Putting Things Under Your Pillow

Why Witchcraft Might Not Be Working For You

There’s so many different reasons a spell or ritual might not be working for you. So I thought I’d share some common reasons why some new witches might be struggling with witchcraft.

✨ You’re not connecting to the ingredients, tools or supplies needed for the spell

What works for me, might not work for you, and that’s okay. This doesn’t mean the spell you’re using is a dud or that you’re not doing it right. It just means that you haven’t formed those connections with the ingredients or tools yet, or your connection with them is different. 

A great example is blueberries lol. In witchcraft blueberries are most commonly associated with protection BUT for me I associate them with creativity and astral travel. There’s a personal reason for this and through out my many many years practicing and studying witchcraft I’ve come to build this relationship with blueberries.

✨ You’re energy is too low

I know the feeling of just really really wanting to get into the magick of it all. But witchcraft is energy draining. If you’re low on energy (edited) then you’re gonna be putting out low energy and that can affect the effectiveness of your spells.

Give yourself time and practice low energy magick like smoke cleansing your space, charging your crystals under the full moon or rearranging your altar (or creating an altar).  

✨ You have been given a false idea of what witchcraft is and how it should feel or how it should work

Real witchcraft isn’t measurable nor is it able to be defined in one true way. Witchcraft is different for every single witch. Even witches in covens have given different descriptions of the feelings they’ve had while performing the same spell or ritual. That’s because we all experience magick a different way.

Don’t be too hard on yourself because you didn’t feel a hot light burning inside of you, like one witch may describe. And don’t feel bad if you don’t literally see colors radiating from your spell jar like another witch described. Personally I’ve never experienced either of those things but that doesn’t mean that what I was doing wasn’t working, it just worked differently and felt differently for me. I may not have had those exact same experiences but I had my own, and they were/are just as special. 

Next time you do a spell or ritual, write how it made you feel in your journal. Don’t just write the spell down but write all the things you felt, saw, smelled, heard and even tasted. This way you can get a better understand of how magick works and feels for you.

✨ Your space, body, mind or spirit needs to be cleansed

The biggest reason I’ve found for my spells just completely flopping is I didn’t bother cleansing before doing it. Negative energy is like white cat hair stuck to your favorite black leggings, it ain’t going nowhere until you clean it lol.

The great thing about cleansing is it can be done with just your hands! Yeah, bet a witch has never told you that before LOL. Sound is a great way to cleanse a space. Snapping, clapping and rubbing our hands together makes sounds. You can tab on a table, or use EFT (usually done as a meditative practice but could be utilized in cleansing the mind, body and spirit as well).

You can cleanse with incense, candles, oils, and water too.

✨ Your spells have too many ingredients

I find the more stuff you use for a spell the more unpredictable the outcome is, this is because each ingredient can have multiple properties. Even if you have personal correspondences with them they still usually have multiple uses. Like the blueberry example I gave, for me I associate blueberries more with astral travel and creativity but I also associate it with platonic relationships, happiness and protection. Even though I still associate it with protection it wouldn’t be necessary for me to use it in a protection spell if I’m already using something else that I more strongly associate with protection.

In witchcraft, often times, less really is more. I’ve created the 5 elements “rule” for myself and it’s worked out really well for me. I use 1 ingredient to represent each of the 5 different elements (earth, air, fire, water and spirit) in most of my spells and rituals. If it’s a spell jar, pouch, tea. elixr (or something like that) I like to try and keep my ingredients to a 3 - 5 limit. It prevents me from using up my stash so quickly and prevents my ingredients from completely canceling each other out.

✨ You’re scared

This is sooooooooo normal, don’t even think you’re weird or something because  you’ve got some fears or concerns about practicing witchcraft. It’s common for someone from a religious (especially an abrahamic one) background to hold onto the teachings of their religion and to be fearful of the unknown. Especially if it’s been drilled into your head that it’s evil and you’ll burn in an eternity of fire for burning a sage bundle lol.

If this is you, ease into witchcraft. Learn more about the different traditions and take your time studying. This isn’t a race. Witchcraft ain’t going nowhere lol. You’re not obligated to just dive in head first. It’s okay to take your time and really get comfortable.

✨ Lastly, you’re taking on too much at once

You ever see those witch blogs that seem to pop up out of nowhere and they’re just blasted into popularity, only for the witch to later denounce their practice in the craft claiming that it wasn’t really working for them or that it all turned out to be bs? This is usually because they watched 1 or 2 youtube videos about witchcraft and decided to buy a $300 witch starter kit, 10 books about witchcraft and 3 tarot decks all before even doing any research into witchcraft at all.

They took on too much, too fast. They’ve also taken on things they lack an understanding of and because of this lack of understanding (and a natural desire to want to be good at something instantly), when it doesn’t work for them they claim it’s bullshit and fake.

You need to be patient. Just like any skill or talent, it takes time to master and to see the results we want. So if you’re someone whose invested a lot of money upfront into your craft and now it just doesn’t seem to be working for you, take your time. You’re not going to learn everything about witchcraft overnight (chances are you’ll never learn everything about witchcraft lol). The amount of money you spend won’t make you a better witch or make you better at witchcraft. So don’t fall for those beginner witch starter kits that start at $100.

You don’t need to do everything at once.

I hope this is helpful. If you have anything to add to this list please do so. And remember, witchcraft is a craft. Crafts take time, patiences and skill. These are not things that you just develop overnight. Take your time, cleanse your space, grow relationships with your ingredients, tools and supplies, and allow yourself to experience your magick and don’t try to replicate someone else’s. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

How to Pick a Date for Your Spells

The first advice of absolute importance is to avoid starting anything during the Moon’s Void of Course. Things like interviews, important business meetings, initiating projects, and especially Spells likely won’t turn out well or will remain unfinished.

When planning a date for your Spell, it’s important to take into consideration the following things:

Moon Phase

Moon Sign

Day of the Week

Retrograde Planets

Make sure the above bullets points align with the goals of your Spell.  We have a Moon Phase Planner for 2020 that has all the above information to help pick a date for your Spells!

For example, if we wanted to do a spell for Material Wealth: 

December 24, 2020 is an excellent day because:

the Moon is Waxing and is close to a Full Moon

the Moon is in Taurus, the sign of luxury and material possessions

it’s a Thursday which is ruled by Jupiter - the planet of wealth and expansion

Venus is NOT Retrograde

Now keep in mind that these are guidelines for timing your spells with the best natural energy available. You can do a money spell any time you like (avoid the Void of Course Moon) but it may not have as much supportive energy compared to the above example. This is because of the reasons given in the example. Taurus, the ruler of wealth, is a much better sign for getting money compared to Cancer for example.

The following information will help guide you in planning a date for your Spells.

Moon in the Signs

Aries: —————

-Aries deals with energy, independence, competition, taking risks, the Self, and leadership.

-Do Spells that help with healing the physical body, advancing by overcoming competition, increasing vitality, first impressions, and with how you view yourself.

-Aries is a quick starter sign so it is a good to start things where much energy is needed; however it is also an impulsive sign so be sure to follow through with anything initiated during this time.

Taurus: —————

-Taurus deals with sensuality, material wealth, self-worth, and permanence. 

-Do Spells for money, wealth, acquiring material things, improving your self-worth or self-esteem, and sensual love. 

-Taurus is a steadfast and sometimes stubborn sign so it is good for initiating anything that you want to last.

Gemini: —————

-Gemini deals with communication (all forms), details, correspondence, short distance travel, people close to you such as siblings relatives and neighbors.

-Do Spells for helping communication go smoothly in case of a difficult conversation, improved relations with those close to you, help in all forms of writing activities such as emails, letters, calls, or professional writing.

- Gemini is a communicative sign so it is a good sign to support any form of communication.

Cancer: ————— -Cancer deals with the family, home, nurturing, personal roots, emotional foundations, land, and property.

-Do Spells to help with improving family life, finding a good home to buy, cleansing/banishing/protecting the home, real estate transactions, and healing from childhood trauma.

-Cancer is a nurturing sign with motherly energy so it is a good sign for Self-love activities.

Leo: ————— -Leo deals with romance, creativity, leadership, confidence, and children. 

-Do Spells to help with romance, love affairs, improving creativity, leadership ability, confidence, success in the limelight, and career advancement in creative fields such as art, music, or acting.

-Leo is a proud sign that enjoys attention so it is a good sign for being “center-stage”.

Virgo: ————— -Virgo deals with health, service, routines, details, and diet.

-Do Spells to help with improving health, starting daily routines, or in performing your work duties.

-Virgo is a meticulous sign so it is a good sign for tasks requiring attention to detail.

Libra: ————— -Libra deals with relationships, partnerships, balance, legally binding contracts, and the law.

-Do Spells to help with improving interpersonal interactions, attracting a marriage partner or business partner, making cooperative relationships go smoothly, or getting a divorce.

-Libra is a diplomatic sign so it is a good sign for making or breaking contracts.

Scorpio: ————— -Scorpio deals with the occult, secrets, the subconscious, research, sex, power, and transformations.

-Do Spells to help with concealing or revealing secrets, increasing psychic powers, any form of divination, personal transformations, attaining power, starting research projects, and attracting sexual partners.

-Scorpio is a transformative sign so it is a good sign for doing shadow work.

Sagittarius: ————— -Sagittarius deals with the law, religion, philosophy, higher education, learning, foreign places, and long distance travel.

-Do Spells to help with getting into college, studies, acquiring books and educational material, and traveling long distance safely.

-Sagittarius is a scholarly sign so it is a good sign to aid any kind of learning.

Capricorn: ————— -Capricorn deals with the career, profession, honor, authority, business, the public image, and structure.

-Do Spells for success in career, professional advancement, gaining authority, starting a business, getting organized, and building something through hard work.

-Capricorn is a results oriented sign so it is a good sign to promote perseverance and self-discipline in achieving some desired outcome.

Aquarius: ————— -Aquarius deals with friends, communities, organizations, social activities, goals, group goals, freedom, and technology.

-Do Spells for help with attracting friendships, success in group activities and community events, creating and achieving goals, and attaining freedom.

-Aquarius is a unique sign so it is a good sign to help in becoming more creative and unique.

Pisces: ————— -Pisces deals with art, intuition, the spiritual, psychic ability, secrets, and the unconscious.

-Do Spells for help with revealing and dealing with psychological problems, increasing psychic abilities and intuition, divination, dream work, and improving artistic talents.

-Pisces is a psychic sign so it is a good sign to help develop psychic abilities.

Moon Phases

Full Moon - the highest point in the moon’s cycle where its energies are at its peak. This is an excellent time for divination.

Note: when a Full Moon occurs twice in a month (October 31 2020) it is considered a Blue Moon. This is similar to a Full Moon but has more power

Waning Moon - the moon here is decreasing to a New Moon so its energies are that of degeneration. Use this time for banishing, cleansing, destruction or bringing anything to an end such as a relationship or bad habits.

New Moon - on the waning side of the New Moon, it has an ending type of energy as the moon is “disappearing”. On the waxing side it has the energy of potential, ready for new beginnings.

Waxing Moon - a time of growth as the light of the moon increases to its peak at the Full Moon. Use this time to do Spells for building something up in your life such as health, new friendships.

Note: it is better to do the Spell closer to the Full/New Moon depending on the goal. Unless you want to do the Spells for multiple days, such as cleansing/banishing, you can start right after the Full Moon and end on the New Moon. This supports the goal of removing bad energy.

Days of the Week

Monday: —————

Monday is the day of the Moon. The moon carries feminine psychic energy and is a great day to start developing psychic abilities, perform divination, cleanse the home, or banishing rituals.

Tuesday: ————— Tuesday is the day of Mars. Mars carries the masculine warrior energy and is a great day for doing Spells where much energy is needed. It is also a good day for black magick where the result is quick and active. Think of the moment when two swords clash.

Wednesday: ————— Wednesday is the day of Mercury. Mercury rules all forms of communication, documents, short-distance travel, and health. This is a great day for doing Spells related to health, improving communication ability, difficult conversations, and safe travels.

Thursday ————— Thursday is the day of Jupiter. Jupiter is the greater benefic and rules luck, opportunities, expansion, higher education, philosophy, foreign places, religion, and the law. Use this day for Spells that deal with expansion and opportunities, safe long-distance travels, and educational study.

Friday ————— Friday is the day of Venus. Venus rules love, beauty, cosmetics, money, luxury, jewelry, and material possessions. Use this day for Spells to bring you money, acquire material possessions, and for successful cosmetic procedures.

Saturday ————— Saturday is the day of Saturn. Saturn authority, structure, work ethic, endurance, delays, restrictions, boundaries, limitations, and decay. This is a great day for black magick that acts slowly or for binding or restricting another. Also great for Spells requiring discipline such as breaking habits.

Sunday ————— Sunday is the day of the Sun. The Sun rules vitality, charisma, money, fame creativity, leadership, the identity, and the Self. This is a great day for doing Spells that deal with us personally, such as our character or personality for example.

Our Moon Phase Planner for 2020 has all of this information along with the times for the Void of Course Moon, the Lunar Ingresses, and Retrograde Planets. So get your copy to let the Moon support your Spells!

Why the law of attraction is not working and how to fix it

First things first, the law of attraction is always working. Whenever you claim that the law of attraction is not working, you’re actually using this very law to convince yourself that indeed – it’s not working for you. And that, my friend, is a vicious cycle. 

However, you have to understand that there’s so much more to the law of attraction than those hyped steps: ask, believe, receive. It took me some time to fully comprehend the crucial principles, and now I’m going to share them with you.

So, why the law of attraction is ‘not working’?

You don’t practice detachment. Pretty often, people become too obsessed with their manifestations. They think about the thing they want to manifest 24/7 and complain about the lack of it. Wrong! Seriously, don’t you have better things to do? Whenever you put something on a high pedestal, you create resistance. Actually, an ocean of resistance. Learn how to detach and trust the Universe.

You don’t do shadow work. Take care of the quality of your canvas before you start painting. Oftentimes all of the past traumas and limiting subconscious beliefs are holding you back. Let go of them. Heal them and then move on. You can’t hold on to this kind of negative energy forever. 

You don’t express gratitude. If you’re not grateful for the things you already have, you’ll never be able to upgrade your life. Lack of gratitude keeps you entangled in the lower vibration. Gratitude is the magical frequency. The more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for.

You’re not specific. If you change your mind all the time, you send mixed signals and receive mixed results. Maybe for the first time in your life, ask yourself these questions: What do I really want? What does my ideal life look like? Vision boards and scripting can be very beneficial because they show the Universe your perfect blueprint.

You’re not living in the present moment. If you always think of the past or worry about the future, you lose all of the precious possibilities the present moment can offer. Now is the only existing time in this Universe, so learn how to be more conscious.

You don’t work on your vibration. Everything that surrounds you is in the vibrational alignment with your state of being. When your vibration is low, you attract more things vibrating at the same frequency. It’s super important to raise your vibration and to learn how to maintain the higher state of being.

You don’t nurture self-love. If you don’t love yourself, if you’re constantly criticizing yourself, it impacts your energy and your entire belief system. This self-hate is going to manifest in every aspect of your life. It’s almost impossible to create anything if you’re devoid of the most important thing: love. And love starts within you.

I would highly encourage you to try some of these strategies. They’ve had a profound impact on my own reality. One of my current goals is to manifest a book deal for the novel I’m working on, and thanks to these strategies, I’ve noticed a huge positive shift! I’ve started to attract the right people and circumstances into my life. It’s like having a magic wand!

HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING SPIRITUAL BATHS

There are so many times where you’re either having a bad day, have a lot on your mind, or you just aren’t feeling up to par. How do you tackle these ailments so that you can move freely throughout the day?

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL BATH?

So what exactly is a spiritual bath?

A spiritual bath is nothing more than a cleansing session where you take the necessary time to yourself to cleanse the physical body, your aura and you mind.

There is no set way to take a spiritual bath, your ritual is completely up to you. We’ll go over some examples of what you can use and how you should proceed with the bath later in this post.

Now I bet you’re wondering, “Why should I take these baths? How do I benefit from them?” Let’s start by saying that there are no negatives to indulging in a spiritual bath. Many of you already bathe in the tub anyway, so why not take an extra step to heal yourself and your mind? Along with cleansing, relaxing, and attracting positive things into your life, the baths aid in grounding the soul. Listed below are some of the possible steps and tools you can implement when you begin to take your much needed spiritual baths.

PREPARING FOR YOUR BATH AND SETTING INTENT

One of the first and most important steps you should take before taking your spiritual bath is setting your intent. Setting your intent is basically figuring out and knowing the reason why your doing something. I find that it helps to write it out on paper as I say it out loud. That way I am using multiple senses. I am using touch (writing), sight (reading), and hearing (my voice as I read).

You can draw your bath and expect healing results without knowing where to direct the healing energy. To get the best and most effective results, be sure to cleanse your space. Remove the clutter, get rid of any trash, and open the windows to let in fresh air. It may also be a great idea to shower before the bath, to be sure your body is open to new energy.

GATHERING YOUR NECESSITIES AND SETTING THE MOOD

The items you bring into the bathroom with you should all be there to support the intention you are focusing on. There are not set rules on what you should have or use during your spiritual baths.

One way to set the mood is by utilizing candles. Candles are great because they serve so many roles. They can be used in place of inorganic light, the aromas are extremely therapeutic, and create an ambience like no other.

You may also want to incorporate herbs and essential oils. You can choose ones for health or relaxation or that correspond to the intention you choose to set. There are tons of herbs you can use, it’s just the matter of picking the ones that suit your needs. In The Grimoire for the Green Witch, Ann Moura lists several herb blends to incorporate in your herbal spiritual baths:

FOR COMFORTING: Calendula (Marigold), Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Raspberry Leaves, Rosemary.

FOR ENERGY: Heather, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Savory.

FOR PEACE: Chamomile, Hops, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose.

FOR RELAXATION: Chamomile, Dianthus, Heather, Jasmine Flower, Lemon Balm.

Soothing: Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary.

FOR STRESS RELIEF: Chamomile, Dianthus, Lemon Balm.

Music is another component that I believe could really help bring in wanted energy. You could listen to meditation music, nature sounds, or your favorite songs. You can also use white noise machines, which are pretty unique on their own. Of course, be sure to keep all electronics away from the water because you can’t go into a spiritual bath creating additional problems for yourself.

Sea salt is another must have in my opinion. Sea salt is used to help draw out the impurities in the body, such as bacteria and other debris. When choosing you salts, be sure to pick the best quality, unprocessed salts. Normal table salt should be avoided because it takes out needed minerals, instead of drawing them in. 100% natural, raw and unrefined Himalayan Pink Sea Salt is wonderful.

COMBINING IT ALL AND DIVING IN DEEP

Now that you’ve cleansed your space, and gathered your intent and tools, it’s time to combine it all together. Step into the water filled with lovely scented herbs, sit down and begin to take that mental dive into the world of relaxation. If you are tense, this bath just won’t work for you. As the water rushes around the tub, imagine all of the negative energy being pulled from your body and your intentions being manifested. When you are settled in, take some time to pray and then be still and listen for God's response. When your bath is complete, release the water down the drain and envision all of that unwanted energy flowing away, and thank the universe for all it has done and will do for you.

This lesson was loosely adapted from an article by Star Wolf's Den.

why do so many “icarus and the sun” artworks and stories portray the sun as a woman? do y’all know who controlled the sun? apollo. icarus is gay as fuck, y’all.

☀️Sun Salts☀️

These salts are super easy to make and are good for any sun magic, an offering to solar deities, solar bath salts, cleansing, energy, positivity, healing, creativity, protection, and more 🌞

What you need-

🔆A mortar and pestle

🌼Sea salt

🍊Dried orange peel (and/or orange essential oil)

🌻Chamomile, marigold, sunflower, or any yellow petaled flower (dried)

🌾A dash of cinnamon powder

Instructions:

🔆Gather your ingredients

🔆Combine them one by one in a mortar and pestle until the salt changes color (yellow or orange) or until its powderized

🔆Let it charge in the sunlight (sunrise-sunset) with your favorite sun crystal

🔆store in an airtight bottle and enjoy!

Malibu Sunset

INGREDIENTS

 ice cubes

 3 to 4 ounces pineapple-orange juice (I use a blend rather than purchasing separate juices)

 2 ounces Malibu Coconut Rum

 grenadine, drizzled

 maraschino cherries, for garnishing

 pineapple and/or orange slices, for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

Add ice to glass.

Add juice, Malibu, and stir.

Drizzle in grenadine.

Garnish with cherries, pineapple, and/or orange slices.

Serve immediately.

Drink is intended for those whom alcohol consumption is appropriate. Always drink responsibly.

Apple Pie Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 cookies 1x

Category: Dessert

Method: Oven

Cuisine: American

Description

Apple Pie Cookies – sticky and chewy, bite-sized caramel apple pies. Sometimes the regular old apple pie recipe is just too much dessert to handle. These gooey bites bring you the best of both worlds: the fruity-caramel flavor of traditional pie, with all of the convenience of a simple cookie recipe! (No fork required!!!)

Ingredients

For Apple Pie Filling :

3 apples (about 1 lbs.)-peeled and sliced into 8 slices each

1–2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoon white sugar

3 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoon corn starch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

A dash of nutmeg

3/4 cup water

For Pie Crust :

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into cubes-chilled

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup ice water

(or you can use 1 package Refrigerated Pie Crust (2 crusts))

Filling and Topping:

1 and 3/4 cups apple pie filling-chopped into small pieces

1 cup caramel sauce

1 egg -lightly beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

To make Apple Pie Filling:

Toss sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.

In a saucepan or a pot combine cornstarch, sugar, browned sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat whisking constantly. Let it boil 2 minutes until thick, then stir in apple slices.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer about 10 minutes. Apples should be soft but not mushy (cooking time depend on sort of apples). Remove apples from heat and leave them covered to soften and cooled.

When it’s cooled take out the apples from the sauce and chop into small pieces, set aside.

To make Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl place flour, salt and sugar and mix to combine.

Using a pastry blender incorporate chilled butter cubes into the flour mixture(the mixture should resemble coarse meal)

Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the mixture and blend, repeat with another 2 tablespoons water. When you squeeze the dough it should holds together (you may have to add more water if the dough crumbles, add 1 tablespoon at a time)

Divide the dough into two equal pieces, flatten and form two disc, pack each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Lightly dust working surface with flour, place chilled dough, dust the dough and the rolling pin, too. Turn the dough as you rolling to prevent it from sticking. Roll it out 1/8-inch thick.

Repeat the process with the other disc.

Assembling the Apple Pie Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 F, line cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.

Spread the caramel sauce onto one pie crust.

Spread chopped apple pie filling over caramel and gently tap the filling with your palms.

Cut second pie crust into 1/2 inch strips and create a lattice top over the filling.

Using round cookie cutter (about 2.5 inch) cut out the cookies and place them onto baking sheet.

Beat the egg with a fork and brush the top of cookies.

Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the cookies generously.

Bake 20-30 minutes (until golden brown).