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@cauldronandcloves
My kitchen altar has been a bit all over the place lately- a summer solstice themed art card, beehive candles, a fake fern because all my real plants are too big, a pinecone leftover from Yule, and up until a week ago acorns scattered about from autumn. But my new (vintage) spice witch brings a smile to my face, as does her sister close by.
The Promise of Spring - Imbolc for Secular Witches
I am the spark before the fire From winter’s cold, I do inspire I am the promise of the Spring I am the tiniest of flames
-Kelliana, “Brighid’s Flame”
As we begin to come to the end of (an unseasonably warm) January, a tiny candle flame appears on the horizon. The beginning of February is marked by a number of “signs of spring” holidays, among them Candlemas, the Feast of St. Brighid, Groundhog Day, and of course, Imbolc.
Now, depending on where you live, Imbolc (or Imbolg) and the Feast of St. Brighid may be celebrated sort of interchangeably. In Ireland, the day is called Lá Fhéile Bríde and it is as much a celebration of an old Gaelic festival halfway between the solstices as it is a celebration for the nation’s other favorite saint.
The religious and spiritual significance of the holiday is very entwined with the traditional activities we often see depicted online. The reed crosses, the dollies, the ceremonies, the offerings of oatmeal and milk - all of this is wonderful, but it can leave secular witches feeling left out in the cold.
So what’s a witch to do?
The main importance of the holiday, apart from venerating the blessed Brighid or the unconquered Sun, is hope. The glimmer of new beginnings, the warm hearth in the midst of winter, and the promise of renewal with the coming spring. It is a time to evaluate where you are, to determine what can or should be cleansed from your life, and to begin planning your way forward.
If you’re inclined to divination, cast your fortune for the coming season. Contemplate your path to personal growth. What obstacles are in your path? What is holding you back from flowering and how can you either conquer it or work around it? Where would you like to see yourself this year? What changes do you need to make?
Take a day to focus on self-care. Winter darkness can be hard on those of us with depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (amongst other things). A day spent doing things that make you feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled can buoy your spirits and help get you through that winter slump. Have a home spa day. Watch your favorite movies and eat your favorite foods. Curl up with a good book. Or, if you’re socially inclined, have an outing with friends or loved ones. Visit a favorite shop or cafe. Go see a movie. Plan a date with your sweetie or your bestie. Reconnect with yourself and with the wider world in a way that brings you comfort and joy.
Start on your spring cleaning projects. It’s a bit soon to begin airing out the house, despite the January warm spell (thanks a lot, climate change), but you can still begin clearing the clutter. Organize a closet or plow through one of those projects you’ve been putting off. Scrub down your kitchen and/or bathroom - they ALWAYS need it - or clean out the fridge. Do a few loads of laundry, or just pick up whatever clutter is keeping your space from feeling relaxed and harmonious. If you’ve been saying you’ll get around to it, consider this your Round Tuit.
If you’ve got a green thumb, start planning your spring planting. The gardening catalogs are starting to show up in mailboxes, and they can be treasure troves of inspiration. Places like Seed Savers and Burpee will even send you a free catalog if you just want to have a look. Look back on last year’s garden. What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to try growing again, and what new and exciting plants would you like to try?
Start a new project. If you’re crafty with yarn and textiles, make a stashbuster project with the odds and ends you’ve got sitting around. If you’re a maker of shiny things, pick up that special piece you’ve been waiting to work with and make something gorgeous. Brainstorm ideas for new artwork or sculpture or costuming. Fill a few pages in your sketchbook. Fiddle around with some writing prompts and see what happens, or pull out that old piece you’ve been meaning to finish. Find a creative outlet and let the ideas flow.
And if you can, watch the sun rise. There is nothing quite like the light of dawn on Imbolc day. There’s something peaceful about it. The sun seems to wink at you through the early morning clouds, as if to say, “Soon.”
Happy Imbolc, everyone!
Marigold, French
(tagetes petula)
Sun Energy - Fire Element
Magical uses: Strength, Respect, Love, Consecration, Prophetic Dreams
Dried petals can be ground and used in cooking- pairs well with cinnamon and cloves.
Harvested from my garden Oct. 16, 2020. I dried the seeds in open air and then stored them in a glass jar for next year’s planting. I’m enjoying the blooms on my countertop for now, but will attempt to hang dry them a little later.
I’ve been gone from this space for a while (trying to educate two elementary age kids at home during a pandemic is real fucking hard, folks!), but I wanted to stop by and see how everyone is doing and share how we enjoyed this autumn equinox.
While I don’t celebrate Mabon, I do recognize the equinoxes (and solstices and cross-quarter days) though not necessarily by name. Personally, I view the solstices as “peak celebration times” where I like to go all out and really revel in the season and give thanks to the changing Light. On the other hand, the equinoxes feel like a time of balance, a time where I clean and cleanse my home, recenter myself and refocus my intentions.
Because I am spending so much energy on school, I wasn’t able to put too much extra effort into the day. I did manage to make one last pot of rustic corn chowder, as well as bake a batch of maple snickerdoodles, also known around here as “lumberjack cookies”. I then added some found leaves and acorns to my kitchen altar, dusted and swept and washed the floors, and hung an autumn wreath on the front door. Lastly I lit some patchouli incense and took the time to sit and refocus on my goals, both spiritual and physical.
Happy Equinox, everyone! 🍁🍎🍐🌰🍄
Grounding Techniques and a meditation
–
Centering Meditation:
Sit any way that you feel comfy, so long as your spine is straight. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take very long and very deep breaths through your nose.
Each time you breathe in, hold it for 2 or 3 seconds and then slowly exhale. Continue this breathing until you feel very calm and peaceful.
Take as long as you need. It is different for everyone. Just go at your own pace. You can also use sound to center yourself. Just sit quietly and ring a small bell or chimes. Focus on the soft sound and breathe deeply. Keep making the noise until you feel centered.
–Grounding Techniques:
This works great for those times in school or at work when you just can’t seem to keep your feet still or relax. Place your feet flat on the floor and breathe in deeply. On the exhale, picture the excess energy flowing out of your feet and into the Earth. Keep doing this until you feel calm. Your feet may feel heavy after doing that, but don’t worry. That’s normal.
–Grounding 1:
-Grounding is important to do after any meditation, spell or ritual. If you do not ground yourself, you will either feel very drained or have an excess of energy which can interfere with things around you in a negative way. This simple technique will help you to ground yourself after any ritual, meditation or spell:
Sit comfortably on the floor and place your palms on the floor either side of you.
Focus on breathing for a minute or two, deep relaxing breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Visualize yourself as a mighty oak tree, feel your branches reach high up toward the sun and your roots going deep into the earth, you are connected to every living thing yet still an individual being, feel the connection.
Draw power from the earth up through your dominant hand (the hand you write with) and feel it travel through your body and out of your non dominant hand.
When you feel your energy levels are balanced retract your roots and focus again on your breathing for a minute or two, slowly open your eyes and have a good stretch like a cat, then have a small snack like a sandwich or biscuits and a drink. Remember: don’t stand up too quickly or you’ll make yourself dizzy.
–Grounding 2 (My favorite):
Visualize a cord extending from the base of your spine into the center of the earth. Align yourself along this cord. Breathe from your center- -from the diaphragm and your stomach. Feel the energy flow from the earth and fill you. Do this for a few moments, then:
Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree… and from its base, roots extend straight into the earth …into the very center of the earth herself. Now you can draw power up from the earth with each breath. Feel the energy rising up through your spine. Feel yourself becoming more alive with each breath.
Visualize branches that sweep up and back down to touch the earth; these are coming from your crown. Feel the power burst from the crown of your head, and the power sweeping down toward the earth again where it completes a circuit, then returning to its source. Feel these branches intertwine together, blowing in the wind.
After you have raised all of this energy and used it for your ritual, there is still a great deal of power running through you. Every time such power is raised, it must also be earthed. Earthing is another form of grounding. If this is not done, the force you feel as vitalizing energy degenerates into nervous tension and irritability. In the final step before opening the circle we ground all excess energy. A good place to send it to is back to the Earth herself. Here’s how:
Sink to the ground and relax. Place your palms flat on the ground or just lie flat on the ground (floor). Keep what energy you need and let the rest sink through you into the Earth. Visualize the energy flowing down to the ground. Relax, and let the energy flow out of you- -deep into the earth from whence it came. Relax and let yourself drift peacefully.
*Image Source.
The Sun and a Birch Tree - Elizabeth Madox Roberts
As I came home through Howard’s lane, The trees were bending down with rain. A still mist went across their tops, And my coat was powdered gray with drops. Then I looked in the woods to see The limbs of the white birch tree. It made a bright spot in the air, And I thought the sun was shining there.
Harvest Moon (Golden Hare) by Tamsin Abbott, English stained glass artist. Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. The Celts would use the Harvest Moon to mark the time before Samhain and considered it a blessing
Something to be said about memorization. The first step of learning is obviously to read and perform the act; in this way you are posturing yourself in the form of our ancestors that created the rite, like a game of copy cat with a past iteration of humanity. Again and again you attempt and look like a fool compared to the greatness beyond the grave. But something happens after a while. Once you’ve become familiar with the material, you don’t need someone to copy anymore, you don’t need a script. You realize you can perform based on your own personal memory, your experience. Not the way they did it, but the way you do it. You pulling this thought and this structure from the confines of your mind is a microcosmic evocation. This is the miracle of creation. Once this thought pattern has been made, the trail has been cut, it can start to be properly utilized. The trail isn’t quite a road and definitely isn’t a highway but the trees cleared. Traveling the trail time and time again wears it deeper and deeper and the ground starts to shape around it. Eventually after months and months of weather and wear the trail starts becoming part of the earth, the two stop being separated. Eventually after learning the moves and the words and repeating them time and time again you begin to listen and start picking up on subtleties. Fixing each small piece as you go slowly paves the road to mastery. Mastery is the difference between repairing a seam and creating a 50 piece haute couture collection. Both come from the same threads. Mastery is the difference between the poem you wrote when you were 11 and an anthology of Emily Dickinson. Both are created using the same 26 letters. The repetition of the task is what creates perfect work. To simply “do a spell” is useful sure but the real hidden truth of magic is knowledge. Knowledge that cannot be simply passed on, it must be discovered, experienced. Work for it. Find it.
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies ☕️🌿✨
If you’ve ever had a London Fog, which is an Earl Grey milk tea latte with lavender and vanilla, these cookies have a similar taste. They make the perfect treat to accompany tea during afternoon teatime!
You Will Need:
1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks)
1 cup of white sugar
2 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea leaves
1 tablespoon of lavender
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 cups of flour (set 1/2 cup of it aside)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit
Start by creaming together the soft (or melted) butter and the sugar in a large bowl, I prefer to whisk it thoroughly with a large whisk, but you could use a mixer if you’d like.
Add the vanilla and stir it in.
Next, add 1 cup of the flour and incorporate it a little at a time. I usually switch to using a wooden spoon to mix in the flour.
At this point, add the tea leaves and lavender and mix it in as you go.
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour to your mix. At this point, the dough is going to be very crumbly and dry, so use your hands to knead the dough together into a large ball.
Use the 1/2 cup of flour you set aside to dust your work surface and pat the dough down onto the surface to make it into a thick circular shape. You can beat it with a rolling pin too if that’s easier for you. Once it’s flattened a bit, roll it carefully until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. The dough will be cracking and crumbly, so be careful when handling it and don’t be afraid to push and pat the dough back together in places.
Using a round cookie cutter (or an upside down drinking glass) cut out as many cookies as you can and place them on a lightly greased pan. Repeat the above process until you’ve used as much dough as you can to make cookies. Depending on the size cookie cutter you used, you should get a baker’s dozen.
Sprinkle the cookies with white sugar on top befmore placing them into the oven on a middle rack.
Let them bake for about 35 minutes, and then remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, using a flat spatula, transfer them carefully to a cooling rack.
Once cool enough to handle, enjoy! These cookies are amazing when they’re still warm!
A girl came in the night
She brought me a fever
She laid her hands upon my head
'Till I was burning up
Doing Your Own Research
Or, more appropriately titled: Doing Your Own Research, Without Just Looking Up Someone Else’s Correspondence Lists. Because while those lists are very handy to get started or have a shorthand reference, it gives us memorization, stopping just short of real understanding. What’s more, most correspondence lists won’t have your local (overlooked) plant life, or whatever niche plant, rock, animal you need. Sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty and figure it out from scratch.
Anyway so here’s some stuff you can do to aid in that.
The Science Look into what it physically is. What family does it belong to? If that weird plant growing in your backyard is closely related to say, basil, it will likely have similar properties. Was that crystal formed under heat and pressure, or is it a sedimentary rock? What does this animal do? How does it live and survive? A lot of correspondences come from this level, and it’s the easiest level to research. Physical traits and fun science facts are all welcome here and fair game to use in magic. The Folklore Okay, so we know what the Thing is made of, but let’s look into its relationship with humans. There’s nothing demanding that roses be the Official Love Flower, but rather it’s a collective cultural thing. That has worked itself into magic as well. Are there any stories involving your object of choice? Local superstitions? Home remedies? What does this item get used for in wider culture? For some things, there may not be much here. But for those that do have lore, it’s a valuable resource. The Vibes The actual, spiritual sensations you get from holding or touching the Thing. (This is going to apply more to rocks and plants… please don’t go out and touch wild animals.) This will give you some better understanding beyond just what it does, but how it does it. Does the energy seem aggressive? Is it fast or slow moving? Does it give you the impression of being related to a certain element? Which brings us into the next…
The Voice If you communicate with stuff or spirits at all, this is for you. Just ask the Thing for yourself! “Hello. I am ____. Tell me, what sort of things would you be able to help me with?” Prepare an interview, maybe. This will likely be more specific than “love” or “cleansing,” because they’re giving you a pitch and will know themselves very well. It may be “I help someone realize romantic feelings they already have but don’t know about,” or “I help other cleansing items so that cleansed spaces stay cleaner for longer, but I don’t work by myself.” If you get an answer, record it!
Experiment Use the Thing! If you have a general idea of what it does, throw it into the mix for your next relevant spell and see how it changes the result. You can read a lot about something, but the research doesn’t stop when you start using it! As you discover things through repeated use, make note of that as well!
Happy researching!
Magical Journaling
When we think of a witch’s tools, we usually think of cauldrons, brooms, and jars filled with herbs. But for modern witches, one of the most powerful tools available is a blank journal. The journal can be an altar, a workspace, a diary, and a grimoire all in one.
Creating a Magical Journaling Practice
One of the benefits of this type of magic is that it doesn’t require a lot of tools and materials. However, there are a few things you may choose to include:
A journal, notebook, or binder. Having a physical journal for your magical practice can help to ground your magic into the physical world. Find a journal or notebook that speaks to you — this could be a composition book from the dollar store, or an elaborate leather bound journal. I highly recommend using a physical book, but if you are unable to keep a physical journal dedicated to your witchcraft, you can absolutely keep one in a Google Doc, a Microsoft Word document, or the Notes app on your phone.
Colored pens, pencils, or markers. These are a great way to include the magic of color in your journal. (See this post for info on magical color correspondences.) Writing your spells in a color that matches your intention can add an extra layer of power.
Stickers, photos, and drawings. This adds a visual component to your written spells. Just like you add things to a physical ritual based on their magical correspondences, you can use images of those things to add energy to journal spells.
A Daily Intention-Setting Ritual
This method of magical journaling is based on an exercise from Lisa Marie Basile’s book, The Magical Writing Grimoire.
In the morning, before you start your day, write your intention for the day ahead. This should be written in the present tense, and phrased in the positive — it’s about what you are doing, not what you’re stopping or trying to quit. Your intention can be anything, mental, emotional, or physical. (For example: “I am opening myself to love in all its many forms.”)
In the evening, before you go to bed, write down what you worked on that day. This can be anything you did that you feel nourished you, and it may or may not be related to your intention from the morning. (For example: “I used mindfulness meditation to become aware of my own vastness.”)
Living with intention makes you more aware of your actions and can be a form of magic in itself. You daily intentions can become positive affirmations that you can repeat throughout your day, drawing strength from the words.
Using a Journal to Cast Spells
You can cast spells on the page of your journal, with nothing more than a pen and paper.
There are four basic parts to every spell: your will, your intention, focused energy, and a ritual action. All of these components can be brought into a journaling session. Your will is your personal magical and spiritual authority — you use your will simply by being aware of it. Your intention is a clear statement of what you want to get out of your spell — in journal magic, this is typically written on the page. By directing your attention to what you are writing, you are focusing your energy. And finally, a ritual action is any act performed in a ritualistic manner — in this case, that act is writing.
When casting a journal spell, it’s best to do your work in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. You might choose to light a candle or burn incense to help set a spiritual/magical mood, or you might not. I recommend meditating on your intention for a few moments before you begin, in order to help focus your energy.
What you actually write is up to you. It could be a simple, straightforward statement of intention, a detailed description of what you want, or even a poem. Feel free to experiment with different methods to see what feels right for you.
Journaling with Sigils and Runes
You can incorporate sigils, runes, and other sacred symbols into your journal, or use them as spells by themselves.
I’ve talked a little bit about runes in a previous post, but here’s a quick refresher: “runes” typically refer to the symbols used in Germanic alphabets before they were replaced by the Latin alphabet. The oldest Germanic rune system, and the one most widely used in magic, is the Elder Futhark. Other Germanic runic alphabets include the Younger Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon runes, which are both descended from the Elder Futhark. There are other alphabets that are used for similar purposes in magic, like the Irish Ogham. The use of these symbols in magic comes from the ancient idea that writing is inherently magical. Both the Germanic runes and the Ogham alphabet were believed to be sacred by the people who originally used them. Because of this, the runes aren’t merely letters — each symbol has a set of spiritual meanings associated with it as well.
The nice thing about runes is that, for the most part, we have a good idea of what they meant — so learning the runes can be as simple as purchasing a book and memorizing meanings. They’re also tied to ancient belief systems, which makes them a potent source of magical power.
You can use the runes in your magical journal in a couple of different ways. You can draw the appropriate runes in the borders around your spell, or write them over your spell in a different colored ink to add their power to your words. You can also use the runes alone as a form of magic. For this, speak or chant the name of the rune as you write it, and then spend a few moment focusing on it, visualizing your goal, and charging the rune with your intent.
Sigils are a little bit different. Unlike runes, sigils are created on the spot, so the meaning of a sigil is usually only known to the person who designed it. This means that, rather than learning established meanings, you’re creating a new magical symbol with a unique meaning every time you draw a new sigil. Because of this, sigils are directly linked to your will, which makes them powerful conductors of magic.
Here’s a common method for designing a sigil: Write a word or phrase that represents your goal or desire. Cross out all the vowels and/or all repeating letters. Now, use the remaining letters (the ones that haven’t been marked out) to create a design, adding artistic flourishes as you see fit. It’s okay to get creative with this, and it’s okay if the shape of the letters isn’t obvious in the final sigil. For example: if I wanted to create a sigil to manifest wealth, I might start with the phrase “I have more money than I know what to do with.” I then cross out all vowels and repeating letters, leaving me with, “v r y k w d.” Using the shape of these letters as a starting point, I create an artistic design that carries the intention of the original statement.
Sigils are usually used on their own to conduct magic. Draw the sigil in a color that matches your intention (for my wealth sigil, I would use green). As you draw, focus on your intent and feel your energy moving through the pen, charging the sigil. You can leave the finished sigil in your journal, tear the page out and place it on your altar, or display it somewhere you’ll see it often.
Sigils are especially useful for witches who need to keep their practice a secret, because they can be disguised as simple doodles.
Resources:
The Magical Writing Grimoire by Lisa Marie Basile
The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith
Runes by Kylie Holmes
seen a lot of these with your favorites, but reblog with the CURRENT book you are reading, show you are streaming, the last movie you watched, and any game/puzzle/crafts you’re working on
The bouquet I bought this weekend began to wilt incredibly fast, but I wasn’t ready to let those pretty blooms go 🌻🥀🌾🌿
A lovely bouquet from the farmer’s market this morning 🌻
There’s something to be said about respecting the unknown, as a human and as a witch. I do not recommend predicting every unknown event of your future using divination. It is really important to learn how to cope with not knowing everything.
Divination can be wrong. Future-telling can force you into boxes you don’t belong in. It can make you create unhealthy expectations for your future.
It’s important to let go of the control, and learn how to handle life without predicting everything that’s going to happen.
