An online grimoire for the folk magician

You can follow my personal blog @zimuszka

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How to color eggs with onion shells.

This must be the most beautiful DIY tutorial I have ever seen. And it so happens to be in style of this weekend. Found on Ulicam, a very nice blog by Ulrika Kestere, photographer and illustrator. For the whole tutorial and lot’s of inspiration, click here.

[strangesigils]

“I Find Lost Things”

Draw this on your dominant hand while you’re looking for something and/or cleaning the space you’re in

[slavicafire]

What is a good resource then, because it’s the most common thing I’ve found in English besides books about Russian herbalism etc

it is also the “resource” most often warned against.

start with reading “The Slavs” by Marija Gimbutas  - but take into account judgement of the source, times when it was written, and how much new research has happened in the field since then (and a lot has, especially when it comes to linguistics and comparative studies of religion). then check out Myroslava T. Znayenko’s “Gods of Ancient Slavs.”

then, you can head over to Studia Mythologica Slavica and find articles available in English that might be of interest. I recommend anything by dr. Kajkowski.

then, bearing in mind possible changes, updates, as much as bias - and with the knowledge you already possess - head over to academia.edu and its “slavic mythology” tag (you can search similar tags as well to yield more results). I would recommend, of the top of my head, works by Dynda, Mesiarkin, Lajoye, and Gąssowski. just remember, academic sources are the most reliable, but they will bear traces of bias as well.

remember that you can also look for publications on sites such as Research Gate - I remember Ivakhiv’s  “Revival of Ukrainian Native Faith” being available there, and it’s an interesting read (and a part of an interesting larger publication.)

[amanzimoon]

M A G I C • H E R B S

[hiddenhearthwitch]

🎄🔥Nordic Holidays🔥🎄

Let me start off by clarifying that these are the Norse holidays I personally celebrate. I have it split up into major holidays(holidays I try not to miss aka major holidays) and minor holidays(Smaller celebrations, I might not even celebrate these, etc.). This information will vary from person to person, you can celebrate whichever holidays however you want! Enjoy ~ 

✨Major✨

Jól

Jól otherwise known as Yule/Yuletide is a Nordic holiday celebrated between sundown on the Winter’s Solstice for a following twelve days(now you know where the Christians got it). It is also during Jól that the Wild Hunt takes place, Óðinn rides out with his dead, elves, or the dwarves may ride out across Midgard. Seeing the Hunt was thought to bring famine, plagues, and war but offerings of food and gifts could be left out for blessings and prosperity.  Jól was said to mark the return of Baldr from Helheim and the loosening of grip of winter of the Earth.

There numerous references to Jól in the sagas including Skáldskaparmál, Heimskringla, and poetry written by the skald Eyvindr Skáldaspilli which when translated reads:

“again we have produced Yule-being’s feast [mead of poetry], our rulers’ eulogy, like a bridge of masonry”. Most of these references testify to Jól being celebrated with blóts, feasting with family, drinking, gift giving, and dancing.

To be more specific, you can celebrate the twelve days of Jól by being hands on in your devotion! This was traditionally a time of year that was largely devoted to baking, finishing the mead making process, and hand making decorations and offerings to the heathen home and gods!! There was typically at least one julbord(feast) and an animal sacrafice. 

For example, straw animals in the shape of goats(Þórr), stars, boars(Freyr), horses, and ravens(Óðinn) were made and hung up around the house or a Jól tree! Yessss, that was something that German immigrants brought over to the U.S. The Jól tree was traditionally a tree outside that was decorated and offerings were left at in honor of Yggdrasil! You can also make wreaths, garlands, and woven rugs or wall hangings! 

The first night of Jól is typically called the Mothernight, this was in honor of the All Mother Frigg and the Disir. The first night(the longest night) is supposed to be symbolic to the rebirth of the world from winter. This is the perfect night to start on some weaving or crafts! Frigg is known for her weaving.

Disablót

Disablót was a sacrificial holiday(blót) in honor of the female deities, women, disir and valkyries. It’s purpose was to enhance the upcoming harvest and prepare the grounds for sowing. 

 It is mentioned in Hervarar saga, Víga-Glúms saga, Egils saga and the Heimskringla. This  celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden(I really want to go to this). There’s a lot of debate to when the holiday was originally celebrated because the sagas all are slightly different. However, it is currently celebrated at the end of February by Sweden!

It was around this holiday that the first furrows were plowed in the fields and that there was a feast of new beginnings.

Nordic folk customs would include getting ready for the gardening season, preparing for the gardening/farming season ahead, and making a feast for your loved ones and female deities you work with.

Sigrblót

Sigrblót also known as Summer Finding or Ostara is the celebration of the spring equinox and welcoming good weather. It is a celebration of the rejuvenation of the earth, fertility, and growth.

This is a holiday often used to celebrate the Germanic god Ēostre, the embodiment of springtime and life, Iðunn, god of youth and renewal, and Frigg/Freyja, for their key elements in fertility magic. Is more commonly seen in modern days as a celebration of the renewal/awakening of the Earth(Jörð), the deities, and life. It is also a celebration to welcome joy and light into one’s life.

Nordic folk custom would include a large bonfire, smorgasbord(as always), baking sweets, and honoring the gods mentioned above or ones important to you this holiday.

Midsummer

Midsummer is probably the second biggest celebration next to Jól. It is pretty much just the celebration of the summer solstice and can also be celebrated in hopes of a good harvest at the end of fall. 

This holiday is attested to in the Ynglinga sagas and has long been a passed down celebration. Folk custom for celebrating would be large bonfires, speeches, smorgasbord, dancing around a majstång(traditionally for fertility), lots of drinking, and galdr. This is another holiday with a lot of hands on folk tradition; wreath making, kindling fires, making toy viking ships of wood and filling them with offerings to be burned, burning corn figures, adorning homes, halls, and the fields with fresh flowers and greenery.

A lot of of historians believe this is a particularly good time of year to make blessings to Baldr. This was also the time of year for sailing and war. With crops planted at home, vikings would set off to go to other lands. 

Freyrfeast

My favorite holiday!! There is no actual surviving name for this beast but it’s believed to be held around the star of August and most modern Norse pagans celebrate it on August 1st. The  Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta has an account of a priestess of Freyr traveling across Sweden at the start of winter with a picture of his god as a sacrifice for fertility and to honor him. Traditionally it’s a celebration of the first harvest where the primary god honored is Freyr with Sif and Þórr also celebrated as gods of harvest.

Traditionally the very first sheaf of grain harvested(I use my first bundle of lavender) is bound and blessed as an offering to the aforementioned deities and spirits of the field.

Folk customs include decorating the village well and springs, holding a grand feast of the gathered harvest, and baking a bread in honor of Freyr to give him at the end of and then plit among family. Preserving meats and vegetables was also done along this time of year and is a great time to start new batches of mead for upcoming  blóts.

Haustblót 

This is the celebration of the Autumn Equinox, the second harvest of the season, and when Norse folk would start preparing for winter by bringing livestock + stored food inside. It is referenced to in the Ynglinga sagas as well as the Eddas. It’s not as celebrated in modern times but farmers and agriculturalists still celebrate it and you can too!!

It is another joyous holiday celebrated with grand bonfires, large feasts, drinking, and dancing. It is believed that villagers would cast the bones of their slaughtered cattle on the flames to help them survive the winter.

There is a belief that once the village fire and all other fires were extinguished the families would go back their homes and light their hearth from the common village flame, bonding the community! I don’t know if this true but I’ve heard the story a few times and I honestly love the idea of it.

Vetrnætr/Álfablót

Otherwise known as Winters Night(or Samhain). This is the celebration of the last harvest, honoring of the landvættir, ancestors that protected the land through harvest, the vanir, paying respects to Death, and the welcoming of winter. Vetrnætr and Álfablót are celebrations of the same holiday but Álfablót is a blót that’s held privately in the home on the day of Vetrnætr.  

Similar to Freyrfeast, for Vetrnætr the last sheaf of wheat/grain was bundled up and blessed and often given as an offering to Óðinn and his dead setting out for the Wild Hunt. It was believed with the start of the Wild Hunt the dead could return to the places where they had lived and a large feast, celebration, and fire were commonly used in their honor. 

This was also a time for serious contemplation of death. To the Norse people, death was always around the corner and was viewed as a natural part of life. Death wasn’t viewed as negatively as it is in modern times but rather the Norse lived their lives in a way to live & die with honor, so their future ancestors would have something to celebrate on this day.

Álfablót in particular was typically run by a woman but we’re past gender norms now so whoever is comfortable running a ritual do it. It is a sacrifice to Freyr and the elves of Alfheim, in honor of the families ancestors, the life force of the family and the hearth, and is believed to also be a ritual for fertility. It is done the night of Vetrnætr.  

Minor

These are not necessarily minor, they are just not holidays that I always keep up on, don’t celebrate, days of remembrance, etc. There are definitely more Scandinavian holidays I’m not including because I’m not knowledgeable on them all and they’re not as widely celebrated(like celebrating Flag Day in America).

January 14 - Þorrablót is an Icelandic midwinter feast in honor of Þorr which contains song, story telling, and traditional Icelandic foods like blóðmör and Brennivin. February 2 - Barri is the celebration of the union between Freyr and Gerd and a celebration of fertility and the earth. February 9 - Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi, he refused to convert to Christianity so Olaf Tryggvason tortured him to death. March 28 - Ragnar Lodbrok Day! Cheers to one the most legendary Vikings in history, King of Denmark and Sweden, and raider of Paris. April 31st-May 1st - Waluburgis Night, a celebration of the saint Valborg a nun who was the niece of Saint Boniface.  May 9 - Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal, whose tongue was cut out by the Norwegian king ‘St. Olaf’ for speaking out against the tyranny of the Christian Tryggvason, and urged others to resist him and continue worshiping the old gods.  May 20 - Frigg Blót! This actually a fave but it’s not really major so I’m keeping it down here. It’s a celebration of warmth and spring. Traditionally the time of year to go camping, hold a bonfire, and perform a blót for Frigg and honor her as the All Mother, pray for good blessings and health to those of your hearth. June 8 - Lindisfarne Day: It’s believe that on this day in 793 CE three Viking ships raided the Isle of Lindisfarne which is marked as the start of the Viking age. July 9 - From the Laxdaela Saga, it is a day of Remembrance for Unn the Deep Minded, she was well-known and respected cheiftan in Iceland. October 8 - Day of Remembrance for Erik the Red, founder of Greenland. October 14 - Vetrablót is a celebration of the harvest and honors Freyja as the god of fertility and honors the disir as well. November 11 - Feast of the Einherjar, a holiday where the fallen heroes of all the halls(Valhalla, Fensalir, etc.) are remembered. November 27 - Feast of the winter and hunt gods  Ullr and Skadi, also a day to celebrate Weyland one of the greatest Germanic craftsmen.

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Tips for air moons

Write how your feel down, I know sometimes it’s hard to express how you feel verbally cause words tend to disappear but you always got a friend in paper and a pen.

Don’t feel guilty or upset when you become sensitive or vulnerable. We all have limits, you can’t always be logical or happy. It’s okay so please don’t feel upset, ever.

Take time to be on your own, walk and relax your mind. It’s nice to be around people but life can be so busy and noisy and we just need a break from everything. There’s nothing wrong in having alone time.

Don’t hide your emotions or down play them, be honest to yourself and others about how you feel.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t fill every sapce with words and conversations. Sometimes silence is better than speaking. Don’t pressure yourself to always find new things to talk about and to open conversations. When you don’t feel like talking don’t talk and know there’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s nice to help and consider people from time to time but sometimes the one you need to help and consider is you. Make yourself a priority to yourself.

[luminatress]

Full Moon in Libra

Date: March 31st, 2018 Rulers: Venus, Air, Cardinal Affects: lingering on past relationships, exes and ex friends popping up, over indulgence in sweets, sensitivity surrounding bladder, kidneys, and skin, romance, craving to make things right in your relationships, indecisiveness, feeling emotionally vulnerable, fairness and justice What It’s Good For: solving conflict and issues with others, reaching compromises, treating yourself, finding balance in your relationships, letting go of what cannot be fixed, learning to be more appreciative and grateful, handling legal matters Crystals: rose quartz, opal, moonstone, citrine, clear quartz, jade, lepidolite, black obsidian Herbs: thyme, ivy, rosemary, iris, lavender, rose Incense / Oil: lavender, rose, amber, jasmine Colors: pink, red, baby blue/light blue, purple, violet

[ofwoodandbone]

Hello🌛I've been wondering for a while now if the term 'witch' really suits my practice. There's been a few terms I've been more drawn to, but none of them really click, and I can't find a lot of information on different terms for practitioners. Is this something you could talk about? I'd love to learn about more titles and maybe it'd set me on the right path. Thank you in advance!

I think a lot of folks get hung up on titles as they’re used in mundane ceremony. Terms for different kinds of magicians specify what their practice looks like, what cultures they come from or are influenced by, and the history that they draw on. The most clean cut, bare bones term to use for someone who practices any kind of magic is ‘magician’. It doesn’t suggest anything other than someone who practices magic. Adding on extra words like ‘folk magician’ or ‘ceremonial magician’ would further denote what kind of praxis you’re doing. The word ‘witch’, though heavily changed in the present day’s pop culture, has universally held a fairly consistent image of a certain kind of practitioner. It’s heavily steeped in folk magic, usually less ceremonial, bears a certain resemblance to shamanism (likely between the animism and the folk magic), and almost always implies a connection to spirits and powers which are either chthonic, adversarial, or wild. And if you go into specific traditions or cultures, they will have different terms for their practitioners. Conjuror is one of those terms, and though it has been used to mean ‘folk magician in different places’, it’s largely used in the American South for someone who practices African-American folk magic. Healer is also one such term that was often used to folk magicians in rural areas. Brujaria is witchcraft that comes from Spanish speaking countries, which has its own intricacies and specificities. A Curendara of Curendero is another folk magician usually found in Latin America, though the term ‘healer’ is applied here as well. It’s not about titles or ceremony. They’re simply words to identify the magic that one practices. It’s all up to tradition, culture, and practice. That’ll determine the proper terms for practitioners. 

[malachitelibrary]

MAN. I gotta say, it’s far, FAR better to read Actual Medical/Neuroscience books on alternative healing than magic books. Like waaaaaayyy better. I really cannot emphasize enough how better. Because they’ll actually have widely supported explanations for why the alternative healings work rather than cherry-picking anecdotal studies and evidence.

[malachitelibrary]

Some absolutely lovely books I’ve come across: 

Guided Imagery for Self-Healing (Second Edition), by Martin L. Rossman, M.D. [Why visualization/hypnosis/relaxation actually works in healing, supported by a TON of studies and written by an actual licensed physician. More deets here]

The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge. [Neuroplasticity with relation to pain/healing, it’s SUPER DENSE so I can’t summarize all of it here cuz im not done yet but holy shit it’s a great book, it’s won a fuck ton of awards, and it’s only $1.99 for the ebook on amazon so please grab it if you can!]

I’ll update this list as I find more awesome books!

[aelfcynn]

Worth keeping an eye on.

[witch-squibby]

I know you’re talking about books here, but my favorite online resource for herbs and alternative medicine is

http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed

They have everything including contradictions and side effects as well as information on supplements!

[autel-luna]

Some banging people to check out who are in the epigenetic and Quantum field also:

Lynne McTaggart

Greg Braden

Joe Dispenza 

Bruce Lipton

Rupert Shelldrake

They’re all actually scientists in different fields, that have actually study to back up some of the healing they delve into. It is pretty epic!

[death-witch-envy]

Trees in Cemeteries, Part 1

Much has been written on trees in magical folklore and Paganism. This post will concern these trees in relation to cemeteries, souls of the dead, and their uses in death witchcraft and necromancy. 

Many of these trees are used for wands and talismans in death magic. A branch can be picked up from the ground of a cemetery and polished into a powerful tool. If you understand the associations, you may grind their bark for protection powders, give their dried leaves as offerings, and include them in talismans.

These particular trees are common in North America where I live, though you can find many more online. Along with their mythological symbolism, many of these trees are planted in cemeteries because they require little upkeep to survive. However, this only highlights their association with endurance, hardiness, immortality and rebirth. 

Note that these trees have many more associations and folklore attached to them. I am focusing on what I can find that connects to death, resurrection, and the afterlife.

Acacia - The ancient Egyptians made coffins from acacia due to its association with Osiris. In some versions, after Seth killed Osiris, Osiris’ coffer washed up in Byblos, where an acacia grew around it. Because some Egyptian Gods were also born under the acacia, the tree shelters the Gods who decide upon life and death. Hence, the acacia was put to much use honoring the dead: Egyptians would use its gum to coat mummies and burn wreaths for the dead; and Hebrews planted these trees near graves.

Cedar - A common tree in American cemeteries, the cedar has roots in Chinese folklore. According to one story, a king jailed an innocent man to pursue his wife. The man died in jail, and his wife committed suicide. Even though their graves were buried far apart, cedars grew upon the graves, and eventually their branches touched. Cedar is also a symbol of Hades Lord of the Dead, and its oil was used in Egyptian mummification.

Cypress - With strong connections to the Furies, Fates and several chthonic deities, cypress has a long history in Greek and Roman funeral rites. According to myth, Apollo gave a man Cyparissus a white stag, which was accidentally killed. Cyparissus asked the Gods to let him mourn forever, and, eventually tired of his weeping, the Gods turned him into a cypress tree. Mourners would carry cypress branches, and eventually lay the corpse down on a bed of cypress leaves before burial. Cypresses were planted by graves, or by a home to warn that the plot was occupied by a corpse. This period, a nine day period after being buried or cremated, was considered to have corrupted energy that the cypress (along with yew) guarded others from. 

Holly - Holly is sacred to Thor, and its use was said to protect one from lightning strikes. It is planted in cemeteries to protect the dead and mourners. The tree is used in celebrations around the winter solstice, being a symbol of the popularized NeoPagan Holly King, who ruled the year from summer to the winter solstice. 

Mulberry - Throughout the Middle East, India, Europe and Asia, mulberry leaf was traded and sold for its medicinal benefits. The mulberry quickly became associated with life and restoration, and the weeping mulberry is planted in cemeteries to represent healing grief and eternal life after life. 

Myrtle - When Venus washed up on the Isle of Cytheraea, it is said that she hid her nakedness behind a myrtle tree. She then labeled the tree as Hers, and it became associated with eternal love. It is planted in cemeteries for this same purpose. 

Oak - Often planted within military and children’s cemeteries, oak signifies strength, authority and protection. Its associations with thunder deities such as Thor and Zeus come from its remarkable hardiness in withstanding destructive weather. Oaks are also sprinkled throughout the Bible, with some naming it as the wood used for Jesus’s cross, although some sources say it was yew. The oak is planted to protect the souls of the dead, protect headstones from rough weather, and protect mourners from sun rays.  

Olive - A recognized symbol of Athena, the olive tree highlights deep symbolism of hope, peace, and protection. According to one story, King Xerxes once set Acropolis ablaze, which contained rows of olive trees. But the trees re-sprouted the same day that the fire went one. This and other stories make the olive a powerful symbol of rebirth. 

Palm - In Christianity, palm trees represent martyrs who triumph with soul over body. In Islam, the palms symbolize Paradise, giving this tree strong links to a spiritual afterlife. Although natives of Malaysia and India referred to the palm as “The Tree of Life” due its medicinal properties and resilience, it is said that Portuguese explorers found the coconut similar to a ghost in their folklore called the coco. 

Pine - As an evergreen tree slow to decay, the pine symbolizes immortality and the eternal life after death. Ancient Egyptians would sometimes bury carvings of Osiris out of pine with the deceased. In the Scottish Highlands, pine marked the graves of honored warriors and chieftains. Druids burned pine on the winter solstice to mark the end of long nights and coming of divine light. In Roman mythology, the consort of the earth Goddess Cybele, Attis, was transformed into a pine tree after being killed by a boar. The pine protects mourners from some of the darkest moments of their life, and connects the dead to the Gods.

Weeping Willow - This tree is a picturesque analogy for human mourning–hunched, drooping, dragging–that it’s no wonder the ancient Greeks called it “the mourning tree”. It is a symbol of Hecate, a chthonic deity. Orpheus carried willow branches on his journey to the underworld. In China, the willow depicts rebirth and immortality, due to its ability to quickly regrow after being damaged or chopped. To no one’s surprise, by the nineteenth century, willows were commonly seen on gravestones and mourning cards in Britain and America. The willow highlights more of the mourner’s struggle than the deceased’s, and it is a reminder that we too enter the graves of those we’re mourning for. 

Yew - One of the oldest trees recorded, yew stands as a reincarnation symbol for the Druids, a symbol of immortality for Christians, and a reminder of the otherworld for Irish Pagans. In Irish folklore, the yew is one of five sacred trees brought up from the otherworld to divide the land. A sister of birch, the tree of eternal life, yew is the opposite as the tree of eternal death. Its reputation stems from how it grows down to form new stems which looks like freshly sprouted trunks. Yew governs both death and rebirth, and is a perfect symbol for the afterlife. Early Christians buried corpses with yew shoots. The ancient Romans used yew to warn onlookers of the nine day libation period mentioned before. 

In the best case scenario, a magician will learn to recognize these trees on sight. Otherwise, they may recognize some of these trees in a cemetery, and gain a better understanding of the conditions of the souls beneath the canopy. They can also use these trees for their own magical purposes. 

Part 2 is here. 

For more information on plants and trees common in North American cemeteries, you can visit this document from the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, April 2016.

[xx-thespiderqueen-xx]

Folk Magic for a Happy Home

Mix together some mint, a clove, some lemon peel, and a bay leaf. Place the mixture on a white handkerchief and tie up the four ends with a green ribbon. Hang this near your front door while saying:

“This charm that has been made by me, it now protects my family. We live in health and prosperity. By the power of my spell, so it must be.”

*Practical Magick.

[ofwoodandbone]

How does one become a witch? Do you have any book recommendations for someone new to traditional witchcraft?

Gemma Gary’s books are all excellent if you want a taste of traditional English witchcraft. Emma Wilby’s Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits is a must have read to get a sense of the relationship between magic practitioner and their spirits. I’ve heard great things about Daniel Schulke’s writing on magical herbalism. If I’m right, he focuses more on the poisonous side of things, which you will encounter much of in traditional witchcraft. There are a lot of other authors that you’ll come to like, but it all depends on taste. There are different flavors of traditional witchcraft, and each book sorts itself into one of them.Now, how does one become a witch…The usual answer from people is to practice witchcraft. I think it’s an excellent start. Folklore about witches usually tells more to the tale, if you put your faith in folklore that is. It draws a line between people using witchcraft and witches. Only through leaving behind the ‘mortal’ part did they become witches. It was the only thing keeping them from lighting their internal fire, and it was the perfect kindling.There is a fire in each witch. Some are born with the spark, some have been given the spark.You just have to find the right method to set it ablaze. 

[ofwoodandbone]

Hi, thanks for always spreading your knowledge. May I ask the differences between traditional witchcraft and folk magic?

There are a few different points to cover. We’ll start with the difference between witchcraft and regular folk magic/ cunning arts. This is from a traditional/folkloric standpoint, mind you.  I gave some definitions about a month ago that I’ll reuse. Folk Magician- A practitioner of magic who seeks to affect and control the physical world through charms and spells. As its name tells, it is the magic practiced among the common folk. It does not make use of elaborate ingredients, specially crated tools, or extremely complex rituals. Instead, it utilizes plants, powders, rocks, bones, written spells, and charms. These spells and charms are used to draw love, heal, protect, curse, find lost objects, etc. This is the magic most often utilized by the cunning folk and witches in the past.Witch- A practitioner of a certain brand of magic called Witchcraft. However, there is a separation in folklore between those who use witchcraft and witches. Witches have undergone a certain transformation, a metaphorical death, or an initiation. They are known for being familiar with magic of a darker brand, but are just as apt and familiar with magics of a lighter persuasion. Again, the division between cunning folk and witches is hard to draw in certain environments, but the deciding factor usually is selfishness. A witch functions for their own means. Motivations of amusement, revenge, or distaste are often the reasons behind their cursing of the people, at least in folklore.So while most witches are folk magicians, folk magicians are not necessarily witches. Witches can get confused with cunning folk, and some even consider there to be no difference, but in folklore they are considered quite different and quite similar at once. There is also another point to make, since you specified traditional witchcraft.Traditional witchcraft is a reconstruction of what we believe witches were according to folklore and the pieces of history that we have to go off of. Unfortunately, unlike some folk magic, there are gaps that we must bridge. We know now from folklore and history that witches were as described above, but there are still things we don’t know. Where history falls short, we use folklore to connect. Folklore is the recorded belief of the folk at whatever place or given time. It helps us understand how they, both magician and non-magician alike, thought and believed. When written accounts or confessions leave holes or confusion, folklore often helps us decipher and patch them up. 

[ofwoodandbone]

How would you define folk magick? Does it have to be tied to a reilgion to be considered folk magick?

I would define folk magic as magic which is utilized and practiced by the non-elite to create tangible and physical changes in the world, especially which utilize a certain formula for the creation of charms, spells, or short rituals. This is magic which is practiced by the common folk, or specifically by certain streams of folk magicians whose craft often benefits the community around them. This is the magic of farmers and town-folk. There is, of course, some overlap with Learned Magic, or ceremonial magic. I don’t believe that it needs to be connected to a religion. True, many folk magic traditions are tethered to some sort of religion, but not all are. To understand folk magic, you have to understand that it’s old, and therefore pulls from old ideas of magic. It is based around the idea that magic is made from relationships. And that can be interpreted in a number of ways. It can be calling on spirits. It can be invoking holy names. It can also be using similes, particularly with holy stories. “As Christ’s wounds did not fester by the thorn’s piercing, so shall I be safe from infection when the thorns bite me.” 

[the-darkest-of-lights]

Old rhyme about the days you cut your nails

“Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health:

Cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth;

Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news;

Cut them on Thursday, a pair of new shoes;

Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;

Saturday, see your true love to-morrow;

Sunday, the devil will be with you all the week.”

-the hand of destiny folklore and superstition for everyday life by. C.J.S. Thompson

[sugarandmoss]

I went and picked some blackberry stems today to makes some Witch’s Whisks and tonight I’m going to bless and cleanse them and cut all the thorns off under the full moon 🌕

In traditional English witchcraft a Whitch’s Whisk was set alight and blown out to smoke, just like a sage wand. The whisk is then used to “dance and weave” around the outside of your circle. The intent was to make a boundary for sacred space. The dried blackberry stems are cut and bound together at one end with traditionally red twine for power and protection but you can use any color twine to represent what you need it too. Sometimes the end bound is also covered in a matching colored wax for extra for intent.

The smoke of the whisk was used to exorcise evil entities and negativity, cleanse and consecrate a space, ward off misfortune and banish illnesses from the house and its inhabitants.

A chant which is traditionally associated with blackberries is the following. Chant it three times, knowing that you are invoking the energy of Brigid, the Goddess of Fire, healing and protection along with other things. The same chant is used for healing purposes.

“Three ladies came from the East, One with fire and two with frost, Out with thee fire and in with thee frost”

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**ON PLANTS : SOME PIECES OF ADVICE & LORE FROM FRENCH TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT**

These ancient superstitions and beliefs prove the deep respect human beings had for their environment, back to an era when we were aware of the unity of this nature.

HARVEST

- Avoid cutting the plant with a vile metal such as iron. The first mythical reason is that spirits (especially faes) abhor iron, known to repel and hurt them. Use a bronze or copper blade, sometimes even a gold or silver coin to dig up the roots. There also lies a logical, scientific explanation of a remarkable empiric coherence : iron salts quickens the action of the tannins contained in certain plants, significantly altering their components.

- Some plant spirits are not cooperative, so you’ll have to foil their harmful influence. Do not talk to anyone about your intention of picking the plant on your way to reach it, so as not to warn the spirit - thus counteracting any intention to flee it may have.

- Pluck the plant backwards to protect yourself from the spirit’s ire (this is particularly true of poisonous beauties such as foxglove, belladonna, etc.).

- Drawing a circle around the plant, using a wand or a knife, or even the finger, isolates the reaper from the wrath of the spirit while preventing it from escaping its plant host .

- It is expected to explain to the plant the intended use for which it is plucked.

- Pay a small tribute to the spirit of the plant as a salary for the effort you asked from it.

PRAYERS, PLEAS & INVOCATIONS

« Je coupe ta verdeur parce que tu purifies toutes les humeurs qui entraînent l’Homme sur des chemins d’erreur et d’injustice ; par le Verbe vivant qui a fait l’Homme sans le regretter. »

•

“I will cut your greenness, so you could purify all the moods that lead Man on the paths of error and injustice; by the living Word who made Man without any regrets.”

(Supposedly from abbess Hildegarde de Bingen, who also advocates to cut the plant with the left hand)

« Ô toi par qui s’endort la nature, toi qui fais fuir le jour et amène la nuit, toi qui nous cache le soleil, qui engendre toutes les herbes et les donne aux humains pour la guérison… Celle qui vous a créée avec vos propriétés salutaires veut bien que je vous cueille. »

•

"O thou by whom nature falls asleep, thou who drive away the day and bring about the night, thou who hides the sun, who generates all the herbs and gives them to the humans for healing… She who made thou with all thy salutary properties allows me to pick thou. ”

« Lève-toi, lève-toi, va guérir X… Je sais que tu dors, mais j’ai besoin de toi. »

•

“Wake up, wake up, and come to heal X… I know you are asleep, but I need you.”

STORAGE

- Drying a plant makes it lose a large part of its properties. Whenever possible, always favor the use of fresh plants.

- The plants are hanging in a bouquet or spread on a flat surface to dry in open air.

- Plants are stored in glass jars or paper bags once fully dried. Iron boxes and containers are of course prohibited.

- Do not keep your plants more than a year: their power slowly fades then disappears, so you will have to renew the stock every year.

***

(Appreciatively sourced and translated from BERTON H., Sorcellerie en Auvergne, Éditions De Borée, 2003. All rights reserved.)