witch who cannot curse cannot heal." -a saying within traditional witchcraft
About fairies (Art: by Brian Froud)
fairies are metaphysical and symbolic beings.
In Animism it is believed that any natural element has life, soul and consciousness of its own.
It could be said that one of them are the fairies that are energy found in any natural element and that can also be manifested through it, they do not have a specific physical form but they can take a certain physical form
more specifically that of humanoid since generally this is how we usually associate them in that way by representations in art and folk tales and take the form of what we are famerialized with, which in this case is how we see them or (persist).
Are they good or bad? many believe that there are fairies or Faery beings who are: good and others who are bad.
others: that in reality they are neither good nor bad, rather they have no reasoning that it is good or bad, or rather that they do not know how to differentiate between what is good and what is bad
just like nature which is where they come from.
for some others: they tend to be temperamental so they should be treated with respect and not offend if they are so, they will play practical jokes on you and can "steal" and hide your things or even "reverse" "luck".
the Faerie world and the world of the dead: Fairies are seriously believed to be the spirits of the dead, fairies were dead people, perhaps sometimes dating back to pre-Christian times, and that the land of fairies was a transcendent land of the dead, which, in special circumstances , it could be penetrated by the living.
An ingrained tradition is that fairies are the dead pagans (or perhaps post-Purgatory Christians not good enough for heaven but too good for hell), living in a world of limbo, occasionally coinciding with our own. A story that captures this idea well was compiled by folklorist William Bottrell in Cornwall in the early 1870s.
the fairies taboo :The taboo of fairies are restrictions or prohibitions that are set by fairies and that if they are broken have consequences and These consequences are almost always (although not exclusively) harmful for the human protagonists of the stories.
How to protect yourself from fairies that only want to do harm?putting iron horseshoes since they are believed to protect and ward off evil and it is also believed that it burns and drives away fairies. I want to make it clear that all the information not only refers only to fairies, it also refers to all beings related to fairies such as: elves, nogmos, etc, etc, etc.