A Pierced, Tattooed History Nerd. Secular Witch/Pagan adjacent Geek. The B in LGBTQ+. Very into D&D/RPG/Video/boardgames/Comics/Manga/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Wrestling/Crafting/Baking/TV/Films/Anime/Books/Music(als). I also talk about mental health & ADHD.
Willow Wings Witch Shop - November 2025 Newsletter
Visit The Shop
The year is starting to wind down, the weather is changing, and whether you’re pulling out your winter socks for chilly nights or readying your wellies for the rainy season, November is a great time to get cozy! Personally, I never feel more cozy than when my magical protections are freshly cast and I’m safe at home, curled up with a good book. So this month, the shop will be featuring items to help you enjoy the vibes of a nice snug home and a witchy read! Stock your library with one of my books (or save your pennies with the discount Book Bundle) or reinforce your wards with a charm or a moon jar.
Make sure you check out my Patreon later this month for the Monthly Merch Poll, to help pick one of the new items coming to the shop in December! This month’s item won by a LANDSLIDE and I’m working on the first batch of them as we speak for the upcoming November release. (If you’re not a subscriber yet, make sure you sign up to help pick next month’s merch drop!)
Use code SWEATERWEATHER for 20% off new and featured items all month long!
Don’t forget to check out the Upcoming Events page for my full schedule of local markets and workshops. Tune in to Hex Positive on your favorite listening app and check out the Redbubble shop for fabulous podcast merch.
Stay Safe and Happy Witching! 🧶
Upcoming Events:
The Witches Table Discussion Group: Williamsburg Chapter
(First Wednesday of each month)
Next Gathering - Wednesday, Nov 05 2025, 6pm-8pm - SWAP MEET!
Upcoming Dates - TBD
Strangeways Brewing
1430 High St #1103, Williamsburg VA (USA)
Hosted by The Witches Table
(And check out the Richmond and Newport News chapters too!)
First Fridays Moon Market
(First Friday of each month)
Next Event - Friday, Nov 7th 2025, 6pm-9pm
Upcoming Dates - Krampusnacht, Dec 6th
Historic Hilton Village
10369 Warwick Blvd, Newport News VA (USA)
Hosted by Styx & Stones
And just a few clarifications for folks who don’t know:
- The hype surrounding “The Exorcist” (1972) is exactly that. The reports of accidents and supernatural happenings on set was part of their ad campaign. The only ritual being performed in the movie is the rite of exorcism. That’s not going to SUMMON anything, I promise you.
- The horror movie rule which states “Never Read Books Of Demon Summoning Aloud” is a good one, but it must also be remembered that most ancient spell tomes mentioned or used in horror media are entirely fictional. Including the fabled Necronomicon.
- It is very important to keep in mind that the facts in many of the so-called landmark cases in paranormal study have been greatly embellished, either by the investigators or by writers and movie producers looking to make a buck. Nearly all the stories of “real” hauntings you see in popular media have been exaggerated to hell and back. If the Warrens had anything to do with it, you can bet good money that the actual happenings bear little resemblance to the stories we associate with those cases now.
- While it is possible for spirits to attach themselves to objects, therefore necessitating some basic caution and cleansing if you’re prone to collecting antiques or yard sale fodder, there is no guarantee that something is going to attach itself to your belongings unless you INVITE IT TO DO SO. (Someone cited the Annabelle case. If we believe the story, the ghost did not come with the doll, it was invited to possess it by the owners. Allegedly. See above note about the Warrens.)
- Swearing does not count as baneful magic. It’s CALLED cursing, sure, but if you stub your toe and yell, “FUCK!” you’re not wishing harm on someone. You’re upset and in pain. (Then again, I do like that meme about a witch cursing a house in this fashion….)
- Most pagan holidays are celebrations for some part of the harvest cycle. Holiday observances are not automatically magic rituals, and neither do they summon spirits unless you are openly calling them to the feast. I am not calling in the ghosties by thanking the earth for this beautiful bucket of tomatoes and watering a tree.
- Just because something CAN be part of a spell or ritual doesn’t mean it’s ALWAYS part of a spell or ritual. We don’t accidentally cast spells by dancing or singing or thinking or sneezing. Intention and focus are part of the process for a reason.
When looking around your yard or local biome for wild plants to harvest for your craft, there are several important things to keep in mind:
1 - Prepare for your trip ahead of time. Have some idea ahead of time where you're going, what the terrain and weather will be like, and what plants you want to look for and harvest. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and bring containers, supplies for labeling, and a travel-size resource for plant identification. (Pro-tip: Paper lunch bags are excellent receptacles for harvested plants.)
2 - Look for patches of plants well away from roadways and places which might be contaminated by chemical runoff or pesticides. When possible, select a large patch where your harvest won't wipe out the presence of the plant. (The exception to this is if you are removing invasive plants or weeding a prepared garden as part of your harvesting.)
3 - Make sure you properly identify plants before you harvest them, using a field guide for local plants or an identification app like Plantnet. This helps you avoid potentially harmful lookalikes. (And it couldn't hurt to look up what harmful plants exist in the area where you'll be looking.) Do not harvest endangered plants or plants growing on private property or in national parks. When in doubt, leave it alone.
4 - Take a modest amount of plant material for your stores, no more than you reasonably need, while disturbing the surrounding area as little as possible. Clearly label the container with the species and date of harvest. (Again, I'm recommending those paper lunch bags.) As an added courtesy, you can bring a bottle of water and hydrate the remaining plants to encourage regrowth.
5 - Clean and dry your plant material when you get home, if necessary. Just give them a quick rinse and gentle pat-dry with a clean kitchen towel before placing the plants into your preferred drying device. One simple solution is to cut the flaps off of wide, shallow cardboard shipping boxes and lay out the plant material in a flat layer so that most of it is touching the cardboard. (As opposed to leaving it in a big heap.) Label the sections or the side of the tray and leave your plants to dry.
6 - If you're not using an oven or a dehydrator, allow plant material to dry for at LEAST two or three weeks before breaking it up for storage in airtight jars or freezer bags. Make sure the plants are dry and brittle all the way through to avoid rot and mold in your storage containers and spoilage of the contents. Label and date the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. (If you discover mold or a bad smell in any of your containers, discard the contents and either throw away the container or sterilize it for reuse - this generally only works for glass jars.)
7 - Check back periodically! Give your wild plant patches time to regrow and you can then make additional small harvests on future visits. Also, look for different plants to emerge as the seasons change.
Familiarizing yourself with your local biome allows you to connect with the land where you live (and encourages you to care about it in the process). Also, it can garner you components for your workings for the cost of a few bags and an afternoon stroll.
But wait! What if your local wild weeds don't have magical correspondences? Not to worry - there's an exercise for that.
Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.
Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft
Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches
Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons
Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews
Witchcraft Exercise - Witchy Inspo Journal
Witchcraft Exercise - Spring Cleaning
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Your Own Runes
Witchcraft Exercise - How to Write Your Own Spells
Witchcraft Exercise - Shakespearean Witchcraft
Witchcraft Exercise - Music To Witch By
Related Prompt - Music to Witch By
Witchcraft Exercise - Annual Review
Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).
Happy Witching!
(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive on your favorite podcast app, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)
It's that time again!! Time for the next CTWC (Critical Thinking Witch Collective) Witches' Brew!
Come join us for this FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!!
If you're unfamiliar with the CTWC brews are a great way to find out what we're about and find your community!
Lee Ignire hosts with special guests Bree NicGarran @breelandwalker, Kath Wallace, and Lozzie Stardust @lozziestardust to discuss Herbal Correspondence!
Saturday, January 11th 10 AM PST/ 1 PM EST/ 6 PM GMT/ 5 AM AEST (1/12)
Register for free here: Register for free here:
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: January Brew: Creating Correspondence . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email
Or find out more about the Critical Thinking Witch Collective here:
The BS-Free Witchcraft Podcast: 76. A Spooky-ish Episode (with Lozzie Stardust)
It’s October, so even though we took the year off last year, we’re going back to the show’s roots with yet another spooky episode! This time around, Lozzie Stardust takes the guest spot and we talk about ghosts, cryptids, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Look, we got really off track on this one.
But I think you’ll like it.
Read Trae’s Books:
The Witch and the Rose
ISBN: 9798869132666
Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / ePub / Direct Order
Bloody Damn Rite
ISBN: 9798330220373
Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / ePub / Direct Order
Shadowcasting (Available 12/15/2024)
ISBN: 9781088207031
Available Via: Pre-Order on Kindle / Pre-Order Paperback
(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon. Consider joining our Discord or our forums!)
Music: “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / Random Loops (Apple Music Library)
Listen to the Episode | Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Are you doing scary stories for October bs free witchcraft? Did I miss a deadline 😬
That's not a thing I've done?
I do spooky conversations about ghosts with other witches, yeah -- but never listener write in stuff. I think @breelandwalker did that previously on Hex Positive a couple of times, but hasn't since 2021 I don't think.
My October episode is with @lozziestardust and is already out for Patreon folks, with the episode going public on Saturday. We do talk about ghosts -- just not listener stories.
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