This post is dedicated to the bees, make sure you do your part to save the bees!
Facts to increase your love for bees:
They have personalities.
They can recognize human faces.
Their honey contains all the substances needed to sustain life.
Eating Honey can make you smarter.
Honeybees can only sting once.
They beat their wings up to 200 times per second.
Honeybees are the only insects that produce food for humans.
Bees don’t sleep.
All worker bees are female.
Ways to attract bees:
Plant flowers that attract bees.
Build a bee houses.
Place bee waterers and bee baths around your garden.
Do not use pesticides or herbicides of any kind.
Plants that attract bees:
Bee balm
Lavender
Crocus
Snow Drop
Wildflowers/Any native species
Catmint
Borage
Anise hyssop
Heliotrope
Sunflower
Oregano
Yarrow
Coneflower
Black eyed susan
Asters
Goldenrod
Foxglove
Marigold
Pansies
Sweet peas
Nasturtiums
Bee folklore:
It is unlucky to kill bees.
Believed to have the knowledge of the future and all secrets.
If a bee lands on your hand, it suggests money is on it’s way.
If a bee lands on someones head, they will become successful in life.
If a bee flies into a home, it means either good luck or a stranger is on their way. If you kill the bee it means the stranger will be bringing bad news.
Seeing a single bee will bring luck.
Bees buzzing around a child’s head foretells a happy, successful life.
Bee mythology:
Ancient Egyptian pharaohs used the bee as their royalty symbol. They believed honey bees were born from the tears of the sun God, Ra. To the Egyptians, bees represented resurrection and protected against evil spirits.
Druids believed that bees represented the sun, the Goddess, celebration, and community.
The Greeks thought that a babies whose lips where touched by a bee would become a great poet or a great speaker. In ancient Greece it was also thought that they symbolized industry, hard work, messengers of the dead, and obedience. Honey was often used as an offering to their Gods. They also believed bees were the surviving souls of the priestesses who served the Goddess Aphrodite.
They have been seen as a symbol of sacredness and could be associated with the Great Mother or Divine feminine. The Mother can be symbolized as the queen bee.
In Celtic mythology honey bees had great wisdom and thought to be messengers between worlds. Honey was sacred and used in rituals.
In some cultures they can be associated with purity, health, and wealth. Some also believed bees were a symbol of the human soul.
The druids believed that bees symbolized the sun, the goddess, celebration, and community.
Deities associated with bees and honey:
Aphrodite
Ra
Vishnu
Pan
Vishnu
Cybele
Mellona
Melissa (Melisae)
Neith
Apollo
Artemis
Freya
Thor
Demeter
Bees in Magick:
Bees are closely associated with the fae and their presence in gardens which indicates blessings of fae. Encourage the bees, by putting up bee houses, hives, planting bee-friendly plants and waterers and not using pesticides. Thus, encouraging the blessings from the fae, while harming bees can anger them and cause them to seek revenge.
The symbol of a bee can be used to seal a spell with sweetness for one who appreciates good will and a sting for one who takes it for granted or doesn’t keep his end of the bargain.
Honey stirred into your tea can ‘sweeten’ your day.
Honey is used often in magick to sweeten a situation.
Anointing your lips with honey will make your words sound sweeter.
Bees in your dreams:
May be a good omen.
Bees in your dreams may be telling you to take a look at your social networks. They may be pointing toward a desire for more harmonious and functional relationships, or celebrating the ones you already have.
A visit from a bee in a dream may also be notifying you that a friend or family member needs to speak with you. You will know as this person will also pop into your mind somehow. It means call them or perhaps, that you will hear from them soon.
Dreaming of a beehive usually relates to the home and family or your business and coworkers. A happy, buzzing hive means a happy, buzzing home. It may foretell incoming abundance, and fruitful times ahead. If the bees are swarming around the hive, rather than working in it, proceed with caution. There is a lack of harmony that is interfering with productivity.
A swarm of bees may indicate that you feel that a group of people upon whose cooperation you rely is becoming chaotic and out of control. Perhaps the need to balance your own interactions with your different business and social groups for your own sanity.
Beehives bring to mind abundance and prosperity: bees seem to work hard and are rewarded by flowing stores of honey. An empty beehive, then, represents the opposite: lost opportunity and financial misfortune.
A beehive can also represent a home. The fullness or emptiness of the beehive may indicate unconscious feelings about family life, marriage, children, or the house itself. Honey may represent your property or belongings.
A beehive on fire or burned bees are often interpreted depending on your emotional and physical condition. Burned bees may mean you are overcoming fear and want to take control of life and anger, are you’re progressing through life with more confidence without any fear of obstacles. Burned beehives can also mean you have lost something precious, like money, a relationship, or some valuable information that you’ve forgotten or ignored.
If a bee or a swarm of bees is chasing you in dream, it may mean there is some unsettled business or a memory that haunts you. Make sure you let it go from your mind or deal with it in order to avoid these bees.
If you dream about getting a bee sting then something may be bothering you, or you have a persistent annoyance in your life. Concerns about your relationship, career, finance, or some unknown issue is bugging your subconscious mind. Find out what it is and sort it out.
Magickal uses for Honey:
Can be used in binding spells to symbolically stick things together.
Used for offerings to fae and deities.
Can sweeten a person or a situation.
Honey is sacred to Aphrodite.
Can be used in spells corresponding to purification, health, love, happiness, spirituality, wisdom, good fortune, fertility,
Use certain types of honey that corresponded with your spell.
Bathe in warm water and honey to attract love.
A dish filled with honey can attract angels and beneficial spirits.
Do your part to save the bees they are an important part of our life and in our magick practices.
There are many ways to go about beginning spells and rituals, from complex rites to simple methods such as casting a basic circle. Often there’s very little discussion of personalizing an opening rite. Instead many of us use a preset ritual or simply follow along with whatever opening rite is included in the spell we’re currently working.
While this can and does work for many people, designing your own personalized pre-spell ritual has many benefits. As with all aspects of the craft, personalizing it to match your own beliefs and priorities allows your power to flow through the ritual more smoothly, there is no disruption from going through the motions on aspects of a ritual that seem extraneous or tedious to you.
Creating continuity and stability in your craft can also be useful, along with allowing you to find a kind of ease in this aspect of your spell work it can serve as a mental and energetic “trigger”. Repeating the same ritual every time you perform a spell will build a habit that will allow you to switch quickly from any mindset into your magic working mental space. For many witches trying to perform magic when you’re “off” in some way can prove rather frustrating and giving yourself a switch can prevent these frustrations and streamline your spell work.
When writing any sort of personal ritual the first thing you must do is clarify your intentions. Ask yourself, what do you want out of your pre spell ritual? What do you need? Your ritual should not only meet your personal beliefs and sense of aesthetic but also your functional needs and style of spell casting. A poorly designed ritual will quickly become a nuisance and end up cast aside.
The first thing to consider is the desired length of your ritual. Will it need to be short and succinct so that you can perform it quickly before small spells? Or do you prefer to have more preparation and solemnity about your spell work? How long does it take you to prepare mentally to perform a spell? Keep this in mind as you assemble the pieces of your ritual, too many or too few steps and you could find yourself with a ritual that doesn’t suit your needs appropriately. If you’re unsure of what you may need in this area start small. You can always add to your ritual as you become more comfortable with it but starting with a mammoth of a ritual could very well end in you abandoning the ritual altogether.
In addition to the length, the complexity of your ritual should be carefully considered. Are you interested in using lengthier incantations or will you be performing wordlessly? If you want to be able to memorize it then you should only make it as complex as your memory will allow. If you will be performing the ritual from your grimoire every time you use it then feel free to create something more elaborate.
Will you be needing tools for your ritual? Tools can be exceptional additions to any spell but they can cut down on the portability and spontaneity of your spells. If you don’t often perform spells spontaneously or away from your main work space then tools can add a more tangible feel to your ritual which many people find helpful.
How many people will be involved in your ritual? If you work alone then this is simple and you only need to consider your own desires when building your pre-spell rite. If, on the other hand, you work in a group or coven you may wish to consult the other members of your circle or even build this ritual with them.
Now that you have an idea of the general kind of ritual you’ll be creating it’s time to start adding in the individual components. All of the following suggestions are excellent additions to an opening rite but you can elect to use only a few of them or none at all if your imagination and inclinations draw you to some other form of ritual. These are simply some of the basic building blocks of opening a spell.
CLEANSING YOUR SPACE AND SELF
Cleansing is a regular part of most ritual openings. It removes any stagnant, stuck or unhelpful energies that might get in the way of your spell work as well as ensuring that the room is properly prepared in more commonplace, earthly terms. There are two types of cleansing that should be considered for your ritual: cleansing your space and cleansing yourself.
Preparing your space may seem like a mundane task, tidying up isn’t necessarily the most magical act, but it can be incorporated into your ritual. Cleansing your workspace, both physically and energetically can be an important first step if it isn’t something you take the time to do otherwise. Energetic cleansing removes stuck or unwanted energies from the space, ensuring a clean slate for your spells.
There are many ways to cleanse a room in this manner, for example, you could sweep your ritual space with a besom, cleanse the room with burning herbs or incense, tidy your altar, or even create a crystal grid to cleanse the room over a period of hours if you like. Other ideas include sound clearing with bells or singing bowls, visualizing white or gold light filling the space, or opening windows to allow fresh air in.
In many traditions cleansing yourself before performing magic is an indispensable step. Smoke cleansing may also be used for this purpose but other methods to consider include ritual bathing, washing the hands, feet and/or face, changing into clothing reserved for your spell work, performing meditations, using crystals or even taking a ritual meal or drink.
SETTING THE TONE
This part of your ritual is largely for aesthetic purposes but it can absolutely have an effect on your personal sense of power in your ritual. When setting the tone there are many ways to go about achieving your desired feel; music, candles, incense, the level of lighting and the decor of the room you’re in all play a part in setting the tone for your ritual. If you aren’t picky about this sort of thing you can eschew this step altogether or simply leave it as a blank space to be filled based on your current whims. If it suits your practice you may also consider changing your ritual aesthetic based on the seasons, moon phases or holidays.
Building energy for your spells and rituals is an act that isn’t always included but it is one of my favorites. This step gets you thrumming with energy, unlocking channels in yourself and in your surroundings that may stay stagnant the majority of the time. In many circles this is achieved with drumming, chanting or other kinds of music. You can also draw up energy for your rituals using dance, guided meditations, visualizations or releasing energy from charged objects.
Consecration is a ritual step for religious witches. It’s the process of dedicating your tools and/or magic work space to your gods, should you have any. This process can vary greatly depending on your religious leanings and which gods you worship or work with so I won’t be giving much detail on this. Some witches choose to consecrate once, some choose to consecrate on a regular basis (every full moon/solstice/etc) or on an as-needed basis at each ritual. If you do involve gods in your witchcraft and would like to learn more about consecrating I would suggest looking into the specific traditions associated with your particular gods or deities.
In the same vein, invoking your gods may be an important part of an opening rite however, if you aren’t religious invocation may still play a part in your ritual. Often spells may include spirits or energies that need to be summoned (or perhaps politely invited) to your ritual. As an example, calling the four corners involves invoking the elemental energies of fire, air, water and earth and their corresponding cardinal directions. If there is an energy, spirit or being that you work with regularly this is the time to call it to your aid. Often an offering may be appropriate as thanks.
PROTECTING YOUR SPACE
The act of protecting your ritual work space is perhaps considered one of the more important aspects of designing your own opening rite. Casting a circle is certainly the most commonly known form of protection but there are many other ways to protect your ritual space.
There are many ways to cast a circle, in some methods the circle is physically drawn with salt or a cord, in others the circle is denoted with four candles or other markers denoting the cardinal directions, in some the circle is only held in the minds eye. Typically the circle is cast by walking the perimeter clockwise three times, speaking a protective incantation or perhaps simply using your will to create a barrier against unwanted energies coming into your space. Your protective circle may also be used to keep anything in your circle from getting out depending on what sort of magic you have planned.
Other forms of warding are equally effective, my personal preference is using a guardian (add link) to protect my space. With this form of warding I include an offering to the guardian in my opening rite.
When deciding how to protect your ritual space you should decide what you will need from your wards. If you are working by yourself they can be quite simple, working with a group may call for something more complex or even multi-layered. For example, you may wish to protect your ritual space against the emotional baggage of other members of your circle, for this you could erect a ward designed to “hold” these energies outside of the circle until the members leave again.
Another consideration is whether or not your wards should be permeable and to what degree. Perhaps a designated “door” in the ward might be prudent to allow members to leave for the bathroom or in the event of an emergency without breaking your circle. Would you like certain spirits, gods, or energies to be able to come and go at will? Your wards can be designed to allow this to happen.
In many practices it’s considered an absolute necessity to ward your ritual space in some way. There are no grand rule makers in the world of witchcraft though. You are the witch. You hold the power. You make the rules. If this practice feels too rigid, doesn’t speak to you, or doesn’t serve your personal purposes then omit it. No one can decide what you should or should not be doing in your craft except for you.
When you have chosen what you wish to include in your ritual it’s time to start fitting the pieces together. The order I have presented these ideas in is not necessarily the ideal order for your ritual. Play with your opening rite and rearrange it as you see fit, a smoothly flowing ritual is a beautiful thing and well worth the time and effort it takes to create.
Hey everyone! I’ve moved all of my best witchcraft resources to my new blog, many of my old posts now have downloadable upgrades and new information added. I’ll be posting new witchy material over there weekly, if any of you have topics that you’re particularly interested in learning about let me know!
I’m thinking of calling my paper Why E.E. Evans Pritchard was a complete dick and how he fucked over witches for centuries: A lingering perspective on witchcraft
Accurate, but perhaps not the snappiest of titles…
Damn, I thought I struck gold with that one. How about this one: E.E. Evans Pritchard’s internalised racism and its effects on the perception of witchcraft
*nods sagely* I like that one.
Is there anyway you could link some of your resources or your essay when you’re done? I’d legit be interested in reading it.
Academic Witchcraft Research
I’m sorry to say that I can’t post my paper on tumblr because even though I’ve already submitted it (I got a HD!) I’m hoping to get it published in an academic journal once I add to it and I can’t do that if it’s already freely available to the public.
I’m happy to post some of my resources however! Below are some of the really interesting recourses I found while researching for my paper. These are all the ones with actually useful witchcraft history/knowledge however I’m leaving out all of Pritchard’s racist bullshit. Please keep in mind that a lot of these sources view witchcraft in an anthropological or historical light and are very obviously written by people with little to no experience with actual witchcraft so some are quite funny/ downright hilarious to read. However some of these sources are written by witches (you can tell by the way they write – they have a personal understanding of how shit works instead of looking at it from an outside perspective)
- A Neglected Aspect of Witchcraft Studies - Francis Hsu (1960) The Journal of American Folklore
- Abracadabra - Sorcery and Witchcraft in European History - WR Jones (1971) The History Teacher
- Anthropological and Historical Approaches to Witchcraft Potential for a New Collaboration - Ronald Hutton (2004) The Historical Journal
- Essex County Witchcraft - Mary Beth Norton (2008) The William and Mary Quarterly
- How Do You Know She’s a Witch Witches, Cunning Folk, and Competition in Denmark - Tim Tangherlini (2000) Western Folklore
- Invented Culture Invented Religion The Fictional Origins of Contemporary Paganism - Michael York (1999) Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions
- Marriage or a Career Witchcraft as an Alternative in Seventeenth-Century Venice - Sally Scully (1995) Journal of Social History
- Masculinity and Male Witches in Old and New England, 1593-1680 - EJ Kent (2005) History Workshop Journal
- Mass Media and Religious Identity A Case Study of Young Witches - Helen Berger and Douglas Ezzy (2009) Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Modern Pagan Festivals A Study in the Nature of Tradition - Ronald Hutton (2008) Folklore
- Out of the Broom Closet The Social Ecology of American Wicca - Gary Jensen and Ashley Thompson (2008) Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Some Modern Books on Witchcraft - Sona Rosa Burstein (1961) Folklore
- The Disenchantment of Magic Spells, Charms, and Superstition in Early European Witchcraft - Michael Bailey (2006) The American Historical Review
- ‘The Divels Speciall Instruments’ Women and Witchcraft before the ‘Great Witch-Hunt’ - Karen Jones and Michael Zell (2005) Social History
- The European Witchcraft Debate and the Dutch Variant - Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra (1990) Social History
- The Pursuit of Reality Recent Research into the History of Witchcraft - Malcolm Gaskill (2008) The Historical Journal
- Urbanization and the Decline of Witchcraft An Examination of London - Owen Davies (1997) Journal of Social History
- Who is a Witch Contesting Notions of Authenticity among Contemporary Dutch Witches - Martin Ramstedt (2004) Etnofoor
- Witch Doctors, Soothsayers and Priests. On Cunning Folk in European Historiography and Tradition - Willem de Blecourt (1994) Social History
- Witchcraft- British Medical Journal (1922)
- Witchcraft for Sale Commodity vs. Community in the Neopagan Movement - David Waldron (2005) Nova Religio The journal of alternative and emergent religions
If you would actually like to read the racist bullshit thanks to Pritchard I’ll post it separately (or maybe send them in a message) but I’m gonna say it straight up that it is not pleasant reading AT ALL. A lot of it demonises African cultures that practice witchcraft while being highly condescending and a complete dickhead.
I didn’t enjoy reading his crap (and the academic papers that were influenced by his crap) but it did provide me with heaps of evidence to show “Here – look at this mountain of evidence which shows what a massively racist prick Pritchard was! And look at the devastating impact this has had on the perspective of witchcraft in the academic community! Look at how he has poisoned the academic profession with his bullshit!!!”
There are 48 colors of the moon, but here are some of the most frequently talked about colors and what they mean for witches :) I will also discuss some things you can do on any full moon, whatever color it may happen to be! :)
How To Celebrate Every Full Moon
Gather moon water
Cleansing and charging warm-toned crystals in the moonlight
Painting
Doing shadow work whilst observing the moon and meditating
Full Moon Bath Ritual
First things first, before you take this bath, clean the bathtub mindfully using the appropriate scents for your upcoming bath’s intentions
Gather your favorite items and or items related to the pink moon such as stones, a specific drink of your choosing, candles, and perhaps either your shadow book or a book that you see if we connect with
Turn off the lights and work by candlelight, perhaps with appropriately calming music
Meditate in the water along with herbs, flowers, and bath salts chosen according to your intent. You can also finish connecting to each of the elements by adding in the elements of air through incense, however I would argue that the element of air is covered if you decide to take a hot bath or have some kind of purifier on in the room, creating a mist or fog
You can finish your bath by visualizing the cleansing of your soul and magick as you drain the water, and then lightly clean out the tub once again to make sure that all of the herbs and flowers are taken care of and disposed of properly
Finally, take note of how you feel after the ritual and record it for future use
This is a ritual that can be adapted to any full moon, as full moon baths are quite a popular activity.
Pink
The pink moon in witchcraft is generally all about spring.
Also called the egg moon, the grass moon, the pink phlox moon, and many other names, the pink moon is mainly about fertility end growth. It signifies faith in the future and anticipates abundance, and is the perfect time to set new things into motion or make new commitments. It is also a good time to find courage, trust, adaptability, and maturity in relation to new paths in life. It is a wonderful time for reflection and shadow work, and it has been said that doing shadow work during the pink moon is more fulfilling on top of the many other feelings associated with the work.
Red
The red moon in witchcraft is generally all about fall.
Also called Hunter’s moon, the blood moon, the sanguine moon, and many other names, the red moon honors the year that has been and the sacrifices made by the plants and animals used to sustain us. It is a sort of celebration of life for the aspects of nature that gave their lives, and the day is spent honoring ancestors and releasing old griefs. It signifies growth, renewal, wisdom, company, and resting. Associations with the Blood Moon being an omen of destruction to come, but it is also generally understood that the night of the blood moon should be used to celebrate life and the flowing of life in relation to the flooring of blood through your veins. You are to make peace with your past and understand your shadow-self, balancing and enhancing your magical energies and powers through recognizing and letting go of grief.
Blue
The blue moon in witchcraft is an extra full moon in any season and occurs once every 2.7 years. There are some negative connotations fine Blue Moon because it confuses people who were attempting to prepare for various types of weather and crop rotations. This, and another negative connotation spawns from the fact that with the addition of this extra Moon there is an unlucky number of 13 full moons in that year instead of 12. However the Blue Moon is quite a fortune in time when it comes to Witchcraft because it is seen as a taken moment; a time of the year that is separated from the norm and ergo the perfect opportunity to re-gather ones senses and hope for the superstitious “once in a blue moon” luck of something unusual. The blue moon is also a time where you should set goals, as they will be strengthened under this moonlight. You can also utilize the blue moon to call for safety, joy, peace, love, health, energy, and empowerment. Meditation is best done in the moonlight of this night, and most you will see better results from verbal magick and spells. This is the perfect time to prepare yourself for what’s to come. It acts as the perfect break to collect yourself before continuing on with your craft following this night.
sources: scattered but mainly from “Wicca Year of Magic” by Lisa Chamberlain. Overall a good book but here are a few gripes: not very inclusive.. just uses she/her pronouns when talking about witches. talks about requiring a lot of tools when not all are necessary. however it’s a good book for beginners, talks about history very well, and generally promotes differing perspectives and ways of practicing the craft
