The fact that there are gods with disabilities make me so emotional. Hephaestus, Tyr, Hodr, Odin and other disabled deities just prove that being disabled is a vital part of the human experience, not a deviation from it, and that concept alone is so moving. Just like there are deities for specific human experiences like fertility or war, there are also deities with disabilities, which just proves that we have just as much of a place on this earth as mothers and warriors do. The idea of that has genuinely pulled me through some hard times.
This problem of appropriation in the occult community is in no way limited to Kabbalah. Jewish religious practices, culture, and beliefs are frequently bastardized by the occult community in new and improved ways even in the modern-day. From occultists using Jewish prayers but subbing in the names of their deities or having fake Shabbat ceremonies, the appropriation of Judaism isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean that it is okay.
-Kabbalah, Cabala, & Qabalah: Coercion, Appropriation, & the Desecration of Sacred Tradition (2024); Jewitches
The Flower In The Hedge - A Baneful Protection Spell
Then the maiden and her dear Roland took again their natural shapes, and traveled on the whole night through until daybreak. Then the maiden changed herself into a beautiful flower, standing in the middle of a hedge of thorns, and her dear Roland into a fiddle-player. It was not long before the witch came striding up, and she said to the musician, "Dear musician, will you be so kind as to reach that pretty flower for me?”
"Oh yes," said he, "I will strike up a tune to it." Then as she crept quickly up to the hedge to break off the flower, for she knew well who it was, he began to play, and whether she liked it or not, she was obliged to dance, for there was magic in the tune. The faster he played, the higher she had to jump, and the thorns tore her clothes, and scratched and wounded her, and he did not cease playing until she was spent, and lay dead.
-Sweetheart Roland, Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
Intent: To protect yourself or a loved one from someone who means to do you harm.
Ideal Timing: Waning Moon
Materials:
Jar with Screw-top Lid
Pins, Needles, & Tacks
Palmful of Salt*
Poppet
To begin with, yes, this is a spell of protection. And yes, it is also a baneful spell. Two things can be true, and they are not incongruous. This particular model is a target-triggered spell, meaning that the effect of the spell will not activate unless the target of the spell completes a designated action. Thus, the activation of the spell is the consequence of their own actions.
Take your poppet and stuff the material focus, if there is one, into the chest cavity. If a focus is not available, you can use a name slip or name the poppet thus:
Poppet, I name you [Name]. Your limbs are their limbs, your flesh is their flesh. As you suffer, so shall they suffer, according to my will.
If the target is an unknown person, the poppet can be named Danger or Threat, but this spell generally works best with a proper name. You can also specify the actions which will trigger the activation of the spell, as well as the consequences that will arise when it does, or the harm to be undone by the spell.
In the jar, combine half of the pins with the salt.* Put the poppet inside on top of the pins, then pour the rest of the pins on top to form a loose cage. Whisper into the jar:
On your feet, it's time to dance;
With the music, jump and prance.
Cap the jar and seal the lid tightly. Select a song with a good dancing beat and shake the jar to the beat for as long as you can. If you can make it through the whole song, do so; if not, shake for as long as you can. The idea is that as the poppet "dances," it is pierced by the pins in the jar.
Set the jar aside somewhere that it won't be disturbed. Whenever the target gives you trouble, take the jar out, turn on the music, and shake the poppet full of pins. If at any point you feel the target has learned their lesson, retrieve the poppet from the jar, take out any pins stuck into it, and remove the focus or dunk the poppet in saltwater overnight to neutralize the spell.
*Yes, I know that salt is generally used to protect, or to neutralize a spell. In this case, it's there to make the pinpricks hurt more. Feel free to substitute your favorite noxious herb or stinging spice if you don't wish to use salt in your jar.
Want more fairy tale spells? Check out the masterpost here.
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This glamour is designed to help you appear more persuasive. This can be helpful when applying for a job, public speaking, or convincing friends/family/lovers. BE AWARE - this type of glamour is inherently manipulative and should only be used to help you convince others and make people more inclined to listen to what you have to say.
MATERIALS
10g Shea Butter
10g Beeswax
10g Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Honey (Local if you can)
5 drops Sweet Orange Oil
On a double boiler (medium/low heat) melt the Shea Butter, Beeswax and Coconut Oil. Turn of heat and stir clockwise as you add the Honey and Sweet Orange Oil. Sing as you stir:
Smooth as butter,
Sweet as honey,
Enchant my words,
To be bright and sunny.
With honeyed lips,
And charming smiles,
Those who hear me
Are not hostile.
To my words,
They shall listen,
And be convinced
By my proposition.
Let it cool in a container of your choice (I like a small metal tin). Once cool, apply to your lips and repeat the above chant. The heat of your lips will activate it.
What I mean isn’t that everyone who meditates or burns incense or collects crystals or has read their natal chart is a fascist (if I did mean that, then I would be a fascist, too). Obviously. What I mean is that a lot of dominant New Age ideology reproduces the logic Umberto Eco was describing in his essay on Ur-Fascism, just filtered through the language of healing, vibes, and personal growth instead of uniforms and flags.
Eco’s whole point was that fascism isn’t a single historical regime. It’s a bundle (heh) of recurring habits. Ways of thinking that keep coming back because they’re comforting in moments of chaos. New Age spirituality shows up as one of those comfort systems for people who are alienated, burned out, or disillusioned with institutions, which makes sense. The problem is what kind of comfort it offers.
Start with the cult of tradition. Fascism treats the past as a single, perfect source of truth, flattened and mythologized. New Age spirituality does the same thing with “ancient wisdom.” Not history, not anthropology, not context, just a vibes-based collage of Egypt, Tibet, Indigenous cultures, Atlantis, astrology, whatever sounds old and mysterious enough to bypass the present. The past isn’t something to understand. It’s something to invoke so you don’t have to deal with modern systems at all.
Then there’s the rejection of critique. Eco talks about how fascism frames critical thinking as decadent and corrosive. New Age spaces rebrand this as “ego,” “overthinking,” or “low vibrations.” If you question the framework, you’re not engaging in good-faith disagreement, you’re spiritually immature. Reason isn’t wrong because it fails, it’s wrong because it exists. That creates a closed loop where the most confident person with the strongest vibes automatically becomes the authority.
Eco also points out the cult of action for action’s sake, movement without reflection. New Age spirituality replaces political or material action with rituals, affirmations, manifestation exercises, endless self-work. You’re always doing something, but almost none of it touches power structures, or collective change. The activity itself becomes the virtue. If you’re suffering, the answer is never “this system is harming you,” it’s “do another ritual, do another cleanse, elevate your mindset, clear your energy.”
One of the most uncomfortable overlaps is how difference gets treated as contamination. Fascism frames difference as a threat to purity. New Age spirituality frames it as bad energy. Anger is toxic. Trauma is low-vibration. Disabled bodies are blocked. Neurodivergence becomes something to transcend rather than accommodate. You don’t need overt hatred if you can quietly exile people by labeling them energetically unsafe.
Eco talks about fascism’s appeal to people who feel humiliated or bypassed by modern life. New Age spirituality is extremely good at recruiting from that exact pool. If you’re marginalized, precarious, or alienated, you’re told you’re not powerless, you’re chosen. A starseed. An empath. A lightworker. Your suffering isn’t political or material, it’s spiritual initiation! That’s the same wounded-pride alchemy fascism has always used, just wrapped in softer language.
Hierarchy is another huge one. Fascism insists inequality is natural. New Age spirituality insists inequality is karmic or vibrational. Either way, people get what they deserve. Poverty, illness, abuse, and marginalization all quietly become evidence of spiritual failure or unfinished lessons. Compassion becomes conditional, and redistribution becomes interference with the universe’s plan.
Eco also notes how enemies are always described as both weak and dangerously powerful. In New Age discourse, skeptics are mocked as asleep and limited, yet treated as capable of ruining your entire energetic field. Science is dismissed as shallow, yet accused of mass brainwashing. “Negative people” are pitied and feared at the same time. The contradiction keeps the fear alive.
There’s also selective universalism. Fascism claims to speak for “the people” while excluding most people from that category. New Age spirituality claims universal love while quietly defining humanity as those who are awake, aligned, or evolving. Everyone else becomes NPCs, obstacles, or people who need lessons. You can feel benevolent while practicing elitism.
And finally, there’s the language itself. Eco warned about impoverished, repetitive language that limits thought. New Age vocabulary does this constantly. Everything becomes energy, alignment, ego, shadow, manifestation. These words stop explaining and start replacing analysis. Once everything is vibes, nothing has to be examined materially.
What really seals it for me is how well this all plugs into neoliberalism. Where historical fascism fused with state power, New Age ideology fuses with the market. Healing is a product. Enlightenment is a subscription. Responsibility is endlessly individualized. Structural critique disappears, replaced by self-optimization. Same authoritarian impulse, updated for a consumer society.
So, yeah. What I said earlier isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about recognizing a familiar skeleton under softer lighting. Hierarchy without accountability. Moralized suffering. Anti-critique disguised as peace. A worldview that feels compassionate while quietly blaming people for the harm done to them.
The incense smells nice. The language is gentle. But the logic is still doing what Eco warned us about - offering comfort at the cost of reality, and calling it enlightenment.
on the topic of whether something is a closed practice or not, can I ask about cabala? ? I am not Jewish but I am an occultist and witch and I have partook in cabala practice but these days I am not sure I should be. We don't really have these conversations about cultural appropriation in the servers and communities I'm in and there aren't any Jewish members that I know of so I didn't know where else to get a Jewish perspective.
I do appreciate you seeking Jewish perspectives on this, because that's already more than most people do. Yes, kabbalah is Jewish. I, myself, am a student of kabbalah and a practitioner of Jewish mysticism. Kabbalah is an esoteric school of belief and practice within Judaism. Its aim is to procure enlightenment, to reveal or uncover ancient esoteric teachings and meanings within Jewish scripture, to come to understand and better connect with Jewish divinity, and to explore the divine aspects of ourselves and the world around us through mystical means — a scholarly, philosophy-heavy realm of Judaism that was formalized in the Middle Ages (though it finds it roots in earlier schools of Jewish mysticism). I'm of the opinion that there shouldn't be kabbalah outside of Judaism. Kabbalah is Jewish and relies on Jewish thought, practices, texts, and beliefs. The Judaism is integral to kabbalah and other forms of Jewish mysticism.
Some of my Jewish peers have written in depth about this, so I'd like to recommend some reading if you're interested in learning about how and when the appropriation of Jewish mystical practices started and what that's looked like over time, as well as the impacts this has on the Jewish community.
Jewitches has written a comprehensive and fantastic piece explaining the history of appropriation of Jewish mysticism, specifically focusing on kabbalah and its watered down, bastardized, knock-offs that we so often see — Kabbalah, Cabala, and Qabalah: Coersion, Appropriation, & the Desecration of Sacred Tradition (2024).
I also recommend Ezra Rose's zine Fuck Your "Magic" Antisemitism: A Lesser Key to the Appropriation of Jewish Magic & Mysticism (2022). You can download a free PDF of the zine on their website and can donate if you feel so moved. The zine is offers a thorough history and is 'a guide to understanding the history and results of antisemitism in western occult and esoteric movements, from the origins of "Solomonic" magic in medieval and Renaissance ceremonial grimoires, through the late 19th & early 20th century occult revival's "Qabalistic" ritual, to ongoing appropriation and demonization in the 21st century. A labor of love & spite, the zine is both a personal and academic look at a widely ignored topic.'
Both of these pieces are very well written and bring the sources and citations, which you may also want to check out for further reading if you enjoy these works.
Again, I appreciate you seeking out Jewish perspectives and wish you luck with any potential journey of reworking your craft and removing harmful or appropriative practices. It's not easy work, but it's worth it.
In late January of 2025, I joined a group of witches online to conduct a ritual for the protection and healing of our communities and for hope to sustain us though the weeks and months to come. Many wonderfully talented people contributed to this working, and I was honored to present an invocation of Brighid and to lead the portion of the ritual where we created the Web of Light.
With the permission of the rest of the circle from that evening, I want to share my portion of the ritual with all of you. (I'm not looking for notes or feedback - this was purpose-built and it exists as it was written.) The more strands in the web, the more lights in the dark, the more love and energy we can give this spell and others like it, the better.
If you feel comfortable doing so, I'd like to invite anyone who is willing to help to join in this working, either by yourself or with your circle. You can do the full blessing, invocation, and casting if you feel comfortable doing so, or just the casting alone. Feel free to invite any helpful spirits, ancestors, deities (especially fire-related), and so forth that you work with to lend their aid.
All you need for this spell is a quiet place to sit and a candle. (Live flame or LED, either is fine, and if you can't find either one, a flashlight will do.)
Perform whatever opening steps you usually do to begin a ritual (preparing the space, casting a circle, grounding and centering, etc) and when you're ready, begin.
WEB OF LIGHT
Suggested Music for the warmup:
"Brighid's Flame" and/or "Brighid" by Kellianna
"Imbolc" by Lisa Thiel
[BLESSING]
Into this sacred space, I call the light of creation, the light of inspiration, the light of healing, the light of the forge, the light of the hearthfire, the light of hope, which neither wanes nor falters, but burns bright and perpetual within and around us all. Bless those who are gathered here and may the spirits, deities, ancestors, and powers almighty that we invoke here strengthen our resolve, shield us from harm, and guide us in our workings, as we gather to do what is RIGHT, not what is easy.
[INVOCATION]
With the consent of those assembled, I invoke the name of Brighid and invite her presence in this place. Holy Lady of Cill Dara (pron. Kill Dahrah), protector of hearth and home, teacher, poet, healer, forgemaiden, flamekeeper, living link between the old ways and the new, be with us and lend us your aid.
Brigid of brightness, I bid thee welcome,
Brigid of blessing, come thou in.
Brigid of strength, I bid thee welcome,
This night and every night, this day and every day.
Brigid of the threshold, come thou in,
Brigid of the hearthfire, take your ease,
Brigid of the cook-pot, sup with us,
Brigid of all comforts, live in our hearts.
Ancestors all, I embody your legacy,
Ancestors all, I ask for your blessing,
Ancestors all, I offer Brigid’s flame
To light the needfires of deep memory.
Brigid of the timeless flame, bless your [children]:
Those who keep the circle bright,
Those whose faith has never failed,
Those who keep your name ablaze.
Brigid, lend your righteous sword
To those who work for justice,
To those who speak the truth,
To those who seek a better world.
In the name of Brigid, who empowers the oppressed,
In the name of Brigid, who released the enslaved,
In the name of Brigid, who lifts up the downtrodden,
May all our people be honored and free.
[Casting]
Tonight, we come together with courage. Tonight, we come together with hope. Tonight, we come together in common purpose, to turn our combined strength to save what can be saved, to shield what can be shielded, to heal what can be healed, to burn away what must be cleansed, and to keep the darkness of despair and hatred at bay.
Tonight, each of us is a point of light. We are the tenders of the hearth. We are the bearers of the flame which lights the way. We are the workers at the forge. We are the spark before the fire, the dancing light upon the snow, the seekers of snowdrops, the keepers of the healer’s tent, the knowers of the promise of spring.
For even as summer fades into fall, and fall into winter, so the cold and dark must one day yield to warmth and renewal. Even the longest night must end and we will see the sun rise again.
(Light your candle.)
Hold the light within you. Warm, bright, everlasting, a fire which burns bright but does not consume or diminish. This is a fire which shields the helpless, which offers illumination to the lost, which gives hope to those in sorrow. Each of us alone is but a candle, but together, we are a conflagration.
Picture the array of us, spread out across the sleeping world, a scattering of earthbound stars twinkling in the night. Physically, we are apart, but in our hearts and in our magic, we are all a part of each other and of this world. We are the weavers and keepers of this spell, a web that spans mighty distances and connects us all. We are the beacons which will hold the darkness at bay.
Let the light of your magic spread out from you like the lines of a spider’s web, like the roots of a tree, like the paths of a river, like the crackle of lightning. Picture it spreading across the distances between us, each strand connecting one working to another, and another, and another, strengthening with each bond, growing until the space is covered. Each of us holds a line and weaves a portion of the web, and we are blessed to know that none of us walks alone.
Like the roots of the trees, like the mycelium of the mushrooms, this web of light is not visible to all. Those that seek to harm, to disrupt, to oppress, and diminish, let them be blind, let them be powerless, let them find nothing. We give them NOTHING. But those who have need of us, those who need healing or shelter or knowledge or hope, we give them eyes to see. And those that see, let them light beacons of their own, until the night is bright as day and the sun comes up again.
(Extinguish your candle. If you ever feel that you need strength or hope or the time feels right to further empower the spell, light it up again.)
Suggested Music for the cooldown:
“Star Maps” by S.J. Tucker
(If you choose to share this ritual elsewhere, please credit me. Thanks!)
Last week, I wrote about how to properly decipher the energies of an eclipsed moon so that you can work with it magically. This week, I want to continue this discussion by sharing with you a simple…
Last week, I wrote about how to properly decipher the energies of an eclipsed moon so that you can work with it magically. This week, I want to continue this discussion by sharing with you a simple, bare-bones candle ritual that can be adapted to work with both the upcoming lunar eclipse in Taurus and solar eclipse in Sagittarius.
Why is this ritual so bare-bones? Honestly, I want you to customize it to your needs. Eclipse magic is powerful and can be harnessed for nearly any type of magic – what type of magic do you need to cast right now? I want you to make this ritual your own – feel free to customize the oils and herbs in any fashion that suits your intentions – the only thing that I suggest keeping is the double action candle. This is because the double-action candle is representative of the push-pull element of the eclipse energy, as I detailed in my last post.
To Perform this Ritual You will Need:
1 Double Action Candle
A fire-safe dish or bowl
Oil to anoint your candle – olive or coconut is fine, or intention oil if you have it
1-3 Herbs appropriate to your Intention for each half of your candle
A two-part intention or two intentions
A sharp object to inscribe your candle
A crystal to wear or enspell (optional)
A spell pouch of the appropriate color to your intention (optional)
Now, let’s break down the basics of this spell.
For this spell, you will need a Double Action candle. If you don’t know what this is, a Double Action candle is a two-colored candle with each color taking up half of the candle. In this case, I suggest a candle that the top half of the candle is black and the bottom half of the candle is the color that matches your intention (red for love matters, green for money, etc.) This is different from a reversible candle where the black is on the bottom – we are not looking to bunt the candle for this ritual – if you are following this ritual as I have it written, the black color should be on the top of this candle.
You can find double-action candles widely across the internet and in most magical shops that sell a wide variety of candles. I suggest choosing one that is free-standing and big enough to write your petition onto but choose the candle that is right for you.
The reason that we are choosing a double-action candle that is black on top is that we are going to banish something impeding our progress towards our goal (represented by our petition) BEFORE bringing that goal into existence if that makes sense.
With the oils, you can go as simple or as complex as you wish. It is appropriate to use a separate oil for banishing on the black portion of this candle and for the intention portion if you have them but if you don’t, that is fine. There are so many options for this, use one which fits your practice. An all-purpose clearing/road opening styled oil such as Vanvan could be used to anoint both sides of the candle. You can anoint the banishing potion of the candle with a banishing oil or holy water. You could make your own intention oils. Use your intuition here.
For herbs, I wouldn’t go too heavy on the botanicals here as that tends to affect how a candle burns. Choose 1-3 herbs for the banishing side of your candle and 1-3 herbs for the intention side of your candle. Crush them to powder and lightly apply them to the candle after you have anointed with oil. Alternatively, you could keep your herbs whole and place them around your candle in a shape that fits your intention. When I’m using flowers or large herbs like star anise, I like to make mandalas with them around my candle to help to empower the spell.
I’m including here a list of some basic kitchen herbs that you may have already for a couple of basic intentions, mix and match as fits you and your practice:
Banishing Kitchen Herbs: Black Pepper, Chili Peppers, Cloves, Garlic, Garden Sage
Healing Kitchen Herbs: All Spice, Apple, Cinnamon, Lemonbalm, Mint
Love Herbs: Apple, Basil, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Lemonbalm
Money/Abundance Herbs: Basil, Cinnamon, Mint
Here I suggest either using herbs that you use regularly in your practice or that you cook with or eat regularly. This will create a connection between you and the botanicals in question which will strengthen your magic.
Additionally, you may consider empowering a gemstone appropriate to your intention with this spell. This could either be a piece of jewelry that you wear or something that you add to a spell pouch with the herbs that you used (for your intention, not the banishing). As you carry this with you throughout your days, you will be drawing your intention to yourself.
The Ritual Itself
!. Craft Your Double Intention
Here, the goal is to craft two intentions – one to banish whatever is holding you back from achieving your goal and one that is designed to bring your goal to you. If you are intending to write your intentions onto your free-standing candle, keep in mind any space constraints you may have. I am not going to tell you how to write your petition as that is something that is highly personal and should be relevant to your practice.
Additionally, consider if you want to use any sigils or bindrunes for either part of this. Because eclipse magic is wild and somewhat unpredictable, I would only suggest using symbols that you have a close working relationship with or ones that you have crafted yourself at this time. It would be fine to use dollar signs for money magic or hearts for love work but don’t seek out somebody else’s sigil for this purpose UNLESS you have worked with it before and know that it works reliably.
2. Craft your Sacred Space
Here, I would keep this simple and create a space that is comfortable for you. Pay close intention to fire safety during this ritual – this should always be true but especially during the lunar eclipse in Taurus when Mars will be opposed to Uranus. This isn’t the time to take chances.
3. Cleanse yourself and the items you will be using during this ritual
Here, lean into your own practice and cleanse/clear yourself and your items in the way that fits your practice. Though this is always good spiritual hygiene, it may prove especially important during the eclipses when energies tend to be high and people all over the place will be acting unpredictably out of reaction/emotion. You may not be able to drop all of the emotions of the day and that’s okay – you can use them to empower the banishing portion of your candle.
4. Carve your banishing intention into the black half of your double-action candle
Depending on your practice, you may want to write the banishing petition from the center of the candle outwards to represent that you are sending that energy away from yourself. Really think into this – put your emotions into what you need to banish and how it makes you feel. Try to release all of the ick of it into the black half of the candle while not touching/handling the intention half of the candle. (If you don’t do this perfectly that’s okay, just make an effort to focus on/touch the black half of the candle exclusively)
5. Anoint the black half of the candle
Even if you are using the same oil for both halves of this candle, I suggest anointing them at separate times from one another. This signals to your subconscious and to any spirits/energies/gods that you work with that the two halves of the candle have separate intentions. I suggest anointing this candle from the center out with the candle faced AWAY from you to show that you are looking to get rid of your intention.
After you do this, you can carefully wrap the black half of the candle in a cloth so that you can hold it while working with the intention half of the candle without touching the black wax or banishing oils. This is optional but will make it easier to continue to work with your candle.
6. Cleanse yourself again, as needed, and take time to re-center
This is very important – especially if you have put a lot of negative energy into the black portion of your candle. You want to get yourself into the mindset of what you want to receive now to put that energy into the positive/intention side of your candle. How you do this is personal and likely will vary depending on the type of work you are doing. What makes you feel the way that you want to feel when your spell manifests? You could use aromatherapy, meditation, music/sound, or really anything that you can think of.
7. Carve your positive intention into the Intention half of your double-action candle
Here, I would consider writing your intention from the center of the candle towards the bottom while holding the candle so that the bottom of the candle is faced towards yourself. This shows that your intention is designed to draw something in towards you.
8. Anoint the Intention side of your double action candle
Again, anoint towards you if that is a part of your practice. Pay careful attention to making sure that the intention oil does not touch the black half of your candle (even if you used the same oil for both sides). This is why a cloth comes in handy during this time. Again, don’t freak out if you don’t do this perfectly, just make an effort to treat both sides of your candle as separate from one another.
8. Add any powdered herbs to your candles
Again, stay conscious of the line between the sides of your candle while doing this. The positive intention powder should stay on the positive side of the candle and the banishing powder should stay on the banishing half of the candle. Stay conscious of the botanicals that you are using – wash your hands if you’ve been handling hot peppers or you’ll regret it later!
9. Affix your candle to your plate or bowl
If you are using a candle holder, you can obviously skip this step. Otherwise, I suggest doing this even for a larger free-standing candle. Any time that you are doing banishing work, you can expect your candles to be a bit…peppy…and this will be increased during the eclipses. You don’t want your candles to fall over and start a fire! Try to only touch one side of your candle so that you don’t transfer oils and herbs from one side to the other.
10. Light your candle
From here, the ritual is really up to you. Work your candle in a way that is appropriate to your practice. You may feel intuitively called to work your candle in a particular way, trust your gut here. Eclipses heighten intuition so pay attention to your thoughts and the way that the candle burns as it may give your insight into what actions need to be taken towards your desired goal.
Variations
There are as many ways to alter this ritual as there are magic users! Do what feels right for you.
You could use a glass “7-day” candle and light this candle on the lunar eclipse in Scorpio and then every day for the next 14 days with the intention of finishing the ritual on the solar eclipse in Sagittarius.
If you can’t find a double-action candle you could use two candles (one black and one colored for your intention) by lighting the black candle first and then lighting the intention candle after it burns out.
If you feel that a reversal is in order, you could use a reversal candle and bunt it rather than using one that is double-action.
You could add in supporting candles for the intention portion that you light once the black portion has burned through – or – alternatively, light a separate reversal candle that burns while the banishment portion of your candle is burning.
Additionally, since all of the botanicals that I mentioned above are kitchen herbs, you could cook with the same herbs used in your spell while your candle is burning and then eat your food to increase the potency of your magic!
If you do this spell, I would love to hear about how you make it your own!
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We are fast approaching eclipse season and I am already beginning to see the warnings show up across the witch universe. I assume that peopl
Note: I am updating this^^ OG post from 2021 with updated information about our upcoming eclipse cycle (September-October 2025).
We are fast approaching eclipse season and I am already beginning to see the warnings show up across the witch universe. I assume that people who warn others against doing magic during the lunar and solar eclipses mean well but as a longtime astrologer AND witch, I would like to kindly disagree. Eclipse energy can seem unpredictable but also follows some very specific rules (like all lunar energy). If you know and understand these rules, you can get back to doing your normal lunar magic in no time.
To understand how to work with the lunar energy of eclipses, you simply have to combine a basic knowledge of all lunar magic cycles and some basic astrology about the lunar nodes. Don’t worry – I’ll walk you through it.
To start with, lunar energy is quite simple and well understood in the witchcraft community. The old saying “Wax on/Wane off” can be applied to her. When the moon is waxing (from the point of the new moon through the hours before the full moon), it is well aligned to cast spells where you are bringing something towards you and when the moon is waning (from the point of the full moon to the house before the new moon), it is best to cast magic where you are pushing or removing something away from you. This can be simplified as we make wishes or set intentions for growth and forward motion with the new moon and remove and banish with the full moon.
Now we add in our astrology. All eclipses are just supercharged new or full moons where the lunar event falls into alignment with the lunar nodes. The lunar nodes aren’t objects in the sky, they are imaginary points – actual representations of the places in the sky where the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth could fall into a line with one another. This line is oppositional, in the sense that it has a North Node and a South Node which are always found within opposite signs in the natal horoscope chart.
Eclipses always come in pairs*. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes in between the Sun and the Moon and a solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This always happens on the full moon and new moon, respectively. Because this happens near the lunar nodes, these cosmic events always include a conjunction between the Moon and either the North Node or the South Node.
This is where the complexity of eclipse magic comes into play.
Again – let’s simplify. The north and south nodes are a set of points that travels around the horoscope wheel. Energetically, they represent the tension point between where we’ve been (the South node) and where we are going (the North Node). In order to understand the energies of an upcoming eclipse, you must combine the energy of the lunar event (wax on for new moon/wax off for full moon) with the energies of whichever of the two nodes the moon will be conjunct at that time.
There are three possible options: new/new, old/old, and new/old.
I want to use the two upcoming eclipses to illustrate my point. On Tuesday, 9/17, we will experience a lunar eclipse (an eclipsed full moon) at 25° Pisces. Right now, our North Node is sitting at 06° Aries, and our South Node at 06° Libra; from this we can see that our lunar eclipse will be (widely) conjunct to the North Node. Therefore, we combine the energy of the full moon (old/waning) with the energy of the North Node (new/where we are going).
Likewise, our solar eclipse (eclipsed new moon) will occur at 10° Libra on Wednesday, 10/2. So we combine a new moon's waxing/new energy with the waning/where we’ve been energy of the South Node.
In both cases, these two lunar events will have both the energy of release and the energy of new beginnings at the same time. This is, I believe, the signature that has led many a witch to call eclipse energy “unpredictable” because if you are not accounting for both the push energy of the new and the pull energy of the old, you could easily get caught in a weird magic sandwich somewhere in the middle. We’re not those people though – we are empowered, well-informed witches!
The best way to harness eclipse energy, then, is to make sure that you have accounted both for the lunar energy and the nodal energy within your spell. See also: banishing an old love to make space for the new, or doing a ritual to remove something that is holding you back from pursuing your current goals. Just makes sure that you are working on both the bringing in and the letting go. You could include double action candles to represent both the push and the pull or have a part of the ritual dedicated to each aspect. That part is all you.
In this way, I believe that eclipses may be the best days of the year to perform big magic workings because, it seems to me, that all great endeavors involve both sides of the energetic coin in some fashion or another.
*occasionally threes
**all dates/times in EST
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Though I call this a "lucky interview" spirit bag, I feel that the purpose of this is flexible and it can be applied if you simply want to draw success, money, and bring about good luck.
This spirit bag can be carried, used in the bath, or in the shower hanging beneath the shower head.
Items needed:
- Green Cloth (though any scrap/thin cloth can do)
- 3 cinnamon sticks (prosperity/luck + quickening work)
- Chamomile (amplifier)
- 3 Bay Leaves (control/success)
- Epsom Salt (cleanse + bless)
- Clove (prosperity)
Assembly:
- Take your cloth and lay it out where you do your workings.
Make sure while you add your ingredients to your bag, you think about the purpose and goal of your work; and also think about your work drawing exactly what you want to you.
- Start by adding 3 pinches of Epsom salt to the bag. (If you plan to use this spirit bag in the bath, add 3 tablespoons)
- Add your cinnamon sticks.
- Get the bay leaves, and as you add them say exactly what you want. (No more than 3 things.)
- Add the rest of your ingredients. The order does not matter.
- Bring it all together to form a pouch, and tie off your spirit bag with either thread or different material.
Carry this spirit bag with you during your interview, or simply on your person for at least a week.
Note: If you decide to use this spirit bag in the bath, make sure you get the water over your head also. You don't need to be fully submerged per se, but the water does need to flow over your head at least. I recommend 3x.
For anyone curious/on the fence about purchasing any of @breelandwalker 's books, I just want to say her stuff w o r k s. I used her sweetening jar out of Grovedaughter Witchery and I shit you not it has been TWO days and the target is already behaving so much better than she was before. To the point I was told by someone else who the target has been terrorizing for literal months to give the target a chance after I expressed wanting nothing to do with her. I cannot stress to you how absolutely wild it was hearing that from that particular person. We are both genuinely dumbfounded at how effective the jar has been. Bree's stuff is good and 100% worth the purchase
If someone said to me, "I'm a beginner witch and I want to cover my bases in case I run into magical trouble," I would recommend:
One home ward for general protection, probably as a container spell or as an artificial spirit (perhaps using clove, red pepper, cinnamon, and soil or dust from the corners of the home/property), for the purpose of keeping out ill-fortune, ill-intent, and unwanted guests
One completely separate home ward, probably as a container spell (perhaps using dill, rosemary, and garlic), for the purpose of keeping out uninvited spirits, unwanted spirits, and malefica sent intentionally or unintentionally by other practitioners
One heavy-duty protective amulet, probably made of rusty nails or a piece of hematite or otherwise iron, for the purpose of behaving as a suit of heavy armor in case of spiritual alarm; to be carried about as you solve the problem; the effects of which may be encumbering and too imposing for everyday use
One more mild protective amulet (perhaps made of amethyst jewelry, or an acorn, or an oak twig cross), for the purpose of providing an immediate protection against ill spirits and energies; to be worn when a shield is desired, but a shielding energy-working technique is too draining or time-consuming; should be comfortable to wear as often as desired
Of all of these things, avoid repeating ingredients across charms, unless you are in special allyship with a certain spirit.
Those persons also suffering from nightmares or disturbed dreams may also benefit from:
One bedroom ward, probably a container spell or Witch's Ladder (perhaps containing star anise, amethyst, knotted cord, spiders or the forms of spiders, and rosemary), for the purpose of tangling up ill spirits and ill energies which inspire bad dreams.
Of any ward and amulet, feed it a minimum of once a season; if they're working often to provide assistance, or if the effects run out, increase feeding to once a month; in times of distress, feed weekly or as needed.
If you don't mind my asking (or for anyone who reads this/sees this) what does it mean to 'feed it'?
I'm not entirely a part of any community, so I don't really have anyone else to ask, my apologies... But I would like to look more into protective wards/charms/etc in particular... and I do suffer from nightmares, night terrors, the like... Unfortunately, even medication doesn't get rid of it. It tampers it down but it never gets rid of the worst of it
I don't have repeating dreams but they can be incredibly distressing, stressful, and leave me very troubled. (if you'd like more information, feel free to message me)
I would like to have my try at wards for nightmares and the lot, but I've no idea what 'feeding' it would mean or comprise of and so any extra information would be very helpful.
Thank you and apologies, again, if this is a bother!
I’ll be honest. As soon as someone says “Antheia, think of a bright light between your hands,” I’m out. While visualization works very well for me when I’m grounding, meditating, or shielding, I find it hinders rather than helps when I get to actual spellcraft and more complicated energy work. While visualization is a skill that is very useful and good to practice, here’s a few solutions.
Do something physical. When you’re putting up your shields, lift your hands with your shield. When you’re cleansing yourself or something, rub it down as though you were washing mud and grime off of yourself/the object. Imagine the heat of your skin is the energy that you’re putting into something. While you might feel a little silly at first, I’ve found that doing something along with your energy work can be really helpful in putting you into the right mindset. In terms of spell craft, sometimes making something that you can hold physically will help, as well.
Command it. You will do as you please. Saying it out loud can also be helpful if you’re having trouble visualizing. “I’m raising my shields/My shields are up.” “The energy will…” “My intent is…” Simple commands can be very effective, just don’t get too caught up in having good grammar or anything. Sometimes one word works. Sometimes you might want to dictate what you feel or what you want to happen.
Do some breathing exercises. These are not for everybody, but again, something physical for you to do. A very simple exercise is to imagine your shields swelling big big bigger when you inhale, and then coming in tight around you, right against your skin, when you exhale. Works with energy, works with some spells, helps with meditation and grounding.
Close your eyes. Sometimes, especially when you’re a beginner and can’t see what you’re doing, just closing your eyes can make a difference. By taking away that sense, you sharpen your other senses a little more, and it gets a lot easier to practice. When I’m in a very high or low part of my mood disorder, I have a lot of trouble concentrating on magic and on energy. I find that closing my eyes can help me by disconnecting me a little from what I’m seeing and I can pay more attention to what I’m actually doing.
Again, these are things that I do when I’m having issues with visualization. If they don’t work for you, try something else! These aren’t the only ways, and you can combine them however you’d like. I’d also love to know the practices that other people use in energy work, be it visualization, one of these techniques, a combination, or something else entirely!
Sometimes it feels like there's almost an expectation that you need to be well versed in every single niche aspect or tradition of magic, witchcraft, the occult. And sure, it's really good to have a broad understanding of various topics but...
There are some things that I'm just like "nah I don't give a fuck about that".
The thing is, we change. We are not the same person we were five years ago. Hel, a lot of us are not even the same people we were last week. We change, and our beliefs, favourites, thoughts and the way we see ourselves changes with it.
The same is true for our witchraft, religion and spiritual beliefs. This is why I have a list of question that I like to answer for myself every couple of years. I first started this when I came across a list of questions by Juniper from Walking the Hedge (site no longer in use) in 2008, yes, over ten years ago. Every few years I filled in the questions and looked back at the answers I gave before. Some never changed, some changed quite a lot.
When our coven started a new lesson plan, I gave out the list of questions as well. We sealed our answers in envelopes and plan to fill them in again, once we finish our lessons. Then open the envelopes and look at the answers side by side. To see how we have changed.
I looked at the list last week and found it actually lacking a bit. The questions were very deity- and spiritual based, so I was missing some more questions about my personality and witchcraft. So I decided to make my own list of questions!
Since I wanted to make this more a weekly journaling/grimoire prompt for myself I put together 52 questions. These can be answered weekly (maybe every year) or you can work through the list in one go and repeat that every few years or so.
Some notes on the wording: I consider myself both a witch and a pagan, but to keep it easier to read I only used wording like “witch” and “witchcraft”, they can however be substituted for “pagan”, “paganism” or even “my path”, should that fit you better. When I talk about “sacred space” this can both mean a ritual space like a temple or casting of a circle, but also just your home or outdoors witchy environment.
I’d love it if you would tag anything you feel comfortable with posting online with the tag #writeyourwitchcraft!
What draws me to witchcraft?
How do I see the divine?
What in witchcraft makes me happy?
Do I want to follow a path that has to do with a little nature, or a lot of nature?
What areas of witchcraft would I like to learn more about?
Where do my witchy talents lie?
What kind of deities, if any, do I want to honor?
How do I believe magic works?
Simple or elaborate spells/rituals? Why?
What are my views on cursing/hexing?
Do I want to practice something similar to my ancestors?
What are the basic morals and ethics I feel I should live by?
What in nature am I drawn to; the ocean, animals, the trees, etc?
Which (witchy) holidays, if any, would I like to celebrate and how?
How do I believe divination works?
Would I like to work with a group some of the time, all of the time or not at all?
Which aspects of witchcraft appeal to me most, which the least?
What do I believe happens to us when we die?
How do I see mythological creatures?
When do I feel most magical?
How much is witchcraft woven into my daily life; is this too much, too little or just enough?
What kind of witch do I feel I am?
Which texts/quotes best describe my current path?
Do I like research and gathering info, or do I like things handed to me?
Which things about witchcraft worry or scare me?
What is my favourite element?
How do I see gender (roles) in witchcraft?
Am I interested more in magic, or spirituality?
Do I like to be told how to do things, or would I rather figure it out on my own?
What rules, if any, do I live by when it comes to witchcraft and magic?
What do I gain from witchcraft and magic?
Formal or informal rituals/spells? Why?
What subject do I love to study?
What is my favourite type of magic; candle, sympathetic, sigils, etc?
What would my perfect witchy day be like?
Would I want to be dedicated/initiated?
Who do I honor (ex: deities, ancestors, myself, etc), and how do I, or would I like to, honor them?
How do I create a sacred/witchy space?
What do I believe is needed for a succesful spell/ritual?
Which cultures do I draw from in my witchcraft?
What is my learning style; books, websites, videos, more hands-on?
What, if anything, in my mundane life influences my witchcraft?
What are my hobbys, how do I (or can I) incorporate them in my witchcraft?
Where do my non-witchy talents lie, how do I (or can I) incorporate them in my witchcraft?
What would my dream witchy life look like? What steps can I take to work towards it?
What would my dream sacred space/witchy home look like? What steps can I take to work towards it?
What symbols correspond with me; runes, animals, flowers, gemstones, etc?
Am I an open and proud witch, or do I (need to) hide my craft?
What are my favourite witchy items/tools; divination tool, ritual tool, décor, clothing, etc?
What is holding me back in my craft?
What is my pre-spell/ritual routine?
What are my ultimate witchy goals and how can I work towards them?
