Witches Travelling Tools


Just as most modern-day priests will carry
small versions of their consecrated tools with
them, in case they are needed, so every magical
practitioner can do the same. In some ways the
latter are more fortunate, particularly if they
work within the nature traditions, as they can
often use objects that are readily to hand and
dedicate them on the spot.

Invoking Air

 


The direction of this Element is east and the colour usually associated with it is yellow.

Incense is often used to represent Air, since the movement of the air can be seen in the incense smoke.

When you are looking for inspiration, need new ideas or perhaps to break free from the past or undesired situations, you would use this Element.

The quality associated with it is that of thinking or the use of the intellect.

When working in a magical circle, Air is the second quarter on which you call for protection.

The sylphs are the Air spirits; their Element has the most subtle energy of the four.

They are said to live on the tops of mountains and are volatile and changeable.

They are usually perceived with wings and look like cherubs or fairies.

One of their tasks is said to be to help humans receive inspiration

Invoking Earth


Traditionally the direction of this Element is
north and the colour normally associated with
Earth is green. It is represented on the altar
usually by salt or sand. Crystals, because they
are totally natural substances, can also be used.

When invoking Earth and the powers of the
north, you are looking for recovery and healing
and perhaps trying to find answers to questions.
These powers deal with gaining knowledge,
blessing, creating and shielding. When working
within a magical circle, this is the first corner or
quarter on which you call for protection.

The principal nature spirits of the Earth are
called gnomes. They are said to live
underground and guard the earth’s treasures.
Other groups within the earth’s nature spirits
ruled by the god Pan are brownies, dryads,
Earth spirits, elves and satyrs.

Aid with Speech Charm


Materials

Sodalite
Clear Quartz
Cloves
Basil
White rose petals (optional)
A tiny envelope (you can make this yourself)
White or blue string
Instructions

Put the sodalite, clear quartz, cloves, basil, and rose petals into the small envelope.
Tie a blue or white string around the envelope.
(Optional) Draw a rune or sigil onto the envelope to help with speech.
Carry the envelope with you whenever you need help talking.
Add amethyst to the envelope if you need a little extra help giving a presentation or speech.

Anti-Depressant Jar


Jar to ward off depression. You will need:

A jar (larger, the better)
Fresh (or dried) Bay Laurel herb
Fresh (or dried) chamomile
Fresh (or dried) Rosemary
Dried mint leafs
Fresh Lavender

Mix all these herbs together in the jar. Every morning, wake up, pick up the jar, shake it three times, and kiss it. Pro tip: this can be used for another person too. Simply say the purpose for the jar, and their name like this: “Take away so and so’s depression” if made for yourself, saying your name will make the jar yours and more powerful.

Dreams of Apparitions


These dreams involve people who are dead, whether you know the person or not. The prevailing theory is that in some form, some aspect of that person is actually communicating to you through your dream. Apparition dreams may or may not be purely symbolic, but all apparitions come specifically to convey a personal message. This personal message may not be for the dreamer, though. It is common, for example, for apparitions to appear to people who didn’t know them very well, and to usually give a message to the dreamer to pass on to the loved ones the deceased left behind. Most often, this message is to let the family they love know that they are happy and to get on with their own lives.

Clairaudient Dreams:
These dreams involve sounds in which you can clearly hear information.

Clairsentient Dreams:
These dreams involve clear empathic feelings or sensations about an event that is occurring as you dream it.

Clairvoyant Dreams:
Clairvoyant dreams are dreams that occur simultaneously with the dream experience of the event you see. There is absolutely nothing you can do about changing or preventing anything you see in a clairvoyant dream. Clairvoyant dreams are almost always experienced exactly as the event actually happened, involving less purely symbolic information than other psychic dreams.

Premonition Or Precognitive Dreams:
These are also called futuristic dreams sometimes. They tell us what might occur in the future, not what will necessarily occur. They can be entirely straight forward, or purely symbolic. Precognitive or premonition dreams can be used as tools to prevent or change future events. If you take them as a warning ahead of time, they give you the option to change events.

Telepathic Dreams:
These are dreams in which communication is made directly from one energy source to another without any mechanical assistance of any kind. 

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The Witching Hour

Witching hour, also called devil’s hour, in folklore, the time at night when the powers of witches and other supernatural beings are believed to be strongest, usually occurring at midnight or 3:00 AM. The term also has a modern colloquial meaning that refers to a time of unpredictable or volatile activity, such as the unsettled, colicky sleep of infants or the final hours of stock trading.

The association of witches with midnight is rooted in folk beliefs that supernatural phenomena are most prevalent at certain times of the day and year. Much like seasonal events, such as the solstices and equinoxes, midnight was deemed to evoke magic, allowing for unpredictable and possibly malevolent happenings. It is said that during the witching hour the boundary between the living and the dead becomes blurred and the living are more sensitive to the spirits of the dead. Witches, sorcerers, and fairies were among the spirits and figures believed to have stronger powers during these times and to carry out their mischief or dark practices at night.

Some beliefs set the witching hour’s boundaries between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM or between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM. Biblical references to the death of Jesus were calculated as having occurred at 3:00 PM. Accepting this calculation, the inversion or opposite of this time was then considered the “devil’s hour.”

In literature and folklore
In literature one of the earliest references to the witching hour appears in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in which Prince Hamlet begins one of his soliloquies:

’Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood
And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on.…

Although this soliloquy, which was written between 1599 and 1601, mentions “the very witching time of night,” one of the first recorded uses of the term witching hour appears in the poem “Nightmare” by Elizabeth Carolina Keene, from her collection Miscellaneous Poems, published in 1762. In modern times American author Anne Rice published The Witching Hour in 1990, the first novel in a best-selling trilogy about a family of witches living in New Orleans.

The folklore of many cultures offers advice on how to ward off supernatural powers or harness them to one’s advantage, with specific instructions on what to do at the stroke of midnight. In the folk beliefs of Nordic (Scandinavian) cultures, for example, an unmarried woman could see the face of her future spouse by peering into a well at midnight on Midsummer’s Eve. According to 19th-century Irish poet and folklorist Lady Jane Wilde, a number of Irish love charms and rituals against harm involved tonics taken at midnight or visits to graveyards or churches at that particular time.

In modern times the term witching hour has become an colloquialism for other periods of unpredictable or troublesome activity. Parents may use it to describe the fussy period in infancy when a baby tends to cry continuously, usually during the same time each day and at night. In investing, the witching hour is the last hour of trading before stock options, futures, and indexes expire, which occurs on the third Friday of each month. When multiple types of derivatives contracts expire on the same day, it is called double or triple witching. Such periods are characterized by high levels of activity and volatility as traders rush to roll out and close expiring contracts to maximize their profits. 

Samhain. Ritual:

Solstices are the extreme points as Earth’s axis tilts toward or away from the sun—when days and nights are longest or shortest. On equinoxes, days and nights are equal in all parts of the world. Four cross-quarter days roughly mark the midpoints in between solstices and equinoxes.

We commemorate these natural turning points in the Earth’s cycle. Seasonal celebrations of most cultures cluster around these same natural turning point

Organizing our lives around the seasons and cycles and honouring the Holy Days is not a luxury extra, it is a radical necessity. The Earth urgently needs all of humanity to slow down and come back into intimate affiliation and rhythm with her.

The global climate crisis cannot be solved by external fixes, three day working weeks, artificial intelligence or new technologies. Solutions need to be led by the Earth on her own terms.

The holy days are our soul’s watering holes where we ritually recalibrate ourselves, express our full palette of colours, our innate wholeness, delight and reverence through self-styled ceremonies and celebrations.

They infuse our energy with joy and sublime gratitude, make our chosen actions more potent. They are how we open the weave, bring in all the tender ways of the sacred, give unbroken ancestral connection back to ourselves.

Ritual Setup:

Items for this ritual include: Two white candles and four black candles; Four small sprigs of bittersweet; One branch of bittersweet; Strands of black, white and red yarn cut to twelve-inch lengths placed in a basket on the altar; Pomegranate seeds in a bowl; A piece of candy.

Background
Samhain is a time of transition as the earth prepares for winter’s rest and we prepare for our journey through the dark of the year. Samhain is a time to reflect and remember ancestors, loved ones, including pets, who no longer walk this earth. It is important to remember them and speak their names.

Samhain is a time of transition when we begin our journey through the dark of the year. Just as Persephone descended to the Underworld to guide the spirits of the departed, so we descend into ourselves to find the path our spirits needs to follow. This year has waxed with the fullness of life and now wanes into shadow. Our souls take rest in the dark as the wheel of the seasons makes its final turn.

Cord Magic
Following are instructions for working with the cord during the ritual. Take three strands of yarn??”one of each color. Very slowly, twine them together. You can braid them or simply knot them together. Tie at least three knots. If you want to use more knots, do so in multiples of three. Work your love into the yarn. When you have finished, hold the yarn between your palms and send your energy to your loved ones. They will feel your warmth.

The Ritual
Holding the branch of bittersweet, walk widdershins (counterclockwise) around your circle, saying:
Tonight I cast my circle with bittersweet for tonight is bitter sweet with thoughts of those I love who have passed to Tir-na-nog. This is the time of Hecate, Cerridwen??”the Dark Mother who stands alone. This is the time to contemplate the cycle of life, death and rebirth for tonight the veil between the worlds is thin. The circle is cast. Hallowed is this space decreed.

Place the branch of bittersweet on the altar.

Place a sprig of bittersweet at the edge of your circle before calling each direction. Light a black candle after speaking.

I look to the North, place of silent caverns. Spirits of Earth, you nourish me in life and wrap your welcoming body around me in death. Gather here in the name of Inanna; in the name of Tammuz. Be with me this night.

I set my gaze to the East, source of breath. Spirits of Air, you are with me at the beginning and depart with me when I leave this realm. Be with me in the name of Astarte; in the name of Dumuzi. Be with me this night.

I call to the South, source of transforming flame. Spirits of Fire, your brilliant spark guides me through the cycles of life. Come in the name of Hestia, in the name of Horus. Be with me this night.

I turn to the West, place of deep wells and underground springs. Spirits of Water, you carry me through the ebbs and flows of life on your never-ending tides. Join me in the name of Isis; in the name of Osiris. Be with me this night.

Light one of the white candles after saying:
Dark Mother, you come to me alone this night in mourning for your son; in mourning for your consort. The God has departed to the Underworld and the Wheel of the Year follows him into darkness. Crone of the Ages, I call on you, be with me this night.

Light the other white candle, and say:
I take time to honor those I love, those who have gone before. In remembrance I speak their names.

Say the names of those you want to remember, then continue:
Hecate, Cerridwen, guide the spirits of those named here this night.

Take time to honor those you have named and to celebrate their lives. Hold in your mind the memories of those whose names you spoke. Think of how they have touched your life. Feel their presence with you in this hallowed circle.

Cord Magic
As you work with the cord/yarn chant:
Mother of Darkness, these names I share,
Of those I love now in your care.
Guide them gently with love so sweet,
Blessed be until we meet.

When you finish chanting, place the yarn on your altar. Set the piece of candy with it. This will carry the intention to sweeten your loved one’s journey into their next life.

Take the bowl of pomegranate seeds from the altar. Lift it and say:
This year has waxed with the fullness of life and now wanes into shadow. My soul will take rest in the dark as the wheel of the seasons makes its final turn.

Squeeze the pomegranate seeds, and with a finger place a drop of the juice on your lips, then say:
May my spirit find its path.

Take time to contemplate the dark months ahead and how it can be a time of renewal for you. Use your usual method of grounding.

Dark Mother, Ancient and Enduring One, guide me, watch over me and my loved ones both here and departed. I stand at this gateway with you and thank you for your gifts of restoration and renewal. Blessed be.
Extinguish both white candles. In turn, extinguish the black candles.

Water of Life, you sustain me before birth and nourish me as I grow. Spirits of Water, thank you for your presence this night. Stay if you will; go if you must. Blessed be.

Fire of Renewal, like a brilliant sun you warm me and remain forever a guiding light. Spirits of Fire, thank you for your presence this night. Stay if you will; go if you must. Blessed be.

Breath of Life, you carry me through my life as a constant companion to the rhythm of my heart. Spirits of Air, thank you for your presence this night. Stay if you will; go if you must. Blessed be.

Mother Earth, at my journey’s end may I return to rest in your loving cradle. Spirits of Earth, thank you for your presence this night. Stay if you will; go if you must. Blessed be.

If I fear death I cannot fully live, and if I fear life I will not find solace in death. Every beginning has and ending and every ending has a beginning. The cycles of my life continue in faith and unity with the love of the Goddess.

New Moon Affirmations

Tonight my soul will make room for all that is to come
Tonight I invite abundance into my life
Tonight I let go of what is blocking me
Tonight I let go of the bad and allow the good to come in…

I give thanks to the energy of the New Moon, I am ready to embrace new beginnings. I welcome love into my life, I’am grateful for all that I have.
I am a magnet of divine abundance And I resonate with the frequency of abundance.
I have the ability to manifest all that I want, whatever I think and imagine I can achieve.
Today I celebrate New beginnings, I have made a promise to myself to grow and to prosper..

I Manifest all that I need with ease
I am aligned with the universe
I send gratitude to every cell in my body
I invite wealth, order and prosperity into my life
I intend to make wishes come true
I break free of limitations and all that is holding me back
I release what no longer serves me…

New Moon chant…

New moon so dark in the night sky, that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Grant me your dark energy to see, the new blessings and the good coming to me.
Grant me the power of dreams so true, so that I can start my life anew.
Grant me strength day by day, mistress of darkness show me the way.
Grant me love in my life, please take away trouble and strife.
Grant me peace, I ask of you
Dearest goddess see me through.

Devotional chant..

Hekate
Hekate
Hekate
Sovereign, guardian, guide
Be the light within my heart that inflames my Will.
Hekate
Hekate
Hekate
Guardian, guide, sovereign
Be the brilliance of my words that they may serve you.
Hekate
Hekate
Hekate
Guide, sovereign, guardian
Be the torch that leads my mind to greater mysteries…

Prayer…

In night, Twilight, dusk, and Dawn.
A day that was cold turned warm,
I stand at the crossroads
Sweet offerings at my feet.
O Queen of choices, cheer me,
Open my site,
A Torch ahead gleaming
Wolves howl within my ear
The Ravens come shrieking near
The moment draws here.
O nurse and companion,
Dominion is yours
Bless me with your guidance
That the path I would walk be won.

To Hear Her Again…

Hekate Agalos
Shinning you are
Blinding bright
In the darkness
Of my heart,
In trying times,
Your beauty graces
My simple life
A music few can hear
Though I sometimes
Become deaf to it.
It enlivens my dance
Through my days,
Ebbing and flowing
Shifting my balance,
In your ever-present torch light,
May it ever be thus..

For Blessings…

Hekate, shine in me,
Enlighten my heart
Kalliste, you are to me,
Infinite light
Torch bearing, mother of souls,
Bless me,
Enrich the world with your bright might….

Hail Hekate on not just this her night, but every night… May blessings rain down upon my heathens. May prosperity, abundance and happiness be ever present in your life 

The Jack-o’-lantern

The Jack-o’-lantern is carried by a drunkard named Jack. Jack sold his soul to the devil, so that the devil would pay his pub tab. When the devil returned from the pub to collect Jack’s soul, the man tricked him into climbing a tree, then drew a cross under the tree, trapping the furious devil in its branches. Later, when Jack died and was rejected at heaven’s gates, he had to beg the devil for a place in hell. The devil was delighted at his chance to get revenge. He cursed Jack to wander the earth, with only a small frame for light. Jack put this flame in a carved turnip and used it as a lantern.

The Ignisfatus, or exhalation termed “Will-with-a-Whisp,” or “Jack-with-a-Lanthorn,” which is sometimes seen in churchyards, or marshy and fenny places in summer and autumn, was considered by many old inhabitants in this neighborhood, when the author was in his infancy, to be a kind of device of the evil spirit to draw human beings from the road they were pursuing into some frightful abyss of misery; and there leave them without any hope of regaining the enjoyment of happiness in the land of the living.

Stories of the origins of the jack o’ lantern are many and varied. Here are some of the ones I found:

A Stupid Devil
A popular legend giving the origin of the jack-o’-lantern in Wales deals with the idea of a stupid devil. A long time ago there lived on the hills of Arfon an old man of the name of Sion Dafydd, who used to converse much with one of the children of the bottomless pit.

One morning Sion was on his way to Llanfair-Fechan, carrying a flail on his shoulder, for he had corn there, when whom should he meet but his old friend from the pit, with a bag on his back, and in it two little devils like himself. After conversing for some time they began to quarrel, and presently were in the midst of a terrible fight. Sion fell to basting the devils with his flail, until the bag containing the two little ones went all to pieces, and the two tumbling out, fled for their lives to Rhiwgyfylchi, which village is considered to this day a very wicked place from this fact.

Sion then went his way rejoicing, and did not for a long time encounter his adversary. Eventually, however, they met, and this time Sion had his gun on his shoulder.

“What’s that long thing you’re carrying?” inquired the devil.

“That’s my pipe,” said Sion.

Then the devil asked, “Shall I have a whiff out of it?”

“You shall,” was Sion’s reply, and he placed the mouth of his gun in the devil’s throat and drew the trigger. Well; that was the loudest report from a gun that was ever heard on this earth.

“Ach! – tw! – tw!” exclaimed the smoker, “your pipe is very foul,” and he disappeared in a flame.

After a lapse of time, Sion met him again in the guise of a gentleman, but the Welshman knew it was the tempter. This time he made a bargain for which he was ever afterwards sorry, i.e., he sold himself to the devil for a sum down, but with the understanding that whenever he could cling to something the devil should not then control him.

One day when Sion was busily gardening, the evil one snatched him away into the air without warning, and Sion was about giving up all hopes of again returning to earth, when he thought to himself, “I’ll ask the devil one last favor.”

The stupid devil listened.

“All I want is an apple,” said Sion, “to moisten my lips a bit down below; let me go to the top of my apple tree, and I’ll pick one.”

“Is that all?” quoth the devil, and consented.

Of course Sion laid hold of the apple tree, and hung on. The devil had to leave him there. But the old reprobate was too wicked for heaven, and the devil having failed to take him to the other place, he was turned into a fairy, and is now the jack-o’- lantern.

The Welsh Story of Lantern Jack
This is one of the apparitions of the night, and one of the most mischievous and tricky of the ghostly family. What form or color he has we know not, as no one has ever clearly seen him; his lantern has been seen, and he has been heard splitting his sides with laughter at his own tricks, and the perplexity of those whom he might have led astray; and people say that his laugh was not unlike the loud sudden neighing of a horse.

His light was seen on dark nights like a lighted lantern on the sheep-paths on the hillsides. If he happened to be far off, no one was deceived, as his ungainly movements betrayed him as “Lantern Jack in search of his sheep,” and as the saying goes:

An ignis fatuus
Deceives not many of us.

The time when he generally succeeded with his mischief was when he found someone all alone travelling a path on open fields. He would begin by appearing as a small speck of fire, of a clear blue flame, which he moved before the wayfarer along the middle of the path until his attention had been secured; then the flame would gradually grow until its brightness would completely blind him, after which the traveler was entirely at Jack’s mercy, and he would lead him where he pleased.

Stories are related of men who have been led miles out of their way in this manner, especially young men going to see their sweethearts on dark winter nights.

The Spirits of Unrighteous Men
Jack o’ lanterns are the spirits of unrighteous men, which by a false glimmer seek to mislead the traveler, and to decoy him into bogs and moors. The best safeguard against them, when they appear, is to turn one’s cap inside out.

When any one sees a Jack o’ lantern, let him take care not to point at him, for he will come if pointed at. It is also said that if any one calls him, he will come and light him who called; but then let him be very cautious.

Near Skovby on the isle of Falster there are many Jack o’ lanterns. The peasants say they are the souls of land-measurers who in their lifetime had perpetrated injustice in their measurements, and therefore run up Skovby bakke at midnight, which they measure with red hot iron rods, crying, “Here is the clear and right boundary! from here to there!”

Another Jack o’ Lantern Story
There is, however, another story as to the origin of the jack o’ lantern. The haunting spirit is that of a blacksmith, who could get no admittance even into hell. He was very cold, and begged for a single ember to warm himself, and at last one was given him, and he has gone shivering about with it ever since.

Jack o’ Lanterns Baptized
Jack o’ Lanterns are, as tradition tells us, the souls of unbaptized children. Because these souls cannot enter heaven, they take their abode in forests, and in dark and desert places, where they mourn over their hard lot. If at night they get sight of any person, they run up to him, and then hasten on before him, to show him the way to some water, that he may baptize them therewith. And that no one should neglect to do, because the poor beings must remain without the gates of paradise until some one takes pity on them.

Personal Relationships with Spirits & Deities


Here are a few pointers to strengthen your relationship with them.

Meditate. First and foremost, you need to have an alright grasp on quieting your mind. You need to have an idea of where your mind wanders and how to clear unwanted thoughts. It also helps calm yourself and prepare your mind to enter a different state of consciousness (like flipping a switch). This makes it easier to contact deities and spirits that may be on another realm of existence.
Offerings. And I mean frequently. Not only does it please them, but can invite them into your life and make them more willing to work with you, or be in favor. Its a gesture of honor and goodwill, and shows you are willing to give freely. You can give foods, drinks, sacrifices, incense, burn a candle, make them something. You can also give non-physical offerings such as energy, or sing them a song you wrote for them. It’s quite limitless, and you can use your imagination!
Get to know their personality and what they like. Do research. There’s lots of resources out there. What color do they prefer? What is their element? What is their patron animal? Patron flower? Do they have a sigil? What do they NOT like? What should you avoid when working with them? All these are helpful when invoking a deity or trying to get them to favor you.
Talk to them on a regular basis. Ask them questions. Be sincere with what you want out of your relationship with them. Even if you do not get an answer, it does not mean they aren’t listening.
Set Boundaries. This is more for working with nature spirits, ghosts, and daemons, or things of the like. It’s alright to ask them to come at a different time, or to tell them to leave. Sometimes, you might need to offer a libation (i.e. I’ll give you bay leaves if you promise not to come in my dreams anymore).

Thunderstorm Spell


Ingredients:

– Measuring cup

– Pen and paper

– Water

1. First, make a sigil. I used the statement “it will storm”. Decorate the sigil with lightning bolts, raindrops, and storm clouds.

2. Fill a measuring cup with water. Fill it up to however much rain you want to fall.

3. Lay the piece of paper with the sigil over the measuring cup of water and let it sit there.

4. To finalize the spell, clap loudly once or a couple times, representing a crack of lightning. You can also play the sound of rain and thunder around the piece of paper to charge it with your intent.

5. As your spell charges, feel your energy connecting with the sky and literally drawing down a storm. Be patient and you should get one soon

A witch’s ladder

A witch’s ladder is one of those nifty things we sometimes hear about but rarely see. Its purpose is similar to that of a rosary – it’s basically a tool for meditation and ritual, in which different colors are used as symbols for one’s intent. It’s also used as a counting tool, because in some spell workings there is a need to repeat the working a particular number of times. You can use the ladder to keep track of your count, running the feathers or beads along as you do so. Traditionally, the witch’s ladder is made with red, white and black yarn, and then nine different colored feathers woven in.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Varied
Here’s How:

Realistically speaking, it makes more sense to use yarn colors that have a significance to you and your working. Also, finding nine differently colored feathers can be tricky if you’re looking for them out in the wild – you can’t just go plucking feathers from local endangered species – and that means a trip to the craft store and some oddly tinted feathers. I’d recommend using either found feathers of any color, or something else entirely – beads, buttons (see our discussion on the magical uses of buttons), bits of wood, shells, or other items you have around your home.

A Word on Seeds


Seeds should be gathered as they ripen, usually in the fall. Seed Heads should be hung to dry inside a paper bag. Don’t use plastic as any condensation that gathers could lead to mildew and cause the seeds to rot. Once dry separate the seeds from their cases and store in the same manner as leaves and flowers. The easy way to dry seeds such as anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, dill and fennel is to hang the whole plant upside down inside a paper bag. The bag will catch the seeds as they dry and fall from the pods.

To dry Sunflower seeds, start by selecting sunflowers with dry stalks. Remove seeds. If plants were sprayed, wash the seeds and pat dry. Spread on cheesecloth or screening. Dry in a warm place for at least a week. An alternate method is to hang the flowers in a cool, dry place for a month or until the seeds pop out. Tie a cloth or mesh bag around the flower to catch seeds that fall. The seeds must be thoroughly dry.

To toast the seeds, measure 4 cups seeds and 1/2 cup salt into saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes. Drain; spread on absorbent paper to dry. Place in shallow baking pan; bake at 325° F for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool thoroughly. Store in a dry place in an airtight container like a plastic bag or glass jar. One flower makes about 3 cups of seeds.

Cailleach Bhéarra

She above all resonates most greatly with me. Being that shes irish and her home is said to be not far from where i live i love her. Maybe that i am too a crone now. The picture here not to be seen in the negative as it just depicts her as old and we all get old. I call on her often but especially each Samhain.

‘Cailleach’; a word that is older than the Irish language itself and a concept that has been deeply entrenched in Irish consciousness for millenia.

In mythology, she is seen as the personification of wintertime, her veil a symbol for a land hidden under a coating of frost. She is usually depicted beating back summer vegetation, or stirring up waves in the sea. Although this imagery seems sinister, she is more of a necessary force; a catalyst for the needed change the land and its people need to regenerate.

This concept is best depicted in the most famous ‘cailleach’, Cailleach Bhéarra, who was the daughter of the little sun of winter, and grew younger and stronger as winter progressed; eventually, transforming into Brigit at the beginning of spring, bringing new life and growth once more.

In the more modern interpretations of the ‘cailleach’, she is depicted as an old woman, often veiled, who doesn’t follow the conventions of society and therefore holds special powers. Communities throughout Ireland would have their own localised stories about the cailleach, often based around actual people and the powers they possessed. 

Spirit Spell

This spell is designed to work for a most spirits. It doesn’t work as well against the fae or spirits with a gift for illusion and glamour. It hampers them but doesn’t work as well against them. Still, the spell’s great for most entities and worth having.

What you’ll need:

Basil
Thyme
Sage
Salt or sea salt
Rue (not Syrian rue)
Large nails or spikes (see notes)
Sun water (see notes)
Take your sun water and wash the large nails/spikes in it. Let dry in direct sunlight. Avoid letting night or big shadows touch them. (Putting them outside is a good idea but setting them in a window works well too.) Keep them wrapped until you’re ready for the next step.

Powder the herbs and salt together. Set aside until you’re ready.

On a sunny day, step outside. Sprinkle the powder over your nails/spikes. Go to each door, ground level window, and gate, touching the nails to them and sprinkling the powder in a line across the ground or windowsill. You’re creating a line that can’t be crossed. Take the nail or spike and drive them into the ground at the edge of your property. This should all be done before the sun sets

A Spell to Aliviate Stress and Anxiety

Sometimes we get involved in situations that are so wildly out of our control that we’re holding on with the skin of our teeth. Stress and anxiety are constant companions and you just want t be safe and at peace.

This spell is for those times.

You’ll need:

A body of water hosting a spirit (see notes)
A clipping of hair
A small handful of elderberries
A shiny coin
Once you’ve located the water in question, go to it under the light of a full moon. Look out onto the water’s stillness and wait until you feel the spirit’s presence.

Place your hair in front of you and ask the spirit for protection, serenity, and strength in the coming days. You’ll have to be sincere and heartfelt. Don’t offer reasons or explanations. Say as much or as little as you want.

If the spirit doesn’t attack or seem aggressive, throw the elderberries into the water. Wash your hands, face, and hair in the water. Bury the coin on the shore or beside the water.

You can leave right away or stay and look out at the stillness of the water until you’re ready to go

MEET UP SPELL


Lost your crew and phone is dead? Had to do a runner while protesting and not sure if it’s safe to text the others? This spell can help.

Get yourself to a safe location and send up an energy flare into the sky. To do this, sit for a moment and think of the people you want to meet up with. Use their names, if possible, but if not, think of their faces. Then push your energy up into the sky with a concentrated intention of “I am here” and “come find me”.

You can also enchant chalk or spray paint with the same idea. Push the energy into the chalk or paint rather than up into the sky and use it to mark the location or direction you went in. Use an agreed upon code or location to help yourself even more

ENERGY HEALING

Healing spells are never meant to replace medical assistance, but it won’t hurt to cast a healing spell while you’re waiting for a medic to look at the injured person.

Place your hand over the injury, if possible. If that isn’t possible, put a hand on their back, belly, or head. You can technically touch them anywhere, but their core and head works best. Remember to ask their consent to be touched!

Push your energy into them gently. Focus on being calm and soothing the injury. Let the energy flow steadily and calmly, like the running of a creek.

If they’re bleeding, focus the energy towards the open wound and staunching that blood flow, like the energy forms an invisible barrier between the skin and the exterior of the body.

You can also temper the energy with cooling agents, if the person feels hot or feverish. Or heat up that energy when someone is cold.

If you’re working to flush out contamination, like pepper spray, focus on cooling energy and make sure you’re providing lots of clear water to wash their eyes and skin without getting contaminated yourself (and make sure you remove contaminated clothing

Death, Motherhood, and Fertility:

Maman Brigitte, wrapped in allure and mystery, is the Loa of death, cemeteries, and fertility. The short version of the story; she is a badass. The long version is an interesting dive into history and myth from around the world. This loa is a sultry, lively, strong, woman.

Who is she?
Maman Brigitte is the wife of Baron Samedi. Together they are in charge of the randy and rowdy group of spirits known as the Gede (also Guede, or Ghede) family. These are the spirits of death and fertility. The Gede, the Baron, and Maman Brigitte all party like there’s nothing to lose. They are dead after all. Wikipedia states Maman Brigitte as the “Goddess of life, death, justice, motherhood, fertility, cemeteries, crosses, gravestones, women, souls of deceased relatives, obscenities, and passion”. As a bonus her favorite drink is rum infused with hot peppers. Now this is someone I can get behind! In each cemetery the first woman buried there is dedicated to Maman Brigitte. Maman Brigitte is often flamboyantly dressed in brightly colored and seductive clothing. She loves to dance, laugh, and drink her spicy rum. Maman Brigitte, just like her husband is known for her foul mouth. She is a sexy, powerful, and dangerous spirit. Maman Brigitte has the sole distinction as being the only Loa not to originate in Africa. She came all the way from the land of the Tuatha de Danann; Ireland. As a reflection of her Irish heritage, she is often portrayed as a fair woman with red hair with green eyes.

So how did this lass from Ireland find her way into Vodou?
When did she come from?
In the 1600’s the British colonized some of the Carribean islands. They took this opportunity to ship the poor and often Catholic Irish people they didn’t fancy too much off to the Carribean as indentured servants. Those people brought with them their Celtic goddess, Brigid, for protection and comfort. This is how another population who were also in desperate need of protection and comfort came into contact with Brigid. Of course, this is the African slave population. It was there that Brigid met the loa and eventually entered into the Vodou pantheon as Maman Brigitte.

Quick Facts: Color: Purple, Black, Green Symbology: Black Rooster, Rum, hot peppers, crosses, gravestones.

Synchronized: St Brigid Kildare, Mary Magdalene Offerings: Tobacco, Rum, Spicy peppers, black hens

It is known that the Irish called Brigid to them by makeing poppets. These poppets may have been the origin of the popular Voodoo dolls we’ve all seen. Voodoo dolls have become an iconic symbol. Most associate these effigies as being malicious, as a form of revenge a practitioner targetes at someone that did them wrong. This is a complete misconception. Voodoo dolls are typically made as a form of protection, healing, and a means to communicate with those that have passed on.

Maman Brigitte, Light into Dark

Is it realistic to think that a Celtic goddess of fire and spring transformed into a goddess of death and cemeteries? On the surface they seem to be opposites, but their essential nature actually shares more similarities than differences. Both, for instance, are fierce protectors of women. Both have a fiery nature. Both are revered as powerful healers.

What is Maman Brigitte all about?
Maman Brigitte takes her role as caretaker of the dead and protectress very seriously. Don’t mistake the foul mouth and partying as frivolity. She not only looks after the dead, she teaches us to respect and revere them. Maman Brigitte is a strong and ferocious protector of women. She will watch over those who ask for her assistance, particularly in cases of domestic violence or unfaithful lovers. She is a very potent ally who knows women deserve a stable, trustworthy partner. Woe to the mate that disrespects you if you have Maman Brigitte on your side. Maman Brigitte is fierce. She is a loa that does not back down from the truth and will tell it like it is. Her truth is normally peppered in rather colorful language. This is why she is often sought after in matters of justice. If you are in need of justice Maman Brigitte is your new BFF. She is a mighty punisher