witchcraft is nothing if not resourceful. even when you have nothing, you can still cast spells. you have yourself.
you have your hair to tie and bind with, your blood to ensnare, your teeth and nails to pierce, spit, skin, bile. all your humors and wit at your disposal.
you are more than intents, you have more than enough.
“‘Witches are all equal. We don’t have things like head witches. That’s quite against the spirit of witchcraft.’ ‘Oh, I see,’ said Tiffany. ‘Besides,’ Miss Level added, ‘Mistress Weatherwax would never allow that sort of thing.’”
“…There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago…”
So I have been thinking about our Contemporary conceptualization of the Christmas season a lot lately and it’s kind of interesting. So many things we associate with Christmas – Christmas trees, greeting cards, Santa Claus, his reindeer and elves, gift-giving in general – all of these things came into vogue in the 19th Century and are very sticky-sweet, in my opinion. They’re lovely, but not filling. If we just scratch the surface of the Christmas we know and love and peek back into its history, we find something much meatier.
Before the cheerful Christmas tree, a number of other plants were associated with Christmas. The holly, associated with sacrifice and the blood of Christ, and the parasitic mistletoe, associated with the death of Baldur in Norse mythology – these were the plants associated with Christmas before the Christmas tree became the standard.
Also, the Yule log. The Yule log, meant to provide light on the darkest night of the year, was a magic charm in and of itself. If it did not burn through the night, it would be a terrible omen. By watching the fire and coals of the Yule log, one could also predict who would give birth and who would die in the coming year.
When our simple Santa Claus is reduced to his predecessors, one is left with Odin, ancient Norse God of battle, Saint Nicholas, the canonized former bishop of Turkey, and Father Christmas, the hard-drinking gluttonous representation of holiday merriment. And all of them brought ghastly friends – Odin, the spirits of the Wild Hunt and Saint Nicholas, his helpers (including Knecht Rupert, Krampus, etc.). Father Christmas, more of a personification of the season than a night visitor, undoubtedly brought many hangovers.
Before stories about reindeer, snowmen, or things of that ilk, there were ghost stories. Charles Dickens did not invent the Christmas ghost story in “A Christmas Carol,” but popularized an already-existing folkloric trend. If we look to the old tales of Christmas, we find stories about witches that rode the night air, cursing the birth of the Savior. There are stories about fairies, ghosts, and Devils that wreak havoc, frightening livestock and damaging property. In an era before television or radio, homemade storytelling was one of the primary forms of entertainment. And winter was the storytelling season.
You also have mumming, wassailing, and caroling – dressing up in colorful costumes and (sometimes drunkenly) begging for money door-to-door. As John Grossman notes in his book “Christmas Curiosities,” Christmas before the Contemporary Period resembles our Halloween more than it resembles the Christmas we know now.
Let us not forget, those of us who acknowledge the Wheel of the Year, that the season of darkness extends from Halloween to Christmas. This darkness only begins to fade when we gain back the Sun at the Winter Solstice. From Halloween to Christmas, the dead may roam the Earth and weird things may happen. In his classic “Mastering Witchcraft,” Paul Huson notes that Yule is not a time for pleasant spell work, but cursing! It is a time of dark magic and mystery. And we need this time. To understand the light, we must understand the darkness – the witches, ghosts, and Devils of the old Yuletide. Like the trees that go dormant, we must embrace the darkness of winter to grow and thrive.
🍃 A list of fruits, veggies, and herbs with their various uses in brujeria and/or hoodoo that I haven’t seen in other correspondence lists. This will be updated as time goes on!
🍃 Avocado: Love and beauty. Ruled by Venus, it enhances sexuality in sexual spells. It can also be used for good luck spells, especially when gambling.
🌸 Apricot: Ruled by Venus. Protects against false friends. Attracts Love.
🍃 Carrot: Ruled by Mars, brings love, fertility, lust, and power.
🌸 Chillis: Hex breaking, used in “shut your mouth” spells, used in banishing people, fidelity, love
🍃 Citronella: Cleansing. Eliminates obstacles when it comes to business, money, and sales.
🌸 Cilantro/Coriander: Ruled by Mars. Lust and love, health, healing.
🍃 Cocoa: Love, power, fertility
🌸 Coconut: Fertility, fidelity, good luck. Used as well for protection, prosperity and protective rituals. Leave a coconut in the home to absorb negative energies, and leave it at a 4 way crossroad.
🍃 Corn: Ruled by Venus. Protection, luck, divination, fertility.
🌸 Eucalyptus: Against sadness and protects against negative spirits. Healing and protection.
🍃 Fig: Used to attract good luck, increase money. Fertility, love and divination.
🌸 Lemon: A powerful cleanser of negative vibrations. Used in love charms and friendship spells.
🍃 Lime: Healing, love, protection.
🌸 Mango: Love, romance, fertility,
🍃 Majoram: Protects against negative energies. Associated with Venus, helps women find a husband when hidden around the home. Love, happiness, health and money.
🌸 Oats: Protection, prosperity, vitality and strength
🍃 Orange Blossom: Love, marriage. High vibrational.
🌸 Sweet Orange: Attracts desired people and marriage.
🍃 Bitter Orange: Repels unwanted love
🌸 Oranges in general are good for divination, happiness, luck and money.
🍃 Papaya: Love, protection
🌸 Parsley: For love and sex rituals. Attracts money. Protection, purification.
🍃 Pineapple: Luck and abundance, chastity, money
🌸 Plantain: Hidden in the home, they protect against unwanted visitors. Happiness, gets rid of bad moods.
🍃 Potato: Image magick, healing
🌸 Tamarind: Prosperity, very good for protection as well.
🍃 Tangerine: Improves social relationships.
🌸 Tumeric: Protection, eliminates bad visions
🍃 Rice: Fertility, good fortune. Protection.
🌸 White pepper: Eliminates obstacles. Protects from enemies. Speeds up workings.
🍃 Black pepper: Rejects attacks from enemies. Speeds up workings.
I hope this helps some of you out! Much love to all of you!
In Lisa Chamberlain’s book called ‘Wicca: Kitchen Witchery’ I found some good informations for kitchen witchery and I would like to share it with you so it may will be useful for someone!
🌿Basil 🌿
General Magical Uses: fosters loving vibrations, protection, wards off negativities in a home
🍃Bay Leaf🍃
General Magical Uses: protection, purification, healing, strenght, good fortune, money, success
🌳Cinnamon🌳
General Magical Uses: love, luvck, prosperity, success, raises spiritual vibration
🏵️Dandelion🏵️
General Magical Uses: divination, interacction with spirit world, wishes
🌰Nutmeg🌰
General Magical Uses: money, prosperity, good luck, protection
🍃Oregano🍃
General Magical Uses: peace, deepening love relationships, releasing old relationships
🌱Parsley🌱
General Magical Uses: protection, money, luck, lust, strenght, vitality
🌿Rosemary🌿
General Magical Uses: love and lust spells, promotes healthy rest
❁Sage❁
General Magical Uses: longevity, wishom, protection, dispels negative energy
⭐Star Anise⭐
General Magical Uses: luck, spiritual connection, psychic and magical power
🌿Tyhme🌿
General Magical Uses: attracts lovalty, affection, psychic abilities
Acorn: Used for good luck, protection, wisdom, and personal power
African Mojo Beans: carried in a pocket, purse, or mojo for good luck
Agrimony: Overcoming fear & inner blockages and dispelling negative emotions. Reversing spells. Use as a wash or oil for healing rituals. Ward off evil entities and poisons
Alfalfa Leaves: Used in money, prosperity, and anti-hungry spells
Allspice: Money, luck, healing, and obtaining treasure. Added determination and energy to any spell
Angelica Root: Very powerful. Protects against negative energy and attracts positive energy. Used in healing and exorcisms. Protects against curses.
Anise Seeds: Used to help ward off the Evil Eye, find happiness, and stimulate psychic ability. Used in sleep pillows to prevent nightmares
Anise Star: Burned to increase psychic awareness & abilities. Placed on altar to increase power generated or carried to bring good luck
Arabic Gum Powder: Purification and increased spirituality. Burned to reach meditative state
Arbica Flowers: Psychic powers and protection from spirits
Astragalus Root: Used for protection and energy
Balm of Gilead Tear: Used for love, manifestation, protection, healing, assisting in healing from loss of a loved one.
Barberry Root Bark: Cleansing, sorcery, atonement, freeing oneself from the power or control of another
Basil: Love, exorcism, wealth, and protection. Dispels confusion, fears, and weakness. Drives off hostile spirits
Bat Head Root: Used in spell work, rituals, to obtain wishes
Bay leaves: Used for protection, good fortune, success, purification, strength, healing and psychic powers. Write wishes on the leaves and burn them to make the wish come true. Put in dream pillows for prophetic dreams.
Bayberry Root Bark: Good fortune, luck, healing, and stress relief
Bee Pollen: Friendship, attraction, love, strength, happiness, and overcoming depression
Birch Bark: Powerful aid divination magic and finding the heart of truth. Other uses protection, exorcism, and purification.
Black Cohosh Root: Love, protection, courage, protection, potency
Black Walnut Bark: Wish magic, access to divine energy, and bringing the blessing of the Gods
Catnip Cut: Sacred to Bast. Used in ritual having to do with cats or cat deities. Love, enhance beauty or happiness, protection, bad habits
Cedar: Confidence, strength, power, money, protection, healing and purification. Use in sachets to promote calmness
Celery Seed: Used for mental and psychic powers and concentration. Use in dream pillows for to help with sleep
Chamomile Flowers: Used for love, healing, production marriage proposals, gambling luck, prosperity, good fortune, reducing stress, removing hexes, curses, and spells
Chaste Tree Berries: Used in rituals to draw down the moon, chastity, and protection of the home.
Cherry Bark: Lust, direction, frugality, invisibility, magical potency. Burn as an increase while performing divination, or to during love spells
Chickweed: Fertility and love, lunar magic, animal, magic, healing with birds, carry to attract love.
Chicory Root Granules: favors, removing obstacles, and invisibility, positive outlook, sense of humor. Use a black candle and burn as an incense to hex someone.
Chive: Protection and weight loss
Chrysanthemum Flowers: Love, joy, humor, and protection
Cilantro: Protection of gardeners, bring peace to the home, and help attune one with their soul
Cinnamon: Spirituality, success, healing, personal protection, love, luck, strength, passion, and prosperity, associated with fire and the sun
Cinquefoil: An all-purpose magical herb. Love, money, health, power, and wisdom, stimulates memory, eloquence, and self-confidence, financial gain, or by those who are otherwise seeking good fortune and self-improvement, bring love, money, health, power, and wisdom into their live, business & house blessing
Clover: Ritual baths to aid in financial estrangement. It is also used for lust, money, love, success, luck, blessing and protection of animals.
Cloves: Protection, friendship, banishing hostel or negative forces, mental clarity, money, purify, cleanses the aura.
Coltsfoot Leaves: Wealth, prosperity, love, peace, and tranquility
Comfrey Leaves: Money, safety during travel, stability, anti-theft
Coriander Seed: Love, health, protection, ease pain of broken heart, peace, ward off disease and migraines
Damiana Leaf: Lust, sex magic, attracting love, open chakras and increase psychic abilities (Toxic to the liver)
Dandelion Leaf: Summoning spirits, healing, purification and defeating negativity, wish
Deer Antler Velvet Powder: Health, stamina, vigor, mental clarity, fertility and longevity (For external use only)
Devil’s Claw : Protection, dispelling unwanted company, and confusing enemies
Dill Seed: Money, protection, luck, lust, keeping away dark forces, house blessings, Lust
Dragon’s Blood: Protection, energy, lush, banishing, purification, and ending bad habits, increase potency of a spell, luck
Dulse: Use for lust, harmony in the home, sea rituals, and pacifying sea winds, peace
Echinacea Augustifolia/ Purpurea: Adding strength to spells, money, altar offerings
Elder Berries: Releasing enchantments, protection against negativity, wisdom, houses blessings, used in rites of death to protect the loved ones on the way to the Otherworld (May be Poisonous)
Elder Flower: Sleep, releasing enchantments, protection against negativity, wisdom, house blessings
Elecampane Root: Banishing and dispel angry or violent vibration, associated with elves, attract love, purify
Eucalyptus: Protection and attracting healing vibration
Eyebright: Psychic ability, improves memory, encourages rationality, brings light into dark and negative situations
Fennel Seed: Strength, vitality and sexual virility, prevents curse, hexes, possession and negative problems
Fenugreek Seed: Money drawing, and fertility magic
Feverfew: Protection while traveling, protection against accidents, cold/flu, love magic, spiritual healing
Frankincense: Protection, consecration, meditation, cleansing, purification, offerings at Beltane, Lammas, and Yule, self-will, self-control, the ego, success
Fumitory Herb: Associated with the Underworld, offering during Samhain, communicating with sports, attracted money, purification
Galangal Root: Winning in court, doubling money, hex breaking; remove evil spells, protection, improving psychic abilities, good health, sex magic
Garlic Powder: Healing, protection, exorcism, purification, guards against negative magic and spirts, invoking Hecate
Ginger Root: Adventure, new experiences, sensuality, sexuality, personal confidence, prosperity, success, adds strength and speed to anything it’s added to, good health, protection
Milk Thistle Seed: Strength, perseverance, wisdom, aid in decision making
Mistletoe: Fertility, creativity, prevention of illness and misfortune, protection from negative spells, Carry for luck when hunting, associated with Yule, Jupiter, and the sun, fertility, love, protection, prophetic visions
Motherwort: Confidence, success and counter magic
Mugwort: Lust, fertility, prevent backache, cure disease and madness, astral travel, prophetic dreams, clean crystal balls and scrying mirrors
Mullein Leaf: Protection from nightmares & sorcery, courage, cursing and invoking spirits
Mustard Seed: Courage, faith, endurance, luck
Myrrh: Spiritual opening, meditation, healing, high psychic vibrations, peace, blessing of talismans, charms, and magical tools
Nettles Leaf: Dispelling darkness & fear, strengthening will aiding in the ability to handle emergencies, drive off evil & negativity
White Oak Bark: Wisdom, strength, youthfulness, attractiveness, fertility, negativity
White Pine Bark: Clean breaks, new beginnings, prosperity, success, strength, grounding, growth, also used cleansing, purification, repelling negativity
White Sage: Purification, evil spirits, negative energies, prosperity, fertility and longevity, money
White Willow: Blessing of the moon, healing, binding, wishes, divination
Wintergreen: Good fortune, luck, purification
Witch Hazel: Chastity, protection, grief, broken heart, love spells, ward off evil
-------ENG----- This year's Yule altar. Tonight I'll burn the Yule log inside the tin box and perform a small spell. I'll try to traduct it later. ------ESP-------- El altar de Yule de este año. Esta noche quemaré un tronco de Yule dentro de la caja de hojalata y haré un hechicillo. Os o paso después!
by @wiccangrimoire99 , all praises be to them. Yo solo traduzco.
Amanecer : 🌄
Al amanecer trabaja con hechizos proyectados al estudio, el trabajo, los negocios, la salud y los viajes.
También es un buen momento para rituales de purificación y buscar ayuda para nuevos comienzos.
Mediodía : 🌆
Al mediodía aprovecha la máxima energía del Sol para hacer conjuros de fuerza, coraje, protección, éxito, oportunidades y asuntillos de dineros.
Atardecer : 🌅
Aprovecha el atardecer para potenciar hechizos de catársis, para dejar ir la enfermedad, el mal de corazones y los fallos. Destierra la miseria y el dolor. Haz rituales para romper con adicciones, malos hábitos y la negatividad recurrente.
Noche : 🌃
La noche es el momento para los embrujos de mejora personal y crecimiento. Potencia los sueños psíquicos, la consciencia, la adivinación,la espiritualidad, el amor, la paz, el cerrar viejas heridas y liberar los espiritus encerrados.
So I’m doing a project on modern witches and I’m looking for some statistics. Please reblog this if you identify as LGBTQ and practice some form of witchcraft!
Original post by @lyrium . She’s awesome I’m only traducting it so myself and other hispanic witches can have acces to info in our language. Los nombres en parentesis no estan traducidos por que son nombres populares en ingles que poco uso tienen en nuestro idioma.
+ love, beauty, happiness, sleep
+ develops psychic and emotional bond with felines
+ leaves are often used as magical bookmarks
- Amor, belleza, felicidad, sueño.
-Crea lazos psíquicos y emocionales con los felinos.
-Las hojas se suelen utilizar como marca páginas mágico.
🌱Laurel (bayleaf) // Laurel // Llorer
+ psychic development, protection, healing, strength, wishes
+ carry to ward off negativity and evil
+ manifest desires by writing them upon a leaf then burning it
- Desarrollo físico, protección, curación, fuerza, deseos.
- Se suele llevar encima para alejar la negatividad y el mal.
-Manifiesta tus deseos escribiéndolos en las hojas y quemándolas.
🌱Mugwort (sailor’s tobacco) //Ajenjo o Artemisia // Absenta o Doncell
+ divination, astral projection, psychic abilities
+ carry in a shoe for endurance during long journeys
+ often blended into teas or smoked for psychic effects
- Adivinación, proyección astral, habilidades psíquicas.
-Llevarla en el zapato para resistencia en los viajes largos.
-Se suele tomar en tés o fumarla por sus efectos psíquicos.
🌱Patchouli (pucha-pot)// Pachulí//Patxulí
+ wealth, fertility, lust, protection
+ suitable substitute for cemetery dirt if needed
+ earthy musk makes for pleasant incense/oils/perfumes
- Riqueza, fertilidad, deseo, protección.
-Se puede utilizar como substituto para la tierra de cementerio.
- Su olor a almizcle terrosso va bien para perfumes/aceites/ perfumes.
🌱Peppermint (brandy mint) // Menta// Menta
+ sleep, healing, love, psychic powers
+ used to heal headaches, stomach pain, mild illness
+ blends well into most teas and aids digestion
-Sueño, curación, amor, poderes psíquicos.
-De usa para curar dolores de cabeza, dolor de estómago, catarros suaves.
-Queda bien con la mayoría de tés y ayuda a digerir.
🌱Rosemary (dew of the sea)// Romero//Romaní
+ mental powers, purification, healing, sleep, love
+ memory enhancing abilities useful for education
+ powerful healing and purification incense
-Poderes mentales, purificación, curación, sueño, amor.
-Mejora la memoria, va bien para estudiar.
-Poderosa en inciensos curativos y purificantes.
🌱Rue (queen of herbs)// Ruda o Hierba de Gracia// Ruda
+ healing, protection, mental powers, exorcism
+ fresh scent clears mind of heartbreak, envy, egoism
+ added to ritual baths to dispel curses and negativity
-Curación, protección, poderes mentales, exorcismo.
-Olor fresco que libera la mente de corazones rotos, envidias y egoísmos.
-Se añade al baño para romper maldiciones o momentos de negatividad.
🌱Sage (garden sage)//Salvia// Sàlvia
+ wisdom, longevity, protection, wishes
+ often burned for protection, banishing evil, consecration
+ aids in overcoming sorrow; burned at funerals to relieve grief
-Sabiduria, longevidad, protección, deseos.
-Se suele quemar para proteger, desterrar el mal y consagrar un espacio.
-Ayuda a superar la tristeza. Se suele quemar en los funerales para pasar el duelo.
🌱Thyme (mother of thyme)//Tomillo//Farigola
+ courage, purification, healing, sleep, faerie magic
+ grown in gardens to attract and commune with fae
+ burned to refresh energy and dispel melancholy
-Coraje, purificación, curación, sueño, magia de hadas.
-Crecida en jardines para atraer y comunicarse con las hadas.
-Se quema para renovar la energía y disipar la melancolía.
This correspondences come originally froLam @mossytreeelf, seen in a post titled “Key Herbs for your Craft”. Highly reccomend, it’s given me some great bases to work with.
romaincrisis
titsay
germansingergirl
snowghoul
dededos
blakekathryn
annaxmalina
areudirty
pixelskylines
