Mental Clarity Bottle

Low Spoon Ways to Celebrate Lammas/Lughnassadh

(Made, in part, for my own benefit on this very tired Lughnassadh)

🌽 Eat some carbs/bread, and leave the rest to your deity/beings of choice if you like.

🌽 Light just one candle, (gold, orange, white, yellow, red, or brown if you can) and just spend five minutes thinking about Lughnassadh and all the things you wish to harvest in the coming months.

🌽 Reconnecting with nature is always a good idea, if you have the spoons for it. See if you can take a walk outside, or maybe meditate with some plants.

🌽 Write down everything you hope to manifest in the coming months. Keep it in a safe place for Yule, where you can bring it out again and burn it to close this chapter on that part of your life.

🌽 Drink some mint tea to draw abundance. Leave some for your deity/beings of choice, if you like.

🌽 Write down all the things you’re grateful for, imbue the gratitude into a piece of paper, and bury it later when you can.

Feel free to add your own ideas!

BETTER SHIT TO PUT IN YOUR GRIMOIRES THAN THE BASIC SHIT EVERYONE SAYS:

Maps! Maps! MAPS! If you're a death witch, get one for the cemeteries you visit and mark gravestones/areas you've practiced in! Garden witches! Map out your gardens! Green witches! Map where you find specific herbs in your area! Lunar witches! Mark the best spots to go look at the sky! Make a key! Take notes!

Recipes for COMPONENTS! Write down how to make the mixtures you use in spells often- A special salt mixed with herbs and put under the moon, a mixture of oils for protection, the herb mixes sachets you keep making to add to sachets, whatever!

For green witches- press samples of stuff and glue them in! Go to an arboretum and ask for permission to take leaves to press, they'll usually let you take some- add them in with your notes about trees

Cool ways to make spells! I make spells in envelopes and on empty spools, what are some ways you do?

The local plants in your area and what they do. You're not going to be likely to find chrysanthemums to forage in Missouri, but you will find creeping charlie and prairie plants. What can you do with a thistle?

When you celebrate a sabbat, write down what you did and include samples! Ribbons from your Beltane altar, a pressed sample of your lemmas harvest, a scrap of your Yule decorations. Maybe do a spell and tape the remnants into your grimoire in a plastic baggie

Learn how to make an envelope out of paper just by folding it, how to string seeds, how to dry plants, how to macrame rocks and hang them from your window. Find those little witchy skills and write them down.

How to incorporate your hobby into your magic. Sigiling origami paper, weaving knot magick into your crochet, making blessed bookmarks, etc

Substitutes! Rosemary, rose and clear quartz are good for most things, but there are more substitutes to be used that are more powerful. Roanoke bells are good substitutes for bluebells, apparently.

Correspondences of odd things. Turns out different kinds of cats have different correspondences, huh.

Superstitions and such from where you're from.

For kitchen witches: easy to alter recipes. An egg noodle recipe that takes herbs really well, a simple bread recipe that can be dressed up for spells or rituals, how to make a good pie crust that you can sprinkle nutmeg in or whatever you desire.

Or: What foods go good with what herbs. You'll make a better apple pie (and get the benefits of apples, nutmeg, and cinnamon together!) If you know how your herbs taste together with your cooking. (Most kitchen witches know this stuff, but for a green witch who likes to make teas or a sea witch that likes to make soup, etc, this is important)

A tarot spread commissioned by @beetlepool​ during @technocoven​, for helping them find the source of their stress and how to achieve inner calm.

They asked:

“How can you achieve calm and stability only comparable to the biggest fish in the ocean?” 

And as a Marine Biologist, I was super hyped by the request and had a lot of fun with this spread! Thanks again, and welcome to your witch-y journey!

Keep reading

We are trying to buy a house - so soon I’ll make a series on my magical home!

Here are some ideas -

Packing with intent

Cleansing an apartment or home when leaving

Protection for your property

Wards and Hexes for your home

How to decorate with intent

Mantle altar set-up for different seasons

Kitchen altar set-up

Offerings to the land and house spirits

Communing with the land spirit

Painting - colors and their meanings

How to make a cozy, welcoming space

The 3 Hs - Hearth, Home, and Hospitality

How to bring the elements into your home

How to bring the seasons into your home

Witch decor on a budget

DIY witch crafts

DIY witchcraft

Decorating your home on a budget

Art/decor for intent

I have lots of ideas! I can’t wait to get started :)

hopeless romantic kitchen witch in need of some assistance !! 🌿

- i found this charming little recipe this morning and basically fell in love and want to surprise my partner with a cute lil romantic dinner when they come home from work today! I was thinking a ‘fancy’ garlic bread to go with it for sure :) but I need some veggie side ideas or something! maybe soup? anyone know how to make a good minestrone? im kinda stumped ;(

MAGICK BUTTER CHICKEN FOR GAINING BALANCE AND CONTROL

I feel like everything that is happening in the world current time, has really thrown everyones energies off balance. Being an empath, this makes it hard for me to ground myself, when overwhelmed by so much draining energy and negativity. In times like this, sometimes, we can’t control everything that is happening around us. With this acceptance, sit back, and cook yourself some butter chicken. Because you ~ really deserve it.

Ingredients:

Fresh Produce:

1 medium-sized onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp fresh grated ginger 

1 ½ pounds cubed chicken breast

Squeeze of lemon

Dairy:

1 cup half and half

¼ cup plain yogurt 

6 tbsp ghee (Angels tips. Ghee is healthier than butter, reduces heart attack risk, and helps with the absorption of magick herbs!)

Pantry:

2 tsp olive oil 

8 oz can tomato sauce

5 tbsp tomato paste

Pinch of sugar

Magick Spices:

1 ½ tsp chili powder ~ warding, hex breaking, good outcomes, spell booster  

1 tsp paprika ~ healing, increases power, comfort

Pinch of cayenne pepper ~ protection, strength, empowerment 

1 tbsp garam masala ~ healing, protection, strength, comfort

Salt and pepper to taste ~ Warding and protection

Directions

In a large deep pan, heat extra virgin olive oil.  Add in garlic, onions, chicken, and ginger. Mix in with all of your spices.

Now melt in ghee, and cook until it is about ¾ of the way done. Cook on medium heat.

Then pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar, yogurt and half and half.  Stir to combine fully.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce.

Taste the sauce, and add whatever you feel suits your taste. You can even add more magickal ingredients to this recipe to fit your magick needs!

Serve over white rice, and garlic naan.

Potato Soup for the Healing Heart

One of the things I love most about soup is its ability to heal the heart, body, and soul. A few simple ingredients, no matter how little you may have, can come together to create a whole and satisfying meal. You can dress these creations up or down, add or switch ingredients to suit your own needs. And who doesn’t love tucking into a nice bowl of soup, stew, or chowder?

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon, diced (optional)

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

¼ cup flour

2 cups beef or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups milk or oatmilk/almond milk

2 cups potatoes, diced (mixed small potatoes or golden)

1 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Allspice (careful! This can easily overpower a dish)

2-3 large Bay leaves

Cayenne

Marjoram

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

OPTIONAL. In large pot, cook bacon (if desired) until crispy. Dice and set aside. Leave bacon grease in pot.

Melt butter and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. 

Add flour and cook another minute or so, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Add broth and simmer another few more minutes. Add milk, potatoes, and half of diced bacon. Add spices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are soft.*

Stir in cheese, if desired. Adjust salt/pepper to taste.

Serve warm and with toppings. You can dress it up with bacon, cheese, sour cream, peppers, chives, green onions, etc. It’s up to you!

*Note: Remove some of the potatoes, mash them, and then return to the pot. Cook another few minutes for a heartier, thicker soup.

Keep reading

So earlier I made a post about doing a video tutorial on creating your own sculpture of your diety well.... I'm going to being doing it and making it friendly to those in our community who aren't out in the open about their practice. It's going to take a little bit for some of the supplies to come in but it's happening.

Really excited about this.

I'm going to be doing a goddess for the video.

Reblog and let me know who your most interested in seeing created. I'll do sketches of the top 3 and then vote again on which one of those will be the final choice.

Bridgit

Danu

Morrighan

Artemis

Persephone

Athena

Hestia

Hekate

Ishtar

A Herbalist's Glossary: Herb Actions

This is a list of terms used when describing the way a particular herb affects the body. Herbals can be confusing to read sometimes so I’ve put everything in one place here 🌿

Abortifacient: induces abortion

Adaptogen: helps the body processes return to normal when stressed

Adjuvant: modifies the effect of another substance

Adrenergic: acts like adrenaline or describes how adrenalin affects the body

Alterative: restores the body’s functions to normal

Analgesic/Anodyne: a pain killer

Anthelmintic/Antihelmintic: destroys/repels/expels intestinal worms

Antibacterial: inhibits bacterial growth

Antibilious: helps the body to remove excess bile

Anticatarrhal: helps the body reduce excess mucous and phlegm

Anticholinergic: a cholinergic blocking agent

Anticoagulant: slows or prevents clotting of blood

Antidote: counteracts or neutralizes a poison

Antiemetic: reduces the feeling of nausea, can help to prevent vomiting

Anti-inflammatory: helps reduce inflammation

Antilithic: prevents formation and aids removal of stones in the urinary system

Antimicrobial: helps the body destroy or resist pathogenic micro-organisms

Antimitotic: prevents division of cells

Antineoplastic: inhibits or destroys tumours

Antioxidant: eliminates hydroxyl free radicals

Antipyretic: prevents or reduces fever

Antirheumatic: relieves or protects against rheumatism

Antiscorbutic: prevents or cures scurvy

Antisudorific: stops or reduces perspiration

Antiseptic: prevents growth of microorganisms

Antispasmodic: prevents/eases spasms or convulsions

Antitussive: reduces or relieves coughing

Aperiant: laxative

Aphrodisiac: stimulates the sex drive and sometimes sexual ability

Aromatic: an organic compound containing benzene, or, of herbs, having a fragrant/spicy smell

Astringent: contracts tissue and reduces the function of said tissue, affecting haemorrhages, secretions, diarrhoea, bleeding etc.

Bitter: herbs that promote the appetite

Cardioactive: affects the heart

Cardiotonic: increases function of heart muscle

Carminative: relieves flatulence and colic

Cathartic: purges the bowels

Cholagogue: stimulates the release of bile from the gall bladder, sometimes acts as a laxative

Choleretic: stimulates the production of bile in the liver

Counter-irritant: causes inflammation of the skin, used for temporary relief from deep irritations

Demulcent: soothes/protects inflamed or painful surfaces

Depurative: removes impurities from the blood

Diaphoretic: increases perspiration to aid the body in removing toxins

Diuretic: increases the flow of urine, aids in removing toxins via the urinary tract

Emetic: induces vomiting

Emmenagogue: stimulates and normalizes the menstrual flow

Emollient: used internally to ease inflammation or externally to soften skin

Escharotic: a substance that sloughs off dead skin, corrosive

Expectorant: helps the body to expel mucous

Febrifuge: prevents/reduces fevers

Galactogogue: increases or induces lactation

Hallucinogen: affects the senses, produces a wide range of reactions often including hallucinations

Hepatic: strengthens and tones the liver as well as stimulating the flow of bile

Hypnotic: induce sleeps

Hypotensive: lowers blood pressure

Laxative: promotes evacuation of the bowels

Lymphagogue: promotes/increases lymph flow

Miotic: contracts the pupils

Mydriatic: dilates the pupils

Narcotic: in small doses promotes sleep and reduces pain, but can cause poisoning with comas or convulsions

Nervine: strengthens the nervous system, eases anxiety and stress

Oxytocic: stimulates uterine contractions

Parasiticide: kills and removes parasites

Pectoral: used to treat respiratory complaints

Placebo: an inactive substance that is believed by the patient to be a cure

Prophylatic: prevents disease

Psychotropic: affects the mind

Purgative: produces very strong laxative effects and watery evacuations

Reagent: involved in a chemical reaction

Retardant: delays or slows down a chemical reactant

Rubefacient: stimulates circulation locally when applied to the skin

Sedative: calms the nervous system

Sialagogue: stimulates the secretion of saliva

Spasmolytic: relieves spasmodic pains

Sternutatory: causes sneezing

Stimulant: enlivens the physiological functions of the body

Stomachic: promotes digestion and strengthens the stomach

Styptic: stops bleeding by contracting the tissue

Sudorific: induces sweating

Tonic: strengthens and tones either specific organs or the whole body through nutritional stimulation

Vasoconstrictor: constricts blood vessels

Vasodilator: dilates blood vessels

Vermifuge: expels or destroys intestinal worms

What are the best sources for giving offerings to ancestors, gods, & local wights? What are the sources & what do you do exactly when giving offerings, like you specifically, give us an example pls?

This is a great question but I really have no hope of answering it adequately, this is such a complicated subject that it would take several doctoral dissertations.

There are basically four subcategories of sources for this sort of discussion which are: accounts by contemporary non-pagans, archaeology, Old Norse literature, and folk tradition. Some contemporary accounts of pagan worship include Tacitus’ Germania, The Life of Saint Ansgar by Rimbert (which among other things refers to deification of a dead king), Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s Risala, Ahmad ibn Rustah’s Book of Precious Records, the account by Ibrahim al-Tartushi, De Administrando Imperio by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Thietmar of Murseburg’s account in his Chronicon, Adam of Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis (part way down the page in the link ; mentions animal and human sacrifice as well as pouring libations, and I’m sure others that have slipped my mind. I’m not sure if it’s contemporary or not but the Life of Saint Columbanus also refers to Suebians gathering to sacrifice a cauldron full of beer to Wodan.

Sacrifice is an extremely common reoccurring feature of the Icelandic sagas. Scholars have been studying the instances in the sagas for literally centuries trying to determine what elements are The best source on representations of blót in Old Norse literature is unfortunately, as far as I know, only available in Icelandic, which is Blót í Norrænum Sið by Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson. Some of what he discusses also appears as a chapter in the book A Piece of Horse Liver. The most important sources to his study are Landnámabók, Íslendingabók, Hákons saga góða (part of Heimskringla), and Eyrbyggja saga. These accounts typically deal either with legal proceedings, major holidays like Jól or Winternights, or attempts to gain something by supernatural intervention (such as settlers sacrificing to gods to guide them safely to Iceland). It can be very difficult to tell which elements are genuinely preserved from pre-Christian times and what is post-Christian speculation. Also in many of these instances the actual proceedings of the sacrifice are not described, it’s only said that there was a blót. In many cases there is a reference to wooden idols and especially to blood being poured over them; there is also reference to worship of trees (esp. Heiðreks saga where a tree is called blóttré and reddened with blood), forests, rivers, and lakes. A few times animals are worshiped such as when Flóki Vilgerðarson blóts to three ravens which eventually guided him to Iceland. In Kormáks saga a figure who is directed toward a hill where álfar live and told to redden it with bull’s blood and make a meal of the meat for them and leave it on the hill. Eiríks saga rauða also features a figure, Þorhallr, who sneaks off from the settlement and recites poetry for Thor. Saxo Grammaticus can also fall under this heading. The poem Hyndluljóð also refers to Óttarr sacrificing to the ásynjur although the details of what Freyja is saying about it is a little obscure.

In the archaeological record sacrifice varies wildly over time even in the same places. I’m not sure what your upper or lower limit on time is here, but sacrifice changed so radically over time from the stone age through to the end of the Viking age that it would take a shelf of books to describe each. A book that I read (well, part of) for things that go that far back was Scandinavian Archaeology by Håkon Shetelig and Hjalmar Falk, although it is quite old now and you can probably find something better. Although it specifically concerns Denmark, I also recommend The Prehistory of Denmark by Jørgen Jensen. Around the turn of the century bog deposits of weapons, jewelry, and other equipment are common. As time goes on, gold seems to increase in importance, with Gullgubber coming into play at the end of the Migration age. Glass beads were found among the remains of what’s believed to be a hǫrgr (stone alter) in Norway and were interpreted as having been offerings left on it. Also within this category are grave goods – since burials make up a huge amount of Scandinavian archaeology they are usually discussed in terms of more general studies of material culture rather than directly from a religious/votive perspective.

As far as folkloric tradition goes I am mostly familiar with Icelandic folklore although I understand that bowls of porridge with butter were left out for house- and homestead wights in mainland Scandinavia. In Iceland around Christmas it was believed that it was the designated time for the elves to move (that is, change residences); they left the lights on for them and sometimes left out something for them to drink. There are recordings on http://www.ismus.is/ of interviews with Old Icelanders who had heard stories of people sacrificing a bundle of hay to a bog in order to get better weather. There was a part of a sheep’s heart called Ullareyru ‘Ullur’s ears’ which into modern times in Iceland was cut off the heart when the sheep was slaughtered and buried deep in the earth (I can’t find a source for this, but I was taught this in class).

Here is some further reading:

Terry Gunnell, “Hof, Halls, Goðar and Dwarves: An Examination of Ritual Space in the Pagan Icelandic Hall.”

Preben Rønne, “Horg, hov and ve” (a description of the Norwegian hǫrg and vé complex mentioned above)

Jakob Orri Jónsson, “Food, blood and little white stones: A study of ritual in the Icelandic Viking Age hall”, a master’s thesis on ritual space in saga-age Iceland.

Lilla Ullevi, a pagan cult site that has been the subject of archaeological investigation

As far as what I personally do, it depends entirely on the situation (I have not lived in the same place for more than a year since I became heathen so I’ve had to adapt frequently). If I’m not indoors I try to be near a body of water, at an elevated place, or near a tree. I don’t really worship indoors if I’m alone. When I lived on the east coast of the US I would try to be at the beach either when the sun rises or after it’s set (depending on the situation) and recite the “Heill Dagr…” verses from Sigrdrífumál or something else if it seems more appropriate. At one place there was a rock that looked like a huge Mjölnir sticking out of the sand and I would pour libations over it. When I am with one of my friends we pass a bottle back and forth and toast to gods and/or ancestors and/or whatever until the bottle is empty. There is a certain rock where we have left lamb meat for ravens; we’ve also left meat offerings in the jetty. She has a small bookcase alter with objects relating to Freyja and Thor on it where we leave offerings, especially if we are drinking we pour some of whatever we’re drinking into a small glass and leave it there. I go especially off the rails at Þorrablót and last year actually did the Þorri-welcoming ritual (that I highly doubt has anything to do with pre-Chrisian paganism, btw). I have frequently participated in group settings. It’s my opinion that ritual should really never not be accompanied by music, but that’s just me. If I have something to say I always do actually say it, even if it’s only a whisper (this is inspired by Eiríks saga rauða).

I think that in the sources one can discern two distinct threads, one that emphasizes reuse and reaffirmation of the ritual landscape in which you’re permanently situated, and the other which emphasizes transforming your current setting into one that is relateable to the mythological cosmology (see the Gunnell paper). For better or worse I’ve been stuck with the latter. That means hunting for bodies of water or auspicious-looking trees where I hopefully won’t be seen. Some day when I’m not moving so frequently and maybe even have some actual money I’d like to work out something more consistent that involves permanent structures or landscape elements.

I am still very much still in the process of formulating some kind of praxis and I highly doubt I will approach it for years. At least for now it’s more about experimentation than repetition. We do not have a “right way” and getting comfortable with ambiguity is a necessity.