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“Becoming a witch is an awakening, a remembering, an initiation. It’s a chant to ‘come home, come home, come home’, because even when you feel like you’re lost, you’re not.”

— Gabriela Herstik

Life in the wide world goes on much as if it has past age. Full of its own comings and goings, scarcely even aware of the existence of Hobbits, for which I am very thankful.

my aesthetic is fully opening the window while it’s raining until I’m freezing cold because I want to listen to the sound of the rain

Lavender Syrup!

I know there are a ton of recipes out there, but this one's mine. I put in a lot more lavender personally.

- 2 cups sugar

- 1 1/2 cup water (here's an opportunity to use moon water for extra energy. Full moon water can boost the lavender correspondences for psychic awareness and love, while water charged in phases leading up to the new moon can boost lavender's ability to banish/protect from depression and anxiety)

- 4 tablespoons lavender- Peace/anti-anxiety, happiness, love, sleep, psychic awareness/ability, creativity, protection from ill treatment.

- purple food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

Warm the water and sugar, mixing till it dissolves, then add the lavender and mix well. When the water is boiling, lower it to simmer, cover, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. If you leave it for longer, it will become bitter. Then strain into a bottle, and THEN add the food coloring if you want. This syrup is not meant to be very thick, so that it mixes easily with cold drinks just as well as warm. If you want it to be thicker, add more sugar.

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”

— Margaret Atwood, from “The Penelopiad,” (via violentwavesofemotion)

Witchery for the hearth.

Lay thorny branches on your doorstep to drive away evil.

Put thyme in your last meal of the day to have pleasant dreams.

Place coins and cedar chips in a box for an easy money spell.

The bark of the willow tree is a natural painkiller.

Put almonds in your pocket to recover a lost object.

Light candles throughout the house regularly.

Sprinkle oats over your garden (especially herbs) to ensure good growth.

Honey is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial. Got a cold sore? Put that stuff all over that. Got a cold? Eat a tablespoon every few hours.

Place lilacs all over the house to get rid of unwanted spirits.

Drink cranberry juice to get a good detox when in need of grounding.

Hang dill over your door to keep people who wish ill on you out.

Place half an onion in the room with someone who is sick to draw out disease.

Place morning glory seeds inside your pillow to get rid of bad dreams.

Pour salt in your bath (or shower floor if you don’t have a bath) to cleanse and ground yourself.

Use chili peppers to break a curse.

Plant rosemary next to your front gate or door for a little good luck.

An alternative to meditation for people who can’t focus well

Hello dear little fairy blossoms! I know a few of my witchy friends are diagnosed with ADHD, and thus, they find it very difficult to focus on one thing at a time, making meditation a rather painful experience. When I heard about this technique from my friend Sapphire, I thought it would be perfect for those of you who can’t concentrate whilst meditating, and I have it from several of my other ADHD-diagnosed pals that this really does work well for them. So, here I introduce you to… energy reading!

But what on earth is that, RJ? you might ask. Good question. Energy reading is where you connect to an object and sort of vibe check it in that you can begin to understand its energy and connection to you and the world around it a little better. 

  -  First, choose your object!

  -  Rest your hands on it gently. Imagine its energy coming out of the object and rising to meet your own. Imagine it as light, if you like, or smoke. Whatever feels right for you and the object. 

  -  Be quiet with the object for as long as you’d like and think about the thoughts and feelings that come to mind when you touch it. Do you have thoughts of healing or fear? Happiness or serenity? Why do you think this is?

  -  After you’re finished, write it down in a notebook! Experiment with lot of other objects, especially plants!

I hope this helps you, little bubbles x

- Love from RJ <3 

[Revised 2/17] Books for Witches, Diviners and Spellcasters

Hi, everyone. A while back (a long time ago, actually), I started an annotated bibliography on books about witchcraft and magick, and I’ve updated it once (last November). 

Since then, I’d been keeping a list of things I need to add to it, but didn’t get around to actually reworking and updating the list a second time until today. Largely because I can’t really go outside much today because of the smog. But anyways, here it is. I’ve also included divination-related books in this version, whereas previously they were separate.

I hope you find something on here that suits your fancy! Happy reading! Also, yes, I do want to do more book reviews on this blog, so if you’d like a longer review of one of the books listed below, let me know and I can write one.

For Absolute Beginners

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Basic Techniques

Protection and Reversal Magick, by Jason Miller. This gets a little woo-woo at times, but he gives good advice on how to avoid serious problems that can come up as you begin to practice. Take with a grain of salt, though - some of this has the potential to make you feel paranoid.

City Magick, by Christopher Penczak. If you’re at all interested in tech witchery, or just want to practice magick within an urban setting, do check this out. It is by far the best look at the subject I’ve seen, and his discussion of urban tutelary spirits is worth the price alone.

Power Spellcraft for Life, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Nicely done, quite secular book providing basic beginner information regarding writing original spells and workings. It does fall prey to the trap of just listing correspondences with little information at times, but also contains a great deal of detail about ritual timing, raising power, and other topics essential for the beginner.

Sorcerer’s Secrets, by Jason Miller. This is a decent volume that describes a lot of techniques you don’t usually see in books, such as gesture and gaze-based magick. Be warned that Miller writes extensively about manipulative techniques, but it’s useful theory regardless of how you put it into practice.

Witch’s Bag of Tricks, by Melanie Marquis. This is not recommended for beginners, because the whole point of this book is to help existing practitioners refine and improve their already-established techniques. It’s got some novel ideas in it, and I like the author’s approach to symbolism in spellcasting.

Direct Magick (Energy Work)

The Un-Spell Book, by Mya Om. This non-denominational guide to working with magical forces is filled with useful exercises that go beyond the author’s previous work. I recommend reading this after reading Energy Essentials.

Instant Magick, by Christopher Penczak. Excellent beginner’s guide for those who don’t have access to a lot of fancy tools or prefer to work without them. This book won’t instantly teach you magick, but it will help even a seasoned practitioner find quicker, less-complicated ways of achieving results.

Energy Essentials for Witches and Spellcasters, by Mya Om. Though I balk at the use of the term “energy” to describe magical forces, this book is worth a look. It’s a bit like a workbook, with various exercises. Expect a lot of pseudoscience, though, and there are many religious references, but the techniques are solid.

Hedgewitchery and Astral Travel

Ecstatic Witchcraft, by Gede Parma. This is actually probably my favorite book on this subject, even though hedgeriding is only a part of what the book discusses. The only bad thing I can really say about this book is that it’s really not recommended for beginners, and it’s helpful to have the basics of visualization already mastered (for example) before doing the exercises Parma recommends.

By Land, Sky and Sea, by Gede Parma. This book goes into even greater details regarding different ways of conceptualizing the cosmology of hedgeriding, and I find it a very refreshing book that appreciatively draws from a number of different perspectives while grounding itself, so to speak, with the overarching metaphor of land, sky, and sea as the three worlds.

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak. Penczak is usually a pretty mixed bag, and this book is no exception. It gives a lot of good practical information and a very in-depth exploration of the three worlds (a useful concept), but it’s primarily framed by Wicca, so it might not resonate with those of other faiths and particularly those who aren’t pagan at all.

Ascension Magick, by Christopher Penczak. There’s a chapter or two in this that address alternate ways of conceptualizing the architecture of reality, and it’s pretty helpful for a hedgerider. Beyond that, this book is mostly about ceremonial magick, but it’s a (mostly) good book. Certain parts (such as the bit about UFOs) are a little off, in my opinion.

The Shamanic Witch, by Gail Wood. This book is really best suited for someone who practices Wicca and, besides the background info and cosmological descriptions, is really only useful in the context of that tradition. If you’re Wiccan or willing to pick around a lot of Wiccan-talk, though, this is a good foundation.

Witches, Werewolves and Fairies, by Claude Lecouteux. It can be hard to find scholarly works on these phenomena that are affordable, but here’s one I personally enjoyed. It details many accounts of journeying experienced by both pagans and Christians in earlier times, and gives a good description of the concept of the astral double, the architecture of the soul, and other topics throughout history.

Betwixt and Between, by Storm Faerywolf. This book is mostly a guide to the Feri tradition of witchcraft, but while I myself don’t practice that, those who do seem to know a lot about hedgeriding! The book has several chapters on the subject and is highly recommended for this reason.

The Psychic Energy Codex, by Michelle Belanger. A lot of people have strong opinions about this author, but this is book actually provides a lot of good information about so-called “energy work” which can be a step in the right direction for those wanting to ride the hedge.

Psychic Dreamwalking, by Michelle Belanger. In this book, Belanger discusses, essentially, how to use your non-waking life as a vehicle to for journeying, and while I myself don’t usually dreamwalk, much of what she says applies to hedgeriding in other states, too.

Hedge Riding and Hedge Witchcraft, by Harmonia Saille. I only mention these two in order to say that they’re best avoided. Saille tries to give a comprehensive look at the phenomenon, but it’s poorly-written and overly New Age. The negative reviews of them on Amazon really cover the problems with these book in more detail than I ever could.

Magical Writing, Words, and Symbols

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, by Claude Lecouteux. Mostly a historical text, this book isn’t exactly practical or terribly useful. It is, nevertheless, incredibly interesting. It’s a bit difficult to navigate, but worth a glance.

Composing Magick, by Elizabeth Barrette. A very general, but well-done, look at writing in a magical context. Some of the ritual templates are slightly specific to religious witchcraft traditions, but most information is widely applicable.

Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, by Susan Pesnecker. Focuses both on the physical act of writing as a magical act, and the mental state associated with it. Highly recommended

The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire, by Skye Alexander. This book is for those who want to create their own grimoire. It gives fairly good advice for doing so, as well as providing hints and tricks for spellcasting and useful correspondences.

General Concepts

Planetary Magick, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. If you want to work with the planets at all, particularly in a highly ritualized context, I recommend this book. It’s large, comprehensive and gives a good foundation beyond what you find in general astrology books.

Practical Planetary Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Shorter than I would have liked, but a useful reference to have on your shelf, with excellent tables and appendices in the back. The meditations are also quite useful.

Practical Elemental Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Should be read alongside the other book by this pair. Comprehensive guide to working with the elements in a ritualized fashion. Not as accessible to newbies as Lipp’s book, but good for seasoned practitioners.

The Way of Four, by Deborah Lipp. Though mostly geared towards Wiccans, I found this author’s in-depth treatment of the four elements highly fascinating. I will note that it’s probably best to get the print version of this book, as it contains exercises and quizzes.

Ingredients and Correspondences

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook, by Karen Harrison. I cannot praise this book enough for its concise and well-formulated approach to astrology, herbs, and magick as a whole.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson. This is excellent for anyone who’s interested in any kind of magick. Yes, the focus is generally herbs, but there’s a lot to be learned here about Kabbalah and other correspondence systems, as well.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic, by Sandra Kynes. Fills a very difficult gap in published knowledge regarding the use of essential oils by discussing, in great detail, how scents interact with each other and how to create a formula that’s not only palatable, but evocative.

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery, by Gerina Dunwich. Given the New Age fascination with all things shiny, it was quite a chore to sort through the myriad crystal books to find something with good information. While far from perfect and not exactly devoid of fluff, this book does give a level of detail about the lore surrounding gemstones not seen in many other texts.

Real Alchemy, by Robert Allen Bartlett. Excellent book, lots of history and detail. There’s a strong focus on tradition within the text, yet the author is quite accommodating of his audience and describes alternate methods that work better in a modern context.

Spagyrics, by Manfred M. Junius. With a highly-developed academic tone and attention to detail, this book is a meaty look at traditional alchemy. I recommend this more for intermediate practitioners due to the sheer density of information.

Spellbooks

The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen. The title sounds horribly fluffy, but this is a hidden gem. It explains obscure concepts like alternative alphabets and potential uses of musical notes, as well as plant lore and other bits and pieces. Definitely worth checking out. It’s way more than just “a book of spells.”

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, by Judika Illes. The title sounds trite to some, but it delivers. This book has spells from almost every culture and spiritual philosophy, as well as a very detailed formulary. I read it when I’m bored sometimes, too, just because I always learn some tidbit from it.

Book of Spells, by Nicola Pulford. In most editions, this book is absolutely gorgeous and describes spellcasting traditions from a variety of perspectives and traditions. Recommended for those who already understand the basics, as this book jumps straight into spellcasting and gives only a small amount of information about how things work.

Ceremonial Magick

Modern Magick, by Donald Michael Kraig. I received this as a gift several years ago. It is essentially a workbook meant to be completed slowly, step by step, and while the format will not appeal to everyone, it’s a good easy-to-read introduction to ceremonial magick.

Familiar Spirits, by Donald Tyson. Though geared towards ceremonialists, any practitioner can likely learn a thing or two from Tyson’s interesting stroll through the whys and wherefores of spirit work and thoughtform creation. This is by far the best book I’ve seen on the topic of familiar spirits.

Secrets of High Magick, by Francis Melville. The most recent edition of this (the one I own) is lavishly-illustrated and full of rudimentary, yet useful information. He stresses the basics of ceremonial practice, and his writing style is very accessible. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

My Life With The Spirits, by Lon Milo DuQuette. This is a memoir of a ceremonial magician, but it gives a good look at the magickal mindset in a highly developed form from someone who’s experienced quite a lot. I have major issues with DuQuette’s approach to Qabalah, but his memoirs are worth a read.

Chaos Magick

Liber Null and Psychonaut, by Peter Carroll. Classic book of chaos magick. I consider it required reading for almost anyone interested in the occult. Even if you have no love for chaos magick, do give it a read, just to understand how influential Carroll is, and why.

Hands-On Chaos Magic, by Andrieh Vitimus. Knowing some of the people involved in the creation of this book, I’m a bit biased towards it. That said, even if I didn’t know them, I would still recommend it. It’s especially interesting to read alongside Liber Null and Psychonautin order to see how the chaos “current” has developed over the years.

Pop Culture Magic 2.0 by Taylor Ellwood. There aren’t a lot of books on using pop culture symbolism in magick, but this one is nearly perfect. The author writes in a highly erudite, literate fashion, while still being accessible to newbies. Many useful resources cited, as well, so prepare to branch off a bit while reading it.

History-Related

Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton. An inside no-holds-barred look at the history of Wicca and Modern paganism. Highly recommended. This is sort of the book that fluffbunnies don’t want you to read.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, by Richard Metzger. Lots of facts and history of magick in the context of Postmodernity. This is different from the Crowley text of the same name, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to focus on his tradition.

The Place of Enchantment, by Alex Owen. This is a purely historical text that documents the occult revival within the context of Modernity. I remember it being very good, but please realize I haven’t really picked it up much since graduating, and it might just have served my mindset at the time.

Tarot

The Book of Thoth, by Aleister Crowley. Make sure you actually own (or have access to pictures of) the Thoth deck before you dive into this. By far one of the best books on Tarot ever published. The prose is often dense and purple, but in this one book, Crowley teaches so much about Tarot and it’s connection to the Western Mystery Tradition. I can’t really say much more - it must be experienced.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, by Arthur Edward Waite. I recommend this book because it is a classic and was introductory for many older readers. It will teach you to read and gives insight into the methodology behind the Waite-Smith deck specifically, particularly his use of what are essentially parables and why he does this. Do not expect too much esoteric information, but read it anyways.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, by Rachel Pollack. This is the epitome of a good modern Tarot book and is really one of the first ones I’d recommend for someone looking for an accessible book on Tarot in a modern context. Very dense in information and history, yet altogether worth it. You’ll want highlighters nearby for this one!

Tarot for a New Generation, by Janina Renée. This is essentially a book for children and teenagers, but I do recommend it for them, specifically, because it is well-written, easy to understand, and helpful to absolute beginners.

Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This book focuses just on the history, symbolism, and creative process of the Waite-Smith deck. It gives you an inside line on just what Pixie Smith was thinking when painting specific scenes, and is a great look at her life’s work, as well.

The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, by Robert M. Place. This book will not teach you to read Tarot, but does give an actual, accurate portrait of the history of the phenomena, which is incredibly important and useful. Know your history.

Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, by Lon Milo DuQuette. I hesitate to recommend DuQuette due to issues I have with his approach to Qabalah, but many people ask me for a beginner book for the Thoth Tarot specifically, and this is the closest I’ve come to finding one. I recommend reading this alongside, and not instead of, Crowley’s Book of Thoth.

The Back in Time Tarot, by Janet Boyer. This is more for the intermediate reader, and the entire book details a single, extremely useful technique for familiarizing yourself with the cards, namely by framing past events in terms of how they might appear in a spread.

Lenormand

The Essential Lenormand, by Rana George. This was not the first Lenormand book I picked up, but it was the most influential and intense. Ms. George writes in a personable, touching fashion and brings the concepts of the system home by relating them to life experiences in a way rarely seen. She is one of those authors I literally go all “fangirl” over.

Learning Lenormand, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This is one of the better beginner books on Lenormand. I’m not going to lie - it isn’t as good as Rana George’s, but it definitely is worth reading if you’re completely new to the system. It’s very accessible, where some of the books I’ll be listing later in this can seem intimidating, or so I’ve been told.

Lenormand: Thirty-Six Cards, by Andy Boroveshengra. This book is intense, but in a different way than Ms. George’s. Expect to be inundated with information and techniques. Another one of those where you really need to take notes or highlight while reading, and read it multiple times.

Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle, by Sylvie Steinbach. This book is organized in a novel and useful fashion by topic, and gives specific techniques for readings on love, money, spirituality, and other topics. Highly recommended, and I tend to use it as a reference book nowadays, looking things up as needed.

The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook, by Caitlyn Matthews. Not for the beginner, nor the faint at heart, this one details a lot of what, to me, seem to be more advanced approaches and techniques. I use this book a lot, and I think anyone else will enjoy it, too. Good information on the connection between Lenormand and traditional playing cards, too.

Cartomancy with Lenormand and the Tarot, by Patrick Dunn. This is more of a special topic book, and best read after you’ve got some familiarity with both Tarot and Lenormand. It’s all about using them in tandem and the synergy between them.

Astrology

The Luminaries, by Liz Greene. I could really recommend anything by this author, but she’s written so much, and this book is a particularly important one. It focuses entirely on the Sun and Moon in astrology, and gives a good look at why the luminaries need to have a special place in your understanding.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Practical Astrology, by Priscilla Costello. This is focused, as you might expect, on actual interpretation of charts and less on theory, but it gives a good background on that, too. Was quite helpful in my attempts to interpret @xepsurah‘s unusual natal chart.

The Complete Book of Astrology, by Kris Brandt Riske. Very beginner, and very light on intellect, heavy on intuition. A great introduction, but I would not suggest it as the only book you read if you’re really interested in the subject.

Tasseography

Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners, by Caroline Dow. There are only a few books within Llewellyn’s immensely popular “For Beginners” series that I would recommend, and this is one of them. The symbol glossary (which makes up the bulk of the book) is the most useful part.

Tea Cup Reading, by Sasha Fenton. This book goes into some detail (quite a bit, actually) about the history of tea and coffee, and, better yet, how to prepare them in the traditional fashion! A lot of traditional lore is described, as well.

Scrying, etc.

Scrying for Beginners, by Donald Tyson. This is really a surprise find, as I don’t usually expect much from this series, by Tyson knows his history and goes far beyond simple exercises for scrying. He is a bit biased towards mirror and crystal-gazing techniques, but does discuss other methods.

Psychic Development for Beginners, by William Hewitt. Readable, and offers some very practical developmental exercises for those wishing to hone extrasensory abilities. Be prepared to sort through a lot of woo, though.

HAPPY BELTANE WITCHES 🌞🌷🌿

The FIRE FESTIVAL! BELETANE is a Celtic celebration that is often referred to as Mayday. It’s celebrated with bonfires and maypoles traditionally but it’s all about celebrating the longest day and shortest night of the year! At this time the universe is bursting with fertility, sexuality, and passion.

I know witches don’t do well in quarantine, and as for myself in New England the spring rain and weather has made it so going outside isn’t too much of a thing. So here’s a list of some things I’m gonna do to celebrate with my guides and highest self ✨:

Light some candles around your house, colorful ones! (Practice fire safety plz)

Diffuse floral essential oils!

Cleanse your hearth and set boundaries.

Bake some bread or some moon cookies!

Honor the Fae, leave things like honey, cookies, sweets, or coins outside as an offering for the garden Fae to protect your yard. Likewise, leave the same inside for indoor Fae like Brownies! (Make sure no pets can access offerings)

Admire or paint/draw the flowers and trees you seeing sprouting around you.

Watch the sunset at the end of April 30th!

Decorate your alter, tools, and plants with colorful ribbons, and set intentions for them!

Have a bath ritual with dried flower petals, floral oils, sea salt, candles and rose quartz, amber, bloodstone, citrine, carnelian, malachite, moonstone, or ruby.

Make/fill a bird or squirrel feeder!

Cast fertility, marriage, lust, protection, and love spells! 💕

Spells for igniting passion are good for this time as well.

Honor gods such as Pan, the Green Man, Bes and Eros.

Honor goddesses such as Artimus, Flora, Freya, and Hera.

Scatter seeds for plants or just for the birds!

Nows the time to bust out those genital candles!

Fake flowers and garland always is okay to celebrate with as well to those with allergies ✨

To get rid of ants in spring

So this is an old kind of home-ec witch tip that I got from my Grandmother. When you first start to see warm weather in spring and you start getting ants in the house, here’s how to get rid of them:

First off: clean your kitchen “from Sunday to Sunday”. Basically, clean it every day for a week. The most important is to do a deep cleaning at the beginning and end of the week. Get under everything you can, wipe out and rinse the drains, take out the trash, wipe down all the surfaces, sweep & mop, etc. The rest of the week, you can go easier, but I still make sure to wipe down the counters and give the floors a quick going over.

Open all your windows and doors and clean them out with mint. You can use mint soap, mint extract, brewed mint tea, actually scrub it with fresh mint leaves, whatever you’ve got. I usually use mint Dr. Bronner’s watered down, but I’ll also keep some mint tea in a spray bottle to freshen it up. Once that’s done, but a line of cinnamon under the windows and doors and close them up. After this, on the windows you can just wipe off the sills with mint. The doors you should wipe down the doorway with mint every day for the week. If you can, also spray the outside of the windows and doors with mint, even if it’s just with a squirtgun (you don’t have to do the outsides every day, just a couple times).

At the end of the week, wipe up all the old cinnamon with mint, put down a fresh line, and you’re good! You might see a couple of straggler ants that are trapped inside, but that should be the end of them.

The bay leaf has been held as a sacred tool for cleansing one’s space and alleviating stress, anxiety, and unpleasant energy. 🍃 Bay leaves were routinely burned in temples and sacred spaces to assist in acts of prayer and meditation, as well as wish-making. For this reason it is still a common practice to write one’s wish on a bay leaf, meditate upon it, then burn it. When this is finished, throw the ashes into the wind, which will carry your wishes off to be materialized. 🌞🍃

Don’t ever believe

for even one second

that your thoughts,

feelings, and opinions

aren’t valid.

You have great worth.

You are loved tremendously.

You matter.

Don’t ever let anyone

tell you otherwise.

Smoke Cleansing

verb 

To purify people, objects, and/or places.

*note: some information included in this post is from personal experience*

~ What is Smoke Cleansing?

   Smoke Cleansing is the action of burning herbs to rid of negative energy or bring in good energy to a home, person, or object.

~ Why do You Smoke Cleanse?

   The most common reason people smoke cleanse is to banish negative energy and evil spirits. You can also smoke cleanse to bring in good energy and enhance psychic abilities.

~ Tools and Why They Are Used

   Abalone Shell: This shell is believed to be an element of water, which balances the other elements of fire, air, and earth, which is why it is usually used to collect the ash of the smudge stick or to just simply hold it.

   Feather: Traditionally used because birds represents the breath of life as well as a way of connecting with Mother Earth and the Heavens. Turkey feathers are the most commonly used.

   White Sage: Traditionally used to banish negative energy.

   Sweet Grass: Traditionally used to bring in good energy and to call to the ancestors.

   Yerba Santa: This herb is usually burned to enhance psychic abilities.

   Palo Santo: Can be burned to banish negative energy, and also instills a feeling of love.

   Lavender: Traditionally used to invite spirits.

   Cedar: Burned to promote a calm and comforting environment, and to purify and protect.

   Juniper: Burned to cleanse an area, promote clarity, increase focus, and center someone.

   Pine: Burned to cleanse and renew, and promotes strength. 

~ How To Smoke Cleanse Yourself and Others

   Have an invocation and all tools ready to go! Invocations vary depending on what smudge stick you are using. Personally, I like to use White Sage for when I’m smoke cleansing myself and others, but you can use any smudge stick you’d like.

   Stand with the burning smudge stick you’d wish to use and an Abalone shell or fireproof bowl layered with sand sitting on a surface arms-length from you. Move the smudge stick in a counter clockwise motion around you to banish negative energy. Start at the head, the neck, arms, torso, and so forth. Say the invocation you’d wish to use during this time. Example for banishing negative energy:

“Into this smoke, I release all energies that do not serve me, all negativity that                       surrounds me, and all fears that limit me. So mote it be.”

   If you are Smoke cleansing someone else, move the smudge stick in a counter clockwise motion around them, and use “you” instead of “me” and etc. in the invocation. 

~ How To Smoke Cleanse Your Home

   First things firsts, crack open at least one window in your home so the energy has a way of escaping or entering (depending on if you’re banishing energy or bringing in energy). Have all doors to rooms you’d wish to smoke cleanse open and ready to enter, including closets, garages, basements, and attics. You can also use invocations (optional, see tips). Light the smudge stick and have an Abalone shell or bowl with sand layering the bottom ready to hold the stick and ash. If you wish to use a feather, get that at this time as well. Start at your front door. Walk slowly, really let the smoke marinate in the areas you are focusing on. Outline doors, windows, and entrances with the smoke. 

Banishing Negative Energy

   Traditionally, White Sage is used for this. If you wish to rid of negative energy, walk counter-clockwise from your front door. This motion symbolizes banishment. Make sure to smoke cleanse the corners of your home, this is a common place negative energy will collect and/or linger. 

Bringing in Good Energy

   Traditionally, Sweet Grass is used for this. If you wish to bring in good energy, walk clockwise. This motion symbolizes such. 

Using a Feather

   Traditionally, people use a real turkey feather. When using a feather, make sure to wave the smoke in the direction that you wish to banish energy or bring it in. You don’t need to worry about clockwise or counter clockwise motions if using this method.

Not Using a Feather

   If you are ridding of negative energy, wave the smudge stick in a counter-clockwise motion. This motion symbolizes banishment. If you are bringing in good energy, wave it in a clockwise motion, this motion symbolizes such.

~ How to Smoke Cleanse Objects

   Usually, people like to smoke cleanse objects they will have on their altar, or any divination or sacred tools like athames, wands, crystals, crystal balls, etc. You can really smoke cleanse anything you’d like to! Just remember to cleanse the object first. Have an invocation ready to go (optional, see tips). Personally, I only banish negative energy from objects. I don’t bring in good energy, mainly because I believe the object is now at it’s balanced and true form after being rid of bad energy. You can definitely bring in good energy into objects if you prefer!

   For smaller, more handheld objects, pass the object through the smoke several times slowly. For bigger objects, move the smudge stick around the object several times slowly. While doing this, if you wish to use an invocation, you can. You can say it out loud or internally.

Tips

   Do NOT leave burning smudge sticks unattended. If you don’t have an Abalone shell to hold the smudge stick or the ash, use a fireproof bowl with some sand layering the bottom.

   When smoke cleansing your home, try not to take steps backwards. Some believe that if you do so, you’ll reverse the effects.

   Collect your ash! It can be used for spells for protection.

   Have an invocation (a saying, or chant) ready to go while smoke cleansing your home and objects. You can make your own or use others you find. You can say these internally or out loud. I personally made my own short and simple invocations, I’ll use them for example:

Banishment: 

          “Negative energy, I banish thee. You mustn’t stay, you must leave.”

Bringing in Energy:

“Positive energy, I invite thee. You’re welcomed in my home, belongings, and in                                                           me.”

  Different invocations will be used when burning different smudge sticks.

*If there is anything we missed, you’d like to add, or something is wrong, just let us know!*

xx ~ @chlovoyant

Blessed Imbolc

May this new year bring back our prosperity

May this return to the sun and the return of new life

Bless us with new changes and regrowth

Of the seasons in our lives that we are in

Let us cast away the old, the dead

And that which should have died long ago

Let us open our arms and hearts to the sun

Let us fill with light and fortune

Awaken from your slumber and be reborn

May this new year bring our souls peace

May this new year bring light from our dark

Blessed Imbolc

*it starts raining*

me: yes

*lighting appears*

me: yES

*thunders explode*

me: YES

*raining intensifies*

me: YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS

The “I Can Do This!” Motivation bottle.

I made this little bottle for my wife at work, but I’ve decided to post it because I know finals are coming up and I think this could be helpful for those of you who are juggling your finals with the rest of your life! 

All of these things came from my kitchen spice cabinets, so nothing too crazy or difficult to find here!

I made this as something that embodied what is needed to get through the tough days. It isn’t a good luck charm, just something to bring out the best thing already in you.

Each layer is for a different piece of what makes up a good, productive day in my opinion, so here we go!

Sea salt - for protection

Cinnamon - for success & wisdom

Sage - for peace

Caraway seeds - for mental power

Basil - for confidence

Rosemary - for mental clarity

Red Pepper flakes - for energy

I find that saying my intent out loud really helps me to know that it is there, the more I say something out loud, the more I feel like it is true and real, so I focus on saying my intent for each layer out loud, over and over until I really do feel it there. I also find that saying these things out loud, and being sure of them, helps you to realize that there really IS power in your words. You have power to speak these words and really bring life to them because you are stating, whole-heartedly that this rosemary is going to bring mental clarity to your day. Don’t be afraid to spend as much time as you need to on each layer to feel like your intent is there. This helps me, personally. 

Once you’re filled up, put the cork back in, tightly. I would recommend packing these layers in tightly also, so if you care them around in your pocket, they don’t all mix together if you don’t want them to.

After, I sealed my bottle with wax (mine was vanilla scented because it is my wife’s favorite scent and it’s something that really makes her happy) - (also I will make a little post about how I seal up little bottles with wax later on!) and sat with it for quite a while, really focusing the intent into the whole bottle, and what you want for it as a whole. Like before, I sat repeating out loud until I really felt it and believed it with the knowing that my words have power!

I hope this was helpful!