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Latest Posts by grimoire-archives - Page 8
Proofing Spells
So, I am a baker by trade. And, if I may say so, I am a very good baker. I make very pretty baked goods. I am good at my job.
Except that I always feel like I’m slow. I take longer than most other bakers at my job. And, yeah, it’s the trade-off for making high quality goods, and most everyone accepts that. But it’s something I’m really, really insecure about. Especially since I work 9 hour graveyard shifts; I don’t want to be there any longer than I have to. Too tiring.
So I started doing this spell for myself at work:
Whenever I make something that proofs, I channel energy into whatever dough I’m working with (usually as I shape it, but also as I spray non-stick pan-spray into the pans, visualizing the spray as a vehicle for the transference of energy). This is usually accompanied by aggressively chanting (in my head so my coworkers don’t think I’m crazy), “I am a good baker. I work quickly and efficiently while still maintaining a high quality product.”
So now I have this charged up bread dough (often in charged-up pans; thanks pan-spray). But - okay, so, I think this is so cool - as the dough proofs and gets bigger, the intentions of the spell proof up and get bigger. And then, when I bake the bread/pastries/whatever, it completes the spell (usually with even more of an oomph, since things get just a bit bigger when they bake as well).
And that’s my speed and confidence at work spell! Works for me every time! That first batch of dough goes in the oven and BAM!
“But Miss D, I’m not a baker.” You say. “I don’t need to be a faster baker.”
Well, you know what, that doesn’t matter! This can be a great medium for spells of any intention! Think of something you want to be bigger. The money in your bank account, your confidence, the number of friends you have - whatever. If it can grow bigger in some way, this’ll work!
Now, you can bake yourself some bread for this (if you knead your dough by hand, you can really pound that energy into it!), but I’m thinking that anything that grows could work, since that’s basically what proofing is - the dough growing bigger. Like, maybe if you get a balloon, you can charge the balloon itself with the energy (maybe tugging at it or whatever people do to make the plastic more pliable). Then blowing air into the balloon is the action of proofing, making your intentions and whatever your spell is for grow bigger as the balloon grows bigger. And then maybe you could pop it (like baking the bread) and BAM - MO MONEY/CONFIDENCE/FRIENDS/WHEVS.
And you could totally throw extra oomph into this method with things like color correspondences (especially for balloons, but also you could use food dye or certain ingredients for bread), or especially for bread, throw in some herbs relating to your intentions! (Need some success? Cinnamon bread. Protection? Basil, rosemary, onion. The possibilities are l i m i t l e s s ! !)
Eh? Eeehhhh? Wha’cha think?
Tips/Reminders For Witches Just Beginning Their Craft
It’s been a little since my last post so here’s one I created a bit ago but didn’t post. Due to my health I have not been practicing my craft and I know that the idea of stopping can freak some witches out. I just want to remind everyone that a ‘break’ does not deem you unworthy or less of a witch. In fact, acknowledging that you need a break takes responsibility and self growth and allows your spirit and physical self to rest and repair. Blessings and good health to you guys!
You do not need to be Wiccan.
You do not need to be religious.
‘Witch’ is gender neutral.
Check grocery stores, flea markets, online stores, and craft stores before metaphysical stores. Great finds but sometimes way cheaper.
You do not need to practice every single day unless you want to.
You are not less of a witch if you dont practice every day.
Keep reading
Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing
Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.
Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.
If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.
The Cycle of the Sun: Solstices and Equinoxes
These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.
Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.
Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.
Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.
Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.
Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.
The Cycle of the Moon: Lunar Phases
If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.
New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.
Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.
Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.
Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.
Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.
Magical Correspondences for the Days of the Week
The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.
Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.
Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.
Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.
Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.
Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.
Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.
Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.
Magical Times of Day
Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.
Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.
Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.
Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.
Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.
Resources:
You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst
Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]
Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]
energy cleansing and healing spell
-🎐🌿✨🤍💧
this spell isnt necessarily overly complicated as far as components, but it’s a little physically involved, just a note if you’re a witch that has to worry about spoons and such, but on an okay day id say it’s perfectly doable
[ what you’ll need; ]
• white candle
• light pink candle
• yellow candle
• light blue candle
• sage incense
• three small bowls/plates
• mortar and pestle
• rose petals
• fresh thyme
• sugar
• honey
• lavender water
[ steps ]
light your candles, then your incense using the white candles flame. make sure you’re catching the ash cause you’ll need it later in the spell as well
in three separate bowls have your rose petals and then your thyme, then mix your sugar, honey, and lavender water into the third bowl.
place the rose bowl in front of your pink candle, charging it with self love, healing, forgiveness, and compassion.
place the thyme bowl in front of the yellow candle, charging it with healing, energy, happiness, and fulfillment.
finally, place your third bowl in front of the blue candle, charging it with soothing, healing, emotional strength, love, and gentleness.
gently grind together your petals and thyme, then add in some of the incense ash and use a bit of the lavender water to bring it to a pasty-paint-ish consistency of sorts, then add in the third bowls contents and combine, add more water if needed to keep the consistency where we need it
take the sludge and spread it across your face how you see fit, be messy if you want, get carried away, be as gentle or chaotic as you feel necessary and once you’re satisfied that everything’s been perfectly scrubbed with your new intent, rinse it all off with nice cool water and pat dry, follow up with a lavender/rose water/tea tree toner if you’d like, and a light moisturizer ✨
Magickal Folk Names for Herbs
Having knowledge of herbs and plants (either magically or medicinally) during the Middle Ages, often was reason enough to accuse a woman of being a “witch,” so there is no doubt some of the country folk at the time took these herbal folk names literal. Chances are, these names were used merely as descriptors to help remember them easier. Most plants were given names descriptive of their uses and others were given names for something they generally resembled. Spells written by witches in ancient times were often written with such descriptors, which personally i believe to be a form of secret coding.
Here is a small list of “witchy” herb names (most of these are already floating around the community) that you can use in your craft when you create your spells. This list could be a great addition to any Grimoire and i hope you find them as useful as i do.
Enjoy ~~~ Cannawitch
Plants
Aaron’s Rod - Goldenrod or mullein stalk Absinthe - Wormwood Adder’s Fork - Adder’s Tongue Fern or Bistort Adder’s Tongue - Dog’s Tooth Violet (or Adder’s Tongue Fern Ague root - Unicorn root Alison - Sweet Alyssum Angel Food, Archangel - Angelica Angel’s Trumpet - Datura Ass’s Ear - colt’s foot or comfrey Ass’s Foot, Bull’s Foot - colt’s foot Auld Man’s Bells, Old man’s bells - wood hyacinth, Hyacinthoides hispanica
Bad Man’s/Devil’s Oatmeal/Porridge - hemlock Bad Man’s/Devil’s Plaything - Yarrow Bastard - false Dittany Bat flower - tacca Bat’s Wing - Holly leaf Bat’s Wool - moss (which moss?) Bear’s Foot - Lady’s Mantle Bear’s Grape Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bear Paw - ramsons Allium ursinum or the root of male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas Bear weed - Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum Beard of a Monk - Chicory Beggar’s Lice - Hound’s tongue Beggar’s Buttons - Burdock Bird’s Eye - Speedwell Veronica officinalis Bird’s Foot - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum (Also bird’s foot violet and bird’s foot trefoil) Bird’s Nest - carrot, Indian pipe Bishop’s Wort, Bishop’s Elder - Wood betony Stachys betonica Bitter Grass - Ague Root Aletris Farinosa Black Sampson - Echinacea Blazing Star - liatris Blind Eyes - Poppy Blood from a head - Lupine * Blood from a shoulder - Bear’s breech * Blood of a Goose - Sap from a mulberry * Morus nigra Blood of an Eye - Tamarisk gall * (probably the tannin extracted from) Blood of Ares - purslane * Blood of Hephaestus - wormwood * Blood of Hestia - Chamomile * Blood - sap of the elder or bloodwort Bloody butcher - Valerian Bloody Fingers - Foxglove Blue Bottle - Bachelor’s buttons Boy’s Love, Lad’s Love: Southernwood Brain Thief - Mandrake Bone of an Ibis - buckthorn * I am not sure if this is Rhamnus cathartica or sea buckthorn Hippophae spp If I can find a recipe containing this, I will know for sure by comparing its purpose to their very different qualities Bread and Cheese - Hawthorn Bride of the Meadow - meadowsweet Bull’s Blood - beet or horehound Burning bush - false dittany, also a modern name for species of Euonymus Cow’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum Bride of the Sun - calendula Brown Dragon - wake robin Buttons - tansy
Calf’s snout - Snapdragon Candlemas Maiden - snowdrop Candlewick - mullein, the flower stalk Capon’s Tail - valerian Carpenter’s Herb - bugleweed Lycopus europaeus Carpenter’s Square - knotted figwort Carpenter’s weed - Yarrow Cat - catnip Cat’s foot - white balsam, black cohosh, ground ivy Cat’s herb - valerian Chameleon star - bromeliad Cheeses - marsh mallow Chocolate flower - wild geranium (I don’t buy it) Christ’s eye - wild clary Salvia verbenaca Christ’s ladder - centaury Christ’s spear - adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum Church steeple - Agrimony Clear eye - clary sage Cleavers - bedstraw Click - goosegrass Clot - great mullien Cocklebur - Agrimony Cock’s comb - amaranth Colt’s Tail - fleabane Crane’s bill - wild geranium Crow’s foot - wild geranium, or wood anemone bulbous buttercup (verified) Crowdy kit - figwort Cuckoo’s bread - common plantago Cucumber tree - magnolia Cuddy’s lungs - great mullein Crown for a king - wormwood
Dagger flower - blue flag Daphne - bay laurel Dead man’s bells foxglove Death angel - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death cap - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death flower - Yarrow Death’s Herb - Belladonna Delight of the Eye - rowan Devil Plant - basil Devil’s Apple - Mayapple or Mandrake Devil’s beard - houseleek Devil’s bit - false unicorn root Devil’s cherries Belladonna berries Devil’s plaything - yarrow Devil’s dung - asafoetida Devil’s ear - wakerobin Devil’s eye - henbane or periwinkle Devil’s flower - bachelor’s buttons Devil’s fuge - mistletoe Devil’s guts - dodder Devil’s herb - belladonna Devil’s milk - celandine Devil’s nettle - yarrow Devil’s Shoestring: Various varieties of vibernum, esp Black Haw, cramp bark, hobblebush Dew of the Sea - Rosemary Dog Berry - wild rose hips Dog’s mouth - snap dragon Dog’s tongue - hound’s tongue Dove’s foot - wild geranium Dragon - tarragon Dragon Flower - blue flag (really, wild iris? not an arum or a Antirrhinum?) Dragon wort - bistort Dragon’s blood - calamus
Eagle - ramsons Allium ursinum Earth apple - potato Earth smoke- fumitory Elf’s wort - Elecampane Enchanter’s plant - vervain Englishman’s fruit/ White man’s foot - common plantain Everlasting friendship - goosegrass Eye root - goldenseal
Fairy smoke - Indian pipe Fairy fingers - foxglove Fat from a Head - spurge * Felon herb - Mugwort Five fingers - cinquefoil Fox’s Clote - burdock Frog’s foot - bulbous buttercup From the belly - Earth-apple. * potato?? Did the writers know about potatoes? When was pgm written? From the foot - houseleek * From the loins - chamomile *
Goat’s foot - morning glory Goat’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum God’s hair - hart’s tongue fern Golden’s star - avens Gosling’s wing - goosegrass Graveyard dust - mullein (and sometimes it’s just graveyard dust)
Hag’s taper - mullien stalk Hagthorn - hawthorn Hair of Venus - Maidenhair fern Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed * Hare’s beard - mullein Hawk’s Heart, Old Woman - Wormwood Artemisia absinthium crown or seed head * Hind’s tongue - hart’s tongue fern Holy herb - yerba santa Holy rope - hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum Horse tongue - hart’s tongue fern Hundred eyes - periwinkle
Innocence - bluets
Jacob’s Staff - Great Mullein Joy of the Mountain - Marjoram Jupiter’s Staff - Great Mullein
King’s Crown: Black Haw vibernum Knight’s Milfoil - Yarrow Kronos’ Blood - sap of Cedar *
Lady’s glove - foxglove Lamb’s ears - betony but more likely lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina Lion’s Hair - The extra little roots that stick out of the turnip bulb or the base leaves Brassica rapa * Lion’s tooth - dandelion Little dragon - tarragon Love in idleness - pansy Love Lies Bleeding - amaranth (Not so ancient, a modern ornamental variant) Love Leaves - burdock Love man - goosegrass Love Parsley - lovage Love root - orris root
Maiden’s Ruin - Southernwood Man’s Bile - Turnip Juice * Man’s Health - Ginseng Master of the Woods - Woodruff May Lily - Lily of the Valley May Rose - Black Haw viburnum May - Black Haw viburnum Maypops - Passion Flower Mistress of the Night - Tuberose Mutton Chops - Goosegrass
Nose Bleed - Yarrow
Old Man’s Flannel - Great Mullein Old Man’s Pepper - Yarrow Old-Maid’s-Nightcap - Wild Geranium
Password - primrose Peter’s Staff - Great Mullein Poor Man’s Treacle - Garlic Priest’s Crown - Dandelion leaves
Queen of the Meadow Root - Gravelroot Queen of the Meadow - Meadowsweet Queen of the Night - Vanilla Cactus
Rats and Mice - Hound’s tongue Ram’s horn - valerian Ring a Bells - bluebell Robin run in the grass - goosegrass
Scaldhead - blackberry Seed of Horus - horehound See bright - Clary sage Semen of Ammon - Houseleek * Semen of Ares - Clover * Semen of Helios - White Hellebore * Semen of Hephaistos - Fleabane * Semen of Herakles - arugula * Semen of Hermes - Dill * Seven Year’s Love Yarrow Shameface - Wild Geranium Shepherd’s Heart - Shepherd’s Purse Silver Bells - Black Haw viburnum Snake Root - black cohosh Soapwort - Comfrey or Daisy or maybe Soapwort Sorcerer’s Violet - Periwinkle Sparrow’s Tongue - Knotweed St. John’s Herb - Hemp Agrimony St. John’s Plant - Mugwort Star Flower - Borage Star of the Earth - Avens Starweed - Chickweed Sweethearts - Goosegrass Swine’s Snout - Dandelion leaves
Tail of a Pig - Leopard’s bane * Tanner’s bark - toadflax Tartar root - ginseng Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon - Dill Juice * Thousand weed - yarrow Thunder plant - houseleek Titan’s Blood - Wild Lettuce Lactuca virosa * Torches - mullein flower stalk
Unicorn’s horn - unicorn root or false unicorn root Urine - dandelion or maybe urine
Wax dolls - fumitory Weasel - rue Weasel snout - yellow archangel Winter wood - wild cinnamon Canella alba White - ox eye daisy Witch’s Asprin - white willow bark (this is ancient?) Witch’s brier - wild brier rose hips Wolf claw - club moss Wolf’s foot - bugleweed Wolf’s milk - euphorbia Woodpecker - herbLpeony Worm fern- male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas
Yerba Santa Maria - epazote
Plant Parts/Body Parts
Blood - Sap or juice Eye - The disc of a composite flower, or a seed Foot - Leaf Guts - Roots, stalks, tangly bits Hair - Very stringy roots (sometimes silk or tangly stems) Head - Flower head or seed head Tail - Stem Tongue - Petal, sometimes stigma Toes - leaf or bud Paw - sometimes bud, usually leaf Privates - Seed pod Worm - stringy roots Wool - Moss
Minerals
A Snake’s Ball of Thread - soapstone * Blood of a Snake - hematite * Crocodile Dung - Soil from Ethiopia * A Physician’s bone - sandstone *
Animal Parts
A Snake’s Head - A leech * Blood of a Hyrax - A rock badger, * small weasel-like/rodent-like (but actually neither) creature native to Africa and the Middle East Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon - Blood of a spotted gecko * Bull’s semen - the egg of a blister beetle * Lion Semen - Human semen * Kronos’ Spice - Pig Milk *
* From Ecloga ex Papyris Magicis: Liber I, V, xxvi
More Sources for verification -
Galen - De succedaneis, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, v 19
Paulus Aegineta, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX/2 vII
Dioscorides De Materia Medica
Witchipedia
Lady Raven
Tryskelion
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
✨ All Of My Posts | Baby Witch Masterpost ✨
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Random [Everyday Magick Tips] [Witchcraft Check-In] [Witchcraft In The Movie Coraline] [How To Tell The Difference Between Anxiety & Intuition] Always feel free to message me with any questions! Reorganized & reblogged 7/1/2019 Reorganized & reblogged (again) 10/6/2019
~𝕚’𝕞 𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕣 𝕟𝕠𝕨~ 𝕒 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕘𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕤
most people have goals they wish to acomplish, but have something stopping them from doing so. i personally struggle with anxiety and self doubt. hopefully this helps you to not only achieve your goals, but do so with confidence.
✹ you will need ✹
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp of dried yarrow,
1 tbsp of marjoram
matches or a lighter
heatproof bowl
a piece of charcoal
✹ steps ✹
✹find a place where you feel comfortable. face the south. ✹put your charcoal in your heatproof bowl and light it. ✹put the bay leaves, yarrow, and marjoram into the bowl. ✹place your hands above the bowl as if you’re warming them with the flame. ✹while the contents of the bowl are burning, close your eyes and think of the goals you wish to achieve. ✹say: give me strength give me courage give me the confidence i need to flourish as my blood runs through me let others see that i will not falter on my path to succeed ✹you can wait for the contents of the bowl to burn all the way or you can put out the flame when it feels like the spell has been completed.
well i hope every one reading this has an amazing day, and i hope this helps you guys out! good luck everyone! :)
✨ How To Wake Witchblr ✨
We’ve all seen the hashtag #wakingwitchblr or the term itself at one point. Still, I found that there’s a lack of info on what you can actually do to make witchblr more active.
So I took it upon myself to create a list of things that anyone can do to revive our amazing community! Enjoy !
1) Don’t Like, Reblog instead 📣
There’s nothing inherently wrong with liking a post, it’s just that due to how Tumblr works, liking a post does virtually nothing. Reblogging, however, lets that post be seen by more and more people. The surefire way to revive witchblr is by reblogging as many witchy posts as you can.
But what if some posts just doesn’t fit into your blog’s theme, even though you want to support it? Well, you have a couple options:
Reblog anyway. Diversifying your posts actually makes your blog more interesting. You can always tag it as ‘off-topic’ if the different theme bothers you that much.
Create a reblog/spam account! I have one and it is so simple. The post may not gain as much traction compared to if you RB-ed in your main blog, but trust me when I say a single reblog goes a long way.
Share it on other social media. See that arrow-like button down there? Click it and you can share the post anywhere. Send it to your witchy discord servers or your insta groupchat !
2) Get off the ‘Top’ page. Go to ‘Recent’ 💌
AKA reblog from lesser-known bloggers.
Not only will you support fellow witches creating content, this also give you a chance to talk to them and find your place within Witchblr! Which brings me to my next point…
3) Interact with The Community 💬
If I’m a witch who wants to move away from Tumblr, there will be only one thing that can stop me, and that’s the friends and connections that I’ve made here.
Join online covens and discord servers, ask your witchstagram and witchtok friends for their tumblr url, and just have fun together.
Interacting with other witches, making friends, even just giving compliments or advices. This is what makes us a community. It’s what makes us stay here. If we don’t interact with each other, than we’re just a bunch of people who likes the same thing without any connection. That’s not witchblr.
4) Diversify Your Tags 🎪
There is a kind of… exclusivity, when you look through the hashtags of witchy posts. Witches only ever tag with “witchblr”, “witchcraft”, and “magick”.
This creates an accurate, non-spammy post, but it is also a post that will only show up on other witches’ dashboard and no one else’s. The community will never grow in this way because there will be no new people finding the community. It’s just an echo chamber.
Instead, diversify your tags. I’m not telling you to tag your ritual oil with ‘cars for sale’, but if you made a travel altar yourself, there’s nothing wrong in tagging it #crafting, #diy, #handmade, etc.
Non-witches will then find the post and potentially become interested in the community, thus making it grow.
5) Make Original Content 🔮
Original content is the backbone of any community, and witchblr is dying because we’re not producing any. So if you want to revive witchblr, make content of your own.
No, it doesn’t have to be well thought-out. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be good. Original content can be anything! It can be you posting about a witchy thing that happened. It can be your drawing, or a picture you took. It could even be memes???
Or it could be a ‘how to wake witchblr’ post that you wrote because you have a script due 3 weeks ago and somehow this is your idea of procrastination
The point is: just click that ‘Make a Post’ button, and make a freaking post !
6) Share This, and Add Your Own Tips! 🖤
Now that you know these, it’s time to let other people know too ! I put a lot of thoughts into this post, but I have to admit that these tips will only work if everyone in the community is doing it.
If you have other tips or ways to make Witchblr more active, feel free to reblog with your own addition too.
I love this community, and if you’re reading this post I’m sure you do as well. It’s not gonna happen overnight, but I know that we can be as active as we used to be. We’ve got the heart, we just need the action.
If you are seeing this then you have been chosen by the universe
Remember this date: August 27th
You'll see
Itty bitty self-love spell jar to keep in my pocket!
I used:
*Altar Salt, to remind myself I am a glorious creation.
*a shard of cinnamon stick for comfort, to be comfortable in my own skin
* Coco Powder, for the energy to love myself even when it's hard. (plus for its aphrodisiac properties 😉)
*Sugar, to remember to be sweet with myself
*and some rose quartz shards, for overall love.
I think something people have to realize first in trying to reconstruct historical magical and religious practices is that belief=/=worship. Many traditional witches believe in Christ but don’t worship him because they’re not the same thing. And certain historical pagan religions did believe the gods of their neighbors were… something! But acknowledging something as existing and venerating it are two different things.
My Favorite Spell-Book
Divination:
To learn the present character of a person:
Take the stem of an apple between your fingers and begin to twist counter clockwise whilst reciting the alphabet. Keep the person of interest in mind. Then refer to the rhyme.
Example: The stem breaks at “A”. The person in mind is currently focusing all their attention on accomplishing a specific goal. This could mean everything aside from this goal has been placed on the backburner and other life aspects are suffering for it.
————————————————————
“Tom Thumb’s Alphabet”
A was an Archer, who shot at a frog,
B was a Butcher, and had a great dog.
C was a Captain, all covered with lace,
D was a Drunkard, and had a red face.
E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow,
F was a Farmer, and followed the plough.
G was a Gamester, who had but ill-luck,
H was a Hunter and hunted a buck.
I an Innkeeper, who loved to carouse,
J was a Joiner, and built up a house.
K was King William, once governed this land,
L was a Lady, who had a white hand.
M was a Miser, and hoarded up gold,
N was a Nobleman, gallant and bold.
O was an Oyster girl, and went about town,
P was a Parson, and wore a black gown.
Q was a Queen, who wore a silk slip,
R was a Robber, and wanted a whip.
S was a Sailor, and spent all he got,
T was a Tinker, and mended a pot.
U was a Usurer, a miserable elf,
V was a Vintner, who drank all himself.
W was a Watchman, and guarded the door,
X was Expensive, and so became poor.
Y was a Youth, who did not love school,
Z was a Zany, a poor harmless fool.
————————————————————
To cause confusion:
Simply use the name of that which you want to confuse.
————————————————————
Anna Elise, she jumped with surprise;
The surprise was so quick, it played her a trick;
The trick was so rare, she jumped in a chair;
The chair was so frail, she jumped in a pail;
The pail was so wet, she jumped in a net;
The net was so small, she jumped on the ball;
The ball was so round, she jumped on the ground;
And ever since then she’s been turning around.
————————————————————
To trap a spirit:
Recite “Anna Elise” whilst braiding rope and tying knots. Replace the lines after, “…she jumped in the net”, with:
————————————————————
“…and now I’ve tied the final knot, and in my net was Anna set.
Try all her might, it’s structure is sound,
And ever since then she’s been turning around.”
————————————————————
At the end of this last line, tie one end of the string to the other to create a circle.
To Overcome Adversity
Or to Strengthen a Wind or Storm:
————————————————————
Arthur O'Bower has broken his band
And he comes roaring up the land;
The King of Scots with all his power
Cannot stop Arthur of the Bower.
————————————————————
To Induce Spirit Flight with a “Fail Safe”:
————————————————————
How many miles to Babylon?
Three score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Yes, and back again.
If your heels are nimble and your toes are light,
You may get there by candle-light.
————————————————————
Use a small candle and when it burns out, you shall be pulled back to your body.
Hagriding with use of a Poppet:
————————————————————
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To buy little Johnny a galloping horse;
It trots behind and it ambles before,
And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.
————————————————————
To Replace What’s Been Lost:
————————————————————
Little Betty Blue,
Lost her holiday shoe.
What will poor Betty do?
Why, give her another,
To match the other,
And then she will walk in two.
————————————————————
On Kitchen Magic
There are a lot of misconceptions about kitchen magic on here.
(It’s nobodies fault this is how social systems work)
I’d like to clarify somethings out of my years working professionally and decades of cooking experience and the effect it has on people and lives in general.
The magic isn’t in the intention, or correspondences, or the direction your stir, or sigils and designs you draw into dough, or the herbs you grew in your window.
The magic is in the cooking.
Want to be an amazing practitioner? Want to get to the level where you can wield real power with it like other forms of craft? Practice Cooking.
Forget everything about magic and learn:
1. Knife skills- your knife should become an extension of yourself. Practice different techniques. Supreme, Brunoise, Chiffonade, etc. Your knife is more than a wand it’s also a weapon. There’s something incredibly grounding about it.
2. Mise en Place- Just like with ceremonial work- everything in its place. Make sure you’re keeping your work space clean as you go. Prepare things ahead of time like- peeling & blanching veg, prepping meat, anything you can ahead of time. When everything has a place nothing can slow you down or get lost.
3. Food Knowledge- Sure you know basil is good for attracting wealth but what color does it turn water when its boiled? How to keep it from bruising while making pesto? How long it takes to blanch? What species do you buy at the market and how does it differ in flavor from others? Just an example. You need to know everything about everything. A chef never stops learning. Learn how to eyeball measurements. Start baking by weight. Make something from every country. Make old old old ancient recipes. Ferment! Never! Stop! Learning!
4. Cook- You can’t just read. or watch. You need to apply yourself in the kitchen.
Get yourself a good chef’s knife if you dont have one, a solid cutting board, a decent saute pan, a pot made of non-reactive metal, tongs, and a plating spoon.
Do not pay more than like 5 dollars for a plating spoon. These are all you’re really gonna need to make just about anything. Certain things you’ll acquire when you take interest in specific things (say candy thermometer, silicone brush, uhh, baking pans, all sorts of things) but you don’t need a lot to start with at all.
Your fuck ups will teach you something and might actually be your best creations. Do not ever be afraid to make something even if you think you’ll fail.
5. Passionate and Getting Good?- DO NOT GO TO COOKING SCHOOL
Cooking school is a scam unless this is something you know you want to do for life. I cook professionally and even I don’t want to cook for life this business isn’t cut out for everyone and that’s okay. Go stage at a restaurant looking for work. TONS of restaurants hire people with no experience because they want to teach. I’ve quit positions because i’ve been over qualified thats how bad they want to teach sometimes. Seriously! Go learn from real chefs who are in the shit everyday. You’ll learn far more this way, you’ll get paid for doing it, and you’ll start building your cooking resume up.
This is obv an optional step but if you really wanna hone your skill and love cooking I just gotta beg you dont waste your money on cooking school.
My most successful peers never went or dropped out. Everyone who did go and is still actually cooking works middle management and hates their life.
In conclusion- Until your technique is second nature your magic will be weak.
Start worrying about the flips, tricks, correspondence n glitz after.
Obviously I’ve got the teaching bug myself and I’d love to continue to share industry tips some secrets. Maybe even teach some classes.
You don’t need a lot to get started but it’s an overwhelming field to jump into just like anything else. Consider this a 101.
Keep your nails short and clean.
Keep your hair up.
Wear a clean apron.
Wash your hands on entrance.
-Chef 🔪
Celebrating Litha in the Kitchen - Kitchen Witchcraft Recipes for Litha / Summer Solstice
Kitchen witchcraft recipes for Litha
Summer solstice is upon up and I don’t know for you but I am celebrating mainly inside. This year I am feeling really inspired in the Kitchen. I have published a great recipe that I created for this sabbat. Since lots of us are still staying inside for Litha, I made a selection of recipes you could try to add a bit of Kitchen Witchcraft to your celebrations! All those bloggers and you tubers are amazing and I highly recommend that you visit their pages, you might discover some gems!
Lemon, Lavender, and Thyme Madeleines. A Midsummer treat! https://witchy-kitchen-craft.tumblr.com/post/621382849796489216/lemon-lavender-and-thyme-madeleines-a-midsummer
Litha Sun Cakes :: The Witches Corner https://youtu.be/p0GRlNXtmkI
Super Moist Honey Lemon Pound Cake Recipe | Homemade Food by Amanda https://youtu.be/6ovBEkFQuyg
Beautiful Floral Shortbread Cookies || Floral Shortbreads for Litha || Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/yifxdT8Ony0
Magick Chamomile Sweet Rolls || Anti-Anxiety Spell https://youtu.be/Ct7-wcS-Nm0
Magick Litha Lemon Cake 🍋 Summer Solstice Kitchen Witchery 🍋 Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/IDvcLrRcLJ4
Litha Celebrating The Summer Solstice 🌞 Everyday Summer Solstice Rituals & Magick https://youtu.be/WLlWSL7fQxE
LITHA RECIPE | Magickal Midsummer Lemon & Elder Tart | Summer Solstice cake https://youtu.be/2DDgXLZla7w
My Witch’s Year | Summer Solstice & Midsummer | Honeycake & Fae Offering https://youtu.be/JOxDkE0DmpU
Honey Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Solstice Cookies: https://deerhoofandrabbitsfoot.tumblr.com/post/175022965984/solstice-cookies-appropriate-for-both-the-summer
Summer solstice honey cakes ☀️🌻https://childofthecrowmoon.tumblr.com/post/621445997214777344/summer-solstice-honey-cakes
Kitchen Witchcraft Correspondances for Litha
Don’t want to follow a precise recipe but still want to celebrate in the kitchen? Don’t worries I got you! We are at the peak of Summer, think fresh fruits and vegetables, lemonades, fruit cakes. Try to choose something that grows in abundance in your region and that is in season.
Food
Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables
Lemons
Honey
Lemonades
Ice creams
Ales and Meads
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Herbs:
Chamomile
Rose
Honeysyckle,
Oak
Lavender
Yarrow,
Elder
Thyme
Ginger
Basil
Rosemary
Mint
Here we are! I hope this will keep you inspire for the new season! We are already half of the year. It has been weird and difficult so far but now is the time to celebrate all the hard work we have done and set up new goals and intention for the other half of the year.
Blessed be!
Have a wonderful Litha!
i don't believe that you become a witch. it was within and around you all along.
every time you'd collect rocks as a child, or spoke to the moon when you needed comfort, or even when that warm, tingling sensation would hit you while walking in the woods. it was always the little things that didn't quite make sense.
it was calling to you, remember that. you're no less just because you figured it out later.
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
More about the Lisagate situation.
Actually useful shit to have as a witch
You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.
A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.
A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.
Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.
A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.
A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.
A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.
A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.
Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.
A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.
A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.
On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.
A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.
Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.
Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.
A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.
Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.
A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.
And a last tip- if something is too hard for a mortar and pestle, a plastic bag and hammer works too.
Comforting Tea Spell
If a friend shows up at your doorstep in tears or distraught and is looking for comfort, brew her a witchy cup of tea by imbuing it with your intentions: visualize your friend being warmed and soothed by your cup of tea as she drinks it. As a witch, your intent carries great power through your actions. You perform everyday actions with intent and become more attuned to yourself and the way things work in the world around you. By learning to channel your desires through the spellwork you do, you will manifest happiness, joy, and abundance in your life. 🍵
For the tea blend, you will need:
Lemon Balm
Mint
Chamomile flowers
Lavender
Rosemary
Any additional add-ins you wish to brew into your tea based on your intentions, such as cinnamon for luck, ginger for strength, or sugar for sweetness
For the Spell:
Steep the tea blend in a tea pot or in a loved mug. As it’s steeping, stir the contents with a spoon clockwise and imbue your intent into the tea. Visualize your friend being warmed and soothed by the tea, or imagine her delight when she tastes the tea.
Add any additional spices, herbs, or sugar you’d like to add to the tea now. Consider their magical associations. Add a pinch of cinnamon for luck, or a pinch of ginger for strength, a pinch of thyme for courage, or a pinch of rosemary or salt for protection. Add sugar for sweetness if desired, for both taste and sweetness in mood.
Stir the tea, three times clockwise, one final time and recite: “With tea and spell, and help from above, all is well, light and love.” Then tap your spoon on the mug or teapot three times to seal the spell.
Serve the tea lovingly to your friend or loved one.
Green Witch Healing Tea Blends ☕️🌿✨
Migraine Relief Blend 🍵
Holy Basil
Green Tea
Mint
Lemongrass
Ginger Root
Hibiscus Flowers
Anxiety Calming Blend ☺️
Lemon Balm
Chamomile Flowers
Mint
Catnip
Sore Throat Blend 😷
Mint
Sage
Cinnamon
Lemon Balm
Honey
Upset Stomach Relief Tea 🤢
Ginger
Mint
Lemon Balm
Chamomile Flowers
Fresh Lemon Slice
Immune Boosting Tea Blend ☕️
Elderberries
Calendula Flowers
Echinacea
Orange or Lemon Peel
Honey
Menstrual Relief Blend 👩🏽🦱
Raspberries
Chamomile Flowers
Lemon Balm
Mint
Winter Cold Relief Tea Blend 🌲
Pine Needles
Cinnamon
Mint
Fennel Seeds
Allergy Relief Tea 😪
Purple Dead Nettle
Peppermint
Cinnamon Bark
Lemon Peel
Ginger
Honey
Full Moon Dreams Blend 🌕
Black Tea
Chamomile Flowers
Lavender
Mint
Peaceful Sleep Tea Blend 😴
Chamomile Flowers
Spearmint
Lavender
Cinnamon
Passion Flowers
Jasmine Buds
Rose Petals
Psychic Protection Tea 🔮
Black Tea
Rosemary
Chamomile Flowers
Rose Petals
Lavender
Happiness Honey Milk Tea 🌞
Sun Water
Milk
Cinnamon
Honey
Autumn Nostalgia Tea Blend 🍂
Black Tea
Cinnamon
Sage
Orange Peel
Fennel Seeds
Forest Dweller’s Comfort Tea 🍄
Cinnamon Bark
Fennel Seeds
Ginger Root
Licorice Root
Orange Peel
Marshmallow Root
White Oak Bark
I tend to stay away from anything related to fertility (rocks, herbs, sabbaths, etc) because I *really* don’t wanna get pregnant, but then sometimes I think “maybe there’s another meaning for fertility, like, fertile ground for plants”. Is it safe to do things related w fertility (like celebrating imbolc) if I don’t want a baby?
A fair question! Firstly, I’ll say that celebrating sabbats is always good fun and there’s no real risk of encouraging your own fertility just by feasting and dancing on May Day (unless you round off the festivities with unprotected, penetrative sex of course). Secondly, your inclination is correct - fertility has so many other meanings than the literal sense of pregnancy (in fact in terms of the sabbats we’re often celebrating the fertility of the land to promote growth for harvest, as you say, and our harvest gods are our fertility gods for that same reason). But you can absolutely make use of symbols of fertility for celebrating growth and fecundity in all its iterations - growing ideas and projects, growing plants and new life in that way, growing yourself and even reparenting yourself, etc. - there are a lot of possibilities and as long as you’re not working any magic to expressly become pregnant then simply incorporating obejcts/rituals/deities of fertility into your practice won’t put you in danger of that.
Lammas - a festival to mark the annual wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year
.:: Defining Traditional Witchcraft ::.
What is Traditional Witchcraft?
According to Michael Howard, Trad Craft refers to “any non-Gardnerian, non-Alexandrian, non-Wiccan or pre-modern form of the Craft, especially if it has been inspired by historical forms of witchcraft and folk magic”.
Traditional Witchcraft, therefore, is not a single monolith. We can, in fact, distinguish between:
Operative Witchcraft or Folk Magic
Ritual(istic) Witchcraft
This first difference is taken from Margaret Murray; she used the first term for indicating the practice of magic, as carried out by cunning folk and folk magicians, and included the non-religious practice of spells, charms, divinations, etc. “whether used by a professed witch or by a professed Christian, whether intended for good or for evil, for killing or for curing. Such charms and spells are common to every nation and country, and are practised by the priests and people of every religion. They are part of the common heritage of the human race and are therefore of no practical value in the study of any one particular cult.” (The Witch-Cult, p. 11.)
The second term (also called “Dianic cult” by Murray) indicates, instead, “the religious beliefs and ritual of the people, known in late mediaeval times as ‘Witches’. The evidence proves that underlying the Christian religion was a cult practised by many classes of the community, chiefly, however, by the more ignorant or those in the less thickly inhabited parts of the country. It can be traced back to pre-Christian times”. Therefore we can say that Ritual Witchcraft is the cult of pre-Christian Deities or Spirits connected to the witches.
While the ideas of Murray about this cult have now been discredited, other scholars have reopened this field as a viable area of study, discovering many ecstatic witch-cults. The most known academics in this field are: Carlo Ginzburg, Éva Pócs, Emma Wilby, Claude Lecouteux, Wolfgang Behringer, Sabina Magliocco, Gábor Klaniczay, Gustav Henningsen and Bengt Ankarloo.
Relying on the work of these scholars, we can say therefore that Ritual Witchcraft was/is the religious system surrounding the Sabbath, the Procession of the Dominae Nocturnae from house to house, the spiritual flight, Elphame, the Wild Hunt, the Night Battles, etc.
As we can understand, even if the majority of the Ritual Witches were/are also Operative Witches (practitioners of Folk Magic), not all the Operative Witches were/are also Ritual Witches. The majority of Folk Magicians/Operative Witches, in fact, didn’t go to the Sabbath, didn’t astrally fly, didn’t astrally go with the Wild Hunt, from house to house with the Domina Nocturna, to Elphame/the Otherworld or to the Night Battles. Ritual Witches did.
We can say, therefore, that Operative Witchcraft is a practice, while Ritual Witchcraft is a religion.
Traditional Witches who are secular are, therefore, usually Operative and not Ritual Witches. While the distinction between Ritual and Operative Witchcraft is an established one in the Witchcraft community, I introduce a new, according to me useful, second distinction, inside Ritual Witchcraft (i.e. Witchcraft as a religion), by borrowing the terms “Revivalism” and “Reconstructionism” from Polytheism, in which it’s an already established terminology:
Hereditary Witchcraft
Revivalist Witchcraft
Reconstructionist Witchcraft
Hereditary Traditional Witchcraft brings together all the traditions that claim a lineage from the Witchcraft of the past.
Revivalist Traditional Witchcraft is inspired by folklore, trials and the figure of the witch without any presumption of hereditarity. Unlike the Reconstructionist one, it leaves ample space for personal initiative and the influence of other traditions, without slavishly following the history in every single detail.
Reconstructionist Traditional Witchcraft, finally, tries to resume, starting from the in-depth study of folklore, historical trials and documents, the exact practices and beliefs of Historical Witchcraft. For example, the pantheon of Spirits, the festivities, the structure of the Sabbath, the structure of the offerings, and so on.
An important aspect for those who practice Reconstructionism is the resumption of the names of the Gods (or it would be more correct to say, of the “Deific Familiar Spirits” or “Major Spirits”) forgotten and remained only in the trials papers and in folklore. The idea is to reopen roads, ways to these Spirits. Reconstructing therefore means paying homage to these Spirits and allowing those interested to re-establish a connection with Them.
We said before that Traditional Witchcraft is not Wicca. What’s the difference?
According to the Traditional Witchcraft author Lee Morgan:
“It could easily be said that one of the major differences between the modern revival referred to as “Traditional Witchcraft” and the other modern revival known as “Wicca”, is that Traditional Witchcraft draws on “folkloric material” and is largely “shamanic” whereas Wicca is more of a fusion of Western Occult ceremonial and natural magic traditions.”
(From: Lee Morgan’s “A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft”)
My Grimoire So Far...
The Witch at Lammas
This post is the fifth in a series of posts exploring and celebrating witch archetypes at the eight seasonal festivals.
Lammas is a festival celebrated on August 1. It is descended from the festival of Lughnasadh, an ancient Celtic festival of Pagan origin. Still celebrated by many Neo-Pagans, Lughnasadh is one of the four “fire festivals.” It is the celebration of the first fruits of summer and it has long had connections to both the grain and hay harvests. It is named after the ancient Celtic sky god, Lugh. The “-nasadh” of Lughnasadh means something like “an assembly”, so the phrase “Lughnasadh” can be taken to mean “the assembly of Lugh” (sometimes translated as “the games of Lugh”).
Lughnasadh is traditionally associated with summer fairs. In ancient times, the “assembly” would have been a great fair, with food and games and opportunities for trading and other financial exploits. This tradition has never died out. It is still common to see fairs throughout the British Isles and even the United States and Canada during this time. Traditionally, Lughnasadh would have lasted two weeks.
With the Christianization of Europe, Lughnasadh became Lammas, its new name meaning “Loaf Mass”. Lammas celebrates the grain harvest, which is honored by making loaves of bread from the freshly gathered wheat. These loaves of bread were blessed by priests during Lammas services. These blessed loaves could then be used for folk magic. Superstitious farmers would break the loaves into quarters and hide them in the corners of their houses or barns for protection.
One theme that is prevalent throughout these celebrations is that of sacrifice. The tale of Lughnasadh is one of tragic death. According to an old Irish legend, the goddess Tailtiu, the foster mother of Lugh, cleared the great forest of Breg with an axe to make the plains of Ireland. These plains became fertile farmland. She wanted to provide for her people. However, the work proved to be too great and when she finished clearing the forest, she died. In her honor, Lugh established a festival of funeral games, which would become Lughnasadh. The Paleo-Pagans who inhabited what is now Britain and Ireland would have honored this festival by lighting great bonfires and giving sacrifical offerings to the gods.
Lugh is associated with the sky, but he is also a god of sovereignity and battle. It was he who slayed the giant Balor and threw his eye into the heavens to create the Sun. Even in his sky “aspect”, he is still a god of skill and war. Ancient depictions of Lugh typically show him wearing a torc and holding a spear. The torc is a symbol of sovereignty - he is a god of kings and rulers - and he holds the spear - a tool of war. He is a god of skill; his wars are not the foolish all-destructive wars of modernity, but are the skilled battles of old. He is truly a god of warriors.
The grain of Lammas is a symbol of sacrifice. Consider the drinking song “John Barleycorn”, which personifies the grain as a man who is murdered and cut to pieces. The grain and all the other first fruits of the harvest season fall at Lammas. The year is in decline. According to legend, in ancient Ireland, an old or senile king , no longer useful as a ruler, would be sacrificed at Lughnasadh. Whether this is a historical truth is a matter of some debate, but this theme still maintains its power.
The Christianization of the festival links it with Christ’s suffering on the cross and also his associations with bread and grain. According to the Bible, it was he who died to cleanse mankind of its sins. He is often called a sacrifical lamb. It was prophesied that he would be born in Bethlehem - the House of Bread. It was he who made the fishes and loaves multiply. It was he who said to eat his flesh and drink his blood, and what is his flesh but bread transfigured?
Because sacrifice is a predominant theme in the Lughnasadh/Lammas holidays, let us discuss the witch as warrior. Despite some claims that witches cannot and should not do harm to others, the historical records say otherwise. There are multiple, notable accounts of witches using their craft to defend their homes and loved ones.
We could discuss warding, but that topic is oft-discussed I do not see a need to go more in-depth about it here. Let us discuss, instead, three specific historical examples of practitioners using the magical arts to protect themselves and others.
In this short space, it would be impossible to describe all the accomplishments of Welsh mathematician, astrologer, and occultist John Dee. A Renaissance man in every meaning of the word, Dee was the court magician for Queen Elizabeth I. It was Dee who helped plan expeditions to the New World. It was Dee himself who coined the term “British Empire”. So, when Phillip II of Spain attempted to invade England in 1588, it was said that John Dee took action. According to legend, Dee used his occult knowledge to cast a spell on the Spanish Armada. Of course, the Spanish Armada was scattered by great winds and did not invade England.
Less than 400 years later, it is said the witches of England helped to drive away the invading Nazi forces during the Second World War. According to Gerald Gardner, a great gathering of witches occurred in the New Forest on the eve of the Nazi invasion. These witches came from all over Britain to cast a spell on the Third Reich. The witches commanded the Nazi planes to not invade and many died in the process, or so the legend goes. Like the Spanish Armada, the Nazis did not invade Britain. Despite the raids, England never fell to the German forces. One does hope that the current generation of witches will follow their lead and use magic to strike back against tyranny.
In the 1960s, Italian historian Carlo Ginzburg published his work The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. In this highly influential work, Ginzburg examines reports of the Benandanti, a group of magical practitioners who lived in Northeastern Italy in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The phrase Benandanti means “the good walkers.” By their own reports, the Benandanti rose (“walked”) from their own bodies while they were sleeping and fought off dark forces. These dark forces were witches, called the Maladanti (“the bad walkers”).
According to the Benandanti, who testified before the Inquisition, they fought the witches at night with fennel sticks. They did this on certain Thursdays to protect their crops. The nighttime visions of the Benandanti have been tied to the Sabbat-visions of witches throughout Europe during the same time period. The testimonies of the Benandanti led Ginzburg to conclude that they were members of a sort of “fertility cult”. Ginzburg’s work was considered controversial upon its first publication and continues to spark debate.
This Lammas, let us remember what it is to defend those we love. You does not need to be a solider to fight for the things you care about. You can be a scholar, a dreamer, a mystic - you can be an ordinary person and affect great change. With a bit of magic and a sense of determination, you can fight for what you believe in and win.
Lammas
Here’s a brief overview of the holiday Lammas. [LAH-mahs] Some people use the name Lughnasadh. [LOO-nah-sah] They are both names for the same holiday–the celebration of the first harvest–, however they are not necessarily interchangeable.
Lughnasadh is the Gaelic name for this occasion. It celebrates the waning of the sun god Lugh as the summer gives way to fall. The year’s crop is ready for harvesting. Lammas is the modern name. It has minimal connection to the Gaelic sun God, so if you don’t believe in the God, you would use the term Lammas. Both terms recognize the power of the sun God infusing his blessings into the first year’s harvest, however Lughnasadh credits a Gaelic God while Lammas credits a more general sun God. Lughnasadh is the more traditional name, so you can choose to use that term if you want without having any affiliation to Lugh.
Lammas is celebrated on August 1st (Northern hemisphere) or February 1st (Southern hemisphere).
Spellwork
Lammas is a time of giving thanks, so be sure to leave offerings to your deities. It’s custom to use something from your harvest (if you harvested anything) as your offering. Spells involving blessings or guidance are going to fare well during this day.
Correspondences
Symbols: Sunflower, Wheat, Baskets, Creative Tools (pen, paintbrush, microphone)
Colors: Deep green, orange, burgundy deep reds
Herbs: Vervain, Sunflower, Rosemary
Food/Drink: Grain, Honey, Nuts, Berries, Beer, Cider
Incense: Frankincense, Rosemary
Crystals: Tiger’s Eye, Obsidian
Ways to Celebrate!
Use this holiday to celebrate the things in life granted to you. Share your talents with others. Go for a walk in nature. Have a feast.
🌾Lughnasadh/Lammas Ritual🌾
(Originally created and hosted for The Alexandria Archives on 8/1/19)
Instrumental/Nature music for this ritual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiveDidzPyw
Supplies:
a small handful oats/rice/grain (or paper scraps to symbolize the grain) to scatter on the ground or table
a simple grain-based snack (cracker, popcorn, ricecake, slice of bread, bagel, cookie, etc.) berries or grapes or a pear/peach. Enough to be split- half for yourself and half as an offering.
A candle
Candle dressings with holiday associations (oil/tincture/tea of rose, sandalwood, or citrus; gold or yellow colored flower petals (dandelions count!); amber, citrine, peridot, carnelian crystals; gold, orange, yellow, green, or light brown ribbon/thread/fabric)
a pen/pencil and paper
a divination tool
Today we give thanks for the first harvest. This no longer means literally for most people but it doesn’t we can’t do it symbolically! Also a harvest, in witchcraft, can mean many things beyond agricultural hauls. We are through the first half of the year and are reaping what we’ve sown for those first six months. Observing the changes in your community, your local wildlife and foliage. This greater connection is all a part of the harvest of life.
Get settled somewhere safe and comfortable; your supplies nearby. Collect the oats/rice/paper scraps in your hand. Feel their texture and the way they connect to the earth. How they hold the very foundation of a harvest in a tiny compact little vessel; waiting to be planted and tended to. Cup your hands in front of your face and gently blow on the grains. Think of the sun, the rain, the warmth needed to turn a seed into a crop. You are lending your energy to them. Tonight they are going to help guide us along this ritual. I like to take a breath and blow on the grains three times, but you can do it as many times as you need until it feels like the grains are bathing in your energy.
Gently scatter the grains/scraps on the floor (or a table surface- that’s okay). We are asking for the Harvest’s Blessing tonight and give this grain in trade. Close your eyes. Envision that you are now in a field and the grains you’ve scattered are already sprouting, growing, until there is a field of grain at least waist high around you. Run your hands gently through the soft shoots. Hear the wind blow through them; birdsong joins in joyously- it almost sounds like music. Wander through this field at your leisure; reflect on what this year has brought you. The good and bad. Think about how you can weed the bad out of future harvests and how to multiply the good for the next harvest. At some point, you will stumble across a small curved knife or pair of scissors in the field. Pick them up. They feel warm and familiar in your hand. The earth offers you some of her harvest willingly. Cut a small sheaf of the grain, the size of a small bouquet.
As you come back to yourself in your physical space imagine the sheaf of wheat came back with you and was transformed into energy that infused your candle dressing. Take a moment to hold the dressing and visualize that- the energy of the Harvest filling that oil/ribbon/petals/stones/etc. Take your candle and dress it with the Harvest imbued dressing; thinking of those wheat fields and the music they made. Charge the candle with the energy of the sabbat (charging methods: visualizing, rubbing, singing/humming, tapping, blowing, etc.).
Light your candle.
Take your pen and paper and think back to that walk in the field. Think about those personal harvests this year has brought you so far. On the top of the paper write down the good harvests you’ve been brought. On the bottom write down the bad. Tear the paper in half.
Feed the “bad harvests” to the candle- the Light of Lugh consuming it and cleansing it. Take the other half and place it under your offering you have. Focus on the good of those harvests and how they made you feel filling that snack and lighting the way for the rest of this year. Take a portion and eat it. The warm glow of prosperity and luck of the holiday fills you all the way to your toes as you eat this offering. Declare the other portion for the earth and deities/spirits of this Harvest. Leave your paper underneath until you dispose of the offering (in whatever manner you are comfortable with).
Lastly, time for some sabbath divination! You can do this at your leisure and share the results if you’re comfortable! I also have a specific holiday cartomancy spread below if you happen to be using those tools and feel so inclined! Once you’ve performed and recorded your holiday divination, take a moment to ground yourself and be gentle in returning to a more solid frame of thought. Please share any impressions, observations, feelings that you’d like to! Harvest Blessings to you all!
Baking Bread Spread The Knead: What you must surrender in order to develop your next harvest/goal The Dough: The central goal/idea of your next harvest The Oven: What you need to perfect your next harvest/goal(edited)