A Sea Witch’s Knots 101 - The Bottle/Jar Sling

Spell Jar Series: Healing

~Cinnamon

~Garlic skin

~Mint

~Rosemary

~Ivy

~Cedar

~Thyme

~Lavender

(The Label got covered in the wax I used…oops)

I charged this jar with lots and lots of green crystals (Jade, Moss Agate, and Green Onyx primarily) with plenty of sunlight and near clean, cool water. I hang this jar on my bed whenever I’m sick or hurt, and often carry it around with me when I’m having bad mental health days as well, but when it’s not on my person for use it’s stored in my first aid kit! I charge it up regularly so it can pass its energy onto all my band-aids, painkillers, antiseptic pastes and other medical supplies. If you want to pair it with a cleansing shower or bath, check out my witchy soaps post!

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Random  [Everyday Magick Tips] [Witchcraft Check-In]  [Witchcraft In The Movie Coraline]  [How To Tell The Difference Between Anxiety & Intuition] Always feel free to message me with any questions!  Reorganized & reblogged 7/1/2019  Reorganized & reblogged (again) 10/6/2019 

I think something people have to realize first in trying to reconstruct historical magical and religious practices is that belief=/=worship. Many traditional witches believe in Christ but don’t worship him because they’re not the same thing. And certain historical pagan religions did believe the gods of their neighbors were… something! But acknowledging something as existing and venerating it are two different things.

Spell to calm anxiety down

This spell was made to be super quick and simple, I hope it helps people the same way it helps me.

You’ll need one lemon, a way to heat the juice, and a white candle

• Press 1 lemon and heat the juice. • Place the candle in front of you and light it. Breathe in and out and focus on your anxiety. • Hold your drink before your eyes and concentrate on pouring your energy in it. (Optional) Say: “I hereby banish anxiety from my body and mind for these are mine and no one else’s.” • Drink the hot lemon juice. • Simply watch the candle burn for a few seconds, visualize it burning your anxiety away, then blow the candle.

This also works for emotional shocks.

This little bit of a spell occurred to me when I was making breakfast this morning.

My grandmother taught me a little poem for counting crows for divination when I was younger. It goes like this:

1 for sadness 2 for mirth, 3 for marriage 4 for birth 5 for laughing 6 for crying 7 for sickness 8 for dying 9 for silver 10 for gold 11 is a secret that shall never be told

So here’s what you do. What do you need to manifest in your life? Select that number of eggs. I used 5 today. As you crack each egg into your pan or bowl, visualize what you are manifesting coming into your life. Today I used five eggs, and visualized the laughter of my children as we had a happy and positive day. Say out loud or in your head each step as you crack the eggs. One for sadness, two for mirth… etc. When you reach your number, Stir your eggs to charge your spell. Then add: salt for grounding, black pepper for protection from other magic. Visualize the strength of your spell being tightly wound to you as you do this. Cook your eggs and enjoy a good breakfast. As you eat, visualize what you have manifested entering your being.

That’s it! Some easy kitchen magic for you all today :)

• As Above, So Below •

Relationships with the Gods

There are a lot of posts on Tumblr along the lines of ‘How do I know if X god accepts me/my offering etc’. And for someone starting out in worship I suppose that desire to have an instant gratification for your effort/actions is understandable.

But in my experience, it doesn’t work like that. You don’t get a divine voice in your ear, or a symbol magically appearing in front of you. (It can happen, (unpopular opinion >>) I just side eye those things because it sounds a lot like self-fulfilment fantasy.)

More commonly, I would liken the experience to planting a seed. 

You prepare the ground for the seed by tilling and caring for the soil. You water the seed, give it light, perhaps even give it plant food, and then you wait.

And you hope that it grows.

You don’t stop giving these things, because if you do, the plant might wither and even die.

You can talk to your plant, but you don’t expect the plant to talk back to you in human language. But the plant sprouts, and grows, and you feel damn good because you helped nurture this plant. It could have grown fine on its own somewhere in the countryside because in the nature of these things, wild versions of plants don’t need us to flourish.

And then, because of all your devotion and hard work to this plant. It gives you flowers, fruit, vegetables, something that benefits you, and the reciprocity relationship feels good. You got something back for all your hard work. Nature benefited you.

And not to simplify the Gods into one plant metaphor, but rather than our BFFs, they are something vastly greater than ourselves that we nurture a relationship with for our benefit, because without it, life is just that little less nice.

Resources of Interest for Early Modern Magic in England & New England (circa the 1500s to 1800)

Primary Sources

The Key of Solomon. I’ve heard a lot of good things from several ceremonial magicians, including @thedesertgod , that the edition to go for is Skinner’s. He’s compiled, edited, and added scholastic commentary to The Veritable Key of Solomon, as well as The Magician’s Tables. Joseph Peterson, also recommended, has worked on The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Clavicula Solomonis (or Key of Solomon). I probably would read it in its original Latin, if you have the means. 

Agrippa, Cornelius (false attribution). The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy. 1655. Stephen Skinner also worked on an edition of this book. Unlike the actual Agrippa’s original three books, this volume does not hold much in the way of theory but offers plenty of practical instruction.

Casaubon, M. A True and Faithful Relation of what passed for many years between Dr. John Dee…and Some Spirits. 1659. As a record of the seances held by Dr. Dee and Kelley, it recounts the techniques used to conjure spirits. 

Chamberlain, Richard. Lithobolia. 1682. One family’s account of witchcraft perpetuated by the fetch of a neighbor.

Culpepper, Nicholas. Complete Herbal. 1653. It provides a comprehensive description of the herbs, along with their medicinal uses and instructions on preparing them to treat illnesses. 

Culpepper, Nicholas. The English Physician. 1652. The first medical guide published in the American colonies (apparently), it is intended for the average person. 

Defoe, Daniel (assumed). A Compleat System of Magick; or, The History of the Black-Art. 1727. As a skeptic, like Reginald Scot, this anonymous author (who we’re pretty sure is Defoe) provides much information on the work of witches, conjurors, and cunning-folk. 

Hale, John. A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft. 1702. After the Salem witch trials, he challenges the legal proceedings and religious principals of witch hunts in general. 

Magnus, Albertus (false attribution). The Book of Secrets. “Provides a portrayal of the magical culture that predominated in the 16th century. This work includes secrets which are divided into five distinct parts: Of the Virtues of Herbs, Of the Virtues of Stones, Of the Virtues of Beasts, Of the Planets, and The Marvels of the World.”

Mather, Cotton. Memorable Providences. 1698. Having fanned the flames of the Salem hysteria, this book discusses several witchcraft cases in New England before the Trials arose.

Mather, Increase. Cases of Conscience. 1693. Intended to vindicate the Mathers’ involvement in Salem, it was intended to prove that witches and devils could assume the shape of an innocent person. 

Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. 1584. By attempting to debunk witchcraft as a hoax, it managed to record a good cross-section of their formulae. 

Turner, Richard. Botanologia The Brittish Physician: or The Nature and Vertue of English Plants. 1664. Another guide to British herbs and medicine, by an astrologer, occultist, and botanist.

Modern Accounts

Davies, Owen. Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History. Hambledon and London, 2003. 

Demos, John. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England. Oxford University Press, 2004. 

Godbeer, Richard. The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England. Cambridge University Press, 1989. 

Merrifield, Ralph. The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic. Batsford, 1987.

Semmens, Jason. The Witch of the West: or, the Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight. Semmens, 2004. 

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. Peregrine, 1978.

Weisman, Richard. Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion in 17th-century Massachusetts. University of Massachusetts Press, 1984. 

Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic. Sussex Academic Press, 2005.

Let’s Talk Litha!: Celebrating the Summer Solstice

June 21st marks this year’s Summer Solstice - the Sabbat known as Litha (or Midsummer)! If you celebrate the Wheel of the Year, Litha is one of the key points in the calendar: The summer solstice marks the Sun’s peak of power, and also marks the longest day in the year!

Litha, or, The Summer Solstice

Litha marks the longest day of the calendar year - the Summer Solstice - and is positioned at the bottom, Southernmost quarter point in the Wheel of Year. Traditionally, this is a great time to commune and connect with the Sun, do solar magic, and use the Sun’s peak power to spellcast, charge, and cleanse.

Colors: Red, orange, and other fiery, bold tones

Incense & Scents: Dragon’s blood, orange, musks (personal correspondences here - use your own for max results!)

Altar Setup: Find stones and crystals that have washed up on the summer shore, local flowers, seasonal fruits, and plenty of candles. A bonfire is traditional (a red candle is practical!)

The Litha Feast: What would a Sabbat be without a feast? Litha is a perfect time to eat outdoors (if possible!). Traditional foods include herbed breads and pastries (baked!), desserts and dishes with summer fruits (try berries, stone fruits, or citrus, depending on what’s local to you!), cold cooked poultry for our omnivore witches, and flower or berry wines. More modern foods for Litha could include potato salads, dishes made with lavender or sorrel, peppery foods, or dandelion greens.

Litha Traditions:

Light a bonfire and jump over it (if it’s small enough!) to cleanse yourself of past ills.

Stay up on Midsummer Eve to wait for the rising sun.

Dispose of old amulets in the Litha fire.

Work magic with stone circles.

Make speeches to Fortuna, the lady of Fortune (is my Hellenic Revivalism showing?).

Phone past friends and invite them over.

Honor the Oak tree by paying one a visit in your local neighborhood.

Lead the way to your Litha celebration with a torchlit procession (or lantern or sparkler-lit, as it were!).

Magic for Litha: Healing, purification, cleansing, fire, protection, rebirth, power, sun magic, magic with stones and crystals, reaffirmations, and oaths.

Have at it, witches! (and link me to your Litha altars/plans/feasts! I’m a sucker for peeking on all your aesthetics & magics :>)

I figured I would take a little bit of time to post the pictures of some books wow secular or really good base for people who are interested in kitchen/hearth/green witchcraft.

Also be a really good resource for those of you who are still in the closet as these books by themselves are innocuous enough to pass by unnoticed by most unless they know what you're doing