🍃Best Witchy Herb For Beginners🍃

Daily reminder that:

Chakras aren't what you think they are, they come from Hinduism, not Wicca or New Age, and you should learn about their actual meanings.

There are so many different ways people believe magic and witchcraft works. There isn't one correct answer.

There are so many open paths that there is no excuse to practice ones that are closed to you.

Witch is a gender neutral term.

It's okay to have doubts, it's normal and 100% valid.

Don't let people tell you the "right" way to practice.

What do I mean by this? Simple. There are many ways to practice and no path or way is more right than another. I see people tell people "You have to do this, you have to do that." And tbh, I don't fuck with that. There are so many ways to practice witchcraft, they are all hella valid.

There's common stuff that you should know, like don't take part in closed practices if you are not a part of that culture/invited to do it. But other than that? Your path is whatever you make it! Your path is right because it's yours. It is ever evolving! You make your own rules! Or maybe you choose to follow some set of rules which is also valid!

The idea that you're doing something the wrong way just because it's different from others is ridiculous. Embrace your path my dears <3

that’s enough emotions for a whole year. ciao

the tiniest lil onion teapot 🧅✨

gentle reminder: you are loved and appreciated by so many people

Some things baby witches should know

Scrolling through witchtok -ew- I've come across a ton of misinformation, even some one here. So I've decided to put together a small list of things I feel like baby witches should know.

1. Not all spells need to be in a jar

2. Deities don't talk to you like normal people do

3. You don't have to be wiccan to be a witch

3. You don't need to be religious to be a witch

4. Not every herb is safe to burn

5. Most essential oils cannot go on your skin

6. Some herbs/teas can have side effects

7. Do not try to cleanse your outdoor space regularly. Say youre doing a one time spell, yeah sure but nature doesnt need to be cleansed

8. DO NOT PUT SALT ON THE GROUND, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GODS.

9. There are other pantheons beside the Greek.

10. The Greek gods are nothing like Percy jackson

11. Shifting is NOT apart of witchcraft

12. Your pet does not automatically become your familiar

13. Entity work/Deity work requires at least 2 years of practice and research IMO

14. Keeping a BOS/Grimoire is not needed but will help you...A LOT

15. You do not need to attend every holiday or full moon

16. CLEANSE THE LID TO YOUR JAR ASWELL AS THE JAR

The Four Elements & Their Associations

In Witchcraft, working with the elements is a vital part of the craft. So many spells involve at least one of the elements. It’s important to know why we used them and what they mean. There’s also other ways to incorporate each element without actually having that element handy, cause it’s not always easy to catch some air in a bottle if you know what I mean. 

Air 

Colors: Blue, silver, white, grey

Symbols: Circle, bird, bell, sylph, flute, chimes, and clouds

Tools: Wand, rod, and staff

Plants: Almond, broom, clover, eyebright, lavender, pine

Stone: Amethyst, sapphire, citrine, azurite 

Places: Sky, mountaintops, tree tops, bluffs, airplanes

Zodiac: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra 

Time: Spring, dawn

Direction: East

Archangel: Raphael 

Process: Thinking, reading, speaking, praying, singing

Fire

Colors: Red, red-orange, amber

Symbols: Triangle, lightening, flame, salamander 

Tools: Sword, dagger, fire pot, double-handed axe 

Plants: Basil, dragons blood, ginger, tobacco

Stones: Ruby, garnet, diamond, bloodstone, flint, sunstone

Places: Volcanoes, ovens, fireplaces, deserts

Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Archangel: Michael 

Time: Summer, noon

Direction: South  

Process: Passion, anger, quick, active, energy, power

Water

Colors: Green, turquoise, blue

Symbols: Crescent, shells, boats, ship’s wheel, anchor, cup

Tools: Vessel, grail, chalice,  cauldron 

Plants: Aloe, cucumber, lily, lotus, willow

Stones: Aquamarine, moonstone, mother-of-pearl

Places: Oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, beaches, waterfalls

Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces 

Archangel: Gabriel

Time: Autumn, sunset

Direction: West

Process: Love, nurture, sensitivity, psychic ability, healing

Earth

Colors: Green, brown

Symbols: Square, cornucopia, spindle, scythe, salt

Tools: Shield, pentacle, flail, horn

Plants: Alfalfa, cotton, oats, patchouli, vertiver, wheat

Stones: Moss agate, jasper, malachite, peridot, tourmaline

Places: Caves, forests, fields, gardens, canyons

Zodiac: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo

Archangel: Ariel 

Time: Winter, midnight

Direction: North

Process: Grounded, practical, organized, steady, responsible

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🕉 Witchcraft 101: Casting the Circle 🕉

Cast the Circle thrice about

To keep unwelcome Spirits out.

Bind it whole, and bind it well

To serve as altar for my spell.

Mark this ground with all my soul

To consecrate with my control.

The sacred Circle is one of the oldest and most powerful tools of witchcraft. The shape of the Circle symbolizes the unity of nature; the unending cycle of life, death, and rebirth; and most importantly, a structure with no corners, no weak spots, no vulnerability. Casting a magick Circle can provide protection, seclusion, power, focus, and a host of other benefits. It is arguably the first piece of magick a witch should learn when exploring ritual work, and it can serve you in an endless number of ways.

In short, a Circle is a place of power designated by a Witch exclusively for a spell or ritual. The Witch consecrates this space with their energy and declares it to be theirs and theirs alone for the duration of the spell. This area is bounded by a physical circle which no energy can cross without the permission of the Witch.

Circles have been utilized by various magickal traditions for thousands of years, and over that time they have taken many different forms. Almost every tradition has a different method for designing a Circle, casting a Circle, and using a Circle. In this post, I will be discussing my own personal method of Circle casting, along with some traditional methods.

What are Circles used for?

Traditionally, a Circle is cast at the very beginning of any ritual. Before any spirits are summoned, before any gods are invoked, perhaps even before any candles are lit, a Witch will cast a Circle around the area they’ll be performing magick in.

When utilized like this, a Circle has three functions:

1) Establishing a Place of Power

A Circle designates a specific area as separate from the world around it. In a way, you are taking this physical space and removing it from space and time. Outside of the Circle the world continues to go about its unending business, but within the Circle, all energy is dedicated towards the completion of the spell.

This aids the witch in achieving the state of gnosis required for the spell. By removing yourself from the human world around you, you are declaring that you are more than human. You are reclaiming a piece of your spiritual godhood, and I find that this is very lucrative for tapping into that special “energy” of magick (if you’ve experimented with deep states of magickal gnosis, you’ll know what I’m talking about).

2) Protection

This is possibly the oldest use of the Circle, which can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Zoroastrian Craft. In some ways, a Circle is the most basic form of a Ward. You are creating an energetic barrier around yourself and your space that prevents any random energies or spirits from wandering into your spell.

Some of the earliest known rituals involving Circles were summonings and evocations. In this function, the magician would enclose themself in a special protective Circle before conjuring a spirit or deity. As long as they remained within the Circle, the being could do them no physical or spiritual harm.

3) Focusing Energy

This function partially relates to the first function I mentioned, creating a place of power. When performing a spell or ritual, you are essentially constructing a special, high-vibrational energy to be released into the universe. Utilizing a Circle helps to encase this special energy, allowing you to freely manipulate it without interference and without the energy dissipating into the environment around you.

How do you cast a Circle?

A precise method for casting a Circle is hard to pin down, just because they are so unique to each individual practitioner, and there are so many different methods that exist already. In general, though, a basic Circle can be cast with three simple steps:

1) Purify the space

Using any preferred method of purification, purify the space you’ll be performing your ritual in of all disruptive energies. One of the most effective and traditional methods is to burn a purifying incense, such as sage, thyme, frankincense, sandalwood, etc.

For those of you who can’t burn incense for whatever reason, this can also be achieved with sound vibrations (singing, ringing bells, etc.), visualization (manually clearing the space with your own energy), spraying herbal water in the area (a common new age type of cleansing), or any other type of purification you may utilize.

2) Mark the Boundary of the Circle

Mark the boundary of your Circle on the ground. This can be done with salt, chalk, a crystal grid, sticks, leaves, oil, water, or any number of other methods. A Circle can also be traced in the ground if you are standing in sand, dirt, gravel, etc.

A common misconception about Circles is that they have to be physically marked on the ground. This simply isn’t true, though. If you lack the materials, space, or ability to physically create a Circle around you, you can also mark the ground with a Circle through visualization.

Close your eyes, and visualize your energy tracing a Circle in the ground around you and your sacred space. A visualization thats often helpful for me is imagining a Circle of fire igniting around me, but use whatever visualization works best for you.

3) Enchant the Circle and Make It Yours

This step is the most unique from practitioner to practitioner. Every Witch does things a bit differently, but essentially, the last step is to consecrate your Circle to protect this space from invasion and to focus the energies within towards your will.

I commonly perform this step with a simple spoken spell that goes something like:

Hear my words, for they are sacred.

Feel my power, for it is manifest.

I consecrate this Circle as my place of power, wherein I and I alone have total dominion.

I mark its border upon the ground, and by my power, I declare that nothing may enter here without my invitation.

As I command, so must it be.

Final Thoughts on Circles

• This is a very simple type of Circle. While it is perfect for keeping out stray energies and weaker spirits (like ghosts or nature energies), it is reliant solely upon your own strength. Depending on how effectively you cast it, it may not be enough to keep out stronger or more malevolent energies.

• A Circle can be strengthened through any number of methods, such as marking its border with charged crystals or designing an intricate Circle using sigilcraft. Research, experiment, and find out what works best for you.

• A very common method of strengthening a Circle is by evoking the Four Elements/Watchers, which I will discuss in a future post.

• After casting a Circle, make sure to invite in any spirits/deities that you evoke in your ritual. If you summon them to you but don’t invite them into your Circle, they may be present but will be unable to interact with you or your spell.

• After completing your ritual working, be sure to unbind/release your Circle. This will deconsecrate the space and release the energy you’ve created into the universe for manifestation.

Be safe, and Happy Witching! 🕉

Associations/Correspondences for Spellcasting

Creativity 

Colors: Orange

Plant: Verbena 

Incense: Jasmine

Stone: Orange Calcite 

Tool: Wand

Symbol: Window

Fertility 

Color: Green 

Plant: Mistletoe 

Incense: Peach

Stone: Pearl

Tool: Chalice

Symbol: Serpent 

Friendship

Color: Pink

Plant: Sweetpea

Incense: Rose

Stone: Rose Quartz

Tool: Chalice

Symbol: Door

Harmony

Color: Pale Blue

Plant: Lavender

Incense: Lavender

Stone: Amethyst 

Tool: Chalice

Symbol: Dove

Love

Color: Pink/Red

Plant: Rose

Incense: Patchouli 

Stone: Rose Quartz

Tool: Chalice

Symbol: Heart

Money

Color: Green/Gold

Plant: Irish Moss

Incense: Pine

Stone: Aventurine

Tool: Pentacle

Symbol: Dollar Sign

Protection

Color: Black/White

Plant: Nettle

Incense: Frankincense 

Stone: Onyx

Tool: Athame

Symbol: Fence

Strength

Color: Red/White

Plant: Bay 

Incense: Carnation 

Stone: Tiger’s Eye

Tool: Athame 

Symbol: Chain

Success

Color: Gold

Plant: Sunflower

Incense: Cinnamon

Stone: Diamond

Tool: Pentacle

Symbol: Crown