Spirit Work 101:

Do you have any spell to make friends?

I have a few.

[To Assist in Making Friends] (an ask)

[Attract a Friend] (tw: gif)

[To Attract a New Friend] (an ask)

[Attracting a New Friend]

[“Faithful Friends” Spell]

[First Day Friendship Spell] (for starting school)

[Friendship Charm]

[Friendship Spell]

[Happy Friendship Spell]

[Positive Friendship Jar Spell]

[Simple Friendship Charm]

[Snow White and Rose Red: A Spell to Find a True Friend]

[Spell to Find Friends]

Related:

[To Attract Others of Like Mind]

[Spell for Attracting Positive People]

Also maybe try some [glamours]?

Best of luck!

Working with Plants

1. Start your own Herbal. There are some great books out there, but recording your own experiences/uses/collected lore for herbs is invaluable. Draw, press or take photos of the plants you include. 

2. Learn about plants by seeing them with your own eyes. Visit botanical gardens, nurseries, garden centres and parks to see the plants in situ and (hopefully) correctly labelled. The human brain has an amazing memory for plants, it is a survival skill to be able to identify them. When you walk through a park or garden, notice the plants and identify those you know to re-establish this memory.

3. Grow things. Be as ambitious as your space, money and time allow. Collect plants that are hard to find, appeal to you and suit your climate. Go beyond culinary herbs. Be aware of where you plant things in the garden, both directionally and symbolically. Plants you have grown are constantly receiving offerings of your time, energy and resources and are therefore more likely to be willing to assist you.

4. Plants will die. Even the most experienced gardener will lose plants. Accept it. Don’t just buy a few seedlings and then decide you lack a green thumb because they all died. Some herbs are annuals, that means they only live for a season, some plants are deciduous, some will simply not be suited to your climate or area and fail to thrive. Be patient and persistent and become a student of gardening as well has herbcraft.

5. Work in depth with a particular herb or tree to discover its secrets. Read everything you can about it, research folklore and planetary correspondences, consume it raw, dried, as a tea and a tincture. Prepare a spagyric essence from it. Burn it as incense. Infuse oil with it. Grow it, talk to it, dream about it. Watch how it changes through the seasons, collect its seeds, smell its flowers. Do this until you know it inside out, and then begin again with another. 

6. Substituting herbs is tricky business. No, you can not replace all flowers with lavender or all herbs with rosemary. That is lazy nonsense. Put some actual effort into getting the herbs you need for a spell, and if you genuinely can’t acquire them find something botanically related, energetically similar or at very least ruled by the same planet.

7. Treat herbs and trees as spirits, with respect and humility. Ask before your take, leave offerings, communicate, bond with them and you will be rewarded with gifts and wisdom and powerful ingredients for your spells.

8. Poisonous herbs and strong entheogens are for advanced practitioners. Don’t just start growing or using them because you want to be taken seriously. Some of these plants are tricksters, they can be very seductive. They are quite capable of controlling you. Be wary.

9. When harvesting for magical use, think not only what the plant is but where it is growing. A tree on a university campus will have different properties to the same kind found in a graveyard. A herb growing at the crossroads is different to one found by a stream. 

10. Expand your learning and awareness beyond trees and herbs. Learn the lore of mosses, lichens, fungi and seaweeds. Parasitic and carnivorous plants. Get to know the plants that grow locally, even if they are far removed from those found in your books.

11. Check your sources when it comes to lore. If a book tells you lavender is good for love spells, question it. Try to discover where the information came from, look up the older herbals, read books of plant folklore, investigate planetary and elemental correspondences based on the nature and virtues of the plant, not just what Cunningham says. 

12. Develop relationships not only with individual trees and herbs, but with particular species. Plants can be spirit guides in the way that animals can. There is an oak tree, and then there is Oak. They can teach, guide and protect. Having a handful of plant allies you know intimately and fashioning your tools from their wood, planting them around your house and visiting them in the wild will make your connection to those spirits all the stronger.

🌟 Simple / “Beginner” Spells 🌟

though i do not myself believe in the concept of a “beginner” spell, a lot of new witches often ask me what i recommend for them to start with. here’s some of the simpler lot, that should be easier to perform.

🌟 simple glamours:

shine like the sun - to be radiant like the sun

glow like the moon - to reclaim youth and past beauty

🌟 simple relationship spells:

sweeten your feelings - simple jar spell to sweeten a bond

rose bath spell -  a bath of roses and milk to gather love and beauty 

fries friendship ritual -  simple spell of binding friendships. 

respect jar spell - simple jar spell to help gain respect

🌟 simple self care spells:

restarting spell -  a ritual for fresh starts, to remove old energies, and invite new ones in

stuffed animal sleep spell -  a spell for keeping negativity out of dreams, whether it’s pain, difficult subjects, or people that hurt you.

face wash spell -  a simple spell to promote beautiful or healthy skin.

soft shores bath spell -  for peace and tranquility in one’s life and energy

jar spell for clarity -  for emotional/mental clarity and wisdom 

rose quartz healing tears - simple ritual to heal emotions

🌟 simple curses / hexes:

pumpkin head curse - seasonal curse to “burn” those who wrong you

burn your wishes - a simple curse to destroy someone’s wishes

🌟 simple miscellaneous spells:

simple study spell - scent-based studying/memory spell

finding things/memory spell -  a spell for when many things go missing, to help things reappear

rosemary memory spell -  a simple spell for when you need help remembering something 

plant growth spell -  a spell for helping plants/herbs grow and stay alive

pastel stars -  a spell to enchant paper stars with luck, love, happiness

I think the first step towards the life you want is often to just say yes to more things. Accept that coffee invitation from your coworker even if it seems awkward. Sign up for that free class at the library that you're not sure you'll like. Join that club. Book that tour. Say yes to as many things as you can and kill the part of your brain that gut-reacts with a no.

Witchcraft Basics Masterlist!

Witchcraft Basics and Giggles:

Everything to know before you start! The various practices The Tools healing, protecting, and grounding. shielding and banishing herbs,oils and crystals.| Herbs | Oils | Crystals the sabbatsthe Elements astrology + astrology calendar spells, hexes and curses energy manipulation the various entitis Divination tool Symbology Shadow Work Witchy hack Offerings Grimoire/book of shadows

more master lists!

orriculum’s witchcraft masterpost ✨

✨ 101 - basics :

there are some accepted standard methods used widely in witchcraft,

unpacking witchcraft - spell types 

some basic terms to know

methods for spells

grounding, a quick how-to  

when to cast a spell - by weekdays

when to cast a spell - by time of day 

how to cleanse

how to charge

nullifying spells  

about jar spells 

jars and mold 

“beginner” spells  

grounding masterpost 

disposing of spell materials 

✨ 202 - your own path

your own path is where you diverge from the standard things you learn at first, and may require you to write your own spells or adjust others to your needs.

how to write your own spells - resources 

understanding herb associations with rosemary 

how to substitute in a spell

how to write curses 

how to write glamours

searching spells by ingredient 

how to adjust a spell 

✨ tools:

tools of witchcraft overview a witch’s wand 

building a broom/besom 

correspondence resource 

on making moon water

herbs for spells : grocery store vs. home grown vs. edible wilds 

a witch’s book 

✨ you should know:

“to be a witch” falsehoods 

other witches and you

witchcraft and the law 

difference between a witch and a herbalist 

self care for the witch

low effort witchcraft

 when your spell fails

tarot and pendulums can get it wrong

Charms and How to Make Them

A charm is any object, usually pocket-sized, that’s charged with energy of some kind. An example is a lucky charm that’s worn as a necklace or a lock of hair charged with energy from the person it came from.

Charms can sometimes be called talismans, totems or pendants. Regardless of the name, with slight connotations, these little items can be used the same way.

I use charms when sometimes a crystal isn’t specific enough for my Intent (spell, ritual). Sometimes I’m doing an Intent based on my job but Citrine, also known as the Merchant’s Stone, isn’t quite specific enough, I’ll include a charm I charged with a specific energy.

For example let’s say I really need a specific day off but my job needs as many employees as it can schedule so often times they deny requests for time off, I’ll do an Intent using a golf pencil I took from the scheduling office.

I also collect the charms I have so that I can reuse them whenever an Intent needs it. Or, if it’s appropriate for the day, I’ll carry the charm in my pocket all day.

How to charge Charms

The easiest way to charge any object as a charm is if it already has a personal meaning to it. Choose something that reminds you of whatever that energy is. I have two cross pendants; one is wooden that reminds me of Catholicism and the second is metal and reminds me of Protestants. (Not because one is primitive to the other but because one came before the other.)

Once you have chosen an item and it’s meaning is clear, it’s time to charge with energy.

Purify the space you’re in to rid of residue energy (e.g. burning incense)

Use crystals for meditation and visualization, utilize crystal grids (simple or complex)

Write the specific meaning/significance/value of the charm on a piece of paper so you have a clear interpretation of it (you could make a prayer/incantation)

Burn a purple candle and drop wax on the paper connecting your Third Eye/Psyche to the energy attaching itself to the charm (one or two drops per charm, don’t waste a whole candle on one)

Once you have your Charms

Cataloging them in your guild book wouldn’t hurt. Like I mentioned, you can use them in specific Intents or carry them with you. Gift them to friends so they have energies around them. I also collect mine in a box so they aren’t randomly roaming around.

I like to use Charms in my Intents because they’re reusable, less waste and I don’t have to worry about purchasing new ones as if they run out (unless you give it away or lose it). Although I’ve come to realize the best charms are the ones I find randomly on the ground or in an old drawer. They radiate an energy that’s almost communicative like when grandparents tell you a simple memory but it sticks with you forever.

Enjoy your Charms. Happy witching. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome.

Ritual To Invite Spirit Contact

This spell is designed to let a specific spirit know that you are open to communication. It includes protective elements to avoid attracting negative entities.

*It is important to research the side effects of herbs before coming into contact with them. One should also keep in mind their personal allergies and medications taken when ingesting herbs. Your safety is more important than an ingredient.*

Ingredients

Dried Rose Hip (2 or more)

Clove incense

Dandelion (one stem and flower)

Mint leaf or scent, in any natural form

An item that relates to the spirit you wish to contact

A Brown or White candle

Directions

Light your Clove incense and your candle.

Sit with your item in your hand. Rub it clockwise.

Picture the spirit as you know it in your mind. Verbalize your openness to receiving communications (if you are unable to verbalize this or do not feel comfortable you can think it instead).

Take your rose hip and dandelion. Wrap them together (with string or cloth). Bury them under your doorstep (if you do not have a traditional doorstep you can put it on your porch, hang it in your doorway, or bury it by an entrance).

Leave a window or door open (it could be slightly open or fully open) for one hour.

Be sure to pay attention to little signs and happenings after performing this ritual and be sure to try and remember your dreams!

This spell is dedicated to my Grandmother, Marie, who I never had the chance to meet during her short time on earth. I hope to see you someday.

Sabbat Altar and Celebration Ideas for the Solitary Witch

YULE Altar ideas: Put mistletoe and pine on your altar; put a candle up there to represent the Sun; keep your Yule log on your altar; use symbols of the Sun; decorate with red, green, white, blue, and yellow (red and green for holly, white and blue for snow and wintery colors, yellow for the Sun). Celebration ideas: Kiss a consenting person under the mistletoe for luck; give gifts; have a feast; make magickal wreaths with herbs corresponding to the spell intent (you might use lilac, lavender, and camomile for a wreath that brings peace into your home).

IMBOLC Altar ideas: Use candles to represent the return of spring; make a cute little corn dolly; put a Brigid’s cross on there to honor her; decorate with yellow and green to represent the Sun and return of spring. Celebration ideas: Clean your house; have a self-dedication ritual (to a particular path, deity, philosophy, standard of life, etc.); clean off your working altar and redo it; cleanse and charge any tools or crystals you need to.

OSTARA Altar ideas: Use fake eggs, rabbits, and other symbols of fertility or spring; put some potted plants on the altar; place some packets of seeds you might be planning on growing; decorate with purple, yellow, green, white, and other spring, pastel colors. Celebration ideas: Paint and blow eggs (take proper precautions when handling raw eggs, obviously, especially if you’re putting your mouth on them); if you have a greenhouse, want a potted plant, or it’s warm enough where you live to plant outside, plant some seeds; buy a potted plant; organize your herb shelf.

BELTAINE Altar ideas: Make a mini Maypole for your centerpiece; smack some candles up in there, especially beeswax, if that’s in your budget; put some faery symbols, like little statues or bells or something like that; a jar of honey or some beeswax is always dope; if you’re comfortable with it, some people like to put representations of genatalia on their altar. Celebration ideas: Light an awesome bonfire (also be very cautious with this because fire can quickly turn dangerous); leave offerings to the faeries; have a dance outside; this is a good time to plan to have a handfasting ceremony or wedding; cast any love workings you’ve been meaning to do; if you’re an adult and have a person/people who consent to it, you could choose to have sex during this time (but do be safe!); many people try to conceive children during Beltaine.

LITHA Altar ideas: Symbols of the Sun and the Moon, feminine and masculine symbols if that’s a thing in your tradition; decorate with black and white to symbolize the night and day. Celebration ideas: Get up before the Sun rises and go to sleep after it sets, so you can experience the day and night; have a bonfire (again, safety is important); have a picnic; just spend a lot of time outside.

LUGHNASADH Altar ideas: Put bread and grain on the altar; maybe some apples and other autumn fruits; pinecones and leaves are fall symbols; decorate with red, orange, yellow, brown, and other colors of the season. Celebration ideas: Bake (especially make the cute little bread men); give an offering to the Earth; go to an apple orchard and pick some apples; share a feast with the family or your friends.

MABON Altar ideas: Wine, or grape juice if alcohol is unavailable for any reason; leaves and pinecones; apples; a money jar (see first celebration suggestion below). Celebration ideas: For a week or two before Mabon, put money you can afford to give up in a jar, and donate it to charity or a cause you support on Mabon; have another apple harvest; have another feast; do a ritual to honor the Earth.

SAMHAIN Altar ideas: Pop a few gourds in there, more apples if you want; pictures of the deceased; tools for divination and spirit contact; decorate with black, white, and orange. Celebration ideas: Divination, spirit communication (obviously only if you know what you’re doing); hold a seance or a dumb supper if that’s more comfortable for you; light a candle in the window for spirits (use a fake one if you want it lit all night); leave some milk and honey for the Fair Folk; give offerings to the dead; put up wards and shields if you’re one of the people who would prefer to avoid spirit activity.

Infused Oils

How to infuse Oils

How to make herb-infused oil: 1. Prepare your jar. Make sure the jar is clean and very dry. Again, any water in the jar can lead to spoilage. 2. Fill the jar to the top with herbs. 3. Pour oil over the herbs slowly. Using a chopstick or knife, move the herbs around to make sure all air pockets are filled with oil. Add enough oil to completely cover all the herbs, filling right up to the brim of the jar. 4. Cover the jar, give it a few shakes, and put it in a cool place inside your house. Every now and then, give your jar a shake. It will be ready to use in 3-6 weeks. The jar may ooze or leak a little, so place it on a plate or towel. 5. Strain the oil into your storage bottles through a cloth-lined strainer. Give the herbs a final few squeezes to get the last of that herb-soaked goodness. 6. Cork and label your bottles. The oil should last at room temperature for up to a year; two years if you add a capsule or two of vitamin E, a natural preservative.

Herbal oils make lovely gifts and can be used as a massage oil or added to the bath. You can also turn herbal oils into soothing salves by warming 4-6 ounces of oil in a double boiler or a glass container set inside a pot of water on the stove. Gradually add about a cup of grated beeswax and stir until the mixture melts. Add a little vitamin E, then pour into clean, very dry tins or small jars.

Depending on the herbs you used, these can be helpful for itching and rashes and can make an ultra-moisturizing lip balm. Enjoy!

Article by Meagan Francis HGTV Picture: Earth Essentials by Erica