#witch notes

Ever since I can remember I’ve had really bad nightmares. Eventually as I got older, it got to this point where I had developed insomnia and anxiety associated with sleeping. It sounds so dumb, because sleeping is a super basic natural function so why was it so stressful? 

Over the years I learned a lot about sleeping, how humans are designed to sleep and how stress, trauma and anxiety can lead to problems getting a good nights sleep. I also learned how unproductive people are simply because we are tired all the time. 

I first ran into this chant reading an article that interviewed a spiritual medium. I am no medium, I do not  communicate with spirits on the reg nor do I help people talk to their dead relatives. However, the chant still really helped me put up some barriers when trying to fall asleep.

The chant isn’t really a ‘chant’ but a series of visualizations that I throw up right before I go to sleep. It takes about a minute and I never forget to do it. 

Before you fall asleep, while you are laying in bed with your eyes closed, say this:

I ask my spirits and guides to watch over me and keep me safe when I sleep. 

I ask for protection from all ghost, demons, spirits, negativity and anything else while I sleep. 

Now imagine in your mind a bright white circler of protection around your room keeping you and wherever you are sleeping inside safe.

That’s pretty much it. Super easy. Feel free to modify it in anyway that works for you. (The original chant was different but I changed it to work for me.)

Sometimes I also picture a massive ‘gate’ and close/lock the gate to lock out anything I don’t want in my head or dreams while I’m sleeping. This is also super effective. 

In addition to this chant I also sleep next to a hunk of Black Tourmaline and a Selenite, but work with whatever crystals vibe with you. 

In the end I don’t know if it’s really ghost keeping me up at night, or just the ghost of my own stress and anxiety manifesting in the creepy-ness. Like I said I am not a medium so I don’t play in that space. But regardless this simple chant has helped me for YEARS so I wanted to share it. 

*Note sleep disorders are serious business, in no way is this advice to be taken in precedence of a doctor. If you are seriously suffering from insomnia or anxiety please seek out professional help. This chant is only meant to aid in sleeping or getting a good nights rest, not a cure for a serious medical condition. 

There are probably a million reasons why sometimes spells just don’t work. Most of the time it comes down to needing to do the inner work or just waiting a little longer than you thought necessary for the magic to happen. Just like anything else, witchcraft is a practice and spell work takes time. So if you’ve been feeling out of focus with your casting there’s probably a reason why your spells aren’t checking out. 

Read below for my top ten reasons why sometimes spells just don’t budge. 

1 You didn’t do the inner work

The number one reason why magical intention doesn’t move the energy you wanted it to is because there are blocks, energy blocks. All these blocks are blocking up your ability to push forward to what you really want. Want to focus on more of your magic? Do the work to remove the blocks so you can forge ahead. 

2 Your spell doesn’t align with your highest intention 

Yes we all have the greatest potential, but what if what you’re asking for isn’t really aligning with that? Maybe you’re destined for bigger things…like owning that big company but you’re asking for a small fry raise at a place that drives you crazy with a toxic boss instead? If you have a calling go for it, don’t settle for second best. Your magic will help you more when you’re aligned with what you’re supposed to do. 

3 You don’t have enough focus

Spells are hard to perform. They’re even harder with kids, siblings, noisey housemates or any other interruptions bargingin in during your ritual work. If you really think you weren’t focusing enough, don’t force it. Just try the spell again when you can get a little quiet time instead. 

4 It just didn’t work

For reasons beyond understanding it just wasn’t meant for you (or me). I like to think of cases like this where my spirits are looking down the tunnel of my future and saving me from some really horrible outcome. So I say in instances like these, don’t force it, just go with the flow. 

5 You’re meant to focus your energy elsewhere

Just like the spell not aligning with your highest intention, it could be that your energy is needed elsewhere. Pay attention to where you are being drawn to. Something better could be waiting around the corner. 

6 You just need to practice

Pushing your magical energy out there to attract what you want in your life is not an easy task. It takes many years of dedication and practice to get it right. No one is perfect at it, and especially if you’re just starting out you may just need to practice. Don’t get frustrated, just like anything else, practice makes spells perfect.

7 You really don’t want it

Did someone beg you to perform the spell (the worst). Or is it something you really don’t want to do or happen? Dig deep and really ask yourself those hard questions. Are you manifesting what you truly want for yourself? 

8 The spell you used was off

Spells are weird. And there are a LOT of bad spells. Sometimes it’s hard to see which spells are not it and maybe the one you’re using just isn’t vibing with your energy. If it’s something you really want, switch up the spell and try again. 

9 You don’t believe

Belief is the number one drive in your magical force. If you don’t believe it’s like driving a car with no gas in the tank. Believe, believe, believe. 

10 You’re just having an off day

Maybe you’re just having an off day. It could be the planetary alignment, some funky person bothering your vibe at the gym, or a multitude of reasons why your energy was off. Even the best witches have off days. Dust off your spell and try again. 

It’s crazy to me to think that we are in such survival mode with finances that ‘side hustles’ are a regular thing now. Don’t get me wrong, I hate hustle culture. I believe we all should be pursuing our passions but not to the level of toxic self-destruction. 

So why the side hustle? Because we all need money, and witchy side hustles can oftentimes manifest into lucrative careers. Nothing makes me happier than a witch living their best life making a career out of doing what they were born to do. 

If you have another idea you want to add to the list, or drop a comment below!

Read tarot -This one is by far the one I see the most often, and that’s not a bad thing. I have my go-to favorite tarot readers for different things because I feel like tarot readers are not all built the same. Some styles of reading work better for life paths and some for career choices. Nothing is better than an abundance of tarot readers. Plus you can create a large audience by using Instagram or TikTok and this one requires almost no start-up money. 

Spell services - I’m not always a fan of selling witchy services because some people seem kind of shady or are in it just to make money and not really having any background in witchcraft or occultism BUT I put it on here. If you genuinely care about your clientele and want to spread the magic by offering great spell casting services, then this might be the side hustle for you.

Etsy shop - I am not remarkable at selling on Etsy and have never really had a tremendous amount of luck with that site, but that’s not to say you won’t. I’m also an avid Etsy shopper and have found loads of witchy shops selling everything from blended oils to fixed candles on the platform. 

Blog- Then there’s the blog. This is the space where I find the most success, but what I often don’t find are a lot of other witchy blogs. Sure, there’s a bunch out there, but it doesn’t seem as over-saturated as say a cooking or your basic mom blog. Although I don’t, you can make money off of advertising and other ad revenues. 

Write books - If you have a knack for writing, try penning your own book. You can go the traditional route of seeking out a publishing agent, but honestly, self-publishing is so huge right now. So many books with so much great content, definitely worth taking a look at. Who knows you could be the next big thing in witch books. 

Teach classes - Is there a local witch shop nearby? Have you thought about hosting classes or teaching workshops on various witchy subjects? In my experience I have found so many people interested in learning more about the craft, it could be a noteworthy start to a rewarding career. 

Create lifestyle goods - Lifestyle goods to me are things like shirts, stuff for your house, coffee mugs. Printify and Printful are two websites to get things rolling in the merchandise world.

Cottage food - Cottage food to me are things like jellies, jams and preserves. Think kitchen witch vibes. If you’re already a gourmet cook with a penchant for magic, this could be the space for you.

How to make a kick-ass honey jar

Honey Jars are nothing new. The concept is derived from adding something ‘sweet’ to ‘sweeten’ a person up to you. I guess I’m not the most likeable person because I’ve made quite a few honey jars over the years. But it’s always good to have people in your favor, especially in circumstances such as work, school, you know the important people who control your life (kidding!). 

Let’s take a minute here to say that a honey jar has absolutely no effect on things WHAT SO EVER. Think of it as a nice to have. Sure, it would be great if your boss was a little nicer to you, and you felt like they were on your side. But if shit hits the fan, your boss will still fire your ass even if they sort of like you as a person, so I’m just saying. A honey jar is not a controlling mechanism. It’s just a little energy thrown someone’s way to nudge them in the direction of liking you a little more than maybe they naturally would have. 

What you need to perform this spell:

A Jar (cleaned out sauce jars work well for this too.)

A spell candle in the color of your intention. 

Something of the targets or a paper with their name written on it 9 times. 

Honey. 

Anything else you would like to add. Some ideas include sweet herbs like lavender or rose petals, rose quartz, sweet orange essential oils or anything else you think the person might like. 

What you’ll do:

Clean out your jar well and smoke cleanse it with any incense. 

Meditate and clear your mind focusing on your target. 

Add your target’s personal item and cover with honey. 

Next add in any additional items. 

Cover your jar. 

Place a candle on top of your jar. Securing it by lighting the wick and dropping a few wax drips onto the lid of the jar. 

Let the candle burn all the way down. 

Leave your jar somewhere safe. 

Occasionally add items to it that you see fit.

*Note: Never leave your candle unattended. If you have to walk away, blow out your candle and light it when you come back.

Fall has always been my favorite season, especially after a long summer. The way the leaves change and everything just has this spooky ambiance to it. I like to think of fall as very introspective. Whereas summer and spring are more about growth and moving forward with something new, Fall for me is about celebrating death and the cycle of turning inward. 

Salt your doors and windows - I like to add an extra ‘layer’ of protection in the fall with all the extra spirit activity. I have overdone the salt on occasion so a small sprinkle will do. You don’t need a 3 inch thick line of salt that messes with the way your windows close. 

Tie up your herbs to dry through the winter - If I’m at a fresh market I like to pick up some herbs and dry them out for use in the season. You can even bundle them up with sage or add them to bathwater. 

DIY Candles - I have made SOME candles before but sometimes I just melt the tops of candles from the dollar store and toss in herbs and oils in the wax. You can even add crystal shards or charms that go with your intentions.

Make an apple pie (or pumpkin!) - I always try to make one good fall pie from scratch, pie crust and all. When I knead the crust I think about health and prosperity for my family.

Sweep your porch for prosperity - I do this in the summer too but keeping your porch clean of debris helps the funds flow in. 

Dry orange slices - This makes your place smell amazing. Dry some orange slices and keep them on hand for citrus cleansing baths throughout the fall. Citrus baths are especially good when you’re feeling that seasonal depression. 

Read tarot on Halloween - I always do a full reading for myself on Halloween to see what the new year brings in for me. 

Thoroughly cleanse your space - You don’t have to do this with incense. Especially if it’s cold. Just leave out bowls of water with a few Tablespoons of salt. Flush it down the toilet the next day with all the bad vibes.

Leave out offerings for ancestors - If you do ancestral offerings leave them out some apples, Whiskey, or anything they would have liked in their life.

Tidy up your spells - I try to do this a few times a year when I feel like I have too much going on. It helps me cleanse my mind and rethink all my priorities. 

Collect fall findings outside - Acorns, feathers, seeds, there are a lot of things you can find just by stepping outside that will help you along in your practice. 

Nature walks - Nature walks are also great for this. I once found a dead squirrel at a park and took it home to collect the skull. 

Make moon cookies - I love sugar cookies so sometimes I just use a glass and cut out moon phases with the dough and bake. 

Write or journal - Fall is a great time to sit by the fire or a cozy space in your house and dig into your own thoughts and just write out what you feel. 

Pick up a new witch book - My reading always gets more intense in the colder months. I think there’s just less to do and I always pick up the latest witch book to stay in the loop with what’s going on in the magical community. 

Brush up on meditation - Meditate when it’s freezing outside and warm up your inner core. Try having some relaxing hot tea beforehand. 

Record your dreams - We tend to sleep more in the fall/winter months so it’s a great time to start a dream journal. To help with remembering your dreams, sleep with your journal on your nightstand and write down anything you remember as soon as you wake up.

Thrift for witchy finds - Thrift stores are great in the fall. So much fun stuff can be found snooping around old thrift shops or even Goodwill. I’ve picked up the majority of my witch things second hand. 

Cast a fire spell in a bonfire - If you’re at a bonfire write a wish on a piece of paper and toss it in for a fun spell. 

Visit a cemetery - Nothing is better than a cemetery on a crisp Fall day. Just don’t forget to leave your pennies for the gatekeepers. 

I don’t know if ‘spell fallout’ is already a term or not, but I always feel like it’s an important thing to discuss in Witchcraft. Basically spell fallout are the unintended or unaccounted events that happen after you perform a spell. Let’s use what happened to me as a great example of how you can F up your life with magic. 

For about 4-5 years I was working at a company that I on and off loved. At first it was not great, but we moved around and I kind of began to like where I was at and more importantly what I was working on. I learned a lot and even though it was frustrating, I wanted to be there. Then after a few years we were moved again to another space and it was a little horrible. Around that time I was super stuck and not feeling like I was experiencing any growth. Of course I blamed my environment and the circumstances around me and not my own fear-driven decision making. I could have simply looked for another job that continued my career growth. But I didn’t, I blamed everything and everyone else around me. 

Out of frustration I did a spell on the waning moon to let go of all the things that didn’t serve me. I was NOT specific and I just generally did the magic without even reading my tarot. That week I was laid off at work. I have not always been financially stable in my life and having the security of a steady paycheck was a HUGE deal for me. And now it was gone. The rug was pulled out from under me and my safe little job had vanished. Being laid off or even fired was one of my biggest fears and that experience sent me into a huge month-long panic attack. 

Of course, afterwards everything was fine. It took some time, but I was able to secure employment and continue to grow in my career. I also had a lot of personal growth related to that experience. I let go of tons of fear, moved forward with my own side business and stopped giving into other people’s expectations of me and started living for myself. 

Although these were all AMAZING things that I could never have accomplished without the help of my irresponsible spell, THERE ARE BETTER WAYS to achieve this. So before you cast a spell and turn your life into a hot mess for months on end, think about why you need the spell and all the things that could happen in your life from the casting of this one spell. And most importantly, be specific about what you want in your spell. Otherwise you’ll accidentally ‘let go’ of that job that might no longer be serving you, but is still paying the bills. 

Crystals are an amazing way to start your witchcraft journey. They are perfect atmosphere cleansers, help protect and can even amplify your psychic abilities. Although everyone is drawn to different crystals for their own reasons, these are always my go-to favorites and I always highly recommend them to newbie witches.

1 - Clear Quartz The OG of crystals. This clear white stone is like the grandmother of crystals. It can replace ‘almost’ any stone in a spell and is a good all around healer, protector, cleanser. If you need to start your crystal collection, start here.

2 - Rose Quartz One of my all time favorites. Not only is this pink stone gorgeous to look at, it has amazing self love properties. I find that it helps open you up to accepting and being kinder to yourself. I always have one on my altar to remind myself that I love myself above all else.

3 - Black Tourmaline This is not the stone for everyone. If you want to try it out I recommend buying one and sitting around with it for a few days and seeing if you jive with it or not. If not, no worries replace with a Black Obsidian ideas. But if you do feel like you are bonding with your Black Tourmaline it’s perfect for keeping spirits away, bad vibes and a whole bunch of other not great stuff.

4 - Moonstone I love a good Moonstone. This beautiful iridescent stone helps me feel connected to The Goddess and all things divine feminine. I always keep one next to my altar and when I do tarot readings to help me connect to my higher self and guide my intuition.

5 - Amethyst Another OG rockstar. This purple stone is fabulous for so many things. A great protector this stone will keep you safe in any situation. It’s perfect for having around your home because it’s so pretty and it keeps the space cleansed and safe.

6 - Citrine This orange stone sometimes gets overlooked but it has great properties. Abundance, growth and energy are all in here. I keep one around to make sure things are flowing and I’m growing at the same time.

7 - Selenite This crystal usually comes in a sort of tower form. It’s a light pink but looks completely different then a Rose Quartz. It’s perfect for people who struggle with insomnia or who are restless and need guidance to find their inner peace. I always keep one in my space to instill a calmness in the room.

8 - Tigers Eye This one was one of my very first favorite stones as a kid. I could not get over the shiny orange/gold stripes mixed with brown sides. It’s still one of my favorites. It’s the perfect stone to help you focus and get rid of any fear and anxiety.

9 - Smoky Quartz A darker, richer brown tone than it’s sister clear quartz, this stone is amazing at dispelling any negativity. I actively use this crystal when cleansing my tarot or tools or just wanting to rid the space of any bad vibes.

HOW TO MAKE A CLEANSING ROOM SPRAY

I was looking for a cleansing incense a few months ago and ran across a shop that sold room sprays. The idea is you can use these sprays to cleanse the ‘vibe’ in your room before ritual work. I picked up one for the Full Moon and one for the New Moon and I freaking LOVE them. Especially if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to light a whole charcoal block to cleanse with loose incense or any incense in general I just use these witchy sprays.

Both sprays are come in dark glass bottles and filled with incense, distilled water, crystals and blessed by the full moon. I use them so often now that I wanted to try my hand at making my own room spray.

This recipe is for a cleansing room spray that can be used pre any spell or ritual. It’s great for times you’re on the go and can’t light incense or are sensitive to the smoke from incense in general. Room sprays are my for sure go-to now,

What you need

One small glass spray bottle

Lavender and Sage essential oil

Moon water (bonus if it’s distilled)

One small Amethyst

What you’ll do

It’s pretty simple. You just need to place the ingredients in the spray bottle. Try decorating a sticker or label and place it on your glass bottle so you know which spray it is. If you’re curious about how to make Moon Water I’ve written about it before here. You basically leave water outside during the full moon to collect the energy and you can use the water for different things like ritual baths and to make this room spray.

Change it up by adding different crystals, essential oils and herbs to make sprays for energy, self love, or anything else you can think of. I would love to make a protection spray too.

One of my favorite ways to spell cast is with a deck of tarot cards. It’s so simple and effective, and you can literally use this basic spell for anything you want to draw in or release from your life. You can use any tarot deck for this spell technique, but I keep an older deck that I don’t use for readings anymore and use that. 

What you need:

You can improvise in any way, but I usually have incense burning, a few white candles out (tea lights are my fave) and whatever crystals I feel are appropriate for the issue at hand. You can always use a general white quartz if you’re unsure. 

I always include a physical portion of whatever I’m spell casting for. If it’s a job I want, I might print out my resume and have it laying on the bottom, or collect a some dirt from around the building. If the spell is about me, I might cut a lock of my hair. Just so there is something to anchor the spell to. 

I will usually add whatever other elements I might need for visualization or to set the tone. Some things I have used was ribbons for school colors, pictures, herbs that have relevant properties and things like that. 

What you’ll do:

Start out by predetermining which three tarot cards you want to use. If I am looking for a job for instance I might choose the 10 of pentacles to represent money, judgement to represent the decision of me working and a third card that closely represents the work I will be doing. 

Begin your spell by casting a circle or simply visualizing a bright white light around you, protecting you and your space. Light your candles and incense. Set out your physical items leaving space for your cards. 

Set out the first one and visualize in your minds eye the intention of your spell. Then lay out the second one and visualize you getting what you want or the decision being made in your favor. Set out your third card and visualize you in the position of where you want to be. 

Meditate on this for a few minutes, making sure you are releasing your intention out into the world and knowing that if there is any mundane work to be done that you are committed to your part. (Mundane work would be working on your resume, brushing up on any skills, and submitting for the job…basically doing your best effort to get where you want to be.)

When you feel like you have released your intention, blow out the candles (or let them burn up to you) and ignite your incense. Thank the energies and release your circle however you want to. 

Collect all the items and place them in a small bag and carry them with you. Leave your tarot cards out (if you can) and revisit that energy as many times as you want until your spell is successful. Happy casting!