It is my birthday week so I thought this week I’d share a few of my favorite things and magickal birthday thoughts/celebrations. To start this celebratory time, I wanted to talk about the first book I read that I deeply connected to as a witch.
When I first dived into witchcraft I lived on a military base with my parents in Germany, and when it came to resources, all I had was a one-half shelf of New Age books available at our local book store. This was right after the height of 90’s Wiccan popularity, so that bookshelf was jammed packed with books that encompassed that, and unfortunately, that religious path never really resonated with me. I did read them and took what resonated and left what didn’t, but it wasn’t until I got my hands on Spiral Dance that everything seemed to click into place. I’m sure there were other non-wiccan books I read, but Spiral Dance is the one that which time hasn’t erased the title from my mind.
I constantly still quote and find solace in Starhawk’s words. I pick up this book (a newer copy, the old lost to time) whenever I feel disconnected from my craft and I want to return how I felt all those years ago when I sat in front of that small bookcase at the store and poured over her words. Or when I finally purchased it and would hide the book under my mattress at home.
But please, tell me about your first book that deeply resonated with you! Does it still inspire you today?
Advice from an hereditary witch’s grandmother: things a crone has to say
My witch of a grandmother gave me her beautiful encyclopedia on healing plants to celebrate Ostara! I told her about my blog and she asked me to share some of her advice “for those lovely internet disciples of yours”. No, Yeyé, that’s not how this works…
But hey! When the crone talks, you listen!
“A jar of glass keeps away envious spirits and people who want to hurt you.”
“Everything dead deserves to be honored.”
“Strings of seeds bring prosperity.”
“A stone in the windowsill is a soldier that keeps away thieves, but make sure it’s not a pretty rock cause they might steal it!”
“When you trim a vine, keep some branches by the door so all the hard work you’ve done doesn’t disappear in a single day!”
“When you’re old and can’t move so much anymore, keep a jar of seeds by the Gods so they can pick their offerings as they please.”
“I keep lavender by the computer because it helps me remember how to open Facebook. Lavender is good for memory. Tell your friends of the internet.”
“I keep the obsidian and the agathe geodes in front of the TV so there will be no bad news.”
So there you have it.
Advice from an authentic crone with over 70 years of Craft , Old Yeyé.
She wishes you all many blessings and love and hopes you are all well guided.
A quick and easy healing spell I did for a friend today!
Tools-
[] Jar
[] Incense
[] Lighter
[] Green Candle
Ingredients-
[] Chamomile
[] Allspice
[] Bay Leaf
[] Mugwort
[] Pine
[] Amethyst
[] Tigers eye
[] Fluorite
[] Green Adventurine
[] Pink Salt
[] Sea Salt
Directions-
Cast a circle with all materials needed first. Cleanse a jar with incense (cleanse the lid as well!!). Slowly add your herbs, stating which each one’s one’s property you are using for the spell, next add crystals while stating their properties, then add your salts. Charge your spell with the intent of healing by talking to the spell itself and focusing your energy into the jar. Put on lid and seal with green candle wax. Once again pour your energy into the spell and intent.
So a little while back I made a post on warding, but I wanted to follow up on that post, so in this post I’m going to teach you how to make a guardian ward. This ward is a bit more advanced but I still believe it to be novice friendly.
Generally speaking, you want to pick something small and decorative to be your guardian. I chose my little elephant incense burner. Pick an item that is less likely to be played with or touched. Start with cleansing your object and then charge with your intent. Good intents to charge with are Protection, Safety, Happiness, etc. After you’ve charged your guardian, carry it around the space you wish it to protect, as you do this, focus on tying the area to the guardian energetically. Visualize a barrier around the space, kinda like a magick circle. After you’ve shown the guardian the space it will protect, place it in its permanent spot and once again focus on its intent.
Another thing you can add that will make this ward stronger, is an energy source. You can pull from the earth and create a bridge between the earth’s energy and the guardians.
Please be aware that this kind of ward has the possibility to transform into a sentient thoughtform. Due to this, you must maintain a healthy relationship with the guardian. Regular physical/energetic cleaning and offerings can go a long way!
The strangest but blatantly effective way I’ve been taught to use moon magick.
Go outside in the moonlight, preferably a full moon, pull up your sleeves and pants and rub yourself. No not rub yourself like sexually, but rub your skin like you’re applying cream. See yourself rubbing the lunar essence into your skin and spirit.
It’s a weird way I was taught but it works like a bomb and is one of the best ways I know of invoking Lunar Energy. You charge yourself up with it and I’ve never done it without feeling a greater degree of peace and altered consciousness.
Ambergris: Lust, sex Anemone - health, protection, healing
Angelica: Protection, exorcism, remove curses and hexes, healing, visions, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the house, increases life energy bringing warmth of Fire element, wards off negativity when sprinkled around the house
Anise: Divination, psychic awareness, joy, dreams, luck, love, enthusiasm, Winter Solstice, entices the spirits to aid in spells
Apple: Love, healing, garden blessing, buried in the garden on Samhain as food for the departing spirits, to be shared with one you love, immortality, happiness, luck, broken heart, spirit food, the goddess
Betony:Love, healing, burn at Litha for purification, protection; place under pillow to be rid of nightmares; sprinkle around doors to ward off despair, psychic awareness
Burdock:Protection, healing, wards off negativity, purifies, protects (washing floors or dried root on red string around the neck), happy home, clears space & holds the space safe, spirit of north
