A spell to help someone realize that they are just being incredibly dumb.

Ingredients:

A sigil to represent your target

A sigil to represent wisdom

A sigil to represent regret

An indigo candle

Sage incense

Steps:

Carve the sigils into the candle

Light the candle

Use the candle to light the incense while saying  “You have chosen a selfish path, learn your wrongs, and face guilt’s wrath.”  Three times.

Blow out the candle.

Also!  I hit 100 followers this week!  That’s amazing, I honestly didn’t think I would.  I’m celebrating with a Q and A, Start sending in your questions and I’ll answer them all on Monday.

A lot of us get started with the practice when we’re in our edgy teen stages and are looking to get back at our middle school bullies.  It never takes long for us to do our research and quickly get more sucked into the craft as a whole, and we forget about the curse we wanted to cast.

That being said curses and hexes are a part of magic, although they really shouldn’t be used without good cause.  Most people who know about curses use their knowledge for detecting and breaking curses.  That being said, we can’t ignore an aspect just because we don’t like it, or because it can be harmful, rather we need to share what information we have, and help each other think through what we’re doing before we hurt someone.

I imagine a lot of beginners would hear this and ask “Why not use curses, some people deserve it?”  The simplest answer is because you shouldn’t use magic to solve all your problems and if someone truly deserves it, I’d recommend non-magical means to help them get what they deserve.  Another good reason is because odds are, whatever you do will come back to bite you.  This can be called karma, but I hear it more often called the threefold rule, which basically states whatever you do will come back to you three times over.  So even if you’re casting a curse on someone who truly deserves it, are you prepared for the consequences?

If you find you absolutely must curse some one, then I’d stick to the idea of “confuse, don’t abuse.”  Which is to say, mess with them for sure, but don’t actually hurt them.  Some ways I’ve seen this put in practice is a curse to keep someone away from another person.  I’ve used such a spell to help my friend avoid an abusive ex (note: never cast a spell that effects someone you know without their permission, it’s just rude.)  Another way I’ve seen a curse done is to try and help someone realize what they’re doing wrong.  I wrote a spell that I titled “You’re a dumbass” and have used only when I see someone doing things that are clearly wrong from and outside perspective, but they can’t seem to see it.  This is without a doubt a curse, but one that’s not especially harmful, and I was prepared for my own flash of perspectives as a consequence when I used it.

Now we’re to the end of my rant when I put the “manly” spin on things.  In this case I have very little spinning to do, curses are unisex, as are their consequences.  What I will say for the more masculine is a warning.  Generally when we’re raised in a more masculine in environment we’re taught to keep our emotions inside and bottled up.  This can quickly be something we lose control over, which can lead to unintentional curses fueled entirely by our own anger.  The solution here is simple, don’t hide your emotions.  All emotions are healthy to express, including negative ones; If you have an issue with someone, talk to them about it.  The problem you thought could only be solved with a curse may just be a miscommunication that spiraled out of control (yes that is speaking from experience).

That finishes up my ramble on enchantments.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi! 

Let’s talk about: Enchantments

Enchantments are probably one of my favorite kinds of magic to practice.  The basic idea of an enchantment is to imbue an object with a certain type of energy so that it either attracts the same energy, or repels the wrong kind of energy.  Energy work is a huge thing in my personal practice so I’ve done this a lot in a lot of different ways.

To me there are essentially two types of enchantments: Active and passive.  Active enchantments are something you’ve actively put energy and intention into, something that’s actively enchanted will have a clear purpose, such as a protection charm.  Passive enchantments are things that have been around a certain type of energy that they carry it with them, sometimes needing be recharged if it’s away from its source for a long time.

When it comes to the act of enchanting things, there’s no wrong way to do it, as with all types of witchcraft.  When I actively enchant things, it’s usually at my altar, with candles lit, and an offering made to whichever of my gods I’m asking to bless my object with their energy.  If I’m using my own energy then it’ll often be by meditating on the energy I want and passing the object through the smoke of an incense I put together to represent my intention.  An example of this is a signet ring I wear; I enchanted the ring to represent my armor and keep me protected, while also binding the symbol on it to be a sigil that I use to represent myself.  For passive enchantment, it’s not really something that can be done on purpose, for example I wear a necklace that was given to me by my fiancee over three years ago, and I’ve taken off only about 5 times since then.  Since it came to me from an act of love and has been there for almost the entirety of our relationship I know it’s absorbed that energy and has become a love talisman.

When it comes to trying to make enchantments more manly it mostly comes down to choice of object.  Enchanting a hat, a knife, or something else that you have on you the majority of the time is a good choice if you need the thing to work a lot, and enchanting a special tie or cuff links if it’s something you need at only certain times.  Ultimately all that matters is what you need and you have available, again there’s no wrong way to do it.

That finishes up my ramble on enchantments.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!           

Let’s talk about: Incantations

Incantations, sometimes known as magic words, are probably one of the most famous types of a spell, and with good reason.  We often picture some kind of chant to help summon whatever magic powers we want to use at the time.  I love incantations in my spells, both because I am dramatic and live for ominous chants, and because incantations are a great place for a little poetry which I also love.

When it comes to the how to of incantations there’s very little to say beyond “do what comes naturally”.  Incantations can be long drawn out chants in verse, they can be a quick quip in latin saying what you want to do, they can be a single word that you made up for the specific spell you’re working on, or anything in between.  The greatest importance for incantations is your intent.

No matter what you’re saying, what language it’s in, or how many times you repeat it the incantation won’t work if you’re not clear on what you’re doing.  That’s why intent matters so much in all spells, it’s so very important to know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and have it firmly in your mind before you begin, beyond that the only rules are what feels right and what has meaning to you.

Now for the most part incantations are a wonderfully unisex way to practice, but I’m sure there’s someone in the world saying, “Poetry, what guy is caught dead doing poetry?”  My response to that is a simple list of gods who have poetry included in their domain: Odin, Angus Og, and Apollo.  I’m sure there are more, but I don’t know who they are. It’s also worth pointing out that King David was an accomplished poet and wrote the psalms.

That brings my ramble on incantations to a close.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!  

Glamours are probably one of most used kind of spells when it comes to daily life.  The idea of a glamour was a spell that was used to change your appearance.  It was rarely meant for more than accenting what was already there, although in some stories could be cast as disguises.  These spells were always illusions, and could often be seen through with a magic implement, or looking close enough.

Glamours in modern magic focus a lot more on accenting or hiding different accents of yourself, in much the same way one would contour or grow a beard if they didn’t like the shape of their cheekbones.  Most glamour spells have a focus of either a mirror where you focus on what you want people to see, or something you put on that will work like talisman for your glamour.

Most of the glamour spells I see focus around make up, which for more masculine witches tends to just leave us confused on what to do.  When I do glamours I typically will do a garment with my intention (that one special tie enchanted to accent my confidence and leadership at business meetings), or my razor.  The very ritual act of shaving for me is a daily glamour I do with out really even meaning to.  Remember you’re all beautiful, handsome, what ever adjective helps you feel good about yourself, glamours are just to show the rest of the world what you already have.

That finishes up my ramble on Glamours.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!    

For rejuvenating baths

Ingredients:

Blue candles, red candles, black candles

Black tea, lavender, rosemary 

Process:

As you draw the bath, light the candles where you can see them from inside the tub

In whatever form you wish (I recommend in a sachet) add the tea, lavender, and rosemary

As you get into the bath recite this incantation:
“As I sink into the pit
May I rejuvenate where I sit
To emerge healthy, cleansed, and fit”

Repeat as needed and enjoy for as long as you feel you should

Let’s talk about: Bath spells

Bath spells are very common for witches today, and with good reason.  Who doesn’t love a nice relaxing bath, and using candles and herbs to set the mood has been done for years.  Like a lot of magic the main difference between a bath spell and a bath with candles and good smells is intent.  I’ve heard of a dozen ways to do bath spells, mostly involving putting different herbs in the bath to enhance it.  This is something you can either do loose in the bath, as a sachet, or as an incense burned nearby; I’m a fan of the sachet method for myself, just for the ease of clean up.

Adding candles and stones around the edge of the bath can also be a great way to bring magic to your soak, but of course if you’re doing anything with fire always put your safety first.  If you can’t place a candle safely on the edge of your bath, a nearby counter top with line of sight can work just as well.

Now you’re probably saying, “Hey! You promised us a masculine witch blog, baths aren’t very manly”.  To which I can only say, “So?”  While it’s true that baths don’t fall under the typical view of masculinity that doesn’t mean they should be avoided,  I like to use baths to loosen my muscles up after tough workouts, or meditate in a relaxing environment.  

That being said, here’s a few ways to make your bath spells more manly:

1. Take a shower instead of a bath, you won’t be able to enjoy it for nearly as long, but if you put your herbs in a sachet and hang it from the shower head you’ll get a similar experience.

2. Use scents that you consider more masculine, I don’t use scented candles often but when I do my favorite scent is tobacco; basically what I’m saying is you don’t have to come out of a bath smelling like flowers if you don’t want to.

3. Drink beer or whiskey while you bathe, obviously don’t do this one if you’re underage, but I find a nice rye while I’m soaking is a wonderful way to get me to relax and let the spell do its job.

4. Listen to a podcast, a lot of people recommend music to relax in a bath, but I always find I don’t like any of the usual “relaxing” music because it’s too slow; instead I’ll listen to gaming podcasts.

5. If none of those are masculine enough for you then I recommend this: Don’t bathe alone, you won’t get much magic done, but a soak with a partner never fails to relax me.

That finishes up my ramble on bath magic.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!  

Modern witches can be anyone

This is a fact we’ve all know for a long time.  Anyone who practices in anyway is ultimately a witch, as long as they’re comfortable with the title.  When I first started my practice I avoided calling myself a witch, since I felt it was too feminine of a title for the kind of person I am.  After some meditation and talk with other witches of the world I saw how the term is meant to be used and started my journey on the path of the masculine witch.

My journey started in college when I first discovered the Celtic gods and the druidic practices that they were associated with.  I felt an immediate connection, and after many weeks of research and soul searching I decided to become a Celtic Druid, somewhat to the dismay of my parents.  It wasn’t long after that that I was writing my first spells and crafting my first sigils.

At first I was extremely rigid in my practices; I followed spells to the letter and used formulas to write anything of my own.  While this was great for me to learn as a beginner, it ultimately left me limited in what I did with my practice.  It wasn’t until I finally broke a mold that I saw the possibilities.  The first time I did anything completely original was when I learned how to meditate while I sparred.  I had been inspired by Star Wars: Knight’s of the Old republic’s  concept of a battle meditation and did it literally as I fought.

This led me down many rabbit holes as I found my personal best way to practice.  I made my first altar at which I pray daily, I joined my first traditional martial arts school since middle school to train my body, and I started exploring the fandoms I loved for things to bring into my daily life and practice.

Today that has turned me into the person writing this blog:  I practice Celtic Druidry using Chang Quan Kung Fu for active meditation, while trying to live my life in a way that fits my Mandalorian values.  This might not be the best way for everyone to practice, but it is for me, and I hope my sharing it here will give other people the jumping off point they need.