Reserved for the Cat

Welcome home, my dears! This blog is for keeping record of things I believe are worthwhile and useful to me, and for answering questions that you might have. I'm a hearth-witch and a home-keeper, for lack of a better descriptor, and I will gladly dispense advice and answers if you would like them.

[evilsupplyco]

Tea left to chill accidentally is a sacrifice, unintentional but appreciated, to passing spirits. To the eldritch, nothing ever goes to waste.

[oneemotionalmonkey]

[sweetestesthome]

So stunning!

[liberumbrarum]

Imbolc - Candlemas

Imbolc (on February 1st in 2016), also called Candlemas, is the festival of lights, and marks the center point of the dark half of the year. Is it the festival of the Maiden, for it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal, as in many places the first flowers are beginning to emerge from the frozen soil. During this cycle, winter is swept away and spring is welcomed, nurturing new beginnings. 

The Maiden is honored, as the Bride, on this Sabbat. Straw Brideo'gas (corn dollies) are created from oat or wheat straw and placed in baskets with white flower bedding. Young girls then carry the Brideo'gas door to door, and gifts are bestowed upon the image from each household. Brighid’s Crosses are fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year. Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is place by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new. Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun. 

Symbols:Brighid’s Cross, Sun/Candle Wheels, acorn-tipped wands, Brideo’gas (corn dollies), candles, the Bride, ploughs, all white and yellow flowers Altar decorations:Lots of candles, all white and yellow flowers, Brighid’s Crosses, corn dollies Incense: Basil, Bay, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Vanilla, Violet, Wisteria Herbs:Angelica, Basil, Bay laurel, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Tansy, Violets Food:Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Poppyseed Cakes, muffins, scones, and breads, all dairy products, Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Raisins, Milk, Spiced Wines and Herbal Teas Colours: White, Red, Pink, Yellow Stones: < Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, Turquoise Animals:Burrowing Animals, Wolf, Snake, Swan, Vulture, Robin, Sheep, Lamb, and Deer Deities:All Virgin/Maiden Goddesses, Brighid, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Gaia (or Gaea), and Februa, and Gods of Love and Fertility, Cupid/Eros, and Februus Imbolc rituals and spells: Setting Up Your Imbolc Altar Imbolc Candle Ritual Farewell to Winter Ritual Making Brighid’s Crosses Making Brideo’gas Imbolc potpourris: Imbolc Potpourri The Smells of Imbolc Imbolc recipes: Mulligatawny Soup Braided Bread Baked Potato Soup Angelic Biscuits Bride’s Brunch Imbolc Feast Lamb Stew Imbolc sweets & baked goods: Honey Cake Crescent Cakes Imbolc Moon Cookies Imbolc Ritual Cake Blessed Bride’s Cake Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake Sour Cream and Honey Cake Returning Sun Spice Bread Imbolc drinks: Imbolc Spiced Wine Lavender Faery Wine for Imbolc Love Potion Mead Rose Petal Tea Dandelion Wine Angelica Liqueur

Sources: (x,x,x) Other sources listed in separate Imbolc posts.

Back to the Wheel of the Year

[liberumbrarum]

This is in just a couple days! I’ve had so much going on it definitely snuck up on me. Sorry about that

[deactivated-blog]

hi do you know of any bottle spells for strengthening the bond between partners?

Bottle spells? Not quite, but a lot of my prior workings for people in this area can be adapted to a bottle spell. Here’s an image describing a sort of potion I made a while back for a couple I know offline, who wanted something to bring them closer. It seems to have worked for them. It didn’t make everything perfect, but since then, they’ve moved in together and are essentially building a life together, slowly but surely. I originally posted it back in August, but the original post was full of typos, so I redid it in the following image recently.

Now, that’s a long list of ingredients, I realize, but you can use any number of them in herb (as opposed to oil form) to make a bottle spell rather than something to be worn on the skin. You could even make the oil itself, then seal the bottle really tight and use it just as you would a normal charm bottle, without wearing it at all.

 As I said above in the image, do vary the ingredients, to either get something that looks nice (if it’s strictly a herbal charm bottle), smells nice (if it’s a potion or oil), or both, depending on how you plan to use it. 

I recently, on here, described how you can make a charm bottle that functions as a sort of battery - create it when thinking or feeling something specific, and solidify a connection between the ingredients, process, and object itself with that feeling. In this case, the old adage “made with love” should be literally true; make it together if possible, when the two of you are feeling, well, your feels.

[fleursdanslatete-deactivated201]

Candle Spell

Imbolc is just around the corner and to celebrate I came up with this DIY recycling candle spell that’s great for any occasion. I always have pieces of wax and bits of candles too small to use safely laying in around, and I thought, what a waste! Since Imbolc has traditions of bonfire and candles, I felt that making custom spell candles for the renewal of spring would be perfect. These can be modified for any occasion or spell you have; it doesn’t have to be just for Imbolc ;) 

You’ll need:

Wax or bits of candles

Wicks  

Heat safe containers (I recycled shallow metal tins)

Oven (or a way to melt the wax, double boilers also work, etc.)

A oven safe tray shallow enough to put a bit of water in

Water

Paper

Pen

 Optional:

Dried plants

Essential oils

Decorative tape and strings

The white candle is a cleansing-negativity-and-illness-banishing spell. It uses white wax, bay leaves (3 to represent the triple goddess), lavender, and cleansing essential oils (lavender, clary sage and cedar wood). The red one is a happiness-joy-and-courage spell, using red wax (there was white wax in there too but the red dye is STRONG so keep that in mind while making yours) and orange, grapefruit and ylang-ylang oils for exhilaration and warmth.

Instructions are under cut! Please be safe making these has it require using heat. I’m not responsible if your burn your fingers darlings ;).

Keep reading

[floralwaterwitch]

Ouu this gives me so many ideas 🕯✨

[mogamoka]

“Lullaby” from Song of the Sea [x]

[okay-b00mer]

YOOO @werewolfen i fucking love this movie+ i listen to that song whenever i cant sleep omg

[glitterglobe-blog]

important things to remember

if someone doesn’t reply to your message they are probably busy, not ignoring you

just because someone doesn’t message you first, it doesn’t mean they don’t care about you

if someone seems upset or distant they probably aren’t upset at you in particular

lots of people love you and you’re not annoying

[reserved-for-the-cat]

Echinacea seems to be a popular herb among medical and spiritual herbalists, but please be aware that it is also endangered from overharvesting from it's wild habitat!

If you want to use echinacea in your practice, either magical or clinical, please only purchase cultivated resources!

United Plant Savers recomments:

Use only cultivated resources.

Possible alternatives include marsh mallow, boneset, and astragalus. Spilanthes nicely replaces the herb’s antibacterial, antiviral, immunostimulating, and antifungal effects. Burdock is antibacterial for bacteria classified as gram-positive, and thyme has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties; both of these herbs are also good alternatives.

[thefriendlywitch]

[thefriendlywitch]

Appreciatively sourced just here: (x)

[cuanonymous-deactivated20121120]

Conceited vs. Confidence

Conceited

“I look better than you.”

“You should look more like me.”

Confidence

“I look good.”

“I’m not ugly.”

“I love myself.”

I am cute.”

“I’m beautiful.”

Just some examples of the difference between being conceited and being confident. Get those shit straight.

[fathersalmon2]

"i’m not ugly" is so bare minimum. thats like level 1 confidence.

[reserved-for-the-cat]

Sometimes it's the best we can do...

[starcrystal-healing]

I love all of my followers… So it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!

Includes:

1 rose quartz gallet

6 rhodochrosite stones

3 rhodonite stones

3 clear quartz points

1 free reading from me ( I will be adding more love-related readings soon)

I put this grid together to help promote all kinds of love in your space. You can use these crystals in a grid as pictured above, or any way you’d like!

Rules:

Must be 18 or over

You have to be willing to give me your address, or else I cant ship it

Anyone can enter, I will ship internationally

Following me is a plus :)

You have to either like or reblog this at least once

Each reblog/like increases your chances of winning

The winner will be randomly be picked at the end of the month. If you are chosen, I will send you a message on tumblr with my email so that you can send me your address. If you don’t respond within a few days, I will choose a new winner.

Keep up to date with more giveaways and contests by subscribing to my newsletter

This giveaway is being hosted by starcrystal healing. Please do not remove the text.

[fuckingsushi]

[claudialala]

[the-darkest-of-lights]

Friendship herbal incense

Grind these herbs together then burn over self lighting charcoal.

Burn as an incense or set out as potpourri while entertain friends to strengthen your bonds and facilitate lively conversation.

- 4 parts dried orange - 2 parts clove* - 1 part thyme

*burn with caution

-Kris Bradley

[evanpalmercomics]

Lazy Sunday witch flipping through some old tomes.

I think October is going to be a month of “spooky” gifs for me because I need to do more animation.

[teawitch]

They lied. They told me to worry about what Witchcraft would bring back to me. They didn’t tell me that what witchcraft would bring out in me would change my world.