Books And Resources (Paganism, Witchcraft And More)

Creating and Using Planetary Pentacles

(Part one of the Talismans, Pentacles, and Sigils series)

The Greater Key of Solomon contains numerous planetary pentacles for use in magickal operations. When properly constructed they are quite potent and require little additional input from the magician aside from periodic maintenance making them an excellent method of low energy spell casting. Rather than reproducing all of the pentacles here, please refer to this excerpt from the Greater Key before beginning. 

Construction

Choose a pentacle appropriate for your working. In general Saturn pentacles deal with destruction and baneful magick, Jupiter with wealth and protection, Mars with war and domination, Sun with spirit control and status, Venus with love and emotional/sexual domination, Mercury with knowledge and acquisition, and the Moon with freedom, divination, and water. Note that these are not hard and fast classifications and the realm of influence for each planet varies widely so choose your pentacle carefully to ensure you receive the greatest effects. 

Gather your materials. Traditionally pentacles were engraved on a disk of metal corresponding to the planet however this is a huge pain in the ass as well as expensive and toxic in many cases. Using metal is not strictly necessary though if you plan keeping it around for long term use, it can be beneficial. Paper works perfectly well and I suspect other materials would also be adequate so feel free to get creative. You will also need a Bible and a means of calculating the planetary hours (please see the “planetary correspondences” and “calculating the planetary hours” sections below for more information). 

On the day and hour associated with your planet (day and hour of Jupiter etc), draw the pentacle in an appropriately colored ink. While it may be tempting to print out your pentacle, avoid doing so because the process of drawing it by hand is the majority of the casting method. It doesn’t matter how the end product looks - a shitty pentacle will work just as well as a beautiful one, it’s the process that matters. You may start later than the planetary hour or finish drawing after the planetary hour has concluded but take care not to start early otherwise your pentacle will not be infused with the correct planetary energies. If you plan on drawing pentacles regularly, a compass and ruler will make your life much easier. 

Casting - this is the easy part. During the correct day and planetary hour, light some incense and hold the pentacle over it while reciting Psalms 8, 21, 27, 29, 32, 51, 72, and 134. Next read the Bible verse associated with your pentacle over it. If your pentacle has any special instructions (such as the 6th pentacle of the Moon), do them now. Using the correct hour is more important than the day so you can fudge this if necessary but it will not function as reliably. 

You’re done! If you want to keep it around feel free to though I personally find that paper pentacles are only good for one or two uses or as a component of a planetary talisman.

Calculating the Planetary Hours

Every day is ruled by one of the classical planets and each hour of the day is also ruled by a planet. These combinations of planetary day and hour can serve to either strengthen or weaken the planets effects depending on how the two interact with each other which in turn effects the outcome of planetary-based spellwork. For example Saturn (the great malefic) and Jupiter (the great benefic)  don’t play well together so curses cast on the day of Saturn in the hour of Jupiter will be weaker than normal or may not function at all. Conversely, Saturn and Mars serve to strengthen each other so a curse could be made more aggressive by casting during the day of Saturn, hour of Mars. The nitty-gritty of choosing the correct combination of planetary day and hour is outside the scope of this post so for our purposes we will be focusing on matching day and hour as this is when the planet’s influence is strongest. 

Planetary hours are calculated from sunrise to sunset and from sunset to sunrise so though they are based off a 24 hour cycle, they are not one hour long nor does their duration and starting time stay consistent throughout the year. Instead the time between sunrise and sunset is divided into 12 equal parts as are the hours between sunset and sunrise. Each day begins on it’s ruling planet - the first hour of Sunday is the hour of the sun, the first hour of monday is the hour of the moon, and so forth. The following chart is useful for illustrating the procession of the hours but remember: these are not the times in which the planetary hour occurs 

Quite frankly, manually determining the planetary hour is a pain in the ass. The good news is there is literally no reason whatsoever to do this by hand (unless you’re a masochist I guess). There are a number of programs, apps, and websites that will determine them for you based on your geographic location. ChronosXP is a good option for Windows and there are numerous free apps in the Android and iOS stores.  This is a good option for those of you who prefer to use your browser. 

Planetary Correspondences

Sun - gold, yellow, Sunday

1st Pentacle - “Behold His face and form by Whom all things were made, and Whom all creatures obey.”

2nd Pentacle - Angels: Shemeshiel, Paimoniah, Rekhodiah, Malkhiel

3rd Pentacle - Daniel 4:34

4th Pentacle - Psalm 13:3-4

5th Pentacle - Psalm 91:11-12

6th Pentacle - Psalm 69:23, Psalm 135:16

7th Pentacle - Psalm 116:16-17

Moon - silver, silver, Monday

1st Pentacle - Psalm 107:16

2nd Pentacle - Psalm 56:11

3rd Pentacle - Psalm 40:13

4th Pentacle- “Let them be confounded who persecute me, and let me not be confounded; let them fear, and not I.”

5th Pentacle - Psalm 68:1

6th Pentacle - Genesis 7:11-12

Mars - iron, red, Tuesday

1st Pentacle- Angels: Madimiel, Bartzachiah, Eschiel, Ithuriel

2nd Pentacle - John 1:4

3rd Pentacle - Psalm 77:13

4th Pentacle - Psalm 110:5

5th Pentacle - Psalm 91:13

6th Pentacle - Psalm 37:15

7th Pentacle - Psalm 105:32-33

Mercury - mercury, mixed colors, orange, Wednesday

1st Pentacle - Spirits: Yekahel, Agiel

2nd Pentacle - Spirits: Boel and other Spirits

3rd Pentacle- Angels: Kokaviel, Gheoriah, Savaniah, Chokmahiel

4th Pentacle - “Wisdom and virtue are in his house, and the Knowledge of all things remaineth with him for ever.”

5th Pentacle- Psalm 24:7

Jupiter - tin, blue, Thursday

1st Pentacle - Angels: Netoniel, Devichiah, Tzedeqiah, Parasiel

2nd Pentacle- Psalm 112:3

3rd Pentacle- Psalm 125:1

4th Pentacle- Psalm 112:3

5th Pentacle- Ezekiel 1:1

6th Pentacle- Psalm 22:16-17

7th Pentacle- Psalm 113:7

Venus - copper, green, Friday

1st Pentacle - Angels: Nogahiel, Acheliah, Socodiah (or Socohiah), Nangariel

2nd Pentacle - Canticles 8:6

3rd Pentacle - Genesis 1:28

4th Pentacle - Genesis 2:23-24

5th Pentacle - Psalm 22:14

Saturn - lead, black, Saturday

1st Pentacle - Psalm 72:9

2nd Pentacle- Psalm 72:8

3rd Pentacle- Angels: Omeliel, Anachiel, Araughiah, Anazachia

4th Pentacle- Deuteronomy 6:4, Psalm 109:18

5th Pentacle- Deuteronomy 10:17

6th Pentacle- “Set thou a wicked one to be ruler over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand.”

7th Pentacle- Psalm 18:7

For an explanation of the meaning of the symbols contained in the pentacles, please see SonofBel’s excellent post on the subject

Celebrate Midsummer

Outside:

Collect Herbs and Flowers

Make Sun Tea

Build a bonfire

Have a sunrise or sunset picnic 

Sunbathe

Leave out honey offerings for the Fae

Cleanse and charge your magical items under the sun

Watch the sun set on the longest day of the year

In the Home:

Let in as much sunlight as you can

Make crystal or botanical suncatchers

Burn incense of sandalwood, frankincense, rose or myrrh

Try fire divination, or scrying with the flames 

Make pressed flower candles

In the Kitchen:

Make Honey Mead Bread

Eat a spread of fresh summer fruits and vegetables

Make Midsummer Mead

Brew Chamomile Tea

Bake Pumpernickel bread

Make fruit & herb infused water

In the Bath:

Soak in a golden honey bath

Scatter sunflowers through your bathwater

Bathe around fiery solar colored candles

Treat yourself to a chamomile Tea Bath

On your Altar:

Represent the sun using colors of yellow, orange or gold

Incorporate solar imagery

Decorate with green stones like jade or emerald

Try decorating with woods of oak and pine

Use golden candle holders and decorations

Incorporate dried or fresh picked herbs

Crescent Moon and Venus

i’ve written before about how uncomfortable it is being Jewish in most witchcraft/magic/occult spaces, but right now i’m feeling it particularly acutely as i try to navigate this queer & trans witchy renaissance we seem to be having (which is, i think, a direct response to the terror & loss of control we all feel in 2017 - magic has always been about resistance & survival to me & a lot of other people)

i’m tired. i’m scared a lot of the time. i want community & inspiration to help keep me going, so i reach for something like a zine that bills itself as an inclusive mix of queer & trans voices on witchcraft, resistance, activism - because it’s a group of marginalized folks, i (maybe foolishly) have this expectation of seeing myself in it, or of the editors being conscious of the many forms of cultural appropriation that happen in these spaces & working to educate about them

but what i’m finding, over and over, is two things: the first is that despite the fact that we exist in greater numbers than i’d ever have expected, there are no Jewish voices in any of the witchcraft-focused publications (indie or otherwise) i’ve ever encountered. the second thing, that cultural appropriation of Judaism & other forms of pervasive anti-semitism DO exist in these publications, just makes the lack of Jewish perspectives more glaring

so in the interest of being direct, here are a few things the queer & trans witchcraft community (i’d like to ask the ENTIRE witchcraft community, but i am speaking to people with whom i share something right now) can do & think about to help:

include us. if you didn’t think that any Jewish folks were involved in witchy communities, ask yourself why! is it because you thought Judaism was a religion only? or incompatible with ideas about magic? Judaism is an ethnicity & a culture - or more truthfully, a group of ethnicities & cultures - with long & complex histories of magic, mysticism & folklore. some of it is considered traditionally “kosher” & some of it isn’t! our relationships to that are individual, fascinating, & worth being shared!

stop throwing around the words “Abrahamic” & “Judeo-Christian” - especially when you want to talk about cultural values or historical oppression. 9 times out of 10, you just mean Christianity. yes, we share some text, but we have VERY different relationships to it. plus, if you’re talking specifically about the persecution of people believed to be witches, that’s the history of Jews being murdered by Christians. honestly just do us a favor & remove “Judeo-Christian” from your vocabulary, there’s almost no context where it’s an accurate description of anything.

educate yourself about appropriation. i should never have to see someone mention “practicing Kabbalah” in a zine that includes no Jewish people. our mysticism is connected to our culture, our history, our faith - not only do you have no business taking it, what could it possibly mean to you without its context? 

understand that anti-semitism runs deeper than current appropriation - if you engage at all with any Western occultist or “ceremonial magic” literature or practice, you need to learn its history. what does it mean that the 15th century grimoire you’re drawing inspiration from contains Hebrew & calls itself Solomonic, but has no actual connection to Jewish people? what does it mean that the person who created the most iconic image of Baphomet, something beloved by a lot of queer & trans witches for being androgynous, gave himself a fake Hebrew name? i’m not asking you to throw all of these concepts & traditions out entirely - i have something of a love/hate relationship with ceremonial occultism myself, i collect vintage & antique things related to it & some of it is really interesting - but please at the very least educate yourself about it. specifically, educate yourself about how medieval Jews were treated while non-Jewish occultists were incorporating (often misunderstood or mangled) Jewish mysticism, language & folk practices into their frameworks. 

if you’ve stayed with me this far, i appreciate it - i know this post is long & that confronting this stuff can be difficult, but i urge you to do some reading & listening before you push back. i’m writing this because i want to see things change - i want to see communities where people connect meaningfully to their own heritages & participate in actual cultural exchange & learning based in equity & mutual support. 

i’m speaking to my own experience, but all of this goes for ANY marginalized culture/tradition being “drawn from” in witchcraft communities without actually including members of said culture. 

many of us got involved in witchy things because we felt locked out of mainstream religious practice due to a mix of oppressions - let’s not replicate that in our own spaces.

As a Tarot reader….

1. What expectations do I hold for my self?

2. What special qualities do I possess that are unique to me?

3. Where do my strengths lie?

4. What holds me back from reaching my true potential?

5. What aspect of myself do I need to develop more fully?

6. How I can best connect to others through Tarot

7. How I can strengthen the bond I have with my Tarot cards.

8. A message from my Tarot cards/ A word of advice

🌱 • Herb Magick 101 • 🌱

Herb Magick is one of the oldest types of magick on Earth. It can be traced back to the early history of almost every ancient culture, and much evidence exists suggesting that herbal magick even existed in prehistory.

Put simply, herbal magick is the practice of utilizing the spiritual energy of non-living plant matter. It should not be confused with plant magick - which is utilizing the energy of living plants - or with herbalism - which is utilizing herbs for medicinal healing.

Every species of plant contains a unique type of energy, and using specific herbs (on their own or in combination) allows you to add specific energy to your spells.

In modern witchcraft, herbs can often be thought of as “ingredients” or “flavorings” to a spell. They’re not needed, but they add spice (buh dum tchhh 🥁).

Herbs are amazing because they’re so versatile. The most common ways of using herbs are in tinctures/potions (boiling herbs in water like a tea), in oils (extracting the essential oils from herbs by soaking them in base oils like almond oil or olive oil), in incense (burning the herbs on a candle or on charcoal), in candles (dressing candles with herbs to charge them), and in sachets (carrying the herb with you in a small bag). There are so many more techniques than these, too, and it’s up to you to decide how you like to work with herbs. Their uses are endless, though, and their energy will go wherever you place the herb, so sprinkle with caution!

Some Commonly Used Herbs:

• Sage - for cleansing

• Rosemary - for beauty, femininity, and empowerment

• Chamomile - for sleep, calm, and dreams

• Wormwood - for communicating with the dead and strengthening psychic powers

• Lavender - for calming and releasing

• Vervain - for binding, blessing, and tapping into the energy of the Goddess

• Dandelion - for luck and wishing

• Rose - for love and beauty

• Cinnamon - for good vibes and enticing spirits

• Apple - for abundance

• Cannabis - for detaching the Ego and elevating vibration

Some Herbs to be Cautious of:

• Belladona/Nightshade - poisonous - used for death, dreams, psychic powers, mind control, transformation, and certain types of astral projection

• Henbane/Wolfsbane/Aconite - poisonous - used for uncrossing and reversing

• Arnica - irritant - used for protection and regeneration

• Pokeroot - poisonous - used for aggressive purification

• Vervain - moderately poisonous

• Apple Seeds - poisonous in large amounts - used for tapping into nature energy

• Wormwood - mildly poisonous/hallucinogenic

• Many others so do your research!!!!!

Never ingest anything unless you absolutely know what you’re doing. I repeat, do extensive research!!

There are literally hundreds of types of herbs; study up, and practice!

Happy witching! 🕉

PS: I’ll be creating an herb master post soon, and I’ll update this post with the link when it’s ready.

Moon Sign and Pain

Aries: An Aries moon will tough out there pain, and not open up about it. They try to keep it hidden from others, even if it sometimes explodes out. Some may think they do it because people fear that they are weak, they really do it to appear brave. When they show and feel their emotions (especially related to pain), it’s really intense, and sometimes off putting to other people, so they try and put up a front, but sometimes they eventually snap and lay everything out on the line. They really feel their emotions strongly, even if they don’t want to admit it. An Aries moon will feel their pain very strongly for a while, and then once it’s felt, they can snap back into their normal selves.

Taurus: A Taurus moon never forgets. If you cross them and cause them pain, they will remember it for a long time. So it’s very hard to be forgiven by them once you’ve done something wrong. A Taurus moon is usually very collected, and they don’t have emotional outbursts when they feel hurt. They will try to do something productive to keep their mind off of the pain, they really try to avoid feeling pain. A Taurus moon is very stubborn, and will often not admit when they are hurting (even to themselves). All that can cause a build up of negative emotions, that when finally felt can really get them down. 

Gemini: A Gemini moon will be passive aggressive about their pain. Sometimes they will take their pain out on someone else, or if someone caused them pain they will be cold and cruel to them. One moment they will say that they feel nothing (everything’s fine) and the next their world is crumbling and they feel awful. It takes time for a Gemini moon to process their pain, and to overcome their rationality. It’s hard for them to not be rational, but sometimes being hurt isn’t rational, and a developed Gemini moon can realize this. It takes a lot to make a Gemini moon cry, but when it does happen, they feel embarrassed an want to retreat. 

Cancer: Cancer moons are known for being in touch with their feelings. However, when it comes to pain they are very sensitive. Some may say that they have mood swings, but in reality they are just very sensitive to pain in general, and are empathetic to other’s pain as well. They may hide their pain behind their hard shell and act like nothing bothers them, but on the inside they are soft and falling apart. They really just want someone to listen to them when they feel hurt and to fix whatever is causing the pain. They are very good nurturers, and that includes self-nurturing as well. They learned from a very young age how sensitive to pain they are, so they got really good at dealing with pain as well.

Leo: So it really depends on if they receive pain in a public or private setting. In public, Leo moons will put on a show and stuff their pain away, so that they can continue to appear fine. However, they will remember what happened later and ruminate on it, so they will eventually confront it. If it happens in private there seems to be a theme of dramatics. They feel greatly, and love hard, so when that is compromised their inner world gets shattered. They can cry very loudly at home (or when alone), secretly hoping that someone will hear them and comfort them. It takes a lot for a Leo moon to forgive once their trust is broken, and a lot of pain can come from people they trust the most.

Virgo: Virgo moons try to hide their pain and save face 24/7. They want to pretend that they aren’t sensitive to other people’s actions, because that just wouldn’t make sense to them. In reality a Virgo moon cares a lot and once they experience pain from someone they care about, they will carry a deep hurt within them. When they are alone they can allow themselves to cry, but that usually just ends with them feeling worse about themselves. Sometimes their pain stems from self-esteem issues, and feelings not in control. Virgo moons want to fix other people and their problems, but they often sacrifice their own selves doing so.

Libra: Their relationships with others and the destruction of those said relationships can cause great pain to Libra moons. It’s hard for to hide their pain, but they usually put it off in public. They are an intellectual air sign, but their pain can become overwhelming which often leads to them trying to channel that pain into something else, whether it be poetry, fashion, or even scrolling on tumblr and pinterest to try and forget about everything. Don’t be fooled though, they are usually very rational people. Libra moons love to be social, and they put a lot of effort in their relationships with others. Actually, a lot of their self-worth stems from their relationships. So abuse or maltreatment (being taken advantage of) by someone they care deeply about can be absolutely devastating, and is often the source of their true pain.

Scorpio: Much like Aries, Scorpio moons have an emotional intensity so when a Scorpio moon feels pain it can be a very passionate experience. When they feel like someone has caused them pain, they want revenge, even if it is just a little part of them wanting it (they won’t admit this though). They want the other person to feel what they have felt. A Scorpio moon’s sting is one of the worst to be felt. While these deep emotional people also have very kind hearts, they are not to be trifled with. A Scorpio moon feels their pain profoundly and they don’t usually cry in front of others. When they are alone or in the shower, then they can fully let out their cries, but until then they hold a bold face. They are warriors, and they can deal with a great amount of pain, but they never forget their pain and how it made them who they aim today.

Sagittarius: Finding the good in everything, or at least finding some meaning in a painful experience, is what Sagittarius moons are all about. Yes, they know that everyone will face pain, but they see it from a more philosophical point of view, and try to find at least some point to it all. When there was no point in their pain, they can become despondent and lose their enthusiasm for a little bit. Pain for them is more of a journey. To feel, process, and to find use for it. For example, my sister in law who is a Sag moon channeled her pain and depression into Buddhism. This is not to say that they do not face pain, they do and it can be crushing. They have a horrible occurrence of going from great happiness to great pain, and that can be very confusing for a person. However, Sag moons can draw wisdom from their experiences and even use it to help someone else. 

Capricorn: Ah, here is one of the placements where people hide their pain from others the most. The truth is that this is a true sensitive spot for the moon, and they really feel deeply. However, they have trouble expressing this and until they really trust someone, they will not let anyone else in to see their pain. Often this placement has people who struggle with emotional pain: feeling like they aren’t good enough, like they won’t ever achieve their goals, being melancholy, and more. They usually have a tough skin, and much like Cancer, they are soft on the inside. They put so much responsibility on themselves, that they fall apart when something goes wrong. Or worse, they cannot help or provide for their loved ones. Their pain will linger, and it will stay with them for a long time, and they will often drawback on it in times of depression.

Aquarius: Here’s another tough skin placement. Aquarius moons are incredibly good at hiding their pain, and often they won’t feel much pain from basic insults or minor incidents. If they are close to someone, that’s a whole different story. They put a lot of weight into their loved ones, and when a loved one causes them pain, they immediately retreat heartbroken. Yet, it’s hard to know when an Aquarius moon is in pain because they will disappear and avoid people. In reality, they are alone processing their pain and letting themselves cry without letting another person know they had power over them or that they are sensitive. They tend to over intellectualize things, and that can cause them even more pain. They need to know that everyone is a little sensitive, and that no one will think they are weak if you explain to someone what was hurtful.

Pisces: Here is the sign where people will try to escape their pain, either by drinking, drugs, art, creativity, religion, or some other distracting form. They feel so much and they are hurt very easily. They are often empathetic and often act as the sponges for other people’s hurt. One can almost always tell when a Pisces moon is in pain because it seems to radiate. They sometimes let the wrong people in, and get taken advantage off because of that. Their pain can come from addiction, being taken advantage of, abuse or other mistreatment. They are truly kind people, but when the feel pain it seems to swallow them whole and it’s sometimes a battle to get past it. Pisces can however turn and be cold once they’ve been hurt. It will be a side no one recognized before, and they can turn into very mean people if they’ve been hurt long enough.

I will be posting excerpts

~10 Kinds Of Magical Books~

1. Book Of Shadows- A witch’s book of spells, rituals, personal feelings, etc. It is a general book for any metaphysical or religious information that you wish to put into it, among other things.

2.Bestiary- A sometimes hand-written encyclopedia or manual of mythological and magical creatures and beings, used for reference when you want to work with a non-human energy, or for general research. 

3.Grimoire- Usually filled with tables and charts, lists relating to astrological, numerical, and color correspondences; properties of crystals, herbs, trees, etc. Contains moon phase meanings and medicinal properties of plants- This one has an old-timey textbook feel to it, usually.

4.Book Of Mirrors- a special journal, where you ‘reflect’ on things going on in your day to day life, providing deep insights which are invaluable when you’re doing work regarding personal growth. Very helpful with developing personal spiritual philosophies.

5.Book Of Moons- A book entirely relating to the moon and it’s cycles, names of the moons of each month, their attributes and energies, dates of lunar eclipses as well as full moon dates of upcoming moons. Filled with vast knowledge of lunar attributes and special dates of red moons, blue moons, etc.

6.Dream Journal- Here you record the dreams you have in as much detail as you can remember, and some people draw images from their dream adventures in this book as well, since dreams use the language of symbolism and imagery. You interpret the meanings of your dreams in here too, if you wish. Dreams can help us get a glimpse into our subconscious and the more dreams you write the easier it becomes for you to remember them.

7. Book of Visions- A vision book is used with the law of attraction, it is a ‘vision board’ in book form. Put different images of things you want in life, be they experiences, physical items, money, health, etc, in the pages of the book. Open the book up to pictures of what you want to visualize having. Think of this as an on-the-go vision board, except with much more space as there are so many pages!

8.Book Of Positive Aspects- At the top of each page you write the name of a topic that you are unhappy with, like ‘the workplace’  for example. Below the topic title you begin listing all the positive aspects of the subject, and by the end of your list your emotions will be in a much better place regarding the topic. You can do a list a day or many in one sitting, it is a valuable tool for cultivating positive energy or for switching viewpoints on things that normally would upset you.

9.Gratitude Journal- A book where you write about EVERYTHING you are thankful and appreciative for in your life right now. You feel overwhelmed with love and positivity when writing in this book, which aids you in raising your vibration and frequency.

10. Book Of Intuitions- a psychic journal, it’s a book where all divination and psychic exercises are recorded, ranging from full tarot spreads, to tea leaf readings, even psychic impressions you pick up off people. It’s handy for tracking progress as well as for record keeping.