Celtic Witch Musings

She’s mad but she’s magic. There’s no lie in her fire. 🌙 Sagittarius 🌙 On 1st Degree Path 🌙

[oshuns-ambience]

[blackwomanvibes]

LOVE THIS!! 💜 You can also use tarot to ask/answer questions in regards to your ancestors. They are always willing to communicate and be patient with you on your spiritual journey. 💋

[stargrimoire]

Moon Powder

While everyone has their own styles of creating planetary powders, this one is mine. This powder can be used for all dominions of the moon, such as wisdom, emotion, the psyche, love, psychic power, dreams and sleep, water, and many more. When combined with moon water it works wonders in luck spells. Here is the recipe: -3 parts sea salt -3 parts juniper berry -1 part cardamom -2 part poppy -1 part allspice -2 parts clove -2 parts caraway seed -1 part chamomile If it helps, you can chant a simple charm to bind the moon’s power to the powder, and simply grind clockwise in a mortar and pestle.

[the-traveling-witch]

How To Write Spells & Improve Your Witchcraft

Many experienced witches find themselves constantly running up against the confines of other peoples spells. Perhaps you’re never able to find the spell that’s just right, that feels tailored to your purpose. Or maybe you’ve become very comfortable working with your personal set of tools and ingredients but spells regularly call for things that you don’t have (and don’t care to have!) while underutilizing those items that you’ve so carefully curated for your craft. For witches in this situation, writing your own spells might be the only plausible solution to reviving the fluidity and enjoyment of your craft.

For some newer witches the process of writing your own spells may seem a bit intimidating. When you haven’t got much experience under your belt sticking with spells written by other people just feels safer. And that’s OK! As with any art, you must first copy other peoples work until you simply cannot stand it anymore to really master the techniques and build a firm foundational knowledge. Only then do you start to compose and explore your own voice in your craft.

Even for those who are new to the craft however, playful experimentation can hold merit. If you feel confident and ready to explore a little more freely please do not hold yourself back regardless of whether you consider yourself a beginner or a more advanced witch.

A few Pros of writing your own spells:

You’re never missing materials

You can tailor every spell for the spirits and energies you work with

Spells can be as involved or simple as you like

Experimentation! (I count this as a pro because it’s fun)

You get complete creative license with your magic

You learn and develop a personal style in your craft

A few Cons:

You may not really get a good idea of what works until you’ve been writing for a while

Sometimes it’s too time consuming to write your own spell

Some people can’t write well (although if you’re not attached to your spells being beautifully worded don’t let this stop you!

FREE BONUS: GET THE SPELL WRITING WORKBOOK

ON TO THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF WRITING A SPELL.

The first thing you must do is clearly define the purpose of the spell or your intention. A good beginners rule is to start with the guidelines below when outlining the objective of your spell.

Phrase it as though what you want to happen is presently true

Make it absolute

Make sure it’s descriptive and phrased in such a way that doesn’t leave a lot of loopholes for mishaps (i.e. “I am ten pounds lighter” could lead to you getting food poisoning and dropping ten pounds, not so fun)

Though similar, these rules aren’t so hard and fast for spell writing as they are for creating sigils. Play around with these guidelines and find what works for you! I prefer working more abstractly, working with the natural flow of events instead of shaping them overly much. If you work with a deity or particular spirit then phrasing it as a request instead of an absolute may work a bit better for you.

As an example, lets say our objective is to attract more abundance. Now, we don’t have anything specific in mind, we simply want to open up the channels that can allow abundance in a variety of ways into our lives. The objective could be phrased a number of ways, “I am open to abundance and draw prosperity into my life” would work, as would “Abundance enters my life freely”.

Next it’s time to figure out what kind of spell you’d like to use. This is largely going to depend on what materials you have available to you and what kind of magic you’re comfortable working with. If you can’t cook you probably don’t want to be making food-based spells and if you don’t have jars then that curse jar isn’t going to get very far. This is a fun place to get creative though. Have you ever wondered if you could use something in a spell? Now is the time to try it! (In all likelihood the answer is yes)

Get the free Spell Writing Workbook and learn to create your own awesome spells!

Our abundance spell could be set up any number of ways, for example you could use:

An abundance attracting knotted bracelet

A candle spell

A charged object that you keep near your bed

A bowl of enchanted pennies that you throw your change into every day

Or even some combination of techniques

This is just a fraction of the ways you could do this one spell, this is the time to really let your individual preferences and strengths shine through. What sort of spells do you love doing? What have you always wanted to try? What feels truly powerful to you?

From this point on it’s all tweaking, you have your bases covered, you just need to assemble the pieces. This includes your “standards” like any kind of sacred space that you cast for working, calling deities and other entities, invoking elements, etc. This would also be a good time to figure out if you like working with words. Most of my spells are wordless but I know there are many witches who like to supplement their power with incantations, rhymes and sometimes songs or chants. Writing these yourself is an excellent way to just funnel that much more energy into your spell.

If we continue with our abundance spell, say we’ve decided to enchant an object. There are many objects that we could choose but I prefer one that I’ll come into contact with frequently, something like a wallet would serve perfectly in this context.

To assemble the pieces of the spell we would begin with cleansing and calling up a sacred space. After that we might write the intention on a slip of paper and tuck it under a green or gold candle that has been dressed with a basil infused oil. You might choose to say an incantation as you light the candle or you might prefer to quietly focus on your intention as the candle burns down. When the candle has burned itself out the slip of paper simply needs to be placed in the wallet and then we can end the spell by closing our sacred space.

There are an endless number of ways that you can combine types of spells and tools and ingredients, let your imagination run wild and see what you can come up with. What sounds ridiculous in theory may turn out to be the best spell you’ve ever tried. Be creative, have fun and don’t hold back!

If you try a new spell that you’ve written and it doesn’t work, tweak it and try it again. Writing spells is like any kind of creative process, you’re likely to find a dozen methods that don’t work for you before you find even one that does.

Hey everyone! I’ve moved all of my best witchcraft resources to my new blog, many of my old posts now have downloadable upgrades and new information added. I’ll be posting new witchy material over there weekly, if any of you have topics that you’re particularly interested in learning about let me know!

FREE BONUS: GET THE SPELL WRITING WORKBOOK

[acheloids-blog]

Simple Knot Magic Spell for Courage/Confidence/Feeling Free

you only need a white cord/cotton rope (not too thick, not as thin as sewing strings)

1. meditate. calm yourself and remove all distractions around you and in you as well. once you are ready, make these knots in the following directions

and in each knot one by one say,

By the Knot of One, my burdens slowly disappears.

By the Knot of Two, my inner me will shine

By the Knot of Three, i will chase the wind

By the Knot of Four, the light will lead me out

By the Knot of Five, i will fly and touch the sky

By the Knot of Six, i will be strong as the stormy seas

By the Knot of Seven, i will be proud like an eagle’s scream

By the Knot of Eight, i will be out of my cage

By the Knot of Nine, the sky will turn clear once again. 

2. the more cords/rope you use it will be more effective! once you finished a cord, place it near a healthy plant or a water with good flow. you can also put it under your pillow when you want to sleep. doing this in a midnight is recommended ^-^

this is another spell i made! the words used above are inspired by the song Touch the Sky from Brave go watch it! it really inspired me c: Touch the Sky - Brave 

[lunar-witches]

WITCHES WITH DEPRESSION:

☕ TEAS ☕ 

🔹 Chamomile (helps combat insomnia, a common symptom of depression) 🔹 Green (contains an amino acid known as theanine which is known to fight depression) 🔹 St John’s Wort (contains compounds known as hypericin and hyperforin, which may affect activity of the brain’s serotonin system)   🔹 Lemon Balm (works as a mild sedative and can ease anxiety and depression) 🔹 Ginger Root (helps to increase important neurotransmitters than can regulate your mood) 🔹 Lavender (research shows that lavender can help combat depression, and has been said to rival antidepressants) 🔹 Peppermint (the menthol in peppermint leaves helps calm mood and aides sleep)

💎 CRYSTALS 💎 

🔹 Smoky Quartz (helps elevate moods, overcome negative emotions, and relieves depression)  🔹 Rose Quartz (is a known healer and can help replace negative feelings with love and compassion) 🔹 Amethyst (combats stress and releases a relaxed energy) 🔹 Citrine (emits a sunny, optimistic energy which can aide in combating depression and anxiety) 🔹 Angel Aura Quartz (is known to help with mental illness, and it’s energy can help process emotional disturbances, grief, or trauma)

🕯️ INCENSE 🕯️

🔹 Lavender (reduces stress physically and mentally, and promotes deep sleep) 🔹 Jasmine (helps with alertness, evokes an uplifting energy, and is believed to ease symptoms of depression) 🔹 Ylang Ylang (has a calming affect that elevates mood and is known to help with physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and depression) 🔹 Lemongrass (promotes emotional balance, and uplifts emotional weight) 🔹 Sandalwood (encourages calmness, serenity, and feelings of well being)

🔮 SPELLWORK 🔮

🔹 Daily Ritual To Ease Depression 🔹 Encourage Positivity Spell 🔹 Self Care Sachet! 🔹 Inner Peace Sigil 🔹 A Charm To Dispel A State Of Melancholy 🔹 Body, Mind, And Soul Purifying Spell 🔹 Motivation Charm Bag 🔹 I Am Free From Negative Energies Sigil 🔹 Bathe Me The Fuck Better Bath Spell 🔹 De-Stress, Self-Love Sugar Scrub 🔹 Insomnia Sigil 🔹 Depression Bottle Charm And Ritual 🔹 Icarus’s Self Love Powder 🔹 Soft Skin, Soft Soul Bath Ritual 🔹 Candle Spell To Help Combat Depression 🔹 Quiet Mind Sachet 🔹 Be At Peace Spell 🔹 Feel A Little Better Bath Spell 🔹 To The Sun Spell Jar

💙 TIPS 💙

🔹 Spend time in the sun, and in nature.  Even if you only go and sit in your backyard, it will help, and make you feel a bit better 🔹 Drink water!  LOTS OF WATER!  Want an extra boost?  Make a bunch of sun water and drink it on exceptionally low days to help with your energy and mood levels. 🔹 Ground yourself every night before bed to rid yourself of negative energies 🔹 Turn your sadness into creativity!  Work on pages of your grimoire or book of shadows.  Do some witchy DIY’s!  Set up a new altar!  Make some sigils!  Being productive and creative are so helpful when you’re feeling melancholic. 🔹 Have some spoonie witch tips for low energy days! 🔹 Garden.  Spending time in nature and creating something within the earth is not only rewarding, but gardening is actually a de-stressing activity and can soothe your mood.  PLUS think of all the herbs you could grow to help with your craft! 🔹 Talk to someone.  Other witches.  Friends.  A professional.  A hotline.  Anyone who is willing to listen.  Put that energy out there and it will make a world of difference, I promise. 🔹 Let yourself have at least ONE self-care day a week.  It doesn’t matter what it entails, as long as you’re taking that time for YOURSELF, magickal or not.

EDIT: Because I’m awful and forgot how vast Tumblr is, and how so many different people, in different situations, use Tumblr, I didn’t mention some very crucial points: 1) DON’T substitute herbs for medication or treatment, unless you’ve consulted a medical professional. 2) DON’T take an herbal supplement WITH your medication unless you have consulted with your doctor first. 3) Witchcraft should NOT be your “go to” when it comes to medical help. Witchcraft is a tool, and although it is helpful, it can also be harmful if you don’t take the proper precautions (thorough research, getting advice from a professional, etc). Keep practicing, keep making magick, but be safe! 4) Lastly, if you need help, physically or emotionally, please consider contacting a professional instead of taking it upon yourself. You’re wonderful and intelligent and a powerful witch, but you aren’t invincible. So, please take care of yourself, talk to a professional, even if it may not seem like the most desirable approach. And FINALLY, thank you SO MUCH to all of the wonderful witches who contributed on this post. Without their input I may never have remembered to acknowledge that this post is one that NEEDS warnings. So, thank you honey bees, I really appreciate it!

[pixie-stoned]

Candle Spell To Help Combat Depression

What You’ll Need: 

-A comforting object that you own (teddy bear, blanket, ect.)  -A white taper candle  -A dark taper candle  First, hold your comforting object. As you are holding it, light the dark candle. When it is lit, think of when your depression began. Think of the ways it has affected you. Next, light the white candle using the dark candle. When the white candle has been lit, put out the dark candle and permanently dispose of it. Envision yourself in a better place, or say a mantra that is important to you. Take deep breaths as you do this. Picture the negative energy leaving you, as positive exhilarating energy enters you. Leave the white candle lit for an hour, and then blow it out. Do this as needed for relief from your depression.  Do NOT use this spell in place of medical care. This spell is strictly for promoting positive, energizing emotions, not a replacement for medicine or any other medical care you are receiving.  If at any time you feel triggered or uncomfortable while envisioning when and where your depression began, stop the spell. Your comfort and safety is more important than it. 

[liberumbrarum]

Depression Bottle Charm and Ritual

This is another one I like to keep on my person, so I make it small (though of course you can make it any size based on your needs).

While setting up your area, CONCENTRATE on the purpose of your work. Imagine how good it feels to be happy. Do not let negative thoughts enter your mind if you can help it. Just prior to your work, bathe in purification herbs or oils (lavender or rosemary is great), or with your favorite bath salts. While you are bathing, concentrate again on the purpose of your spell.

You need:

A bottle or jar with a lid (or cork)

Lavender, oil or dried

Rosemary, fresh, dried or oil

Stone chips of any of the following: agate, carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, malachite, obsidian, or tigerseye (you can usually find these in the beading section of your local craft store)

any size candle (dark blue, yellow, or white)

your favorite incense

After bathing, go to your work area. Cast a circle and light your incense. Envision a large, yellow ball of light surrounding you and your work area. Hold the yellow candle between the palms of your hands and direct all of your positive energy into the candle. Place the candle in its candleholder.

Prior to lighting the candle, say, (either aloud, or to yourself):

This candle represents the love and energy I have for myself

Light the candle and say (either aloud or to yourself):

As I light this candle, the veil of darkness that is ever present in my mind is lifting. The darkness ceases to exist as the light of this flame glows. Long has the darkness filled my mind, my desire to be happy is intense like the heat of fire. As this candle burns, my spirits are lifting and the negative energy is washing away. I will be happy; my life will be peaceful. I can see myself as I wish to be-happy and free

Sit back and watch the candle burn. Add your ingredients to your bottle or jar as you watch. Meditate on how good if feels to be happy and envision the veil of darkness lifting. When the candle had burned 1/3 of the way, say (either aloud or to yourself):

As the flame of the candle is extinguished-the light burns forever in my mind

After the candle has burned away and the leftover wax has cooled-throw away the leftover wax into to trash and envision your depression being thrown away with the wax. Seal your container so that the healing energy of this ritual is encased inside, and you can keep it with you for whenever you need that energy again.

-Berk

Back to Bottle and Jar Magic Masterpost

Sources:(x)

[recreationalwitchcraft]

Motivation Charm Bag

Need some extra energy? Motivation? Creativity? This charm bag is intended to do all that and help you get stuff done.

You will need:

Motivation: Purple Statice or Lemon

Creativity: Ginger, Nutmeg, or Vervain

Energy: Chamomile or Carnation

Quartz Crystal of your choice

[wrathfulclam]

A Charm to Dispel a State of Melancholy

[sapphyrwitch-deactivated2014121]

Fill a large earthenware pot with soft dark loam, and over its surface sprinkle seeds of grass, gathered from the fields or bought, if need be, but all of them fat and fertile. Set the pot in a sunny window, and water it each day at dawn, saying these words:

Out of night Shines the grass So my darkness Now may pass And change to joy That drinks the sun As gold that from His side doth run

When the grass has risen high and put forth good foliage, clip half its number and make this an infusion within a small teapot, letting the leaves steep for full fifteen minutes. Sweeten this tea with honey, and drink it slowly, meditating on the Sun that has given life to all leaves, and that same Sun toward which your spirit turns anew. The next morning clip the remaining leaves and hang them to dry in a dim corner. Afterwards preserve them in a small canister, that they may sustain your joy through the days to come, never permitting their solar influence to depart again.

Source: Crone’s Book of Charms and Spells

[wiitch-craft]

Anti-anxiety Herbs

A list of herbs that help reduce stress & anxiety & how to use them. 

Chamomile: Top of the list because it’s my personal favourite. Chamomile is very calming, & also helps calm the nervous system, reducing physical & emotional tensions & helping to soothe, & calm the mind. Chamomile tea is very effective in relieving anxiety, & can also be used in combination with other herbs as an edible oil to take internally for an instant relief. The smell of Chamomile alone is very calming & for these reasons it can also be used in aromatherapy remedies as incense or facial mists. 

Lavender: Lavender is also very soothing & has a slight sedative effect. Use Lavender alone, or in combination with other herbs to place inside a pillow to aid in a restful sleep. Lavender can also be drunk as a tea to provide relief from emotional tensions & anxieties, & aid in soothing the nervous system, relieving physical stress as well. 

Green Tea: Helps by relieving heart rate, & blood pressure, & cleans & detoxifies the blood at the same time. Provides mental clarity & reduces anxiety whilst improving focus, preventing one from becoming lethargic. 

Hops: Used in sleep pillows, & edible anti-anxiety oils & tinctures. Hops has mild sedative effects.

Valerian: Valerian is a strong sedative herb & can help promote a deep, restful sleep. It produces an unpleasant smell, so is usually taken as a supplement or tincture, but can also be used in combination with other fragrant herbs to drink as tea.Valerian has such strong sedative effects that it is advised only taking this herb in the evening, before bed. A good aid for insomniacs. 

Lemon Balm: Lemon Balm has been used since the middle ages to help reduce stress & anxiety. It is useful in promoting both a calm, & more alert state of mind. Commonly taken as a tea, tincture, or capsule supplement. 

Passionflower: Passionflower has mild sedative properties & helps soothe & calm the nervous system & relieve anxiety. It is also a great aid for insomnia. 

Licorice Root: Helps by stimulating relaxing chemicals in the brain, it helps one in dealing with general stress. Soothes & calms the nervous system. Most commonly drunk in combination with other herbs as a tea, & used in sleep pillows. 

Note: All of these herbs can be used in herbal sachets & other magickal charms to relieve stress & anxiety. 

Remember these are only herbal suggestions, NOT prescribed medicine, if you are already on medication, ask your doctor if it’s ok to use some of these herbs internally as some come can react with medication. Do not take too many sedative supplements at once & consult your doctor before internal use of any herbal supplements if you are pregnant. 

[this-possum-cries]

[leodrune]

green winter magick

❄ pinecones : prosperity, abundance, new beginnings

❄ acorns : personal power, wisdom, youthfulness

❄ balsam fir : strength, breaking up negativity, insight

❄ cedar : confidence, money, protection

❄ cinnamon : spirituality, success, love

❄ clove : exorcism, money, protection

❄ fern : mental clarity, cleansing, purification

❄ ginger : sensuality, energy, liveliness

❄ juniper : attracting good health + good energy

❄ mistletoe : creativity, fertility, protection from ill will

❄ mugwort : instrospection, dreamwork, divination

❄ nutmeg : attracting money, prosperity, luck

❄ orange peel : love, divination, luck, money

❄ peppermint : healing, peace, restfulness

❄ rosemary : healing, preventing nightmares, faerie magick

❄ snowdrop : passing of sorrow

❄ valerian : dream magick, reconciliation, harmony

❄ wintergreen : good fortune

❄ yew : necromancy and death magick

[leodrune]

pine trees and witchcraft

as winter months (and yule festivities) approach, pine becomes an excellent component of green witchcraft. evergreen trees, of course, symbolize immortality and perseverance. they are a great addition to any spell involving resilience or overcoming obstacles.

hanging a pine branch above your door will invite good energies, be it spirits or friends, into your space. placing pine above your bed will ward off illness.

throw pine into the fireplace (or bonfire) to summon protective energy.

pinecones work as a health and fertility charm.

pine is also an excellent smoke cleanser for purifying and warming a space’s energy.

pine trees in general are associated with divine harmony, peace, releasing guilt, and clarity. for this reason, meditation under a pine tree (or with a pine sprig in your hand) can be very healing and beneficial spiritually.

whether you have a pine tree in your home this season, you take a walk among some evergreens, or even just light a pine-scented candle in your bedroom, its wintery magick is wonderful.

[bijoubratt]

Circle casting 101

(Artist: kada-bura !)

A magickal circle is an energetic construct that you build or envision around yourself before working magick, doing a ritual, some like to cast a circle before meditating or reading tarots. For a solitary practitioner the circle is typically 5-6 ft in diameter, but the size expands based on the size of the group. It can be defined physically, energetically, or both.

Circles provide protection and serves as a container for your personal energy as well as the energy you conjure.

Please remember that this is just what i personally like to do when casting a circle, but that there are many methods.

Preparation for circle casting

1. Determine how much space you will need.

2. Cleanse your area. Vacuum, sweep, throw away any trash in the area.

3.Make sure you have everything you need for your ritual! Theres nothing more frustrating than having your circle casted and realizing you’ve forgotten an herb or any supplies you need for the work you’re about to do.

4. Purify your area. Light purifying incense, sage, sprinkle salt and holy 💧. Most importantly, Visualize the negative energy dispersing. If you don’t focus & visualize, your physical actions will have little effect. Visualization is hands down one of the most important things in any and all magickal workings!

5. Now its time to cast your circle!

Visualize protective energy coming from within you and direct it towards your casting arm. Focus it through a casting tool (Athame, wand, or ✋)  and visualize a beam of energy coming from it and settling on the ground. Trace your circle with this energy, 3 times in a clockwise direction. Once for protection, once for focus, and once for power.

Call the 4 quarters

Face North and say “I call to the North, to the element of 🌏. Grant me (us if not practicing alone) your endurance, your strength.”            Sprinkle salt onto your altar or crumble 🌏 into a bowl on your altar.

Face East and say “I call to the East, to the element of Air. Grant me your creativity and your intuition.”                                                                 Light incense, wave a fan,or drop feathers onto your altar.

Face south and say “I call to the South, to the element of 🔥. Grant me your passion and your energy.”                                                             Light candles.

Face west and say “I call to the West, to the element of 💧. Grant me your empathy and your emotion.”                                                         Pour blessed/storm/🌙/natural 💧 into a bowl or into your chalice.

Now would be the time to call on any deities you’d wish to work with. You can call any Goddess or Angel by personalizing this to them. I typically do not personally work with deities, but if you were to want to, Call to them similar to how the Elements are called. Ex. “I call to Gaia, Mother Goddess, Spirit of 🌏.” and then place an offering symbolizing them, so for Gaia you might place  grain on your altar as an offering.

If not solitary, now would be the time to invite others to the circle. The group leader typically invites others in by a series of phrases, although i know every coven has their own method fine tuned for themselves, This is just the method i’ve seen used and am familiar with.                                                                    Ex. Group leader:”Children of the Goddess, I now invite you to enter our circle.” Each member will be asked “How do you enter this circle?” The response should be “In perfect 😍 and perfect trust.”

Now its time to raise energy. This is the most important part of this process.

Here are a few ways! There is no wrong way to do this part, and there are SO MANY ways. You can fine tune this all to you.

Witches Rune Chant

“Darksome night and shining 🌙,

East, then South, then West, then North,

Hearken to the witches’ rune;

Here i come to call thee forth.

🌏 and 💧, Air and 🔥.

Wand and pentacle and 🗡️,

Work ye unto my desire,

Hearken ye into my word.

Cords and censer, scourge and 🔪,

Power of the witches blade waken all ye unto life,

Come ye as the charm is made.

👑 of Heaven, 👑 of Hell, Lend your power unto my spell,

and work my will by magic rite.

By all the power of Land and Sea, By all the might of 🌙 and ☀️,

As I do will, So mote it be;

Chant the spell, and be it done.

Eko, Eko Azarak

Eko, Eko Zamilak

Eko, Eko Karnayna

Eko, Eko Aradia”

Meditating to raise energy. Visualize energy building and building by 👀 by 👀 warm, yellow light fill your body until its expanding out of your body and filling the dome above your circle and visualize it filling with energy.

🎶 or Drumming, Dancing and Chanting.

Once you reach your desired energy level, it is time to get into whatever spellwork or ritual you desire to preform!

ONCE YOU FINISH YOUR WORK SAY GOODBYE TO THE ELEMENTS AND THANK THEM FOR THE POWER THEY BROUGHT. ALWAYS SAY GOODBYE AND THANK ANY DEITIES CALLED ON.

I like to walk the circle the opposite way of its casting three times, and voila!

Keep in mind that this is just my method! There are many methods and this is just one of them.

[death-witch-envy]

Offerings for the Dead

Most people are reblogging an ask I answered long ago about offerings to give to the dead. It’s long overdue, but I’ve finally typed it up into an actual cohesive post.

~ Herbs ~ 

Lavender, for peace in passing on

Thyme, to give peace to those who have died from violence

Apple, a common Irish symbol for the dead, which I often give to my ancestors 

Pomegranates, myth of Persephone and all that

Rosemary, for remembrance

Myrrh, commonly used in necromancy, also used to give off good vibes

Chervil, often used in rituals for the dead

Mugwort, usually used to aid divination and communication with the dead. I also give it as an offering

Bay, same as mugwort (my mentality is that these herbs will help “send” the offerings to the dead)

Lemonbalm, for peace and healing

Wormwood, to strengthen the communication with the dead, as well as healing and revenge

Frankincense, a traditional herb (usually incense) to honor the dead

~ Flowers ~ 

Calendula, for blessings and eternal love

Rose petals (or the flower) for love and healing

Marigolds, perfect for ancestor worship (as well as spirit work salves and tea)

Lilies, for a sense of security and togetherness; ideal for children

Orchids, for balanced emotions and adoration; ideal for former lovers

Daisies, also ideal for former lovers and lost family members

Tulips, to spread happiness

Dandelions, ideal for connecting with certain spirits (especially when drunk as a tea)

~ Liquids ~

Water, a traditional offering for the dead, often left out for passing spirits

Wine or other alcohol

Juice, namely pomegranate or beet

Oils, such as olive oil, pomegranate oil, coconut, almond, vinegar

~ Other ~

Stones or crystals

Coins

Tobacco (I also know some people who use cigarette smoke or ashes)

Grains, traditionally brown bread

Meat

Candles, namely dark colored or earth-toned

Cleaning up graveyards, placing offerings on graves and speaking to them also makes a great offering

Song and music

Anything personal to the person you’re sending the offering to

~ What to do with the Offerings ~

Burn herbs or flowers (safely) with a written message to “send” the offering to the soul

Leave coins, flowers or herbs on the grave

Pour liquid into the earth, or leave them out in a bowl

Leave offerings out as a “standing offering” for the dead who pass through (idea from @arachnospooky)

This is SO overdue I’m so sorry but I hope it helps!! 

[upthewitchypunx]

PBW Witch Shop & Zine Distro

The PBW Witch Shop is a curated selection of witchcraft and magic related zines, books, pin-back buttons, tarot cards and more.

We focus on traditional and folkloric witchcraft, animism, chaos magic, secular witchcraft, magical herbs and plants, queer witchcraft, tarot & Divination, witchcraft & magic in politics, history, culture, and social & racial justice,  and aspects of non-Wiccan forms of witchcraft, magic, and paganism.

Pre-Covid the Portland Button Works primarily made custom pinback button. Selling zines and books was secondary and more of a hobby for me to share things I’d like to read. Right now our business is pivoting to focus on books and zines that people can read in the comfort and safety of their own homes. Some items are from well known witchcraft and occult publisher and some are titles from small publishers with interesting items I don’t see in other shops but I’m excited to elevate.

Not everyone has income to buy books right now, we totally understand that, but I would love it if you were able to reblog this post or share Portland Button Works and PBW Witch Shop with your friends.

If you have been looking for a book about something specific, or if you think something would be a good fit for our catalog, get in touch. We can order almost any book in print, even if it isn’t witchcraft or magic related.

With that being said, here are some categories of items we carry:

Some good books to get you started studying witchcraft:

Grovedaughter Witchery by Bree NicGarran

Making Magic by Briana Saussy

Magical Power for Beginners- How to Raise & Send Energy for Spells That Work by Deborah Lipp

Weave The Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Some creative books to help build your witch craft practice:

Spellcrafting- Strengthen the Power of your Craft by Creating and Casting Your Own Unique Spells by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

D.I.Y. Magic -a Strange & Whimsical Guide to Creativity by Anthony Alvarado

Psychic Witch- a Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, & Manifestation by Mat Auryn

Urban Magick by Diana Rajchel

Standing and Not Falling - a Sorcerous Primer in Thirteen Moons by Lee Morgan

Tarot Books

Queering the Tarot by Cassandra Snow

Tarot for Troubled Times by Shaheen Miro & Theresa Reed

Modern Tarot by Michelle Tea

Tarot Decks

Next World Tarot (regular and pocket sized)

Science Tarot

Rider-Waite-Coleman Smith Regular sized and Mini sized

Crow Tarot

Modern Witch Tarot

Cat Tarot

Check out the tarot and divination books in our catalog and also check out tarot and divination decks in our catalog here.

Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine

Advanced Magick for Beginners by Alan Chapman

Chaos Protocols by Gordon White

Hands on Chaos Magic by Andrieh Vitimus 

Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter Carroll

Other books in the Chaos Magic section

Anthologies: Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels, Bringing Race to the Table: Exploring Racism in the Pagan Community, Shades of Ritual: Minority Voices in Practice

Magical Resistance: Witchcraft Activism by David Salisbury, Magic for the Resistance by Michael Hughes, Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Witches and Feminist Perspectives: Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici, Witches, Midwives and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English , Witches Sluts Feminists by Kristen J. Sollee

Pagan Anti-Capitalism: Pagan Anarchism True to the Earth: Pagain Political Thology by Kadmus, All That is Sacred is Profaned: A Pagan Guide to Marxism by Ryhd Wildermuth, A Pagan Anti-Capitalist Primer

Queer Witchcraft: Witchcraft and the Gay Counter Culture, Sapphomanteion a Lesbian Oracle, Queering the Tarot

Check out the Witchcraft Culture and History and Witchcraft Politics and Resistance sections of our website.

Green Witchcraft: The Green Witch by Arin Murray-Hiscock, Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Plants and Herbs: Under the Witching Tree by Corinne Boyer, Under the Bramble Arch by Corinne Boyer

The Poison Path: Veneficuim: Magic, Witchcraft and the Poison Path by Daniel Schulke, Pharmo/Gnonsis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path by Dale Pendell , Plants of the Devil by Corinne Boyer

Witchy Crafts: Pestlework: a Book of Magical Powders and Oils by Bree NicGarran, Sew Witchy by Rachel Henderson, Sigil Witchery by Lara Tempest Zakroff

Other books in our Plants, Herbs, and Magical Crafts section

Books on Atheopaganism

Godless Paganism (anthology)

Atheopaganism by Mark Green

Other Pagan Perspectives

Jailbreaking the Goddess: A Radical Revisioning of Feminist Spirituality by Lasara Firefix Allen

The Wakeful World: Anismism, Mind, and the Self in Nature by Emma Restall Orr

Circling the Star by Anthony Rella

All That Is Sacred is Profaned: A Pagan Guide to Marxism by Rhyd Wildermuth

All Other Pagan books

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary

A Deed Without A Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft by Lee Morgan

Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Keldon

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Besom Stand and Sword A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft the Six-Fold Path the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello & Tara Love Maguire

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Folk Witchcraft by

The Flame in the Cauldron by Orion Foxwood

Craft of the Untamed by Roger Horne

Check out the rest of the books in our Traditional & Folkloric Witchcraft Section

What are zines? Small independently made magazine and pamphlets filled with stories and unique ideas that you won’t find from major publishers!

Some topics you will find in zines we carry are Secular Witchcraft, the fantastic Fiddler’s Green Pamphlets and lots of zine on the places where Politics, Paganism, and Witchcraft intersect.

Check out all of our witchy zines here.

Other Stuff

witchy buttons

 magnets and hand mirrors

We carry more than just witchy books.

Here are some of the other titles we carry:

You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

When Language Runs Dry: An Anthology for People with Chronic Pain and their Allies

What is Gender Nihilism?

Be Gay Do Crime by The Mary Nardini Gang

Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher

You Black Friend by Ben Passmore

Learning Good Consent an Anthology edited by Cindy Crabb

How To Talk To Your Cat about Gun Safety and Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism and Other Dangers that Threaten Their Nine Lives

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Honoring your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

Do-it-Your Self Guide to Fighting the Big Motherfucking Sad by Adam Gnade

Yes, I’m Flagging: Queer Flagging 101 by Archie Bongiovanni

Full online catalog of books, zines, buttons and more can be found at PortlandButtonWorks.com and the PBW Witch Shop can be found here.

All items are shipped from Portland, Oregon in plain packaging or United States Postal Service Flat Rate envelopes or boxes with the return address as Portland Button Works. We ship daily and most order come with small fun gifts of buttons or magnets.

Thank you so much for supporting your local witch!

[upthewitchypunx]

The Living Altar - an oracle and spell deck for the radical witch

Witches, Witch-hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici

Grimoire Journal by Paige Vanderbeck

Art of War by Sun Tzu

Memento Mori: A Collection of Magickal and Mythological Perspectives on Death, Dying, Mortality & Beyond

[upthewitchypunx]

A Practical Guide For Witches by Ylvadroma Marzanna Radziszewski  (This is my new go-to  recommendation for new witches)

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot

The Celestial Art: Essays on Astrological Magic (anthology)

[upthewitchypunx]

New This week! 2 September 2020

Magical Writing Grimoire: Use the Word as Your Wand for Magic, Manifestation, & Ritual by Lisa Marie Basile

54 Devil: The Art and Folklore of Fortune-telling with Playing Cards by Corey hutcheson

Five Principles of Green Witchcraft by Asa West

Murder of Crows Tarot deck

Architecture/ Astrology By Dan Graham and Jessica Russell

[upthewitchypunx]

Light Magic for Dark Times by Lisa Marie Basile

Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft by Dale Pendell

Enchantments by Mya Spalter

Slingshot 2021 Organizer in Small pocket sized and larger spiral bound

Notes: I know a lot of the Troy Books are currently out of stock because I can’t currently get them from the big book distributor. However! I’ve set up an account directly with their US distributor and should have them back in my next round of orders. I’m also out of a lot of the Three Hands Press books for the same reason and inquiring directly with them about how to remedy this.

Super stoked to FINALLY have the Modern Witch Tarot back in stock.

[dontkillthefaeries]

Corona has got me stuck at home out of school :(