f you’re like me and eat a ludicrous amount of seaweed you have a bunch of these boys around:
These are silica packets. There basically very absorbent sand and if you live somewhere humid like I do they can be the handiest things ever. I collect fresh herbs and if you don’t get them all the way dry they will rot 😦 in their little jars. Answer: air dry on the counter for a day or two and then drop in the packet. This also helps preserve the smell. These rose petals are nearly a month old but are still very pink and smell strongly of roses. The lavender was completely fresh going in with no trouble.
Lastly, I like using some of my paper supplies out in a field. Which is kinda bad for the paper… Luckily, you can slip one of these bad boy between the pages of a heavy book or into the card box and it will keep them from breaking down.
Salt and Sage are two of the most popular, traditional and trustworthy ingredients a witch can use to cleanse their space, cast a circle or guard their altar.
Sage is native on all continents beside Antarctica and Australia, there are also up to 900 different varieties of it! So it is unsurprising that nearly every culture has its own use for it.
Getting your hands on sage is also ridiculously easy. Most well stocked supermarkets have more than enough of the stuff to smoke out a church.
Yet not everyone can or wants to burn it. (which is perfectly fine, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be a witch without sage!)
The smell is also rather similar to Weed (by that I mean it smells exactly the same, like seriously it’s insane) which can be a problem if you have strict parents or nosy neighbors. People have called the cops on an old acquaintance from coven-days long past more than once for that smell.
So what to use when sage is out of the question?
One answer to that would be Fir (Abies sp.). More often found in the norther hemisphere. There are 40 to 47 different kinds of fir trees. They are fond of heights. Either the sap/raisin, needles or wood can be used. It’s something you will come across when you study the Good Neighbors. It’s used to ward of fairys and spirits (and evil spirits). It’s a popular raisin for making incense and also rather easy to come by. Often found in bath oil too! The first green tips of the plant are also used as medicine against colds or can be eaten!
Frankincense (Thus album in latin, plant Boswellia sp.) is also a good substitute incense, first used by the ancient Egyptians during rituals. A cleansing allrounder so to say.
Both of the options above are good substitutes for sage. (They also smell better in my opinion)
Now Salt is thego to tool of witchcraft. It cleanses, protects and is at least twice as popular as sage, if not even more so. Many witches have the notion that throwing salt at a problem will most likely fix it. And they aren’t wrong! If the rock is big enough…
But sometimes even salt can’t help you. The fey for one are at times unimpressed by it. Also if you (like me) grew up by the sea then you know that some Things aren’t scared of a little salt water.
Plus as a secret witch clean up can be a bi*ch to handle. So what to use?
Chalk! Chalk is a great substitute for salt, it is easy to use and clean up and has about the same protective characteristics as salt. It wards of evil (the devil even) and it can be used to purify things.
A chalk circle is often just as effective as one made from salt.
Ash (from wood or herbs) is a powerful tool for cleansing or warding. The lighter the colour the better.
Milk, white wine or coconut water are great for cleansing and pepper can ward of the bad just as well as salt could. But a pinch of salt always helps both with taste and with protection.
So here are some substitutes for anyone that might be interested or needs them. I’m always looking for more so feel free to share your thoughts and experiences!
Grounding plays an important part in witchcraft. It’s just a fancy way of saying you’re completely aware of your surroundings. For me, a lot of grounding techniques are too boring and I get distracted easily. So here’s a list of grounding techniques I use!
Grab pretty much anything. Notice how it feels. Notice the textures, the sounds it makes as you touch it and move it around. Notice the colors, the smell, maybe it’s taste.
On both hands, tap each finger to your thumb. Tap your fore finger to your thumb, then your middle finger, ring finger, pinkie, and go back. Make sure you do this on both hands. Using both hands activates both sides of your brain which in turn helps you become more aware.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Look around the room. Find 5 things of one color, then 4 of a different color, and so on and so forth. For example, you could find 5 things that are red, 4 things that are green, 3 things that are black, 2 things that are blue, and 1 thing that is purple.
You can do the same thing but with your senses. 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Hold ice in your hands.
Eat something spicy or sour.
All of these were taught to me by my therapist and can be used by anyone. Feel free to change them up as needed whether it be to make it more witchy or just more comfy for you
The Summer Solstice has finally come! We are officially halfway through the year. This energy is great for manifesting, expressing gratitude, and making changes in your life for the next few months. Now is the best time to create new morning rituals, to not only enhance your living but to enhance your magic as well! ✨
What is a Morning Ritual?
A morning ritual is anything you do to get your day started. In the witchy world, a morning ritual combines mundane tasks with everyday magic practice.
Sometimes the morning is the only time we get to practice magic, with our lives being so hectic and busy.
How Long Should it Be?
Your morning ritual can last anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour or more.
First figure out how much time you have to spare in the mornings. Do you have 9am classes or work really early in the morning? Set your alarm for 10-20min before you have to leave, and do your morning ritual then. Work overnight and only get the mornings to sleep? Set an alarm for early afternoon, the exact time doesn’t matter. Mornings completely free? Set up I comfortable time to rise and you use as much time as you’d like.
The ritual should last as long as your activities do. If it takes you 20 minutes to do yoga and you’d like to include it in your routine, try to allot time for that. Which brings us to the next point:
What Practices Should I Include?
Anything that you want to become habitual and/or anything you’re trying to improve at.
It takes 21+ days to create a habit, and 1,000 hours minimum to get good at something, so including these things in your morning ritual will help speed up that process.
A normal morning ritual consists of regular activities like: making tea/coffee, stretching, taking a shower etc. When you’re coming up with your list, make sure to include these tasks that you’re already used to doing. (this will be helpful in figuring out how much time you need, as well)
To spice up your morning ritual, try to turn those mundane tasks into something more magical. Then, consider which of your witchy practices require little energy and can start you up for the day.
Some examples of ritual activities include:
Pulling tarot/oracle cards for the day
Showers/baths for cleansing 🚿
Smoke cleansing 💨
Making tea/coffee with herbs corresponding to your intentions for the day (ie. rosemary before going to any classes/lectures) 🍵☕️
Doing chakra meditation focused on a specific chakra ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🧘🏾♀️
Sun Salutation Yoga ☀️
Creating a quick crystal grid
Going outside and walking barefoot, for grounding 🌱🌿
Burn incense with scents/herbs corresponding to the day’s intentions
Write out affirmations/intentions for the day in a notebook/journal
Dream journaling! ✨
Working on a page in your grimoire 📕
Playing music and dancing around the house to stir up energy 💃🏽🎶
Lighting a candle on your altar or around your sacred space (bonus points for color based on intention) 🕯
Quick self-love/glamour magic 💎
Etc. etc. etc.
Your list could include one, a few, all, or none of these things. It’s all about what feels right for your individual practice. If you don’t already know what you want to do, look into what other witches or spirituals in your belief do on a daily basis. For example, practitioner of Norse Mythology often work with runes, you could definitely include that in your morning ritual.
But most importantly your morning routine is your own. Make it what you want it to be. It can be as long or as short as you’d like, and as eccentric as you please. The most important part is that you enjoy what you’re doing, and you feel energized doing it.
If you have anything else you like to do in your morning routines send them to me or reblog under this post 🖤
I get a lot of asks about how I started my notebook whenever I post pictures of it! I do have a background in scrapbooking/collage/art, which is reflected in my witchy notebook. I’ve been a self-identified practicing witch for about a year now, but many of the practices in my craft have been in my life for years.
Some people call them Book of Shadows, grimoire, or simply just a “witchy notebook.” Here are some tips that helped me when I was beginning my notebook. Lengthy post with pictures!
Notebook? Binder? E-grimoire?
There are lots of ways to keep all your witchy information together. You can keep your grimoire on the notes of your phone, documents on your laptop, Canva/other graphic design website, loose leaf papers or in a binder, or a regular bound notebook. Don’t place too much pressure on yourself! Whatever feels right is right.
Start with what you like (but stay open to what you don’t know!)
Your notebook won’t have the same authentic magic if you fill it with things that you don’t actually care about! While my first notebook contains some aspects of witchcraft that I don’t practice now, they were still important to me at the time. Your notebook is a visual representation of your journey, so don’t be afraid to fill it with your current obsession with crystals or a one specific tarot card.
These are some really great tags for exploring topics when you don’t know where to start!
a collage page of your witch aesthetic (or ideal aesthetic)
a wish list
your favorite crystals
a simple moon calendar (full/new moons of the year, month, or just information about the phases)
your favorite colors, seasons, places in nature etc
record information about the chakras/energy points in the body
list of your favorite witchy movies and tv shows
draw teacups and fill them with drawings of your favorite blends
drawings of your ideal familiars (animal companions)
A couple witchy things that you may not have heard about but are super cool to incorporate into your craft:
sigils (visual symbols charged with an intent)
incantations (short spells that sometimes rhyme)
Don’t knock Pinterest.
I personally like to have very organized and planned out pages. I’ve resorted to Pinterest *many* times to get graphic ideas for lunar calendars, zodiac wheels and other witchy things that require a lot of information in a condensed graphic. Pinterest has great inspiration for those special, planed out spreads.
Separate or keep it altogether.
Some people like to keep everything in one notebook/binder, others like to separate their topics or layouts into different notebooks. I started a bullet journal for more planned out pages, but my general notebook is a leuchtturm1917 with dotted grids where I have reference pages and personal entries.
Here are some pages of my notebook that I’m especially proud of.
Ultimately, your notebook is a reflection of YOU. It doesn’t have to be super witchy, covered in cobwebs with etched pentagrams. It can be a simple composition notebook or a super frilly lace journal. Be true to yourself and your notebook will never lead you astray. Best of luck and feel free to message me!
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I don’t know about you but between going to classes, blogging, writing books, and keeping up with my social circle my life is BUSY. While I’m absolutely in love with the direction my life is heading right now, it does pose a bit of a problem on occasion: I don’t have a lot of time for actually doing magic! This can cause some problems when I run up against a situation where I really need a spell or ritual so I’ve started using a method of delaying my spells. This spell delay lets me stockpile inactive spells so that I can call on the magic at a moment’s notice.
Now there are several ways to do this, spell powders and enchanted objects can both be used this way. I won’t be touching on either of those methods today (although if you’re interested in spell powders, Bree NicGarran’s new book Pestlework is the place to go!). No, today I want to talk about the use of delay triggers in your spellwork.
What is a spell trigger?
A spell trigger is a placeholder created within your spell that, instead of activating the spell immediately, holds all of the components and energy of your work in place until the final piece of the spell is initiated. This trigger can be anything you like, it can be a word, a hand gesture, any quick and easily performed action can be used as a trigger in a delayed action spell.
This trigger system allows you to have complex spellwork at hand and ready to use at a moment’s notice. You can throw up wards, perform a curse breaking, use healing spells or call on an anti-anxiety spell with nothing more than a word. This form of spell casting can also be useful for spells that are intended to be activated at a particular time or place. Have a spell that needs to be performed while you have eyes on the target? Cast the spell in private, insert your trigger and activate the trigger when the opportunity arises. The uses for this technique are endless!
How to Create a Spell Trigger
1.) Decide on your trigger
The first step in creating a spell trigger is going to be choosing the trigger itself. You should pick something fairly quick and easy to initiate such as a word, a phrase, a hand gesture, a series of notes hummed or whistled. This trigger action that you choose should also probably be subtle, having to stomp your feet and roar at the heavens might seem like a cool way to activate a spell but it’s probably going to attract quite a bit of attention and cause questions to be raised. Keep things simple, discrete and easy for you to remember (you can’t activate the spell if you forget the trigger!).
2.) Perform your spell
Next, you’ll simply perform your spell as usual, follow all of the steps outlined in your spell right up to the release or activation point in the spell. This is key, you’ll be replacing the release of the spell in order to delay it so be sure to mark where in your spell this release or activation occurs.
3.) Insert your spell trigger
Inserting a spell trigger can be done in a number of ways. You can verbally set the intention of the trigger (i.e. “I bind this spell, may all its power and purpose be held until such a time as it is released by my signal”) after which you perform the trigger action (saying the word, performing the gesture, etc) in order to connect the now bound spell and the trigger. You could simply perform the gesture or speak the phrase while holding the intention that the spell will be bound for later release. You could speak the intention while holding the trigger word or gesture in your mind without performing it. Any of these methods work, the important consideration is that you choose the method that feels most natural to you. Most of us are not used to stopping the flow of energy short, wrapping it up and saving it for later. Typically the idea is to release or activate the magic at the time of its casting so this process can feel stilted or uncomfortable the first few times. Experiment with which method you prefer to help mitigate any discomfort you might have with such a stark change in method.
4.) Activate the spell trigger and release the bound magic
At the appropriate time, either when needed spontaneously or at the predetermined moment, activate the spell by performing the trigger action with intention. The intention is important. Accidentally stating your trigger word or phrase in conversation won’t release the spell and likewise, you likely won’t release the spell if you offhandedly perform the trigger without reaching for the magic connected to it.
Now, this method can require a lot of personal tweaking, both to become comfortable with the process and find a way to make it work for you, and to possibly adjust spells to have a clear activation or release point where you can insert the trigger. Many spells are designed in such a way that the energy and intent of the spell is continuously released throughout the casting, and those spells can be particularly tricky to insert a trigger into. You may also find that casting circles is helpful in this kind of spell crafting. A circle can serve to contain the energy and intention you’re building so that it can be bound instead of allowing it out into the world during the casting.
Don’t be too concerned if the first few times you try this it falls flat, with the exception of very new witches this can be a serious detour from your usual spell crafting methods and require a bit of retraining to perfect.
As I mentioned before, there are also simpler ways of achieving this delay. If you’re finding this method particularly challenging or daunting it might be helpful to start with a slightly less complex method. Spell powders are a fantastic way to get your feet wet in the world of delayed activation spell work.
Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils by Bree NicGarran is an excellent introduction to the world of spell powders and their many uses. With Over 200 original recipes, tons of helpful tips, safety information and an easy to understand format this book is the best place to start if you’re looking to get your feet wet with this kind of magic.
Can you think of any ways that spell delays could be useful in your craft? Tell me about it in the comments!
a quick guide on grounding with bonfires or candles for elemental witches
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to be done near a lit candle, or by a safe bonfire.
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practice fire safety when doing this, and do not go too close to the fire! if no fire is available or safe for you, visualization is recommended
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have a view/hearing of the fire to the best of your ability
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visualize:
the way the fire crackles and burns away at the wood or wick, the negative and stagnant energy burns away from you. it turns to smoke and dissipates into the air.
the inside of you is dark and empty. there are only ashes left behind, pure and still.
each spark and flame fills you with new energy. the flames, their brightness and warmth replenishes and re-energizes you.
from the ashes a new flame is kindled within you, and it lives within your chest.
🔥
when you are ready, douse the fire you focused on in the appropriate method. you are not ending it, as the fire lives on it you, where its energies have spread.
Looking for an easy to travel with, discreet alternative to spell bottles/satchels?
Allow me to introduce Spell Pods!
After removing the chapstick, cutting out the plastic separator, and thoroughly cleaning the container, EOS chapstick containers are an excellent substitute for bottle or satchels.
They are easy to carry, can hold a lot of ingredients, and are not suspicious.
I recently got a few messages from witches wondering how to charge
items using the elements. Most of them were familiar with how to charge items
with moonlight or sunlight but were a little confused as to how they should go
about charging items using the elements. Overall, charging items using the
elements is pretty easy. Here are a few methods:
To charge something with the element of fire either bathe it
in the light of a fire, smoke or flames.
To charge something with the element of water either drop a
few drops of water on the item, fully submerge the item in water
(sink/bathtub/lake/pond/stream/ocean) or leave the item out in the rain.
To charge something with the element of earth either sprinkle
some dirt on the item, bury it or charge it using rocks/stones/crystals.
To charge something with the element of air either blow air
onto the item, leave the item out in the wind or bathe the item in smoke from incense.
If you
wanted to you could charge something using all five elements (water, fire,
earth, air and spirit) using a basic charging/casting circle. All you have to
do is draw the circle above, put the item you want to charge in the centre of
the pentacle, put representations of each element in their appropriate circle
and then place your palm in the circle which represents spirit/self. Then, if
you have a chant/incantation etc. say it and charge your item.
And there you go. I wish you all the best with your charging.
Quick idea I had and need to note down before I forget it:
a witch bottle designed not to harm the incoming energies (like most witch bottles seem to be with their nails, thorns and black pepper) or block them (like the protective witch bottles I’ve seen with rosemary and basil), but filter and transmute.
Somebody throwing bad luck at you? Great, you’re giving me energy, I’ll filter it and change it into a blessing.
“When life gives you lemons” sort of idea, inspired by a post I’ve seen floating around about that witches shouldn’t ground bad energy, but filter it and transmute it, because earth can only take so much negative.
one word
charcoal
seriously, charcoal filters, man
maybe also mussel shells? since they’re filter feeders? hmmmmmm…
You could crochet a net wrap around the bottle or paint a “net” around it.
Bury it in a pot of geraniums or add persimmon seeds, for change and transformation.
A sand trap works well like this to. I posted an adapted spell by Cunningham a while back like this.
may the bridges I burn light the way 