Die Bärentraube (Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi)

Winter Witchcraft

❄ Gather pine cones

❄ Collect feathers from winter fowl. Do not collect feathers if you live in the     US!

❄ Collect snow and melt it. Charge the water under the December full moon to     create a powerful snow water to use in your winter spells. Use snow water to     protect your house and hearth, to charge your magick tools, and to purify         your amulets. Snow water possesses healing powers.

❄ Have a winter bonfire to celebrate winter solstice.

❄ Set yourself goals for the new year.

❄ Take a walk under the full moon when the snow is reflecting its light. This is        a time for reflection and visions. Record you experience and any important        thoughts or visions you receive. 

❄Stand outside in a blizzard and feel your energy restoring. 

❄  Brew yourself a cider. Add herbs and fruits with certain correspondences for      December such as joy, peace, family happiness, etc.

❄ December is a time for reflection of the passing year.

❄ Do Yule baking and incorporate kitchen witchcraft. 

❄ Weave a wreath with holly and plants that correspond with protection and         yule.

❄ Burn incense of cinnamon, patchouli, frankincense, orange, and myrrh.  

❄ December is a time for hearth and home magick.

❄ Burn candles throughout your home to invite positive energies, coziness,           and peace. 

❄ Collect evergreen, holly, cedar and pine clippings.

❄ Forage for rose hips.

❄ Tie up any loose ends you have in your life.

❄ Finish this years grimoire and add any last minute touch ups.

❄ Collect dried leaves. Define their properties and put them in your herbal             grimoire.

❄ Brew yourself new tea combinations to start off the new year with.

❄ Make witch balls and other magickal decorations to hang on your yule tree       and decorate your house with. 

❄ Make winter solstice lanterns.

❄ Throw a sprig of holly into a yule fire to burn away your troubles from the            past year.  A large amount or if thrown into an indoor fireplace may be      poisonous, use with caution!  

❄ Make a yule log. 

❄  Throw a ritual or celebration to welcome back the sun.

❄  Use elements from nature to decorate your home.

❄  At the end of the month do a deep house cleansing to remove all negative        energy and to give the new year a fresh start. 

Have a happy Yule! 

==Moonlight Mystics==

Shadow Work

Origins, Meaning and Utility

The Structure of the Mind

Carl Jung theorized the existence of three levels/spheres in the human psyche: the Ego, representing the conscious mind, the Personal Unconscious where memories are contained and the Collective Unconscious, where all knowledge and experiences of the species are shared.

Each Sphere has in it a certain number of Archetypes, used to better describe the components of those structures, and the Shadow is one of them.

What is the Shadow

The shadow can be seen as a instinctual or primitive part of ourselves, it exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.

It is this archetype that contains all of the things that are unacceptable not only to society, but also to one's own personal morals and values, normally going against social norms and rules as well as what we personally consider right.

The Shadow is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown, and it is common for people to deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it on to others.

The Shadow in Witchcraft and Benefits of Shadow Work

Art: Unknown

The Shadow, in witchcraft, can represent The Unknown, hidden depth of ourselves. Speaking in terms of energy, this is an area that can be a deep source of energetic issues, because it’s locked up in the dark and always striving to reach the light.

To not work with one’s Shadow is to make it greedy and aggressive, as well as denying a big part of oneself, making everything a half of a whole.

Through that brief explanation, we can already establish the importance and role of the Shadow in witchcraft, and with that in mind, comes the concept of Shadow Work.

Shadow Work can be seen in a number of practices, meditation, trances, inner journey’s, lucid dreaming, astral travels, spells and divination.

The method can change, but the principle is simple: Centering your intent to self discovery, self knowledge and self acceptance.

Working with one’s Shadow is not only beneficial to one’s craft, as it allows one to get in touch with their intuition as well as allows for easier connection with one’s guide/guides, but it also allows for healing and acceptance of one’s feelings and needs.

Think of all aspects of life as a wheel. If there is one part bent, the wheel can turn, but with more effort. If the owner spends time fixing that bent part, the wheel will turn in a much more smooth manner.

That is what happens when you take the time to do Shadow Work, you have to put in effort, and most of the time it’s not easy, but once done, all other components on the wheel of your life will be relieved to move on without that obstacle that makes their job harder.

The Shadow is not evil, as evil is just a moral compass invented by humans. It is a part of one’s nature, and to deny it is to supress a connection with yourself.

Take the time to know and accept your shadow, and you’ll see that life will be a little easier.

References:

A Natureza da psique (Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche) by C.G. Jung

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by C.G. Jung

Mōdraniht

or Modranicht, “Night of the Mothers”, was a holy day observed by the pagan Anglo Saxons.

According to Bede, it was celebrated “the year on the 8th calends of January, when we celebrate the birth of the Lord.”, which would have been Christmas, or most likely, the December full moon. Bede suspected sacrifices were held on this night.

One possibility is it may have been the Anglo Saxon equivalent of Dísablót, which was held before Jól in Scandinavia. It’s likely that it was connected to the worship of the Matres and Matronae (Mothers and Matrons).

The Matres and Matronae are known from several altars across England, Germany and France, depicting three women; reminiscent of the Norns. Several altars depict them with headdresses characteristic of the Ubii, a Germanic tribe that lived along the Rhine, pointing to a Romano-Germanic origin. A few altars are inscribed with “Matronis Gabiabus”, the “giving mothers”. This also fits with Old Norse Gefn, an epithet of Freyja, meaning “She who gives”, and Gefjon.

A few of these altars appeared in Roman camps, and one near Hadrian’s Wall, possibly made by Germanic auxiliaries. Their placement around military sites suggests that the Mothers were not mere fertility deities, but also protectors, spinning the fates of the soldiers.

Three goddesses ruling fate is recurring in Indo European religions; for example, the Norns, the Moirai, Parcae, Hekate, and the Sudička.

The Slavic Sudička and Greek Moirai spin a thread as they foretell the child’s life, cutting it when the life will end. New parents would leave out offerings of food for the Sudička, hoping they would make favourable predictions.

While Mōdraniht is a more challenging one to recreate due to fragmentary knowledge, it can still be observed today. ᛉ

🌿Magical Herbs,Incense, And Oils🌿

🌿 Use herbs in a pouch, or while cooking, and stir the mix or infusions to empower the spell to protect the home, any possessions, your workplace, and property. Use incense in sticks, cones, or as a powder incense and burn it on heated charcoal blocks and use a lighted incense stick like a smoke pen to write empowerments or symbols. 🌿

Allspice- for money,passion,swift-moving,or urgent matters.

Basil- for fidelity,prosperity,protection,and fear of flying.

Chamomile(Roman) and Chamomile(German)- for healing,babies,children, animals,and reversing bad luck. It also helps to attract money and is helpful in family matters.

Cedar/Cedar Wood- for healing,cleansing bad influences,negative thoughts,and harmony.

Cinnamon- for passion,regaining money after loss, urgently needing money and psychic awareness.

Dragon’s Blood- for fierce protection,anti-curse,any major enterprise, and male potency.

Fennel- for travel,house sales,and moves. It helps to banish and  keep harm away from people,animals, and places.

Frankincense- For wealth,courage,joy,career,success,and travel. Also used in formal rituals.

Hyssop- For making a love commitment;healing;spirituality;all forms of protection, especially from psychic attack;and as an infusion to cleanse artifacts.

Juniper- purifies homes; protects against accidents,thieves,and illness;and male potency.

Lemongrass/Lemon- repels spite,malice,and gossip. It also helps with psychic awareness and travel.

Lemon Verbena- For breaking a run of bad luck,protection against negativity, the Evil Eye, and ill-wishing.

Mint and Peppermint drives negativity from objects and places,and brings money, health,love, and success.

Myrtle- For a lasting marriage,mature love, domestic happiness,property, and security.

Myrrh- For healing,peace,purification,overcoming grief, and protection against evil.Can be used in formal rituals and in moon magic.

Pine- Drives away harm from the home and family, especially newborn infants, cleansing negativity and malice, guarding property, and premises.

Rosemary- For learning,love,fidelity,prosperity,and banishing malevolence.

Sage- For longevity,good health,examinations,interviews,tests,protection of home and family,slow-growing prosperity, and wisdom.

Sandalwood- For spiritual awareness and healing,leadership,justice, compensation,and sexuality. Can be used in formal rituals.

Tarragon- The dragon herb,courage,and anti-bullying,and the shedding of old burdens,guilt,fears,and destructive relationships.

Thyme- Psychically cleanses the home,possessions,vehicles and land,health, memory of past worlds,and drives away nightmares and phantoms of the night.

Vertivert- For love, breaks a run of bad luck, protects against theft and negativity.

Ostara page redo

Christians: Witches are creepy. They make like animal sacrafices and worship satan.

Witches:

𝕮𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖓 𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌

Colds and illness are widespread during the coming months, especially with the temperature changes and the dampness in the air. Here are some magickal remedies for when you feel under the weather:

𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒

🍁Ruby, promotes health and wellbeing, and nurtures the heart.

🍁Clear quartz, is considered the “master healer”. Stimulates the immune system and balances the whole body.

🍁Turquoise, holds benefits to our airways, our skeleton, and our immune system.

🍁Amethyst, enhances hormone production, cleanse blood, and relieve pain. It also aids to sleep and insomnia, and during times of sickness, sleep is even more essential.

↟ How do we benefit from these crystals? Well there are many ways. You can surround yourself with them, cleanse them, or carefully place in water for a few hours then take out and rinse yourself in the water. Check the crystal first, water isn’t good for all.

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐒

🌿Chamomile, reduces headaches, softens the throat, and boosts our immune system.

🌿Eucalyptus, clears our airways and nose, and will also fights respiratory infections.

🌿Peppermint or Mint, cools the body in cases of fever, eases and prevents nausea.

🌿Ginger, prevents heartburn, clears nose, and eases our tummy.

𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

↟Gargling warm salt water is a very efficient way to soothe the throat, and it’s a method many people use. But what many don’t realize is the connection to magick. Well, whilst salt is mostly used for protection, it can also heal, especially sea salt. By adding some sea salt to a cup of warm water and gargling it, your throat should feel instant relief.

↟You can also fill a small pillow with lavender, or purchase one. Lavender is wonderful for sickness related stress, and has antiseptic properties. You can gently place it on your head to reduce a headache, or on any other irritated areas. You can also either place it in the freezer or warm it up in hot water to help balance your temperature.

↟A trouble-free spell you can cast involves a lone candle (preferably black) and if you’d like to take it as step further, banishing oil of some kind. Burn the candle (anointed with banishing oil or not), concentrate, clear your mind, and proceeded to say aloud (or whisper if your throat is painful) the next chant:

“As this candle burns, so the illness turns. Melted like this wax, cut like with an axe. Remove and banished, all disabilities vanished. As my word you see, radiant health blessed be”

↟And lastly, rest♡

Book of Shadows Ideas that Aren’t Basic

sacred geometry

what damages crystals

what is a crystal grid and how do i make one?

candle flame reading

bone correspondences

what is a poppet? how do i use it?

basic alchemical symbols

ways to break a hex

favorite cryptids and their lore

what is your philosophy on witchcraft?

what is a liminal space?

scrying

how to trap a spirit in a jar or mirror

ghost hunting

species of demons

witchy books you’ve read, and a review or rating of the book (go to archive.org for free pdfs for books)

Here are my chakra pages from my book of shadows ✨✨✨

Basic Recipe of a Spell

Ingredients

Intent (what is the purpose of your spell?)

A correspondence (candles, stones, incense, etc.)

A source of power (your own energy, fire, a quartz crystal, etc.)

A binder to connect all of them (an offering, an incantation, dance, art, writing, etc)

A cleanser (a bell, ethically sourced sage, salt, etc.)

Steps:

Cleanse your working space

Ensure that your intent is clear and loud in your mind for the duration of the spell

Set up your working space in an organized way

Activate your source of power

Activate your correspondence

Activate your binder

Repeat but in reverse

This is not a definitive guide, but is rather a very easy to follow guide to making spells for those who don’t know where to begin! I recommend you tweak it for your needs and to match your magickal style.