#30daysmagicalroots

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 27

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it.

Day 27 - Healing

Focus on some self-care today. What are you doing in your life to bring health and vitality to your physical and emotional body? Do you practice magical healing, or energy healing like reiki? If so, practice some healing magic today! If not, take some time today to learn a little bit about different kinds magical healing.

As I said earlier in the challenge when energy work came up, I struggle with energy. I struggle to feel it, but maybe it's not meant to be felt in the way I'm expecting it -- that's what I've gained from my research so far this morning. I often cast spells which are basically ‘sending out good vibes’ to friends and family, which from my research today I’m now seeing as a transferral of energy. I'm going to look further into it, but I think this is something I'm going to have to come to understand over time, not in a single afternoon. Maybe I won't ever get it, maybe it's not for me, and that's okay too. At the moment I'm interested, so I'm going to follow that interest and see where it leads. Here's some great articles I've found so far. 

This is a great article if you don't know where to start. It outlines the main types of healing magic.

This one gives you the basics of energy healing.

This one is specifically about items imbued/enchanted with healing power.

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 24

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it.

Day 24 - Sabbats

What holidays from the wheel of the year do you celebrate [if any]? Create your own wheel of the year[calendar]! You are only limited by your imagination.

Strikethroughs and comments in square brackets are mine, because you don't have to follow the wheel of the year to be pagan and you don't have to be pagan to be a witch! 

For those interested, the Sabbats are as follows. Please note these are the dates for the Northern Hemisphere. Witches/pagans in the Southern Hemisphere may also use these, or may celebrate the Sabbats according to their own seasons. 

🎃 1st November - Samhain (pronounced s-OW-en)   🌲 20th-23rd December - Yule 🌱 2nd February - Imbolc 🐣 19th-22nd March - Ostara 🌻1st May - Beltane (can be pronounced as read or 'b-EAL-tain' or 'b-EAL-tin-a') ☀️ 19th-23rd June - Litha 🌾 1st August - Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nah-sah, also called Lammas) 🍂 21st-24th September - Mabon 

Those with a range of dates are because the equinoxes and solstices move slightly year to year. Some people always celebrate the holiday on the equinox or solstice, some celebrate on the same day within the range each year and others celebrate for the duration of the window. Worth noting also that some people celebrate the Sabbat the night before, so Beltane is often celebrated on the 30th April.

Personally I do follow the wheel of the year, doing family celebrations and rituals for the equinoxes and solstices and smaller rituals for the in-between holidays. They roughly look like this: 

Equinox/Solstice Sabbats - Walk through the woods, possibly gathering items for altar if it feels right. - Set up altar and light a candle (Ostara: white, Litha: yellow, Mabon: orange, Yule: red) to perform ritual of gratitude and rededication. - Meal with family: Ostara: minty lamb, Litha: fennel pork, Mabon: cider beef, Yule: sage turkey/chicken, all served with seasonal vegetables 

The Sabbats In-Between - Deconstruct altar from previous Sabbat, cleanse, start theming for the season. - Light a gold candle to represent the sun for gratitude ritual. - Spend some time tending to the garden. 

I have been thinking about making a wheel to hang over my altar but I'm not quite at the making stage yet. I've recently taken up pyrography, so could possibly use that but I need more practice first. So today for the challenge, I have spent some time practicing with my pyrography tool and also making notes/doodles to start developing a design. I have some spare embroidery hoops, so that may be a different option, or I could simply draw it. We'll see what feels right!

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 23

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it.

Day 23 - Book of Shadows/Grimoire

Do you have one? If not, create a sacred journal to document your recipes, spells, practices, invocations. This can be a handwritten journal, printed pages in a binder, or even a file on your computer (though if it’s the latter, always back it up!). Make it as simple or complex as you want it to be–it’s YOURS and should make you happy.

I have a Book of Shadows in which I record my spellwork, rituals and rune readings. I also have a diary which I have written the year’s full and new moons in, and I use that to record my intentions for the month. I have a lovely book waiting to become my Grimoire... When I have the nerve and make the time. For now I sort of use the Discord as a Grimoire, with reference posts and lists categorised into channels and then pinned.

Book of Shadows - Most people treat this as basically a witchy diary. They note down when, how and why they performed spells and rituals, and what the outcome was. This helps to develop their practice, as they can clearly see what has worked and what has not in order to make adjustments. Some people may have different places to record certain aspects of their craft, such as separate books for dreams, readings/scrying, sigils and symbols. Grimoire - This is a reference. It can also contain spell instructions as well as lists of correspondences, meanings and uses. To make it easier to find what they need, some witches use a binder rather than a book, so that they can insert new pages where they are most relevant. Some modern witches keep their Grimoire digitally for this same reason. 

Some people have one book/resource which is a combination of the two. They might use either name to describe it, or neither and that's okay -- your craft is yours! So do you need a Grimoire/Book of Shadows? It is helpful to have access to the information in one place, but that doesn't necessarily have to be in a physical book.

Here's a post of alternative BoS/Grimoire ideas. Here’s a post of what to include in your Grimoire/BoS when you’re starting out.

TL;DR - Records are useful but don't feel pressured into doing things you don't want to! Your journey is your own, do it your way

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 21

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it.

Day 21 - Symbols

What symbols do you use in your practice and why? Are there any that you are drawn to? Try carving the symbol into a candle and burning it while you meditate on that sacred symbol. You can also draw it on a piece of paper and carry it with you every day. Or find a piece of jewelry with the symbol to wear when you need a magical boost.

Runes - I use runes a lot and not just for divination. I often work them into my sigils, carve them into candles or carry them around with me. More info below.  Sigils - I make my own sigils. There is a pinned post explaining sigils and outlining the different methods - I use the 'strike out the vowels' method. I use these by carrying them around on paper, on a pouch with crystals in, drawn onto my skin, carved into a candle or drawn on paper/in salt/in herbs on my altar. There’s a sigil day later on in the challenge so I won’t go too much into it yet. Pentagram - I haven't worked much with the pentagram so far, but I have been feeling pulled towards it recently. Each point corresponds with a particular element, different to their positions in relation to the compass, which is how I usually use them. I do prefer odd numbers in my work, so it makes sense to give it a go. Of course, there's other ways to use the symbol, it can be used as a wand movement for invoking or banishing or as a protective charm. I found this article informative. Flowers and charms from nature - Flowers and plants have symbolic meanings so can be used to strengthen spells. Twigs, acorns, pebbles, shells and feathers also have their meanings. 

Of course, there are many more symbol types out there! Here’s a good list to start with if you're interested in symbols. I have been recommended "The Complete Encyclopaedia of Signs and Symbols” by Mark O’Connell and Raje Airey but haven't yet purchased it myself. When it comes to runes, I don't really have a single online resource that I use, but several that I use in different ways/for different things. There’s this one for spread types, this one for quick meanings/symbolism/affiliations, this one* for deeper meanings  and this one** for reversed/merkstave and opposition readings. * The Modern Curio is an unfinished and abandoned website with poor navigation. At least one rune is missing and the page of another is incomplete (and has some information from another rune's page mistakenly on it). However, you can find most of the runes via the search bar (you might have to fiddle with the spelling a little) and I've found the information that is there really useful. ** I've only found this website recently but I already know I'll be using it a lot as I often pull runes that can't be reversed but are pulled in opposition, and most resources don't cover those meanings. In looking for the best page to link, I have discovered many information pages on there about runes and rune reading which I will be working through soon!

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 17

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it.

Day 17 - Raise Some Energy

Try chanting, singing, drumming, or dancing! Turn some tunes on and work on that Stevie Nicks spin. When you’re feeling complete throw your arms up and send it shooting out through your hands into the Universe.

I've often got music on in the background as I go about my day, but it has to be the right kind of music for my mood and tasks. Today was a quiet tracks kinda day, so instead I put my challenge time today into sorting out more playlists as the three I have don't always hit right. My playlist of rock music, for example, is great but sometimes I'm not in the mood for the heavier tracks so I broke the playlists I have into different moods (while still keeping the master playlist, for when I want the variety) as well as creating some additional ones. Although I'm usually jumping around to cheerful bops while doing the housework, I've never thought about it from a witchy perspective so next time I'm in the mood, I'll do so with intent and see how it feels/what comes of it!

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 16

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it

Day 16 - Connect with Mother Earth

Go outside! Find a tree to sit with for a while. Maybe clean up if there is garbage around it. Let today be a day of service to Mother Earth.

This one is a bit more difficult than usual for most people atm, so I went for some garden time. I spent time tidying up and weeding, adding fertiliser to a few pots, repotting, planting. And then I also just sat for a while, listening to and watching nature. There’s a pigeon nesting in the tree that overhangs my neighbours garden from their neighbour, so they were flying in and out a lot carrying nest material. 

If you don't have an outdoor space, tend to your indoor plants or celebrate the element of earth within your home - in the food that you eat and the natural materials your home is made from. Maybe perform a simple gratitude ritual for the things the Earth has provided for you.

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 14

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it

Day 14 - Incense

Create an incense recipe to help you focus on your daily practice. Here is an article on making herbal incense from Mother Earth Living. (Bonus points if you make it and use it for the rest of the month.)

I don't have charcoal discs for burning loose incense, and I have a good collection of stick incense for different things so I don't make loose incense often. When I do, I use my tea light oil burner instead (you can place the ingredients in an empty tea light holder on top of the oil burner if you're worried about the mess) which doesn't smoke much but you do still get a little scent from it.

I found this article really helpful and informative.

[ami-incants]

#30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge - Day 13

Over on the Any Witch Way Discord, the mods have decided to run Plentiful Earth’s #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge for the month of April. The challenge is a way to revisit your magical roots, or explore different aspects of magical practice if you’re new to it

Day 13 - Stones/Crystals

Find a stone or crystal to work with. Learn about its energies and/or magical properties and find ways to incorporate it into your life over the next month. (Recommended Resource: Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic or The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall).

I use crystals all the time - I charge them on the full moon, and use a few in my charm pouch most days, sometimes I sleep with a few too. I'm using today's challenge to do something I often put off - tidy up my digital catalogue of my crystals and their uses. I'm considering seeing if I can make it into a resource that will also be useful to and useable by others. 

Here is a photo of most of (but not all of) my current collection:

And here are some of my most-used crystal resources:

Despite cleansing your crystals in water being an amazingly common suggestion on witchy blogs, websites and in books, some crystals can be harmed or cause harm by being in contact with water and/or salt. This is the best resource I've found so far for checking which crystals are water-safe.

All the blog posts on all the crystal-related topics. Especially this post.

This is always my first stop for crystal meanings.

Here's a good explanation of the Mohs Hardness Scale. It can be helpful when you're trying to identify a crystal, but only if you have an idea of what it might be.