Made a small travel altar in a glasses box for when I can't bring my larger one. It has a couple crystals I use a lot, some clear quartz, an improvised pendulum, a candle, some salt, some bay leaves because I like working with them and a cloth to spread out below it. Honestly, for a last minute project, not bad!
Here's a good article regarding channeling your energy for witchcraft:
Channel Energy: Successful witchcraft, learn about channeling energy in spells & rituals. Tools & techniques. Witchcraft: A Metaphysical Blo
I also want to update and say that I'll be more inconsistent towards my craft since lately I've been feeling less connected to witchcraft. I'm not sure what to do about it.
if those cleansing spells don’t feel like their working - try grabbing a broom and physically brushing those vibes away, it’ll help clear those last few traces of lingering energies <3
to enchant an item is to infuse or fill it with energy. in witchcraft, this is commonly done with intent or to serve a specific purpose. this energy can come from a variety of sources, including celestial bodies, elements, crystals, herbs, or even yourself.
some individuals use the words “enchant” and “charm” synonymously as a way to describe the process of infusing something with energy, but for the sake of this post and due to my own beliefs, you enchant something and it then becomes a charm. alternately, a charm can be something with its own innate energy, like a crystal or herbal amulet.
enchanting items to turn them into magical objects involves more than just intent - you must learn to channel and manipulate energy, and direct it into that item for enchanting to be successful.
all that aside, the process of enchanting is extremely versatile and there are many ways to do it.
here are a few ideas on how to enchant items, in no particular order:
surround the item with corresponding herbs or crystals
place the item in a jar filled with corresponding herbs or crystals, seal, and set aside to "charge"
place the item in front of a colored or scented candle that corresponds to your intent and meditate
anoint the item with an oil, charged water, or crystal elixir of corresponding intent
hold the item in your hand(s) and visualize it filling with energy; you can also speak or sing your intent aloud and play music if you want
craft a sigil to keep near the item in an envelope or sachet
sew, stitch, or carve a symbol into the item
write your intention on paper and keep in an envelope with the item; bonus points if you add a tarot or oracle card to the envelope
bury the item in a mixture of soil and corresponding herbs
pass the item through incense smoke
pro tip: time your enchantments with the appropriate planetary hour, day of the week, time of day, or lunar phase to increase your chances of creating a successful charm.
In witchcraft, as in biology, you cannot survive without the use of salt. Salt is the ultimate purifying agent, and it has extensive ritual and spell usages that every single magick-using culture has come to recognise and use. Everything from Terry Pratchett to Supernatural has used salt in their work related to magic lore, and this is because it’s extremely common in real-world customs, traditions and rituals.
Important Witchy Facts About Salt!
Salt is a cleanser. Salt is used when we cast circles and bless items; it is used when Sumo wrestlers purify the ring before a fight; it is used when a kitchen witch scrubs down their tabletop; it is used when a Christian priest wishes to cast out demons; it is used when a butcher wants to kill germs. Salt is the ultimate cleansing agent, killing not just microbes but malicious or negative magicks, holding them at bay and driving them out.
Salt is a barrier. Salt lines around doors, windows, beds and even houses have been used for thousands of years as methods of driving back dark forces and keeping bad spirits at bay. Negative magick and bad spirits cannot cross a line of salt, and often touching it is said to be enough to kill them (or at least burn them). Scattering salt grains before a fae will force the fae to stoop to count every single grain, because they’re a bit obsessive and can’t leave it alone.
Salt is cheap and safe. This is actually pretty important, because whilst some magickal items (like candles, pentagrams and athames) are kind of indisputably witchy, salt is not only cheap, safe and generally useful, it’s also something that you HAVE to have because humans NEED salt to survive. So, for those secret witches who might live at home with unaccepting parents, or in a country that does not permit witchcraft, it might be the only tool you can always have access to that won’t be questioned.
Salt is versatile. You can use salt in all kinds of different rituals and practices, everything from cleansing a circle to blessing a wand to calling down a curse. Salt is something that has many potent ritual properties, and it’s an essential part of almost all magic.
Mineral salts:
Look. I’m not gonna judge if you want to use fancy pink salt or whatever. That’s your call. All I’m saying is, it’s really expensive and it’s literally no different to the cheap table salt you get from the shops. Magickally speaking, salt is salt. Magick doesn’t care if it’s Himalayan mountain salt or if it’s Woolies Homebrand table salt. Don’t waste your money! Honestly, it’s not worth it unless there’s a very specific reason to do so.
So, keep a stash of salt in your house! It’s an awesome thing to have for magick, and boy is it good to eat too!
Cleansing the removing negative or unwanted energy from the surface and returning it to its original state energetically. It's the removal of unwanted energy from a person, place or object.
Cleansing is important because you must be working with fresh, pure energy/intent rather than old, negative energy.
Cleansing can be ceremonial or apart of your everyday routine.
There are many different ways to cleanse:
Incense - Each kind has a different purpose when you put your intention into it. Aim at you object and make a spiral movement to cleanse.
Sound - Using/Playing/Listening to a singing bowl
Sun or Moon light - State your intention to cleanse and leave the object under sin or moon light.
Crystals with a cleansing correspondent - Lay them on yourself, place on top of the object, or carry them around. Visualize or say your intention aloud.
Bury or surround the object with salt.
Visualization - Hold the item/space/person in your mind, visualize pure light filling the object purging unwanted energy
Water - Taking baths or showers while visualizing being cleansed.
Your voice - Hold both of your hands over the object you want to cleanse and say these words or similar:
"As Above So Below I cleanse this Object of All negativity in both past and present. With Harm to none so mote it be."
Once finished take the pointer finger of the hand you write with and draw a Pentacle (A star with a circle) over the the object.
You’ve probably heard the verb “to charge” in the context of sigils, charms, or other related spellwork. But what exactly is charging? And how do you go about it?
Charging
When you charge something, you’re using an external source of energy to power your item. The goal is to draw energy from a larger “battery” source, such as the sun or a crystal, into the object you’re charging.
What can I charge?
Many spells, ritual consecrations, and talismans have instructions to be charged as part of their method. Sigils, for instance, need to be charged before use. Sacred water often needs charging by moon, salt, or sunlight. You can charge any tool, talisman, jewelry, tarot deck, or magickal item you wish whenever you want, to keep it “powered up”, however!
Charging Methods
Moonlight - Place your item so it’s illuminated by the moon. Charge it overnight if you wish!
Crystal - If you have a pre-charged or cleansed crystal (and you can cleanse one by running it under cold water), you can place it on top of or next to the item to charge it. Crystals can be used as “charging batteries” in this way!
Earth - Lay your item out on fresh earth or on the ground. Press your hands into it and feel the Earth lend its power to, and draw excess energies from, the item.
Personal Power - Placing your hands together over, or against, the item, and drawing power from the ground, air, or your usual power source, then directing it into the item.
Candle - Lighting a candle with intent by, or on, the item. The candle is usually left to burn out.
Fire - This method is used when an item is to be consumed, such as a sigil on paper. Non-flammable items can also come into brief contact with fire (such as a candle flame) for charging.
There are dozens more methods - these are just a start! Find the method that suits both yourself and your intent, and it’ll all come easily.
It is a simple way to charge up and cleanse your crystals without having to focus on visualisation. Simply put your crystal in the center of a piece of paper, and write around it two categories of words: the things you want to fill your crystal with, and the things you want out of them. Then draw arrows pointing into the crystal for the positives, and away from it for the negatives.
This is a visual way to charge/cleanse without having to maintain focus. I’m certain it could work for any object you want to use, not just crystals!
Casting a circle is a common ritual practice by witches. The inside of the circle is seen as a safe, energetically protected space as sacred magical work, rituals, and spells are preformed within the space.
Witches cast circles because casting a circle keeps desired energy in and unwanted energy out. An energetic circle helps us gather and concentrate energy to support the purpose of our magic.
Casting a Circle:
To cast circle, first prepare where you will cast it. Part of casting a circle is about mindset, cleanse your space and protect yourself from unwanted energies using psychic protection.
After cleansing and protection, gather any tools or items you want in the circle. This could be candles, crystals, tarot or ritual cards, etc.
Ground yourself and connect to the Earth's energy. Center your focus and intention on casting the circle.
Cast the circle starting at the top of where the circle will be and walk clockwise around the space. As you walk visualize a circle of energy being created as you move.
After the circle is cast, close your eyes and start to call on the elements, this is known as "Calling the Quarters."
This is done by facing each direction (North, East, South, West) and calling upon Earth (N), Air (E), Fire (S), and Water (W)
Calling the Quarters is intended to cleanse, protect, and ask for help within the circle.
Feel the shift in our body and you space, state your intentions, then preform your ritual or magical work within the circle.
Closing the Circle:
After the ritual or magical work is completed, walk counterclockwise around the circle while visualizing the energy dissipating, and thanking the invoked energies or spirits for their presence.
After closing the circle, ground yourself and release any energy from the ritual.
witchy reminder ~ for myself and for others who may need it
typing this on my phone at 02:00 in the morning without my glasses on. spelling and grammar mistakes beware
not everything needs to have a reason!
sometimes you don’t need a historically backed up reason to use an herb or an element in your spell. you don’t always need to have paragraphs of reasons why XYZ corresponds with a certain intention or purpose.
of course, using ingredients with rich histories and thorough explanations is great and i highly recommend it, but also sometimes it’s equally as good to just do something because it feels right for you!
research is ultra-mega important, but so is listening to your gut instinct.
if you want to use an ingredient in a spell for no other reason than “idk i just think it’ll go well”, do it!
you may come to learn that ingredient is highly successful in that type of spell. or, you may learn that type of ingredient is not so successful. either way, you’ll learn something new, and isn’t that one of the main points of life?
January 3 ● Full Moon in Cancer (Wolf Moon)
January 18 ● New Moon in Capricorn
February 1 ● Imbolc
February 1 ● Full Moon in Leo (Snow Moon)
February 17 ● New Moon in Aquarius
February 26 - March 20 ● Mercury Retrograde
March 3 ● Full Moon in Virgo (Worm Moon)
March 19 ● New Moon in Pisces
March 20 ● Ostara
April 2 ● Full Moon in Libra (Pink Moon)
April 17 ● New Moon in Aries
May 1 ● Beltane
May 1 ● Full Moon in Scorpio (Flower Moon)
May 16 ● New Moon in Taurus
May 31 ● Full Moon in Sagittarius (Blue Moon)
June 20-21 ● Litha
June 15 ● New Moon in Gemini
June 29 ● Full Moon in Capricorn (Strawberry Moon)
June 29 - July 23 ● Mercury Retrograde
July 14 ● New Moon in Cancer
July 29 ● Full Moon in Aquarius (Buck Moon)
August 1 ● Lammas
August 12 ● New Moon in Leo
August 28 ● Full Moon (Sturgeon Moon)
September 11 ● New Moon in Virgo
September 23 ● Mabon
September 26 ● Full Moon in Aries(Harvest Moon)
October 10 ● New Moon in Libra
October 24 - November 13 ● Mercury in Retrograde
October 26 ● Full Moon in Taurus (Hunter's Moon)
October 31 ● Samhain
November 9 ● New Moon in Scorpio
November 24 ● Full Moon in Gemini (Beaver Moon)
December 9 ● New Moon in Sagittarius
December 21 ● Yule
December 24 ● Full Moon in Cancer (Cold Moon)
❦ Intent Is Not Everything: The Architecture of a Spell
You don’t build a fire by yelling “burn.” (or maybe you do?)
So let’s talk about why some spells flop. It's not because your desire was weak. Not because the moon was in the wrong position. But because you built a magical toaster and forgot to plug it in.
You can have a brilliant, spicy spark of intent, but if it has nowhere to go? No structure to hold it, no current to carry it, no ritual act to release it? That energy just... sits there. Fog in your chest. Static in your bones. Sometimes it loops. Sometimes it leaks. Sometimes it just becomes ✧vibe soup.✧
This isn’t about perfection. Or control. Or doing it “right.” It’s about structure and the subtle architecture that lets magic move.
Let’s break it down.
⚙︎ The Functional Parts of a Spell
⚘ 1. INTENT — The Internal Spark
This is the raw juice. The emotional voltage. The psychic heat. It’s not just what you want, it’s what you’re willing to make room for. Not a wish. A directive.
Intent is clearest when it’s emotionally honest and not trying to control everything like a micro-managing Virgo sun.
Bad intent ≠ evil intent. It usually just means the signal is fuzzy, performative, or split. You say “I want clarity,” but your gut is screaming “abandon ship.” That’s a short circuit.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Functional EEG studies show intent activates motor planning centers before action begins (Libet, 1985). Translation: the brain literally starts prepping for action the moment will is engaged. Magic agrees.
Ask: What am I actually calling for? Not with my mouth, but with my will?
➴ 2. FOCUS — The Conscious Thread
Focus is what holds the circuit together. Lose it, and your spell turns into an energetic sneeze.
It’s not just about “concentrating.” It’s about staying present enough that the energy doesn’t leak out your ears. Focus is somatic. Breath. Trance. Motion. The ritual nervous system.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Sustained attention boosts neural connectivity (Posner & Rothbart, 2007). Theta waves (4–8 Hz), accessed in trance or deep meditation, = peak spellcasting state. High suggestibility, low inner critic, good vibes.
Ask: Can I stay with the energy long enough to deliver it?
⚒︎ 3. ACTION — The Ritual Anchor
Action is what makes the spell real. It’s not a metaphor. It’s a physical interface.
Whether it’s lighting a candle, chanting, drawing sigils, or screaming into a jar. A ritual action anchors intent in time and space.
The body becomes the spell’s delivery system. It’s not just theater, it’s sensorial confirmation that “something has changed.”
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Embodied cognition says movement affects belief. Intentional gestures create somatic markers (Wilson, 2002). You literally move your body into belief.
Ask: What is my body doing to tell the world this spell is happening?
❀ 4. CORRESPONDENCE — Symbolic Resonance
This is how your spell speaks the universe’s language.
Correspondences (herbs, colors, crystals, numbers) aren’t just ✧aesthetic choices✧. They are the semantic tags of the ritual world.
But they’re not universal. What’s “attraction” in one system might be “banishing” in another. Magic is contextual. Meaning is coded.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Lakoff & Johnson (1980) argue that cognition is metaphor-driven. When you use red for desire, you’re engaging neural circuits that associate red with heat, passion, and activation.
Ask: Do my symbols clarify the spell, or confuse it?
⌛︎ 5. TIMING — The Temporal Current
Spells don’t exist in a vacuum. They drop into a world that’s already moving.
Timing can mean:
Moon phases
Planetary hours
Your own emotional weather
Ancestor holidays
“This just feels right”
Right spell, wrong time? It fizzles. Or misfires. Or just ghosts you completely.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Chronobiology says our bodies respond to time cycles (Refinetti, 2006). Mood, immunity, cognition—they’re all tide-sensitive. Why wouldn’t magic be?
Ask: What larger rhythm is this spell stepping into?
❂ 6. MEDIUM — The Elemental Channel
Magic needs a conduit. An element. A field. A medium to move through.
Is it fire? Smoke? Water? Ink? Your body? A blog post? A bone? A USB drive?
Medium decides how the energy moves, and where it lands. Wrong medium = muffled signal. It’s like trying to cast a glamour using baking soda.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Energy always moves through something. Different materials conduct energy differently. Even placebo effects rely on the “medium” of meaning and context (Benedetti, 2012).
Ask: Where is this spell going? And can the medium carry it?
🜸 7. RELEASE — The Letting Go
No spell works if you cling to it like it’s your ex. You have to let it go.
Release is the exit point. The click. The exhale. The hand off the steering wheel. Without release, the spell loops. It stalls. It paces in your aura like a ghost waiting to be dismissed.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Polyvagal theory says we need closure to reset our nervous system (Porges, 2011). The same might apply to magic: unresolved intention = energetic static.
Ask: Have I released this? Or am I still haunting it?
The Spell as a Functional Circuit
Visualize it like this:
If any part of the circuit is broken, the spell may misfire, stall, or just sit in your chest like ghost soup.
This is basically the magical version of a pre-flight safety check.
Magic Is Not Wishful Thinking. It’s Systemic.
A spell is not a vibe. It’s not ✧aesthetic ✧. It’s not a Pinterest board with herbs.
It is a functional symbolic system designed to influence reality. Neurologically, emotionally, energetically, maybe even physically.
It works when it’s built to move energy. When the circuit is whole. When the fire has a place to go.
A spell isn’t just a spark in the dark.
It’s the structure that carries that spark into the world. And lets it burn clean.
Part Ⅱ of Occult Mechanics 𝟷𝟶𝟷
✍︎ Further Reading & Sources
✧ Magic & Culture
Frazer, J.G. The Golden Bough (Sympathetic and contagious magic)
Tambiah, Stanley. The Magical Power of Words
Betz, Hans D. (ed). The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation
✧ Science of Mind & Body
Porges, Stephen. The Polyvagal Theory
Libet, Benjamin. “Unconscious Cerebral Initiative and the Role of Conscious Will.”
Wilson, M. (2002). "Six Views of Embodied Cognition." Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Benedetti, F. Placebo Effects: Understanding the Mechanisms
for witches who practice in secret, are chronically ill, or anyone else who might need it. ♡
color magic for the clothes you're wearing for the day
meditation and breathing exercises
single card cartomancy readings - you can even use playing cards
craft sigils
use a necklace as a pendulum if you don't have one
stir intention into your drink
add magically charged ingredients to your cooking
bless pre-made meals
bless your drinking water / add sigils to the bottom of your water bottle
craft an easily accessible, easily disguised shoebox or candy tin altar
keep crystals in your pocket or on your person for manifestation
magical planning, introspection, or meditation on low spoons days
practice energy manipulation with the energy readily available around you
gather natural items from the environment and use them as amulets or talismans, depending on what they are (acorns for protection, direction, and to ward against storms, for example)
bath and shower magic for self care if you can - a washcloth or makeup wipe with a simple incantation goes a long way
set a small open container of salt in your room to absorb bad vibes
or get a small salt lamp for the same purpose
open a window to let fresh air inside to cleanse your space
use wax melts, incense, or candles for positive vibes - you can carve sigils into the wax
choose scents that align with your intent for things like sprays, perfumes, soaps, candles, etc.
collect magical water for later use (rain, storm, moon, sun, etc.)
use beads and string or thread to craft charms for protection
craft a dream pillow with calming herbs such as lavender or chamomile for restful sleep
keep a tarot card or crystal under your pillow to manifest intentions as you sleep
cast a protection spell when you go to tie your shoes or buckle the seatbelt in your car
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