As A Novice Witch, I Was Wondering If You Had Any Tips/ Suggestions For Me That Might Help Get Me More

Things to Research Before Working with the Fae

Research is the most important thing to do before heading into Faery work and witchcraft. You want to have a lot of in depth and versatile knowledge covering many areas of the topic so you’ll be able to understand and interact with the Fair Folk! If you don’t want to work with the Fair Folk you can use this list to help yourself understand them and take the proper measure if you ever stumble upon them. I know the list could go on forever but I’m compiling the topics I find build a good foundation of understanding. I have compiled this list to give those interested guidance and a push in the right direction, it is best you do your own research before asking other’s personal knowledge and opinions!!

The Basics

Terminology ( Fae, faery, fairy, changeling, seelie, unseelie, sidhe, etc)

The Origins of the Fae (Tuatha de Dannan, Aos Sí, Tylwyth Teg)

Faeries in Different Cultures: Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Gaulish, French), Norse, Influences from Greek and Roman culture.

Folklore & Myths!! ex. Oisin and Tír na nÓg , Fenian Cycle, Arthurian Legend. 

Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes- strong influences and connections to the Fae

Types of Faeries (study diverse types from pixies,brownies, pooka to Kelpies, Bwbach and Red caps) *Make sure you can at least answer who, what and where about them.

The Otherworlds (Tir na Nog, Caer Arianrhod, Annwn, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, etc.)

Faery Landmarks (fairy tree, fairy ring, fairy hill)

Signs of the Fae

Sacred Trees and Plants (Hawthorn) 

Protection!! very important

*Bonus if you learn Celtic Culture

Getting into Working with Them

Connecting to Nature and the Land

How to Banish Faeries & Protect yourself, house, family, etc.

Faery Behaviour and Proper Etiquette

Proper Offerings, How to give an Offering

Animals associated with the Fair Folk and Why? (raven, deer, etc)

Faery Festivals and Holidays (Samhain, Midsummer, Beltane)

Why certain things offend them- iron, saying “thank you”,etc.

The Courts (Seelie, Unseelie, trooping fairies, solitary)

Setting up a Faery Altar

How to work with them in Rituals 

Faery Flowers, herbs and crystals

A proper and personal way to communicate with them!!this means developing psychic ability, tarot, meditation, signs, etc.

Hagstones, heptagram/faery star

Some Good Books :) 

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, by W. Y. Evans Wentz  

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes 

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews 

Faery Craft by Morgan Daimler 

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Phillip Freeman

**if you have more topics, books or anything else feel free to add some!

🍞 Thyme Focaccia, a simple spell to attract good health. 🍞 Perfect for Lughnasadh / Lammas 🍞

Ingredients

7g fast action yeast or 15g fresh yeast

1tsp sugar

200mL warm water (37°C/100°F)

350g strong white bread flour

4tbsp olive oil

1tsp grounded salt

1tsp grounded pepper

A good handful of fresh thyme (the more the better honestly)

Recipe

In a bowl, mix the yeast with sugar and warm water until frothy. Let it rest, if the foam is growing, your yeast is activated.

In a big bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper and thyme together. Make a small hole and add the olive oil and the mix of yeast and water.

Knead everything for at least 10 minutes (if you're doing it by had) or 5 minutes if you are using a robot.

Form a big ball and rub a bit of oil around it. Put in a clean bowl, recover with cling film and let it rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour - 1h30) in a warm place protected from the wind (it will not rise)

Flatten the dough into a baking sheet, cover again and let it rise again for 1 hour.

Pre heat the oven 220°C / 425°F.

Lightly press the top of the dough with your fingers to make little dimples, drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the top is a lovely golden colour.

Magick

Lughnasadh or Lammas is known as the feast of bread, this recipe would be perfect for your celebrations!

In this recipe thyme is used to attract good health. The plant was burned by the Greeks to purify temples. It is also carried and smelled to give courage and energy. Salt and Pepper are for protection.

Don't forget to prepare yourself and your kitchen when you are doing this spell. Before preforming kitchen witchery I always meditate on my intention, take a cleansing shower. I also prepare my kitchen: I clean it and cleanse it. I also love listening to music when I am cooking. I take the time to really feel the energy of the ingredients I am cooking with. If you are working with deities, a simple prayer and a offering can help! If you don't prepare yourself and your space you are just cooking, there is nothing magical in it.

Seeing the bread rising is kind of magical in itself, it reconnect with an ancestral tradition. To me the fact of rising enhance the properties of the other ingredients.

The Elements and their correspondences

E A R T H

Earth represents strength, grounding, prosperity, the material, wealth, success, foundations, death and rebirth. Focus on this element if the goal of your spell is about fertility, prosperity, business or stability. Earth spells may take longer to work, but they’re also more firm and are good if you’re looking for long-term solutions.

GENDER: Feminine SEASON: Winter DIRECTION: North HOUR: Night

COLOURS: Green, Brown, Black ANIMALS: Bears, Deers, Wolves, Badgers HERBS/PLANTS: Ivy, Ash, Vetiver, Wheats, Oats INSTRUMENTS: Drums (Percussion instruments)

STAR SIGNS: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn STONES/GEMS: Jade, Onyx, Emerald, Salt RITUAL TOOLS: Stones, Dirt, Bones, Pentacle, Salt, Crystals  RITUAL FORMS: Burying, Planting, Imprinting to soil or sand TAROT SUIT: Pentacles

A I R

Air represents intellect and the mind, wisdom, knowledge; logic as well as abstract thought, intuition and higher consciousness. If you’re seeking freedom, travels, or to enhance your memory and focus - focus on Air spells! Air is whimsical and amiable, personally I haven’t found it useful for more serious spells, but it does wonders for my studies. 

GENDER: Masculine SEASON: Spring DIRECTION: East HOUR: Dawn

COLOURS: Yellow, White, Sky Blue, Pastels ANIMALS: Birds, Spiders, Butterflies HERBS/PLANTS: Lavender, Birch, Vervain, Dill, Aspen INSTRUMENTS: Flute (Wind instruments)

STAR SIGNS: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius STONES/GEMS: Amethyst, Opal, Alexandrite, Beryl RITUAL TOOLS: Incense, Wand RITUAL FORMS: Fanning, Tossing into air, Suspending in a high place  TAROT SUIT: Swords

F I R E

Fire represents energy, passion, purification, love, inspiration, desire, will, courage, power, leadership, sexuality. In spellcraft, focusing on Fire is good for purification, healing and love spells; it’s the best element for quick, strong spells. Although, Fire is fierce in essence, and Fire spells are susceptible - they should be well thought out.

GENDER: Masculine SEASON: Summer DIRECTION: South HOUR: Noon

COLOURS: Red, Orange, Gold ANIMALS: Snakes, Lions, Horses HERBS/PLANTS: Cacti, Cinnamon, Pepper, Basil INSTRUMENTS: Guitar (Stringed instruments)

STAR SIGNS: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius STONES/GEMS: Amber, Citrine, Ruby, Tiger’s Eye RITUAL TOOLS: Athame, Candles RITUAL FORMS: Burning, Smouldering, Heating TAROT SUIT: Wands

W A T E R

Water represents purification as well; though it’s focused more on the soul and the subconscious rather than the physical, material world. Water stands for emotion, intuition, wisdom, eternal movement, reflection, lunar energy. Focusing on the Water element is good for psychic abilities, getting in tune with your inner self, mysteries, friendships, love, dreams and sleep.

GENDER: Feminine SEASON: Autumn DIRECTION: West HOUR: Dusk

COLOURS: Blue, Indigo, Silver ANIMALS: Otters, Fish, Sea Mammals, Frogs HERBS/PLANTS: Lotus, Water Lilies, Aloe, Gardenia INSTRUMENTS: Cymbal, Bell (Resonant instruments)

STAR SIGNS: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces STONES/GEMS: Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl RITUAL TOOLS: Cauldrons, Chalices, Seashells RITUAL FORMS: Diluting, Placing into water, washing away, bathing TAROT SUIT: Cups

Four years, with a few multi-month long breaks, and I've finally finished the 'Epic' Pokémon cross stitch.

On 18ct aida fabric with a 16oz soda can for scale!

WITCHY READS TO SAVE FOR LATER 📚

🌼Healing Tea Recipes🌿

🌼Headache tea

-½ tablespoon of mint leaves

-½ tablespoon of lavender

-½ tablespoon of chamomile

🌼Nausea tea (not acid reflux)

-fresh sliced ginger root or candied/minced ginger

-1 tablespoon of mint leaves

-1 tablespoon of lemon balm

-½ tablespoon of chamomile

🌼Immune Boost tea

-1 tablespoon (or 10-20) of elder berries

-½ tablespoon of calendula

-½ tablespoon of echinacea

-a squeeze of fresh orange juice

🌼Menstrual Relief tea

-½ tablespoon of raspberry leaf

-½ tablespoon of chamomile

-½ tablespoon of hops

-ginger slices

🌼Acid Reflux tea

-½ tablespoon of fennel

-½ tablespoon of chamomile

-½ tablespoon of licorice or 1 stick

🌼Anti-Anxiety/Insomnia tea

-½ tablespoon of lavender

-½ tablespoon of chamomile

-½ tablespoon of passionflower

-½ tablespoon of lemonbalm

🌼Cold & Flu / Allergy tea

-½ tablespoon of nettle

-½ tablespoon of peppermint

-½ tablespoon cinnamon bark or lavender

-1 teaspoon of lemon juice & raw local honey

-fresh ginger slices

*these do not replace medications and aren’t meant to treat an issue alone. If you think anything’s wrong please see a doctor. Please do research on interactions before you use herbs if you’re on medication.

ko_lo_man

My wheel of the year is almost finished and I really hope I have enough skills to embroider it🤞

my witchy morning routine ♡

i thought it would be cute sharing my witchy morning routine in here, it could be a nice idea to give some inspiration to others and also to know me better since i don’t share much about me in here hehe

- first thing’s first, i get up and stretch a bit, i open my window and let some fresh air in

- then I go pet my sweet familiar and give him some treats

- i make myself some green tea and add a bit of cinnamon and honey for protection

- i normally drink my tea in my balcony to connect a bit with the nature that surrounds e, if you have a garden then you’re so lucky haha

- i check my daily activities on my bullet journal

- i do my skin care routine (all products are vegan and cruelty-free) and brush my teeth

- i put my workout clothes and jog for 15 minutes

- after that i wind down and take a long shower, i take the opportunity to charge my rose quartz with the running water. i also keep my crystals (the ones that are water resistant) next to me

- then i love to listen to some music and dance in my towel, I’d like to think that’s something Aphrodite would be proud of hehe

- after putting my clothes on, I hop into the sofa and read listening to the sounds of birds (if you have been following me for a while you already know that I’m a big bookworm)

- then I take out my familiar to a park and that’s basically it!

thank you for reading this far, i love all of my followers so much (◕‿◕✿)

note: i don’t go to school for medical reasons until september :( i’d like to do a post about it someday x

hi! i’ve been struggling with a lot of negative thoughts lately, especially during this social isolation period. do you have any tips for dispelling mental negativity?

Hello! This is a tough time for us all, and it’s completely understandable to be dealing with an increase in negative thoughts and emotions. I’m fairly well-practiced at social isolation/staying at home for long periods of time due to chronic health issues, so I’ll talk about what helps me!

Take care of physical needs.

I challenge you to spend five minutes making yourself more comfortable. Here’s some things you might do:

Change clothes/into something more comfortable. 

Wash your face, neck, arms, etc. with a wet washcloth. 

Brush or comb your hair.

Brush your teeth.

Put on lip balm or lotion. 

Drink some water (at least 3 mouthfuls). 

Go to the bathroom!

Pay attention to sore/stiff areas of your body. Stretch and do what you need to in order to feel better. (Also fix your posture and relax your jaw!)

When was the last time you had fruit or veggies?

Do you have glasses? They could probably be cleaner. 

Get some fresh air, even if you need to hang your head out the window.

Next level physical needs:

Take a bath or shower. 

Go for a walk if you can, or move around your home (dance, yoga, shuffle around in your blanket cloak, whatever).

Set some hydration goals.

Follow your medication schedule.

Eat balanced meals, however that looks for you. 

Go to bed a bit earlier, even if you can’t fall asleep keep the phone put away and just relax. 

Quick mental recharging:

Watch a cute video.

Watch a favorite movie/episode.

Change your surroundings; hang out in a different spot, change the lighting, even just rotate on your bed.

Play some music and fully listen to it. The full song, do nothing but listen. I love turning off the lights and chilling with my headphones in. OR taking a shower with the lights off and the music playing (just be safe!)

Put the phone down for a bit. Even if it’s a designated timeframe (5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour, whatever.)

Write down whatever is bothering you. What are your thoughts? What’s triggering them? Often getting it down can help us release them. 

On that note, do things without your phone. Create, read a book, watch something with your phone in the other room. It’s a wonderful tool, but sometimes it can be too much!

Long-term mental recharging/goals:

Learn one new thing every day. It can be as simple as googling random facts or as complex as learning a new subject/topic/skill. Watch DIY or how its made videos. Just aim for learning one thing per day. 

Clean/tidy one thing per day. Made your bed? Moved the dishes into the kitchen? Put all the wrappers/whatever into a pile for later? Cleaned the entire house? Great! Just one thing, big or small. 

Get a hobby that doesn’t involve screen time. Knitting? Crocheting? Weaving? Sewing? Reading? Poetry? Gardening? Baking? Drawing? Painting? Creating? You don’t have to be good at it, learning is the fun part anyways! You also don’t have to do it every day, but you’ll hit a point where you’re aimlessly clicking between multiple apps and not enjoying any of it--that’s the time to return to your hobby. 

Figure out a schedule that works for you, and be gentle about it. 

Example: I fluctuate quite a bit with what time I’m ready to fall asleep, and I give myself a certain window that I can stay in bed (generally 10 hours is what I need). If I wake up before then, great! I can stay in bed until the window, but then I at least need to get up and take care of my needs before going back to my bed. But if I’m having a bad health day, that’s okay. You know what level of commitment you need to get benefit out of having a schedule. (TL;DR my schedule shifts with my needs, and that makes it work for me). 

Stay connected. Text people. Call them. Video chat. Send snail mail (if safe to do so). Message them. Let them know when you’re thinking of them. 

Related posts:

Bedridden witch: Stale energy edition

Magic to replenish energy

Rejuvenating witchcraft

Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

How I recovered from depression influenced by chronic illness

Spoonie witch masterpost

🎵 Music in Witchcraft 🎵

I love music. More and more, I have been including music in my practice of witchcraft, simply by having a song in the background while cleansing or making kitchen magic, and singing or humming particular melodies in the shower, when I perform a spell or a ritual, etc. If you’re interested in music witchcraft, here are a few ideas to get you started. 

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🎵 Singing out loud is a really powerful practice that can help when performing difficult spells, or rituals that are energy-draining. 

🎵 If you’re uncomfortable with singing, humming a melody is a good alternative. I love humming a simple, happy song while cleansing my home.

🎵 Charge your crystals, magical items and plants with soothing, dramatic and strengthening music. 

🎵 If you can play any instrument, include them in your practice - by playing before, during or after your daily practice, for instance. 

🎵 Sound playlists have their own power, especially if you’re working with the 4 elements:

🌱 Earth: listen to forest and nature sounds

🔥 Fire: listen to fire crackling

🌪️ Air: listen to birds chirping

🌊 Water: listen to ocean sounds and waves

🎵 Make very specific playlists on Spotify ; e.g. “Songs to dance around in your room by yourself”, or “Songs to listen when you’re angry about the world”. Having songs that reflect your feelings will be incredibly useful and can make you feel less alone in your happiness / or in your pain. 

🎵 Bring back your inner child by listening to nostalgic playlists of songs that came out when you were 5, 10, 15 years old. 

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Here’s a great Spotify playlist with witchy music, if you’re interested.