Grimiore

Witchy Things

[jax-10]

Random epiphany:

Grimoires/spell books/witchy books don’t have to be physical!

You can always make a word doc/PowerPoint/spreadsheet/etc!! That way you can customize it, reorder it, and change it up whenever you feel like it!

[death-witch-envy]

Do you ever use the dead in curses? If so, how do you go about this, so you work as a team with offerings as opposed to commanding the dead? (I’m just learning, I don’t plan to do anything.)

No worries anon, this is a great question. Do I ever use the dead in curses? No, I've never had a need to.

Can you use the dead in curses? Yes. And many have.

In ancient Pagan folklore, many believed that the dead could get malicious if one did not treat them well. That's why funerary rites and offerings were so meticulously carried out. Not only did these rituals guarantee a good afterlife, but they also prevented hauntings. In particular, the Sumerians and Egyptians have many accounts of the dead harassing the living.

Some magicians would send the dead to harass someone. In you were being haunted, you have three options: (1) you appease the dead, (2) you go after the magician, or (3) you stop the ghost.

I'll give an example of #3. The Egyptians believed that, when a person's name disappeared, their soul also disappeared. So if someone knew which ghost was harassing them, they would destroy the gravestone and other records of that person's name. Yes, really.

But let's return to your question--how do magicians use the dead to curse? There are several methods, but most methods basically forced a nasty spirit onto a person.

For example, a thief might be tricked into drinking a liquid with grave dirt. The spirit of that grave dirt would (understandably) get angry, and the thief would have a bad time.

"Command" is a strong word for curses. I'd say that most magicians would persuade the dead. These magicians had likely worked with the dead before. They knew how to make spirits angry and how to appease them. So the curse would involve all of the above: a relationship with the dead, an agreement with the dead (such as offerings), and a spell to use them in a curse.

I can only give you an answer from a historical standpoint because, again, I'm not a master of curses. But I hope this helps!

[hiddenhearthwitch]

☕🌿Coffee Magic🌿☕

☕Flavors + Correspondences☕

Almond(milk): mental clarity + fortitude, luck, abundance, healing + good health

Amaretto: opening the mind, warding against negativity, creativity, luck

Blueberry: aids in memory + mental clarity, calmness, youth + glamour magic, restoration, aura cleansing + strengthening

Caramel: aids in changes + transformations, soothing quality to spells, good in Fae magic, increases tenacity

Chestnut: warding + protection, prosperity, longevity + increase stamina

Chocolate: self love + nurturing energy, ancestral magic, grounding, love + sexual prowess

Cinnamon: spiritual + personal power, healing, success, lust, luck, prosperity, strength

Clove: protection, actualization of desires, banishing negative + hostile forces

Coffee: inspire creativity, clear emotional + spiritual blockages, dispel nightmares, fortitude + increased stamina, encourage diligence

Coconut Milk: confidence + aid in glamour magic, strength, beauty, love

Cow milk: nurturing, fertility + prosperity, protection, abundance, aid in motherhood

Hazelnut: self-love and compassion, inspiration, creativity, wisdom + insight

Honey: happiness, offerings + Fae magic, sweetness, love, prosperity, healing, passion, spirituality

Irish Cream: dreams + intuition enhancer, prosperity, growth, aid in change

Peanut(butter): stability, aid in manifestation + intuition, attraction, energy

Pecan: spiritual purification + protection, abundance + prosperity

Peppermint: healing, purification, psychic powers + transformation, sleep, prosperity, passion

Pumpkin: wishes + dream fulfillment, protection + guarding, prosperity, magic enhancer, love

Oat(milk): tradition + ancestral work, health, stability + fortitude, beauty + youth, comfort, home magic, healing

Raspberry: invoking fertility or love, kindness + compassion, desire fulfilment, creativity, libido + sex magic

Sugar: used to amplify spells, sweetness + love, attraction, comfort, Fae magic

Soy milk: success + strength, growth, healing

Toffee: playfulness + youthfulness, friendship, easing transitions, courage + strength

Vanilla (creamer or vanilla extract): love, release of stress + anxiety, success, vitality + healing

🔮Bonus Magic Tips🔮

Pick ingredients for your coffee that align with your ambitions for the day.

It can be used as an offering to deities, spirits, ancestors, etc.(e.g. for Sif I sweeten the coffee with oat milk + honey but for Hel I leave the coffee black for an offering)

Consider the way you stir! Counterclockwise banishes and repels negativity, clockwise invites + brings energy to you.

Stain pages for you journal, spell work, or book of shadows! You can also use a strong brewed coffee and a paint brush to paint sigils onto the pages! .

See the full post + bonus recipe at the hidden hearth patreon.

References: The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook by Karen Harrison

**Disclaimer: a lot of the nut and milk correspondences are personal + intuitive**

[fabulaprima]

Request from @youneedtoletmechange​: soft dom Frank x plus size reader

(gif credit to @bernthalus-christ​ )

Frank’s a hard man on the job. Withstands a lot, inflicts a lot. His body is sword and shield at the same time. Sometimes a weapon, mostly a tool, and not much else. It serves him fine. Maybe too well. He doesn’t like to think about it.

You frequent the same shitty diner, but you only ever see him as he’s walking away. The heavy way he steps, the hunch of his shoulders when he shoves his hands in his pockets. He’s the man that’s leaving whenever you arrive, ducking his head against the unforgiving winter winds trying to tear through him. He smells like what you imagine your grandmother meant when she said they don’t make men like they used to anymore. Like mid-century muscle cars. Going steady. Desperate kisses in old Hollywood romances.

You stop in earlier than usual one day, and he’s still sitting in a booth, all by his lonesome. His plate’s clean, save for a crust of toast, and his coffee cup is ignored in favor of a paperback copy of Walden–the spine’s broken so he can fold it and hold it in one remarkably large hand. He’s got a boxer’s face. A wide, busted nose, big ears, a swath of thoughtful wrinkles carved across his forehead. But then there’s the plush, bow-shaped mouth that just barely moves while he reads. Soft pink.

He wasn’t supposed to pay a bit of attention to you. He looks like he takes care of more shit in half an hour than most people do in a month. He’s a full grown man in an intimidating sort of way. But it’s magnetic, too, when he glances up and offers a lopsided smirk and a quiet “ma’am” as you pass.

Ma’am.

That smoky little syllable features in every one of your fantasies for the next two weeks.

You tell him as much the first time he takes you to bed. You ask, half joking, if you ought to call him “sir.” He shivers, but laughs and shakes his head. “Maybe next time.”

And you don’t stop to unpack that then and there because his thick fingers are stroking in and out of you. But in the afterglow, you ask him about next time.

It takes a while for you to shoot straight, but it’s pretty simple. He’s built like a brick shithouse, the platonic ideal of the classic masculine form. And you’ve got back rolls and stretch marks and fat, and it doesn’t really matter, but it matters. Sometimes. To some people. And it’s not gonna be a constant point of stress or conflict, but men have been shitty. You’ll never not be skeptical at first. And you keep talking, but he puts his hand on your cheek.

He cares, because you care. But he also doesn’t give a shit. Because he’s a full grown man with the priorities and desires of a full grown man, and the simple fact is, you’ve got the prettiest fucking dimples he’s ever seen.

The next time he takes you to bed, “sir” slips out like some kind of inevitability, and he swears under his breath.

And then, “I wanna be good for you,” spills out too, and he curves his hand loose against your neck.

When he repeats it back, “you wanna be my good girl?” you whine and he growls, “my sweet girl, huh?”

And you do. You want to be so good for him, want it more than you’ve ever wanted anything else. Want it so much that you palm his cock through his jeans. But he tugs your hand away, startling you, and suddenly his breath his hot and damp right against your ear.

“Didn’t say you could do that. You gonna do what I say?”

Maybe he wants you to push back. Maybe he wants you to be a brat, but you can’t. Not in that moment, not without a little practice first, because the clench of his jaw and the flare of his nostrils is too much to resist.

You’ll do what he says, you promise. “Tell me…tell me what to do, I’ll do anything you want.”

He puts his hand around your neck again, firm but gentle, cradling your jaw. “Just breathe easy, sweetheart. And keep your hands to yourself. I’ll give you what you need.”

He does. Licks slow into your mouth like he’s feeding you affection from the flat of his tongue. Grabs handfuls of tender flesh like it belongs to him, like it’s his to tend to, to care for. And it is, in time. He’s the only one that’s ever earned it, the only one that’s properly adored its softness, its substance, its muchness like you do. The only one that’s ever mouthed at every inch of it with praise on his lips and marveled at the lush divots where his fingertips held tight.

He’s a full grown man who knows a good thing when it whimpers his name. Who finds solace in the soft give and grip of your pussy and your thighs and your arms, draped heavy over his shoulders. And he knows what it’s worth–your total fucking surrender to him, your willingness to hang on the edge of orgasm for hours at his request. He knows what it means that you let him carry you to bed when he eats you out until your legs are jelly. He knows what it means when you strip for him and let him devour you with a gaze.

It means extra.

Just like it means extra that he lets you see his bruises. That he lets you hold him after a nightmare.

If your worry is too soft and too much, his is too hard and never enough.

But then you come together and it’s not worth worrying about.

Because you’re so good to him…

And he takes care of you…

[ohcaptains]

no omg this is so so so so beautiful. thank u sm for writing and posting this it’s gorgeous<3

[woodlandmouth]

Oh my god. Soft domestic big man, come love me. This is so beautiful!!

[theclosetedwitch]

Witchy Bucket List for Samhain

- host a dumb supper

- visit a graveyard to pay your respects

- bury an apple for the dead ritual

- light a bonfire *and dance around it*

- leave offerings to the spirits

- make your own fall related spell candles

- catch up on some witchy books 

- visit a drum circle and dance your little heart out

- do some scrying 

- carve some turnips, yes that’s right: turnips. Its tradition

- Get a cinnamon scented witches broom.Its probably the only time they are available, and witches trust me: YOU NEED IT!!!

- Go on a walk through the woods. Observe nature and how it changes

- Dance under the light of the moon to some lit pagan music

- Read them cards!!! Now more then ever is the time to read tarot!

- Try some kitchen witchcraft. Fall is the perfect time to do this

- Make some fall incense 

-  wear all black all the time: you need to look nice for all those dead people

-Be the beautiful wonderful authentic witch that you are!!! 

Blessings and happy samhain!

[all-things-witchcraft]

🔮A Huge Tarot Master-Post🔮

Hello~ I figured I’d make my first master-post about Tarot! This is my interpretation, so I don’t ask that you just go by my word. It’s your path! I’m just here to try to help.

This will be VERY in-depth. So I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I hope it will help. 

What is “Tarot”?

Personally for myself I see Tarot as a tool. I use it to help myself and others with some guidance with their lives; however, when it comes to Tarot, don’t let it rule over your decisions in your life. It is a tool but that does not mean that you should only go by what it says.

Types of Readings

There are two types of readings when it comes to Tarot: Question readings and Open Readings.

Question Readings

Just as the title says Tarot involves answering questions. Yes or No questions aren’t meant to be answered by Tarot. When it comes to Yes or No questions pendulums are used with their corresponding charts. Like I stated before, you shouldn’t use Tarot to make decisions but to guide you to help you make the decision yourself. The way a question is stated is important for Tarot readers. Here’s a few tips on what you should look out for:

🔮 Keeping your options open: If you already have an answer for your question, then you’re not really letting yourself allow the cards to guide your decision.  Asking how you could encourage your mother-in-law to move out, as opposed to asking how you can get along better with her, is narrowing the scope of the true question by answering it before you even get started.

🔮 Details: Your question should be focused, but not overly detailed. Rather than looking at one particular aspect of a problem, find a way to look more broadly at it. For example, rather than asking how you can make your home life less chaotic, ask how you can better balance work schedules and school schedules. That is a focused question. But do not go so far as to ask how you can coordinate baseball, soccer and karate schedules and still have family time – that’s too detailed. Only include the minimum level of detail needed in order to express what you want to learn from the cards.

🔮 Focus on Yourself: If the reading is for yourself, make sure your question focuses on you rather than on someone else who you think may be the root of your problem. If you’re wanting to help someone, for example, ask about what you can do to help them.

🔮 Stay Neutral: Basically be unbiased. Don’t come off with the notion that your POV is the “right” one. Asking why you’re always the one getting yelled at between you and your parent(s) isn’t neutral; instead, ask how you can prevent future arguments with your parent(s). That’s neutral!

🔮 Be Positive: When it comes to Tarot, and anything really, you’ll want to always try to be positive. Instead of asking why a specific event didn’t happen, ask about what you can do to make that event happen. Positivity is always great!

Open Readings

These are also known as “General” readings. They address the larger aspects of life rather than a question or a specific area. I’ve found that Past, Present, Future readings are very popular since it talks about people’s lives. They’re always eager to see if the cards can truly tell about their life! You can also direct the General readings towards a basic “genre”. Career, Health, Finances, Love, etc.

The Tarot Deck

There are many varieties of Tarot decks, and there is no standard number of cards across all decks. While the types of cards, the suits and their meanings are the same, the illustrations vary greatly. Decks are based on various themes such as nature, animals, fantasy, dragons, etc.

When it comes to finding a deck of your own, don’t just choose one based on the design. Focus on the connection between you and your future tool, your future guide. I have the Tarot Draconis Deck that called to me. It’s a beautiful dragon based deck that has connected with me. The bond we have today is inseparable!

I say “bond” because each deck has it’s own personality. That’s why Tarot readers do interview “spreads” to help them get to know their decks a bit better. I’ll explain spreads more thoroughly later on in this post. When it comes to their personalities, some decks are blunt, some are meant for giving other people readings and others could be laid back.

The Major and Minor Arcana

When you look through a Tarot Deck, there will be two different sets of cards: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. Let’s look at the Minor Arcana first. You’ll find that like regular playing cards there are four suits; however, instead of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs there are Wands, Pentacles (Circles), Cups (Chalices), and Swords. Each of these represents an element.

Each suit has meaning regarding a specific approach to life. The cards within these suits are numbered one through 10 and also include the court cards – the king, queen, knight and page (knave). The Minor Arcana cards represent the more minor, practical daily ups and downs in life.

The Major Arcana are not associated with the suits. They include the picture cards that represent principles, concepts and ideals. They are numbered one through 21, with the 22nd card (the “Fool”) marked as zero. The Major Arcana cards represent strong, long-term energy or big events in some area of life.

Minor Arcana and the Four Suits

As I stated before, each of the Suits represents an element. Let’s talk about each one and break down what they mean, as well as the cards within them. Then we’ll move on to the Major Arcana!

When it comes to the different cards, there are negatives and positives. When a card is upside-down, the term being “reversed”, then it represents negative attributes of that card. When it’s upright then it represents positive attributes.

For myself, I don’t read reverse cards. I base it on my intuition. I’ll explain how your intuition is used with tarot later on in this post.

Suit of Pentacles

🌱Also known as Coins, Disks, or Circles.

🌱Represents the element Earth.

🌱Covers material aspects of life including work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions.

🌱 Pentacles deal with the physical or external level of consciousness and thus mirror the outer situations of your health, finances, work, and creativity. They have to do with what we make of our outer surroundings – how we create it, shape it, transform it and grow it.

🌱 On a more esoteric level, Pentacles are associated with the ego, self-esteem and self-image.

🌱 The positive aspects of the Suit of Pentacles include manifestation, realization, proof and prosperity.

🌱 The negative aspects of the Suit of Pentacles (i.e. when the Pentacles cards appear reversed) include being possessive, greedy and overly materialistic, over-indulging and not exercising, not effectively managing one’s finances, and being overly focused on career to the detriment of other life priorities.

Often what is required to counteract these negative aspects is a return to nature to ground oneself and rediscover what is truly important. In addition, there may be blockages in being able to manifest ideas and plans resulting in a lack of success. Better goal-setting and planning is required.

🌱 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Pentacles traditionally represents Winter or years.

🌱 In a deck of playing cards, Pentacles corresponds to Diamonds.

🌱 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌱

King of Pentacles:

Upright - Security, control, power, discipline, abundance

Reversed - Authoritative, domineering, controlling

Queen of Pentacles:

Upright - Practical, homely, motherly, down-to-earth, security

Reversed - Imbalance in work/ family commitments

Knight of Pentacles:

Upright - Efficiency, routine, conservatism, methodical

Reversed - Laziness, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’

Knave/Page of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, financial opportunity, new job

Reversed - Lack of progress and planning, short-term focus

10 of Pentacles:

Upright - Wealth, inheritance, family, establishment, retirement

Reversed - Financial failure, loneliness, loss

9 of Pentacles:

Upright - Gratitude, luxury, self-sufficiency, culmination

Reversed - Over-investment in work, financial setbacks

8 of Pentacles:

Upright - Apprenticeship, education, quality, engagement

Reversed - Perfectionism, lacking ambition or focus

7 of Pentacles:

Upright - Vision, perseverance, profit, reward, investment

Reversed - Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward

6 of Pentacles:

Upright - Generosity, charity, giving, prosperity, sharing wealth

Reversed - Debt, selfishness, one-sided charity

5 of Pentacles:

Upright - Isolation, insecurity, worry, financial loss, poverty

Reversed - Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty

4 of Pentacles:

Upright - Control, stability, security, possession, conservatism

Reversed - Greed, materialism, self-protection

3 of Pentacles:

Upright - Teamwork, initial fulfilment, collaboration, learning

Reversed - Lack of teamwork, disregard for skills

2 of Pentacles:

Upright - Balance, adaptability, time management, prioritisation

Reversed - Disorganisation, financial disarray

Ace of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, new financial opportunity, prosperity

Reversed - Lost opportunity, lack of planning and foresight

Suit of Swords

🌫️ Represents the element Air.

🌫️ Associated with action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict.

🌫️ Action can be both constructive and/or destructive, sometimes resulting in violence.  This suit can also mean hatred, battle, and enemies, and of all the suits, this one is considered to be the most powerful and dangerous. 

🌫️ The Suit of Swords deals with the mental level of consciousness that is centred around the mind and the intellect. Swords mirror the quality of mind present in your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.

🌫️ Swords themselves are double-edged and in this way the Suit of Swords symbolises the fine balance between intellect and power and how these two elements can be used for good or evil. As such, the Swords must be balanced by spirit (Wands) and feeling (Cups).

🌫️ The negative aspects of the Suit of Swords (i.e. when the Swords cards appear reversed) include anger, guilt, harsh judgement, a lack of compassion and verbal and mental abuse.

🌫️ When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Swords traditionally represents Autumn (Fall), or months.

🌫️ In a deck of playing cards, Swords corresponds to Spades.

🌫️ Court Cards // 1 - 10  🌫️

King of Swords:

Upright: Clear thinking, intellectual power, authority, truth

Reversed: Manipulative, tyrannical, abusive

Queen of Swords:

Upright: Quick thinker, organised, perceptive, independent

Reversed: Overly-emotional, bitchy, cold-hearted

Knight of Swords:

Upright: Opinionated, hasty, action-oriented, communicative

Reversed: Scattered thought, disregard for consequences

Knave/Page of Swords:

Upright: Talkative, curious, mentally restless, energetic

Reversed: All talk and no action, haste, undelivered promises

10 of Swords:

Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss

Reversed: Recovery, regeneration, fear of ruin, inevitable end

9 of Swords:

Upright: Depression, nightmares, intense anxiety, despair

Reversed: Hopelessness, severe depression, torment

8 of Swords:

Upright: Isolation, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment

Reversed: Open to new perspectives, release

7 of Swords:

Upright: Betrayal, deception, getting away with something, stealth

Reversed: Mental challenges, breaking free

6 of Swords:

Upright: Regretful but necessary transition, rite of passage

Reversed: Cannot move on, carrying baggage

5 of Swords:

Upright: Conflict, tension, loss, defeat, win at all costs, betrayal

Reversed: Open to change, past resentment

4 of Swords:

Upright: Contemplation, recuperation, passivity, relaxation, rest

Reversed: Restlessness, burn-out, lack of progress

3 of Swords:

Upright: Painful separation, sorrow heartbreak, grief, rejection

Reversed: Releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness

2 of Swords:

Upright: Indecision, choices, truce, stalemate, blocked emotions

Reversed: Indecision, confusion, information overload

Ace of Swords:

Upright: Raw power, victory, break-throughs, mental clarity

Reversed: Confusion, chaos, lack of clarity

Suit of Wands

🔥 Represents the element Fire.

🔥 Associated with primal energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion, original thought and the seeds through which life springs forth.

🔥 Wands deal with the spiritual level of consciousness and mirror what is important to you at the core of your being. 

🔥 They address what makes us tick – our personalities, egos, enthusiasms, self-concepts, and personal energy, both internal and external.

🔥 Wands are also indicative of all things that you do during the day to keep you busy, be it working at the office, home or the great outdoors. 

🔥 Wands have to do with movement, action and initiatives and the launching of new ideas. 

🔥 They may be indicative of a never-ending ‘Ideas List’ or ‘To Do List’, whereby the client has many projects on the go to keep them busy.

🔥 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Wands traditionally represents Spring or weeks.

🔥 In a deck of playing cards, Wands corresponds to Clubs.

🔥 Court Cards // 1 - 10  🔥

King of Wands:

Upright: Natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur, honour

Reversed: Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations

Queen of Wands:

Upright: Exuberance, warmth, vibrancy, determination

Reversed: Shrinking violet, aggressive, demanding

Knight of Wands:

Upright: Energy, passion, lust, action, adventure, impulsiveness

Reversed: Haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration

Knave/Page of Wands:

Upright: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit

Reversed: Setbacks to new ideas, pessimism, lack of direction

10 of Wands:

Upright: Burden, responsibility, hard work, stress, achievement

Reversed: Taking on too much, avoiding responsibility

9 of Wands:

Upright: Courage, persistence, test of faith, resilience

Reversed: On edge, defensive, hesitant, paranoia

8 of Wands:

Upright: Speed, action, air travel, movement, swift change

Reversed: Delays, frustration, holding off

7 of Wands:

Upright: Challenge, competition, perseverance

Reversed: Giving up, overwhelmed, overly protective

6 of Wands:

Upright: Public recognition, victory, progress, self-confidence

Reversed: Egotism, disrepute, lack of confidence, fall from grace

5 of Wands:

Upright: Disagreement, competition, strife, tension, conflict

Reversed: Conflict avoidance, increased focus on goals

4 of Wands:

Upright: Celebration, harmony, marriage, home, community

Reversed: Breakdown in communication, transition

3 of Wands:

Upright: Preparation, foresight, enterprise, expansion

Reversed: Lack of foresight, delays, obstacles to long-term goals

2 of Wands:

Upright: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery

Reversed: Fear of unknown, lack of planning

Ace of Wands:

Upright: Inspiration, power, creation, beginnings, potential

Reversed: Delays, lack of motivation, weighed down

Suit of Cups

🌊 Represents the element Water.

🌊 Also known as Chalices.

🌊 Deals with the emotional level of consciousness and are associated with love, feelings, relationships and connections.

🌊 Cups are about displays of emotion, expression of feelings and the role of emotions in relation to others.

🌊 The Cups Tarot cards indicate that you are thinking with your heart rather than your head, and thus reflect your spontaneous responses and your habitual reactions to situations.

🌊 Cups are also linked to creativity, romanticism, fantasy and imagination.

🌊 The negative aspects of the Suit of Cups (i.e. when the Cups cards appear reversed) include being overly emotional or completely disengaged and dispassionate, having unrealistic expectations and fantasizing about what could be. 

There may be repressed emotions, an inability to truly express oneself and a lack of creativity.

🌊 The Suit of Cups traditionally represents the west and Summer. If using an ordinary deck of playing cards,

🌊 Cups are represented by the Suit of Hearts.

🌊 Court Cards // 1 - 10  🌊

King of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional balance and control, generosity

Reversed: Emotional manipulation, moodiness, volatility

Queen of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional security, calm, intuitive, compassionate

Reversed: Emotional insecurity, co-dependency

Knight of Chalices:

Upright: Romance, charm, ‘Knight in shining armour’, imagination

Reversed: Unrealistic, jealousy, moodiness

Knave/Page of Chalices:

Upright: A messenger, creative beginnings, synchronicity

Reversed: Emotional immaturity, creative block

10 of Chalices:

Upright: Harmony, marriage, happiness, alignment

Reversed: Misalignment of values, broken home or marriage

9 of Chalices:

Upright: Wishes fulfilled, comfort, happiness, satisfaction

Reversed: Greed, dissatisfaction, materialism

8 of Chalices:

Upright: Escapism, disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal

Reversed: Hopelessness, aimless drifting, walking away

7 of Chalices:

Upright: Fantasy, illusion, wishful thinking, choices, imagination

Reversed: Temptation, illusion, diversionary tactics

6 of Chalices:

Upright: Reunion, nostalgia, childhood memories, innocence

Reversed: Stuck in the past, naivety, unrealistic

5 of Chalices:

Upright: Loss, regret, disappointment, despair, bereavement

Reversed: Moving on, acceptance, forgiveness

4 of Chalices:

Upright: Meditation, contemplation, apathy, re-evaluation

Reversed: Boredom, missed opportunity, being aloof

3 of Chalices:

Upright: Celebration, friendship, creativity, community

Reversed: An affair, “three’s a crowd”, stifled creativity

2 of Chalices:

Upright: Unified love, partnership, attraction, relationships

Reversed: Break-up, imbalance in a relationship, lack of harmony

Ace of Chalices:

Upright: Love, compassion, creativity, overwhelming emotion

Reversed: Blocked or repressed emotions

🔮 - If a Tarot reading is predominantly made up of the Minor Arcana Tarot cards, you are dealing with day-to-day issues which will not necessarily having a lasting influence on your life. 

These issues are passing through, presenting you with an opportunity to learn from these experiences (look to any Major Arcana cards to identify and understand these lessons and how they may impact your life in the long-term).

Major Arcana

The Major Arcana Tarot cards (also known as the trump cards) form the foundation of the Tarot deck and consists of twenty-one numbered cards and one unnumbered card (the Fool).

They represent a path to spiritual self-awareness and depict the various stages we encounter as we search for greater meaning and understanding. In this way, they hold deeply meaningful lessons.

The Major Arcana Tarot card meanings illustrate the structure of human consciousness and, as such, hold the keys to life lessons passed down through the ages. The imagery of the Major Arcana Tarot cards is filled with wisdom from multiple cultures and esoteric traditions, including the Egyptian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, Hebrew and Christian religions.

The Cards

0 // The Fool -

Upright: Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit

Reversed: Naivety, foolishness, recklessness, risk-taking

I // The Magician -

Upright: Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness

Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, latent talents

II // High Priestess -

Upright: Intuition, Higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind

Reversed: Hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice

III // The Empress -

Upright: Fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance

Reversed: Creative block, dependence on others

IV // The Emperor -

Upright: Authority, father-figure, structure, solid foundation

Reversed: Domination, excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility

V // Hierophant -

Upright: Religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs

Reversed: Restriction, challenging the status quo

VI // Lovers -

Upright: Love, union, relationships, values alignment, choices

Reversed: Disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

VII // Chariot -

Upright: Control, will power, victory, assertion, determination

Reversed: Lack of control and direction, aggression

VIII // Strength -

Upright: Strength, courage, patience, control, compassion

Reversed: Weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline

IX // Hermit -

Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

X // Wheel of Fortune -

Upright: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

Reversed: Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

XI // Justice -

Upright: Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law

Reversed: Unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty

XII // Hanged Man -

Upright: Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice

Reversed: Martyrdom, indecision, delay

XIII // Death -

Upright: Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition

Reversed: Resistance to change, unable to move on

XIV // Temperance -

Upright: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning

Reversed: Imbalance, excess, lack of long-term vision

XV // Devil -

Upright: Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

Reversed: Detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed

XVI // Tower-

Upright: Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation

Reversed: Avoidance of disaster, fear of change

XVII // Star -

Upright: Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity

Reversed: Lack of faith, despair, discouragement

XVIII // Moon -

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious

Reversed: Release of fear, unhappiness, confusion

XIX // Sun -

Upright: Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

Reversed: Temporary depression, lack of success

XX // Judgement -

Upright: Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution

Reversed: Self-doubt, refusal of self-examination

XXI // World -

Upright: Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel

Reversed: Lack of completion, lack of closure

Tarot Spreads

Now that we’ve talked about the Minor and Major Arcanas, let’s talk about Tarot spreads! Before any Tarot reader does a reading, they shuffle their cards. This allows them to transfer their energy into the deck.

Once the cards are shuffled and the deck has been cut, the reader lays out the cards in a pattern called the spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning, and there are many different types of spreads, ranging from those that incorporate a single card to spreads that include all 78 cards of the deck. Which spread is used is up to the reader and the specific type of question or reading. Some spreads focus more on a specific type of information. For example, one spread might focus more on emotional matters, while another might bring in more information about the influences of others. One of the most common spreads is the Celtic Cross.

Interpreting the Spread:

Once the cards are laid out, their meanings are interpreted based on their positions and their neighboring cards. Let’s look at the Celtic Cross spread:

Begin by looking at the Circle/Cross section. The cards in this position represent what is happening in your life at the time of the reading.

Next, look at the first six cards in pairs. These cards paint a picture of your immediate situation. The cards in position 1 (the central issue) and position 2 (the secondary issue that can either be opposing or reinforcing) will identify the central theme of the reading. The cards in position 3 (the root cause that can be an unconscious influence or deeper meaning) and position 5 (your attitudes and beliefs, a conscious influence, your goal or an alternate future) represent things that are going on within you at different levels. And, the cards in position 4 (your past, a receding influence or something that has been resolved) and position 6 (the future or an approaching influence or unresolved factor) represent how people and events are flowing through your life.

Next, look at the Staff section of the spread, again considering cards in pairs. Looking at the cards in position 7 (as you are, as you could be, as you present yourself and as you see yourself) and position 8 (your outside environment, someone else’s point of view and you as others see you) tells you about your relationship with your environment.

Finally, look at the card in position 10 (the outcome-overall, your inner state, your actions or effects) to see the projected outcome.

Ask yourself how you feel about the projected outcome. What does it say to you?

Go back and review the cards that led up to that outcome, and see if there is a card that stands out as they key to that outcome. Then, look back at card 5 to see if the projected outcome is also shown as an alternate outcome there. Look at the card representing the near future in position 6 to see if it supports or contributes to the projected outcome. Finally, look at the card in position 9 (guidance, key factors, hopes and fears or overlooked factors) to see there is any relevance there.

This is one of many different spreads. You can even make your own spreads! Ultimately, start small and learn as you go. Spreads are very easy once you get the hang of it.

Intuition

Last but certainly not least, we’re going to talk about Intuition!

What is intuition?  A thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.

When it comes to Tarot cards, and giving out readings or doing one for yourself, intuition is key. Witchcraft in general involves intuition 9 times out of 10! For example, when I do my readings for people, I don’t just go by what the cards mean. I trust my intuition about what it means, with my gut feeling. If I feel it’s something to do with family, I go with it. If it has something to do with an important event coming up in the future, I trust it.

You may not get it down right away, and that’s perfectly okay! It’ll take some time to get it down pat. Just don’t forget to listen to your gut!

There you go! I hope this Master Post helps you guys learn a little more about Tarot. I’ll be posting another one later for in-depth descriptions of all the cards!

Brightest blessings!

[🔮] all-things-witchcraft [🔮]

[will-o-the-witch]

Pendulum 101

Alright, pals! Time to learn all about pendulum divination! Strengths: -Pendulums are best known for their ability to give quick yes/no answers! -Pendulums are don’t cost a lot of money and are easy to make. -Pendulums are very easy to pick up and learn quickly… no extensive training needed! Weaknesses: -Pendulums require a steady hand, which some people struggle with. -Pendulums don’t provide in-depth information, just surface-level answers. How To Do It: -First, set up a pendulum board. This can be a set board or cloth, or you can scribble it down on an index card. It’s traditionally two perpendicular lines, one for yes and one for no. Other things can be added as well! (Many people include a “Maybe,” “Rephrase the question,” add a circle of numbers or letters, even zodiac signs!) -Grab your pendulum and “set” it to the board. (I usually do this by tapping each point on the board with the pendulum and saying, “yes, no, one, two,” whatever is appropriate. -Give it a test run before asking the big questions. Ask it questions you already know, to make sure there isn’t anything interfering with the pendulum. Try to ask at least one yes and one no question! -Ask your question out loud. Then wait. Eventually the pendulum will start swinging towards your answer! How It Works: There are a few different schools of thought, here. Some say your Higher Self guides the pendulum, others say that spirits do. Some say the pendulum itself has a consciousness! Other people attribute its movements to the ideomotor effect. Many skeptics will try to discredit it this way. My personal response? So what if it uses the effect? We all know your subconscious is wayyy smarter than your conscious, so you probably know the answer to your question deep in your gut, somewhere and just need to bring it to the surface. This idea only increases the validity of pendulum divination, in my eyes. Tips: -You don’t need a fancy crystal pendulum. Any weighted object on a string will do! This includes necklaces, keys on lanyards, a needle and thread, you get the idea. -Pendulums are best used indoors in areas without drafts. These air movements could interfere with your reading! -I find it better to weigh my yes/no questions as a positive affirmation. For example, “Jenny likes me.” The yes/no response here would be very clear, where as “Jenny doesn’t like me” raises questions. Is a “No” because the statement is incorrect, or no because she doesn’t like you? Affirmations also give you the added help of gut feeling. If you say, “Jenny likes me,” and your gut feeling makes it feel like a lie, that’s important information. (Remember your subconscious is smart!) - If your pendulum is acting weird, try giving it a good cleanse! Sometimes they pick up “gunk” from extended use and get bogged down. -Pendulums are very useful for contacting spirits! If you hold your pendulum still and call for a spirit, they can signal their presence by moving it. I prefer this over tarot because tarot always guarantees a response, whether a spirit is there or not. Pendulum, meanwhile, is better for confirming your answers are genuine. If you’d like to see me do any other posts like this one, let me know! :)

[cosmicwitchboy]

Pendulums 101

As requested by @birdsofthestrangestfeather, here’s my own little pendulums 101!  🌙✨

What is a pendulum?

In short, it can really be anything, as long as something is hanging from a chain or string and is able to swing. It can be a fancy crystal pendulum from Etsy or a local witchy shop, a necklace you already own, a pocket watch, or even something as minimalist as a string and bead/needle! Get creative; it doesn’t have to be fancy, any particular material, or bought, just as long as it works as a pendulum.

What do you do before you use a pendulum?

Cleanse, cleanse and cleanse! Unless you made it yourself (which if you did, you don’t have to keep reading unless you want to!) your pendulum has probably been through a lot! I’d recommend leaving it out in the full moonlight for some hours or overnight, running your pendulum a few times through sage or incense or even visualizing a white, cleansing light around your pendulum! Other options include letting your pendulum cleanse in sunlight, dirt and water. 

Do a little research if you have a crystal pendulum to see what would suit that crystal best and otherwise trust your intuition on what would be the best way to cleanse your new pendulum!

How to program your pendulum?

Just like people, pendulums have different ways of working. My pendulum swings back and forth for yes while yours may circle around! To figure out or establish how your pendulum says yes, no, maybe and unknown/I don’t know, you have to program your pendulum. 

If you want your pendulum to show you, ask it basic, obvious to answer questions. I’ll ask, “Am I six foot tall?” and my pendulum swings no so hard it nearly breaks! But when I ask, “Am I five foot three?” it goes straight to yes. Repeat this sort of thing until you figure out how your pendulum works so you’ll know when asking questions how your pendulum is answering!

If you’re more comfortable telling your pendulum how it’s going to answer, then go right ahead! Tell your pendulum to swing a certain way for maybe and another way for no, etc, etc. Make sure to test out the way you programmed your pendulum afterwards with basic questions!

Also, there’s always the option of using a pendulum board, which is a visual yes/no/maybe/unknown guide for your pendulum, to help program. You can also use these boards later on, if it’s your preference. Even when using one, though, don’t forget to test your pendulum and make sure it’s answering correctly with obvious questions.

How do you use a pendulum?

It’s quite simple and easy to use a pendulum! You simply hold the top of the pendulum between your fingers (I usually hold with my pointer finger and thumb) and keep a very steady hand. You don’t want to be shaky or moving it because this will obviously interfere with the actual answer. Once your hand and the pendulum is steady, keep it suspended above any surfaces and away from anything it would knock into. Then, go ahead and ask your question and wait to see!

How to read a pendulum?

Back to the programming of a pendulum, it depends on how you did that. Just be sure to give your pendulum plenty of time to settle into the answer and make sure it’s truly swinging or circling in the direction you think it is. If you’re not sure, you can always ask again!

Extra tips & uses for your pendulum 

Congrats!! If you’ve reached this point, you know a lot about pendulums! Buuut, I do have a few more points to make…

🌙 Start off with harmless questions. It’ll take some time for the pendulum to really be in sync with your energy, so gradually build up from things like, “should I eat this for breakfast?” or “would purple be a good color to wear today?” to the stuff that actually impacts your life.

🌙 Once you get in tune with your pendulum, you can expand your uses for it. You can ask for advice on things you’re indecisive about, talk to your spirit companions or guides, do readings for people and even talk to your gods. They’re very useful all the way around!

🌙 Again, always make sure to let your pendulum have enough time to answer you!

🌙 Whenever your pendulum is acting up, not answering like it usually would or the like, give it a good cleanse. Just like other witchy tools, pendulums like to be cleansed often, especially if you do readings with it!

Thank you for sticking around and reading this super long post. I hope you enjoyed and found this information useful! 

I absolutely adore my pendulum and use it often, so I definitely recommend that every witch give it a go! 

Also, thank you to @birdsofthestrangestfeather for asking me to put together this post! 🌙✨

[north-of-annwn]

To be a Local Witch

Throughout history and our legends, Witches and Wizards were the crazy men and women that lived on the outskirts of the village. Their craft was wild and strange to those that lived in the village, but, nonetheless, people would seek after their wisdom of the land, the plants, the local spirits, and for wisdom or guidance in their path. These men and women, often bachelors, would know the ins and outs of the region and often went walking alone. 

Today, our villages are less rustic and more like local towns, and suburbs. But one can still be a Local Witch, and develop special connections with the land you call home. 

Become a Local Witch: 

Learn Local Lore Folktales, legends, and even tall tales develop the culture of a town or area. Learn these. Retell them over summer campfires, and over drinks with friends. People will start to LOVE your stories. 

Start Frequenting locally owned shops and stores Develop connections and relationships with the owners and those that work there every day. Learn their names, and introduce yourself after visiting more often. Supporting locally owned shops helps small business owners and provides nourishment to your community. This is putting down roots, and develops your connection with the people that shape your town.

Find a Local Bookstore This is an extension of 1 and 2. Locally owned bookstores always have a Local Writers, Local Plants, and Local History sections. Ask inside where these sections are, and start devouring these books. Not only will you be supporting a local shop, but you have a direct source of helpful information. Oftentimes, employees and owners also know a lot of Lore. Talk to them about what you’re interested in learning. They probably have some hidden gems of information. 

Learn about your Indigenous Plants Start researching and learning about the flora that grows locally, learn their lore, their uses, and magical or folklore associations. If Natives from your area used these plants, find out how. Learn where these plants grow and research local foraging. If you’ve never foraged, see if you can find a local group that can serve as helpful guides to stay safe. Never ingest anything unless you are SURE. 

Start a local Plant Grimoire Keep dried presses of flowers and plants in it, draw and diagram to help you remember what they look like. 

Learn about the indigenous animals Research their folklore and mythology. Start finding out what they eat, and what their habitats are. (Safely) Do your part to help foster their growth and health. This could be making insect houses to help local endangered pollinators, or leaving out special birdseed for endangered bird species in the area. (Safely) Start interacting with the non-aggressive species and leave them treats. This is great for birds, deer, rabbits, moles, chipmunks, hedgehogs, etc 

Join local Conservation Projects  Getting directly involved in wildlife conservation strengthens our spiritual and natural ties to the land we call our home. Taking personal responsibility and interest in it’s stewardship is honoring the spirits of the land, and the Gods. 

Use Google Maps while exploring parks, or protected open spaces to drop pins and places where you find animal habitats or useful plants for foraging. 

That’s all for now. More will come later I’m sure. Now go be the best local Witch or Druid you can be! 

[natureandthecraft]

- Buy produce from a local produce stand/farmers market if you can instead of a large chain grocery store. (Where I live, Winco grocery store also tries to locally source their produce)

- Find a community garden in your area. Learn from seasoned gardeners about local plants, soil, and get to spend wholesome time with your neighbors!

- Join your local library. Like the bookstore, but free! Some also have events to get to know people in your community.

- Explore local walking paths or hiking trails. My town is littered with walking paths that I use as nature trails and helps with my grounding. Also gives you a chance to scope out local plants.

[therestlesswitch]

for those of us in North America, esp for us settlers, we need to include finding out who’s land you’re on.

Know who the land belongs to. Make reparations and give back to them if you can. If you own your land, consider looking into a Land Back agreement/program with the Native Nation that it belongs to.

And then, if you’re able to, and if the community invites settlers to learn, learn from them directly about the local lore.

Campfire stories, legends and myths and the like are all well and good, and really do play a formative roll in a place’s history. But they’re often tinged with collonialism. So find out your local place’s history from the people to whom it belongs.

[dumbbbunnnyy-deactivated2021021]

basic ass witch tips 🔮

on some kind of medication, including but not limited to hormonal birth control, heart medication, and anti-depressants? you better double check with your doctor or pharmacist before you drink that new tea you just bought.

always, always, always tell your doctor or check with your pharmacist before trying any kind of herbal supplement, whether it’s something you made yourself or something you bought at the store.

have sensitive skin? dilute your essential oils before putting them anywhere near your skin or in your bathtub.

have a diagnosed medical condition? talk. to. your. doctor. before ingesting anything or putting anything on your body that you aren’t familiar with.

don’t. drink. essential. oils. essential oils are not consumable!!!!!

don’t put citrus oil on your skin and then go out into the sun unless you want a badass chemical burn.

don’t put any kind of damn essential oil on your skin without diluting it with a carrier oil. almond oil? olive oil? coconut oil? i don’t care. dilute your essential oils. 

don’t put essential oils on your animals, diluted or not, point blank. 

oh, and don’t put fucking crystals in their water bowls to “cleanse their chakras” or whatever the fuck. 

speaking? of crystals? don’t put crystals in your bodily orifices. don’t put crystals in your own damn water. just don’t. 

thinking about burning some kind of random herb in your house? you better make sure it’s not gonna release noxious fumes and murder your family. 

speaking of random herbs - got the urge to forage for some herbs out in the wild? wear. fucking. gloves.

don’t burn incense or herbs around your pets. they have tiny, fragile respiratory systems and are super sensitive to that kinda shit. 

gotta burn a candle down completely for a spell? you better not leave that shit unattended unless you want a house fire. 

always. practice. fire. safety. that means, don’t go burning shit outside during a burn ban. 

gods help me - if you wanna harvest your own blood via finger stick, stay away from dirty safety pins and needles and invest in some lancets. 

drinking dirty water from outside can literally give you worms. boil your damn water. 

oh yeah. moon water. everyone loves to make moon water. you know what happens when you leave a jar of water at room temperature? it stagnates and grows bacteria. refrigerate that shit. 

fresh herbs or other things of that nature left at room temperature can also grow super harmful bacteria, for example, raw garlic submerged in oil at room temperature is a breeding ground for botulism and mold. 

edited on october 27, 2018

[witchescollection]

So, you wanna get started with divination? (Masterlist)

Well, I am hardly an expert, but I can point you in the direction of others who are!

Introduction

Divination Intro

Tarot Cards

How to Get Started in Tarot

How to Read Tarot Cards When You Don’t Know Shit

Tips for Interpreting Tarot Cards

Reverse Tarot Cards

Yes/No Tarot Tips

Moon Phase Tarot Spread

How to Cleanse your Cards

Cartomancy

Cartomancy ABC Guide

Cartomancy: The Suits

How to Cleanse your Cards

Tasseography

Tasseography Guide

Lithomancy

Preparing a Lithomancy Set

Scrying

Scrying [Witchcraft 101]

Scrying Tips

Runeology

A Guide to Greek Alphabet Divination (Runes)

An Introduction to Norse Runeology

Elder Futhark Rune Correspondences

Blooding Runes

Candle Work

Reading a Candle

Reading a Candle (Yes/No Questions)

Misc.

Lesser known forms of Divination

Seashell Divination

Seashell Divination II

[the-ethereal-serpent]

🧚🏻‍♀️Protection From The Fae🧚🏻‍♀️

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Iron

Iron in any form or shape has always been considered the very best protection against fae – in almost all legends, the metal is like kryptonite to Superman. If you kept an iron nail in your pocket, you couldn’t be carried away by them. Sometimes iron nails were sewn into the hems of children’s clothing for that reason. A pair of iron shears hung on the wall near a baby’s bed was said to prevent the child from being swapped for an ugly fae baby.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Steel

Steel is also effective against the faeries because it is created from processed iron. If a faery is cut by a steel or iron blade, the wound will not heal or will take a very long time. In some stories, the Fae is slowly poisoned by such a wound. Steel or iron weapons are among the few things that can actually kill a Fae being.

However, unless it was plainly self-defense (and sometimes even that wouldn’t help your case), you could expect the rest of the faeries to exact a terrible retribution!

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Horseshoes

You can put one above the main entrance of your house and it will help protect the entire home. For added protection, put iron near any opening a person could go through. If you have large windows, you may want to place some nails near it to make a barrier. You can do the same with your dog’s house to keep the fairies out.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Bells & Chimes

Bells were also said to have frightened off evil faeries in Medieval Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. Specifically the big, deep-sounding Church bells that would ring to draw the people to Church. So this theory can be applied to your home by hanging deep-toned chimes on your front or back porch or by using deep sounding bells during magickal ritual.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Food

Traditionally, bread and salt provided protection from the Fae. Carrying yeast-risen bread with you had a two-fold effect. It would repel some faeries. Other faeries would accept it as an offering and leave you alone.

My gramma taught me a Welsh tradition of leaving a saucer of milk and a slice of bread or some bread crusts on the back porch as an offering to the faeries, so they wouldn’t play pranks on the family or trouble the livestock. Sometimes, if you were seeking the faeries’ aid, you might add berries, honey, or cheese.

Even humble oatmeal was believed to be a fairy repellent. You could carry a handful of dry oatmeal in your pocket or sprinkle it on your clothes. As long as you didn’t mind looking flaky, you’d be safe.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Salt

Salt’s association with purity made it an excellent tool against otherworldly beings. Spreading salt across the threshold and along the windowsills has long been the primary method of keeping faeries, demons, and spirits out of houses. If you had to carry food to the farmhands in the fields, sprinkling it with salt was said to keep the faeries from taking it – or from extracting the nourishment from it unseen!

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Offerings

Leave a pail of fresh milk, butter, or cream outside of your front door on the eight holy days to appease the fae and keep them from wreaking havoc on garden and home. Leaving faery offerings and libations dates back hundreds of years, and if you have any Celtic ancestors, you probably have ancestors who partook in this tradition. Some people in Europe still do! This is a preventative method of protection from trickster and evil fairies. Make them happy at the back door so they don’t intrude.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Plants

Historically, garlands were often made of marsh marigolds and hung over the barn doors to protect the horses from being ridden to exhaustion by faeries in the night. Flowers, especially primroses, were spread over windowsills and hung above the door-posts of the house for safety. Your best bet, however, was a plant called St. John’s Wort. Wearing it was said to provide strong protection from fairy magic and mischief.

Fairies could vanish at will and remain invisible to mortal eyes for as long as they pleased. Carrying a four-leafed clover would allow you to see the faeries – but only once. A Celtic tradition was to sew several of the clovers into a tiny bag to be worn around the neck. You could then discern the faeries once for each clover in the bag. In some legends, the clover was said to allow you to see through fairy glamors and magical disguises.

Red berries were believed to keep fae at bay, especially if they were from rowan trees, mountain ash or holly. So did red verbena (a flower). Daisies were often tucked into children’s pockets or woven into fanciful chains to wear around their necks to prevent them from being taken away by the fae. And if you were walking through the woods, it was best to carry a walking stick or staff made of ash or rowan wood.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Protection Charm

At this season, the Winter Court is in rule and you will want to look out for malicious, harmful beings in your interactions with the fae. You can make yourself a protection charm using:

St. John’s Wort

Sea Salt

Lemon Zest

Rosemary

Eggshells

An Iron Nail

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Ancestral & Deity Protection

One of the MOST effective forms of protection against evil faeries (and other spirits in general) is to invite your ancestors and gods into your home. Once your guides and guardians take up residence in your home, they do most of the work of keeping out negative forces like evil fairies and the like. In fact, my ancestors are SO good at protection, I have to ask their permission to allow any other spirits inside the home!

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Faery Box

Decorate a small box by painting it and gluing on glitter or plastic gems. Inside place leaves, pinecones, crystals, and plants. Add a piece of felt or fleece in the centre as a soft bed you can add essential oil to. Draw a sigil on it that will protect you from harmful fae. At night, light a fake candle by the box, and leave out some food.

Make sure to protect yourself from negative influence. Then invite those of good intention to see the place you’ve prepared for them to rest in, and stay with you through the night if they wish to. Leave the candle on, as long as it’s a fake one, and then go to bed.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

The Circle Of Light

Another effective yet simple technique of faery protection consists of using one’s mind and energy. If you are used to using visualization in your meditations, rituals, and spells, this method of fae protection should be familiar to you. It’s what I like to call the Circle of Light.

You can do this visualization exercise any time of the day, any day of the week and as often as you’d like. For me particularly, I do it every night as I’m lying in bed and before I go to sleep to continue to build the circle’s strength around my home

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Running Water

Fae folk are unable to cross streams and rivers, so in any pursuit leaping from bank to bank will be a sure escape for the hunted human. Water courses running south are said to be especially efficacious.

Oddly, nevertheless, fae seem to have no objection to still water. They actively seek it out for washing themselves and they are from time to time associated with wells. For example John Rhys in Celtic folklore (1901, p.147 & chapter 6) notes the existence of several ‘faery wells’ in Wales which demanded attention from local people, in the absence of which they would overflow or flood.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Hag Stones

According to John Aubrey, if a person could locate stones through which natural erosion had created a hole, they could protect their horses from night-riding by fae by hanging the stones over each horse’s manger in the stables- or by tying the stone to the stable key. The fairies would not then be able to pass underneath.

☽⦁──────── ⦁⧊⦁ ────────⦁☾

Sources : http://aminoapps.com/p/4sn2it

[grimoireprxject]

Honey Lavender Bread

submitted by @materiamystica​

½ cup Greek yoghurt ½ cup plain flour 1tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1 tbsp dried lavender 1 tbsp honey 1 egg, beaten

The intent is to increase mental clarity and connection. To clear your spiritual and mental brain fog so that you can think and see more clearly again. To improve clarity of vision and connection to your heart’s desire. Lavender is employed to stimulate clarity and connection, cleansing, memory, passion, peace of mind, healing, love, passion and retention. With the honey for added sweetness and stickiness to make visions all the more sweet, and memories stick more permanently. Harvesting your own lavender can also be intended to honour Lammas, too!

1. Mix everything in a bowl and preheat the oven at 350 F. 2. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead adding more flour until it’s no longer sticky and has formed a nice stretchy bread dough. 3. Put into a floured loaf tin. 4. Brush top with egg wash. 5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until a golden crust has formed and a skewer comes out clean. 6. Slice and enjoy!

[thewitches-lovenest]

Almond crescent moon cookies recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted Butter - Softened

¼ cup Sugar

2 cup Flour

1 cup Ground Almonds

1 tsp Vanilla

Confectioners Sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Mix all ingredients

Chill for 4 hours

Cut out in crescent shape

Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for 35 minutes

While hot, roll in confectioners sugar

[eclecticwitcheryafoot]

Rotting/Decaying Herbs Correspondence

After seeing numerous masterposts about herbs, I noticed there wasn’t any mention of the correspondences when it comes to rotted or decaying herbs.  Here’s my take on this.

Anise- Use to cause a person to have nightmares, misfortune and/or relationship issues.

Apples- Use to cause turmoil between romantic partners.

Barley- Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Basil- Use to cause fights, arguments, etc. between two lovers, two friends, two family members. Used to deter love from developing between 2 people. Use to deter customers from shopping at a business.  Use to attract negativity (place in rooms of a house for protection from negativity).

Bay- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Birch- Use weaken protection of a person.

Blackberry- Use leaves in spells to cause for wealth to be drained or mismanaged.

Blueberry- Use to cause for a person to experience negativity and unwanted guests at their home.

Cabbage- Use to cause for fighting and arguing between a married couple.

Cactus- Use to weaken the protection of the home or other properties.

Camellia- Use to cause a person financial difficulties.

Carnation- Use to weaken a person’s leadership skills, commemoration and self-esteem.

Carrot- Use to cause for a person to lose sexual desire.

Catnip- Use to direct misfortune and unwanted spirits towards a person.  Use to cause for a person to feel confused or unwanted.

Celery- Use to cause a person to have difficulty concentrating during tasks.  Use to cause a person to have difficulty falling asleep.  Use to cause for sexual desire of a person to decrease.

Chamomile- Use to cause for financial difficulties. Use to heighten curse effects.

Cherry- Use to cause a person to feel undesired or loved.

Chicory- Use to heighten and strengthen obstacles in a person’s life.

Cinnamon- Use to cause for setbacks in business or a person’s goals in career.  Use to decrease a person’s protection.

Clove- Use cause for financial hardships.

Cucumber- Use to hinder fertility.

Cumin- Use to cause a person to argue with their significant other and to cause for a person who’s been unfaithful to feel overwhelming guilt.

Cypress- Use to slow down emotional healing process.

Daffodil- Use to cause a person misfortune and to have difficulties in love.  Use to cause a person to feel isolated.

Daisy- Use to deflect unwanted attention from potential romantic partners.

Dandelion- Burn to block unwanted thoughts about a person.

Dill- Use to weaken protection of a person.  Use to cause a person to be unnoticeable and avoidable.

Elder-Use to direct negativity and misfortune.  Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Fern- Use to weaken a person or location’s protective energy.

Fig- Use to cause a person to experience decreasing sexual desire and decrease protective energy of a home.

Flax- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Foxglove- Use to cause for a person’s garden to rot.

Frankincense- Use to weaken protection and stunt spiritual growth of a person.

Gardenia- Use to cause a person’s illness to be slow and difficult.  Use to cause for a person to to feel unwanted.

Garlic- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep. Use to cause a person to experience a stroke of bad luck.

Geranium- Use to cause a person to experience weakened protection, romantic desire, and confusion.

Ginger- Use to cause a person financial and love life difficulties.  Use to undermine another person’s magickal workings.

Ginseng- Use to repel love and cause for a person to feel unwanted. Use to cause financial difficulties.  Use to weaken a person’s glamour magick and promote back luck.

Grape- Use to decrease fertility and to weaken mental powers. Use to cause a person to experience financial hardships.

Hazel- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.

Holly- Use to cause for a person to experience bad luck.

Honeysuckle- Bury near a home to cause for the residents to experience financial difficulties and a stroke of bad luck.

Iris- Use to weaken protection around a person or location. Use to cause a person confusion.

Ivy- Bury near home to cause for it to experience chaos and disarray.

Jasmine- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties. Use to cause a person nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.attract money.

Juniper- Use to weaken protective energy around a person or location.

Lavender- Use to cause a person to experience difficulties with love. Use to cause a person to experience nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.  Bury near a person’s home to cause the home to become restless and chaotic. 

Lemon- Use to cause a person to question their romantic partner’s faithfulness. Use to cause a strain between friends.

Lemon Grass- Use to cause a person’s psychic powers to weaken.

Lettuce- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Lilac- Use to cause a person to experience bad luck.

Lily- Use to cause for a person to have unwanted visitors to the home.

Liverwort- Use to drive an emotional wedge between romantic partners.  use to cause a romantic partner to doubt their lover’s dedication.

Magnolia- Use to expose a unfaithful romantic partner.

Maple- Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.  Use to cause a person financial difficulty.

Marigold- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep and/or nightmares.  use to cause a person to become less influential and respected and respected by peers, colleagues,etc.  Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in handling legal matters.

Mint- Use to repel unwanted sexual urges.  Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulty.

Mistletoe-Use to cause a person to experience misfortune, nightmares while sleeping and weakened protection. Use to cause for couples to fight.

Mulberry- Use to cause for a person’s magickal work to backfire or be negated.

Oak- Use an acorn from an oak tree to cause for a person to experience a deduction in sexual desire.  Use to cause for a person to physically and mentally “feel their age”.

Orange- Use to cause for a person to come across as being bland and dull.

Orchid- Use to cause a person financial and social/interpersonal difficulties.

Pansy- Use to repel unwanted feelings associated with love.

Parsley- Use to repel unwanted sexual desire.  Use to cause a person to experience a decrease in lustful thinking.

Peach- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.  Use to prevent emotional attachment.

Peppermint- (See Mint).

Pine- Use to weaken defenses against negativity.

Raspberry- Use to decrease protective energies around a home or person.

Rice- Use to cause for a married couple to argue.

Rose- Use to repel an unwanted lover or romantic partner.  Use to cause a couple to argue and fight.

Rosemary- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep and nightmares. Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in learning new information and become confused.

Rowan- Use to cause a person’s divination skills to become weak and confusing.  Use to cause for a person to become weak, unlucky, and experience misfortune. Use to increase spirit communication.

Rue- Use to cause a person to become love-struck and confused. Aids in curses.

Saffron- Use to repel lustful feelings.

Sage- Use to cause a person confusion and misfortune.

St. John’s Wort- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted.  Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.

Sassafras- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Spearmint- Use to deter lust.

Strawberries- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted or unloved.

Sugar Cane- Use to deter unwanted love and attention.

Sunflower- Use to hide the truth from a person or within a situation.  Use to cause a person misfortune.

Thyme- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to cause a person to be avoidable and unnoticeable or to cause a person to receive overwhelming amounts of unwanted attention.  Use to decrease energy level and cause for a person to become fearful and afraid.

Vanilla- Use to decrease lust. Carry a vanilla bean to cause a person difficulty in maintaining energy and memory.

Vervain- Use to cause a person to experience chaos and instability.  Use to cause for wishes made to be unheard.  Use to cause friends to become enemies.  Use to repel unwanted lovers.

Violet- Mix with lavender to repel unwanted lovers and sexual partners. Use to cause a person to have difficulty sleeping and have an increase in their anger.

Willow- Use to repel love. Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wintergreen- Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wormwood- Use to cause a person to experience mechanical difficulties. Use to repel an unwanted romantic partner.

Source: My personal grimoire

[luxautemnox-deactivated20200706]

This…this was one of my all time favorite posts

Wear gloves and mask when handling!

[thebibliosphere]

Oh my god, food extract is not the same as an essential oil.

Food extract is the flavoring of something cooked down into a carrier oil or alcohol that is safe for human ingestion.

Essential oil is the pure extract of the plant refined down and distilled for concentrated medicinal purposes to a significantly higher strength than simply adding ground up mint leaves to your water. The two are not comparable in any way.

Cinnamon extract and cinnamon essential oil are not the same thing.

One is about 100 times the strength of the other and can also cause acute organ failure. I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the food extract.

Sweet gods I’m not trying to be mean, I want you to be aware and safe and stop putting yourselves and others at risk. Please.

[thebibliosphere]

Like maybe my tone is hard to read, maybe it just comes off as really angry but it’s not, it’s fear and worry. I read posts and clutch my head in alarm going “no! No! That’s how people die!” And then I get exasperated because a bunch of people not formally qualified chime in with “um actually this is a lie” and it’s not, it’s really, really not.

I’m not some big pharma advocate. I’m a crunchy witch hippy just like you with salt rock lamps and rose quartz all over my house. I just happen to have spent the last 15 years of my life studying the actual science of holistic medicines and I’m trying to help you not get hurt (or worse) becuase you trusted a sales person with no idea what the ever loving hell they were talking about beyond a sales pitch designed to maximize profit. Gah.

[thewoonderkabinett]

I see this so often in the Mommy world. There was a lady not long ago in one of the mom groups who was really worried about her toddler. He’d had a persistent cough for weeks and the doctor couldn’t figure out why. Someone asked, well what have to tried to treat it with, so far? She said she was using a humidifier, honey, and eucalyptus EO in the shower every night.

Yeah.

In case you were wondering, eucalyptus can cause respiratory distress in young children.

[thebibliosphere]

Sadly I don’t wonder. I have a friend whose daughter died from a home made menthol oil chest rub. She wasn’t even ten yet, but her mom– a qualified aromatherapist– thought she’d be old enough to handle it. She went into respitory distress and died seizing in her mother’s arms on route to the hospital. It was one of the most harrowing stories I had to listen to during my holistic training. She stood up there, on this podium next to a bunch of ponzy scheme essential oil sellers who looked like they wanted the floor to swallow them, and said “I killed my child with good intentions”.

I’ll never forget the look on her face.

So to reiterate, children under the age of ten should not be directly exposed to things like eucalyptus oil, peppermint or wintergreen. If you are using such things in your house and your child starts to complain of headaches, lethargy and general “feel worse”, don’t just assume it’s the cold/flu. Those are all signs of menthol sensitivity and they only get worse with increased exposure. Ventilate the room, take them outside if you can until the air clears. Do not apply again.

Rapid onset wheezing may be a sign of allergic reaction or possible asthma attack triggered by the menthol too. If they tell you their chest is warm or fuzzy when you use it, that’s another sign it’s not going down well with them. Again, ventilate the area or remove anything you applied to them. Administer inhalers if necessary. Watch for any more labored breathing or if they suddenly go limp or you can’t wake them up. If they do call 911.

This can also apply to people with allergies and asthma who are otherwise healthy.

One of the safest, natural ways to alleviate congestion is with just pure good old fashioned warm steam. Keep the air moist, drink plenty of warm fluids. Menthol can help relieve the feeling of congestion, but there’s limited evidence to suggest it actually clears the airways. And for the love of god don’t inhale mustard or horseradish (I’ve seen that suggestion on posts too, though how you’d get those oils I don’t know). That’s literally what tear gas is made of.

[thebibliosphere]

I apologize sincerely for bringing this long post back into your lives, fam, but I’m getting inundated with questions about what can the possible harm be if you dab a little neat peppermint oil on your child’s skin to help them with a little head cold, and this is the most succinct way I can put it.

The harm you may do, is in fact death. I am not telling you these things to be a kill joy, I’m telling you so you won’t accidentally kill yours.

[the-witches-glossary]

Do other witches dream of a fully functional tea garden of their own? Grapefruit mint is the prettiest mint I have ever grown, and also one of the tastiest. It’s nice to see it mentioned somewhere!

The-Wiccans-Glossary