The Most Important Magical Care Tool In A Witches Arsenal: Grounding

Offerings: Why, and How?

There are some spirits and gods in the worlds that really must be approached with the correct offering, or will be very offended if you bring the wrong one. This post is not about them.

Thanks goes to @river-in-the-woods for help proofreading and providing additional perspectives

Spirit and deity work is a huge part of my deal, and therefore so are offerings. When I help people with various spirit issues or perform divination that suggests a spirit wants to contact them, I usually recommend giving offerings as a first step.

This usually creates a lot of questions, like:

I don’t want to worship them, so I’m not comfortable with offerings.

I only want to work with spirits I don’t need to pay.

What kind of offerings are OK? I can't afford to buy extra stuff right now.

I can’t have a shrine or leave food sitting out so it’s not possible for me to make offerings.

The reasons why offerings are given change from culture to culture, and situation to situation. I personally see offerings as being one of two things: good manners, or equivalent exchange.

How to do so comes after the saucy radio dialogue and the fairy tale.

Good Manners

Your grandma comes over. She was just on a 5 hour flight to come visit you. She comes in through the front door. You offer her some water and a snack.

Offering grandma water and a snack isn’t a form of worship or payment. It’s polite and respectful. It took her a lot of energy and effort to come and see you. Her well-being and comfort are important to you (in this hypothetical, of course).

When I drive 10 minutes to see my best friend, she always offers me tea. She’s not paying me for my friendship – she’s happy I came, she wants me to be comfortable, and it’s a sign of mutual respect. “I value your presence; I’ll offer you some tea.”

If my friend stopped offering me tea, I’d wonder if our relationship was doing OK – and if she explained to me she was out of money, or she’s doing a no-tea challenge, we’d be perfectly good.

But if you greet grandma empty-handed and say you don’t think it’s your job to provide her meals, the situation feels a little different. It feels to me as if grandma might not be as interested in making the trip to see you next time.

Equivalent Exchange

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I’m going to bury some stuff. I just did ritual and an important part is burying the remnants at the crossroad.”

“Right on, we’re the spirits of the crossroad, so you came to the right place.”

“Yeah, so you’ll be opening the gates of the four directions and delivering my spell to manifestation, right?”

“Sure, we can do that.”

“…”

“…”

“Are you going to, uh… pay us for that service?”

“I don’t see why I should.”

“But you need us to open the gates for you. We have to spend our own energy to do this work. I mean it’s not terribly difficult, but still.”

“Yeah, but I don’t see why that should be on me.”

“Not even a tip? Have you got some change in your pocket?”

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s fair to me to have to pay.”

“So you want us to work for free?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t care what it costs us to do this work for you, you just want to take the fruits of our services without regard for us?”

“Yes.”

“And we should do it because you feel it's unfair to have to pay us for our work?”

“You got it.”

“And if others told you that you must donate your labor to give them what they want because it's unfair to give you a wage, this would be…”

“A huge injustice. This is actually a major problem in my country right now. We are so underpaid for what is demanded of us that it really is hurting my mental health and wellbeing. You have no idea how hard it is to be exploited for someone else’s prosperity. I kind of feel like one day I might just go off grid and refuse to be a part of their system.”

The Quality of Offerings Are Relative

The fairy queen Medb was curious about the humans beyond the Greenwood, so she decided to meet them all, from the wealthiest noble to the poorest villager, and to give a gold coin to the kindest one. Before she left, she cloaked herself in a human disguise and dressed as if she were a hardworking seamstress.

First she went to the house of a rich farmer who owned herds of cattle. She knocked on the door and was greeted by the mistress of the house, Frau Hilda.

Medb said, “I am a traveler and the road has been long, may I have some water?”

Frau Hilda kindly invited Medb inside. She sat the queen down at her large, clean table in her warm and cozy kitchen. Frau Hilda went to the larder. Medb could see that her larder was overflowing enough with fine wine, cheeses, and sausages to serve an army. Frau and fetched two jugs of milk and two loaves of bread. One of the jugs of milk was thin, and the loaf of bread was dry. The second jug of milk was thick, as if it was pure cream, and the loaf of bread was hot and fresh.

“Here, have some milk and bread,” Frau Hilda said. “It is much better than water, and will restore you from your travels.” Frau Hilda poured a glass of each milk, and handed the queen the thin milk and old loaf. Frau Hilda herself drank the rich, delicious milk and ate the hot bread.

“This is much better than water, and I thank you for your kind generosity,” agreed Medb.

The two women spoke kindly and politely to each other. Medb learned about the wealth and prosperity of the farmer and his household. They spoke until Medb finished her thin milk and old bread. As she left, Medb thought to herself that the thin milk and old bread, although better than water, were the poorest things in the larder. She kept her gold coin to herself, and walked down the road.

The next day, Medb came upon the hovel of a poor woodcutter and his wife. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Frau Brunhild.

Medb said, “I am a traveler and the road has been long, may I have some water?”

Just like Frau Hilda, Frau Brunhild kindly invited Medb inside. Frau Brunhild’s kitchen was small and cramped. She went to her larder and Medb could see it was almost empty. It only held a bag of flour, a scrap of bread, and a jug of water.

Frau Brunhild brought out the water and bread. “I am sorry I don’t have any milk for you,” Frau Brunhild said. “But let us share in what little we have.”

Frau Brunhild poured Medb some water and gave her one-third of the bread. “We must save some for Mister Brunhild,” she explained.

“I thank you for your generosity,” said Medb. “You show kindness in sharing what you have.” The two women spoke kindly and politely to each other until they had eaten the bread and drank the water. As she left, Medb thought to herself that although it was only water and a little slice of bread, Frau Brunhild had truly offered the best in her larder.

Medb was so moved by this generosity that she returned to the hovel that night, and hid the gold coin in one of Frau Brunhild’s shoes, and after that the Brunhilds always had better prosperity and fortune.

No matter what you have, your best is your best. You do not need to over-spend, give away too much, or sacrifice your wellbeing to give respectful offerings to spirits. If the best you have is a glass of tap water, that is good enough.

What kinds of offerings can you give?

I’m copying this over from my neighborly protection post.

Food and Drink: Good offerings include things with strong tastes and smells, foods high in caloric value, milk, honey, all nuts, eggs, and seeds (things which contain the potential for life are very good offerings), all home cooked/baked foods, fresh water (an especially good offering), coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, and juices all make very fine offerings.

Perhaps tellingly, the finest or most necessary offering is simply a glass of fresh water (yes, it can be tap water).

Consumables: Incense and candles both make good offerings. Both should be burned. I am actually more wary of using real resins and herbal powders for spirit offerings, since the natural powers of these plants are released and may affect what I’m trying to do (or make it easier or harder for spirits to speak to me, or drive away spirits I’m trying to talk to, or draw in ones I don’t want to talk to). For these reasons I like to use stick or cone incense for offerings. It is the light and warmth from the candle which is enjoyed by spirits so it can be any type or color of candle.

Artwork, fake paper money, origami, and other burnable stuff can be dedicated (another way to think about this is to gift it to them) and then burned. The point is not destruction; the astral essence of these things is released so the spirits can possess them in their world.

Non-consumables: Coins are very common offerings. Small, delightful objects (especially shiny ones), like shells, little figurines, or toys often make good offerings. The act of devoting a ritual tool or vessel to a spirit can be an offering. Things which can be consumed (like cigars or paper art) don’t have to be burned and can be given as regular offerings also.

Energy: Your personal energy is a great offering. You don’t have to give a ton of it away. Try making an energy ball and sending it upwards and away, intending that it reach the spirit you want to give it to. I often like to pattern these gifts into an object, like an energy coin or energy apple.

How do you give physical stuff to a nonphysical being, though?

Lay out the offerings on a clean surface. It doesn’t have to be an altar or a shrine, although I suspect such consecrated places can make it easier for spirits to access and enjoy your offerings. It can be just like setting out a glass of water and half a sandwich for grandma.

Do something which indicates the offering is for the spirits or a specific being. My friend can make me a cup of tea, but if she just sets some tea down on the table and walks away, I’m not going to be sure it’s OK for me to drink it until she says, “this is your tea!”

What you do can be as simple as standing before the offering and saying or thinking, “This is for [names of spirits, or ‘the household spirits’, etc], please enjoy! I’ll come clean it up by noon, enjoy it before then.”

At a minimum I recommend leaving non-consumable offerings out for fifteen or thirty minutes. If it’s a candle or incense, they burn out when they burn out (you do not have to let large candles burn completely, but be careful of promising a candle as a gift to spirits, then going back on that promise and using it for something else). Energy offerings are given instantaneously and no waiting period is necessary.

Whenever you return to clean up the offering, it’s polite to say something like, “thank you for coming by, and I hope you enjoyed! It’s time for me to clean up now. Please return to your abodes; as you came in peace, leave as friends.” I personally like to affirm the purpose of giving an offering - that it’s because I want to be a good neighbor, I want to have solid relationships with the spirits around me, and that I hope we’re all going to be friends. I also like to affirm that although I invited them all to the offering, they should go home now - I wanted you for the BBQ but it’s like 9pm now and we’re going to bed, so you need to go home too.

I throw out food. I compost it if I can. Whether or not you can eat food already offered to spirits is a whole discussion and beliefs vary. My belief is that you shouldn’t eat it after it’s offered.

Other non-consumable objects can be buried if they’re nontoxic to the environment. They can be left on an altar or shrine, and cleared out on a regular basis (like once a full moon, or on holidays).

To Eat or Not to Eat?

I mentioned briefly above that I don’t believe you should eat offerings after they’ve been offered. This is a pretty complex topic that does merit discussion.

For example, I sometimes eat the offerings while they’re being offered. I have a close relationship with various spirits, and sometimes I invite them into my body to taste and experience the food and drink I eat.

The reason I don’t prefer to eat offerings after they’ve been offered is that my belief is that the metaphysical substance which supports us as living creatures has been removed and taken away from the spirits. I don’t believe the food would be harmful, but that it also wouldn’t be helpful. To me, throwing the food away isn't a waste because it already fulfilled its purpose.

However, tons of people believe that you should eat food and beverage offerings. This is in order to avoid waste (because after all, even if I say metaphysically the food served its purpose, I’m still throwing away totally edible food). I am advised that in Buddhism, offerings given to ancestors, buddhas, and bodhisattvas aren’t degraded at all, and you can safely eat and drink offerings afterwards (and not doing so would be wasteful). For buddhas and bodhisattvas offerings are just a sincere gesture; the ancestors do get nourishment from food offerings and they greatly benefit from it. Even so, food offered to ancestors is still perfectly wonderful to eat.

In other belief systems, some people think that eating offered food can actually make you sick, especially if it’s offered to the dead. This may be due to a metaphysical change in the food, or because the spirits don’t want to share.

Sometimes, whether or not food is eaten after being offered depends on the type of spirit or god it’s given to; chthonic entities often seem to frown upon their offerings being eaten or shared.

Some believe that food offerings shouldn’t be eaten but neither should they be trashed; they should be burned or buried.

Sometimes, dedicating a food or drink offering to a spirit is a way to bless it under their power. If I dedicate a glass of water to the Indweller of the Sun, it’s understood to be imbued with the virtues of the Sun. If I drink it, it becomes a form of equivalent exchange - I gave something to the Sun, it gave something to me, and this ritual action is completed when I consume the offering.

Given all these varieties of belief, it’s safe to say that you probably can’t go wrong. If you can’t or don’t want to waste food, or it isn’t counter-indicated by your path, eat food offerings.

If you’re especially nervous or worried about what might happen to you if you do eat them, then don’t. Or, avoid the problem altogether by just giving energy or incense offerings.

Energy Work 101: Basic Shielding

"Shielding" is an energy work technique that puts a protective sphere of energy around you. This technique is basic at its core, but can be continually evolved and upgraded to become very advanced and powerful indeed.

Concepts & Theory

Most all shields are spherical or egg-shaped.

Shields are often sized to be an outstretched arm's length away from your body, plus a foot (30cm) or so extra all around. You can make them any size you like. Because they are made of energy, the bigger they are, the more energy they take.

Shields fade away. Depending on how stable they are when you make them, they may fade within hours or days.

Shields can and will affect your mood and how people perceive you.

It is a good idea to practice dismantling/undoing shields as often as you practice creating them.

While the most basic shield is a bubble of white light, they can be endlessly modified.

You can have more than one shield at once. They can be stacked concentrically. Think about which shields you want to be closer to you and which you want on the outside next to others.

One of the most useful ways to modify a shield is to specifically choose what kinds of energies you want to bet let in, and what kinds you want to keep out.

The basic technique used for energy shielding can also be used for other techniques such as glamours, energy cleansing, object charging, and some forms self-care. Because of this, shielding is a good place to start practicing practical energy work.

Shielding is a cousin of aura-imprinting. The technique I am talking about here puts a bubble of energy on the outside of your aura. Aura-imprinting/strengthening techniques refer to changing your aura itself.

Methods of Shield-Raising

There are as many methods to accomplish shielding as there are people. Here are a couple:

1. Make one hand into a fist and place it over your heart. Place your other palm on top of it. Gently push down on your chest to create pressure - not so much that it hurts. Imagine, feel, believe, or know that within your chest is a wellspring of energy. This energy pools around your fist as you create pressure there. When you are ready, move your fist away from your body (experiment with both fast and slow motions). Imagine, feel, believe, or know that an energy sphere grows from that place in your chest and expands until it surrounds you. It stops expanding about a foot away from your outstretched arms.

2. Breathe in. As you breathe in, consider that you are pulling pure energy out of the air and into your body. Hold your breath for a beat and decide that when you exhale, that pure energy is going to start forming a sphere around your body. As you exhale, imagine, feel, believe, intend, or know that this energy flows around you to start forming an energy shell. Continue breathing in and out with intent until you can easily imagine, feel, or believe that the shell has become solid and complete.

3. Consider a pop-culture method that a character uses to shield themselves. Steven Universe can do that rose quartz thing, for example. Or, imagine Captain Picard of Star Trek saying, "shields up!" and the Enterprise being surrounded by powerful protective energy. Copying a pop-culture technique can be extremely effective for shielding. Put your intent towards causing real power to flow, and let culture be your guide.

4. Consider that your body is permanently connected to your environment and there is always free energy exchange passing between you and the world around you. This process is automatic, but like your breath, you have the ability to take control of this process if you so choose. Feel the parts of you making contact with the world below (your feet, or bottoms of your legs if you are sitting). Decide, intend, choose, or will that the energy passing into your body at those points will instead rise up and surround you in a shield. You may need to actively stay with this process and continually will it to occur; with practice you may need to only check in every now and then.

A Method of Shield-Dissolving

1. Consider that you have placed energy around yourself which exists there whether or not you can feel it. Decide, intend, choose, or will that this energy breaks up and dissolves. You get to choose what to do with the energy. Options include:

Drawing it back into yourself

Pushing it down into the earth

Releasing it into the air around you

Would you like to do a fun experiment? Release the energy into the air around you in a closed room with no open doors or windows :)

Consider drawing energy back into yourself until you feel your storage containers are full, then pushing the rest of it downwards and into the earth.

Basic Shield Programming

For practice in raising and putting down energy, the form or shape your shield takes doesn't really matter. If you need to know what form it will take in order to complete the exercise, the most basic shield is considered to be a smooth bubble of white light; you can choose to practice with any form you like.

Programming a shield basically means to choose its effects. Common effects include limiting emotional intake from others, and blocking out environmental energy.

Form should follow function. If you want an energy shield to totally completely block out 100 of environmental energies, its form may take an opaque, solid black orb. If you want the shield to limit some energies but not others, it may take the form of a chain-link fence, be semi-opaque, or be like vines with gaps-inbetween them.

Experimenting with what forms work best for you is worthwhile. You do not necessarily need to choose a specific form: simply putting willpower behind your intent will also suffice.

Two Methods of Programming

I recommend trying the first technique for initially creating the shield, and the second technique for making adjustments once it exists.

1. Choose the intent of your shield before you even begin making it. As you begin gathering power, hold your intent in the forefront of your mind. Understand, believe, or know that the shield will not be created in general, but that it will be created within the specifications of your intent, like pancake batter poured into a cookie cutter mold. Hold your intent at the forefront of your mind while energy is gathered and released into the shield. (This is what you're doing automatically if you choose a pop culture technique with specific shield purpose and form)

2. Create a general/basic shield in any way you prefer. Observe, believe, feel, understand, or know that this basic shield is under your control and will respond to your intent. Select an intent. Pour your intent into the existing shield. This may be done through the vehicle of the breath, hand symbols, eye gazes, chanting, or any desired method. Observe, believe, feel, understand, or know that the shield responds to your will like a pond rippling when a rock is thrown in. Maintain your focus until you sense the work is complete, or until you're tired or bored.

Hellenic Resources Masterpost {Last Updated 11.28.15}

Hey guys! :D I answered a bunch of questions regarding Hellenic deities, so I thought I would make a post linking to them all ^_^ 

Beginner Help

How Do I Know When A Deity is Interested in Me? What if they Aren’t?

Tips on Getting Started

How to Introduce Yourself

What’s hair wrapping/veiling, and why is it something some Hellenic Polytheists do? 

How did you personally begin worshiping your deities? Do you have any tips regarding some of them?

How can I connect to a god/goddess that I am beginning to worship?

How Can I Do Rituals When I Live in a Loud Home?

How can I worship deities if I am a secret polytheist? (includes advice specifically for Athena and Artemis as well) 

I’m having a hard time getting my words out to introduce myself to the deity I want to worship. Have any tips?

Sacred Locations for the Main Twelve Olympians

How Can I Discover My Religion/Deities?

I’m Anxious About Introducing Myself. Any Tips?

Playlists I’ve Made So Far

Offerings/Devotion

Do you know of any offerings that would work for almost any deity?

Can I throw away offerings that aren’t nature-friendly? If so, how can I do that respectfully? 

How can I learn to write poetry that I can give to the gods as offerings?

How can I give offerings without burning them? 

Types of Books to Read to the Gods

Do I have to Read Aloud When Reading to my Deities?

I Told Someone That I am a Hellenic Polytheist and They Aren’t Taking it Seriously.

What Are Some Ways I Can Show my Devotion?

How Can I pay More Attention to my Deity?

How did you know your deity asked you to do Hairbinding/veiling? 

DIY Devotional Prayer Beads

Epithets of the Gods 

General Offerings

How Do You Use Prayer Beads?

DIY Freeverse Devotional Poem

How I Make Offerings At Lunch

Shrines/Altars

I want to maintain an altar, but I don’t have a lot of space. Do you have any ideas?

How do you maintain an altar in secret?

How can I use my body as a shrine?

Autumn Shrine Decor

Receiving Sings/Communication

What Are Some Steps I Should Take to Communicate With a Deity?

How can I communicate with Deities?

How Do You Scry To Communicate With a Deity?

~Specific Deities ~

Aphrodite

I’m depressed. Can I still work with Aphrodite? & How can I know what god/goddess is trying to get my attention if I am bad at picking up on signs?

I have self-harm scars. Will Aphrodite be displeased by me? Can I still use my body as an altar?

How should I make an altar to Aphrodite/make an altar for any deity?

Offering Ideas, Shrine Ideas, and Resources for Athena and Aphrodite

Aphrodite Devotional Day Ideas

Aphrodite Walking Shrine Ideas

Aphrodite Offering Ideas

Connecting During Everyday Tasks 

Apollo

Offerings for Apollo and Selene, altar ideas, and resources

Apollo Masterpost

Apollo Walking Shrine Ideas

Apollo Worship/Tips for New Worshippers

Connecting During Everyday Tasks

Ares

Offerings for Ares and Morpheus and resources

Ares and Hermes Walking Shrine Ideas

Artemis

Is there a difference between Selene and Artemis?

Altar ideas and resources for Artemis

To Anyone Interested in Artemis, read this tip from an Anon :)

Artemis Links

Walking Shrine Ideas for Artemis

Morning Worship Ideas for Persephone and Artemis (Separated)

Small Ways to Connect

Athena

Offering Ideas, Shrine Ideas, and Resources for Athena and Aphrodite

Body Altar Ideas for Athena

Devotion Ritual

Small Ways to Connect

Ananke/Morai

Do you Have Any Ideas on How to Honour Ananke or the Moirai?

Tips for Beginning Work With the Moiria

Demeter

How can I approach Demeter?

Demeter Resources

Small Ways to Connect

Dionysus

Cheap and Discreet Shrine Ideas for Hades/Persephone and Dionysus

Eos

How should I worship Eos?

Gaia

Gaia Shrine Ideas

Resources

Hades

Secret shrine to Persephone and Hades

Hades Tea Offering Ideas

How can I introduce myself to Hades and Persephone?

How can I use my body as an altar to Hades & Persephone?

Hades/Persephone Masterpost

Do I Have to Introduce Myself to Hades Before Becoming a Devotee?

Cheap and Discreet Shrine Ideas for Hades/Persephone and Dionysus

Is Hades the Devil?

Tips for Incoming Worshipers

Shrine Ideas

Tips For New Worshipers II

Worship Dates/Festivals

Small Ways to Connect

Devotion Ritual for Hades and Persephone

Hecate

Hecate Resources

Hecate Shrine ideas and Resources

More Hecate Resources

How Can I Worship Hecate?

Hera

Hera Resources and Shrine Ideas

Small Ways to Connect

Hermes

What are some arcane-ish symbols/things Hermes is related to?

Ares and Hermes Walking Shrine Ideas

Connecting During Everyday Tasks

Hestia

Hestia Offerings, Resources, and Shrine Ideas

Hestia Worship

Resources

Connecting During Everyday Tasks

Morpheus

Offerings for Ares and Morpheus and resources

Small Ways to Connect

Nyx

Nyx Resources

Shrine Ideas for Nyx

Nyx Worship Ideas

Nyx Walking Shrine Ideas

Offering Ideas

Pan

Pan Offerings and Resources

Persephone

Can you tell me about Persephone? How should I introduce myself to her?

What should I put on my altar to Persephone?

Secret shrine to Persephone and Hades

How can I introduce myself to Hades and Persephone?

How can I use my body as an altar to Hades & Persephone?

Hades/Persephone Masterpost

Cheap and Discreet Shrine Ideas for Hades/Persephone and Dionysus

How Can I Worship Persephone in Everyday Life?

Tips for Incoming Worshipers

Morning Worship Ideas for Persephone and Artemis (Separated)

Small Ways to Connect

Devotion Ritual for Hades and Persephone

Poseidon

Poseidon resources, acts of devotion, shrine ideas, etc.

Small Way to Connect

Selene

Is there a difference between Selene and Artemis?

Offerings for Apollo and Selene, altar ideas, and resources

Zeus

I want to begin working with Zeus. How should I get started, and what are some tips or pointers you have?

Cheap and Discreet Shrine Ideas for Zeus

Devotional Acts for Zeus

I Want to Connect With Zeus. Any Advice or Tips?

Some Zeus Resources and Worship Ideas

Zeus Masterpost

Walking Shrine Ideas for Zeus

Small Ways to Connect

~ Tips for Hellenic Polytheist Who Have No Money ~ By: Me, a Hellenic Polytheist With No Money

Offerings

Shrine Decor

My Take on the Underworld/Afterlife **Opinion and Personal Research**

Elysium/Getting There

Fields of Asphodel

Resources

Recreating Hairstyles { Soloontherocks }

What’s Miasma? { Royalautumnfrost }

How Can Men Veil/How Was it Done in Ancient Greece? { songbirdspells }

Good Websites to Learn About the Gods { shipping-the-gods }

Introduction to the Underworld { Waterspeak }

Hellenic Terminology Page { baringtheaegis }

Honouring the Nymphai { Bayoread }

Sacred Animals of the Gods  { thewhisperingmountain }

What Even is Hellenic Polytheism? What are Some Good Links to Read When First Getting Started? { Royalautumnfrost }

How to Make a Libation { Bayoread }

Do the Gods Always Respond? What Does it Mean When A Bond I have Already Formed Doesn’t Seem to Be Active Suddenly? { Pomegranateandivy }

More About Getting Started { thepaganstudygrouppage }

Hellenic Veiling Ideas/Tutorials/Inspiration {Shipping-the-gods }

Fasting Tips { baringtheaegis }

Masterpost of Pagan E-Shrines { Hellenicappalachia }

Ritual in Hellenismos { @mythologyrules​ }

Pillars of Hellenismos   { @mythologyrules​ }

Pillars of Hellenismos { @soloontherocks }

Finding Your Ritual Calendar { @hearthfirehandworks​ }

How to Make an Offering { Bayoread }

Building Your Worship { @pomegranateandivy​ }

Pomegranateandivy’s Hellenic FAQ { @pomegranateandivy​ }

How to Write a Prayer { @hearthfirehandworks​ }

Love Spell for Couples

To solidify, strengthen, or show gratitude for your relationship

Materials:

3 small taper candles: 2 red (love, sensuality) or 2 pink (love, compassion) & 1 white (purity, or open for whatever other correspondence you’d like)

Rose oil

Red, pink, or white thread

Votive holder

Sugar

Wine: see here for type correspondences. Alternatively, share a non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.

Candle adhesive. Alternatively you can drip some melted candle wax onto the bottom of the votive holder and place the candle bottoms in it, holding them upright while the wax dries

Steps:

Annoint your red or pink candles with rose oil by placing 3 drops on each of you and your partner’s hands and rubbing them together, gradually warming up your hands.

When they feel warm, roll 1 red candle between each of your hands until it feels evenly coated.

Tie the 3 candles together and stick them to the votive holder.

Fill the dish with sugar.

Light the candles and enjoy your wine! Use this time to deepen your bond with each other, share as if it’s a first date or turn your knowledge of each other into a friendly quiz.

Complete the spell by allowing the candles to burn down entirely

Witch Tip

the-eye.eu is a huge public database that has countless free PDFs of all sorts of occultist books and grimoires. Go forth and read.

Art by DannyLaiLai

GRIMTALK - Week 9

GRIMTALK is a weekly snapshot of my personal Grimoire as it progresses each week and this week on GRIMTALK is a Vehicle Protection Spell Bag and a Vehicle Protection sigil.

Placed in the glove compartment of your car or vehicle, this spell bag is designed to prevent your car from breaking down, getting stuck in traffic or getting in a car accident.

Find a small leather pouch with a tie or drawstring and either paint or stitch the sigil below onto the bag:

This sigil was inspired by @thesigilworkshop ‘s “My friends and loved ones are protected and secure” sigil however I adapted it so that it means “My friends and loved ones are protected and secure while traveling in this vehicle”

Then fill the leather pouch with protective stones, herbs and other items from the lists below:

Stones/Crystals: Chalcedony (prevents accidents while traveling); Garnet (protects against theft); Red Jasper (protection); Yellow Jasper (clears the mind); Brown Jasper (aids in concentration).

Herbs: Acorns/Oak (general protection and prevention from getting lost); Comfrey Roots (protection while traveling and protection against theft); Wormwood (protection against accidents); Feverfew (protection against accidents and protection while traveling); Nutmeg (good luck while traveling).

Other Elements: Cat Hair (watchfulness, intuitiveness and safe travel at night); Bells (alertness); Rock Salt (general protection); Iron (strength and protection against mal-intent); Safe Travels Coin Charm (see page 8); Crossroad Dirt; Asphalt Chips; Dirt from the side of a Highway or Freeway.

To see any of the previous weekly photos, check out the GRIMTALK page!

For this Strawberry Full Moon on June, you can still make great spells during these weekend.  Spells about friendship are ideal! (it can also be about breaking them, or making new ones) but this one here is about blessing a friendship.  It´s important to make it in the nights close to the time of the full moon, wether its before or after, when the  moon is at its brightest and use only candles as source of light.

You will need Dill Powder, 5 things that you both like (it can be between a large group of friends too), and rope or a thread.

First make a circle with the rope and start placing the things around it (not inside) , then spread the dill powder all over them. Once its done, each of the involved have to say why the friendship is important to them.

In the end , both say how long you wish your friendship to last and blow the candles out.