Sometimes, we may think that our magick is invalid, or that our deities don’t want to work with us anymore when we have depression. Altars get dusty, the air gets stale, and maybe you have quit working with magick all together, but still identify as a practicing witch.
Depression is an illness. If a professional runner fractured a leg, how could they continue to run while going through recovery? Can a witch continue to do mental work if their mental health is suffering? Think about it: witches are constantly using their brain to get themselves in a highly spiritual and magickal state. You cannot expect yourself to want to work with magick if getting out of bed is difficult on its own.
Understand that your deities are forgiving and understanding beings. Your magick will not dwindle. In fact, when you are sick, your deities and spirit guides will protect you and make sure nothing bad happens to you while you are sick. Don’t feel guilty for your depression. Depression is an illness, not a lack of dedication or general carelessness. I am going to give you advice on what kinds of spiritual work you can do while in a depressive episode.
Candle magick 🕯
🔮 Light a candle of your choice that symbolizes whatever you want to manifest (i.e yellow = confidence)
Aromatherapy 🧼
🔮 Different essential oils promote all different kinds of things. Lemon is uplifting and happy, while lavender is calming and promotes sleep.
Healing crystals 💎
🔮 All you need to do is set the intention. You can keep crystals by your bed, or you can set them up in a specific way for a spell or intention.
Chanting 🗣
🔮 You don’t need to get up for this one! You can even chant in your head.
Sleep meditation 💤
🔮 Sleep meditations are wonderful because of all of the insight you can get from intense dreaming. YouTube has great sleep meditation music.
Guided meditation 🧘🏻♂️ 🌀 🧘🏼♀️
🔮 This can be done in the bed as well. There are meditations on akashic records, spirit guides, past lives, you name it.
Be safe and know that it is okay to feel depressed sometimes. Make sure to get professional help if possible to help if these depressive episodes are chronic or prolonged. Know that the world loves you. Your deities love you. I love you. We love you.
Happy summer solstice! Here’s a recipe to honour the day:
(Makes about 30 cupcakes or 2 big cakes)
Ingredients:
Cake:
450g plain flour
225g butter
4 tbsp honey
150g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
250 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing:
150g icing sugar
20 ml water
1 tsp cinnamon
As much honey as you want
Lavender (optional)
1. Lay out cake cases or grease your tray if you are making one big cake and preheat your oven to 180C/350F
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together
3. Add the eggs, honey, butter, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth
4. Put the mixture into whatever you are baking it in
5. Bake for 20mins (cupcakes) or 40mins (big cake)
6. Whilst cakes are baking prepare your icing. Mix together the icing sugar, water, cinnamon and honey until smooth. Add more water if you need to.
7. Once the cakes are done, take them out and leave to cool
8. When the cakes are cool, drizzle the icing onto them. Add lavender if you wish
9. Eat!
- lots and lots of flowers that grow native in your area this time of year
- sunflowers, roses, lavender, dandelions
- flower crowns and flower garlands
- a bowl of fruit and vegetables, especially anything citrus like oranges
- lots of candles (Litha is a fire sabbat)
- colours like yellow, gold, and orange
- you could have a vase of sticks with fairy lights in it to represent a bonfire
- maypoles are still a thing for Litha
- a cute offering dish to leave out sweets for the fae
- a jar of local honey
- anything that represents the sun
- incense (sandalwood, rose, lavender, frankincense, dragon’s blood)
- oak leaves and acorns
- anything that reflects the sun like suncatchers, glass beads, and mirrors
This is probably the witch advice you didn’t ask for, but I’ve found it’s much easier to remember to do general periodic maintenance that’s otherwise easily forgotten or put off when tied to milestones such as solstices, equinox, new, or full moons.
For example: Stow your winter blankets or clothes on the Vernal Equinox and take them out again on the Autumnal Equinox. Replace your air and water filters on solstices and equinoxes (every 90 days). Begin new 30-day challenges or do reset/cleaning of your living space on the new moon (every month).
Living cyclically breaks life down into manageable little blocks of time and helps us live in the moment by paying attention to the ebb and flow of the Earth.
Khaire 💫💀🖤
This one's been in the works for me for a week or so but I finally had enough peace in my busy moving schedule to sit down and make a pair - one for the front door and one for the back.
Use 9 silver [coloured] bells in place of knots or feathers so that these double as a door protection Witch Bell/s. Their peal as the door is opened wards off dark energies and brings in positive energy.
Use 3 threads:
Blue - for peace, calm, healing and protection
Yellow - for clear communication (So important in a share house)
Black- to absorb negative energy
I used embroidery thread but strips of fabric or anything you have around will do fine, as long as your bells can thread on.
Tie a loop large enough to slip on to your door handle, and then thread on your first bell. I always thread my bells onto the black thread so that they will reinforce each others ability to repel and control dark energies.
Start plaiting! Each time you cross a thread over repeat to yourself its purpose: "peace and calm, clear communication absorb the negative, peace and calm, clear communication, absorb the negative-" I find this helps my intent stay focused for such long projects.
When you've plaited enough space that your bells won't touch, thread on another. Repeat this until the 9th bell. Tie this one on with a strong ending statement such as "In this Home!" Or "So mote it be!"
Trim your excess thread (unless you want straggly-chic). Plop it on your door and thank it in advance for its work. You're done!
Honey Vanilla Poundcake
Good evening and Blessed Beltane!! I made this lovely poundcake that was so delicious and topped with lemon curd! As always my recipes are GLUTEN, DAIRY, and NUT free. Blessed be and enjoy!
For the Poundcake:
3 Cups Flour (Red’s Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour)
1 1/2 Tsp. Xantham Gum
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Corn Oil
1/2 Cup Cream (So Delicious Coconut Creamer)
1/2 Cup Milk (Chobani Extra Creamy Oat Milk)
2 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Honey
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with oil or butter. Whisk together all your dry ingrediants till combined. Whisk together in a seperate bowl oil and sugar. Mix in the eggs one by one then slowly pour in your milk and cream. Once combined add your flavoring. Slowly mix in your dry ingrediants in parts till fully combined. Pour into loaf pan and cook for 50-55 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
This recipe makes 2 loafs so please enjoy and share amongst those you celebrate with! Top wth lemon curd and powdered sugar and enjoy! From hearth ans home, Blessed Be and Blessed Beltane! ☀️
Jinkx 🌟
⭐️NocturneTears🌙
💰Abundance Pesto💰
Here is a recipe that is dear to my heart. I’ve been doing it for years and it has always attracted me the liitle extra that I would need in difficult times!
✨Ingredients
75g basil leaves (that’s a lot, be prepared to buy accordingly)
50g pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
50g fresh grated parmesan
100mL extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
✨Prep time: 10 minutes
✨Equipment
A mixer robot
✨Spell Setting
Usually when I do kitchen witchcraft I like to keep it casual, but this time I feel like I should go the extra mile. Disclaimer, this is the way I do it. If there is things you want to add: prayers to you deities, meditations, crystals, anything that makes sense to you, please do! Magical practices are really personal, and I strongly encourage you to make it this spell setting your own by adapting it tou your needs!
First I burn some incense to purify the space. Then I setup some nice music that makes me feel good and entered. I love to listening to soft happy piano jazz or bossa nova. Here is a youtube channel that I like to listen when I cook. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhjE7wbdYAae1G25m0tHAA
Before I start prepping the food, I like to setup an altar on my windowsill. I am going to bless the food and ask for abundance. To do so I light 2 or 3 tea lights, I nicely arrange all the ingredients around them. If you want to work with tarot cards you can place the cards around too, same for crystals, charms, deities representation. As for myself I like to work with The Queen of Pentacles because I strongly identify with her and she represent abundance in the home.
I like to sit in front of my window and take a few deep breath, thanking the food for all the good things it will bring to me. I’ll also take this time to visualize what I want as precisely as I can, usually I want financial abundance, but it can work for other things as well!
✨Magical intents
Basil: Protection and Money
Pine nuts: Money
Garlic: Protection
Olive Oil: Protection and Luxury. To me, olive oil represent the abundance, the luxury you want to attract in your life. So I implore you to buy extra virgin olive oil (or the best that you can afford). You will thank me for the the taste and you’ll step up your vinaigrette game!
✨Recipe
Grate the parmesan
Roast the pine nuts in a dry pan (no need to add oil). Be careful they burn quickly
Roughly cut the garlic cloves
In the robot, add the basil leaves with garlic and pine nuts. Blitz for a few seconds until chopped.
Add the parmesan and blitz again
Add the oil and blitz again
Store in the fridge in an air tight container for 2 weeks
✨Tips:
Don’t use dry basil for this recipe
You can use the sauce with pasta, but it’s also good with an omelette, or as a spread on a toast or a focaccia.
Happy witching!
✰ The following lists contain information on magical goals and their related deities
AGRICULTURE • Adonis, Amon, Aristaeus, Baldur, Bonus Eventus, Ceres, Consus, Dagon, Demeter, Dumunzi, Esus, Gahanan, Inari, Osiris, Saturn, Tammuz, Thor, Triptolemus, Vertumnus, Yumcaa, Zochipilli
ARTS • Athena, Ea, Hathor, Odin, Thor
ASTROLOGY • Albion
CATS • Bast, Freya
CHILDBIRTH • Althea, Anahita, Bes, Camenta, Cihuatcoatl, Cuchavira, Isis, Kuan Yin, Laima, Lucina Meshkent
COMMUNICATIONS • Hermes, Janus, Mercury
COURAGE • Tyr
DREAMS • Geshtinanna, Morpheus, Nanshe
EARTH • Asia, Consus, Daghda, Enlil, Frigga, Gaea, Ge, Geb, Kronos, Ninhursag, Ops, Prithivi, Rhea, Saturn, Sif, Tellus
FERTILITY • Amnu, Anaitis, Apollo, Arrianrhod, Asherali, Astarte, Attis, Baal, Bacchus, Bast, Bona, Dea, Boucca, Centeotle, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Cybele, Daghda, Demeter, Dew, Dionysus, Eostre, Frey, Freya, Frigg, Indra, Ishtar, Ishwara, Isis, Kronos, Ono, Lulpercus, Min, Mut, Mylitta, Ningirsu, Ops, Osiris, Ostara, Pan, Pomona, Quetzalcoatl, Rhea, Rhiannon, Saturn, Selkhet, Sida, Tane, Telepinu, Telluno, Tellus Mater, Thunor, Tlazolteotl, Yarilo, Zarpanitu
GOOD LUCK AND FORTUNE • Bonus Eventus, Daikoku, Fortuna, Ganesa, Jorojin, Laima, Tyche
HEALING • Apollo, Asclepius, Bast, Brigid, Eir, Gula, Lxlilton, Khnos, Paeon
JOURNEYS • Echua, Janus
LAW,TRUTH, AND JUSTICE • Astraea, Maat, Misharu, Themis
Love • Aizen Myo-O, Alpan, Angus, Aphrodite, Asera, Astarte, Asthoreth, Belili, Creirwy, Cupid, Dzdzilelya, Eros, Erzulie, Esmeralda, Fenrua, Freya, Frigg, Habondia, Hathor, Inanna, Ishtar, Kades, Kama, Kivan-Non, Kubaba, Melusine, Menu, Minne, Mamaja, Odudua, Olwen, Oshun,Prenda,Rao, Sauska, Tlazoletotl, Turan, Venus, Xochipilli, Zochiquetzal
LUNAR MAGIC • Aah, Anahita, Artemis, Asherali, Astarte, Baiame, Bendis, Diana, Gou, Hathor, Hecate, Llmaqah, Ishtar, Isis, Jacy, Kabul, Khons, Kilya, Lucina, Luna, Mah, Mama Quilla, Mani, Menu, Metzli, Myestaa, Nanna, Pah, Selene, Sin, Soma, Taukiyomi, Thoth, Varuna, Yarikh, Yerak, Zamna
MARRIAGE • Airyaman, Aphrodite, Aryan, Bes, Bah,Ceres, Errata, Frigg, Hathor, Hera, Hymen, Juno, Patina, Saluki, Svarog, Thalassa, Tutunis, Vor, Xochipilli
MUSIC AND/OR POETRY • Apollo, Benten, Bragi, Brigid, Hathor, Odin, Orpheus, Thoth, Untunktahe, Woden, Xolotl
REINCARNATION • Hera, Khensu, Ra
SEA • Amphitrite, Benten, Dylan, Ea, Enoil, Glaucus, Leucothea, Manannan Mac Lir, Neptune, Nereus, Njord, Paldemon, Phorcys, Pontus, Poseidon, Proteus, Shoney, Yamm
SHAPE-SHIFTING • Freya, Volkh, Xolotl
SKY • Aditi, Anshar, Anu, Dyaus, Frigg, Hathor, Horus, Joch-Huva, Jupiter, Kumarbis, Nut, Obatala, Rangi, Svarog, Tane, Thor, Tiwaz, Ukko, Uranus, Varuna, Zeus
SLEEP • Hypnos
SOLAR MAGIC • Amaterasu, Apollo, Atum, Baldur, Bochia, Dazhbog, Helios, Hiruku, Horus, Hyperion, Inti, Legba, Lugh, Mandulis, Mao, Marduk, Maui, Melkart, Mithra, Orunjan, Paiva Perun, Phoebus, Ra, Sabazius, Samas, Sams, Shamash, Sol, Surya, Texcatlipoca, Tonatiuh, Torushompek, Utto, Vishnu, Yhi
VENGEANCE • Nemesis
WEALTH AND PROSPERITY • Adad, Acolus, Agni, Amen, Baal, Bragi, Burlash, Catequil, Chac-Mool, Chernabog, Donar, Fomagata, llyapa, Indra, Jove, Jupiter, Kami-Nari, Koza, Lei-Kung, Marduk, Nyame, Perkunas, Pillan, Pulug, Quiateot, Raiden, Rammon, Rudra, Shango, Sobo, Summanus, Taki-Tsu-Hilo, Tawhaaki, Tawhiri, Tefnut, Thor, Thunor, Tilo, Tinia, Typhoeus, Typhon, Yu-Tzu, Zeus, Zu
WISDOM • Aruna, Athena, Atri, Baldur, Brigid, Dainichi, Ea, Enki, Fudo- Myoo, Fugen Bosatsu, Fukurokuju, Ganesha, Minerva, Nebo, Mimir, Oannes, Odin, Oghama, Quetzalxoatl, SIa, Sin, Thoth, Vohumano, Zeus
If you're hoping for a smooth reply... you'd be disappointed about this post LOL. This is just a personal opinion.
First thing first I'd prefer to use the term "beginner" instead of "baby" but let's go with the flow for a moment.
The more you know...?
I honestly don't think that the amount of info you know defines if you're a baby witch or not, but it does help for sure. Why?
In my humble opinion...you stop being a baby witch when you're able to fully explain the aspects of Your own ritual.
Easy? No. In order to do that you have to:
🔺Know how to set intent.
🔺Know how to focus properly on what you're doing.
🔺The ingredients correspondences.
🔺Be able to give a personal meaning to words/gesture/timing etc
🔺Be prepared for the consequences and eventually know how to nullify your spell or correct your mistakes
🔺If you work with a deity or another being... you should know about culture/pantheon/offerings/proper EVERYTHING.
To add your own touch to a certain ritual you have to know the general basics, the history behind your practice and mostly...Yourself, your reasons, what pushes you to grow or holds you still. Who you are...