grimoire

i like to throw things at the wall until they stick and i need a flexible place to keep a grimoire. im an agnostic witch. i like tarot, herbalism, candles, research, spirit work, ouija, witchcraft and its history, and spellwork. he/him

[witchynb]

wish spell

i lit a candle and let it burn. i added pink salt, orange peel, pieces of a bay leaf, a dandelion leaf, garlic, paprika, and some moon water. this spell is all about visualization. i held my hand over the flame and imagined how it’d feel when my wish was fulfilled. i focused on that feeling for a while, then i blew out the candle.

[witchynb]

money spell

i placed a penny under a white tealight candle, lit it, and waited until the wax melted. i put four green plastic rocks around the candles. i added cinnamon. my friend lights the candle once a day. or he’s supposed to.

[witchynb]

self care spell

i lit my altar candles and lit a white tealight candle. once the wax began to melt, i added some himalayan pink salt, poppy seeds, rosemary, sage, thyme, black pepper, garlic, and lavender. i burned a eucalyptus leaf and some dried pine needles, and added lavender and eucalyptus essential oils. i added paprika and sprinkled some moon water to activate the spell, and then added more pink salt. i held my hand over the flame to absorb the energy from the spell. i periodically relight it and burn pine needles in the flame. 

[witchynb]

energy work

grounding-balancing your personal energy

cleansing-removing unwanted energy from a space or object

warding-creating a shield to stop unwanted energy

raising-generating energy

charging-sending energy to an object 

casting-matching energy with intention 

[witchynb]

herb list pt 3

dill weed-element fire/protection from curses, mental and emotional balance, dispel bad dreams, money 

eggshells-element fire/purification, protection, warding

goldenrod-element air/recovering from grief, deflecting magic back onto the sender, divination, prosperity, money, love

himalayan pink salt-element water and earth/love, self love, wish making, carrying away burdens and attachments

morning glory-element water and fire/banishing addiction, binding, finding lost objects, bridging between this life and the afterlife, astral travel and visions, renewing vows, mourning, persistence

paprika-element fire/boosting spellwork, energy, fidelity, hex-breaking, love

pokeweed-element fire/courage, hex-breaking, cleansing, exorcism, protection, finding lost objects/berries can be used to make ink

poppy seeds-element water/fertility, insomnia relief, offering for the dead, luck, creating confusion, money, love, abundance, agriculture, invisibility 

rosemary-element fire/warding off evil spirits, psychic detox, purification, rituals, nightmare protection

sage-element air/fertility, mental clarity, protection, banishing, wisdom, longevity

thyme-element water/health, healing, sleep, psychic powers, purification, courage

[witchynb]

has someone done magick?

sometimes it’s useful to know if something going on around you is regular weird or weird because someone has used magick to make it so. witches often have a good nose for this kind of thing because they practice magick themselves. or, we recognize the tools and materials involved in working magick. 

some very common tools of the trade that, if you notice them, might mean someone is doing spellwork:

candles, especially if they seem to be arranged in a pattern

ribbons or string, especially if there are knots 

herbs

offerings like food, water, alcohol, drugs, sacrifices

nails, needles, or pins

symbols or strange words on anything

jewelry

money, but coins in particular

dice

shells

crystals or stones

tarot cards, pendulums, or spirit boards (sort of obvious) 

bones, in particular spines, individual vertebrae, skulls, antlers, femurs, teeth, finger or toe bones 

hair, nail clippings, urine, blood

smoke

chanting, singing, or bells 

once you identify everything involved in a spell, if you have that luxury, it can often tell you a lot about what kind of magick was being done.

sometimes, though, we don’t ever see the spell. what then? we have to use our instincts and magickal tools to learn more. this can take a lot of practice, especially if you aren’t very naturally inclined. that’s okay, because there’s still a lot you can learn even without being especially psychically gifted. and, it’s great practice to hone your intuition for the future!

if you close your eyes and really focus, do you feel like someone has used magick? do you feel someone else’s intentions? do you feel a very strong vibration or a feeling?

what do you feel now, and what have you been feeling recently? is it different from your usual emotional state? 

if you think the magick might be attached to a person or object, how does being around them/it make you feel? is there a feeling that comes with touching the object, or is it strangely hot?

have you been having bad luck, intrusive thoughts, or unusual or bad dreams?

have you made any recent life changes, or had a major and unexpected event occur? for example, did your relationship with someone drastically change? did your health suddenly improve or worsen? did you have an accident? 

you can do a tarot reading to try to get some answers about the situation, if that’s something you do. or, you can use a tarot reading, pendulum, or spirit board to try to question entities about anything happening around you. you can also use tarot or a pendulum to gauge your own subconscious thoughts about the situation, which is very helpful. 

none of this is very specific, because i wanted to keep it short. it’s not so much a guide to knowing what was done as if something was done. from there, the particulars can be researched to determine more about the situation. this is just an idea of what to pay attention to. none of the things above are necessarily good or bad, that depends on the circumstances.

[witchynb]

weird occurrences

quick trigger warning: the following post is about some experiences i’ve had and some things i’ve learned. some of the content might be upsetting. i’m specifically putting a warning on this post because i’m going to talk about animal sacrifice and murder. i really recommend that you don’t read through this if you would find any of that potentially triggering. also, i’m obviously going to leave some things out because they’re personal either to me or someone i know. 

since becoming more interested in witchcraft, i found out that in my very small town there is a very active group of people practicing really dark magick. i found out by chance, because i made a friend who is related to someone who used to belong to the group. since then several strange things have happened. the first was out of the blue. me and some friends went to a creek where my friend has played since childhood. someone left the aftermath of a dark ritual on a rock there. there was a sacrifice of a young dog, and there were objects placed around it. there was a can of beer and a metal vessel, a coin with a rabbit on it, a deer antler, two old watches in a tobacco tin, and in the water someone found one die, presumably from a set. someone else at the creek that day took the dog in the woods to bury, and i managed to convince them without outright saying “i’m a witch” that they should also dispose of all the ritual objects. i did a lot of research in the following days about the kinds of magick practiced in the u.s. that have similarities to what i saw. my friend says that the group claims to worship the Christian devil, and that they have done a lot of bad things in his name and to try to obtain power. i believe they are heavily influenced by satanism, santeria, and palo mayombe. i don’t think any of those belief systems are bad or wrong, but the people who use those tools can obviously choose to abuse them. the sacrifice is often an offering or an energy source for spellwork. it can produce very powerful results, especially as an offering to a malevolent force with a lot of power. the coin and watches may have been intended as a portal of some kind, or maybe they were personal effects of a person the magick was being worked for. the rabbit can be a fertility symbol when used in the context of satanic worship, although i don’t know that that was necessarily the intent. the beer is a typical offering based on the belief systems above, as well as the antler. the die makes me believe there may have been divination involved in the ritual. i believe they wanted to welcome an entity, either a demon or the devil, to join them and help them work magick. i dont know if it was solely a summoning ritual, or if they summoned something with a particular purpose in mind. 

the next strange thing to happen has to do with the spirit board. we went to a place where we knew there had been partial remains of the victim of a murder. we spoke to her, and she was very angry with the people who hurt her. she said that her death had a ritual purpose. it was meant to summon a demon whose name im not even willing to spell out. we refer to him as “B”. he has attached himself to my friend’s house because one of her relatives was involved with the people who did it, although he had nothing to do with that ritual. we knew about B before, but it was scary that the spirit confirmed our anxieties. B is very persistent. he hangs over my friend like a dark cloud. she sees him in dreams. he follows her when she leaves the house. she is working to protect herself, but she has been dealing with this for a long time. 

recently, my friend found a strange necklace outside. we were immediately suspicious because of the way it was found out in the open, as if it were left there on purpose. i’ve never seen a pendant like this one. it has weird symbols that on further examination are arranged in the shape of an upside-down pentagram, or the head of the goat. the only leads we found on the specific symbols were for two of them. one is often used by satanists of mal intent as a fertility symbol, which brought my mind back to the rabbit. the other was very similar to the alchemical symbol for arsenic. i dont know how much importance the actual object had in the purpose of the work they did. i do know that looking at it drew me in. it was the same way with the ritual we found at the creek. i did some questioning with my pendulum and there was an entity who claimed to be a demon on the other end. it said that it was attached to the necklace and it was intended to cause suffering for the people in my friend’s home. i didn’t trust it entirely, but it did also say that it thought it wasn’t fair to hurt my friend just because her relative was so disliked by the group who called it. it said if i tried to send it away it would go. at this point i should mention that everything i’ve said here and everything that i’ve learned has been a group effort. my friend in particular has been really helpful, because she is very psychically gifted and knows a lot more about the people involved, their intentions, and what they’ve done before. at this point, since it was her necklace, i asked her what she wanted me to do. i gave her a few options, and she opted for me to “annabelle it”. i created a safe way to contain it without attempting to do anything to the presence residing in it. the entity hasn’t harmed anyone or created any bad feelings since then, and my friend has chosen to hold onto her “demon in a bottle” for the time being. 

[witchynb]

resident spirits

the spirits who reside here and want to continue to have contact are very positive and lowkey. i put together a small altar for them alongside my main altar. i had this really pretty decorative box, about the size and shape of a small shoe box, that i used to keep everything in. i keep a tarot deck, journal, and pen in the box along with my pendulum in order to communicate with the spirits and keep a record of messages i might need to recall later. i also have some stones that i put in there, because the spirits mentioned the sun’s energy in our conversation about making an altar for them. i gathered and dried some morning glories (4 total, one per spirit) and arranged them with acorn caps, rosehips, and a crystal in a small container of salt. i also threw in a candle. the spirits said they were cool with that and that they don’t need anything from me, they’re just here to help and for some company. they often suggest self care, and our conversations aren’t ever draining or upsetting. feeling stressed or uncomfortable while working with a spirit is a red flag. i don’t know these spirits very well, but i look forward to continuing to work with them and finding out more. 

[witchynb]

occult research

just as a warning for anyone following this blog, the things i post are not necessarily recommendations. especially in the next little while, i’m planning on researching sides of magick that i personally do not and will not practice. i’ll try to be clear in my tone, but this blog is where i record my personal notes. take everything with a grain of salt, but it’s gonna be here for you to reference should you find yourself in need of it. i’m putting it here because i find myself in need of it, so never say never. 

[witchynb]

calming hair spell?

i threw rosemary, lavender, and orange peel in a little jar...mostly just because i like them

to use it i scooped a small amount of coconut oil and some of the herb mix into my hands and warmed it up. i scrunched it into my hair. mostly it was for moisture and also calming. i did think i noticed some extra growth. 

[witchynb]

advice on communicating with spirits

in recent months i’ve been convinced to break my vow against using a spirit board. my younger sister bought one and explained the safety tips she knew and showed me information written by experienced players. we played it with a friend and had a very positive experience. since then, i’ve decided that i’m very interest in spirit work. here’s what i know about using tarot, pendulums, and spirit boards to communicate with non-physical beings

tarot: if you shuffle the cards with intent, a spirit can use that as a way to bring through a message. i’ve used this method pretty sparingly, but it’s great because combinations of cards can create very specific, complex messages without words. especially with energies and spirits too weak to communicate with a spirit board.

pendulum: the palm of your hand is, in my experience, the best thing to use as a board. your body’s energy flows through your hands. ask the pendulum to establish a yes and a no, and anything else desired (maybe, don’t know), by the way it swings (either the direction it swings in a line or the direction of its rotation (clockwise or counter)). obviously this method is limited in the kind of answers it can provide, but it’s good for a quick answer from a weaker spirit.

spirit board: firstly, spirit boards are a slightly more risky way to communicate with energies. you are inviting them to borrow your energy for a longer period of time, and spirits that use the board are often stronger than the kind who are attracted to tarot or a pendulum. to minimize this risk, there are rules of careful play. when opening a session, make 2 counterclockwise circles with the planchette per person playing. say goodbye to close your session, every single time. some rules are flexible, but i’d stick by these two. some more safety guidelines (though not rules, because they can be broken if you have good reason or need): try to avoid using a spirit board when you’re extremely intoxicated. a very drunk or high person might forget or be convinced to break important rules. and if you aren’t under your own control, you could fall under the control of something else. possession is a worst case scenario here, so please use care. while playing, do your best to be serious and respectful. there are no wrong answers of how to talk to a spirit. (i’m of the opinion that we communicate with each other through impressions rather than specific words anyway.) but, especially if you’re inexperienced, it can be much easier to get the board to work for you and avoid conflict with entities. if something scary starts happening, you can always say goodbye and put the board away. i would recommend trying to avoid long, pointless conversations with negative energies. it’s often more upsetting than worthwhile, and it can be very draining. using the board in general can be draining, so use care. many people don’t use the board at home. they try to avoid attracting a lot of spirits and energies to their space. this is very good advice if you don’t have a reason to try to talk to spirits in your house. if you can use the board away from home, it will save you some energy buildup in your home. when it comes to what you’ll experience, be prepared for it to be hard sometimes! some spirits are bad spellers, some only speak in abbreviation, and some are very confused. i’ve encounter many spirits who can’t spell out whole words, and some who could only if they focused very strongly. some spirits spell out many of their words. most that i’ve met dont. it’s usually advisable to try to ask yes or no questions with spirits who can’t, don’t, or won’t write out long messages. sometimes you spend a half hour decoding a code. sometimes, though, these codes are very easy, especially if the spirit is known to you and/or the message is to you. this is part of what i mean when i say we communicate through impressions. i think that the spirit sends an idea, and how clearly it comes through indicates how much power they sent it with and the way it comes through depends on who’s playing. spirits often even have their own playing style, almost like a voice. they move the planchette with different speeds, strengths, and in different manners. sometimes, spirits will pretend to be something they aren’t. they can lie, and some will, so be cautious. don’t trust everything that claims to know you, even if it knows things about you. on the reverse side, don’t let spirits intimidate you. they will exaggerate their power over you. if you encounter something claiming to be demonic, it may not be. be cautious, but don’t fret over anything it threatens you with. remember that spirits need to be very powerful in order to manifest anything physical, and if they had that power they wouldn’t need the power you freely give while playing the board in order to communicate. most of the potential negative consequences of using a spirit board are emotional, so the stakes aren’t as high as you might think. but, it’s still good to be cautious and keep yourself safe.  

[witchynb]

new moon september 17

i was working with a pendulum and found out that there are several spirits who reside around and in my home who have been attracted here by people practicing the craft and doing spirit work. many of them want to find closure of some kind and leave, but some of them want to work with me. i’ve been thinking that this lunar cycle i want to focus on working with those spirits. the ones who want to stay seem to be interested in an altar. i’m not sure what to do for the others yet. 

[witchynb]

easy candle spell for protection, success, healing, and wisdom

useful when something isnt going your way right now but you’re working to make it better

i used a tealight candle and a bay leaf. i thought about what was bothering me and what will change it. i thought about the wisdom i wished others had, and imagined the feeling of everything being better. while i did that, i lit the candle and burned the bay leaf with the flame. i put the small pieces remaining into the melted wax when i blew out the candle and lit it a few more times over the following days, thinking about the change that i needed. 6/6/20

[witchynb]

spell bag to increase psychic energy and protect myself

i cut a rectangular strip of cloth, folded it in half, then sewed up two sides. i flipped inside out. 

next i prepared some sigils i wanted to add. 

i gathered a bay leaf, cinnamon, ginger, mint, pine needles, rose petals, and salt. i combined the pine, salt, and mint as they were all for protection. separately, i combined the cinnamon, ginger, and rose. cinnamon increases spirituality, ginger increases magick power, and rose increases psychic power. the bay leaf i kept separate, and it was for both protection and psychic power. i filled the bag with the herbs, and sewed the opening with black floss dipped in moon water. i put it under my pillow. 5/9/20

[witchynb]

making moon water

moon water is useful for cleansing and activating spellwork. 

put water in a clear container and place it outside under a full moon. return to collect it before the sun rises. 

[witchynb]

altar wikihow

altars are places of power and intention

find a place for the altar and gather what you need. what you need can be picked in a lot of ways: thinking about the elements and correspondences, balancing masculine and feminine energy, purely intuition, or based on a tradition you follow.

earth can be represented on an altar with crystals, minerals, rocks, wood, potted plants, herbs, salt, or a pentacle. water can be represented with shells, a water feature, a fountain, bowls, cups, or a pitcher of water. air can be represented with incense, fragrant flowers or herbs, essential oils, or feathers. fire can be represented with candles, ash, burned herbs, a lamp, or fiery stones (red jasper/tiger’s eye).

cleanse the space and the items (physically and energetically) and prepare them to be placed.

set up your altar intentionally, taking time to make sure it feels right.

activate it! start using it, light candles, invite in spirits if you work with them. maintain it through use and tidying it.

[witchynb]

sabbats

Imbolc-february 1/purification, spring is coming

Ostara-march 21/spring equinox, fertility festival

Beltane-may 1/may day, fire and fertility festival

Litha-june 21/summer solstice, joy, cleansing, bonfires

Lammas-august 1/harvest festival

Mabon-september 21/fall equinox, dark part of the year is coming

Sahmain-october 31/ancestors’ night, cast off old attachments

Yule-december 21/winter solstice