Sending Some Kitchen Magic From My Home To Yours This New Moon Eve 🌚✨

♡ Sunflowers ♡

Scientific Name: Helianthus

Worship for deities related to the sun, good for Litha.

Sunflower seeds assist in magick relating to fertility, and pregnancy

Cut a sunflower at sunset while making a wish, it will come true by the next sunset as long as it not too grand

Sleep with a sunflower under your bed allows you to find out the truth

Sunflowers are good luck for green witches and gardeners

Plant sunflowers outside your house to bring positive energy into the home

Posted: July 21, 2019

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Deities of the crossroads and beings that dwell in liminal spaces truly favour the bold. Remember that the next time you hesitate.

Just a few of the books my mother brought up with her this weekend. I haven’t gone through the majority of these yet, but I’d love to hear all of y’all s thoughts!

Actually useful shit to have as a witch

You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.

A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.

A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.

Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.

A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.

A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.

A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.

A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.

Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.

A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.

A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.

On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.

A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.

Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.

Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.

A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.

Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.

A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.

And a last tip- if something is too hard for a mortar and pestle, a plastic bag and hammer works too.

🌿  warm + nourishing // sausage, kale & leek soup 🌿

*makes 8-10 good sized bowls *i used homemade turkey broth (scroll back 2 see a recipe for easy spiced veggie broth), but u can also use water! *treated my sick self to organic pork belly, rosemary & red wine sausage from my local butcher shop - amazing and filled with good stuff! use whatever tho!! *for herbs & spices, assume 2 thumb-sized pinches unless noted! Ingredients // spices: black peppercorns (x2), 1 bird’s eye chili, coriander, rosemary, 2 cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, salt

-garlic, 5-10 cloves (rough chop)      -kale, 1 bunch (cut into rough ribbons)

-yellow onion, 2 medium (rough chop)  -leeks, 2 stems (cut into thin circles)

-brother, preferably homemade, or water (8 cups or more for brothier soup)

-1 lemon, zest and juice    -sausage, preferably local, ~1lb

Recipe // around one hour of kitchen + simmer time

*grind spices and add to large soup pot with a good amount of olive oil, a bay leaf, and the zest of a lemon. sauté on medium

*add garlic and onions, cook until translucent

*tear sausage into 1inch pieces and brown in pan. add a lil cider vinegar and the lemon juice, scrape up all the bits!! add salt!

*add leeks + kale, stir and cook until bright green, about 5 minutes. do you have enough salt? good question to consider here

*add broth or water (or a combination of both!). bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for at least 25 minutes. 

*enjoy :-)

my body and my spirit deserve nourishing, warm, and lovingly made foods. food is not my enemy, it is my friend and tool to connecting with the world around me. food brings magic into my life. to create and share food is a divine act.

A Brief Guide to Yuletide Plants & Herbs

MISTLETOE: love, protection, luck, reconciliation, banishing.

SNOWDROP: hope, cleansing, beauty.

LEMONGRASS: banishing negativity, attraction, purification.

CINNAMON: love, happiness, money.

SAGE: longevity, wisdom, protection, wishes. aiding in grief. 

ROSEMARY: purification, dreams, healing.

GINGER: power, manifestation.

ORANGE: divination, fortune, health, love, good luck, money.

BAY LEAVES: cleansing, psychic abilities, wishes, dreams. banishing, protection.

ASH: prophetic dreams, luck, attraction, energy channelling. 

THISTLE: vitality, cleansing, purification, uncrossing.

CEDAR: protection, attraction, healing, invocation. 

PINE: positivity, protection, fertility, warding. 

FRANKINCENSE: cleansing, consecration, banishing. 

CHESTNUT: longevity, intuition, grounding, focus, success. 

IVY: fertility, protection, healing. 

HOllY: prosperity, protection, luck, dreams, rebirth, banishing. 

JUNIPER: protection, warding, divination, secrecy, love. 

OAK: money, success, strength, fertility, stability, health, healing, luck.

SANDALWOOD: healing, purification, consecration. 

YEW: necromancy, astral travel, death.

CYPRESS: purification, stability, focus.

MYRRH: purification, banishing, protection, healing.

Disclaimer: do your research before using or handling any plant or herb. Some herbs are dangerous when burned or ingested.

Pronunciation Of The Wiccan Holidays

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The names that are generally used to denote the Wiccan sabbats (as well as festivals of many pagan traditions) come from Gaelic (both Scots and Irish), Welsh, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon. There are variations of pronunciations for each one.

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Samhain (31 Oct)

Irish Gaelic for "summer's end." The standard Irish pronunciation is "sow-in" with the "ow" like in "cow." Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow").

The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." There is no linguistic foundation for saying this word "samhane" the way it might look if it were English. When in doubt, just say "Hallows" or even "Hallowe'en."

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Yule (21 Dec)

Norse for "wheel." It's pretty much pronounced just like it looks, although if you want to make a stab at a Scandinavian sound, it'll be more like "yool" and less like "yewl." This is the winter solstice.

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Imbolg/Imbolc (1 Feb)

Irish Gaelic for "in the belly." Pronounce this one "IM-bullug" or "IM-bulk" with a guttural "k" on the end. Other names include Candlemas; Brighid (pronounced "breed"), who is the Irish goddess whose festival this is; and Oimelc (pronounced EE-mulk), which means "ewe's milk" in Scots Gaelic.

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Ostara (21 Mar)

Saxon name for a maiden goddess of spring, loosely connected to Astarte and Ishtar. This one's easy -- "o-STAHR-uh." Other names include Eostre (say "OHS-truh" or "EST-truh"). This is the spring equinox.

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Beltane/Bealtaine (30 April)

Irish Gaelic for either "fires of Bel" or "bright fires." If you want to try it in Gaelic, you can say "bee-YAWL-tinnuh" or "BELL-tinnuh." Unlike Samhain, this word can within the linguistic structure of its language of origin be pronounced like it looks -- "BELL-tane" -- without totally abandoning its original construction. Other names are Walpurgisnacht (vawl-PUR-gis-nahkt) and May Day.

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Litha (21 Jun)

Norse or Anglo-Saxon for "longest day." You can say this one just like it looks, or you can try for a Scandinavian sound and say "leetha" with the "th" more like a "t." This is the summer solstice.

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Lughnasadh/Lunasa or Lammas (1 Aug)

The first is Irish Gaelic for "festival of Lugh" (a major Irish deity); the second is Anglo-Saxon for "festival of the loaves" ("hlaf-mass"). Don't panic at that spelling; the second (which is modern Irish as opposed to old Irish) tells you all you need to know.

Say "LOO-nah-sah." (Some people maintain that the Scots dialect says it "LOO-nah-soo.") Lammas is just like it looks, "LAH-mus."

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Mabon (21 Sep)

This is believed to be a form of the Welsh word for "son." Therefore, it would probably be pronounced "MA-bon" with the "a" like in "mass." However, most Wiccans and pagans say "MAY-bon." This is the autumn equinox.

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Article Source : https://clubs.ncsu.edu/spm/FAQ/11pronounce.html

Image Source : https://www.instagram.com/p/B4aX5vVHBX_/?igshid=llpzumjzbbcb

Liquor Magic: Ginger Cardamom Vodka

A long time ago I made a few posts with recipes for flavored liqueurs that could be made and used for magical purposes that also just tasted really really good. It’s been awhile, but here’s another tasty one. Of course, this recipe is intended for those of legal drinking age. 

This is a vodka flavored with raw ginger, honey, cardamom, and thyme. It’s great on it’s own or as a hot toddy. It can also make the deadliest dark and stormy ever. This recipe is best for when you need the energy and confidence to make things happen. For this recipe you will need

-One fifth of vodka, or 3 and a quarter cups of vodka

-1 cup of honey

-1 cup of grated raw ginger (be careful when doing this, my hand was burning by the end of it)

-¼ cup of crushed caradmom pods or of ground cardamom (I recommend using the pods, I used ground cardamom and you can’t really strain it out as well, so it leaves a precipitate at the bottom)

-2 tablespoons of dried thyme 

To make:

Combine all the ingredients in a large jar, awakening the desired property of each ingredient. Store away in a cabinet somewhere for 3 to 5 days. Once that time has passed strain out the solid ingredients into another jar or bottle using a mesh strainer or cheese cloth. And you’re done! 

Welcome to Witchcraft - A Post for Beginners

Witchcraft is a practice or a skill. It is not, in and of itself, a religion. It is not a faith (although some people may practice witchcraft in a religious sense). Anyone, of any religion, can be a witch. A witch does not have to be a Wiccan or even a Pagan. Though many Wiccans and Pagans are part of the witchcraft community, there are also many Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, and more.

A person’s personal craft is any collection of practices that they utilize to change their fate, see the future, get revenge, speak to the dead, heal the sick, and/or any number of other things that can be done through witchcraft. Witchcraft can (but doesn’t necessarily need to) include divination, herbalism/wortcunning, blessing, banishing, kitchen witchery, spirit work, cursing, gardening, spell work, ritual, worship, astral travel, trance, and much more.

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How Do You Become a Witch?

There is only one way to become a witch. Luckily, it’s very simple.

Step One: Take an interest in witchcraft.

Step Two: Start practicing witchcraft.

Step Three: Call yourself a witch.

Please Note: Steps two and three are interchangeable.

The great thing about witchcraft is that there are no rules. There is no big, white-robed Council to tell you what you can and cannot do. There are no punishments (beyond the legal consequences of outrageous things like human sacrifice; which is obviously not a good idea). Since witchcraft is not a religion there are no religious codes to tell you right from wrong. You don’t have to work with gods (though, you can if you want to).

Witchcraft is a practice. Therefore, the only laws and codes you have to abide by are the laws set down by your government, your individual religion (if any), and your personal code of ethics and morals.

Lots of things bring people to witchcraft. Sometimes it’s a book, a movie, or a television show. Sometimes it’s a childhood dream that they decide to go after. Sometimes it’s music. Sometimes it’s family members or a friend. I, myself, was introduced to witchcraft by my family. My grandparents on my mother’s side of the family (and some of their children) practiced witchcraft. My father, who had been a friend of the family since grade school, was also introduced to the occult through my grandparents.

In the witchcraft community, I have encountered people who were drawn to witchcraft through popular movies and books. I’ve met people who came to witchcraft because they dated a witch. I’ve even come into contact with a few people who accidentally discovered witchcraft while doing research for their own fiction novels.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how or when you started practicing witchcraft. What matters is that you did.

A Note About Communities

During your journey through the wonderful world of witchcraft, you will probably stumble into a community (if you haven’t already). Communities can be a great way to meet other people of a similar mindset, give and receive support, and bounce ideas around to help your craft keep moving and growing. And there are lots of ways to find community. There are websites specific to witchcraft and the communities that embrace it. There are corners of large blog sites where witches have made their online homes. There are forums, online groups, in-person groups, and countless other ways to meet other witches who may be experienced practitioners or just starting out. If you’re feeling a little insecure, a little uncertain, or a little alone, a peek into a witch-filled community is a good way to connect and perk up—but be careful.

With the sweet comes the sour. While witchcraft communities may be full of wonderful, experienced witches who can help and support you in your path, you may also happen upon the occasional Big Bad Wolf. Every community has its predators, and witchcraft communities are certainly no exception to that rule. I’ve been a member of witchy communities (both in person and online) for almost as long as I’ve been practicing; and I’ve come into contact with more predators and prey than anyone would ever imagine were lurking in the aisles between the spellbooks and Tarot cards. The types of predatory behavior can range from moderately manipulative to sexually sinister; so always be aware of the possible dangers involved in putting yourself out there.

How to Stay Safe In a Community

If you’re new to witchcraft or new to the idea of the community, I’m sure you’re feeling a little nervous now—but I don’t want you to feel that way! In fact, I wanted to put this note early in this post so that you, the reader, would be armed from day one with the some common sense ways to stay safe in a community setting. Here are just a few starting points:

Be skeptical. Skepticism is healthy in a setting that is based on the extraordinary. You don’t have to believe everything a person tells you. There’s nothing wrong with double-checking or doing your own research if you feel that something is just not right.

Beware of manipulative witches. Be careful around people who will use things like alleged past lives, divination, or grand claims to get what they want from you, or to get you to stick around.

Again, watch out for mentions of fate or destiny. As nice as it is to think that everything is planned for us, there are people who will use this against you.

Always think for yourself. In communities, we tend to desire a certain level of peace and harmony. All too often, this results in the community asking the individual to change their way of thinking to a non-confrontational, passive thought pattern. While that may not sound so bad, this leads to a think called group think or hive mind. Not only does this result in a lack of individual creativity, it also opens the door for Bigger and Badder Wolves (like shared delusions and cult mind).

Don’t let anyone force you into anything. It doesn’t matter how much more experienced they are. Again, always think for yourself. Make your own choices. Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything you don’t want. 

There are bullies, monsters, and predators in the world, but arming yourself with your individual thought and a strong resolve will help to protect you against them. 

A simple spell to release stress

When we hold on to excess stress, it creates a blockage in our personal energy system. Imagine that your is body filled with tiny, invisible wires that carry energy from one point to the next. When you hold on to stress in a certain area, you tie a knot in the wires that keeps energy from flowing smoothly to the rest of your body. This can manifest as fatigue, lack of motivation, overwhelm, or other mental and physical symptoms. This spell is designed to untie those knots and let the energy flow freely.

This spell is very loosely adapted from the book Light Magic for Dark Times by Lisa Marie Basile, which I highly recommend for anyone looking to bring witchcraft into their self care practice or vice versa.

What you will need:

A piece of white paper

A pen or pencil

A bowl or cup of clean, fresh water (water from the tap is fine!)

(Optional) a few drops of lavender essential oil

Performing the spell:

Set aside some time when you can be alone and won’t be disturbed. If you like, set the mood by lighting candles, burning incense, or playing music. If you chose to include lavender oil, add it to the water now.

On the paper, write a detailed description of the situation that is causing you stress, and of how it makes you feel. Be as specific as possible. What emotions do you feel? Are there physical sensations associated with these emotions? Where in your body do you feel them? (If you are more comfortable drawing than writing, draw a picture that represents your situation and how it makes you feel.)

Keep writing/drawing until you run out of things to say. Get a second piece of paper if you need to. Don’t worry about making it pretty or even legible. What matters is that you get the emotions out and onto the page.

Fold the paper in half, folding it away from yourself; rotate it to the left and fold it again; rotate to the left again and fold one more time for a total of three folds. With each fold, repeat out loud or in your head, “I acknowledge these feelings and I let them go. I release.”

Submerge the folded paper in the bowl of water. Make sure it is completely covered. Watch it soak through, and watch the ink bleed from the paper.

Say, “Spirits of water, keepers of emotion and the subconscious, spirits of healing, help me to cleanse and release. Help me restore my energy.”

Allow the envelope to soak in the water for at least an hour before disposing of it.