Put sand in first and then the water in the jar. (this represents the ocean.)
Burn your sigil in the flame and put the ashes into the shell you chose.
Then, swivel the ashes around in the shell and then pour the ashes into the jar.
Take your gull feather and fan the flame with it towards the direction jar (carefully) while chanting “Oh Mother Sea, I ask that you protect me.” as many times as you need.
Seal the jar and pour the blue wax onto it.
Place this jar near your bedside on carry it around in your pocket.
So, I grew up on an island, which means I grew up with a little bit of beach lore that I realized, recently, might not be widespread information, especially inland. So, just in case, anyone is unaware, I wanted to share with you about these:
(photos by me)
These are called wishing stones, where I’m from. A dark stone with an unbroken, naturally occurring white ring around it, not too hard to find on most rocky beaches. What you’re supposed to do is toss it into the water as you make a wish — but I’m sure sea witch tumblr can think of a lot more creative uses for them ;)
That’s all. Just wanted to share a bit of local (or not so local, again, I’m not sure whether other places pass this lore on too), super simple sea witchery that anyone can partake in. Enjoy!
So I made my kitsune guide and now I’m finally remaking one of my original posts on my old blog: my selkie guide. Whether you’re a sea witch or a practicing fae worker or even a casual folklorist, you’ve likely heard of selkies.
My hopes with this post is to give those interested in selkies a place to start their research on folklore and someone else’s UPG. So I’ll provide a mixture of the history surrounding selkies and then dive (pun intended) into my own personal experience working with selkies. As always, however, just use this post as a way to get your foot in the door, not the full extent of your research.
This is not an all-knowing expert article on selkies nor is my UPG the end all be all of knowledge on selkies, just my personal experiences.
what is a selkie?
By definition selkies (also called silkies, sylkies, selchies, or seal folk) are “ are mythological beings capable of changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin.” Their mythology itself originates from the Northern Isles of Scotland but there are equivalents in Faroese and Icelandic folklore as well.
selkies in folklore
Selkies probably have a really well-known folklore to anyone interested in ocean-based folktales and their stories tend to follow a specific plotline.
One day, a seal comes to comes to land and sheds it’s skin much to the surprise of a fisherman hiding near by. But the surprise to behold is the fact that the seal is a beautiful woman. Enraptured by the beauty of the seal woman, he steals her coat forcing her to stay on land, marry him, and bear his children. Years later usually because of the children or because the husband was caught slipping, the selkie gets her coat back and immediately books it to the sea and returns to her watery home.
There are several stories you can find that detail these forced spousal situations. Make no mistake, these are not consent-based relationships no matter how ‘good’ the human treats the selkie while they are together. In these stories, there are even cases where the selkie already has a selkie husband and children in the sea. She might resurface as a seal from a distance to see her human children from afar, but she never returns to the life she was forced to lead. (As a side note: half selkie children were said to have webbed hands according to the stories.)
As far as selkie men, their legends differ slightly. Their stories don’t usually include coat theft. Selkie men and stories involving them describe them as more seductive, whisking away women on land to have their children. Stories would even say that if a woman cried and seven of her tears landed in the sea, a selkie man would appear to ease her grief for seven years before returning back to the sea himself. But even stories with selkie men can end in tragedy, such as a story where a woman’s human husband killed her selkie lover and selkie child while they were in their seal forms.
However, not all stories involving selkies are cruel. There are some stories, no matter how few they are, that detail positive exchanges between selkies. One Spared to the Sea is a story about a boy who spared the life of a seal pup not knowing it was a selkie. Years later, that same pup’s mother saved his life. You can read a modern wlw retelling of said story [here].
selkies in media
In stark contrast to how many folktales one may find about selkies, I haven’t found nearly as many in pop culture.
Song of the Sea
Ondine
A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter
Selkie (made for tv Australian movie)
UPG
If you’re new to fae work and faerie witchcraft as a whole, I find that selkies can be great for beginners. They tend to be easier to get along with and most I’ve encountered are of the ‘wild fae’ category, meaning they tend to not be involved in Court politics. (Fae Work Tip: please don’t involve yourself in the politics of faeries.)
Like in the folklore, selkies are beings that are able to transform into seals with the help of their coats. As such, the variety of seal forms a selkie can take are varied. Leopard seal selkies, spotted seal selkies, harbor seal selkies, monk seal selkies, elephant seals, and so on and so forth.
I usually find that the type of seal they are influences what region they hail from, the culture and cuisine of a pod. This is a generalization, of course. Not every pod of, say, harbor seal selkies are 100% alike or unified in thought. One pod of harbor seal selkies can have their own traditions that another pod of harbor seal selkies have never even heard of. Personally, I work mostly with harbor seal selkies, they tend to be the most populous. The passing of leadership depends on the pod.
As to how much time they spend in their seal forms, that’s really up to the individual. Some selkies may prefer their fae form and indulging in the coat-based fashion trends of their pod (a more recently developed trend among selkies to better make their their coats look less like selkie coats). I know a selkie who spends most of their time in their seal form during the warm seasons. And there are instances of selkies who spend years in their seal form before slipping off their coat. Usually in those circumstances, they may struggle with talking and walking for a bit from what I’ve been told. Some selkies might not even live with their pod and are solo travelers or living on land.
Like the mythos, selkies are connected to their coat. Every selkie is born with their coat and from that moment, they’re lives are intertwined with it. As they grow from pup to fully grown selkie, their coats grow and change with them. What happens to the selkie, happens to the coat. You could see a selkie coat with scratches on it from fights they got in their seal form plenty of times. As such, if their coat is stolen by someone they have no choice but to go with whoever took it. They can’t just go ‘oh that sucks, I guess I’ll find a new one’. They can only transform and return to the sea with their own coat.
As to what their coats look like, I find that selkie coats I’ve seen look mostly similar to the coats in these illustrations:
(And no, they aren’t all pure white as they are in Song of the Sea. Unless they’re a harp seal selkie pup but as they get older, the white pup fur will fade and it will look like the typical coat of a harp seal.)
So understandably, selkies can be very suspicious of new people they meet who aren’t selkies. Hearing a story about a selkie coat being sold in the black market is not a rare one and you will have to prove that you’re trustworthy. Best way to do that is slowly overtime of course. I would recommend talking to whoever is in charge of the pod and asking for a chance to prove your loyalty and wishes for friendship. Respect whatever decision and conditions they give.
Brief Run Through on Pod dynamics (remember each one is different):
Leader: some pod has one specific leader and how leadership is passed down depends on the pod. Some pods do it by challenging the current leader and the winner is the one who will lead (or continue leading) the pod. Some pods pass it down between family members and other pods will vote on who they believe will be most capable to lead them. May rely on the elders of the pod for advice but if there is no specific leader of a pod, they might just have a bunch of elders running the show.
Elders: some pods don’t have a specific leader and instead have a group of the pod’s eldest members who decide their actions. But even in the case where there are elders
Scouts: the ones who patrol around their home and the waters surrounding it for prospective enemies and threats.
Hunters: kinda self explanatory. Selkies do their best not to heavily impact their ecosystems and avoid taking too much. This is especially true if they are not the only entities calling the place home, for instance if there are merfolk or sea elves and such living close by they have to make sure those around them can still eat as well.
As for children, while they are ultimately brought up by their own parents selkies tend to look after the youngest members of their pod as a community. As you might expect, they’re job is to be cute and learn from the older selkies how to swim and fend for themselves as they get older. They’re the next generation so they’re important to every pod.
But hunter and scout is just a broad overview of two common roles you’ll find in pods, there are of course selkies who do other things in their pods. Healers (I knew of a selkie interested in starting her own apothecary a long while back), sea silk weavers, teachers, pearl cultivators or even jewelers.
Befriending an entire pod can seem daunting, but take everything one day at a time and remember each pod is full of individuals. Each individual is different and so are their friendliness, so there are bound to friendlier selkies in a pod. Once you’ve befriended a selkie, or even an entire pod, then just know you’re with them for life. Selkies tend to be very family-oriented and once you’re in, you’re in.
Disclaimer: thinking of selkies as kind and fun-loving folk who will never do you any harm is a fine way to get yourself clapped. There are selkies who don’t like humans and some of them will let that dislike be known through aggression. Every selkie is different the way every human is different and they shouldn’t all be lumped together. Some selkies and pods are really open and welcoming, others like to keep to themselves. Each decision is valid, especially when selkies themselves have suffered the short end of the stick.
suitable offerings
The disclaimer here is that these are general offerings that most selkies should like. Should you ever find yourself working frequently with a selkie or find yourself the companion of one, there could be other things that they specifically like or dislike. But you usually can’t go wrong with:
Seashells or Coral (ethnically sourced of course)
Sea Glass
Ocean-related candles and incense
how to gain the attention of a selkie
1) old fashioned offerings
2) astral travel
3) spirit attraction spell
I’m not a promoter of conjuring or otherwise, forcefully bringing a spirit to your vicinity. Think about it like this: you’re at a wedding. You’re best friend in the entire world is getting hitched to the love of their life, and you’re among the audience. You’re welling up with emotion and pride for your friend to have made such an important milestone in their life when… Suddenly, you’re not at their wedding anymore.
No, instead you’re looking at some random stranger who summoned you to their home who say it’s because they’re interested in working with those of your kind. You wouldn’t be too happy about this, would you?
Not only is conjuring or summoning bad for the entity, it can be bad for you if this entity isn’t easily forgiving of being torn away from their personal life to your home and you can end up paying the consequences for it. Instead, I recommend a spell that attracts entities to your home or if you’re sufficiently prepared, astral travel it up.
Even if you’re already someone with an appreciation for the ocean or some sort of waterphiliac, working with selkies will still change your views on the large mass of water that covers our planet. Selkies are seafaring fae and as one might expect of the folk who turn into seals, it plays a big part of their life. Saying that the sea is the mother of all life isn’t an understatement. The sea is the lifeblood, especially for selkies who live half of their lives in their seal forms.
The sea shapes their culture, philosophies and supplies their food. At least for the selkies living in the traditional way at sea or on islands.
Any ocean-loving individual knows what it’s like after swimming in it. You feel cleansed and like you’ve been born again. After working with a pod of selkies so closely for several years, I can definitely say my yearning for it has increased.
So has my adaptability. I’ve always been pretty good at change, have been since I was younger but that doesn’t mean I don’t get frustrated when unwanted changes constantly occur in my life. But just as selkies easily slip back and forth between their forms, I just roll with it time and time again. Sometimes putting up a fight and struggle only makes things worse and you just have to roll out with the tide and see where you end up afterwards.
can’t stop thinking about the fact that mermaids live for 300 years and when they die they turn into glittering pearly white foam and become a part of the sea. like … how beautiful, how ethereal. wish I could do that.
Just finished creating my first magickal calendar. It is inspired by my Grimoire Week 1 post found here! Want to print out this click here! Please tell me your opinion. Should I make them a monthly post?
Purpose: to help treating an illness (physical or mental)
Difficulty:beginner~intermediate
What you’ll need:
01 bottle of water (preferably transparent or in calming tones, such as blue or purple)
01 tall glass, vase, or small bucket that fits all the bottle’s content - a big enough measuring cup works very well
jasper, turquoise, amethyst, all charged under moonlight (if you don’t have all three, just the amethyst is fine)
a blue candle
a pink candle
a silver (or white) candle
sandalwood, chamomile or lotus incense
blue and white ribbons (optional)
What you’ll do: start by opening a magic circle at night, and kindly invite Kuan Yin’s healing and merciful energies to participate in your ritual. Pour the water from the bottle into the second container, and place it in front of you. Light the incense you chose, and place the gems between you and the container. First, light the white/silver candle, asking it to burn away all negativity, and vibrate healing energies. Then, use the flames to light the pink candle, which calls upon the affection, unconditional love, and sensitivity of this feminine deity. Lastly, use them both to light the blue candle, which evokes the healing properties of the water, as well as represents your emotions and spirit. Set the candles behind the container, and say out loud faithfully
“dearest Kuan Yin, goddess of compassion, I humbly ask you to pour your healing energies upon this water, so that it may help wash away [insert what you’re trying to heal, be it a physical or a mental illness], and restore the lotus inside my heart”
Place your hands on top of the crystals and visualize their energy making its way to the palm of your hands, making them bright with light. Move both hands toward yourself slowly, breathing in, then as you breathe out, place them upon the container, visualizing these healing energies pouring into it. Repeat this until you feel the water has been sufficiently energized. Then, gently pour the water inside the container into the bottle, visualizing it glowing and swirling with calm energies. Once you’re done, if you decide to use ribbons, tie them on the bottle after closing it. Thank the goddess for her blessings, leave the candles burning as an offering, close the circle, and end the ritual. Drink a little bit of the water every night, praying and visualizing its glowy healing aura filling you. You may also separate a bit of the water to wash whichever area of your body feels ill (for mental illnesses, I’d say forehead, and chest area), or to mix in your tea or juice.
Other info: I haven’t decided on the best day to do this, but I’d say preferably on a day in which the moon phase is most appropriate, although this is subjective. You may also look up some of Kuan Yin’s mantras on Youtube to play during the ritual, as they’ll help you get in touch with her energies.
This ritual is not to replace mundane medicine. Do not stop any treatments to use this instead. This is simply an extra spiritual aid.
In my experience, driftwood has a strong connection to power and strength. I suppose because it has endured a lot at the hands of the ocean. It can also be used for
Welcome to one of my Sea Magic series posts, Sea Magic: Book of Tides. Here I’ll be explaining what a Book of Tides is, how it differs from other magical journals, and how you can begin your own.
First off, lets talks about what a Book of Tides is.
A Book of Tides, much like a Book of Shadows, is a record of a witch’s magical journey. It can be a book of spells, rituals, correspondence charts, personal thoughts, etc. A Book of Tides, however, differs from a Book of Shadows because although it is a magical book for witches, it is specifically a magical book for Sea witches.
Where did this term first come from?:
I’m not exactly sure, but I would have to assume this term was first used / came from seawitch.org. Although Sea magic is not necessarily a new practice, it is oftentimes a solitary one, so there is no real “official” book or other source with information set in stone for us Sea witches to gather information from bestowed unto us from a renowned Sea witch that can say this and this is that or this is because of that, and so on. So it’s a bit hard to pin point where a term such as a BOT comes from.
How does a Book of Tides differ from a Book of Shadows?:
Depending on the witch, a Book of Tides may not be all too much different from an ordinary Book of Shadows. However, no Book of Shadows is the exact same from one another. A Book of Tides hints at feel towards Sea magic, and a Book of Tides may be completely dedicated to a Sea witch’s experience in practicing Sea magic. (To understand what I’m saying in further detail, scroll down to my Book of Tides Table of Contents options below).
Do I have to call my magical book a Book of Tides?:
No. Even if you’re a Sea witch you do not have to call your book a Book of Tides. You can call it a Book of Shadows or whatever you want, honestly. I personally prefer the term Book of Tides since I feel it better reflects my practice more. I also love the sound of it, too.
Where can I find a Book of Tides?:
There are some wonderful etsy shops that make and sell blank Book of Shadows that you can use as a Book of Tides. My personal favorite options are from the shop OddSoul. (The owner even has books that are Sea and Mermaid themed!) You can also look for ordinary journals that have Ocean / Mermaid / etc covers.. Oryou can even get creative and make your own by gluing seashells, sea glass, glitter, plastic mermaid/fish scales, pictures of the Ocean or beach as a cover - etc.
What goes in a Book of Tides?
As I’ve said before, no two Book of Shadows/Tides will be the same and a Book of Tides does not have to consist of only Sea magic related topics. But if you want to have a book for your Sea magic practice specifically, you can add any of the following contents:
A Book Blessing
Charge of the Sea Goddess
Charge of the Sea God
The Sea Witch Tradition (A introduction to what Sea witchcraft is to you).
How you started practicing Sea Magic
A list of Sea Gods & Goddesses
Information on Sea Fetches (magical ocean bound animals that help aid in your practice).
Information on entities such as mermaids, nymphs, and so on.
Your Altar, Shrine & Tools
The Tides
Moon Phases
The Winds (and information on weather magic if you practice it).
Lighting candles, incense – etc. Anything in shades of blue, green, or white is acceptable and relates to the Ocean, but any colors of your choosing will also do. Seashell candles or incense burnt in certain seashells is also an acceptable option. (Please refrain from burning candles or incenses around flammable objects).
Flowers.Especially flowers that share some association with the sea - such as Rosemary, but any flower will do. (Please don’t deal with plants unless you know what you are using in regards to the possibility of anything being poisonous).
Saying – or singing – prayers, chants, songs, poems – etc.
Sigils, runes, or symbols in the sand. Such as making a symbol near the seashore and allowing the tide to wash over the symbol.
Finding things washed ashore and putting them back into the Ocean. Such as a seashells, seaweed, or a seahorse. (Please be careful when dealing with living things, such as refraining from collecting a seashell homing a hermit crab. Don’t touch any animal washed ashore that could harm you).
Seashells. (If you find that you have too many seashells that you’ve collected over time and don’t have any particular use for them, take them back to the beach).
Pouring libations onto the sand.
Pursing an interest in the Ocean. Buy/Check out books at a local library on anything Ocean related.
Picking up litter at your local beach. Not littering / picking up any litter anywhere, even if not near the Ocean helps the environment as a whole.
Purchase an Ocean / Mermaid themed Oracle or Tarot deck - or practicing any divination methods that involve the Ocean, such as Sea Scrying, Seashell Runes, etc.
Decorate an area in or outside your house with Ocean themed decor. You can decorate your room, bathroom, or garden with seashells, driftwood, etc.
Please always be responsible when offering anything at the beach. Don’t leave any litter behind - even if it’s not your own - and use biodegradable objects. Leave nothing but your footprints.
A simple sea spell to help strengthen an existing bond between you and another. Be that of a friend, family member, significant other, or even a deity.
Please do not do this with a person in mind whom you don’t share a bond with. Nor should this be done for someone you do or have had a bond with but doesn’t want the bond between you two anymore.
If you feel that this spell led to an unhealthy relationship between you and another person, break ties with you and that person, take the shells apart and get rid of the wax. It’s important to focus on good, positive vibes between you and the other person(s) involved while doing this.
Please also always be careful when working with candles! Never leave a lit candle unattended, and don’t do this spell near any flammable objects.
Materials:
Two cockle shells that are roughly around the same size.
Three different color candles that are of your own choosing, depending on what kind of bond it is that you want to strengthen. [One of each candle represents you, the other person, and the kind of bond you’re focusing on. For instance, if you want to strengthen a bond between you and a friend, then choosing the color yellow – since yellow is sometimes symbolic to friendship – to represent the bond itself would suffice]. Taper candles, or just using melted wax in general, would probably be best for this.
Instructions:
After choosing the colors of all three candles that you want to be used as representations, set aside each half of the cockle shell apart.
Light the two candles that represent both you and the other person with your intentions in mind.
Take one of the candles and tilt it over one half of the seashell long enough to get a few drops of wax in the shell.
Then take the other lit candle that represents the other person and do the same as the previous step, melting the wax on top of the first and combining the colors together.
Once you’re done with the previous step, put the other half of the seashell on top of the one with the wax in it, then take the third candle that represents the bond and use that wax to seal the seashells together.
Note: Although this spell can be used to help strengthen relationships, it can really be used for all purposes. Say you’re in a rut and could use some extra money. Choose a candle that represents yourself and a green candle to represent wealth. Melt the two candles together in the seashells and then seal it with the green candle wax again.
This spell can also be used as an offering to a sea deity, which is something that I’ve done. When I did this for Amphitrite and myself, I used a dark shade of blue to represent her and a lighter shade of blue to represent myself. I then sealed the shells together with the dark shade of blue candle wax, which represented our bond, the Ocean and my practice overall.
Place Moon Snail seashells around your home (in corners, on tables, or windowsills) to promote inner peace and protection for you and your household from unwanted energy.
