Witches Be Like

Witch mom helping you get your spiritual shit together.

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We all know I’m a lazy witch. Of course in a perfect world I would spend every moment planting lavender around my garden, perfecting my tea blends, and staying warm in my cozy cabin by the fire. But in reality I have barely enough time to get in the shower before I start my day. And I don't own a cabin so…. So in reality is that really lazy? Or has capitalism made us all squish out every second out of our day getting stuff done just so we can do in all over tomorrow? Yes. Yes it has. So when I say I’m a lazy witch, maybe I’m just an exhausted witch. Either way, here are my favorite lazy witch hacks for when you are out of time, or just don’t have the energy to put in a full two hour ritual every full moon. 

Visualize your circles around you and forgo placing crystals or items in an actual circle. Magic is metaphorically speaking so just imagining yourself in a big bubble will do just fine. 

Keep your crystals on your windowsill so you don’t have to remember to charge them with the moonlight. 

Every candle is a magic candle. 

A shower anytime makes a great cleansing ritual. 

5 minute meditations for releasing stress works wonders when you’re feeling over it. 

Pull a single tarot card when you have a question that needs guidance. 

Step outside barefoot to ground yourself and just stand in th dirt for a few minutes. 

Leve a portion of your dinner uneaten for ancestors. 

Keep witchy spell notes on your phone. 

Use moon tracking apps so you don’t have to keep checking the moon phase. 

Use white tea light candles for everything because sometimes it really just doesn’t matter. 

Stir things clockwise (coffee, tea, cake mixes) to bring towards you and counterclockwise to let go or release. 

Line your front door with salt for protection. 

Place rose quartz in your room to remind yourself to self-love

Make meals with intention, think about health or happiness next time your microwave your mac and cheese. 

Light a match and blow it out to suck up any bad vibes in a room. 

Wear blue to manifest passing a test or getting a new job. 

Walk outside during a full moon and spend a few minutes recharging under the moon light. 

Spend a few minutes every morning writing down your intentions for manifesting your life and visualizing what you want daily.

Remember that you are a badass witch and don’t forget it. 

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I don’t know how everyone feels, but when I first was drawn towards reading tarot, it really freaked me out. My only other exposure to tarot was my bio mom, and the only thing she ever said about it was how evil tarot cards (or any other type of ‘fortune-telling’ is.) She had told me that you could predict death and how irresponsible that was to tell people when they were going to die. The thought of pulling a Death card and having to tell someone that they were short for their time on Earth really scared me, and I never ever wanted to read tarot cards because I was afraid of what I would have to tell someone.

Of course none of this was true, but as a kid you only know what your parents tell you. And even though as an adult, I knew this wasn’t even remotely how tarot cards work, I still had this crazy reservation when it came to cartomancy. So getting over the fear of reading was a big deal for me and ultimately for moving forward in my practice.

Releasing past fear with tarot

If you’re just starting to become curious about tarot cards, it is important to release your past expectations. You might have had a similar experience to me and have associated Tarot with a lot of fear. If that’s the case, remember that tarot cards have nothing to do with anything bad or evil. They are just an intuitive tool to help manifest your clairvoyance or inner knowledge. They can help you connect with your higher self and even reveal what lies underneath the shadows.

You don’t need to be gifted your first tarot deck

There is some sort of myth that I’ve heard that you have to be gifted your first set of tarot cards. And maybe once upon a time this may have been true. But if this was the case now, I would have never started reading tarot. You don’t need to be gifted your first set of tarot cards, in fact, it’s more personal if you look around and choose the tarot deck you feel most connected to.

Try checking out decks online first

When beginning to look for your first tarot deck, start online. Type in tarot card decks on Amazon or any other online book realtor. There are so many types of cards and artists, see which ones you are drawn to and feel a connection with. The better the connection you first feel with your tarot cards, the more likely your readings will be accurate and attune to you. Try visiting some local book or occult shops, so you can view some decks in person. Sometimes seeing them in person instead of online can help you decide which ones are right for you.

Different decks for different things

Different tarot decks will sometimes have different feelings associated with them. For instance, one deck might lean towards feeling more relationshippy and another one is really spot on with digging deeper into situations. When you start reading tarot, you’ll start to see different ‘personalities’ develop for your tarot decks. This is natural as your intuition grows and evolves, and you begin to associate different decks with different thoughts and feelings.

Raider Waite is a great first-timer deck

In the end, if you’ve looked around online and visited a few different decks in person and still can’t decide, it’s best to start with a basic Rider Waite tarot deck. This deck is sometimes called the grandfather of all tarot decks. Published in the early 1900s by  A. E. Waite and Pamela Coleman this ‘original’ tarot deck is a great place to begin your tarot journey. Each card is very symbolic and associated with elements and zodiacs that can help your interpretations. Look at the symbolism of the cards and most importantly how each card makes you feel.

Whatever tarot deck you decide to choose, remember that your tarot practice is personal, and your first tarot deck should be something you decide for yourself.

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HOW TO DRESS YOUR CANDLE ACCORDING TO YOUR INTENTION

Candle magic is surprisingly something I was late to the party for. Sure, I used different color candles for my spells but actually using candles and dressing them for intentions came later on in my practice. 

I don’t really know what held me back from working with candles, but they are one of the most efficient ways to send and set your intentions out there to get results.

1 Decide on your intention

The first thing you want to do before you move forward with your spell candle is deciding on your intention. Are you wanting more money? A new career opportunity? Or opening yourself for a new relationship? Be as specific as possible. 

2 Choose your candle 

Choosing your candle doesn’t have to be a perfect match, but pick something that speaks to you. This could be the color of your candle, green for money, red for love and passion etc. Choose the size of your candle according to how many days you want to light your spell candle. For instance if it’s a quick spell, a small candle will be fine, for something that you need across 7 days, use a large pillar candle. 

3 Cleanse your candle

Once you have your candle chosen, you are going to want to cleanse it. I am guilty of skipping this part, but it’s still important. Cleanse your candle like you would any other working tool. I preferably use incense but choose whatever cleansing method works for you.

4 Dress your candle

Dressing your candle is basically rubbing it down with oil. Choose an oil that works well with your intention. Olive oil is great for drawing in, or finance. Rose oil for love. If you don’t want your candle oily, light the top of your candle until the wax on the top has a melted pool. Drip your oil in the melted wax and then let the wax harden. You can also add herbs or other small crystals to dress it up more. Continue to choose crystals and herbs to match your intentions. 

5 Carve your candle

Next carve your candle with your intention. You don’t have to do this step, but sometimes it helps set the candle if you carve one word phrases such as LOVE, MONEY or something to that effect on your candle

Once you’ve dressed and carved your candle, it’s ready for your spell work. 

Witch tip: The longer you work with your candle and ‘dress it up’ the stronger the energy will be when you send out your intention. how to dress your candle according to your intention

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Kick start your spring season by getting some spiritual cleansing done! For more witchy content, tips on starting your practice and more >> follow or visit witchesbelike.com. 

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Use this tarot spread today to help open up your intuition and see where you need to expand your practice. #blessedbe everyone! 

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Everybody has their own way to open and close spells and rituals. When I first started Witchcraft one of the things that used to annoy me was how many variants of everything there were. I was so used to a standard of doing things it never occurred to me that everyone just connects in different ways. 

Opening and closing rituals and spells does not have to be a complicated drawn out process. Sometimes if I’m in a hurry (okay most of the time) I will just use some quick visualization and move on. But if I’m really feeling that I need to put the time in I’ll follow these steps. Like always if you don't’ connect with something, change it to work for you.

Opening your spell

Clearing your space 

If you are getting ready to perform a ritual one of the first things to do is clear the energy of the space. This is really easy and usually just achieved by lighting incense and cracking the window. (Yes I know energy can move in and out without opening any windows but the smoke needs an escape route.) 

If you are unable to light incense or the smoke is really irritating, set out a clear glass bowl of water with salt added to it. Set it out for a few minutes to clear up any energy in the room and then you can just flush it down the toilet.

Meditating

After clearing the space where I will be doing some magic it’s time to clear my head. Usually this just takes a few minutes to meditate on what I call ‘the day away.’ If you’re anything like me (an over-thinker) then you know your mind is full of all the junk that you’ve been thinking about and that’s not good for spell work. You don’t want your own energy messing up your spell, so take the time and clear your mind and process out anything that will interfere with your magic. 

Casting your circle of protection 

Casting a circle for protection is super important in magic. You don’t want anything coming in and bothering you during your spell casting and you want to be safe when you are opening yourself up. 

To cast a circle, I usually just use a quick visualization and imagine a bubble around me made up of bright white light. You can crystalize the circle if you feel like you need some extra protection. 

If I’m feeling fancy, I might sit on the floor and create a physical circle with various candles (mostly tea lights). You can also add in incense, crystals or anything else to help you get into the witchy mood. 

Closing your spell

Thanking the energy in the room

Closing your spell is much easier and doesn’t really require as many steps. For me, this usually just involves me blowing out any candles or incense I have going and thanking the energy in the room. 

Releasing your circle

You will also want to release your circle of protection. If you use the visualization, you will want to visualize it dissolving or if you have candles placed around you in a circle you can start to remove them signifying the ritual is complete and the circle is no longer needed. 

Icon Art

The art icon for this blog post was created by Obsidian Odyssey! Go check out this witches amazing artwork!

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Cleansing with the 4 elements is one of the first things I learned in Witchcraft and a really simple way to cleans tools, ritual items and even yourself. The process is really simple and involves passing each item through an elemental representation. The best part is that you can find things outside or use items you already have to represent each element in your cleansing. I still use this cleanse on the reg, especially with new items, tarot and just really anything that I feel like needs a good energy clearing. 

The first thing you need to do is find or acquire an item that represents each of the 4 elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Use 4 separate items. I’ve listed below my suggestions but feel free to use whatever representation makes sense and speaks to you. 

Element Representation

For Earth you can use small potted plants, dried herbs, leaves, small sticks, crystals or even smooth rocks. 

Air representations can include bird feathers (that have fallen off naturally), incense or dandelions. 

For fire you can use candles of any kind, incense or metal objects that have been welded like old keys and small trinkets like rings or pendants. 

Water is the easiest, use a small glass or bowl of water. (Bonus if it’s moon water.) You can also use sea shells, tea cups, or even brewed hot tea.

Don’t feel stuck to these items only. If something speaks to you and you feel like it represents an element for you, use that item instead. The best representations to elements are ones that have a personal connection to you. 

Cleansing 

After collecting your items, place them on your alter or on a flat surface where you will be doing your cleanse. Space out each elemental representation in a square starting with Earth. Light any incense or candles if you have them for your element representations. 

Now, take the object you are going to cleanse and ‘pass them through’ each element starting with Earth. For instance if you are cleansing a new ritual tool and are using crystals for your Earth representation simply pass the item over AND under the crystal to cleanse of the energy. When you’re done move onto the next element. Repeat until all 4 elements are used and your items is cleansed. 

Safe Keeping

Keep your element ritual items in a small box or drawstring bag until next time and leave them in a space where they won’t be disturbed. If you have items you can’t keep such as leaves from outside or water in a cup, you can bury the contents outside or use the water to water plants. 

* The graphic for this post was created by Obsidian Oddessy. Please check out her amazing painting for magical beings!  

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How To Make A Spell Locket

I love lockets. Especially vintage ones that have filigree designs engraved on them. Or sometimes they come in different shapes like hearts, circles or ovals. Lockets to me already feel kind of mysterious reminding me of poison rings but for keeping photos or secrets inside. 

If you have a locket sitting around, this spell is the perfect way to switch it up and wear your locket with your spell intention. If you need a locket first, try checking out thrift shops or craft stores. You can find pretty inexpensive lockets at any jewelry rack at a second hand shop, or score a pack of them at your local craft supply store. 

Making spell lockets is really simple and only requires a few ingredients depending on what you choose to designate your locket for. 

Protection Spell Locket 

Black Obsidian Chips

Mugwort, Sage, and/or Rosemary

Black Candle Wax

Incense

Abundance Spell Locket

Citrine Chips

Basil

Green Candle Wax

Incense

Psychic Abilities Spell Locket

Amethyst

Jasmine 

Purple Candle Wax

Incense

To Find Other Witches Locket

Labradorite

Rosemary

Gold candle wax

Incense

To create your spell locket set your items out in front of you and light the candle color correspondence to the spell locket you are creating. Light your candle and incense. Meditate to clear your mind and cast a white circle around yourself and your spell.  

Light your incense and cleanse your locket by passing it through the smoke first. Next, cleanse the crystal chips and herbs you will be using. 

Arrange the crystal chips in your locket. Next, arrange the herbs. Both the crystals and the herbs should be placed in a way that the locket can still be closed and latched if necessary. If you have too many pieces in your locket, reduce them by removing a few herbs and crystal chips. 

Once you have the desired amount and your locket can easily close, take your candle and let the wax drip inside setting the crystal chips and herbs inplace. (Careful not too much!) Let the wax dry. If you’ve over dripped or are no longer able to close the locket, carefully take a toothpick and scrape the excess wax off. 

Set your intention over the locket by reciting the following but paraphrasing for your intention: I create this amulet for ______________ and charge it with my intention to _________________.  (For instance you can say, “I create this amulet for protection and charge it with my intention to protect me from all harm.”)

If you are actively wearing the necklace, don’t forget to take it outside and charge it under the full moon each month. 

Graphics on this blog post were created by Obsidian Odyssey. Thank you so much for creating the amazing art art for this post! Check out her witchy blog and join her online coven. <3 

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Living With Intention

When I first heard of living with intention I thought it was just some girl boss energy that I didn’t really want to participate in. I’m not a hustle wake up at 5 am person, so that never really works for me. I’m more of a lay in bed until 11 and I’m hungry enough to get coffee gtype person. So I initially just brushed it off as another lazy way businessmen are trying to hype up manifesting money. (That never really works mind you,) But then I learned that living with intention isn’t goal setting, it’s a lifestyle that adheres to what you want and how you can live your life to make it happen, in any way that you want. And no, you don’t have to get up at 5 am everyday to make it happen. 

Intentions not goals

I HATE goals. Like deep hate for them. All that slander in the early days of hustle culture really hit a nerve because not everyone is built for that same energy. And I saw a lot of people feel really guilty when they failed simply because that system was not designed for them.

When I say we are all different, I mean it. Each member of my family has a different energy type. So when you have one recipe for goal getting, it’s not going to work for everyone in the room. And yes, some people will fail and it has nothing to do with how hard they tried or how much effort they put into it, despite what all the hustle gurus tell you. 

Because it’s all about intentions NOT goals. You see, goals are little demons that crawl around making you feel guilty for stepping outside of your dream and doing something different just because you feel like it. Example 1: Oh you overslept, you didn’t get up at 4:30am and you missed your workout class now you are a failure forever. How is that mindset even healthy?!

Intentions are more simple and have a slower pace. Intentionally I want to someday live in an old Victorian house that we can fix up and make beautiful again. So I look up how to fix things and practice in my current home. I also read blogs on fixer-uppers and DIY everything I can in my house. This helps prepare me for the big dream. Intentions are not goals, but small steps you take to move forward with what you want. Can intentions change? Sure, I may never even move (LOL) or I may fall in love with a different style home. But does that mean I’m a failure? No, it means my intentions have changed and there’s room for that flexibility. 

Intentions can be other things, like career choices, what you want to study in school or how you visualize your life. Let's say you want to someday be a salon owner. You can start living intentionally by researching salon ownerships, studying business or researching where you can get your cosmetology license. All of these things have the intention of someday being a salon owner. You can also do other things like enjoy your life, go out with your friends and work on your mental health. None of the other things take away from living with your intentions. It just means you are experiencing a full life. 

Intentions are moving forward daily and taking small steps towards how you want to build your life, without all the drama that comes with goal setting. With intentions there's room for failure, flexibility, and changing your mind all while still manifesting the life you want.   

How I live intentionally

Journaling

Journaling has always been a big way for me to sort out my feelings and I incorporate that into my intentional living. I know goal setting is all about writing your goals, and setting time frames but we are setting intentions here so let's scrap that. If you want to set intentions and use your journals, write how you feel. How you would feel walking into your salon (if that’s your goal) or what you feel like researching or doing in the next month to live in your intention. If you manifested life includes owning a salon, maybe you want to look up cosmetology schools in your area, or maybe you want to do something fun like practice doing your own hair. Either Way make sure it’s bringing you energy and lots of happiness when you’re doing it. Intentions should never feel like work or a chore, they should feel fun and full of invigorating energy.

Making a mood board or collage

Start by clipping images, having a dedicated Pinterest board or just using Tumblr to get an aesthetic of how you see yourself in the future. If you’re owning a salon in your future you can imagine how it would look on the inside, maybe pick a logo or color palette or make business cards for fun on Canva. Remember it doesn’t have to be stressful or complete. Just fun ways you envision yourself living the life you want. 

I like to  categorize everything to make it easier for me, so I might have several folders on my laptop with pictures of things I’ve gathered over the years. My folders are categorized in things like, family, home, career, money etc. That way I can see each board individually and play around with the images I find online. Sometimes I print them out, sometimes I don’t. 

The important part of making a board or collage is to help visualize how you see yourself in the future. If you want to go to a specific school or live in a certain state, start compiling images in that space and picture yourself there. Use full sensory visualization. How does it feel? What is your day like? Remember visualization makes reality because our thoughts are things. 

Using spells

Spellwork is a great way to move forward with your intentions and can be the magical boost you need. Want to get a certain job? Maybe as your first step towards a new career? Before you interview, do a spell to set up that energy up for success. You can continue to use spellwork throughout your life to manifest your needs step-by-step and create a mindset where you are attracting what you want. 

It helps to break down your intentions into digestible parts and start with the first step. Each time you move towards another step in your journey see if you can incorporate spellwork into your manifestation. Each little jump forward is you moving closer to the life you want and more importantly living your truth.

Art on this post was created by Obsidian Odyssey! Thank you for collabing with me and creating the art for this post. Check out her witchy blog! Also she’s an AMAZING artist and has a free coven you can join!

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Things to do for a Spring Witch

Spring isn’t really my jam, but I do like to incorporate seasons into my practice. I love how each season brings with it a certain focus so you can really explore your magic throughout the whole year.

March 20th  is the first day of spring this year, and where I live we have had a long snowy winter so I’m really ready to incorporate some warm days into my magic. 

1 Clean out your witchy supplies

It gets to be a mess, I know. Spring is a great time to cleanse and purge your witchy things. Donate what you don’t need and organize the rest. Your magic will thank you. 

2 Do a big ritual cleanse for all your baddy spell casting

Kidding, but for real. Spring is a time for cleansing. 

3 Sweep out the negativity from your life 

This is not in the literal sense. To do a broom cleanse, open all your windows and doors and take your broom two inches above the floor metaphorically ‘sweep’ the negativity out of your space. 

4 Spring walks for collecting items

Spring is the best time for finding witchy things outside. I’ve found insect wings, small animal bones, rocks, anything you think you’ll need for your craft. 

5 Spells for New Growth

Ready to get that new job? New home? Or start a new business? Spring is the nest time to piggyback off that energy. 

6 Spells for Abundance

Want to attract more abundance around this time? Add dill or parsley to a drawstring bag and place it on your altar or carry it with you. 

7 Charge your Crystals (for real this time)

I’m not the greatest when it comes to taking all my crystals outside and charging them under the full moon because really it’s a nuisance. But I try to commit once a year and spring it when it is. 

8 Cleanse your tools

While you’re charging your crystals, do some more magical spring cleansing and charge your tools too. 

9 Honor your Ancestors with fresh picked flowers 

Next time you’re outside, pick up some fresh dandelions or spring flowers and place them in a vase for your ancestors. 

10 Draw, write, meditate outside

Take some time to sit outside and reflect. 

11 Focus on spiritual growth

Remember that the season of spring is all about new growth, growing spiritually and creating the life you want for yourself. 

12 Spring Clean your space

Sometimes it starts with the mundane work. Take some times this spring and clear out your physical space, sometimes it helps with your mental space too.

13 Make sun water

Make sun water on the first full spring day for the masculine equivalent to moon water. 

14 Go outside, camp, take a walk, connect with nature

This one speaks for itself, but go outside, connect and get out of the winter mood. 

15 Grow your food for spells

Even if you don’t have a lot of space (me!) take an old terra cotta pot and grow some tomatoes or zucchini. Use the vegetables in a soup spell. 

16 Grow herbs

Another way to bring spring into your home is to grow herbs. Start with basil on your windowsill and go from there. 

17 Make sun tea

Sun tea is simply making tea and setting the pitcher outside letting the sun brew the tea for a few minutes. Create sun tea and absorb that good energy from the sun in every tea glass. 

18 Press flowers or leaves

Press flowers or leaves gathered from your next walk and use them to decorate your spell book or journal.

19 Read tarot 

Do a really intense tarot reading for the season and see what’s headed your way.

20 Learn a new divination 

Spring is the perfect time to pick up a new skill. If you’ve been leaning towards learning a new divination technique, now is the perfect time to learn it!

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Self Protection Jar

This is a throwback to an old spell that uses a lot of sharp items to create a protection jar. Using sharp objects like thumbtacks, pins or broken pieces of glass is a way to create a ‘psychic fence’ so to speak. That way anything negativity coming towards you will be pushed back or deflected by all the sharp objects surrounding your energy field. 

What you’ll need

1 clean and cleansed jar (see note on this post on how to cleanse your jar)

Sharp items (Thumbtacks, pins, opened safety pins, needles. If you’re going to use broke glass PLEASE BE CAREFUL)

Add in any protection herbs or crystals if you choose to but I usually skip this step. 

Something that binds you to the jar such as fingernail filings or a lock of hair. The original spell asked for drops of blood but that’s a whole different thing if you want to do that. I recommend just using hair because of the risk of infection by cutting yourself.

Cleansing your jar

It’s important to cleanse your jar first and foremost. You can use any jar (Hello salsa and sauce jars!) Clean them out super well. If you are stuck with a smelly jar that has retained a strong odor even after washing out thoroughly you can rinse the jar with vinegar or let it sit overnight. That will usually get rid of any smell. 

Once you have cleaned your jar, I simply cleanse it by using incense. Light your incense and let the smoke thoroughly fill up your jar before releasing it into the air.

What to do

Set up your spell with any provisions you would normally use. Light candles, incense, and have any crystals out that you feel connect you to your magic. Protect your space by imagining a white light in a circle around you encasing the jar and sharp objects inside. 

Place each object inside until your jar is at least ¼ to ½ of the way full. Last, add a lock of hair or item that you chose to bind this jar to you. 

Once everything is inside, close the jar. If you want to seal the jar with wax you can take a candle and drip wax on top of the jar or on the sides letting the wax drop down into the seal. 

Close your spell and release your circle. 

Take your jar and hide it in a dark place where no one will find it. 

SPECIAL SHOT OUT to Obsidian Odyssey for collabing with me and creating the art for this post. Check out her witchy blog! Also she’s an AMAZING artist and has a free coven you can join! 

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Ever since I can remember I've had really bad nightmares. Eventually as I got older, it got to this point where I had developed insomnia and anxiety associated with sleeping. It sounds so dumb, because sleeping is a super basic natural function so why was it so stressful? 

Over the years I learned a lot about sleeping, how humans are designed to sleep and how stress, trauma and anxiety can lead to problems getting a good nights sleep. I also learned how unproductive people are simply because we are tired all the time. 

I first ran into this chant reading an article that interviewed a spiritual medium. I am no medium, I do not  communicate with spirits on the reg nor do I help people talk to their dead relatives. However, the chant still really helped me put up some barriers when trying to fall asleep.

The chant isn’t really a ‘chant’ but a series of visualizations that I throw up right before I go to sleep. It takes about a minute and I never forget to do it. 

Before you fall asleep, while you are laying in bed with your eyes closed, say this:

I ask my spirits and guides to watch over me and keep me safe when I sleep. 

I ask for protection from all ghost, demons, spirits, negativity and anything else while I sleep. 

Now imagine in your mind a bright white circler of protection around your room keeping you and wherever you are sleeping inside safe.

That’s pretty much it. Super easy. Feel free to modify it in anyway that works for you. (The original chant was different but I changed it to work for me.)

Sometimes I also picture a massive ‘gate’ and close/lock the gate to lock out anything I don’t want in my head or dreams while I’m sleeping. This is also super effective. 

In addition to this chant I also sleep next to a hunk of Black Tourmaline and a Selenite, but work with whatever crystals vibe with you. 

In the end I don’t know if it’s really ghost keeping me up at night, or just the ghost of my own stress and anxiety manifesting in the creepy-ness. Like I said I am not a medium so I don’t play in that space. But regardless this simple chant has helped me for YEARS so I wanted to share it. 

*Note sleep disorders are serious business, in no way is this advice to be taken in precedence of a doctor. If you are seriously suffering from insomnia or anxiety please seek out professional help. This chant is only meant to aid in sleeping or getting a good nights rest, not a cure for a serious medical condition. 

[witchesbe-like]

There are probably a million reasons why sometimes spells just don’t work. Most of the time it comes down to needing to do the inner work or just waiting a little longer than you thought necessary for the magic to happen. Just like anything else, witchcraft is a practice and spell work takes time. So if you’ve been feeling out of focus with your casting there’s probably a reason why your spells aren’t checking out. 

Read below for my top ten reasons why sometimes spells just don’t budge. 

1 You didn’t do the inner work

The number one reason why magical intention doesn’t move the energy you wanted it to is because there are blocks, energy blocks. All these blocks are blocking up your ability to push forward to what you really want. Want to focus on more of your magic? Do the work to remove the blocks so you can forge ahead. 

2 Your spell doesn't align with your highest intention 

Yes we all have the greatest potential, but what if what you’re asking for isn’t really aligning with that? Maybe you’re destined for bigger things…like owning that big company but you’re asking for a small fry raise at a place that drives you crazy with a toxic boss instead? If you have a calling go for it, don’t settle for second best. Your magic will help you more when you’re aligned with what you’re supposed to do. 

3 You don’t have enough focus

Spells are hard to perform. They’re even harder with kids, siblings, noisey housemates or any other interruptions bargingin in during your ritual work. If you really think you weren’t focusing enough, don’t force it. Just try the spell again when you can get a little quiet time instead. 

4 It just didn’t work

For reasons beyond understanding it just wasn’t meant for you (or me). I like to think of cases like this where my spirits are looking down the tunnel of my future and saving me from some really horrible outcome. So I say in instances like these, don’t force it, just go with the flow. 

5 You’re meant to focus your energy elsewhere

Just like the spell not aligning with your highest intention, it could be that your energy is needed elsewhere. Pay attention to where you are being drawn to. Something better could be waiting around the corner. 

6 You just need to practice

Pushing your magical energy out there to attract what you want in your life is not an easy task. It takes many years of dedication and practice to get it right. No one is perfect at it, and especially if you’re just starting out you may just need to practice. Don’t get frustrated, just like anything else, practice makes spells perfect.

7 You really don’t want it

Did someone beg you to perform the spell (the worst). Or is it something you really don’t want to do or happen? Dig deep and really ask yourself those hard questions. Are you manifesting what you truly want for yourself? 

8 The spell you used was off

Spells are weird. And there are a LOT of bad spells. Sometimes it’s hard to see which spells are not it and maybe the one you’re using just isn’t vibing with your energy. If it’s something you really want, switch up the spell and try again. 

9 You don’t believe

Belief is the number one drive in your magical force. If you don’t believe it's like driving a car with no gas in the tank. Believe, believe, believe. 

10 You’re just having an off day

Maybe you're just having an off day. It could be the planetary alignment, some funky person bothering your vibe at the gym, or a multitude of reasons why your energy was off. Even the best witches have off days. Dust off your spell and try again. 

[witchesbe-like]

When I first started reading tarot I had all these reservations and newbie mistakes that I sometimes made for YEARS. Don’t be like me, learn how to read tarot, be confident and understand that the good comes with the bad. And you’ll be an expert tarot reader in no time. 

Tarot is a tool for YOUR intuition - I don’t know why, but this really didn’t resonate with me right away. I would second guess, re-read, and not use my intuition when interpreting  the cards. In the end that cause some really inaccurate readings then if I would have just used tarot as a tool to grow my own intuition and spiritual feeling. 

Don’t stress read - I know I know we all do it. Madly shuffle the cards then start pulling whenever things start to go array. Let me be the first to tell you that is not an accurate reading. That is just you stressing out pulling cards in a fury that will only lead to more stress. 

Take time to meditate and clear your mind beforehand - Don’t come into a reading with a cloudy head. If you really want to get a good read, spend a few minutes clearing your mind before you shuffle your deck. 

There are no bad readings - I repeat, there are no bad readings. Even horrible tower falling outcomes are just the start to something new and better. If you do get an outcome from a tarot spread that is less than favorable breath and take it one day at a time. 

There are also no bad tarot cards - Just like there are no bad readings, there are no bad cards. Endings are just beginnings in reverse. So even if your BFF is stabbing you in the back with the 5 of Swords, don’t worry it’s just your spirits getting rid of them for you. 

Get to know your decks beforehand - Each deck sometimes has a little personality. Spend some time with them, know them, see how they read for you before you jump in with all the important stuff. 

Meditate with cards you feel drawn towards - Do you really vibe with the High Priestess? Or maybe it’s The Hermit for you. These cards could be your archetype. Pull them out, meditate, feel their answers and seek guidance from them. 

Take breaks from reading - I am a huge advocate from taking a break from tarot. Sometimes you need to change it up, put it down or just step away for a few days or a year. Whatever it is take time away if and whenever you feel the need to. 

Use tarot as a tool for manifesting - Ask questions, lots and lots of questions about different outcomes. If you don’t like the outcome, change your question or change your mind and ask again. Once you get the desired results stick to it. 

Don’t read for free, but practice - I see so many new tarot readers reading for free online. Don’t do it! Your time is precious and if someone wants a free reading, they can lean it themselves. 

Don’t skip knowing your shadow self in a reading - One of the best things you can do is learn exactly who you are, and you can’t do that without knowing all the parts of yourself you’ve rejected. Use the tarot to get to know yourself in the shadows too. 

The cards never lie - Never. Ever. 

Reshuffling won’t bypass a reading you didn’t like - Don’t get yourself trapped into ‘clarity’ cards. That’s shuffling and asking the same question again and again for clarity, or until you get the answer to the question you want. Sure ask for clarity ONCE when you don’t really understand, but don’t ask again and again just to see what you want. 

Don’t wait to start tarot - If you feel called to read tarot, start now! You don’t have to wait for someone to gift you a deck (who started that bad rumor anyway?!) 

Confidence is key - This also took me a long time to ‘get’. Read with confidence. You are a badass witch. You have stepped outside to do so much spiritual growth, why would your card reading reflect any different? 

Your tarot reading is not the end all be all - Tarot is subjective, not prophecy. So change your mind and change your future. Nothing is set in stone. 

[witchesbe-like]

I hope all you witches have a happy holiday!!

[witchesbe-like]

I know the saying is spirituality isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t mean it has to be inaccessible. I remember how difficult it was starting my practice and wanting to get all the things that cost all the money and having neither. One of my favorite go-to places from way back then (and still is)  was the dollar store. If you really look up and down the isles, you’ll find so many things you can use in your practice on the cheap.

My advice to baby witches just starting their collection of craft items is be patient. Set a budget of a few things and make sure they are the items you need to use on the reg. Once you’ve picked up your first couple of things, plan out the next few pieces you will need to help expand your craft. Don’t worry about getting everything you need at once. More than likely you won’t need everything you think you do in the beginning anyway. 

Make sure you are purchasing à la carte items one at a time as needed, and stay away from Etsy and spiritual shops that tend to overcharge. Instead, use them to pick up special items like crystals or blended oils that you can’t get at a discount store. And always keep your eyes open at garage sales, thrift shops and your grandmas house.

*Each local dollar store will have different inventory, so your dollar store might vary in what they have available. Take note of what they have but check back every few months when they rotate their stock. 

Notebooks, Pens/Pencils - Note books, pens and pencils will be at every dollar store. You can even pick up markets or colored pencils. 

Journals - Journals are sometimes stocked with the book isle. So I usually check that area to see if there are any blank journals I want to use for spell books or craft journals. 

Candles - Dollar stores are the jackpot for candles. You can get pillar candles, tea lights or votives in glass.

Offering Plates - They typically have clear glass bowls you can use for offering plates or even small dishes. 

Bottles (Glass or plastic) - I’ve found colorful glass bottles with cork tops at one time or another, this might be a seasonal item. 

Mirrors - Mirrors are always good for reflecting spells so pick up a few for protection/reflection magic. 

Olive Oil - You can use olive oil to anoint and bless. Grab a bottle if they have it in stock. 

Essential Oil - Your dollar store may carry a limited amount of essential oils, if they do you know you’ve scored big. No doubt these aren’t real essential oils and probably more like fragrance oil, so I wouldn’t put directly on my skin, but you can still use them in candles and just in general. 

Boxes/Bins/Storage - Any dollar store will have loads of bins, and storage to hold all your witch crafty items in. 

Incense/Incense holders - My dollar store always stocks incense cones, so I know they will be there, but I’ve seen sticks and some too. 

Jars - Grab some canning jars! You will definitely need them to make spell jars and hold items in. 

Yardley Soap - In my opinion, this soup is so overlooked. This original recipe dates back to the 1700s and is made in London. Use it for cleansing and ritual work. 

Clay - Clay can be used to make small pentacles and even painted with paint from the dollar store. You can use clay to create other alter items as well like candleholders, beads and jewelry. 

Calendars/Planners - Most calendars and planners will have the moon phases written on them, and if not you can always go in month to month and write it in yourself. Planners are a great way to track moon phases and spells that are coming up.

Drawstring Bags - Perfect to house herbs, crystals or anything you want to carry around with you in a little pouch. 

Chalk - Chalk can be used to draw on doors, windows and porches for protection symbols. You can also use it to draw your circle around you when you cast spells. 

String - String can be bought for tying up bags, knot spells or cord spells so definitely something handy to have around. 

Felt - Not every dollar store will have felt, but it’s worth a mention. Use for making poppets and dolls. If your dollar store doesn’t carry felt, craft stores usually carry it for a dollar a sheet.

A small stool or shelf - If you’re looking for a small alter space you might be able t find a shelf or small stool/table. 

Table cloth - Dollar stores will generally have this item either in the party section or in the household items. Typically they come in white but if you go during Halloween season you might be able to score a black one. 

Seasonal decorations - Always head over to the dollar store for any seasonal items. Think Yule décor, Halloween decorations and so much more. 

Lighter/Matches - A regular find at any dollar store and super useful. 

Paper - Loose leaf lined paper or computer paper is always good to have on hand aside from notebooks.

Spices (Garlic/Salt/Cinnamon) - They won't carry all the spices, but a dollar store will have a small selection. Look for cinnamon, garlic, salt and sugar. 

Honey - Perfect for making honey jars and sweetening up spells.