witchcraft

This is a side blog. New to the craft. Not Wiccan.

[kitchenwitchtingss-deactivated2]

50 KITCHEN WITCH TIPS TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE WITCHY

(And other useful things I've learned over the years)

Hi! This is a list of dos, don'ts, tips, tricks, and other fun things that I've learned over the years. I always love finding more effective and efficient ways of doing things so if you have any cool things you'd like to add, leave them in the comments or reblog. I'd love to read it.

Anyways... On with the list ^_^

Light candles around your kitchen space (just make sure nothing flammable is near you)

Annotate your cookbooks with the correspondence of the ingredients.

Mediating is really good to calm the mind before cooking.

Cut oranges and lemons thinly, dry them, and hang them with twine around your kitchen

Need a cleansing tip? Open all your windows near your kitchen. Let some fresh air in.

Cutting sigils into apples, pie crusts, and carved potatoes.

Save lemon and orange rinds, freeze them, and then use them to clean the garbage disposal.

Make infused oils and honey: Things like garlic honey, lavender honey, herb oil, sun oil, moon oil, dandelion oil, and other different edible oils are very fun and useful to make.

Hid sigils in pages of your cookbooks and kitchen witch journals.

Add some plants! Snake plants and spider plants don't need too much light, and growing your own herbs in your kitchen is awesome too. Basil, lavender, thyme, aloe vera, rosemary, etc. are good fits. You could also add some plants that require more sunlight on the kitchen window sill. Like cacti and succulents.

Bring crystals into your kitchen space such as rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, or whatever you want the space's intentions to be.

I keep a small money tree on the sill, along with cacti for luck and protection.

Make a simmer Pot! Mostly because it makes the whole house smell good, easy, and fun.

Stir clockwise for best results!

Learning how to pickle things is actually pretty witchy. Plus, anyone could do it as it requires absolutely no kitchen experience. You could pickle any vegetable, even if you don't like pickles. I originally learned this after having to take shelter from a natural disaster. A person brought a bunch of stuff and taught us how to pickle things with different spices and herbs. Very fun!

Decorate your kitchen with your favorite stuff. Crystals, decor, heat mits, that cool mushroom cake stand you've been eyeing at the World Market for the past 2 weeks, cool looking curtains, sun catchers. Why stop there? Paint the walls, hang shelves full of marked-up cookbooks that are a little too well-loved and thumbed through.

Wanna be the person that has the amazing-smelling house every time people come over? Syrups take some time to simmer down, it's actually a pretty good time to leave it on the stove to simmer. Since syrups have a lot of aromatic ingredients, it acts as a really good-smelling simmer pot.

Hang up herbs to dry with twine from cabinets that are rarely used.

Invest in that new set of plates and cups.

Homemade jams, butter, sauces, and syrups are your best friend.

Crochet or knit your own dish rags, pot holders, etc.

Don't pour extremely hot things into a glass that's not Pyrex, it will break, and you will be very sad about it.

Don't cook anything while extremely upset or emotional (For safety reasons)

Make recipes you want to make, not just because you'll like the effect. Make it because you think it's tasty.

Chinese Five Spice works in place of herbs for protection and luck spells a lot of the time! It's cheaper to buy 1 spice than 4 different spices that total up to 15 dollars when you could just spend 3-4 dollars.

Take a shower before cooking (I don't know how to explain this one other than it makes you feel better)

Don't use microfiber/plastic material clothes on hot burners, it will fuse to the burner and melt. It is VERY hard to get off.

I don't know if I need to put this one but I did see someone do it so nonstick pan = wooden utensils and plastic utensils, metal pan = metal utensils. Do not use a metal spoon in a nonstick pan, please. It can make you very sick.

Keep your pets away from hot oil, open ovens, and hot pans.

You can proof bread dough in the fridge overnight if you don't have the time to bake, or want to eat fresh bread right in the morning.

Need a quick witchy meal for dinner in 12 minutes? Use premade tomato pasta sauce and doctor it up with thyme, rosemary, and garlic, for protection and distilling stagnant energies. Serve with pasta of your liking.

You can substitute Butter for Crisco/shortening, buttermilk for 1 cup of milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and heavy cream for 1 cup of half and half plus 2 tbsp of butter.

Use leftover animal bones to make bone broth

Teach yourself the art of bread scoring (It's fun, and you can show it off to your loved ones!)

Collect and hoard your own and others' family recipes.

Sometimes the food doesn't have to be a spell, sometimes it just makes you feel good and you don't know why.

Listen to your favorite music in the kitchen, it makes the monotonous things like chopping veggies move faster.

Invest in a vegetable chopper if you don't like chopping vegetables.

Find a really good hot cocoa recipe and make it once a week. Master it. Just for your own happiness because hot cocoa is really good. You could also be the friend/family member that makes the best hot cocoa ever.

Focaccia Bread Lasts a very long time, and it's very easy to make!

Keep a first aid kit near where the oven is, in case of burns, cuts, or serious injuries where time is everything.

Quick Bread and no-rise loaves are simple for beginners, tasty, and take little time. They also feel very witchy to make.

Study a bit of Herbalism! It's fun and really helps better understand the herbs you're putting into your food.

While something is boiling, put your wooden spoon over the pot to minimize the chance of something boiling over.

Try a bit of coffee magick, it's simple to get into, and gives you a boost of energy to take on the day!

If you're over 21, wine-making is a very interesting way to celebrate the sabbats. Just with that, make sure you KNOW what you're doing. With anything fermented, there's always a risk if you don't store things correctly. Apple wines, strawberry wines, dandelion wines, etc. all very cool to experiment with. If you're not over 21, vinegar is a similar way to experiment.

Hang up some witchy things, sigils, photos, cool magnets, and other things that give you joy on your fridge. (Sometimes if you are lucky they have some fun magnets at five below)

If you live in the US, for some reason, there are a lot of books in the book section dedicated to witchcraft and spirituality. At least where I live. And they are all under 5 dollars!

Teas are the cheapest and easiest things you can practice being a kitchen witch.

[kitchenwitchtingss-deactivated2]

LUGHNASADH BLACKBERRY DANISHES

This recipe is surprisingly easy to make and can be eaten for dessert or breakfast. For Luhgnasagh, blackberries are just in season so it fits to use them.

Did you know?: Not only was Lughnasadh a time to honor the harvest, but was also treated as a festival for feasting, matchmaking, athletic competition, and trading back in the ancient Neopagan days.

INGREDIENTS:

store-bought puff pastry (you can always use your own)

1 cup blackberries

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp cornstarch

 4 oz softened cream cheese

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

Powdered Sugar (to top)

Sliced almonds (to top)

DIRECTIONS:

Thaw out puff pastry dough. Preheat oven to 400 F.

To make the cream cheese filling, in a bowl combine, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice, and a slight bit of lemon zest together into a bowl. Mix until creamy and combined.

Macerate your blackberries by adding sugar, honey, and cornstarch to a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

Roll out pastry dough until thin and even. Cut into rectangles that are about 3 inches. You should have about 6-8 Danish Rectangles.

Using a knife, score the edges about 1/4 of an inch away from the very edges of the rectangle. Do not cut all the way through, you're only scoring the edges.

Add about a tbsp of the cream cheese mixture, and then a spoonful of the berries. Brush egg wash on the edges and sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar around the edges if wanted. Make sure to avoid adding too many berries, you should be able to see the cream cheese mixture from underneath.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are a nice golden brown.

Top with powdered sugar and sliced almonds. Enjoy!

Have a blessed Lughnasadh ^_^

[veritas-equitas]

[cajunwitch101]

Ive made and collected so many recipes over the years.I find my spell work and rituals have better outcomes when I make things myself because all my intent is put into creating them.I encourage you all to do this.Mix things up..add things with meaning to you..It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but YOU.Anyways..i hope you all Enjoy!

[bionicunicorn]

[marigoldwitch]

🏠💖✨ September will be full of blessings and abundance for my home and family ✨💖🏠

[disturbanite]

Thrifty witch tip

Save your used tea, dry it out, and reuse it in place of other herbs in spells and rituals.

Cold and flu blend tea? Reuse it in a healing spell.

Bedtime tea? Reuse it for divination or lucid dreaming.

Hibiscus or berry blend? Throw it at a love or beauty spell.

[divinemoon-deactivated20210629]

Understanding Vodou for Beginners: F.A.Q.

Is Vodou evil?

The simple answer to this is no. There are evil people in every religion and practice, but Vodou itself is not an evil religion at all. Throughout the years, Vodou has gained a bad reputation due to Hollywood movies(one of the first being the film “White Zombi” which came out in the 1930’s).

Does Vodou only permit certain people?

Vodou has no predjudice against people of any race, gender, sexual orientation, ailment, physical condition, or any other factor that can be used to discriminate. Although Vodou is not meant for everyone, the Lwa do not discriminate.

Do you have to be initiated to be a part of Vodou?

Initiation is not necessary to be a Vodouisant, the non-initiated community make up almost more than 60% of Vodou itself. Initiation in Vodou can be quite costly, depending on the Sosyete as well as the initiation itself. However, the Lwa do not require you to be initiated to serve them.

Is Vodou a practice?

Vodou is often confused as a practice and at times, even the same thing as Hoodoo. Vodou is a religion from Haiti, whose origins come from different parts of Africa including Nigeria and the Congo. It is considered an African Traditional Religion and came from West African Vodun. The religion being practiced chiefly in Haiti and venerated by a large community. Vodou has a magical system intertwined within in it, but in itself is a religion.

Recommended Reading on Vodou:

Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti

Why animal sacrifice?

In a society where meat is predominantly eaten, animals are considered food and a religion which arises from the Congo; animal sacrifice is not about the death of the animal but rather the offering of the life-giving energy of that animal to Lwa. As we eat, they must eat. The animal is usually cooked and eaten by the community afterwards; nothing is wasted.

Can Vodou be considered Monotheistic?

Vodou is considered to be a monotheistic religion, as the only one supreme creator is Bondye. God is seen as distant and not readily accessible to us, often considered to be “too busy”. We listen about God and we worship God, however we do not see God. The belief system can be seen in a Roman Catholic way to some aspects, Bondye being the superior creator and the Lwa being the Saints.

The Lwa are readily accessible to us, we serve Lwa and in return they serve us. They confer upon us the physical well being and material blessings.

Is Voodoo and Vodou the same thing?

Vodou and Voodoo are not the same thing, although one can consider them to be two sides of a single coin. Voodoo is what Vodou became when taken into New Orleans, becoming a more creolized version. The main difference being that Voodoo puts great emphasis into worshipping Danbalah. Vodou is the “original” religion you could say that formed in Haiti.

Artwork of Lwa Ezili Danto

Can anyone enter Vodou?

This is a question that will bring controversy among many people but simply has one answer, No. Not everyone can enter Vodou, the reason being that Lwa will simply not work with everyone. You see, you cannot just come into Vodou and decide to work with any Lwa of your choosing simply because they attract you. If you do this, then the Lwa will either not put any attention to you or things could go badly.

Can you know this through a dream or intuition?

There are many people that have stated to dream of Lwa asking them to work with them and this is good, Dreams are very important in Vodou. However, the only way to be completely certain of this is through a reading with a initiated Mambo or Houngan of the religion. Why is this so important? Because even if you do get a “feeling” or dream of a Lwa, you are not completely sure if Lwa actually wants to work with you. The Reading will tell you if you are meant to be in Vodou, which Lwa are interested in working with you, and other key points in your path when it comes to Vodou.

If you do have any path in Vodou and no Lwa wishes to work with you, then I would recommend you to simply step away. It could be that it is not your time to enter the religion or you are simply not meant to be in Vodou. This is not something to be angry about, simply accept it and move on.

Another book I’d recommend:

Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti’s Indigenous Spiritual Tradition

Is Vodou the right path for me?

After figuring out whether Lwa do want to work with you, the comes whether you find Vodou to be the right path for you to partake in. This is a personal question you would need to ask yourself, Vodou becomes part of one’s daily lifestyle and will represent commitment. Are you ready for this type of commitment? This is something you need to ask yourself, especially if you are a person that likes to change path often. When your in with Lwa, you are in for the long run. I would suggest maybe visiting a Sosyete or Vodou community in your area to see if this is the right path for you, remember: Reading about it is very different from seeing it in front of you.

[spiritroots]

Afrocentric Sigils: Adinkra

Sigils are a very popular technique across Tumblr from chaos magick, and innovative sigil designers are always coming up with new ways to create them. While sigils are easy to learn how to use and can be extremely effective, it’s another Western magical method. It left me wondering if there’s an Afrocentric alternative for us black witches, rootworkers, and conjurers!

Magical Symbols in Vodou and Hoodoo

It would be remiss not to mention some of the symbol systems already existing in Africana magical traditions. In the African traditional religion of Vodou, which has its own magical practices, the spirits/deities called lwa represent different powers, personalities, and energies that can be represented visually through veves. Veves are sometimes used by magical practitioners to call upon lwa to help with spells or rituals. The issue with using veves as a sigil alternative is that they belong to the religion of Vodou, require a sufficient knowledge of the lwa, and should not really be used without the proper training and/or necessary initiation into Vodou from a qualified Vodou practitioner.

So what about hoodoo? Many rootworkers influenced by Jewish Kabbalah and Christian ceremonial magical traditions drew inspiration from texts like the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon. So using Solomonic pentacles and complex magical symbols of that nature are also well within the general hoodoo repertoire. The thing is, sure that’s a genuine part of African-American folk magic, but it’s still imported from European traditions and has no connection to our ancestors outside of a colonial context.

Introducing… Adinkra Symbols!

So in the running for an Afrocentric sigil alternative that many people of African-descent can easily use and access, that leaves veves out for being part of an initiatory-only religion that requires in-person training and leaves Solomonic designs out for being Eurocentric. Hoping to fill this gap somehow, I thought about back when my fiancé got his first tattoo, which I proudly drew the design for! It was of the West African symbol called the Wawa Aba. You may have seen it on Wakandan Princess Shuri’s t-shirt, which is what got me thinking…

Look at this genius princess wearing the Wawa Aba with grace!

I researched the Wawa Aba further and discovered it’s one of dozens of Adinkra symbols, which are a part of the Ashanti and Baoules cultures of West Africa. They are used as cultural symbols and sometimes for ritual purposes too. You can find Adinkra symbols used extensively in fabric, pottery, architectural, t-shirt, and jewelry designs. Historically, special Adinkra clothes were only worn by royalty or spiritual leaders on special occasions, but nowadays Adinkra designs are mass-produced due to tourism.

Each Adinkra symbol has a rich set of meanings and associations, and many are linked to proverbs or wise sayings. They are a great alternative for Afrocentric folks who don’t want to rely solely on Western sigil techniques because these symbols have traditionally been used for magical purposes within their original cultural contexts but are safe to incorporate into your magical practice without culturally appropriating if you’re a person of African descent. (This is what I’ve gathered from my own research on Adinkra symbols, but of course, if I’m mistaken about anything, please correct me!)

Using Adinkra Symbols in Your Craft

So here’s just a few of the many Adinkra symbols you can incorporate into your magical practice as a black witch, rootworker, or any other kind of Afrocentric magic user! Please don’t use these if you aren’t a person of African descent.

Possible Ways to Use Adinkra Symbols:

- Write them on petition papers or name papers

- Carve them into the sides or on the bottom of a spell candle

- Arrange roots and herbs into the shape of a symbol

- Draw them on the lid of a spell jar

- Write them on slips of paper stuffed into a mojo bag

- Stir the surface of the water in the shape of the symbol for a spiritual bath

These are just some suggestions for how to use Adinkra symbols, but feel free to reblog with ideas of your own!  I’ve included several below to help get started. All images below came from Adinkra.org, where you can find more of the symbols and their meanings.

Wawa Aba | Seed of the Wawa Tree

HARDINESS, TOUGHNESS, PERSEVERANCE

Mate Masie | “What I hear, I keep”

WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, PRUDENCE

Okodee Mmowere | Talons of the Eagle

STRENGTH, BRAVERY, POWER

Duafe | Wooden Comb

Beauty, Glamour, Attractiveness

MMUSUYIDEE | Bad Luck Remover

Luck, Good Fortune, Prosperity

ODO NNYEW FIE KWAN | Power of Love

Love, Romance, Relationships

[deephoneydreams]

SOME BOOKS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK ARE GOOD

FOR BEGINNER AND NON-BEGINNER WITCH :

psychic witch by mat Auryn

Secret teaching of all ages encyclopedia of esoteric teaching

weave the liminal by Laura tempest zakroff

six ways by aidan wachter

the grek magical papyri in translation edited by dieter betz

the complete grimoire by lidia pradas

witchery by juliat diaz

spells for change by frankie castanea

celtic witchcraft by mabh savage

the althlone hiatory of witchcraft and magic in europe

the spell book for new witches by ambrosia hawthorn

kate freuler of blood and bones by mat Auryn

the kitchen witch's spell book by cerridwen greenleaf

love spells by anastasia greywolf

encyclopedia of magic herbs by scott Cunningham

guided tarot by stefanie caponi

the witch's journal by selene silverwind

the casting of spells by Christopher penczak

sacred essential oils edited by claire waite brown

the crystal bible by judy hall

the magical household by scott Cunningham

wicca in the kitchen by scott Cunningham

the house witch by arin Murphy-Hiscock

the heart witch's compendium by anna franklin

the heart witch's kitchen herbal by anna franklin

a spell book for the season

the complete illustrated book of herbs

italian folk magic by mary grace fahrun

the complete illustrated guide to palmistry by peter west

apractical step by step guide to herbs for the home and garden by Shirley reid

top 50 edible plants for pots by angie thomas

the mystical magical marvelous world of DREAMS by wilda b. tanner

the eclectic witch's book of shadows by deborah blake

plant witchery by Juliet diaz

the witch at thd forest's edge

subtle energy by keith miller

protection&reversal magick by jason miller

curses,hexes&crossing by S. connolly

modern witch by devin hunter

the complete book of incense,oils&brews by scott Cunningham

encyclopedia of 5000 spells by judika illes

the good witch's journal by selene silverwind

inner magic a guide to witchcraft

spell crafting by arin Murphy

the green witch by arin murphy

moon magic by diane ahlquist

protection magick by cassandra eason

the little big book by ileana abrev

herbal remedies by andrew chevallier

witchcraft for healing by patti wigington

complete book of correspondences by sandra kynes

poppet magick by silver davenwolf

earth medicine by kenneth meadows

earth power by scott Cunningham

a century of spells by draja mickaharic

positive magic by marion Weinstein

[cronicasdabruxa]

[grandmawitch]

The Magic of the Pines & Correspondences 🌲

“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines And you shiver when the cold wind blows”

–Dolly Parton

Pine Tree (pinus spp.)

Energy:  Both hot & cold

Planet:  Mars

Element:  Air  

Associated Deities:  Aphrodite, Astarte, Attis, Cybele, Dionysus, Pan, Venus, The Horned God

Fertility • Love • Purification • Healing • Banishing • Protection • Abundance

There are around 115 types of pine trees and, aside from oak, pine trees are the most successful and widely ranging trees in North America.  Pinyon pine nuts are edible and can be ground to make flour, pine oil is used as an antiseptic, pine rosin can be used in soaps and sealing wax, and some Native American tribes used pine gum to treat boils.

The ancient Romans used pine trees cut from sacred groves in a manner similar to modern-day Christmas trees.  They would take the trees the night before Saturnalia and place them in temples to be decorated and used as a fertility symbol.

Dreaming of tall straight pine trees means that you will receive good news.

Pine needles can be burned to cleanse and purify the home (mix equal parts juniper & cedar) and to reverse spells and hexes made against you.  Scatter the needles on the floor to drive away those with ill-intent.   Add crushed pine needles to bath sachets in winter for a relaxing magical cleansing.  They can also be used in sleep and dream sachets—just make sure they won’t poke through!

Use branches of pine to sweep an outdoor area before performing magic.  Branches can also be placed above the bed to keep sickness away, above the entrance to the home to ensure continual joy within, and a cross of pinch branches or needles above the fireplace will keep evil from entering through it.

Pinecones can be carried or hung in the home to increase fertility and to stay well in old age.  Place one near your bed or under your pillow to draw or keep a lover.

Burn pinecones in your hearth to protect (and warm!) your home.

Place pinecones in your office to draw prosperity and success.

To draw positivity and blessings to you tie a bundle of pine needles with thread and burn them.  Pass pinecones through the smoke and place them on your altar or in a place you will see them often.  Send grateful energy toward them as you pass by them and good things will flow toward you.

References:  Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Whispers from the Woods by Sandra Kynes, Magical Folkhealing by DJ Conway

[spiralhouseshop]

New at Portland Button Works and the PBW Witch Shop!

Look at these lovely tarot or oracle card holders. They are great to display a daily tarot or oracle card of the day or to view a tarot reading.

Check out these and many other fine tarot decks, books about witchcraft and magic, and other tools and magical supplies at The PBW Witch Shop.

(The deck pictured is the Science Tarot)

[spiralhouseshop]

All the new stuff in the Portland Button Works catalog!

29 September 2021!

By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory & Practice of Effective Home Warding by Althaea Sebastiani

Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner 2nd Edition by Roger J Horne

Grimoire Silvanus Zine Issue 4

Walking the Tides: Seasonal Magical Rhythms and Lore by Nigel G Pearson

Anatomy of a Witch: A Map to the Magical Body by Laura Tempest Zakroff

City Witchery: Accessible Rituals, Practices & Prompts for Conjuring and Creating in a Magical Metropolis by Lisa Marie Basile

Cunning Folk Magazine- The Re-Enchantment Issue

Cunning Folk Magazine- The Water Issue

Quantum Sorcery: The Science of Chaos Magic by Dave Smith

2022 Slingshot Organizer - Large Spiral Bound

2022 Slingshot Organizer - Pocket Size

[witchy-nan]

☁︎ 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐞

now, you might be thinking, “nan, why should i name my grimoire?” well, you don’t have to. this isn't necessary, per se, but it is a fun, personal touch to add to your grimoire. besides, if you practice witchcraft you’re well aware that names have power. naming your book something only you know not only helps you bond with your grimoire, but it adds a layer of protection to it.

before naming think about:

the kind of magick you practice or want to practice

if you practice magick from a certain culture, look into what kinds of names they have given their books in the past

your personal aesthetics

if you're a closet witch, you might want to choose a name that doesn't arouse suspicion. (especially if it will be written on the exterior of your book)

if you're using a digital grimoire/most of your magick is tech magick, you can have some fun with that when naming your book

a note before the name ideas. spice up your book's name by adding of magick/magicks, of witchcraft, the, my, and [insert name]'s book to the beginning or end of it.

book names other than grimoire:

apocrypha (ex. my apocrypha, the apocrypha of witchcraft)

records (ex. [insert name]'s magickal records)

accounts (ex. the accounts of witchcraft)

tome

lorebinder (ex. [insert name]'s lorebinder)

codex

ledger

botanical (if your specific focus is herbs and plants)

things to name your book:

after a constellation (cygnus, andromeda, scorpius, lacerta, auriga, pyxis, cepheus, circini are my personal favorites)

something from the greek alphabet (gamma, omicron, delta, rho, upsilon, and omega are my personal favorites)

moonshadow

the latin names of plants (pieris, stokesia, myrica, callicarpa, iberis, lobelia, sambucus, liriope)

liber

shadowbane

starfall

[broomsick]

Small happiness spell 🍊

What you’ll need

An orange

Sugar (brown or white)

Honey

Cinnamon

Lemon juice

Red wine or cider

Steps

Peel the orange and separate its wedges

Place the wedges in a circle on a plate and charge them with your intent, in this case, happiness

Sprinkle sugar over the circle for sweetness, then cinnamon for spiritual power

Let honey drip at the center of the circle while saying: ‘For days doused in sunlight, I drip honeyed delight’

Add a few drops of lemon juice at the center of the circle and say: ‘For luck to come my way, I keep hexes at bay’

Now drip the alcohol at the center while saying: ‘For blessings along the road, I invoke powers of old’

Eat the orange one wedge at a time, starting from the top and working clockwise. Dip each of them in the mix at the center before eating.

Enjoy!

[lifeofawitch2020]

Samhain

History & Correspondences

What is Samhain? Many may know it as All Hallows’ Eve or Halloween; however the name means Summer’s End. The word is pronounced “Sow-in” and it always starts at midnight on October 31st and lasts until daybreak on November 2nd every year. This Sabbat stays the same date versus a few of the other Sabbats that vary on year to year dates we celebrate. Earth has acknowledged that summer is coming to an end, and the dark times are approaching of winter. This is also our Witches New Year,; the Wheel of the Year started in the Dark and finishes in the dark time.

This is also a good time to contact spirits, fae, and your ancestors due to the veil so very thin as it is also at Beltane. We in the Northern hemisphere have Samhain and in the Southern hemisphere have Beltane. Due to the veil (the separation of our realm -Middle Realm & the Underworld contacting your Ancestors is prime opportunity. Set up your choice of divination and perform it at the Ancestral Altar. Remember to treat the dearly departed well as they do for us still. Traditionally the malice of spirits were kept at bay from home by leaving food outside the door as offerings and by carving turnips with grotesque faces and lighting them up. This has evolved into a fruit that we now carve, the pumpkin- yes it’s a fruit as it grows as a flower. Now onto the candy begging....

Traditionally small cakes named Soul cakes were given to the beggars that came to the doors in search for food. With time this has evolved into a huge marketing campaign to sell candy for people to give to trick or treaters on Halloween. We can incorporate some of the lost traditions into our practice today. Bonfires were part of the Old Ways and now we can make a cauldron fire.

Speaking about a cauldron fire or bonfire, you can write down wishes for the upcoming year. Use a leaf outside and write in the current tense verbiage. The smell of the burnt leaves of wishes is Magickal in itself. We focus on dissolving the old and bringing forth the new on Samhain. Try your hand at some other form of divination that you haven’t yet, the time is perfect.

Just like at Beltane, bonfires are lit iand it becomes a festival. During this group ritual, people would take flames from the bonfire and use them to relight the hearths of their homes. They did this to bind the community together and for good luck during the upcoming harsh winter season. They would also use these fires for divination in their rituals by fire gazing and telling stories gathered around it.

Other activities included apple bobbing. (Apples are strongly associated with the departed/ancestors.) Some maidens carved an apple and not to loose the peel and keep it in one twirl; they would toss it over their shoulder and think of the Man they would marry and the letter would be exposed in the shape of the peeling on the floor.

During Samhain it is traditional to have a Dumb Supper; this is where a place sitting is made for each departed member, you eat your meal in silence. Don’t forget to light a white candle and place in the window to lead them to your home. Yes, you can use an electric one due to safety concerns. Now let’s delve into the decor ideas...

Decorating ideas & Altar(a)

Pumpkins, gourds, corn with the dried sheathes, apples, Mum flowers, candles, lanterns, cauldrons, leaves, skeletons, bats, ravens, crows, owls, divination tools, hay bales, spirit representations, pine cones, acorns, bones, mirrors, corn husk dolls (same at Lammas) burn that one now and burn this one next Lammas.

Colors: black, white, orange, red, white, dark yellow, dark greens, brown, grey, gold, purple,

Spices, herbs, & etc: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, aka=pumpkin pie spice & apple pie spice, witches black salt, Rosemary, mullein, rue, mugwort, calendula, tobacco, sage, wormwood, yarrow, tarragon, bay leaf, almond, hazelnut, garlic, mandrake root, yew, sandalwood, pumpkin, oak bark and leaves, acorns, pomegranate (fruit of the Underworld), pennyroyal, turnips, pine needle, cedar, apple, chrysanthemum, & hemlock.

Food & Drinks: Apples (or foods with apples baked in), potatoes, corn, nuts, turnips, pumpkins, mead, cider, mulled/spiced wine, tea, yams, pumpkin pie,

Incense: scents that invoke mysterious and warming vibes, such an Myrhh, Frankincense, or Potchouli. Oils work just as well, too!

Stones & Crystals: Black Obsidian, Onyx, petrified wood, hematite, smokey quartz, bloodstone, clear quartz, garnet, carnelian, amber, sandstone, Black Tourmaline, amber.

Animals: Black cats, owls, bats, stags, ravens, crows, spiders and black dogs.

Bonfire or cauldron fire, divination, spirit communication (be experienced), hold a seance (same), give offerings to the dead, elements, spiritual beings, Honor the Crones. Do protection if not wanting Spirits to come near you.

Make moon water (oh boy Samhain moon water) is the bomb! You don’t have to only rely on a Full moon to make moon water.

Make or purchase a new Besom , many stores sell the cinnamon scented ones (Easy protection).

We honor life / death / life, death is rebirth. Use something to represent these: an egg, live plant, and “dead” leaf, then seeds planted in soil, make an Ancestor Altar. Being the outside inside. Take your inside and put outside to work your Rituals, and Spell work. Focus on all the progress you’ve made this year, as well as goals for the new year. Make a vision board, do a yearly tarot/oracle/rune spread for the new year. Make a new pentagram for your Altar or wreath.

Don’t Throw Away The Pumpkin Seeds! (pumpkin); fertility, femininity, immortality, resurrection, balance) Use them for spells, Make little charms or pendants , plant them, Roast them in the oven/pan or caramelize them, use them in sacred grids or mandalas, make into runes, place on your Samhain altar, Put one in your shoe for an easier day.

**Additional Notes

I would like to add a note to be cautious on Samhain. If you have a black pet please keep it inside, lots of sick people will harm these animals on this night. Please be careful with spirit work as well, the veil is very thin, as you would normally with spirit work protect yourself, but x10 on samhain. Carry a gris-gris, create your circles, Keep blessed salt around, Make sure you end conversations with spiritual communication. Keep a piece of iron on you if you don’t feel safe.

Check out the Necromancy/hedge rider/spirit worker post I made for more info on Spirit work.

❤️🧙🏻‍♀️🖤