Actually Useful Shit To Have As A Witch

Herb of the Day

#HOTD

Echinacea

Binomial nomenclature:

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea augustifolia

Echinacea is a genus, or group, of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family. The Echinacea genus has nine species, which are commonly called coneflowers. They are found only in eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas.

Today we will deal with my two favoured species, augustifolia and purpurea.

Echinacea angustifolia, the narrow-leaved purple coneflower or blacksamson echinacea, is a North American plantspecies in sunflower family. It is widespread across much of the Great Plains of central Canada and the central United States.

Echinacea angustifolia is a perennial herb up to 40 to 70 centimetres (16 to 28 in) tall with spindle-shaped taproots that are often branched. The stems and leaves are moderately to densely hairy. The plant produces flower heads one per side branch, each at the end of a long peduncle. Each head contains 8-21 pink or purple ray florets plus 200-300 purple disc florets.

Echinacea angustifolia blooms late spring to mid summer. It is found growing in dry prairies and barrens with rocky to sandy-clay soils.There are two subspecies:

Echinacea angustifolia subsp. angustifolia is native to central Canada and the central United States from Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the north to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana in the southEchinacea angustifolia subsp. strigosa has a more limited range in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.

Obviously I grow and wildcraft the southern variety, but I find them both here sometimes.

Many Native American groups used this plant for a variety of medicinal purposes, including pain relief and relief of colds and toothaches.

Echinacea purpurea is an herbaceousperennial up to 120 cm (47 in) tall by 25 cm (10 in) wide at maturity. Depending on the climate, it blooms throughout spring to late summer. Its cone-shaped flowering heads are usually, but not always, purple in the wild. Its individual flowers (florets) within the flower head are hermaphroditic, having both male and female organs in each flower. It is pollinated by butterflies and bees. Its habitats include dry open woods, prairies and barrens, as well as in cultivated beds.

I grow this Echinacea in the garden, as I find it’s leaves more potent than the western and northern varieties.

Echinacea contains multiple substances, such as polysaccharides, caffeic acid derivatives (including cichoric acid), alkylamides, and glycoproteins.

Traditional herbal medicine

In indigenous medicine of the native American Indians, the plant was used externally for wounds, burns, and insect bites, chewing of roots for toothache and throat infections; internal application was used for pain, cough, stomach cramps, and snake bites.

The plant is important economically, to the pharmaceutical trade. It is purported that all parts of the purple coneflower stimulate the immune system.

Side effects include gastrointestinal effects and allergic reactions, including rashes, increased asthma, and life-threatening anaphylaxis. But I’ve never seen this happen. Side effects of allergy are usually similar to hay fever.

WebMD says

Echinacea seems to activate chemicals in the body that decrease inflammation, which might reduce cold and flu symptoms.

Laboratory research suggests that echinacea can stimulate the body’s immune system, but there is no evidence that this occurs in people.

Echinacea also seems to contain some chemicals that can attack yeast and other kinds of fungi directly.

Magickal uses:

Echinacea is used quite extensively to stregthen and boost spellcraft.

It is used in Defensive Magick, Healing Magick and in various forms of Protection Magick.

If anyone knows any correspondence for Echinacea, please comment. I don’t have it in any book I can find.

As always, I will try to answer any question that you can think of.

Brightest Blessings

Eye Harvester

Yule Logs

The Yule Log is a long-standing Yule tradition. This tradition has evolved over time and has been represented in many ways, including the traditional French and Dutch desert cake (“bûche de Noël” or Kerststronk). In this entry, I will cover different traditions, the history of the Yule Log, and ideas so you can make your own this holiday season!

A. HISTORY

The Yule Log has its roots in the Nordic tradition, where Yule was celebrated as one of the two solstice festivals. It was originally an entire tree! The tree would be carefully chosen for the ceremony and taken into the home. Then, the thickest end of the tree would be placed into the hearth while, quite comically, the rest of the tree stuck out into the living room. The Yule Log would then be lit with the remains of the previous year’s Yule Log, which had been carefully stored in the home during the year. It was strictly stated that the person relighting the fire must have clean hands. The old Yule Log was then slowly fed into the hearth fire over the 12 Days of Christmas (Christmas Day – 5th of January). The Norse believed that the sun was in fact a massive fiery wheel that rolled away from the earth and began its journey back to earth at the winter solstice.

The French Yule Log tradition stipulates that the whole family must help cut the Yule Log. They would burn a little bit of the log each night, and if there was any log left after the 12th night, they would store it in the house because it was said to protect the home from

lightning. The Netherlandish tradition said that the log must instead be stored under the bed to bring protection. Other Eastern European countries waited and cut down a tree on the morning of Christmas Eve. The people of Cornwall, United Kingdom called the Yule Log “The Mock”, and the bark is taken off before it enters the home.

As Christianity became more of a presence, the tradition of the Yule Log melded with the Christmas Eve traditions. The log was sprinkled with libations of mead, oil, and salt by the head of the household. The ashes of the Yule Log would then be tossed into corners of the house to protect it from evil spirits.

As for the kind of wood used for the Yule Log, different countries have different traditions. The English use Oak, the Scottish use Birch, and the French use Cherry. Some traditions say to use Ash twigs instead of a log! This comes from the Christian tale of Christ’s birth, where the shepherds gave Mary and Joseph twigs of Ash to burn so they could keep baby Jesus Warm.

B. BUCHE DE NOEL

This take on the Yule Log tradition is a cake that is made up of sponge cake and chocolate buttercream covered in wonderful little sugar decorations. When I talked to my mom about baking one this year, she told me I was on my own because they are very hard to make! I guess one too many of her Yuletide bakes went terribly wrong…

The Tradition of the Yule Log cake stretches back to the Iron Age. After the Christian religion took over, it was becoming more and more impractical to have large trees in one’s home, especially when the hearths were also getting smaller and smaller. Because of this, it seems, the advent of a cake version of a Yule Log was created. This fit much more nicely into the hearth of Iron Age Europeans, and was also very delicious. Sponge cake, the base of the Yule Log, is one of the oldest forms of cake! The first appearance of sponge cake is in

1615 in a tome called “The English Huswife”. It wasn’t until the 19th century when Parisian bakers popularized the Yule Log, and used it as a vehicle to show off their decorating skills.

I don’t have a reliable Yule Log recipe because this is the first year I will be attempting to make one! There are plenty of recipes online, so make sure to share which ones work for you!

C. WHY A YULE LOG?

Yule or The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and therefore the darkest day of the year. If we look at other traditions, we see many of them bringing forth light in the darkness. The Jewish tradition lights the Menorah, Kwanza is celebrated with the lighting of candles, and the Christian tradition as well as secular traditions see the lighting of a Christmas Tree. Yule is a celebration of the death and rebirth of the God and the return of his light as the days get longer once more. The Yule Log has become a very easy way to celebrate this return of the light.

D. CELEBRATING WITH YOUR YULE LOG

There are a few different ways of celebrating with a Yule Log, and all of them are entirely up to you! For a Kitchen Witch, you can use your Yule Log as a centerpiece for your Yuletide feast. This can be especially effective when surrounded by candles and in dim lighting.

One Yule Log ritual I came across in my research very meaningfully connects us to our ancestors. Write a few wishes or resolutions for the next year on a piece of paper and attach them to the Yule Log. Place the Log into the fire and meditate on all those who have come before you who followed this tradition. Ask them to aid you in fulfilling your wishes and resolutions during the next year.

E. IDEAS

Wood Correspondences: make your Yule Log from wood that corresponds with your intent! Aspen may be used for spiritual understanding and Oak may be used to symbolize the strength of the God. These are only a few suggestions, and I would recommend taking the Correspondences Series where you will learn more about Tree Magick! We also have a Tree Magick series at the school.

Decorations: this is up to you and your own correspondences! Traditionally, pine cones, mistletoe, holly , pine, and cinnamon are used. It is also traditional to decorate with candles to represent the return of the God. You can easily attach these with a glue gun, or by melting some of the candle wax on the log and sticking the end of the candle to the wax until it hardens. You can also tie a festive colored ribbon on your log to complete the look!

Location: sure, you can burn your Yule Log inside, but it would also be fun to burn outside! If you have a fire pit it might be fun to bundle up, bring a few cups of hot chocolate, and watch your Yule Log burn in the fire pit while surrounded by your friends and family.

Colored Flames: certain chemicals, when sprinkled on wood, will cause the fire to turn different colors! Perhaps you could correspond the flame color with a ritual or spell intention on the night of Yule. Make sure to take proper precautions and be careful!

Barium Nitrate: Apple Green                                                                          Borax: Vivid Green                                                                                       Copper Sulphate: Blue                                                                            Potassium Nitrate: Violet                                                                                  Table Salt: Bright Red

Disposal: you can follow any of the traditions stated above or make your own! It is important to also note that ashes from a Yule Log are also wonderful fertilizer for plants, so keep that in mind if you have a garden.

! Be very careful when disposing of the ashes of a Yule Log. It is considered very unlucky to throw the ashes out on Christmas Day, so wait before disposal.

F. WORKS CITED

James Cooper (2000-2019), T he H istory of the Y ule Log, Why Christmas?, https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/yulelog.shtml

Patti Wigington (October 14th 2019), Make a Yule Log, Learn Religions, https://www.learnreligions.com/make-a-yule-log-2563006

Stephanie Butler (August 31st 2018), T he Delicious H istory of the Y ule Log, History Channel,https://www.history.com/news/the-delicious-history-of-the-yule-log

Catherine Boeckmann (December 12th 2018), What is a Yule Log?, The Old Farmer’s Almanac,https://www.almanac.com/content/what-yule-log-christmas-traditions

Lammas - a festival to mark the annual wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year

[to any deity in particular]: Hi. I’ve brought shitty alcohol, two electric candles, a chocolate bar, my many issues, and an undying love for you. Can you help me un-fuck myself?

[deity]: sighs deeply

Keeping Consumerism out of Your Craft

Consumerism is a set of socioeconomic conditions and attitudes that encourage the continual acquisitions of goods and services. There is no “enough” in a consumerist society — members of the society are constantly pushed to buy new things, pay for new services, and keep up with the latest trends.

There are a few reasons consumerism is bad news. For one thing, it’s terrible for the environment — consumerist cultures usually have linear economies, where resources are extracted, consumed, then discarded, with no effort to replenish them. This is highly unsustainable, because at some point those limited resources are going to run out. Consumerism also has a human cost, as it often leads to the use of sweatshops, which violate basic labor laws. In many sweatshops, workers are not paid a livable wage, children are employed as workers, and working conditions are unsafe. Companies in countries like the United States get around labor laws by outsourcing labor to other (poorer) places. Consumerism also contributes to classism, as the acquisition of expensive items is often treated as a status symbol.

Consumerism is present in nearly every aspect of Western culture, and this includes spirituality and witchcraft. There are multiple “Beginner Witch Kits” for sale from Amazon and other online retailers which include candles, crystals, and incense — which is great, as long as that’s all stuff you’ll actually use in your practice. (I mean, do you really need twelve different varieties of incense?) Witchy authors and bloggers often treat magic like a matching game, where every problem requires a very specific herb or crystal. YouTube is full of “witch hauls,” videos solely dedicated to showing off new purchases. All of this contributes to a commercialized witchy aesthetic, which can only be achieved by buying the tools of the trade.

I get it. Shopping is fun, especially when you’re still learning about magic and magical items. It’s exciting to search for the perfect crystal or incense blend, especially if you have a local metaphysical store where you can shop in person. But owning the right stuff doesn’t make you a witch. All you need to practice magic is your will — everything else is optional.

I’m not saying every witch should be a hardcore minimalist, or that you can never buy new things. What I am saying is that all of us, witches or not, need to be more mindful of how we spend our money and the impact of our purchases on the world around us.

How to Avoid Consumerism

If you’re considering buying something, ask yourself if you’ll really get use out of it. For example, I don’t use a lot of tools in my practice because I prefer to work with my hands, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy an expensive wand or ritual knife. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because another witch uses it — if you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t buy it.

Don’t buy multiples of the same tool. Instead of buying multiple different colored altar cloths for different times of year, buy one white altar cloth you can use year-round. Instead of buying multiple tarot decks, find one or two you really enjoy working with. You get the idea. (Obviously, there will be some items you need more than one of, like spell candles. This rule applies more to tools that can be reused.)

Replace things as they run out instead of buying them before you need them. Buying things in bulk can lead to unnecessary waste and drawers full of unused magical supplies. Buy things you know you’ll really use, and only buy one or two at a time. Use up the items you have before you buy more.

Invest in items that have multiple uses. For example, most kitchen spices can also be used in spells — search your spice cabinet before ordering special ingredients online. There are some items that have multiple magical uses, like rosemary and salt. Buy a couple of these multitaskers instead of a large collection of herbs with very specific uses.

Use the “two week” rule. This is something I do to keep myself from making impulse purchases. If I think I want to buy something online, I wait two weeks before I order it. If I still want it after two weeks, I take that as a sign that I’ll actually get some use from it.

Go “shopping” in your backyard. Familiarize yourself with the plants, animals, and minerals that are native to your area and go foraging for spell supplies instead of buying them. Items you can probably find near your home that could be used in ritual include leaves and flowers, pine cones, seed pods, tree branches, rocks, and naturally shed feathers. Just make sure you never harvest enough of a plant to hurt it, and make sure you properly disinfect any animal products you pick up.

If you can, make it yourself. Not only does making your own magic items save money, it also creates a much stronger personal link between you and that item. You can grow your own magical herbs in a garden or in indoor pots. Many common magical tools, like brooms and wands, are easy to make at home with some basic craft skills. Making your own items also means you can customize them, tailoring them to your own craft.

If you can’t make it yourself, but it used. There are some items you can’t reasonably make yourself, like incense burners, cauldrons, and books on the craft. But you can find most of these items used, either in thrift stores or online on websites like Ebay and Depop. Buying used almost always ends up being cheaper than buying new, and because you’re buying items already in circulation you aren’t contributing to a linear economy. Thrifting is also a great way to find unique items that won’t be like what anyone else has on their altar.

If you can’t find it used, support a small business. Sometimes, you can’t make what you need or find it in a thrift store. In that case, buying from a small business is preferable to buying from a big retailer like Amazon. When you support a small business, you’re supporting an individual rather than contributing to some CEO’s massive yearly bonus. A lot of small business owners make their items themselves, which avoids sweatshop labor. Pretty much everything I buy new for my craft comes from Etsy sellers — there are a LOT of witches on Etsy, so with a little digging you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for!

Don’t buy crystals. I know, I know. Thanks to social media, large crystal collections have become synonymous with witchcraft. But the crystal trade is highly unethical, with unsustainable mining techniques, dangerous working conditions, and child labor. Because of a lack of regulations, it’s virtually impossible to find crystals that are truly ethically sourced. Most sellers don’t know where their crystals come from and can’t guarantee that no workers were harmed in their extraction. No stone is worth the health and safety of other human beings, no matter how pretty.

Avoiding consumerism in your witchcraft means being less reliant on tools and set dressing. This will allow you to rely on your own energy and will, which will lead to a deeper and more meaningful spiritual practice.

Resources:

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“11 Facts About Sweatshops” on dosomething.org

“Child labour in the fashion supply chain” from The Guardian

“Bangladesh factory collapse toll passes 1,000” from BBC News

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?” from The Guardian

“Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze” from The Guardian

Tarot in Spells

this is a list of magical associations for every tarot card, they can be added into spells to amplify your intentions and strengthen your manifestations

Wands are connected with the Fire element and is centered around movement, direction, energy, passion

Swords deal with thinking, communication, perception, and issues dealing with truth, connected to the air element

Cups are connected with water, and the full spectrum of emotions. every emotion imaginable is covered in the cup’s suit.

Pentacles are connected with Earth and are symbolic of manifestation, rewards,  material wealth and material abundance.

The Fool creates new beginnings and can be paired with other cards. ex: the fool + the lovers for new romance, the fool + pentacles for new opportunities, etc.

The Magician increases your power and capability on all levels, willpower, emotional security, balance within yourself, etc.

The High Priestess increases your psychic abilities, mediumship abilities, and intuition

The Empress will help you with creativity and creative endeavors

The Emperor establishes order, structure, and command

The Hierophant can be used in a lot of ways, my favorites are 1. Pairing it with the fool to attract a new mentor, 2. Using it to summon a spirit guide or ascended master

The Lovers help invoke and attract love, partnership, mutual relationships, and passion

The Chariot is amazing for success, and triumph. I always use this in success spells for exams, tests, and projects. The Chariot will help the best possible outcome for a situation to arise

Strength will help you master your emotions

The Hermit is good for rituals and meditations based going within and gaining a better understanding of your own self, and life purpose.

The Wheel of Fortune can be used for luck, change, and getting a desired situation moving

Justice is great for truth, legal matters, and justice 

The Hanged Man buys you time for a situation you aren’t ready to face, delays events

The Death card works well for ending situations, closing doors, gaining closure, and new beginnings

Temperance will restore balance and serenity to any situation

The Tower is best used for hexing and cursing, brings misfortune, unhappiness and chaos

The Star card is good for when you are casting spells focused on gaining something, The Star card is centered around healing, openness, and hope

The Moon helps develops intuitive abilities and can be used to send bad dreams

The Sun is used in spells for summoning happiness, success, and health

Judgement will help clear confusion and help you with understanding your life mission similar to the Hermit in that aspect

The World invokes wholeness and completion

Page of Wands: works with communication, messages, action, and passion

Page of Cups: boosts creativity, taps into your spiritual nature to bring out new creativity

Page of Swords: amplifies ingenuity and creativity, helps deliver messages from one person to another, can be used to attract someone’s attention to yourself

Page of Pentacles: good for grounding and centering spell work

Knight of Wands: speeds up any workings involving passion, love, and creativity

Knight of Cups: speeds up workings dealing with emotions, psychic development, inner strength

Knight of Swords: speeds up workings involving communication, balance, and thinking

Knight of Pentacles: speeds up workings dealing with manifesting abundance, material wealth, prosperity, and creativity

King of Wands: associated with leadership, command, can help you gain authority

King of Cups: associated with personal feelings, can help you resolve personal conflicts and inner turmoil

King of Swords: aids in strengthening your communication and speaking skills

King of Pentacles: invokes luxury, great card for business success

Queen of Wands: establishes a sense of self security and sufficiency

Queen of Cups: develops your psychic abilities, also helps with understanding/controlling your emotions

Queen of Swords: helps you develop stronger focus

Queen of Pentacles: abundance, creativity, fertility

Aces: used for new beginnings based on the energy represented in that suit

Two of Wands: positive progress in any situation whether it be romance, health, career, etc.

Three of Wands: business prosperity

Four of Wands: strengthens any type of relationship

Five of Wands: used in hexes and curses to invoke conflict, and arguments

Six of Wands: manifests recognition, success,

Seven of Wands: use this card when you’re in a tough situation, it will help you succeed and come out of it stronger

Eight of Wands: directs energy and intentions towards a specific goal or purpose, helps to speed up workings 

Nine of Wands: use this card when you come face to face with a difficult task, this card will keep you brave and strong

Ten of Wands: can either be used to achieve something great, or it can be used in a hex or curse to manifest burdens

Two of Cups: union, strengthens romantic relationships

Three of Cups: strengthens a friendship

Four of Cups: dissatisfaction with surroundings

Five of Cups: causes despair and sadness

Six of Cups: lifts your mood when you’re feeling down

Seven of Cups: illusions and deceptions

Eight of Cups: used to help you move on from the past

Nine of Cups: make a wish and use this card’s power to grant your wish, invokes happiness 

Ten of Cups: brings happiness to relationships of all kinds, friends, family, romantic, etc.

Two of Swords: used in curses and hexes to cause someone to have a limiting mindset

Three of Swords: heartbreak and emotional strife

Four of Swords: used in healing spells, sleeping aid

Five of Swords: manifests conflict, and failed success

Six of Swords: this card will aid you when you face a difficult change, helps you to move on and move forward

Seven of Swords: causes betrayal

Eight of Swords: powerful energy that causes isolation

Nine of Swords: sends nightmares and anxieties 

Ten of Swords: defeat and betrayal

Two of Pentacles: brings balance

Three of Pentacles: strengthens business connections

Four of Pentacles: manifests financial stability

Five of Pentacles: financial problem

Six of Pentacles: prosperity

Seven of Pentacles: material abundance

Eight of Pentacles: if you’ve worked hard this card ensures you that your efforts will be rewarded

Nine of Pentacles: success, luxury, accomplishment

Ten of Pentacles: success, wealth

Negative aspects of the cards can be used for hexing and cursing

Kitchen Witch Recipes #2

Book: “Japanese Light: Heart-Friendly, Age-Defying Recipes from the World’s Healthiest Cuisine by Kimiko Barber”

Kyoto Bean Soup

👽1 tablespoon vegetable oil

👽1 red onion, finely chopped

👽4-6 pieces thick-sliced unsmoked bacon, chopped

👽1 carrot, coarsely chopped into chunks

👽4 ounces burdock root, peeled and coarsely chopped, soaked in water

👽4 cups (1 pound) Chinese cabbage, coarsely chopped

👽4 medium rutabagas, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

👽4 ¾ cups dashi broth (recipe here)

👽4 tablespoons sake

👽3-4 tablespoons light soy sauce

👽1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained

👽2 tablespoons medium-colored miso paste

👽salt to taste

👽2 scallions, finely chopped

👽2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

🌵This is a Japanese interpretation of Tuscan bean soup. Like its Italian counterpart, this soup is wholesome and nourishing. The addition of miso paste gives a hidden depth without changing the character of the soup. I use canned cannellini beans for convenience, but you can substitute any beans of your choice. If you are using dried beans, soak them with three times their volume of water overnight and cook slowly until soft.

🌙Step 1:Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat and saute the onion until softened but not browned. 

🌙Step 2: Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes before adding the carrot, burdock, cabbage,  and rutabagas. Saute until soft. 

🌙Step 3: Pour in the dashi broth and season with sake and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that floats to the surface. Reduce the heat to low/moderate and add the beans. Let simmer for 15 minutes. 

🌙Step 4: Stir in the miso paste gently and adjust the seasoning with salt. Ladle into warmed soup bowls. Garnish with the chopped scallions and sesame seeds and serve.

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.

hello my lovelies! long time no post! x

here is my midsummer/summer solstice/litha/etc spread! i recommend for crystal use incorporating rose quartz, citrine, moonstone, carnelian, garnet, tigers eye, or amber into ur practices on this beautiful day. of course, any crystals u can get your hands on will be beneficial if thats what you choose to do, but a little bit of rose quartz did no one any harm ;) 

for candles/incense, i keep my black candles for the later period of the year when im screaming around my house n pretending to not b terrified of LIFE :) right now, i bring in red (love n passion, baby!), oranges (bring in those new beginnings which are always appearing in front of u this time of yr!), and yellows (communication n GOOD HEALTH SO SAY GOODBYE TO UR ALLERGIES - jks, sadly). white is always good - really just the classic warm colours that can be used for either chakra channeling, meditation, spell work, etc. in the incense-sphere, lavender and chamomile are GREAT for this time of year. I also rec dragons blood for any sexy charms/spells/etc u might be doing.

i hope this has helped and that u enjoy using this spread! pls lmk (if u want) if u do use it omfg i LOVE hearing from u guys and learning what worked for u/what didn’t and the results u got! 

happy midsummer/summer solstice/litha to all u magical folk out there - have a fab time of yrrrrr! x

kitchen witch smoothie recipe!

i'm eclectic but today i wanted to do some kitchen witchcraft which i actually do pretty often so here's the recipe for the smoothie i made and what the ingredients mean

frozen strawberries- love, good luck

apple- love, good luck

orange juice- good luck, sweetness, positive energies, love

coconut water- protection, strengthens the influences of the other ingredients

almond milk- good luck, positivity, beauty, love

honey- sweetness, positivity, luck

ice- water element

i make smoothies often as a snack and i love how they taste so i wanted to make one that would bring good things to my life, remember to stir clockwise to attract things such as good luck in this case, the potency of your product can be enhanced by actually saying a spell or doing other things that you want to do like lighting candles or drawing sigils on it

i had a lot of fun and i'll be making more things soon, let me know if there's any recipes for certain things that anyone wants! blessed be :)