18- Baba Yaga (Slavic Folklore).
This classic witch originates from Russian mythology and Slavic fairytales. Baba Yaga appears in various legends, often occupying the role of the witch residing deep in the woods that the main character must interact and barter with. She is the predecessor to witches like those found in the fairy tales of Charles Perrault, as well as those found in the Grimm Brothers’ works. Baba Yaga retains many unique characterizations and attributes not found in any other witch, however, making her singularly iconic.
Baba Yaga is described as a hideous, deformed, and vicious looking woman, resembling the classic hag archetype. In some versions of her story, Baba Yaga is not one, but three sisters all named Baba Yaga, each sister being older than the next. In this way, Baba Yaga is intimately connected to both The Graeae and the Moirai (#64), and illustrates the triple goddess. More specifically, Baba Yaga is a representation of the Crone phase, and is associated with death, darkness, and winter. Her function in the legends she appears in further matches this archetype, as she “may help or hinder” the characters that beseech her. She stands at the crossroads of death and mystery, allowing some to pass unscathed.
Baba Yaga is best known for two specific attributes that have defined witch iconography and contributed to Baba Yaga’s mythological uniqueness. Her residence, as well as her choice of aerial transportation, are some of the most distinctive out of any witch in this series. While most fairy tale and fictional witches fly through the sky on their iconic brooms, Baba Yaga sits her little old body inside a mortar, and steers her “spice-craft” with a pestle as rudder. The iconography and symbolic nature of this, with the mortar representing the divine feminine/womb and the pestle representing the divine masculine/phallus, shows Baba Yaga to be a character in balance with nature, called by some as a “phallic mother”. Other depictions show Baba Yaga riding through the sky in a cauldron, further solidifying the relationships between witches and their love of these cast iron pots (Ceridwen #56).
Baba Yaga’s hut is similarly iconic and unique, and has influenced centuries of witch-lore. Her house sits upon a pair of chicken legs (sometimes just a single claw). It jumps in the air and spins around, constantly moving from place to place and turning direction. I’ve seen dozens of references and depictions of witch-homes on chicken legs, but they are all imitations of Baba Yaga’s. Her yard is surrounded by a fence impaled with skulls, furthering her placement at the gates of death and dying. Her fowl-legged home appears in the earliest references to Baba Yaga, so whatever this strange attribute means, its intimately connected to her being.
The etymological roots and significance of her name are disputed. It’s generally agreed that the Baba is the same root as babushka, meaning grandmother. Other roots in Old Russian bring the shared meaning of Baba to “midwife, sorceress, and fortune teller”. The Yaga part of her name is less conclusive, however, with no root universally agreed upon. Some believe it has its origin in “serpent, snake”, while others see it from anything from “horror”, “witch”, “evil woman”, and “pain and worry”. In this way, Baba Yaga principally means Grandmother Witch, the Slavic etymological counterpart to the Italian version, Strega Nona (#21). Both Strega Nona and Baba Yaga are examples of the tradition of witch names ending in an A, with Baba Yaga perhaps being the earliest (See: Hilda and Zelda #36, Sabrina #62, Samantha/Endora/Clara #s 89/54/39, Glinda 76, et. al.).
In modern times, Baba Yaga has become more of a bogeyman character, used to scared children into good behavior. She’s described as flying through the air in her cauldron, stealing kids away to eat them. She is often shown as a consort to the personification of Death, sealing her Crone status. This association expands beyond the original source material for her, however, and while she is now often seen as evil, she was more thoroughly understood as being morally ambiguous. Baba Yaga’s ultimate good or evil was brought out by the decisions and/or actions of the main character in the fairy tale who interacted with her, serving as a reminder of caution, thoughtfulness, and sure-footedness.
Baba Yaga remains one of the classic hag witches from world folklore and mythology. I am absolutely enamored with her flying around in a Mortar/Pestle, as I find her to be one of the prototypes for modern Kitchen Witch iconography. Her witch residence goes down in history as one of the most unique, rivaled only by the far removed castles of witch/queens. I find her manifestation as three Baba Yagas, each living in a chicken-clawed home, to be her most allegorical and fascinating. In this way, Baba Yaga illustrates the singularity and unity of the Triple Goddess into one character, promoting the final stage of Crone as the most pertinent to the archetypes of witchcraft.
be proud of yourself today, you did well
So you want to make a grimore, but you have no idea what to put it! Here are some ideas!
Spells, of course
The elements
Crystals and herbs you like, and their correspondences
Astrology: the signs, your chart, etc
Divination, both how to’s, and answers you’ve gotten
Sigils!
Moon phases, I find even sticking a calendar in there is good
Deities, Spirits, and things like that you’ve talked to or worked with
The Sabbats, if you do those, and what you can do on them
Recipes and Potions
Meditation charts and what you get out of them!
Dreams and dreamwork
Plant identification
Tarot card meanings
Art
Terminology
Crystal Grids
Pendulum keys
Tarot spreads
Essential oils you like
Mythology
Scrying
Pocket Altars
Runes
Hopefully this has give you some ideas! Good luck!
~Advicewitch Kween
I think we're all grown up enough to admit that pink actually is a nice color and the only reason people ever convinced themselves it isn't is because girls, often young girls, like it
✨Cleansing✨
Cleansing is the practice of cleaning the negative energy out of yourself, your posessions or surroundings.
• Smoke. Pass the item you're cleansing through smoke, whether it be smoke from incense, a candle or a fire.
• Water. First make sure the item you're cleansing is water proof, or at least water resistant, there are a few crystals that are damaged by water, so beware! Sprinkle water on the object you're cleansing, especially if it's moon water or full moon water.
• Salt. Put the object your cleansing in salt, or put salt on the object. Salt will soak up all the negative energy in the item. Beware, there are some crystals damaged by salt.
• Sunlight and Moonlight. Put your item outside or near a window. Let the item bathe in the light for a few hours. Beware of bleaching! You can also sprikle salt in your doorway on the first friday of every month (or whenever) to protect and cleanse your home.
• Crystals. Use corresponding crystals to cleanse your object. Put them around/on your object. If you're cleansing your own energy, keep the crystals in your hands or carry them with you.
• Pick the thing you want to cleanse (be it your home, your crystals, your witchcraft materials, your jewellery, etc)
• Pick a method of cleansing (use your intuition)
• Feel your energy and listen to your feelings when cleansing, try to stay calm. You can close your eyes and breathe deep.
• Try to transfer your positive energy into the object. Imagine your positivity flowing into it.
And you're done!
Crystals that have cleansing properties include:
• Selenite
• Clear Quartz
• Citrine
• Black Tourmaline
• Black Onyx
• Fluorite
• Selenite
• Apatite
✨Thanks for reading! Check out my blog for more witchy tips!✨
THE CRAFT (1996)
THE CRAFT LEGACY (2020)
We 💖 CATS!
One of my favorite quotes about the magic of homemaking comes from Cory Hutcheson, host of the New World Witchery podcast. He says, “Home is a transformational act. It is the thing you do to turn a space into a space… that is full of ritual and significance and meaning. So there is sort of this ongoing relationship you have with the space that makes it a home.”
The act of creating a home, of making a space your own, is inherently magical. But if you want to make your space feel a little more witchy, here are some ideas to get you started.
Making your own magical objects can be a powerful way to bring magic into your space. The best thing about making your own charms is that you can make them look however you want, so it’s easy to disguise them as ordinary household objects. You can make a charm for any intention by combining objects based on their magical correspondences.
I’ve talked about protective charms in previous posts, so I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it here. The simplest protective charm is keeping a large piece of iron under your bed to keep away nightmares, evil spirits, and negative energy. You could also make your own protection charm, like a witch bottle.
You can create a “happy home” charm to bring peace, harmony, and happiness into your home. This charm could include herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and/or bay leaves, as well as other items that you associate with peace and good fortune, like lucky coins, crystals, or black cat fur. Write your desires for a harmonious and happy home on a piece of paper, fold it up, and add it to the charm. You could store these items in a green bag, bury them in your backyard (in this case, make sure you’re only using biodegradable plant matter — leave out the coins and crystals), or place it inside a household object like a lamp or an end table.
If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep issues, try making a dream charm to help you sleep well and have sweet dreams. To make a simple dream charm, fill a blue or purple bag with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and any other objects that you associate with peace, restfulness, and sleep. If you want to have lucid dreams or receive psychic messages in your dreams, include a bit of mugwort. Place the charm in your pillow or under your mattress. (I personally swear by this one, as it’s helped a lot with my insomnia.)
Charms are great for homemaking magic because you’re actually creating a magical object, which can then become a permanent fixture of the space.
You can use magical items to decorate your home to bring certain qualities into that space.
Hanging or displaying a broom is said to bring good fortune, protection from evil, and good hospitality. Cauldrons are used to represent the Goddess, rebirth, and raw potential. Horseshoes hung above door frames bring safety and luck to all who cross under them, and keep unwanted guests away. If you can get them legally and ethically, animal bones, teeth, claws, and feathers can represent the spirit and energy of that animal. You can also put up images of spiritual and occult symbols — I have an image of the Sun tarot card hanging in my bedroom to promote positivity and growth.
If you need to be a little more subtle with your witchy decorations, working with the magic of color is a great way to do that. Gathering a lot of items of a single color in one room changes the energy of that room. Here’s a quick guide to give you some ideas:
Yellow is associated with divination, mental clarity, the element of air, success, communication, and inspiration.
Purple is associated with divine power, spiritual awareness, mystery, astral travel, magic, and authority.
Blue is associated with healing, psychic abilities, the element of water, peace, truth, and patience.
Red is associated with protection, the fire element, sex, power, vitality, and love.
Orange is associated with ambition, creativity, breaking through blockages, and career success.
Pink is associated with romantic love, friendship, self love, compassion, and emotional well-being.
Green is associated with nature, herbalism, the earth element, money, wealth, prosperity, and luck.
Brown is associated with grounding, animal magic, stability, and balance.
White is associated with purification, cleansing, the full moon, new beginnings, healing, and spiritual growth.
Black is associated with protection, truth, outer space, banishing, and transition.
Decorating your home with colors that are meaningful to you can create a powerful magical space. You may also have your own color associations (for example, yellow is a very “happy” color for me), so feel free to incorporate those into your decor as well!
Most witches feel a very deep connection to nature and draw power from the natural world, but we can’t all live in a cottage in the heart of the forest. Even if you live in a tiny apartment in the city, you can still bring nature into your space by keeping houseplants. Many popular houseplants have magical uses, and many popular magic herbs can be grown inside. Here are a few to get you started.
Aloe. This is one of my favorite plants. Aloe brings luck and protection, especially protection on an energetic/spiritual level. I like to keep aloe in my bedroom to protect me while I sleep, as well as to bring luck and inspiration while I’m working at my desk.
Basil. Basil is very popular in money spells, and will attract prosperity and luck to your home. However, it also has protective properties — both spiritual protection and protection from bugs, since basil is a natural insect repellent! Basil can also be used in love spells, and is just generally a good plant to have around for good vibes.
African Violet. This flowering plant attracts positive spiritual energy into your space. It has associations with the moon and the water element, and is very good for promoting spirituality and psychic power.
Rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs that every witch should have on hand. It’s so darn versatile, it can be used as a substitute for virtually any other herb, and can be used for almost any intention. Some of the most common magical associations for rosemary include: cleansing, purification, protection, healing, mental activity, and enhancing memory. According to author Deborah J. Martin, there’s an old English saying that, “Where rosemary grows, the woman rules the house.” Like basil, rosemary is a natural insect repellent.
Lavender. Lavender brings peace, love, and gentleness, which makes it a perfect addition to any home. It can be used in spells for cleansing and purification, enhancing psychic abilities, and stress relief. Lavender is also a powerful addition to love spells. Keeping lavender in the bedroom can aid in restful sleep, while lavender in the kitchen will bring harmony to the home.
Sage. Sage is the most talked about cleansing herb, and with good reason. Unfortunately, a lot of the sage bundles you can buy at metaphysical stores are made with white sage (Salvia apiana), which is sacred to Native American peoples and is endangered due to overharvesting. Instead of buying those, why not grow your own garden sage (Salvia officinalis), which has a lot of the same magical properties? Growing sage in your home will purify the space and protect those who live there. Sage also has an association with wisdom and mental prowess.
Hoya. Hoya is a common houseplant that you’ve probably seen even if you don’t know it by name. It has a distinctive appearance with waxy, dark green leaves and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. Hoya aligns and balances the energy centers within your body, as well as in the surrounding space. It’s associated both with grounding and with spiritual openness, so it can be great for balancing the two.
Peppermint. Peppermint has a variety of magical uses, but my favorite way to use it is for gently opening up blockages and getting things moving. It’s great for cleansing, but is more gentle than rosemary or sage. Place it in any room where you tend to do a lot of healing work, or where you could use some peace and love. Peppermint is also used in dream magic, so growing it in the bedroom may bring on vivid or lucid dreams.
Orchid. Orchids are used in magic for love and lust. Historically, orchid has been used in folk medicine to promote male virility and “Jezebel root,” used in American folk magic to attract wealthy male lovers, is a type of orchid root. If you live with a significant other, try growing an orchid in the bedroom to promote passion in your sex life. Otherwise, grow orchids in your home to promote love or to attract romance.
Catnip. If you have cats, they’ll love this one. Catnip is actually a type of mint, and has strong lunar associations. It’s said to make one more charming and attractive, and is especially useful for attracting women. At the same time, catnip promotes courage and fierceness. It is also, of course, associated with cats and feline deities, so this is definitely a plant you’ll want to keep around if the cat is one of your animal guides.
If you have a yard space that you can turn into an outdoor garden, your magical plant options are limited only by your local ecosystem. Some outdoor plants that have magical uses include roses, sunflowers, rue, lemon balm, and strawberries.
Altars are focal points of magical and spiritual energy. Many people, both witches and non-witches, find that having a designated space for their spiritual practice creates a deeper sense of sacredness and purpose.
An altar can serve lots of different purposes. Many witches use their altar as a magical work space to prepare spells, meditate, and do divination. You may choose to dedicate your altar to a deity, your ancestors, or some other spirit(s) you work with. You can also build altars for specific intentions, such as a money altar or a love altar — performing rituals at this altar everyday is a powerful method for manifestation. You altar may be some or all of these things, or it may just be a place to sit and connect with the spiritual.
You can set up an altar on any flat surface, like a shelf or table, or inside a container like a jewelry box. Your setup can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. An altar can be huge and complex, with statues and candles and flowers, or it can be as simple as a tealight and an incense burner. It’s all about what appeals to you.
Resources:
New World Witchery pocast, “Episode 143 — The Magical Home”
Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
“Candle colors and their meanings” by Michelle Gruben on the Grove and Grotto blog
Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck
A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin
“The Magic of Orchids in Wiccan Love Spells & Rituals” on the Art of the Root blog
Fatigue looks at things such as tiredness, drowsiness, exhaustion, weakness, lethargy and memory issues and says “I can do all that and more!”. It leaves you feeling utterly trapped in your own body; unable to move, or even think at times. It fluctuates, but is always looming.
While this post is open for all, it is written for those who truly relate to this all-consuming feeling (due to ME/CFS, other chronic illnesses, mental illness, or undiagnosed causes). Not all of these may work for you, but hopefully they inspire something that will. For general low energy witchcraft, check out my Bedridden Witch Series!
As always: witchcraft is to be used in addition to proper medical care, treatment and medication; not as a sole alternative.
If you cannot produce your own, magically created will be just fine!
Crystals.
I tend to use clear quartz for an energy boost, but trust your intuition; if something calls to you, it’s for a reason.
Keep it near your bedside table, under your pillow, hold it in your hand or place it on your body where you feel the fatigue most strongly centered.
When on the go, carry it in your pocket or wear as jewelry. If it is larger, carry in a bag and hold it when you need it.
Charge using a charging board or the elements.
Crystals for fatigue
Waters.
Physically touching water brings me energy. I keep jars of snow, rain, storm, river, stream (etc, etc.) water and will dip my fingers in it and mark that parts of my body where the fatigue feels strongest. Be aware of pollutants and do not ingest!
The same method can be done with tap water (or water charged under the sun or moon)
Drink sun water or sun tea (start with drinking safe water and let it absorb the energies of the sun).
Some people find moon water to be energizing (same process as above, just with the moon).
See also: Bedridden witch: Bath edition.
Other elements.
Note what is energizing to you and what is draining to you. Consider: the sun, moon (and it’s phases), weather (rain, overcast, snow, storm, wind), cold vs. hot, the earth, fire, air, etc.
Once you find which elements are energizing to you, find ways to incorporate them into your life. Examples: jars of different waters or soils, rocks collected from places, candles, and more.
I usually draw energy up from the earth by placing my palms flat towards the earth by the sides of my body. So if I was lying down, my arms would be at my sides with my palms facing down.
Expose yourself or protect yourself. I’ll use my personal experiences as an example here… Rain often energizes me. When it rains, I’ll open my windows, and if I’m able I’ll step outside or collect some water. On the flipside, full moons often drain me. I’ll close my windows and curtains, hang an extra blanket over my bedroom window, use water to paint protective sigils on the window and increase my wards.
See also: Bedridden witch: Elements edition and Bedridden witch: Weather edition
Brain fog:
Brainfog lifting
“Brainfog begone” sigil
Fatigue:
Spoonie spell for energy
Energy gain spell
Energy boost spell
Energy bath
Fatigue recovery spell jar
Headaches (and migraines):
Headache healing
To banish a headache
Anti-migraine spell
Anti-migraine spell bottle
Migraine relief bath
Joint pain:
Arthritis pain relief oil
Joint pain spell
Healing spell for joints
Memory:
Memory masterpost
Memory and concentration spell
Mental reboost tea spell
Muscle pain:
Muscle pain sachet
Warming salve for sore muscles
Crystals for muscle pain (external site)
For more categories of symptoms please see my posts for symptoms relating to chronic illness and mental illness!
Tips and tricks:
I highly recommend preparing things when your energy allows, so it’s always ready to go when you need it (and isn’t dependent on current energy levels).
Cleansing: Let other things do your work for you. Open your windows/get fresh air, steam or smoke, sound, etc. Bedridden energy cleansing.
Divination: Use apps when physical movement is hard. One card spreads, shorten your pendulum so you don’t need to lift your arm, divine using the elements, etc. Bedridden divination.
Spells: Make your own spell kits. Spell jars and sachets are also an excellent way to already have the spell prepared, set it up so you can simply shake it to re/activate the spell.
Warding: Create physical ties for your wards that aren’t reliant on consistent upkeep (as a failsafe), and reinforce your other ward layers when you have the energy. I create far more layers than I need so when I am unable to reinforce them, they still protect me.
Worship: Compile prayers and devotions somewhere you can easily find and read them, have a wall altar for easy maintenance, keep offerings simple (a glass of water, for example). Bedridden worship.
Many more tips and tricks in these posts:
Bedridden witch series (masterpost of all my current bedridden witch posts, including some that weren’t linked here!)
Limited hand mobility + witchcraft (divination, spells, working with flames, recording information and more)
Nonverbal witchcraft
Magic to replenish energy
Spoonie witch masterpost
Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms
Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms
Witchcraft & Meds
Low energy cleaning + cleansing
Sigils: (pain + symptoms) (mental illness + energy) (healing + misc.)
Drink magic masterpost
Rejuvenating witchcraft
Do none of these posts fit your needs? Let me know, I’m always looking for more ways to make witchcraft accessible!
**Do not repost or share on other platforms - reblogging is okay!**
Last updated May of 2020. Please check for updates and inform me of broken links via askbox!
In all seriousness, though, I think TikTok’s format is going to work better for short tutorials and educational videos, and it allows me to make more video content since it’s less intense than creating a YouTube video.
Anyways, click here to follow me on TikTok for spell tutorials, embroidery, mini book reviews, and probably occasional rants/raves about my Dungeons & Dragons characters. 😅
Hello!This blog is run by two witches Comet and Angel. Feel free to talk to us !
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