Spellbound-savvie - Witch Mom

“I get really angry at people who are mean to other people. Isn’t life hard enough without people making it worse for each other? I think the people who do, who set out to make others feel bad, feel bad and alone themselves and they don’t want to feel alone, so they make other people feel bad. So they’ll just feel bad but also maybe, not so alone.”

— Iain Thomas, How To Be Happy

Great for your digital book of shadows!

Part 2

Grounding & Centering

In my practice grounding and centering have been valuable tools to working magic and managing my energy and emotions. Centering is important to put you in the correct mind frame to perform spells and grounding aligns your energy with that of the Earth. 

For some, grounding and centering may be separate practices. However, in my practice they are one combined process. Some form of grounding and centering is often present in meditation, martial arts, and psychology. I personally use it to bring my awareness back to reality when I am feeling anxious or dissociating. 

The technique I use to ground and center is visualization. This involves using your mind to imagine things that are not normally visible. If you feel this process worsens your distress from psychosis, this method may not be for you. 

To begin grounding and centering, you can sit, stand, or lay, however feels comfortable to you. Some of the resting yoga positions can be beneficial for this. I recommend closing your eyes but it is not necessary if that feels uncomfortable for you. 

First, we center. Visualize your energy pooling within your body. What color is it? Pay attention to how far your energy extends. Is it within your body or does it radiate outwards? Extend your awareness to the bounds of your energy. Imagine that energy contracting and forming a sphere within your body.

Next, to ground, extend your awareness to the energy of the Earth. It can help if you are outside or on a ground floor but you can just as easily ground in an apartment building or high rise. Visualize waves of energy radiating from the center of the Earth. Allow them to pass through you. Begin shaping that energy towards you. Visualize your energy and the Earth’s energy combining. Maybe a beam of light connects your orb to the Earth. 

While doing all of this you should focus on breathing. If breathing deeply is uncomfortable for you, just breathe normally. But it is important to stay aware of your breath. This can also keep you focused.

If you find your attention drifting, just guide it back gently. The first handful of times you ground and center you may have difficulty keeping your attention. This is okay, it will get easier the more your practice. Forgive yourself for getting distracted and bring yourself back to the task at hand. 

After this process, you may feel more connected to the Earth or you may feel energy surging within you. You might feel a bit warm. Or maybe you will feel none of these things. It can be a different process for everyone. We all respond to magical energy differently. Note how you feel. 

You should now be prepared to do spellwork. Remember, that this can take practice.

Let me know about your experience or if you have any other tips for beginners!

(image from pixabay)

Moon Sign warnings

Aries Moon: control your jealousy and your possessiveness and you will have it all, but to control it first accept that there is this side to you, you can be the most loving person in the world but if you try to control your friends and lovers because of this love, it will only hurt everyone involved 

 Taurus Moon: consistency and tradition is nice, but changing things aren’t always going to hurt you, maybe you should try that new coffee shop your friends have been telling you to go to, your favorite old cafe will always be there, there’s nothing wrong with being careful but being too careful could stop you from becoming your best self 

 Gemini Moon: people may think you are just a meme who has no emotions at all, but you know that’s not all there is to you, you theorize your emotions and that’s completely fine, but talk to people, open up to others about how you are honestly feeling, even if you think they might not understand, because you may feel detached but those emotions are there and they can keep building up until you explode 

Cancer Moon: you are so smart but please get off your bed for once, leave your house, and talk to people, you don’t get to quietly observe everything, never making the first move to talk to others and then say you’re lonely and no one likes you, because you’re the one not giving people the chance to know you 

Leo Moon: you are special and you deserve everything, but accept that not everything is about you, work on being self-aware and how you come off to others because you must accept that you can be selfish, and in order to get the love you deserve, you have to be willing to return that love and attention 

Virgo Moon: you are so loving, but god stop being so nitpicky, yes you don’t want anything less than perfection but not everyone thinks the way you do and you need to accept that you can’t expect your loved ones to change for you, and you can’t always expect yourself to change either so stop being so damn hard on yourself, look at the situations you are in rationally and adopt a positive mindset, that may sound crazy but it will help so much 

Libra Moon: you are the sweetest thing in the world and you have amazing focus, but learn to be independent, learn to do things, to go places, to just enjoy life alone and it will take you so far, wanting to be around people is completely acceptable but by being able to regulate your need to be around people, by developing less emphasis on partnerships, you will grow so much

 Scorpio Moon: you are insane and you know this, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it, when your emotions drive you wild please turn to someone, talk to someone you trust and love, even if it seems like they can’t do anything for you a part of you appreciates having the company so stop self-sabotaging, but also figure out the roots to these feelings and accept that they’re there and really work on them, your emotions are intense but intense doesn’t have to be bad 

Sagittarius Moon: you are so worldly but you know you play favorites, and it’s completely understandable but be careful not to hurt others when you prioritize people, and you are so honest and it’s not for everyone, don’t inhibit yourself but remember some people are emotional and you can definitely be friends with emotional people, but you have to make the conscious effort to understand them 

Capricorn Moon: you are so mature, but you are also so immature and you need to understand that not everyone is against you, people aren’t always consciously deciding to misunderstand you or hurt you in any way, so try to see where your loved ones are coming from as well, be empathetic and understanding of others and you’ll go so far but first, stop thinking only of yourself 

Aquarius Moon: you are one of kind but you are so stubborn and in the long run, it’s not going to fly, because you are human and sometimes you are wrong, if you continue to think that you are always right, you won’t grow from your mistakes and you will not be your best self 

Pisces Moon: you are beautiful inside and out, but you need to learn to control your emotions and that while you are very kind, you aren’t always the victim, stop thinking that people are doing you wrong because that’s not always the case and you can lose so much because of this

🌄Sunrise Witchcraft🌄

☀️sunrise is the best time for: healing, positivity, happiness, anti-anxiety/depression, spirituality, self care/love, air magic, cleansing, soft energy/ positive energy amplifier, truth spells, protection, and peace

☀️sunrise associations: citrine, lemon, peaches, ginger, orange, morning dew, orange calcite, coffee, bergamot, lime, earl grey, mint, sage, cinnamon, grapefruit, morning glory, marigold, saffron, calendula, daylily, daisy, black tea, and frankincense

☀️tips and things to try:

🌞yoga (especially sun salutations!)

🌻sunbathe in the sunrise to cleanse and charge with positive energy

🌞if you can’t wake up before/during sunrise, just leave your window blinds open to help you wake up naturally and/or to charge in the sunlight while you’re sleeping

🌻this is a great time for tea and coffee magic

🌞this is a great time to charge stones, especially sun-sensitive stones. (Here’s a post on solar stones)

🌻listen to and charge with soft or acoustic music

🌞 spend some time outside, take some deep breaths of fresh air, enjoy the birds chirping, flowers, dew, fog, and the beautiful colors in the sky that sunrise brings

🌻charge some lemon juice in the sunrise for extra boost of cleansing, positivity, and happiness properties (to make it stronger you can infuse it with mint or grapefruit, which both have similar properties and correspond with sunrise)

🌞if you’re comfortable with it, leave an offering out for sunrise deities and dawn sprites & other sun fae

🌻sunrise is a spiritual time, it’s the perfect time for meditation, exploring spirituality, astral travel, etc.

🌞here’s my post on how to connect to the elements in the morning/dawn

☀️My sunrise recipes:

🍋Sunrise tea: (has cleansing, happiness, positivity, energy boost, and protection properties)

1 part grapefruit (be careful if you’re on medication) optional

1 part sage or basil (whichever you prefer, both work)

1 part lemon

1 part orange

1 part mint

1 part hibiscus

🍊Sunrise oil/diffuser blend: (helps you connect to the sunrise, and it’s energy. It has positivity, happiness, anti-depression/anxiety, glamour, cleansing, and love properties)

Bergamot

Grapefruit

Rosemary

Lime

🍑Dawn faeries/spirtes:

☀️What they’re like- human looking, lots of pinks (their skin as well as ‘clothes’), they love dancing during sunrise, waking up the animals and plants sweetly, happy attitude, gentle, they love dew, pink clouds, they have a soft yet sparkly pink glow (it feels warm but not hot), and can bring about peaceful and positive feelings

☀️Offerings- rose quartz!!!, grapefruit, pink chyroprase, pink roses, peaches, peach roses, peony, geranium, hibiscus, marigold

☀️Deities associated with sunrise- Eos, Aurora, Hemera, Alectrona, Neaera, Mitra, Saranyu

🛡 Warding 🛡

Disclaimer: This is all based on my research, path, opinion & experiences! Intro: I really was holding out on doing this post because it’s such a big, important topic to cover and I really don’t want to mess it up or get anything wrong. This post needs to be done though, people have asked if I have such a post and an anon suggested it. So finally, here it is.  - What Is Warding? Warding is a type of magick, it is the act of creating an energetic barrier around you, your home, an object, ect. They can be temporary or permanent, although typically they are cast with the long term in mind. They can banish or turn away whatever you choose. Warding is an excellent skill to have because it can keep you, and even others safe and with practice you can do it anytime with just about whatever you have on hand.  When Should I Ward? Whenever you want an energetic barrier around you, most people consistently ward their home, themselves or their place of practice. Some people even ward their space every time they prepare for a spell. It should be done consistently in any area you want protected, but exactly where and how often is entirely up to the practitioner.  What Should I Do Before? Cleanse, a ward is a barrier of energy and in the same way that it keeps things out it also keeps things in. You don’t want to trap anything inside of it. Cleanse yourself before you ward yourself. Cleanse your space before you ward your space!  Tips Before You Ward- Phrasing Keep the phrasing in mind! You don’t want to keep anything out that you want in, or let something in that you want out. If you’re chanting or using sigils ect keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out both in your methods and in your mind. Covering everything Make sure to cover everything, a ward is useless if there’s a weakness in it or if the ceiling & floor aren’t probably covered. Be super thorough!  Layering Your Wards One small little wimpy barrier? Ha, the spirits say as they scramble into your home to wreak havoc! You need to layer your wards, don’t just use one method one time, there’s no such thing as too much warding.  What Are Some Ways That I Can Ward? Now we’ll get right down to the methods you can use to ward yourself and your space! Remember that warding is important and needs to be effective, don’t try anything that you don’t have experience with for warding. At first, focus on the stuff you know. If you like sigils, use sigils at first and slowly work your way into using other more complex methods or methods that solely rely on your abilities. Circle Casting You cast a circle by summoning the four elements to protect & energize what is in the circle.  - Here’s my post about circles & how to cast them  Chanting/Speaking Come up with a protective chant you can use to ward your space. This chant could be someone else’s or your own as long as you feel it’s effective. Speak it aloud and visualize a layer of energy protecting your space.  Incense Burn a protective incense in the space you’d like to ward and visualize a barrier protecting your space. Athame Draw out the line of your ward with your athame, visualize the wall appearing, covering everything with a thick layer of energy.  Spraying Spray a mix of blessed/magickal waters and or herbs with protective properties in the space you want to ward.  Sigils Create a sigil using your favorite method with the intent to “ward” or “protect/protection.” Then charge and activate it as a layer of protection! Here’s my post on sigils if you’re interested in that: - Sigil Post Jar Spells You could mix up a jar spell for warding, set it in your house and forget it as a layer of warding.  - My protective jar spell post Anointment Anoint the doorways of your space, you could also anoint the ceiling, floor, walls, corners, honestly go for it.  Salt Sprinkle salt all around the edge of your home or space. Make sure to sprinkle salt on the INSIDE of your harm as salt can harm plants & wildlife if used outside. If you’d like to make a barrier on the outside of your home, you can use dried & crushed eggshells in place of salt. - Post on how to make eggshell powder here -  Hag stones Hag stones are stones with holes in them that have been corroded into the stone because of rushing water. It is believed rushing water is protective & cleansing so if you wear a stone that sat in it long enough to have parts corroded away, that the stone will maintain and keep those properties with it. It’s a great way to personally ward yourself, and an excuse to go out in nature.  They look like this! 

Energy Manipulation If you’ve got a knack for manipulating energy, you can create a barrier through work and visualization that surrounds yourself or your space. This isn’t recommended for beginners though! Links: - Horse Warding Charm By @anothersusurrus - House Warding Spritz Mixture By @seleneblackwell Both of these are great if you’re looking for specific spells, types of magick, correspondences, sigils, ect! - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 1 By @auricwitch - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 2 By @auricwitch Personal Wards Also remember not just to ward your space but yourself, if you layer your home with wards, what happens when you leave? Exactly. Keep yourself safe too! Circle casting & hag stones are great methods I mentioned above that are good for personal warding.  Can I Ward Specific Things And Not Others? Absolutely! I mentioned this in the phrasing section of this post, keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out when you’re warding. I like words like “negative” or “harmful” or “with ill intent” because they don’t necessarily keep out the Fae or positive/neutral spirits but it does keep out anything that wants to harm you in general. Just think about it ahead of time, find wording or a phrase you like and keep that in mind as you ward.  What If I Live With People? If you’re out of the broom closet, explain to your family/roommates what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and make sure they’re cool with it and are aware of what’s going on. If you’re not out of the broom closet, you may have to resort to only warding yourself/your room, & that’s okay!  I hope this helps someone or teaches them something new! Enjoy! Have a lovely day 💖

☀️Sun Meditations☀️

🌞Drawing in Sun Energy Meditation🌞:

This can be done right before any kind of Sun magic or working with Sun deities. It’s also a easy way to recharge your personal energies. If you’re tired and in need of an energy boost during the day use this exercise to recharge your energy levels. It’s also an excellent way to raise energy for any type of healing work

🌞If possible, sit outside in a sunny spot where you will not be disturbed or, if it’s cold outside, stand by a window where the Sun’s light can shine on you. Sit in a comfortable position.

🌞 Close your eyes. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Take 3 deep breaths in-and-out and allow your body to relax.

🌞Turn your hands palm up, raise them to the sky (if that’s comfortable, just resting them on your lap, palms open, works just as well). See the Sun’s energy streaming towards you, and then draw it between your hands until you hold a fiery, golden orb of light.

🌞Slowly lower your hands. As you do, see the Sun’s energy filling your body. See the Sun’s energy filling your head then lower your hands to your chest and see it filling your heart in the core of your being.

🌞Lower your hands again and see the Sun’s energy fill the lower part of your body, going down the soles of your feet. Repeat as many times as you wish.

🌍Grounding Sun Meditation☀️:

This meditation is my favorite way to ground. The sun and earth work in harmony to bring you balance and strength.

🌍 If possible, sit outside in a sunny spot where you will not be disturbed or, if it’s cold outside, stand by a window where the Sun’s light can shine on you. Sit in a comfortable position.

☀️Hold your hands palms up. See a ray of golden light shining on you. Concentrate on the light. Concentrate on emotions being felt and physical sensations. Feel or imagine its warmth on your skin.

🌍Take a deep breath, and as you do, see the sunlight filling you. Take 2 more deep breaths, or until you feel filled with sunlight.

☀️Now place your hands Palm down on the ground to either side of you. Imagine reaching down through the Earth - down, down to the fiery core of the planet.

🌍Take a deep breath and, pulling up the fires that are at the heart of the Earth, take 2 more deep breaths until you are filled with the fires of the Earth.

☀️Place your palms over your heart. See the golden sunlight in the fires at the core of the Earth mix and blend as they fill in circulate through your being.

☀️Say or think:

Fires above, fires below

Within, without I am whole

Source

Types of Witches PT. 1✨🌙

Green Witch 🌿

Loves nature and the earth 🌿

Works with trees, herbs, plants, and flowers 🌳

Usually enjoys hiking or trail walking 🍃

Skilled herbalist and makes herbal remedies 🌲

Enjoys gardening and/or wild-crafting 🌸

Loves animals and wildlife 🐿

Environmentally friendly ♻️

Attune with earth’s natural cycles 🌱

Has an apothecary full of herbs, roots and oils 🍄

Can have interest in the Fae 🧚🏼

Subcategories: Garden Witch, Flora Witch 🌷

Kitchen Witch 🥧

Loves cooking and baking 🍰

Incorporates magick into housekeeping 🧽

Loves working on the kitchen and around the home 🏡

Infuses magick and intent into every meal 🍝

Herbs and spices always! 🌿

Loving and maternal instincts 💕

Family oriented: the caregiver 👶🏼

Makes herbal remedies and potions 🍃

Tries to buy local, organic, and in season 🍯

Has a veggies/fruit and herb garden 🥬

Sea Witch 🐚

Loves being by any body of water 🌊

Loves bath rituals 🛁

Works with large bodies of water 💦

Feels relaxed when at the beach 🏖

Practices water-based magick and worship 🌧

Works with tons of salt 🧂

Uses sea shells, bones, seaweed, beach sand, etc 🐚

Enjoys thunderstorms ⛈

Worships sea deities/mermaids 🧜🏼‍♀️

Attune with the Moon’s cycles 🌙

Subcategories: Ice Witch, Water Witch 🌊

Crystal Witch 💎

Works with stones and crystals 💎

A branch of green witchcraft 🌿

Practices crystal healing ✨

Uses crystal ball to scry 🔮

Usually interested in reiki and energy work 🙌🏼

Books full of crystal properties 📚

Channels chakra balance 📿

Cleanses crystals regularly 🌬

Meditates frequently 🧘🏼‍♀️

Enjoys working with the Moon 🌙

Subcategories: Rock Witch, Earth Witch 🍃

Faerie Witch 🧚🏼

Communicates and works with faeries 💕

Skilled on properly approaching the fae, as they can be quite tricky 🧚🏼

Leaves offerings for the fae 🧚🏼‍♀️

Environmentally friendly ♻️

Enjoys plants such as rosemary and thyme 🌿

Often enjoys working with crystals 💎

Studies the fae and spirit lore ✨

Enjoys nature, especially forests and waterfalls 🌸

Usually believes in mythological creatures 🦄

Creates faerie gardens to attract them 🍄

Subcategories: Angelic Witch, Crystal Witch, Green Witch 🌳

Elemental Witch (Earth) 🌳

Works with the elements of earth 🌿

Zodiac Signs: Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn 💫

Grounds and centres easily 🍃

Usually interested in the fae and folklore 🍄

Works with plants, herbs, flowers, and trees 🌻

Creates natural remedies and medicines ☘️

Connects deeply with nature and animals 🌲

Enjoys working with crystals and stones 💎

Enjoys wild crafting and gardening 🌱

Eco-friendly ♻️

Subcategories: Green Witch, Garden Witch, Flora Witch, Crystal Witch, Swamp Witch, Forest Witch, Desert Witch 🌾

Hedge Witch 🍃

Not one consensus of a Hedge Witch 🌿

Usually hereditary or passed down 👵🏼

A solitary practitioner 🌳

Often Shamans, Healers, or Charmers 🌙

Practitioner of herbal arts - medicinal and spiritual 🌱

Communicates with spirits 👻

No two Hedge Witches are alike ✨

Deep respect and love for nature 🐿

The “doctor” of the village 👩🏼‍🔬

Always lived in the forest in the old days 🌲

Subcategories: Hereditary Witch, Earth Witch, Green Witch ☘️

Hereditary Witch 👵🏼

Exactly what it sounds like! 😇

Aspire to have children to pass on the craft 🤰🏼

Born into a family of witches 🤱🏼

Has nothing to do with bloodline ✨

Follows personal traditions of the family 👵🏼

Born and raised into witchcraft 🌙

Has a wise and skilled ancestor 💫

Very family oriented 👩‍👧‍👧

Taught magick from a young age 📚

Family grimoire passed down 📖

Subcategories: Hedge Witch, Granny Witch 🗝

Cosmic Witch 💫

Utilizes planetary and celestial energies ⭐️

Planetary alignments and positions, lunar cycles, days of the week, and planetary hours play a big role in their craft 🌛

Studies astrology and astronomy ✨

Usually believes in aliens 🛸

Includes meteors, super novas, black holes, galaxies, etc in crafting ☄️

Worships the planets themselves 🪐

Uses astrology as their form of divination 🔮

Often skilled at astral travel 🌝

Subcategories: Lunar Witch, Solar Witch 🌞

Witchcraft 101: Let's talk about cleansing, because no, it's not just sage

First and foremost, every single element has an ability to be used for cleansing and banishing.

Air: Used to literally "blow away" energy

Open your windows

Turn on a fan

Use your breath (there's a reason you sometimes snuff a candle and other times blow it out)

Water:

Running water over an object (make sure this object is safe to do that with, okay? Don't be like the raccoon with the cotton candy)

Ritual baths and showers

Washing/cleaning

Earth:

Salt (again, careful with where you put the salt, but still)

Plants can be used as protective barriers

Burying an object for a period of time before digging it back up and cleaning it off

Certain rocks and crystals

Fire:

To get the obvious out of the way - burning. This does not mean you should commit arson. This is more "burning photographs of past relationships" not "light your ex on fire"

Burning candles

Spirit:

Meditation

Self care as a priority

Cleaning your space regularly

Now, most common forms of cleansing do not use only a single element (especially fire, for obvious reasons). So here are some of the most common and easy ways to practice cleansing in a practical, everyday manner.

Smoke cleansing - combines air, fire, and earth. Practices by burning protective and banishing dried herbs, plants, incense, or wood.

Salt water - combines earth and water. Can be used in either ritual baths or on its own, spread near the borders of a space. But again, careful with where you put salt.

Crystal grid - combines earth and spirit. Create by placing protective crystals in each corner of a space.

Steam cleansing - combines air and water. Use essential oils if you so choose.

Ritual bath or shower - combines water, spirit, and if you want to add bath bombs, salt, or flower petals, earth.

Tea magic - combines water, earth, and (if you inhale the steam) air.

Literal cleaning rituals - combines spirit and any other elements you so choose. Do your laundry, clean your room, declutter what no longer serves you.