Hello, Love

Mixed Race Cuban, Santería, I do post about other forms of witchcraft but I try to keep it to Brujería and Santería

[tarotprose]

Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With.

Learning and experiencing the power of divination at a young age was such a rewarding experience. I am so thankful for my family, spiritual elders and the wisdom that they have instilled in me throughout my life. It is because of their teachings that I am the proud diviner that I am today. I learned early on to embrace the power of my roots and the lineage of my ancestral line with respect and humility. While chatting with my mother and father over the weekend, we were discussing some of the divinatory practices and teachings they learned as kids and what they taught me as a child. We began to discuss how some of our practices evolved and others stayed the same over time. This inspired me to share some of the folk divination practices I grew up with. As always, I share this post with an open heart and I ask that you please be respectful of these folk divination practices.

Knock before entering your reading room or reading space out of respect for the spirits. 

Feed the spirits, your dead, and illuminate the ancestors in the morning before any divination is performed. Replenish any water, coffee and alcohol for them.

Bathe yourself as the sun rises with a sweet herbal bath to bring good fortune and vitality to your readings that day.

Burn a white candle near an open Bible turned to Psalm 91 to repel evil.

Always end a reading by choosing a prayer from your personal book of prayers as the final message.

Keep a mirror facing out, near the door to repel any negativity that may try to enter.

Keep a large clear bowl of fresh water under the reading table to filter out any impure energies during a reading.

Dump this water out towards the street in front of your home and refresh it with clean water after every new reading.

Keep Florida water nearby to spiritually sanitize yourself.

Hide your spiritual jewelry and protection charms tucked under your shirt, in your bra, underwear and in your pockets.

Always ask the person’s ancestors and head angel for permission in a pre-reading before beginning the full reading process. This pre-reading helps ensure all parties involved are consenting and okay with the divination to take place.

The client must always bring a small offering to the spirits.  Let them know this prior to the reading.  Always ask the spirits beforehand what is suggested and preferred. This can be in the form of bread, candy, coins, stones, alcohol, art, jewelry,etc.  Failure to do this will have both you and the client in spiritual debt.

No money should ever touch your hands after a reading. Have the client leave the payment in a bowl of soil from the backyard mixed with cornmeal.

Pray over this money and use half of it to replenish the spirits and ancestors, while the other half to help with the household finances.

Spiritually bathe in a bitter herbal bath after all readings have been finished for three consecutive nights followed by a sweet herbal bath for four nights. No readings should be done for others during this time.

Never give your full name to clients.

Tie a string around your abdomen so that wayward spirits cannot mount you during a reading session.

Keep your head covered at all times, especially around new clients.

Surround the perimeter of the home and your reading space with cascarilla and cornmeal for protection and spiritual warding.

————————– Post Notes: Please do not remove the captions. Title: Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With Copyright: © Ivan Ambrose 2018 Deck: Playing Cards, Bone Set Disclaimer: These folk divination practices are Afro-Caribbean in nature and I have been given permission from my family to share. The symbology within these practices reflect my culture and may be different from your own culture. Please be mindful and respectful of these practices, their origin, and their spiritual significance and uses. In the effort for full disclosure, this post is not an exhaustive list and will not include or delve into all the spiritual and folk divination practices that I know of and have learned. Safe Space Tags: Long Post, Bones, Animal Parts Navigation: TOC | FAQ | Contact | Disclaimer

[breelandwalker]

The Sisters Grimmoire - Eyes Like Coals

A Spell to Defend One’s Home from Intruders

When midnight drew near, and the robbers from afar saw that no light was burning, and that everything appeared quiet, their captain said to them that he thought they had run away without reason, telling every one of them to go and reconnoiter.

So one of them went, and found everything quite quiet. He went into the kitchen to strike a light, and taking the glowing fiery eyes of the cat for burning coals, he held a match to them in order to kindle it. But the cat, not seeing the joke, flew into his face, spitting and scratching.

- The Bremen Town Musicians

——-

This spell works best if a bit of cat hair or a naturally-shed cat’s claw can be obtained, but substitutions can be made, particularly if the caster suffers from allergies!

In a glass bottle or small jar, combine the following:

Palmful of Juniper Berries

Pinch of Cumin

Spoonful of Red Peppercorns

10 Small Pins, preferably rusted or bent

Seeds of 1 Hot Pepper of Choice

Cat Fur or Claw

If a real cat is not available for donations of fur or claw, a simple picture of a cat can be placed into the container. Something ferocious-looking would be appropriate.

Take the jar around the house and touch it to all the exterior doorjambs and windowsills. As you do, speak softly to it:

Eyes like coals of burning fire Let all intruders taste your ire Claws as hard and sharp as steel Here and gone, but feeling real If uninvited in they come With tooth and claw, defend our home

Leave the jar where it won’t be disturbed, or bury it beside your doorstep. (Note: If you move away, you will need to retrieve the jar and either empty it to dismiss the spirit, or take the jar with you.)

Be aware: this spell summons a guardian spirit to look after your home. You will need to feed and keep it to a certain extent, as you would with any other creature sharing your living space. A simple saucer of milk and slice of bread every once in a while should do the trick. (These offerings should be left out overnight, then quietly disposed of in the morning.)

It will also be important to notify the guardian spirit of anyone who is allowed to be in the home when you’re not there, such as friends or family or housesitters. Otherwise, the spirit will take any interloper as a potential threat and try to drive them out.

- From the forthcoming book, “The Sisters Grimmoire” by Bree NicGarran and Anna Zollinger

[sundwitch]

Local/Common Floridian Plant Correspondences (1)

Every plant has its own magical properties, and figuring out the properties of local plants can really help save a witch's budget. Here are correspondences for some common plants found in Florida. The plants are listed by common name, then their scientific name after the dash to aid in finding the correct plant.

Note: some of these are quite invasive, so look it up before you put it in your yard

AOE=Area of Effect

Air Potato-Discorea bulbifera :Larger AOE spells, infamy, persistence/determination,attention-grabbing

Beautyberry-Callicarpa americana: abundance/prosperity, beauty,glamours,luring in

Bougainvillea spectabilis : Protection (both offensive/defensive), Superiority, Beauty (flowers), Repelling, General Cursing (thorns/branches)

Brazillain Pepper-Schinus terebinthifolius: Catalyst, Force, Success/Determination, Aggression, Quick recovery after a setback, Banishing/Repellent, Cursing: Anti-Beauty, Talk Shit, sickness, get in way/cause setbacks for others

Crape Myrtle: Beauty, popularity, attention, glamours, escaping/freedom

Cabbage/Sabal Palm: Persistence/Determination, Magic Repellent/Tolerance/Defense

Common Beggar Ticks-Bidens alba: Surrounding/covering. Seeds: Travel opportunities, binding, getting spells to "stick" to something/someone.

Dog Fennel-Eupatorium capillifolium: Minor warding, independence

Flora's Paintbrush-Emilia Fosbergi:Flowers-creativity, remove artistic/creative blocks.short-length spells, Seeds-communication, distance. Stems-cause weakness, lower persistence/determnination

Guuinea Grass: Earn others' favor, Speed/Rapid Growth, Hide stuff. -Ineffective in water spells.

Madagascar Periwinkle-Catharanthus roseus: Healing, Calming, Purification

Mexican Clover-Richardia Grandifola: Friendship, support, kindness, Cuteness, Patience/determination, speed, spread quickly, BEES

Muscadine Grape-Vittis rotundifolia: Protection from harm or annoyances, independence, cope with loneliness/cancel crushes, persistence while still remaining flexible. Ineffective in water spells.

Powderpuff-Mimosa strigillosa or microphylla: Protection (Hiding), friendship,kindness,gentleness,long-distance spells

Surinam Cherry: Warding, Permanence, Life/Death. Fruit: Abundance, Prosperity

Remember that not all plants are safe to handle with bare hands, and that most plants are not edible.

[thegreatkosmickitchen]

It’s a Spanish Needle Spring! 

Spring is in full effect here in Florida. Driving through the back country roads near my parents home, familiar smells of childhood are carried by the breeze. The honey aroma of orange blossoms, jasmine, and honey suckle can turn an ordinary drive with the windows down into an intoxicating affair. The trees are getting in on the action too. Bursting with new bright green growth, mirroring the grasses and setting the backdrop for pops of yellow, pink and purple wildflowers.

One of my favorite flowers to see growing on the roadside is a common herb we call here in the South, Spanish Needle. An incredibly humble herb who grows so prolifically its often overlooked and (gasp!) even called a weed. Floridians know this plant well, even if they aren’t attuned to its healing properties. Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa/ B. alba) is the #3 nectar producing species in the state coming behind saw palmetto and orange blossom.

Some would say its a pioneer species, often being the first herb that pops up after the soil has been disturbed. Its a plant that’s hard to miss, since most of the year, little white daisy-like flowers are scattered along the roadsides, tucked in cracks of the sidewalk or popping up in abandoned urban lots. 

The latin name Bidens means “two teeth," describing its seed that resembles a two pronged fork that sticks to just about everything. But plants are smarter than we give them credit for. Having a toothed seed allows for easy spreading by animals of all kinds, especially humans. 

My love affair with Bidens began when I learned of its medicinal properties and when I was shown what good "daisy chains” they make. Traditionally, its been used as medicine throughout China, Africa and Central America. People have used this plant to expel pathogens from the surface of the body, clear up heat, remove toxins, and eliminate stagnancy, just to name a few uses. On the more intense side of its healing properties, studies are finding that the chemical constituent polyacetylenes have shown to inhibit the malaria parasite Plasmodium faliciparum, which makes sense why its been used in the Amazon where malaria is a real cause for concern. 

Personally, I feel really called to work with Spanish Needle medicine because of its affinity for the urinary mucosa and its ability to tone and strengthen the tissue. The revered South West herbalist, Michael Moore first turned me on to how powerful this plant truly is. Perhaps Bidens does not just work on the physical needs of the urinary system, but also the emotional needs that imbalance in an area, often sheds light upon. The urinary system is part of the Sacral Chakra, which governs our sense of safety and well being. So, if we are having feelings of not being nurtured, either by ourselves or others, or not feeling safe, Bidens is a plant that can help on these levels by filtering out emotional toxins that are no longer serving our being. 

In his book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West, Moore says that Bidens also helps to remove environmental pollution which goes in line with the traditional uses of removing toxins and eliminating stagnancy. Living in the city, I often wonder, if Bidens are growing in such abundance for more of a reason that just loving disturbed sandy soil, but perhaps, its the medicine of the city, growing everywhere to help us with the constant bombarding of pollution in urban areas. 

Most times, when we are in tune and paying attention, its easy to notice that what we need the most is right in front of us. Especially in the case of using Bidens this spring. Its like the Earth is exploding with its flowers, so that everywhere we look, this medicine is right there, ready to heal and ready to teach us if we are willing to listen. 

HARVEST: 

If this plant is not already growing in your yard, in a patch away from roadways, here are a few guidelines on wild harvesting: 

- make sure plants are at least 50 ft away from the roadway

- check to see that it isn’t growing near any plants that could be toxic 

- ask the plant for permission to harvest (offering loose tobacco or a piece of your hair is also a respectful practice) 

- only take what you need 

PREPARATION: 

- Colds/sore throat: hot infusion of fresh plant 

- Urinary/Bladder issues: overnight infusion in a quart jar 

- Toss in fresh flowers to add a little bite to your salad 

Happy Spring!

May we all find the nurturing we need this season, 

Sarah

Photos by: Sarah Benjamin & Summer Singletary  

[txwitchery]

Various Magical Uses for Horsemint

Dried or fresh horsemint may be added to a bath to encourage relaxation and bring good luck. It may also be used in purification baths to uncross a hexed person.

*

The leaves may be kept in the wallet or purse (or below the tray of a cash register in a business) to attract wealth and bring prosperity.

*

Horsemint, orange peel, cloves, and allspice may be boiled in red wine to create a love potion. Strain the wine and add a touch of honey, then share it with a consenting partner. This may also serve to increase fertility.

*

Fill a bottle with equal parts chopped horsemint and mint, then cover with olive oil. Let sit in full sun for seven days. This oil may be strained and used as a consecrating oil, or in candle spells to bring luck or prosperity.

*

A charm bag may be made from black tea, horsemint, and dried orange peel. These herbs may be placed with rose quartz in a red bag tied with white cord to attract love, or placed with carnelian in a green bag tied with pink cord to stave off migraines.

[green-garden-witch]

🕯️Celebrating Winter Solstice🕯️

This is the way my partner and I have chosen to celebrate the winter solstice and the days of darkness that occur before the sun's path across the sky moves northward again on the 25th.

I thought I would share in case anyone finds this helpful in guiding their own celebration for this time of year.

🕯️In the weeks before:

-decorate a solstice tree with sun and light themed ornaments. If you wrote your intentions last year (see below) begin reflecting on these.

🕯️21st (winter solstice):

-set up altar (other posts share helpful information on how to do this, so I won't go into that here)

-place candles around home to use later that night. Use only candles for light once night falls

-hold a solstice feast and give thanks for everything good that came to you this year. If your intentions from last year manifested, give thanks for this.

🕯️22nd-23rd:

-reflect on things to let go of. Write down everything to release and let go of onto tiny scraps of paper. Continue to write down every hurt, every perceived injustice, all judgments against self or others, no matter how big or small it may seem. Put these in a jar as you write them for these two days.

🕯️24th:

-burn the yule log. One by one toss in your scraps of paper to let these things go. Visualize these dark things burning and becoming the light.

-If you have your intentions from last year (see below) reflect on what manifested, and what still remains to be done, then toss this in too to give yourself a clean slate.

-once the log finishes burning, sit down and write your intention(s) for the upcoming year on a piece of paper. Fold this paper, seal it with wax, then hang it on your solstice tree. Pack this paper away with your solstice decorations when putting them away for next year. Next solstice you can reflect on the past year's solstice intentions when unpacking decorations and setting up your tree.

[graycloak]

Good Fortune, Health, and Wealth

The journaling/scrapbooking/notetaking/workbook application I use will periodically send me emails reminding me of things I wrote years ago. Today, it reminded me of this starter incantation I jotted down back in 2014 (👀!?).

At the time I was all, "I'll totally expand on this At Some Point™" - but of course, I just promptly forgot about it.

Nonetheless, I still think it's got good bones, as they say, so I thought I would share it here. Maybe I'll expand on it more in another eight years 😬🥴

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Three by three, and nine by nine Good fortune, health, and wealth be [thine/mine] The dark oppressive clouds do flee So is my will, so shall it be

Three of Wands

Three of Pentacles

Nine of Pentacles

Nine of Cups

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[thevirginwitch]

thevirginwitch's table of contents

looking for something specific on my blog? look no further!

support my work on patreon for free monthly tarot readings, custom hand-written spells, correspondence lists and more!

my original posts, replies, etc • my witchy notion templates

masterposts • witchcraft 101

cleansing • healing • protection magic • baneful magic

household magic • color magic

herbs • correspondences • trees

crystals

kitchen witchery • recipes • tinctures & oils

weather witch • sea witch

spell work • spell jars

rituals

elemental magic

chronically ill/spoonie magic • lgbtqia+ magic

divination • tarot • runes

astrology • moon magic • solar magic

numerology

sigils

deities • norse • greek • roman

wiccan

sabbats • beltane • samhain • yule (I'll be adding the other sabbats throughout the year, as they become relevant!)

reading materials

grimoire • shadow work

witchy aesthetics • memes

misc. (posts that don't really fit into any category; mostly PSAs!)

unfiled posts (should be sorted fairly soon)

please let me know if there are any subjects you'd like me to cover/tag and I'll do my best to add them here. organizing all my posts is going to be a constant work in progress, but I'll do my best to update my tags as much as possible!

[tarotprose]

Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With.

Learning and experiencing the power of divination at a young age was such a rewarding experience. I am so thankful for my family, spiritual elders and the wisdom that they have instilled in me throughout my life. It is because of their teachings that I am the proud diviner that I am today. I learned early on to embrace the power of my roots and the lineage of my ancestral line with respect and humility. While chatting with my mother and father over the weekend, we were discussing some of the divinatory practices and teachings they learned as kids and what they taught me as a child. We began to discuss how some of our practices evolved and others stayed the same over time. This inspired me to share some of the folk divination practices I grew up with. As always, I share this post with an open heart and I ask that you please be respectful of these folk divination practices.

Knock before entering your reading room or reading space out of respect for the spirits. 

Feed the spirits, your dead, and illuminate the ancestors in the morning before any divination is performed. Replenish any water, coffee and alcohol for them.

Bathe yourself as the sun rises with a sweet herbal bath to bring good fortune and vitality to your readings that day.

Burn a white candle near an open Bible turned to Psalm 91 to repel evil.

Always end a reading by choosing a prayer from your personal book of prayers as the final message.

Keep a mirror facing out, near the door to repel any negativity that may try to enter.

Keep a large clear bowl of fresh water under the reading table to filter out any impure energies during a reading.

Dump this water out towards the street in front of your home and refresh it with clean water after every new reading.

Keep Florida water nearby to spiritually sanitize yourself.

Hide your spiritual jewelry and protection charms tucked under your shirt, in your bra, underwear and in your pockets.

Always ask the person’s ancestors and head angel for permission in a pre-reading before beginning the full reading process. This pre-reading helps ensure all parties involved are consenting and okay with the divination to take place.

The client must always bring a small offering to the spirits.  Let them know this prior to the reading.  Always ask the spirits beforehand what is suggested and preferred. This can be in the form of bread, candy, coins, stones, alcohol, art, jewelry,etc.  Failure to do this will have both you and the client in spiritual debt.

No money should ever touch your hands after a reading. Have the client leave the payment in a bowl of soil from the backyard mixed with cornmeal.

Pray over this money and use half of it to replenish the spirits and ancestors, while the other half to help with the household finances.

Spiritually bathe in a bitter herbal bath after all readings have been finished for three consecutive nights followed by a sweet herbal bath for four nights. No readings should be done for others during this time.

Never give your full name to clients.

Tie a string around your abdomen so that wayward spirits cannot mount you during a reading session.

Keep your head covered at all times, especially around new clients.

Surround the perimeter of the home and your reading space with cascarilla and cornmeal for protection and spiritual warding.

————————– Post Notes: Please do not remove the captions. Title: Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With Copyright: © Ivan Ambrose 2018 Deck: Playing Cards, Bone Set Disclaimer: These folk divination practices are Afro-Caribbean in nature and I have been given permission from my family to share. The symbology within these practices reflect my culture and may be different from your own culture. Please be mindful and respectful of these practices, their origin, and their spiritual significance and uses. In the effort for full disclosure, this post is not an exhaustive list and will not include or delve into all the spiritual and folk divination practices that I know of and have learned. Safe Space Tags: Long Post, Bones, Animal Parts Navigation: TOC | FAQ | Contact | Disclaimer

[deactivated-blog]

Greetings, friends! Today, I’m sharing a directory of my writings on the subject of hedgecraft. This term refers here to “riding the Hedge,” by leaving one’s body and entering the spirit realm. I hope my articles will be helpful for burgeoning hedgewitches!

Hedgecraft Basics Part I. Covering the concept of hedgecraft as well as providing some historical information.

Hedgecraft Basics Part II. Discussing the gritty metaphysics of hedgeriding and how subjective it can be.

Hedgecraft Basics Part III. Focusing on safety considerations, benefits, and other practical matters.

Hedgecraft Basics Part IV. Focuses on practical hedgeriding techniques.

Hedgecraft Sigils. Here’s a collection of sigils to aid in hedgeriding experiences. I made these myself, but anyone can give them a try!

Hedgeriding vs. Astral Projection. How do these two practices relate to one another? Are they synonyms? Find my thoughts on this tricky question here.

Shapeshifting Beyond the Hedge. In the otherworld, you can take any form you like. This article discusses some of the processes for attuning yourself to an animal’s spirit. Learn about astral shapeshifting!

Drugs and Hedgecraft. Witches have used psychoactive substances in their Craft since the beginning. What dangers lurk in this practice? How does it relate to modern pharmaceuticals? My thoughts on the matter.

Hedgecraft Bibliography. If you’d like to read some quality books dealing with hedgecraft and similar practices, look no further than this section of my annotated bibliography!

Journal Prompts for Hedgewitches. Interested in clarifying your practice a bit? Try working through these prompts to learn more about yourself and your practices.

Thanks for reading! Blessed be, and I hope you’re all well-hydrated and having a great day!

[thatnakedwitchinthewoods]

🍄 Things To Research As A Green Witch MASTERLIST

A green witch is typically a witch who specializes and focuses on natural materials and energies. They are often skilled herbalists and probably enjoys gardening. Like a lot. You might be a baby green witch or an experienced one. Maybe even an eclectic one, no matter what, all is welcome!

I am most certainly not entitled to knowing everything about green witches but I want to help out some people when stuck on not knowing what to research.

As always, enjoy!

gif by @la-petitefille

🍄 plants!

🍄 edible plants :)

🍄 non Edible plants :(

🍄 other uses for non edible plants that’s not eating :)

🍄 history of herbal witchcraft

🍄 herbal brews

🍄 aromatherapy

🍄 drying flowers/herbs

🍄 harvesting flowers/herbs

🍄 endangered plants (so you don’t accidently pick them)

🍄 medicinal plants/herbs

🍄 teas

🍄 tinctures

🍄 meads

🍄 smoke blend recipes

🍄 different types of other natural based witches

🍄 seasonal magick

🍄 when to start sowing

🍄 when to reap

🍄 wheel of the year

🍄 types of plants

🍄 types of herbs

🍄 what types of animals/insects (bees, butterflies, etc.) do your flowers/herbs attract?

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s roots

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s stem

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s flowers

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s leaves

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s bark

🍄 usage for *plant name*’s seed

🍄 plants

🍄 what are herb sachets?

🍄 pressed flowers <3

🍄 smoked herbs

🍄 poisonous plants

🍄 essential oils

🍄 extracts

🍄 cacti/succulents

🍄 gardening 101 (hehe)

🍄 what are some good botanical books?

🍄 the fae

🍄 candle correspondence to elements

🍄 PlAnTs

🍄 houseplants

🍄 sage (god, I love sage)

🍄 lavender

🍄 rosemary

🍄 basil

🍄 chamomile

🍄 PLANTS

🍄 crystals

🍄 aloe vera

🍄 tea leaf readings

🍄 dear me, I almost forgot to mention plants

feel free to add on, loves!

♡ That naked witch in the woods

[ivy-kissobryos]

The Circle-Cross method

Stand facing in the direction in which you are going to begin your work, feet about a foot apart, arms by your sides. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and visualise. Raise your dominant hand and touch your brow. Say; “From Above”.

See a source of shining, astral light high above your head, sending down a stream of energy to connect with your brow area. Trace a line of light down from your brow and touch your navel. Say; “To Below”. See the line of light continuing down and penetrating the earth at your feet.

Touch your left shoulder. Say; “From the Left”. See a source of light coming from your infinite left and connecting with your left shoulder.

Trace a line of light across your right shoulder. Say; “To the Right”. See the line of light continuing off to your infinite right. You now have an equal armed cross emblazoned on the front of your body, stretching to infinity and linking you to the four quarters of the universe, in whatever direction they may be.

Cross your palms over the centre of your chest where the lines meet. Visualise a circle of light whose circumference touches your left and right shoulders, your brow and navel. Say; “I stand whole and contained”. Now breathe in and visualise the cross; breathe out and visualise the circle surrounding it. Repeat twice more (three times in all).

Treading the Mill by Nigel G Pearson

[tyetknot]

Treading the Mill Tuesdays

Chapter 7 – Approaching the Powers – Part 2

Introduction | Hallowing the Compass | SpellCrafting | Censing the Sacred | Entering the Twilyte pt 1 | Entering the Twilyte pt 2 | SpiritWorking pt 1 | SpiritWorking pt 2 | Approaching the Powers pt 1 

Alright, so it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. I’m sorry for the gap, I’m just kind of getting fed up with Pearson. I must be strong and persist. This is just a brutal chapter to slog through, OK?

Earlier Pearson talked about the King of the Wildwood. He gives what I’d describe as a meditative exercise (“Walking the Way”) to encounter him. He states it’s a development of his witch-tracking or SpiritWorking (there it is again! Making it sound like a product!) which he suggests one should do in the region beforehand, to be familiar with the area and so the area will be familiar with you, which is fair. Going into the woods and doing a kind of hyper-aware walking meditation, being aware of your surroundings, what you see and hear, while stilling internal dialogue until you arrive at a place that feels right, treading the mill (why not just say circle dance, Nigel?) until your inner vision become overwhelming, and then allowing contact from the Lord of the Wildwood to take place. He says if nothing seems to happen there will probably be some subtle inner change. Ground and centre afterwards, go home, and take notes.

He whines a bit that people reading the first edition of the book responded poorly to this exercise and then provides a dream he had after the first time he did it and had what I’ll accept as some kind of divine encounter:

“At that point, the dream image changed and I found myself lying on my back in some straw in and old, wood-timbered barn. I seemed to be a bit dazed and took a moment to get my bearings but almost immediately I became aware of the Being in front of me. Many, many times my size, this Being was looming over me and, I thought, about to lunge forward. It was in the shape of a huge naked man, with a hairy skin, wild shaggy hair and beard and antlers sprouting from his head. He had an enormous erection and was coming towards me with an absolutely wild and manic gleam in his slanted eyes. At this point I woke up, sweating profusely and thoroughly disturbed. It took me a great while to get back to sleep that night, I assure you.”

The Lord of the Mound

And now for something completely different. Next up comes the Lord of the Mound, who’s more of a death and underworld sort of divinity, associated with the grave and barrow, that which has gone before. However, Pearson also assigns him a shamanic aspect who provides divination and magical knowledge. He is also associated with rebirth. He may be encountered through an exercise called ‘Entering the Maze’, which involves doing it in actuality or symbolically. In actuality one draws a labyrinth on the ground, whereas symbolically would require the use of a labyrinth marked on a rock, which he calls a Troystone. Again, Trad Crafters – the labyrinth was in Knossos on Crete, not in Troy, get your shit right (Where does this term even come from? I have been unable to find any source for it at all).

Tread the Mill widdershins and either walk the labyrinth to the centre or run your finger along the line on the board, and do a meditation involving entry into a barrow / faery mound / hollow hill, communicate with whoever you find, then come back, going back through the labyrinth, closing the Circle dismissing the Compass, and going home.

Finally we have the Master of Light. This is a solar aspect that enlivens, illuminates, and gives life. “He is the source of all the sun gods in human history – their waxings, wanings, risings and settings – and encompasses and subsumes them all”… But of course it’s only Those Fucking Wiccans who claim that “All gods are one god”, right? Nevermind that Pearson disparages that statement earlier on in this same godsbedamned chapter. He then goes on to state that the Sun King is not the Oak or Holly King, but that they are quite different.

The Master of Light is a Promethean figure as well, who grants the light of knowledge, which is also the Element of Fire, which he then hilariously identifies with Ley lines and Kundalini and the Mark of Cain which he also associates with the Watchers from the Book of Enoch – because True Witches ™ are descendants of the Watchers. This statement was embarrassing when Paul Huson wrote it in Mastering Witchcraft in 1970, it was embarrassing when Silver RavenWolf stated that witches are angelic agents in Teen Witch in 1998, and it’s embarrassing today.

As an extension of this he brings in a connection with blacksmithing, Cain (gotta get that Cochrane reference in there, right?), the Horseman’s Word, the Toadmen, and Morris dancing:

“The fact that the dancers blacked-up their faces may not have all been due to the desire for anonymity, but also to show their true allegiance to their real Master.”

Or it could be the idea that Morris dancing could theoretically be derived from Moorish dancing (which implies blackface), or from the fact that several Morris and Morris-adjacent folk dance traditions come from coal-mining areas, but again, we can’t expect decent scholarship or, indeed, references and citations from a book written in 2007 and updated in 2017.

But I digress. So the Master of Light also grants spiritual illumination. Pearson says that he’s physically incarnated many times and makes the sort of implications one would expect from such a statement.

He may be encountered through a ritual (and Pearson actually does give a full ritual here, not a bare-bones meditative exercise, which is a fairly well-written ritual, at that) full of blacksmith imagery – going from a place of darkness, through the forge and approaching a rise with a cave, entering that cave, communing with the Master and then returning with illumination. It’s really not that bad! I am a skilled and rather mean evaluator of ritual – in the Odyssean Tradition we are taught to deconstruct and creatively criticize our rituals so we can improve and help others improve – and I really don’t mind this one, although the incense recipe given seems to be suspiciously close to Paul Huson’s Cernunnos incense recipe.

So there we have it! That’s the first half of this chapter done, and what a wild ride it was! Next time we’ll have a go at the Goddess portion, which I’ll probably have to break up into one or two segments as I did with this one. There’s a lot to take in, a lot to discuss, and a lot for me to complain about, which is clearly what everyone needs to read.

[susiediamonds-deactivated202304]

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark dir. James Signorelli || 1988

[hoodooyousee]

Where to Buy Cheap Spell Supplies: Hoodoo/Brujeria Edition

i’ve seen so many resource list out there about where you can find cheap spell supplies, but their never about folk magic. I live in a very liberal place and state, but it is still difficult to find stores that sell products catered to Afro-religions or Brujeria that are affordable. Botanicas are great for staple items like oils, candles, honeys, and powders, but I wanted to make a list for more creative and specfic spells. Here’s my resource list for all my witches out there who practice folk magic, Hoodoo, or brujeria!

1. Party stores/Toy aisles at department stores: both go hand in and hand because most party stores are marketed towards children’s birthdays. Both places are a JACKPOT for spell supplies. Some things I’ve found and what I use them for include:

 Toy Cop Badges: These can be used for law stay away spells, justice spells, immigration cases, and anyone you want to protect from the law or send the law for.

 Toy Money: I use these for money spells to write on, burn, leave as offerings, or shred to put in mojo bags and satchets.

 Dolls: Pretty self explanatory. Dolls can be used as a stand in for any person you want to influence. Cheap barbies are perfect because they are big enough to put in a lot of different positions. Speciality dolls like pregnant dolls could be used for fertility, or to protect new mothers.

Toy Phones: Need to do a lover return spell or call/text me spell? Perfect! Get yourself a toy cell phone, put it in the center of the plate, write a petition to who you want to call, put it under the phone, dress it with herbs, oils, and honey, and sugar. Put your energy into the spell for 7 days and then discard. 

2. Dollar Store: The dollar store is a no brainer because everything is a dollar and if you’re trying to be a bruja on a budget, it’s a no brainer. Here are some things you can get there that you might not have thought of.

 White plates, cups, bowls: White can be used for anything. You could use these dishes to put on your ancestor altar, give to your deities, or simply to do your spells on. 

Fabric flowers: Perfect offerings or decorations for any altars, and if you can’t have fresh flowers or plants for any reason these are a great subsitute

Emergency candles: Most dollar stores sell something called emergency candles, usually found with the novena (religious) candles in the store. These are white, cheap, household candles that have saved me when I’m in a pinch and need to do a spell but I don’t have time to get new supplies. 

Craft Aisle: You can get a bunch of helpful stuff in this aisle like jars, googley eyes (can be stuck in a jar with a petition to make someone be discovered for lying, cheating, etc) Mini plastic toy animals (can be used for all kinds of stuff. Sheep=tame sheep spells, chicken=protection spell, etc) Popsicle sticks (can be used for making crosses, building boxes, etc) Felt fabric squares (make dolls)

3. Craft Stores: Craft stores are pretty expensive and most of the main stuff you can find here you can get at a party store or dollar store with the exception of during a holiday….guys… I am a financial disaster during halloween. Some ideas include 

Halloween: Bottles, jars, coffins (perfect for darker spells like “your relationship will die), toy insects (put in a jar with a doll, and herbs to cause nightmares) black candles that are CHEAP, Skulls of all shapes sizes and materials (perfect for head working spells), SO MUCH STUFF! If you guys are on a budget wait until the end of halloween and head on over to your local craft store and cash out $$$$!!

Valentines Day: A perfect time to collect all things love magic including heart shaped bottles, roses (fake or real), and chocolates for offerings.

Christmas: Theres nothing specifically around this time that I’ve found useful BUT, everything goes on sale around this time, so this is the perfect time to go ahead and pick up anything thats laying around from previous holidays.

4. Hispanic Grocery Stores: You can get some serious bulk herbs and bigger grocery stores! I buy the more obscure herbs online like fiver finger grass, but things I have found at my local Mexican grocery store include:

Mugwort: Good for psychic spells, divination, and dream work

Bulk Bay Leaves: I put bay leaves in just about everything, so I need a ton of them to sustain me and i usually get them here.

Alum Stone: Used in shut up or tapa boca spells to pucker someone’s mouth and shut them up.

Various Chili Peppers: I love peppers because they’re so versatile! They can be used in defensive spells like revenge spells or break up spells, but they can also be used for other things like fiery wall of protection.

Florida Water: Almost all Mexican grocery stores sell this, and its way cheaper than buying it online or from a “spiritual” supplier.

5. Thrift stores: When you go thrifting its best not have a specific thing in mind, but you can find some really unique witchy things at thrift stores for cheap. Some things I’ve found include:

Vintage perfume bottles: used on my altar

Candle holders: literally almost all of mine are from thrift stores

Altar cloths: Things like silk scarves or cool fabric could be used. All of mine are from thrift stores.

I hope this list helped you out and gave you some more ideas for spells, if you have anything you want me to write about or expand on from this post, let me know. Happy casting!

[hoodooyousee]

Domination Spells

Y'all seem to be really interested in spells like these and I’ve gotten so many requests to post more stuff like this. So, here are some of my best tips and tricks I’ve accumulated over the years to make spells like this work best.

In my experience, I have had the most success with black, purple, and red candles. Purple is used for domination spells often as it symbolizes power. Black absorbs all other colors and can be used as a stand-in for any spell. Red is often used in love spells but is underrated and under- utilized in domination and other defensive spells like tapa boca (shut up) ones in my opinion and for me has proven very successful.

If you are using a doll or person representation in a spell where you are trying to dominate someone, turn the doll upside down on its head. By putting your doll upside down it puts pressure on the target to bend to your will as well as shows them they are in your control and you have them turned upside down.

Cloves. While they resemble nails which is a plus (nail someone down/pinning someone down=controling them), they are a powerful agent in domination and defensive spells alike. In a glass-encased candle, I typically stick 5 on top, but powder can be used around a candle as well.

Alum works really well for sour jars and shut up spells, it is essential for me in these types of works.

High John the conquer oil, tame sheep, and bend over oil are all oils you can make or buy at a reputable botanica. These are my favorites to use, but it all depends on the type of work your doing. if it is a love domination spell, for example, you might be better off using something like bend over if you want your partner to be submissive to you.

Keep the petition with the person’s name that it is already dressed with your oils in your shoe. Now the person is literally beneath your feet as you assert your position over them.

These are just a few tips/tricks I have picked up over the years that I thought would be helpful. Happy casting!

[brujeria-n-bongs]

🍁🕯️Ash Divination🚬👁️

This is a step by step guide on how I divine with ashes.

Hardware:

White plate with 2 circles (see picture)

White candle

Energizing /divination tea

Lighter

A small item to mark “The present Position”

Joint /Blunt / Cigar, blended with diving herbs

Suggested herbs: Marijuana (Sativa hybrid), Lavender, Peppermint, Rose Petal (may cause headaches), marigold petal, Mugwort (mild-hallucinogenic), Marshmallow Root, Tobacco (Carcinogenic, use sparingly)

Step by Step:

Blend herbs using a grinder or mortar and pestle, roll into cigar shape

Place your time marker onto a clean white plate (It has to have a center circle) this location is “The Present Position” and marks your current situation - I used an unrolled crutch.

The plate is seperated like so, with time moving clockwise. If it’s eaiser to understand, you can change past/future to going /coming. And the center ring denoting the far off future

Write your question/query on paper, fold it, and place it under the clean plate

Smoke as you normally would, be sure to flick the ashes onto the plate but try not to be so conscious about WHERE you flick, just to keep some randomness.

Take notes of how the joint burns. Is it one sided? Does it keep going out? Is it hard to get a hit off of?

Once finished, look for shapes and symbols within the ashes, the space in between, and the overall position, direction and distribution of ashes. - Write these down and seperate them by category (Past, Present, Future, far Future, etc.)

I induce a trance state and let my mind wander to where ever these shapes and symbols take me.

Compare these symbols and visions to your question(s) and that’s it!