Why Witchcraft Might Not Be Working For You

via darkwoodenpath

Cuddle up in the rain mood board

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.

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“Crow is the messenger of the middle world. Crow belongs to Old Woman as the trickster witch-hag lost in the ancient woods. Crows are creatures of the daytime and scavengers eating the leftovers of hunters and warriors. Crows are not of death and darkness (though they follow it closely for scraps), but are tricksters, humour, curiosity, family, and fellowship. Crows are reflections and shadows of we humans. They are territorial guardians and watchers for the other creatures of the earth warning of dangers, predators, bad weather, outsiders, bad luck, and misfortunes. This is where their bad reputation comes from, but they’re just trying to help. Crow is the messenger of the creatures and spirits of the middle world; of the animals, plants, wights, and elemental forces all around us every day.”

— Sarah Anne Lawless

OVER HER

Five years ago....

Without even thinking the phone was out of his hands and smashing against the wall.  Axel hated the effect his ex-wife still had on him, almost 10 years after their divorce. He had tried to be there even after everything she put him through, all the pain, all the grief. It didn't matter because he knew she was grieving more than he was, her pain was far worse than his. The person she was in love with had actually died, while it only felt like the woman he was in love with was dead. He guessed in a way she was dead. 

The words the day she had left still rang in his head over and over, he knew the reason he couldn't really ever let himself love anyone was because of Gianna. She was still the one in his heart, his gypsy rose for his whole life. Yet she never loved him the way he loved her, he knew that but he couldn't let her go no matter how hard he had tried. This is why she still got under her skin so badly, oh how he hated and loved her at the same damn time.  

Surely he had to know by now, 10 years after their divorce, after all the abuse at her hands that the woman hated him. Gia had played with his love for her at first, once his murder trial proved he was innocent. She used his good heart to get what she could out of him. Of course, he took care of her, he still did to this day. He let her manipulate him to get what she wanted, he paid for her hospital bills. He even paid for the lavish funeral for her lover that was murdered the night she was shot. 

He headed down to his workshop, taking their old wedding bands with him. He got his smelter ready to melt down the precious metals. He knew that as long as he held on to these he would hold onto Gia and what he thought they had. He worked to pull the diamonds from the metal of the rings. Placing them into a safe place he dropped all three rings into the smelter, watching as they began to dissolve into a puddle of white liquid. He had loved her for a very long time, but it was time to let it all go... time to let her go. 

Pendulums 🧵

Disclaimer This is all based on my research, experiences & opinion. 

Introduction  I got sent an ask referring to pendulums & although I use pendulums & have made a post before it was quite short & poorly written so here we are again with a new one! 

Defining & Acquiring A Pendulum 

What is a pendulum?  The mundane definition of a pendulum is-  “A weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward, especially a rod with a weight at the end that regulates the mechanism of a clock.” While this is simply the mundane definition, it gives you a good idea of an object or creation that might qualify as a pendulum. From a witchcraft perspective, a pendulum is a small item that hangs from a string/thread/chain that can be used for divination. 

Why use a pendulum? Many forms of divination require a bit of in depth analysis & aren’t very useful for simply or yes/no questions while a pendulum is perfect for this. It is also fairly simple, beginner friendly, closet witch friendly, cheap & portable! 

Where do I get a pendulum?  I got mine at a shop that specializes in crystal jewelry but you can make a pendulum, use a necklace, or buy them at crystal, metaphysical, or witchy/pagan supply shops. 

How do I make one?  You can make a pendulum out of really any small object and a string/thread/chain. A common way to make one easily is by using a needle on a thread. There a lot of options though depending on what you have access to, how much time you want it to take, how much knowledge you have & how witchy you want it to look. If you want to make a pendulum that is anything but simple then google pictures! 

Where can I get a pendulum? | How do I pick?  If you would like to buy a pendulum instead of make one there are a wide variety of things people use to make pendulums but a common one is crystals. Mine is opalite! The type of crystal or other material the pendulum is made out of will correspond with the uses the pendulum has. Ex: a rose quartz pendulum is good for questions relating to love. Other materials may carry correspondences too, such as wood or metal. 

How do I use a pendulum? 

Cleansing & Charging  As you do with all items you intend to use for witchcraft, cleanse the pendulum before you use it! You can also choose to charge it, especially if its crystal but this isn’t as deeply essential as cleansing. 

Method Selection  You can either ask the pendulum to “show you yes/no/ect” and watch/record the way it swings or use a pendulum board (good idea to google one so you get a better idea what I’m referring to.) A pendulum board has “yes/no/ect” written on it and you hold the pendulum above it. It swings & its answers are indicated by the board below. I have always used the first method personally but it’s entirely up to you! 

Basic Question  Now that you’re prepared, ask the pendulum several questions you already know the answers to. You could also chose to interview the pendulum as you would other divination tools such as a tarot deck. This is entirely up to you though. 

Practice  Practice makes perfect! If you want to get used to using a pendulum, practice a lot. Ask it diverse questions & record your results! 

Tips & Reminders 

Pendulums are best used for yes/no questions. 

If you can’t come up with a question, think of something that’s been troubling you & how you can turn that into a question. This also works with other forms of divination. 

If you use the method where you ask the pendulum to “show you” yes or no, it is advised you don’t just ask it to show this on the first reading & record results but ask it before each reading. Some pendulums are consistent, some are not. Some witches are consistent, some are not. 

I hope this helped you or you learned something!  Enjoy!  Have a lovely day 💖

green correspondences

i’ve made a list of all kinds of correspondences you can find in nature and in the supermarket, based on the book The Green Witch ☆

♡ WOODS

APPLE — life, longevity, fertility, fairies, the otherworld, afterlife, creativity, love, healing, harmony

ASH — water, strength, intellect, willpower, protection, justice, balance, harmony, skill, travel, weather, wisdom

BIRCH — cleansing, protection, purification, associated with children

CEDAR — healing, spirituality, purification, protection, prosperity, harmony

ELDER — protection, prosperity, healing

HAWTHORNE — fertility, harmony, happiness, the otherworld, fairies, protection

HAZEL — luck, fertility, protection, wishes

HONEYSUCKLE — psychic awareness, harmony, healing, prosperity, happiness

MAPLE — love, prosperity, life and health, abundance

OAK — defense, thunder, strength, courage, healing, longevity, protection, good fortune, fertility

PINE — cleansing, purification, healing, clarity of mind, prosperity, protection from evil

POPLAR — prosperity, communication, exorcism, purification

ROWAN — improving psychic powers, divination, healing, protection from evil, peace, creativity, success, change, transformation

WILLOW — moon, water, love, tranquility, harmony, protection, healing

WITCH HAZEL — protection, healing, peace

YEW — death, spirits, the otherworld

♡ FLOWERS 

CARNATION — protection, strength, energy, luck, healing

DAFFODIL — love, fertility, luck

DAISY — love, hope, innocence, associated with children

GARDENIA — love, harmony, healing, peace

GERANIUM — protection, fertility, love, healing, courage

HYACINTH — love, happiness, protection

IRIS — purification, blessing, wisdom, peace, harmony, love

JASMINE — moon, feminine energy, love, meditation, spirituality, harmony, prosperity

LAVENDER — relaxation, sleep, peace, harmony, tranquility, love, purification, healing

LILAC — protection, banishing negative energy

LILY — protection, death and afterlife, rebirth, cycles

LILY OF THE VALLEY — concentration, mental ability, happiness

PANSY — divination, communication, happiness, love

POPPY — tranquility, fertility, prosperity, love, sleep, invisibility

ROSE — healing, divination, tranquility, harmony, love, psychic ability, spirituality, protection

SNAPDRAGON — protection, illusion, deception, reflect negative energy

SUNFLOWER — sun, happiness, success, health, abundance

TULIP — prosperity, abundance, protection, love, happiness

VIOLET —  peace, hope, harmony, protection, luck, love, sleep, tranquility, fertility, abundance

♡ HERBS

ALLSPICE — prosperity, increasing energy, love, healing, luck

ANGELICA —protection, purification

BASIL — prosperity, success, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquility, love

BAY — success, wisdom, divination, making a wish

CHAMOMILE — prosperity, peace, healing, harmony, happiness

CALENDULA — happiness, prosperity, love, psychic powers, harmony

CINNAMON — energy (booster), money, success, action, healing, protection, love, prosperity, purification

CARAWAY — anti-theft, health, mental abilities, protection, fidelity

CLOVE — protection, purification, mental abilities, healing

COMFREY — health, healing, protection, travel, prosperity

DILL — good fortune, tranquility, prosperity, lust, protection

GINGER — energy (booster), kick-starter for love, finances, success

MAJORAM — happiness, protection, love, joy, family

MINT — prosperity, joy, fertility, purification, love, success

MUGWORT — prophetic dreams, divination, relaxation, tranquility, protection, banishing, consecration

NUTMEG —psychic abilities, happiness, love, money, health

OREGANO — love, courage, action

PARSLEY — power, strength, lust, purification, prosperity

ROSEMARY —protection, improving memory, wisdom, health, healing

SAGE —purification, protection, anxiety, wisdom, health, long life

VERBENA —divination, protection, inspiration, abundance, love, peace, tranquility, healing, prosperity, artistic skill, reversal of negativity

YARROW — courage, healing, love

♡ FRUITS

APPLE — health, longevity, love

CHERRY — love

PEAR — health, properity, love

ORANGE — joy, health, purification

LEMON — purification, protection, health

LIME — happiness, purification, healing

GRAPE — properity, fertility

KIWI — fertility, love

BANANA — fertility, strength

MANGO — spirituality, happiness

PEACH — spirituality, fertility, love, harmony

PINEAPPLE — prosperity, luck, protection

PLUM — love, tranquility

MELONS — love, peace

STRAWBERRY — love, peace, happiness, luck

RASPBERRY — strength, courage, healing

BLUEBERRY — tranquility, peace, protection, prosperity

BLACKBERRY — prosperity, protection, abundance

CRANBERRY — protection, healing

♡ VEGGIES

GARLIC — healing, protection, banishing, purification

ONION — protection, exorcism, healing, prosperity

LETTUCE — fertility, peace, harmony, love, protection

CARROTS — fertility, health

PEAS — love, abundance

CUCUMBER — fertility, healing, harmony

POTATOES — fertility, protection, abundance

CELERY — love, tranquility, concentration

SQUASH — abundance, harmony

MUSHROOM — strength, courage, healing, protection

LEEK — protection, harmony

CAULIFLOWER — protection, prosperity

BROCCOLI — protection, abundance

BEANS — love, family, protection

CABBAGE — protection, prosperity

TOMATO — protection, love

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!