Witchness, Witchstress

An Ever-learning Solitary Witch since 2017 I gravitate toward lunar, green, tarot, crystals, candles, & sound magicks

[fleur-angedesir]

[etheribot]

The Samhain Ultramarathon | 100 Days of Witchcraft

"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...

October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^

Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"

The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P

I'm sharing this now, over two months out, to give anyone who may want to participate time to coordinate! If you want to share your preparations and if you want to share your "marathon experience" once the challenge itself starts, please use the tag #TheSamhainUltramarthon !

[chthonic-eclectic-riorson]

Reasons why you should be using invasive plants in your spell-work

Helps improve the overall health of your local ecosystems and native wildlife.

Allows you to build a better relationship with the spirits of your area.

There is no such thing as overharvesting, so if you worry you’re the type when foraging for ingredients to go heavy handed; go to your invasives.

Inherently these plants when used in spell work will be fast-working, highly adaptive, and dominating.

You likely already have an invasive in your area that has the intentions you want to use in your next spell.

Allows you to not rely on massive monoculture farms that over-farm and hurt the environment.

Gives you the excuse to go outside and get moving which has been proven to have positive impacts on mental health.

Invasives aren’t hard to find. You can find them at the park, school campuses, any patch of grass along the road, etc.

The baneful possibilities are endless, like you can get so creative.

Depending on what exactly is your invasive and where you’re foraging from it’s free food.

Some Important Reminders

Research what are your natives and your invasives and learn to identify them, especially if they are similar to natives or have dangerous look-a-likes.

Read up on your area’s by-laws to ensure you are foraging invasives in a legal and safe way.

When harvesting invasives harvest carefully and be aware of how this specific invasive spreads, so when harvesting you’re not possibly helping it spread.

Don’t compost invasives.

Some invasives are poisonous or toxic, so research and be careful when handling. Please don’t consume or use in any workings that would require burning them or skin contact.

If looking for edible invasives or invasives you plan on using in salves or bath rituals, don’t harvest from polluted areas and ensure it is not toxic.

[cybergemini777]

[cybergemini777]

[cybergemini777]

[wrathful-warhound]

Queen Hera

[vexheart]

[homey-worshiper]

AI has no place in paganism. I cannot imagine worshipping Demeter and destroying everything that represents her. I cannot imagine worshipping Amphitrite and Poseidon and actively poisoning them. I cannot imagine worshipping Hera, Hestia and Zeus and taking people's houses for AI centres.

Spend years learning to draw and write. Learn to be a person again.

[ohmymoxie]

as a witch that really struggles with rampant diagnosed OCD and intrusive thought loops, i can tell you with absolute certainty that your brain might FEEL like an enemy of your practice, but it isn’t.

i know those spells interrupted by wobbly intentions and racing thoughts FEEL less potent, but they aren’t.

you hold concentrated power in yourself and are SO capable despite the neurodivergence, despite the self-doubt, despite the tired soul.

you are no less a witch.

[moth-kissed-witch]

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone who also did magic, although at the same time being with someone who doesn't is very fun in and of itself!

He gifts me bones cause I like making things from them. He sends me videos/photos of all the animals in his yard and he gives them silly names. He shows me the best spots to view fireflies at night and the bunnies in the morning. He affectionately calls my familiar "walnut guy" cause his vessel is a walnut shell and gives him his own silly dialogue.

He doesn't know how/why my spells work, how I predict things through tarot and dreams, how how I commune with spirits. All he knows is it works and it makes me feel happy, so that's enough for him!

[yorubaby]

"A jinx will ruin someone's day or week (maybe), a hex will wreak havoc in a certain area of someone's life, and a curse will get up from your altar, pick up it's purse and lipstick and go become the worst roommate they ever had" - My wife when I asked her to describe the difference between the three

[breelandwalker]

2026 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here’s a handy list of the 2026 dates for the solstices, some commonly-referenced holidays, full and new moons, planetary retrogrades, and special celestial events. I’ve listed my sources at the bottom. This year's listings have also been updated to include full moon and seasonal observance dates for the Southern Hemisphere.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -5). Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area.

Please Note: This is not meant to be a universal or infallible system of marking seasonal or lunar days of import for witches and pagans. Readers should take their own paths and beliefs into account, and are also encouraged to create their own seasonal calendars, holidays, and observances based on your local biome and personal preferences. Enjoy!

Northern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht

June 20-21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22-23 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule

Northern Hemisphere Full Moons

January 3 - Wolf Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

February 1 - Snow Moon ♌

March 3 - Worm Moon ♍ (Lunar Eclipse/Blood Moon/Micromoon)

April 1 - Pink Moon ♎

May 1 - Flower Moon ♏

May 31 - Blue Moon ♐

June 29 - Strawberry Moon ♑ (Micromoon)

July 29 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♒

August 28 - Sturgeon Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

September 26 - Harvest Moon ♈

October 26 - Hunter’s Moon ♉

November 24 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♊

December 23 - Cold Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

Southern Hemisphere Solstices, Equinoxes, & Cross Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

March 20 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

April 30-May 1 - Samhain / Final Harvest

June 20-21 - Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule

August 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

September 22-23 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

October 31 - Beltane / Halloween

December 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

Southern Hemisphere Full Moons

January 3 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♋

February 1 - Sturgeon Moon ♌

March 3 - Harvest Moon ♍

April 1 - Hunter's Moon ♎

May 1 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♏

May 31 - Blue Moon ♐

June 29 - Cold Moon ♑ (Micromoon)

July 29 - Wolf Moon ♒

August 28 - Snow Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

September 26 - Worm Moon ♈

October 26 - Pink Moon ♉

November 24 - Flower Moon ♊

December 23 - Strawberry Moon ♋ (Supermoon)

*The astrological signs should remain the same for the Southern Hemisphere, it's just the names that are flipped around due to the difference in seasonal cycles.

New Moons

January 18 ♑

February 17 ♒

March 18 ♓

April 17 ♈

May 16 ♉

June 14 ♊

July 14 ♋

August 12 ♌

September 10 ♍

October 10 ♎

November 9 ♏

December 8 ♐

Special Celestial Events

January 3 - Supermoon

March 3 - Lunar Eclipse, Micromoon

June 29 - Micromoon

August 12 - Total Solar Eclipse

August 12-13 - Perseid Meteor Show (coinciding with new moon)

August 28 - Partial Lunar Eclipse

October 21-22 - Orionid Meteor Shower

December 13-14 - Geminid Meteor Shower

December 23 - Supermoon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Planetary Retrogrades

November 11 2025-March 10 2026 - Jupiter ♋

February 26-March 20 - Mercury ♓

May 6-October 15 - Pluto ♒

June 29-July 23 - Mercury ♋

July 7-December 12 - Neptune ♈

July 26-December 10 - Saturn ♈

October 3-25 - Venus ♏

October 25-November 13 - Venus ♎

October 24-November 13 - Mercury ♏

December 12 2026-April 12 2027 - Jupiter ♌

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

Witchcraft Exercises for Building Your Craft

Full Moon Calendar 2026, Space.com.

Moon Phases Calendar 2026, MoonInfo.org.

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2026, SeaSky.org.

The Year in the Sky: 2026’s Most Noteworthy Celestial Events, Scientific American.

Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing, DarkSky International.

2026 Wheel of the Year, Patheos.

Astrology Calendar 2026, YourZodiacSign.com.

2026 Retrograde Planets Calendar and Astrology, Astrostyle.

Image Source - How Stuff Works

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If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, join my Patreon, check out my published works, or shop for handmade witchy wares in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

[chalantwitchery]

Gonna be sending this care package off to a friend!

In the package:

Personalized spice jar filled with:

A Personalized homemade tea blend

Personalized perfumes (based on OCs)

Small customized bottle of gem shards

Three healing crystals

Keychain jar w/ glitter: “Unicorn Dandruff”

They’re not witchy like me, but they wanted a customized jar so I threw in a few other fun things I thought they might like!

[cybergemini777]

[wetheurban]

May we all receive good news in July.

May we all smile more in July.

May we all experience ease in July.

May we all worry less in July.

May we all get good sleep in July.

May we all choose ourselves in July.

[pisces-core]