Witch Tip Wednesday 6.13.18
This Is Not A Drill, Iām giving you a month notice!
Prepare yourselves witches and bitches because good news is incoming.
Has a partial solar eclipse
Is 12 days before Mercury in Retrograde in Leo begins.
It is such a freak of nature event it wonāt happen again until June 13, 2132.
IT IS A PERFECT DAY FOR MAGIC. Here are some ideas or jumping off points regarding this day and night!
New moons are good for banishings, ending of cycles, new beginnings, baneful magic, spell negation/undoing, secrets. I also view new moons as a time of truths as the dark moon is the moonās natural state (it does not have its own luminescence.)
Fridays are related to the planet Venus, relate to love, relationships, passion, potential.
Eclipses are connected to potential, completion, rarity, perfect timing. Some believe that it encapsulates an entire season or month as you see moon, sun, and lack of moon at the same time. Death, rebirth, and possibility (a night within a day)
The tradition in America of carrying a lucky rabbitās foot is one of many cultures that have thought the rabbit has brought luck, and prosperity, but using it for protection and safety as well as luck has come from African Hoodoo tradition. According to certain hoodoo lore, the lucky rabbits foot could only be made on a new moon and a Friday (other lore says full moon on Friday). The rabbit had to be caught (some cases caught by hand, others, shot with a silver bullet) in a graveyard (any graveyard, but the original states it had to be a black or slave graveyard) at midnight.
This combination of acts, being so hard to fulfill was offered to the spirits as a sort of penance or trial by fire to prove worth and offering to protect the owner of the foot from supernatural forces and act as a road opener. As part of hoodoo tradition this isnāt something that I suggest you do. I share it as an example of how an auspicious day like this was used in the not so distant past. And how folklore, magic and amulets of cultures can be white washed and trickle down into everyday life.
Also known as alraune or plant familiar was a process of creating a vessel for a spirit familiar out of a root. The creator would go out and harvest a cthonic or poisonous herb (traditionally mandrake, bryony, or dandelion) on a new moon and Friday. A circle around the plant would be drawn, the root dug up after conferring with the spirits and choosing which one would inhabit the vessel. The roots are washed in wine, fed milk, honey and a drop of blood and carved with features resembling a human. The top removed and the root trimmed, it would then be brought home. Cleansed and covered in a clean cloth (a funeral shroud) it would be stored in a handmade box (the coffin of the alraun). The spirit would be fed and cleansed monthly (or weekly) in return for doing the bidding of the owner. The lore for the alraune is so varied it can make your head spin, for more examples and information, hereās an article that covers history, culture, historical reference and some examples of ārequirementsā.
With so much happening, divination is an excellent thing to do on this day. As an eclipse (visible or not) is a rarity that encompasses an entire year in a moment in some traditions. You could do a year ahead spread with tarot or oracle cares to gain some insight on whatās to come. Try your hand at a new type of divination as new beginnings and skills are represented by this day: scrying, candle reading, runes, casting lots etc.
Bayberry is very connected to prosperity and money drawing spells. As it is so costly to produce, it is usually saved for special occasions or to mark a prosperous future at the beginning of the new year.
As stated, new moons and eclipses are connected to new beginnings, breaking cycles and habits and one of the easier ways to get started on that path is to cleanse or ground yourself, your tools, and your space. Take a ritual bath using seasonal herbs and flowers! Save yourself some clean up and place in a sachet and toss in your bath.
As this is a day that is so unique, connected to witches through lore of Friday the 13th and the moon crossing over the sun, it makes sense that the veil would be thin on this date. Already the Friday and new moon have be referenced as a creation date for a spirit familiar, but contacting spirits, working with house spirits, fae and deities would be something to consider. A rare occasion, as if Samhain or Walpurgisnacht suddenly appeared is what this can mean for you and your workings. Pay homage to your ancestors and guides, they deserve it.
Other Miscellaneous Ideas
Go out wildcrafting to gather seasonal plants.
Make some powders, portable spells, or even hex powder!
Create a tool of your own, by hand. Make a wand, a spirit board, your own black scrying mirror.
Prepare for the mercury in retrograde if youāre susceptible by making a charm, carrying a blessed nail or spike, supercharging wards, protections or shields, whatever floats your boat!
These are just a few things to consider! As the Summer solstice is in a little over a week, you could consider utilizing the solstice to gather, collect and prepare for another working the following month. Whether thatās infusing an oil, making moon water for a full cycle or creating bundles of herbs to burn, have at it! Iād love to see what yāall come up with :)
One last thing, tonight is a new moon as well, so beginning something to prepare would be a wonderful idea. Make some black salt that you charge on your altar from new moon to new moon. Make a poppit and complete a bit each day until next month. Try some sympathetic magic and see how much can be accomplished in a month, that ends in a year.
I hope you are excited, I know I am. And my group of witches are planning a ritual ourselves for next month.
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
