32. He/Him. Irish. Lover of animals, the ocean and growth. Water. Gemini. Hawthorne. Plantetary magic, Irish paganism/Gaelic polytheism, herbs. Brighid, Donn, Airmed. Discord: Eleben. My main blog is amazingcheese, that's the one I follow on just for your information :)
I’ll refrain from a deep, in-depth introduction because, as of late, I’ve been reframing the old labels I once had for what it is I believe and practice. I think I’ve shed the concept of labelling myself whatsoever, but I’ll attempt a short introduction just so you can see what it is that I am about.
(Apologies if it seems ramshackle, I will most likely come back to edit this and call it a work in progress for now).
I am a believer in animism and magic, I petition and revere the sun and the moon, perform spells, am interested in western astrology and tarot.
I am currently in the process of beginning working with spirits.
I love plants and animals, using plants in my practice is something I’m aiming to do more consistently and seriously.
You could say I’m interested in celtic reconstructionism, particularly of Gaelic polytheism and the pre-christian Gaelic practices of Ireland; my home. This has involved me currently reading and researching about local and folklore the Cycles and ogham, but I am positive that it will take me even further.
Above all I’m just a human being. I bleed, I laugh, I make mistakes. My main aim currently is to decolonise my practice, tap into my roots, and chat to some spirits.
If you see or catch me saying or reposting anything you don’t agree with or that is problematic, feel free to tell me. Though I hugely hope that won’t be common!
Today I sort of did two things practice-related, if you could call it that anyway.
On the more obvious spiritual side, I've restarted what I'm calling "Tree Tuesdays" where I connect to plant spirits, namely those of trees. I had great success connecting with the hawthorn a fortnight ago so today I meditated beside our two birch trees in the back garden. I ask these three trees plus two more in the house for their protection (of the home) so I wanted to get to actually know them better and foster a better relationship.
The difference in their personalities, and between birch and hawthorn in general, was very clear. This in itself was very encouraging for my own insight! I'm going to further foster this relationship by not only learning about their folklore, medicinal properties and using their leaves and branches in workings (with permission) but also by learning about their ecology, their anatomy, their life cycles.
My other thing I did today was get back into astrology. I've always loved and been interested in it, but my "theory" has taken a back seat in the last few months. In lieu of the solar eclipse tomorrow (we're getting 93.9% totality here!!) I thought this was timed well!
I don’t have much to say about the past two days except I spent them devoting my time to practicing some cartomancy!
Yesterday I used my cat tarot deck to try see how it fared with ancestor communication. Normally I would just either speak with my ancestors, or use a pendulum, but I thought I’d give this a try for more in depth conversation! It actually went really well!
Today I used my moon oracle deck for some self development, mainly performing a waning moon spread to guide me in what I should focus on letting go between now and the new moon.
Both provided me with a lot of notes to journal on, dog into, and genuine fun because divination is a skill I could certainly get better at!
This is all very genuine and comes from a genuine place of curiosity!!!! I have a few questions for pagans :)
I’m a Christian, and mostly in school the religions they’ve briefly talked about, since they can’t teach specific religions in public school, they haven’t lingered much on paganism, and I don’t hear much about it outside of standard Greek mythology
I’ve also never met a pagan (that I know of) due to where I live not having many at all, so I’ve never been able to ask these questions to anyone. I’ve always been interested in mythology and ancient cultures, so I wonder about what it’s like to practice those religions. Mostly in this I’m referring to Hellenic polytheists, but any pagan or polytheist can answer.
PLEASE if I’ve used an offensive term or an uneducated one, please let me know and I’ll be happy to change it. I severely lack knowledge on this topic, so 100% tell me.
But anyway these are my questions :)
1.) do yall have any religious texts? Christians have the Bible, Jewish have the Torah and Talmund (and their other ones), the Muslims have the Quran, but I haven’t heard of one for pagans. If you do, what are they?
2.) how does your worship work? I’ve seen some people make shrines (if that’s the right term) but do you have temples for each god/goddess to go to on certain days, or just go whenever, or have any temples/churches at all?
3.) do you guys do similar things to “Wednesday night church” or “Sunday night youth”? I guess what I mean is like kids/teenagers getting together to worship?
4.) how does modern paganism compare to ancient paganism? Has anything changed drastically since (I figure some has to an extent, but curious)
5.) I won’t lie I think about this one a lot- do you have to like “pick” a god/goddess to worship, or do you have to worship all of them and know all of them. For monotheists it’s pretty simple, like know your guy, but for polytheists do you have to know like all of them and their stories? I have seen people talk about worshipping their goddess, but in the phrasing it almost implies that that’s the one in particular they focus on. I’m just curious how this works
6.) this is sort of a silly one, but briefly on the religious texts, would poetry by Homer for example be considered religious texts? Or is it more “Percy Jackson” telling stories with religious figures?
7.) if you guys do have places to meet and worship, is there specific clothing or symbols you have to wear? For Christians at church, we wear like nicer clothes and a cross necklace or jewelry, so do you guys have that for yours?
Again, all of this is coming from a place of genuine curiosity. I don’t know much about paganism, and in general I like to know the way other people live their lives since I’m part of the majority and live in such a bubble of people who are just Christians. If anyone wants to answer these, I’d really appreciate it and love to have a conversation :) if you’re younger than 25, feel free to dm me, but otherwise just reblog please
In Hellenic Polytheism, there's no religious text like a Bible or Torah.
Scholars and Academics have put in a lot of work and hours to provide a broad understanding of what actual ancient practice looked like, but all modern Hellenic Polytheism practice a reconstructed version, where the gaps are filled in according to personal preference, and chosen cultic traditions.
In antiquity, having a designated temple or shrine you could regularly visit was a luxury. In the present day, you'd be hard pressed to find a shrine local to you. Nowadays, most people have at-home altars or shrines where they pray, give offerings, etc. The regularity depends on the person and how often they chose to practice.
Modern Polytheism is a relatively lonely practice. You could find an online community somewhere to gather people - but finding a safe space in real life for a bunch of pagans to gather and practice is really hard. Moreso for children/the youth, who may not be able to freely say that they are pagan or believe in something other than what their family believes.
So much of ancient practice has been lost and just can never be recovered and what remains is very biased towards the affluent and social elites living in Athens. Comparatively, we know very little about how the average person (a merchant, a farmer, etc.) worshipped in the privacy of their own homes. In a way, yes - the modern practice looks vastly different from ancient ways but I think as people, we approach the gods with similar reverence. There's a big emphasis in the space to differentiate ancient practices and unverified personal gnosis (UPGs).
You definitely don't have to worship or even know all the deities. I only worship two and then give offerings to a handful of others as I remember them. I've only read the myths of the deities that interest me - meaning that there's a whole lot I haven't read and really have no interest in checking out.
It really depends who you ask. Homer, Hesiod, etc. are relevant because their literature reflect ancient sentiment towards the gods. It provides a story to go with symbolism and associations. It's different from Percy Jackson in the sense that there's something to be learned from the text, but it's similar in the way that they are both stories.
There's not universal rulebook. If you want to really be historically accurate then there are certain ways the ancients dress for worship depending on the gods they planned to honor, but for modern praxis, there's not really a guidebook for it. Everyone does what they please, for the most part.
Previse this by saying i'm a dutch/ germanic heathen! And i think that these answers will vary a lot not just based on pagab religion but also per individual and seeing that is super cool! So here's mine :
1- no! Not in the same sense of the bible atleast! There's stories that are religiously very important to me. And those texts are included in my prayers! but there isn't one all encompassing text that holds morality and laws and i would never say that those texts are the foundation of the religion itself for everyone.
2- i worship at nature sites! Nothing really remarkable think like a creek or a tree or maybe two flowers that are important to me grow closely together! I adore the idea of a tempel or open air worship place and there are actually a few of those that people do use although infrequently because of the logistics of getting everyone there if it does happen they're usually big worship events that are closed or open depending on what service it is and the group itself!
3- i worship by removing trash from my local nature atleast once a week. Sometimes the day shifts depending on what my life looks like but i try to do it on wensday. And i worship by spinning on fridays! Same applies for different day sometimes. As for kids, most people i know bring them along to their worship although what that looks like varies greatly from family to family! [i know some norse pagans with kids 6-8 and they do one "worship" day a week but what they do varies on how the family is feeling / what deity is the most important in their life at that time/ the season [activeties can range from baking, crafts, nature walks to you name it usually accompanied with stories and sacrifices]
4- oh it is probably unrecognizable to either!! Reconstructionists [people who try to fully reconstruct their religion as it once was] probably have a lot more to say on this then i do since i am not a full reconstructionist. But i personally think it has changed quite a bit.
5- so like everything here this is different for everybody. In my community though it is very common to worship 2-5 dieties very often [think weekly or monthly basis] and worship all the others [or some others] less regularly [think community settings, special feasts once twice a year] this doesn't mean you don't believe in them year round! Just that you don't actively worship them as regularly. This also means that everyone has different stories that they know better! And within ritual usually the people who worship the diety regularly usually take lead.
6- i like a verify in how stories are told honestly! People can experience muiltipe and see what they connect the most to! On my last walk with another heathen he had written a song based on a story and i had re-written one of my favourite stories as one of those victorian style ghost stories meant for reading out loud with sound effects [i used to be told these stories with a piano where my parents would improvise sound effects it left an impression!]
7- most heathens use thor's hammer or runes as a rechonition symbol i'm personally not a big fan of those. there's no real dress code atleast not in my community people usually dress for what we're doing! And usually try to look their best within that context! [walks, baking, crafts, ritual ect]
Just bear in mind that with pagans and paganism, there isn’t really a structured “way of doing x”. It isn’t as formalised nor has “leaders” the same way larger world religions do, so what I say here may not be the same for all. But I’m happy to answer from an Irish polytheist/Irish pagan perspective (my own, anyway!)
1. No written record of an Irish or Gaelic religious text exists today. Gaelic and Celtic tradition placed a lot of emphasis on oral tradition and storytelling; something Irish people are even known for today (any story from people I know in my mundane life is always taken to include some embellishment!). What we do have are mythologies and legends that were written down by the Christian monks in Ireland, so even what we do have currently often has a heavy Christian emphasis on them. This means many translations need to be looked at and compared to discern what’s really being told. Furthermore, many stories and legends of deities may have been transferred across to some of our saints, so reading those sometimes you see a bit of a ~magical flavour
2. There’s evidence that the places of worship in Ireland before Christianity were generally outdoors in places like groves, holy springs/wells or communal fire pits. It’s hard to know whether or not people had personal shrines to gods or goddesses in their own homes, as houses were mostly made from wood and thatch. Any evidence of places of worship come from finding metallic or bone offerings, and these were normally in the aforementioned outdoor zones. For me personally, I have a small devotional area in my kitchen and plan on making a small cairn mound in my back garden
3. The four fire festivals of Ireland are still largely celebrated here, actually, on the 1st of November, February, May and August (with November “Samhain” and May “Bealtaine” being the most attended, advertised and celebrated.) Lots of people go to these, even if not practicing pagan!
4. We have no way of concretely knowing, but most probably it has. As I mentioned, no records exist so a lot of things we do today is either based off of textual sources from legends, comparisons with accounts of continental and british Celtic practice (largely in the way of observations by peoples like the Romans which need to be read with a large grain of salt), and honestly some Irish Catholic practice may likely stem from Gaelic belief. This last part is due to the fact that it’s likely Christian missionaries converting the island had some allowances in order to make Catholicism palatable to the people to convert; things like how we perform wakes and funeral rites, circle holy wells, venerate saints etc.
5. This is going to be sort of my own interpretations based on living in Ireland and my family’s thoughts too, but Irish paganism is first and foremost animistic in nature. The gods (Tuatha Dé) are seen as powerful spirits that can guide and help us, but in terms of full on worship the emphasis seems to have always been on the land itself. The island, the sea, rivers, lakes, trees are alive and weren’t “created” or “controlled by” the Tuatha Dé, for they too worked with and worshipped the land. In this sense we don’t have to “pick” a deity to work with. Many people do, myself included, and I think that just comes down to family tradition, personal alignment, and local interpretation. Some areas in Ireland are said to be the home of various TD, other families are said to claim ancestry to them, other places are mentioned heavily in myths regarding other TD. These can all be factors in who worships who.
6. An Irish comparison to Homer’s *Iliad* in Ireland would be the *Táin Bó Cuailgne*, the cattle raid of Cooley. I wouldn’t class it as a religious text, but it contains clues and insights as to what Iron Age Ireland may have been like, and what the people may have believed. Not such a religious text and more like a window to help understand
7. There’s nothing designated, but generally speaking Irish pagans tend to wear the *triskele*, which I can only describe as being similar to the air nomad symbol in Avatar: The Legend of Aang (lol). There’s also the *triquetra* which is sometimes used as well. Things like the Celtic cross are seen as more folk Catholic and Celtic knots are more decorative.
Today I actually spent a good chunk of time reading Survivals in belief among the Celts by George Henderson. Though not wholly “active”, it did provide me with a lot of food for thought, and inspired some ideas for practices going forward as well as interesting tidbits on my own beliefs.
I also used my devotional oil burner for the first time, lighting a candle and asking for Brighid for her blessing in our home. Tomorrow I’ll leave her an offering in thanks.
So I haven't updated this in a while, partly because I fell behind and partly due to mundane life getting very busy with my brother's stag party ocurring over Lughnasadh! Initially I felt a little flustered over not sticking directly with my little plan that I had made, but I still managed to stay clued in to doing something practice related at least every day; even if it meant being asked questions about my practice/religion from my brother's friends.
It also included reading on topics that I intend to directly start oncorporating into my practice. This entailed reading about saining, finding and saving interesting articles I wish to read, and a nice little meditation I did today introducing myself properly to the planet Venus.
I had also informally sent my wishes to the moon to be more energetic in my mundane life; to get back into the swing of regular household chores, getting up early and energised, things like that.
It's important to remember that this little challenge isn't for judgement: the only one that was doing that was myself. I do want to cover what I had planned last week over the rest of the challenge, but if anything now I have ideas and goals of things I can do if I'm ever stuck/find myself in the mood for doing a spell!
My 6th activity for practice, once again done a day late but I am ON TRACK NOW, was to introduce myself and sit with the plant spirit of my hawthorn tree.
One thing that never made a whole lot of sense to me was that if one was referring to an individual spirit of a plant or tree, or an overarching spirit representing a plant species as a whole. From my understanding of my native folklore and practices, things like trees share general magical properties, but have a sense of individuality to them.
From connecting with the hawthorn that grows in my garden, I certainly felt this was the case! I was pleased with the information I gained (which I’m going to mull over when I write it down), as well as getting a name to refer to them. I have always named plants and inanimate objects, it’s something I’ve done since I was a child and never grew out of, but for whatever reason the hawthorn never felt right to give a name to until this moment. I will make of that as I will.
It was good to work with the hawthorn in a simple chat and gratitude sense, instead of just thinking “I need to incorporate a plant or tree imagery in this spell” way. Normally, I use the image of this tree in order to visualise a bíle when either grounding or connecting to the Otherworld. Interestingly, I got the sense that while it served me, this hawthorn in particular would rather not be used in that way. Its current job as an anchor and contributor to my house shields are what it would much rather focus on. This was interesting to me, as hawthorns are traditionally seen as “fairy trees”. Perhaps it would rather reserve that side of itself for, of course, the Good Neighbours. Which makes a lot of sense, and I will respect that!
Connecting with plant spirits has been something I’ve been most excited to try, and I absolutely love trees and want to make working with trees a cornerstone of my practice, so I’m overall happy with how this went!
When making a little list for my 100 days, Monday became a planetary day with Tuesdays as a plant day. This makes me look forward to my upcoming Tuesdays :)
Today I turned back the clock a little bit and returned to some planetary magic.
Lately I’ve been super invested (and enthusiastic!) in researching and incorporating pre-Christian Irish polytheism and folk practice into my practice. It’s been very informative, deeply rewarding and interesting to dive into areas I hadn’t before.
Planetary work and working with celestial stuff has always been something I’ve connected with, so I made sure to incorporate some of this into my little timetable for this challenge, and for my fifth day I did a simple meditation to connect with the planet Mercury, introduce myself, and record my interactions.
Putting what I know of the planets into actually doing something was great, and I was happy to discover afterwards that there’s more I want to do in this area. Things like: where does what we know come from? What texts do I want to dig into? How else can I work with planets?
So my theme/action for day 4 is going to spill into today as well, as I didn’t really give it as much time as I would have liked yesterday. It was just one of those days where suddenly you have to do lots of things, and before you know it; it’s bed time!
Regardless, while brushing my teeth I tried to send a prayer to Brighid as well as informing her that I really want to try doing so more often.
I have a tarot deck that I use for deity communication, and asked for a her thoughts on a very mundane task I had to do today that I was dreading, to which I pulled Strength. I also got the distinct feeling that she was also telling me that despite my thinking I didn’t do enough to communicate yesterday, the intent and strength of my devotion is evident.
Anyway, I have much more free time today, so intend to have a more mindful and focused prayer with her :) I found a fancy oil burner I got a few weeks ago that I’m going to use especially for communicating and honouring the gods.
I just add though that on our daily dog walk I encountered yarrow for the first time! It’s incredible what you notice when you take time to really see what’s growing around you. I definitely must have walked by these multiple times, so I felt very blessed to have them seemingly appear before me yesterday! I like finding random “new” wildflowers in the area, as it gives me something to read about, learn the folklore of and provides me with potential new plant allies!
Tumblr (Witchblr) is a vast source of information on witchcraft, sure. But a majority of it is UPG stuff, and list upon list of correspondences, which are valuable as stepping stones and starting points to your own use of herbs and crystals and whatnot...
But witchcraft is your craft, your practice. Maybe apples don't relate to love in your craft? Maybe you see the elements differently than the descriptions you see. And that's okay.
Never take anyone else's word as the be all end all on a subject on this site. Research the whys, the whens, the hows, the whos, and the whats. Why are apples associated with love? What other things are apples associated with and why? Who posited these ideas originally? Where and when did this belief originate?
Today I did some ancestor veneration in the form of lighting a candle and incense, reading a prayer that I found that seemed nice, and speaking to my close ancestors and those of my husband to give them an update, to thank them, and ask them to watch over us.
I won’t go into too much detail, as it was largely a private family conversation. Suffice to say I felt a lot of love in the room with me.
Gone, but never forgotten. No longer seen but felt.
Yesterday was my second day of touching my practice for 100 days, and following from my grounding meditation I did a centering.
To me, the difference between the two is quite distinct (as I’m sure it is for most people, given the terms). Grounding for me is a way to root myself back in to the material world; a way to bring my focus back to the mundane, my physical needs, and a way to transmit anything that I’m carrying that doesn’t serve me back into the earth to be recycled.
Centering is more practice based in that I find some of my…spirit tends to drift off and attach itself on to people I may be unhappy with, or is scattered around the house in my attempts to remember to do things. It’s hard to explain, but essentially when I center I draw it all back in to a focal point in my body that I can draw from for workings. Yesterday, for the first time, I visualised it as a second sun shining in my chest. I felt much more driven to perform a little of my practice today, and felt a lot more at ease and focused as a result too!
Yesterday, I actually didn’t have time to do my planned activity (a simple grounding meditation to get me started). Call it sleepiness or laziness, I just ran out of time as Thursdays are hectic enough for me anyway.
Be that as it may! I made a point of not beating myself up too much, as I did do a brief grounding before bed and another one this morning.
I’ve been reading up so much on different topics the past few months, and questioning my own beliefs and practices, that a grounding meditation was actually very much needed today. I felt a surprising amount of emotion during it, as well as feeling much more down to earth after the fact too. I realised that I haven’t checked in with myself energetically in a long time, and felt a lot of my energy scattered around me, and a lot of unneeded and peripheral “bits” that very much needed to be put out of my space.
The Samhain Ultramarathon | 100 Days of Witchcraft
"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...
October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^
Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"
The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P
I'm sharing this now, over two months out, to give anyone who may want to participate time to coordinate! If you want to share your preparations and if you want to share your "marathon experience" once the challenge itself starts, please use the tag #TheSamhainUltramarthon !
So today I was reading Ancient Fire: An Introduction to Gaulish Celtic Polytheism by Segomâros Widugeni when it struck me just how many of the sources were the type of thing that wouldn't necessarily come up on a regular search, particularly some out-of-print books, a lot of which are actually available on the Internet Archive!
I took some time to take note of each listed source, and tried to see if I could find the right place to request them from (in the case of a handful of articles and theses), find PDF links where they did already exist, basically whatever I could! Some books are available to buy, most secondhand, and while most are available on Amazon, I won't be linking those here. I'd encourage anyone shopping to consider an alternative option if they can!
Now, I haven't read through all of these, but the moment I found at least one of them seems to be impossible to find, I was reminded of the dangers of dying media. So I wanted to put these together so anyone could use them. Not every resource listed is in English.
Anyway, on to the list~
The court of law in Iron Age ‚Celtic’ societies. In R. Karl & J. Leskovar (eds.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten 3. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich Folge 22, Linz: Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum 2009: 135-60.
Samhain Seeing: Traditional Samhain Divination Customs
by Keziah Zibelmann | Support on Ko-fi
Samhain is one of the four major festivals within the Gaelic calendar, and easily the most widely known of the lot. The festival marks the end of harvest season, the transition into winter, and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Samhain is believed to be a time when the walls between our world and the Otherworld – the realm of spirits of all kinds – are down. During this time, it is easier for the Otherworld folk to walk among us, and easier for people to see and commune with these spirits. For many, this time of year is when the connection to spirits and the realms of spirits feels stronger than otherwise. Because of this Samhain is considered an auspicious time to practice divination.
[Snap-Apple Night by Daniel Maclise (1833); depicting the playing of various divination games on October 31st in Ireland, including bobbing for apples and the throwing of nuts into fire]
Using this liminal point of time to divine is no new concept. There are traditional divination practices associated with Samhain, which we’ll explore together in this piece; including divination games that are perfect for diviners of all skill levels. Such games are also ideal for practicing with family and friends. Divination parties are becoming quite the popular Samhain tradition these days. If you’re interested in throwing one yourself to mark the festival, you might want to try including some of these traditional divinatory customs.
TRADITIONAL DIVINATORY PRACTICES OF SAMHAIN:
Bairín Breac
Bairín Breac – also called Barmbrack, Brack, and Speckled Loaf – is an Irish sweetbread baked at Samhain or Hallowe’en (and some also bake it for New Year), traditionally used to divine what the new year would bring. Baked into this bread, aside from delicious raisins and sultanas or other dried fruits, were various objects. Whichever object one discovered in their piece of bairín breac was believed to foretell an aspect of their future for the year to come. The objects used have varied over time, but have included:
a coin – meaning one would gain monetary fortune or enjoy success
a ring – meaning one would be married or proposed to within the year
a pea – meaning one would not be married or proposed to that year
a bit of cloth – meaning one would become or remain poor and know misfortune
a twig or stick – meaning one would know many quarrels and conflict in the year ahead, or that one would have an unharmonious marriage
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon that only a ring is baked into the bread and the other items left out.
Check out these recipes for bairín breac – here, here, and here.
Soddag Valloo
Soddag Valloo, or “dumb/silent cake”, is a Manx tradition practiced on Hop-tu-Naa night and was historically observed by unmarried women. The cakes were made of flour, eggs, eggshells, salt, meal, and soot, and the dough was shaped into a triangle and then cooked using the embers of the hearth fire. This all was to be carried out in complete silence, which is where the ‘valloo’ in its name comes from (‘valloo’ means silent in Manx).
The eating of the cake was also to be done in silence. The women observing this custom would each eat of the cake and then walk backwards all the way to their beds where they’d settle in for the night. As they slept, they would be granted visions or signs of whom they were to wed.
You can watch a video about this Hop tu Naa tradition here.
Apple & Mirror Divination
This method of divination was used to foretell whom one would marry.
What you'll need:
an apple
a mirror
a knife
What to do:
At midnight on Samhain night, stand in front of a mirror in a room by yourself.
Slice some of the apple into pieces and toss the pieces over your left shoulder.
Eat the rest of the apple whilst slowly walking toward the mirror and looking at your reflection. You shouldn’t have looked away from the mirror at all since the start of this divination game.
Finish off the apple while standing before the mirror. It's said that, while doing this, the face of who you’re meant to marry will appear in the mirror, as if they're standing at your left shoulder.
Apple Peel Divination
There is another common variation of apple divination also known to be practiced on Samhain.
What you'll need:
an apple
a knife
What to do:
Peel the apple with the knife, trying to keep the peel intact all the while. When you're finished, toss the peel over your left shoulder and let it fall on the floor. Whatever letter the peel forms or resembles after falling, that's said to be the first letter of the name of the person you'll marry.
Crossroads Death Divining
This custom is believed to hail from the Highlands of Scotland and foretells who would die within the coming year.
What you'll need:
access to a crossroads
a three-legged stool
What to do:
To do so, one must go at midnight to a crossroads where there are three branches of road. There, sit upon a stool which has three legs. At exactly midnight, it is believed this person would hear the names of whoever would die within their village or town in the coming year.
It is also believed that one could ward off these deaths if they stripped off and cast aside an item of clothing at the naming of the person(s) whose death they wished to prevent.
Pulling of the Kail
This is another traditional folk custom from Scotland and is carried out on Samhain night. This custom involves the thievery of cabbage (kail means cabbages). One would steal into someone else’s garden at night and rob them of a cabbage plant. Keeping their eyes closed, they’d pluck the first kail they came to.
How to read these cabbage stalks is written in ‘Old Scottish Customs’ by E.E. Guthrie —
‘Should the stalks thus secured prove to be of stately growth, straight in stem, and with a goodly supply of earth at their roots, the future husbands (or wives) will be young, good-looking, and rich in proportion.
But if the stalks be stunted, crooked, and hence little or no earth at their roots, the future spouses will be found lacking in good looks and fortune.
According as the heart or stem proves sweet or sour to the taste, so will be the temper of the future partner.’
A Ring of Stones
This Samhain divinatory custom comes from Scotland. Around the ritual bonfire, a ring of stones was set. There would be a stone to represent each person partaking in this act of divination.
The party runs around the bonfire singing, dancing, and cheering (some sources also say that they carried a torch bearing a flame from the bonfire). They return to the stone circle the following morning and examine the stones. If any stone had been moved or turned over it meant that the person that stone represented would die within the year.
Pricking the Egg
There are two egg-pricking divinatory customs historically associated with Samhain. The first method calls for an egg to be pricked with a needle and the egg white to be drained into a clear glass of water. One then reads the shape formed by the egg white in the water to foretell how many children they will have in the future.
The second method was used to predict one’s future romantic partner. One would prick an egg with a pin and drain the egg white into a cup or glass that had been nearly filled with water. The egg-water mixture was taken into the mouth and held there whilst one went out for a walk. It is believed that the first name one heard while holding this mixture in their mouth would be the name of their intended.
There is a similar custom to this that uses salt water instead of egg and water.
Roasting Hazelnuts
Take two hazelnuts and name them – one named for yourself and the other named for the person you wish to be with. The nuts are placed within the hearth-fire. Their behavior whilst being burned is interpreted in this method of divination.
If the nuts burn quietly and remain side-by-side, the love between you and your desired is to be good.
If one nut pops away from the other, the love is not meant to be.
Salted Bannock
This method of divination is believed to bring on a dream of one’s future spouse or romantic partner.
One would bake a very salty bannock (a flat bread made of grain like oats, barley, flour, etc.) and then take three bites of it before bed. You do not drink any water to alleviate the effects of the bannock’s saltiness. You just go straight to bed in total silence. While you sleep, you are sent a dream in which your intended partner offers you a drink of water.
There is another version of this in which one eats a salted herring instead of a bannock.
Bobbing for Apples
Bobbing for apples is an autumn tradition throughout much of the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. It originated as a divination game commonly practiced at or around Samhain. There are various divination customs surrounding this fun fall game, but I’m familiar with three in particular.
The first method: Everyone would gather ‘round the trough and they would race to be the first to catch an apple in their mouth, which is the gist of bobbing for apples as a game nowadays. However, as a divinatory custom, this was used to predict who amongst the players would be the first to wed.
The second method: One bobber would play at a time. They would name one of the apples for their desired partner and then attempt to catch the apple in their mouth.
If they caught the apple on the first attempt, the love was destined and the relationship will be a happy one.
If it takes two tries to catch the apple, their desired one would be nothing more than a fling or a failed courtship.
If they catch the apple on their third attempt, the partnership is entirely doomed and there is simply no hope.
The third method: This calls for taking the apple you caught, taking a bite out of it, and then stashing the apple underneath your pillow or bed when you go to sleep that night. This is said to bring about a dream in which one would see their soul mate.
Bobbing for apples as a divination game is still practiced in some communities within the Southern United States, but it’s more commonly your run of the mill, no divination included festival or fairground game these days.
If you’re planning on including divination in your Samhain observations this year, happy divining! I hope you find that the year to come will bring you happiness abound!
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
‘the Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore’ -Monaghan, Patricia
'the Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion' - Frazer, James George; Sir
‘Myth, Legend, and Romance: an Encyclopedia of the Irish Folk Tradition’ -Ó hÓgain, Dáithí
'Old Scottish Customs: Local and General' - Guthrie, E.H.
'Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain' - Hutton, Ronald
Summer, typically associated with sunshine, rising temperatures, and plenty of outdoor fun and activities, is a season abundant with powerful plant allies for magical workings. With delicious fruits that can aid in love and luck work, vegetables that are rife with symbolism or the perfect tools in sympathetic magic, and an array of flowers for protecting, purifying, and more, this bountiful season is one that shouldn't be overlooked by practitioners of witchcraft, no matter what path they follow.
In this piece, you'll find a collection of some of summer's offerings for plant allies and suggestions on how they may be used.
Beetroots / Beets
These delicious root vegetables are traditionally associated with love magic but can also be used as powerful symbols during spells and rites.
For love:
A beet, seen to symbolize the heart, should be shared between one and their desired to ensure that their love will be strong and true.
Writing one's name and the name of their desired, using beet juice as ink can be a simple love charm. To take this work further, fold the paper up bearing the names and tuck it inside a small box or satchet. Fill the satchet with other allies for love work — rose hips and rose petals, lavender, four-leaf clovers, apple blossom, apple seeds, etc. You can wear the satchet, keep it on your person in your bag or pocket, or sleep with it by your bed or under your pillow, drawing your love closer to you.
Using beet juice as ink, draw a picture of your beloved. This will encourage love to grow or strengthen between you. If you do not have a particular person in mind, but an ideal, this spell can also be used to manifest crossing paths with such a person.
There is also a "superstition" where I'm from that says that if you're craving beets, it's a sign you're either falling in love with someone or that someone who loves you is thinking about you.
For symbolism:
Beetroot can be used to symbolize hearts, life, and blood. One can use it in spells and rituals that would require such symbolism, and it can be used to replace any of those ingredients. Beet juice is especially good for symbolizing blood.
Blackberries
As a fruit often used in baking for holidays and festivals, blackberries are a common berry with a lot to offer. As aids in protection magic, money spells, and valued offerings, blackberries are an essential summer ally.
For healing:
Blackberry leaves can be carried as a charm to protect against illness (particularly illness related to the throat or stomach) and to help one recover from illness quickly. (Blackberry tea works just as well and is quite delicious.)
For protection:
Growing blackberries on your property is said to bring protection.
One can hang blackberry vines on their porch or on their door/window frames to bring protection (and luck with money) to the home.
For money:
Keeping blackberry leaves in one's wallet, purse, piggy bank, or coin jar is believed to multiply the amount of money coming in.
A simple money spell using blackberry leaves calls for writing a monetary total on a leaf (or leaves) and placing the leaf in your wallet where you keep paper money. That amount will come your way. Some say this will happen gradually but can be sped up by refreshing the magic often or by using more than one leaf.
Baking a blackberry pie and gifting it to someone (or partaking in it yourself when you find yourself in these situations) who is looking for work, seeking a promotion, or just starting a new job or financial venture is believed to bless them with monetary success.
Use blackberry juice as ink to draw symbols for money spells or write money spells. This can boost the money-making magic.
Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)
Fennel has long been used as an aid in protection works and to boost one's courage and strength.
by Franz Köhler, 1887
For protection:
Fennel, when hung at windows and doors, can ward against evil spirits, believed to prevent them from entering the home.
Some customs call for hanging fennel on your property to keep the law at bay.
Fennel grown on one's property is said to deter evil spirits and other harmful forces and energies.
One can grind the seeds of fennel into powder, which can then be used as a protective ward at thresholds, windows, and around the borders of one's property.
Carry fennel seeds with you to protect yourself from spirits who would do you harm.
If a harmful or evil spirit presents itself to you, cast a fistful of fennel seeds in its direction. This is believed to banish the spirit from the area.
Fennel, along with St. John's wort, has been used as a protective measure associated with the Summer Solstice. On the eve of the Summer Solstice, fashion a bundle of fennel and St. John's wort. Hang the bundle over your front door. Doing so is said to ward off evil or harmful spirits who may be roaming during this time.
It is ideal to have fennel or fennel seeds at hand (preferably on one's person) when working any magic that might expose one to malevolent forces, as fennel is thought to strengthen one against the influence of evil forces.
For courage:
When in need of a boost of courage, carry fennel seeds with you in a small bag.
Wearing fennel in one's shoes is also said to instill one with courage.
Figs (Ficus Carica)
[WARNING: Contact with the milky sap of Ficus carica followed by exposure to ultraviolet light can cause phytophotodermatitis, a potentially serious skin inflammation. The essential oil of fig leaves contains the highest concentration of psoralen of any organic compound isolated from fig leaves, known to cause fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis. Psoralen and bergapten are found chiefly in the milky sap of the leaves and shoots of F. carica but not the fruits or in the essential oil of the fig fruits. It is recommended to work with the fruits themselves and to take care working with the leaves or shoots of fig plants. 'Although the plant is not poisonous per se, F. carica is listed in the FDA Database of Poisonous Plants.']
Perhaps best known for their inclusion in love and fertility work, figs can also be used as divinatory aids, and as allies bringing luck, protection, and happiness.
by G.D. Ehret, 1771
For fertility & love:
Fresh figs should be eaten by those struggling with or wishing to improve their virility.
A token of a phallus carved from fig wood can be carried by those wishing to conceive to improve their chances.
Figs can be presented as offerings to any goddess associated with pregnancy.
Sharing a fresh fig between lovers is said to boost their sex life.
Sharing fresh or dried figs with someone you're romantically interested in can draw them closer to you.
It's said that gifting your desired with a fig will make them realize their attraction to you.
For protection & luck:
Growing a fig tree on one's property is believed to attract luck to the home and its inhabitants.
It's also said that growing a fig tree near one's home assures protection.
Keeping a branch from a fig tree on or at your door is believed to grant the home protection.
For strength:
Eating fresh figs is thought to increase one's physical strength.
For divination:
Fig leaves can be useful tools for divination and there are a few different customs calling for their use. Remember, though, to always take care when working with fig leaves (see the above note on fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis). If working with fig leaves is desired, consider using gloves.
If you're seeking answers when making a decision between multiple choices, write the choices down, each on their own fig leaf. Place the leaves in a bowl or jar. Speak you question aloud or to yourself, close your eyes, and draw one leaf from the mix. The answer you draw is the path you should follow or the best option for you.
If there is a matter for which there is either an affirmative or negative answer (i.e. 'Should I (insert action here)? 'Is (insert person here) true to me?' etc.), write your question on a freshly plucked fig leaf. Observe the fig leaf often over the next few hours or the rest of the day. If the leaf withers, dries up, or curls in on itself fairly quickly, the answer is negative. If the leaf stays fresh for a long while, the answer is affirmative.
Association with enlightenment, revelation, & sacred knowledge:
Figs bear association with enlightenment through Buddhism and Judaism — in Buddhism, Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment after meditating at length at the roots of a bodhi tree (sacred fig/Ficus religiosa native to the Indian subcontinent); within Judaism, the fig tree is thought to be one option as to what the Tree of Knowledge could have been.
Foxgloves (Digitalis)
[WARNING: POISONOUS. Foxglove/Digitalis should not be consumed or absorbed through the skin. As per poison control, all parts of the foxglove plant are extremely poisonous. Blythe Copeland writes, 'The toxin appears in the leaves, flowers, and all other parts of the foxglove plant, and isn't mitigated by steeping or cooking.' Foxglove must be handled with care and kept away from animals and children. One should wear gloves if ever handling foxglove/digitalis. Species within the digitalis genus contain varying levels of 'several deadly physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides.' For more information check here and here. I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the risks of doing so but have included foxglove in this piece for strictly informative and educational purposes.]
Digitalis Purpurea by Franz Köhler
Foxglove is a versatile but dangerous plant ally. It is known by many other names, such as fox bells, the great herb, and fairy weed, to mention but a few. The plant has also been called witch's bells and dead man's bells due to the dangerous effects of ingesting the plant or absorbing its toxins through the skin.
While I do not recommend working with foxglove due to the potential dangers of doing so, I will include, for informative and educational purposes, how foxglove in one's garden can meet magical ends. That being said, foxglove should not be planted anywhere children, dogs, cats, or other animals might come in contact with it, and should not be planted near any vegetable, fruit, or herb garden.
For protection:
Foxglove has been used as a protective charm or ward against spirits, demons, and malevolent forces.
Planting foxgloves on your property can deter forces that would bring you harm.
Planting foxgloves beneath your bedroom window can protect against nightmares.
Fairies:
It also has an association with fairies, and some believe that fairy folk reside near where foxglove grows.
Hollyhocks (Alcea)
[WARNING: Caution should be taken if planting hollyhocks in an area accessible to dogs. While minimal exposure to the flowers and leaves of the hollyhock plant (including minimal ingestion) is generally considered not a high risk to your dog's safety, exposure to the roots and seeds of hollyhocks can prove dangerous for dogs. The roots and seeds of hollyhocks contain higher concentrations of compounds which can be toxic to dogs. Always monitor your dog when they are in an area containing hollyhocks.]
For money:
Hollyhocks are known for their association with material and monetary matters. They can be used in any spell or work to attract, keep, or increase money or wealth.
To grow hollyhock on one's property is said to ensure that financial security and abundance will come to the household.
One can keep an arrangement of fresh hollyhock flowers in their workspace to help ensure the work is monetarily fruitful.
One can carry hollyhock petals in one's wallet as a charm to attract money.
Fairies:
Hollyhocks are also said to bear an association with fairies or the little people and are believed to attract them.
Attracting animal allies:
In gardens, they attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so if that is something your magical craft would benefit from, hollyhocks are a great option to consider for your garden.
Iris (Iris)
[WARNING: Irises are toxic to dogs, cats, and some other animals. Keep away from pets and do not grow in an area where animals can access the plants without supervision.]
Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889
For purification, cleansing, and removal of harmful energy:
Irises can be used in purification and cleansing spells but also serve as purifying charms themselves.
It's said that placing fresh irises in an area will purify that space of any negativity or evil, as will growing irises on one's property.
For wisdom:
Irises are also associated with wisdom and can be used to symbolize wisdom in spells, offerings, or rites.
Keeping a vase of irises in a room where one studies is also believed to aid in retaining the information.
For protection from enemies:
There is also some association between irises and keeping away enemies. This likely comes from the Chinese practice of planting irises in one's garden as a snake deterrent, though it could also have to do with the flower's purifying and cleansing abilities.
Lavender (Lavandula)
[WARNING: Ingesting certain amounts of lavender can be toxic for cats and dogs. It's advisable to keep lavender and lavender products out of reach of your pets. Call your vet if you believe your pet may have ingested a larger quantity of lavender or you are uncertain of the quantity they ingested. Also call your vet if your pet shows signs of respiratory distress after exposure to lavender, as some dogs and cats can have lavender allergies.]
Perhaps best known in magic for its use in love spells, lavender is a rather versatile and powerful plant ally to keep around.
For purification, cleansing, and sanctification:
Lavender can be used for purification, cleansing, and sanctifying purposes.
Lavender washes, lavender waters, and lavender incense can be sprinkled (for the washes and waters) or burned (for the incense) to sanctify a space such as a temple, altar, magical workspace, etc.
Burning lavender incense in an area is believed to cleanse the space of negative energy.
One can anoint magical or religious tools with lavender washes or lavender water, or they can "wash" such tools with smoke from lavender incense (do this by moving the item through the smoke as it rises, turning the item over and seeing that it's thoroughly passed through the smoke).
For peace and harmony:
Lavender is also a well-known bringer of peace and harmony.
Hanging lavender bundles or potting lavender in a room can bring peace to that space.
Burning lavender incense or dressing the windows and doors of the room with lavender washes or lavender water can also bring peace to an area.
Lavender can bring about restful sleep and ward away nightmares. Keep lavender in one's room, by one's bed, or even in one's pillowcase to do so.
Lavender flowers and lavender oils can also be added to baths to bring about peaceful rest.
Using soaps containing lavender oils or lavender flowers can also aid in bringing peace, aid in bringing mental clarity, and aid in bringing restful sleep.
For wisdom and mental clarity:
Lavender can be a great ally for those who seek mental clarity, aid in awakening their mind's eye, and aid in obtaining wisdom or revelation.
Burning lavender incense while meditating can help induce clarity of the mind.
Using lavender oils, lavender balms, or lavender incense promotes mental clarity and focus while also reducing stress, thus proving a welcome and essential tool for meditation, trance work, and other such practices.
For love:
To bring harmony to a relationship, gift the other half of the relationship with lavender flowers.
Press a lavender flower and keep it with a picture of that person, as a charm for peace and harmony with them.
To draw someone's love your way, write their on a piece of paper. Then, take a fresh lavender flower and rub it on the paper over and around the name, pressing it into the page so the scent of the flower really gets on the paper. Fold the paper up and keep it in a small box or cloth bag (preferably of the color red or pink). Refresh with fresh lavender flowers as needed.
Dressing one's clothing in lavender scent or lavender oil can attract love.
Lavender oil and fresh or dried lavender are common additions in spells to attract love.
Pinning a lavender flower to the inside of one's clothes before going to see the person you desire can encourage any romantic feelings they may have for you.
For protection:
Lavender also has protective uses.
One can wear or carry lavender to ward off or deflect the evil eye.
Using lavender oil or lavender scents can protect against the evil eye.
Where lavender grows, it's said that harmful energy has difficulty passing by the area.
Burning dried or fresh lavender flowers in bonfires or fireplaces is believed to grant protection to the area from evil or malevolent spirits and forces.
Including lavender in bouquets or flower crowns for weddings can provide protection from evil eye, from ill wishes, and from dangerous spirits attracted to the merry occasion.
For psychic enhancement:
Lavender is also known to enhance certain psychic abilities, particularly the ability to see or communicate with the dead, with spirits of all ilk, and with various planes of existence.
Some recommend rubbing the hands with a lavender balm before doing any work that requires communicating with or seeing spirits.
Anointing the area with lavender oils or washes or burning lavender incense can have the same effect.
Peony (Paeonia)
Peonies are renowned for their association with protection work, capable of granting protection of body, spirit, and mind from a variety of forces and foes. But there are other uses for peonies, such as uses in luck spells, money spells, and spells for happiness.
For protection:
Growing peonies on one's property, particularly near the doors of one's home or near the gates leading into the yard, is said to offer added protection to the home and those within, protection from evil and malicious spirits and protection from magical workings sent to one's home to do one harm.
Wearing a peony flower (either as a fresh flower, in a flower crown, or even as a perfume) or carrying one on your person can offer the wearer/carrier spiritual protection from malevolent forces or harmful magic sent their way. It is also believed to offer physical protection of the body, as well as protection from mental assault via spiritual or magical forces, as well as mental assault from human forces.
Collecting peony seeds in a satchet or cloth bag and then hanging that bag at the window of a nursery or child's bedroom is believed to protect the child from spirits or forces that would steal it away or bring it harm.
Peony seeds can also be carried or worn to bring protection.
Stringing peony seeds on a red or white thread, then to be worn as a bracelet or necklace, is said to serve as a protective amulet.
Keeping peonies near one's bedside or planting them beneath one's bedroom window can protect from nightmares, particularly those that are sent by spirits or magic.
Peony flowers and seeds are believed to protect from demonic forces as well, serving as a ward against them.
The roots of peony can be carved and fashioned into beads, which have been said to have been used in jewelry for protection amulets and in rosaries and prayer beads, boosting spiritual protection and protection from demons.
Wearing a necklace or bracelet of beads made from the peony root is thought to grant protection from illness, injury, and insanity.
Peonies are also believed to have the power to protect one and one's property from harsh weather and storms.
It's said that peonies were used to offer protection to 'shepherds, their flocks, and harvests from injury...'
by Yun Shouping, 17th century
For luck & happiness:
Giving a bouquet of peonies as a gift is meant to be token of luck and a charm to bring luck that person's way. This is especially true for those who are seeking or starting a new job, entering a new chapter in life, graduating, and so on.
Peonies growing on one's property are believed to attract good luck and happiness to those who reside there.
For money:
For those seeking financial stability, keeping fresh peonies in a vase or pot near where you're working is said to help boost one's monetary gains.
Carrying peony petals in one's wallet or wearing them in one's shoe is believed to attract money your way.
Potatoes
[WARNING: Take care to not allow pets to consume raw potatoes, as raw potatoes contain compounds that can be toxic to dogs and cats.]
The potato is an often overlooked and surprisingly versatile magical and symbological ally, with uses in sympathetic magic and wishing works, as well as aiding in maintaining the fertility of the land and soil.
In sympathetic magic:
One can fashion a doll or head from a potato, made to resemble the object of one's sympathetic spell. Actions performed on the potato are then believed to bring about damage to the person they are fashioned after. Two common methods of using a "potato poppet" in some Southern folk traditions including piercing the potato and then leaving it to sit and whither, where it will shrivel and deteriorate, believed to drain the target of their strength and wellness as it does; and casting the potato into flames or roasting it in a fireplace or on hot coals (it should be roasted to point of blackening and shriveling).
For fertility of land:
The potato is associated with fertility of land in Incan mythology, as the goddess Axomamma (goddess of potatoes) is tasked with caring for the health and richness of soil, and with ensuring good yields of tuber plants.
Raw potatoes (and some say potato peels) can be buried beneath certain plants (such as rose bushes and some berry bushes) when planting them. This is believed to ensure the plant takes well in that area, as the potato nourishes the plant and the soil around it. (I have five rosebushes of various types in my garden and every single one was planted with potatoes. One of the rosebushes was planted by my grandmother almost 60 years ago and it's still going strong.)
For healing:
There are some folk beliefs surrounding potatoes as healing charms.
Carrying a potato in one's pocket will get rid of a toothache.
Carrying a potato in one's pocket is believed to ward off some illnesses and ailments, such as gout and rheumatism. Where I'm from, this goes a little further in that if the potato hardens, the charm has worked; if the potato rots, it's done no good. One variation of this charm (from an area in the north of my home state) calls for sticking the potato with tacks or pins and then carrying it in one's pocket.
Carrying a potato in one's pocket can prevent taking chills and catching colds.
Peeling potatoes and then tucking the peels in one's pocket is believed to ward off warts.
Keep a potato in your travelling bag to ward off motion sickness.
Raspberries (Rubus Idaeus, Rubus Strigosis)
Raspberries are well-known for their uses in healing, protection, and love works, but can also attract good luck.
For healing:
It's said that juice of the raspberry fruit, when mixed with honey, can bring down fever.
Those who suffer stomach ailments should drink water with raspberries in it.
Tea made from the raspberry leaf can be used as mouth wash, as a face wash to soothe irritated skin, and as a remedy for stomach problems, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.
To gift one with raspberry syrup is said to ensure their good health while the syrup lasts.
For protection:
Hanging raspberry brambles from one's fence posts is believed to prevent any harm from crossing the boundary they mark.
One can also hang raspberry brambles from porches, doors, and windows to bring protection to the home.
Raspberry brambles are thought to be especially potent against spirits, deterring them from entering an area.
For love:
Raspberries are believed to induce feelings of love between people when shared (raw or prepared).
To gift someone with fresh raspberries is thought to encourage them to gift you their love in return.
For luck:
Raspberry leaves can be used as luck charms to attract good luck one's way. They can be kept in a satchet or container, or even in one's purse, pockets, or wallet.
Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Strawberries can be put to work in glamor magic, luck spells, and wishing works.
For luck:
Carry strawberry leaves on one's person to attract good luck.
Keeping the strawberry leaves in one's purse or wallet when going to gamble or when trying to drum up some cash can turn that luck specifically toward monetary luck.
Planting strawberries on one's property is believed to draw luck their way.
In glamor magic:
After biting into a strawberry, apply the juice of the plant to the lips and cheeks for a temporary boost to one's attractiveness.
In wishing works:
When planting strawberries, one can make a wish for each bush they plant (to keep track if you've made many wishes, write down or mark which wish is tied to which plant). When strawberries come to yield, observe them. If the plant produced healthy, delicious looking strawberries or many strawberries, your wish will come true. If the bush did not have a good yield, the berries were stolen (by birds or some other animal), or the berries produced lack sweetness, your wish will not come true.
Sunflower (Helianthus Annus)
Considered by many a wishing flower, the sunflower is known for its use in wishing spells, as well as for bringing fertility and luck.
For wishing:
Always make a wish when you cut a sunflower. It's said the wish will come true or start to fulfill itself before the same time the following day.
Place a sunflower at one's bedside and make a wish on it before you fall asleep. If you dream of your wish coming true, so it will. If you don't, it will not.
For fertility:
Sunflower seeds are used in fertility works, particularly by fashioning the seeds to a string or thread as a necklace and wearing it. This is believed to bring good luck with fertility to those seeking to have children.
It's also believed that those wishing to have children should eat sunflower seeds, that doing so will aid in the endeavor.
For luck:
To have sunflowers growing in your garden or on your property is to ensure that good luck is drawn to the area.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
Some of these customs and beliefs were taught to me by my grandparents and folk I grew up around, but I've included works with similar spells amongst the sources below.
'Ashkenazi Herbalism: Rediscovering the Herbal Traditions of Eastern European Jews' - Cohen, Deatra; Siegel, Adam
'Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs' - Cunningham, Scott
'Herbal Magic' - Kane, Aurora
'Kentucky Superstitions' - Thomas, Daniel Lindsey; Thomas, Lucy Blayney
'Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen' - Köhler, Herman Adolph
'Magical Folkhealing: Herbs, Oils, and Recipes for Health, Healing, and Magic' - Conway, DJ
