goldenhawthorn

[goldenhawthorn]

witchcraft in a nutshell:

[goldenhawthorn]

September is here and so is Virgo’s month! Try it this near full moon! *:･ﾟ✧

The potion can vary on quantities depending on how much you want to do. This should make it for a couple of glasses.

When you wake up (after drinking the potion and going to sleep) make sure to write your dreams first thing in the morning. A Glimpse of the future should have appeared in  them! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ More Zodiac Potions: here

[goldenhawthorn]

☆☆☆

Could you all reblog or like this if you post about witchy stuff and anything related to it. I’m fairly new to the community and I’m still trying to get everything together and set a better path, so it would be really helpful! If you do I will follow you ♡ Thankyou.

[goldenhawthorn]

Tips on Grimoire Organization

Please note that if you are using a hard bound notebook or journal, adding in additional pages will bulk up your book, like so: (these are the exact same journals, btw)

- Envelopes. Let’s say you’re doing a section on Tarot in your Grimoire, and you want to include a few Tarot spreads, but you don’t want to waste two or three pages. Glue an envelope onto one of your pages to make a “pocket” where you can store little cards or papers with the tarot spreads written on them.

- Pockets. Similar to the envelope idea. If you have a page, or section for example, on herbal teas, you can make a pocket out of a piece of paper to keep your current favorite tea recipes in.

- Dividers, Cover Pages and Ribbons. If you’re like me and you like to have “sections” in your grimoire, you can easily make dividers by gluing a sheet of paper in your book (to make it heavier to make the sections stand out more). You can go further by turning your divider into a cover page for that section. And if you don’t like the idea doing that, you can always glue a ribbon, or a string, to the spine of your book to act as a bookmark.

- Double pages. I always had a problem with “wasting” pages in my grimoire. For example, my page on consecrating and charging. These two concepts are very similar to me, and I didn’t want two page stating the same thing. So, what I did was write out all my information on charging on a separate sheet of paper, then glued the top of that page into my grimoire. This way I could flip up the page on charging (as if it were on a clipboard) and have my page on consecrating underneath.

- Extended pages. Similar to the one above. In my Crystal section of my Grimoire, I decided to write out a chart that let me search for crystals by intention. So I drew my chart on a long sheet of paper, then folded it over (side to side) so that it fit comfortably in my book, then I just glued one side down into the book.

- Brochures. In my Elements section, I had a ton of information I wanted to write down, but I didn’t want each element to have more than two pages. So I used a piece of computer paper and folded it into a brochure (or into thirds) and glued it into the book so that the flaps would open and give me double the space to write.

- Clear Tape. There are many times where i finished a page in my grimoire only to find out there was a section that I left out. A simply way to fix this was with clear tape. I would write my forgotten bit of into on a separate piece of paper and then use clear tape to tape one side of the paper to my page. This allows me to flip the paper back and forth without covering up anything that I had written.

Other Resources on Grimoire Organization:

- Witch Tip by @pumpkin-bean - Grimoire Index by @triplevirgo - Witchy-Woman’s Grimoire Organization by @witchy-woman - Altar in a Journal by @thesubtlewitch

I hope this helps everyone with their Grimoire organizing needs! If anyone knows of any other awesome organizing tips, feel free to share!

P.S. Check out my Grimoire Masterpost for more tips on making a grimoire!

~L

[goldenhawthorn]

As soon as I saw Dana’s ( @a-lavender-moon ) new Career Counselor spread, I knew I wanted to try it out. This one is definitely going in my tarot journal 😊

Decks: Cosmos Tarot and Oracle by Light Grey Art Lab, and Sacred Creators Oracle by Chris-Ann

[goldenhawthorn]

them: :(((( but you can’t curse someone :(((( cursing is bad!!! :((((

me:

[goldenhawthorn]

Types of Cosmic Witches ✨

Cosmic - works with the energy of the cosmos and all celestial bodies within; can include planets, stars, and other deep space objects

Celestial - interchangeable with cosmic

Stellar - primarily works with stars and constellations

Astrology - primarily works with astrological phenomena

Solar - primarily works with the Sun

spells may include those having to do with self-confidence, leadership, success, and ambition 

Lunar - primarily works with the Earth’s Moon

spells may include those having to do with emotions, moods, divination, dreams, and protection

Planetary - works with one or more planets or minor planets

Mercurian - primarily works with Mercury

spells may include those having to do with communication, intellect, intelligence, learning, safe travel, and business matters

Venusian - primarily works with Venus

spells may include those having to do with love, romance, friendships, creativity, beauty, and fertility 

Martian - primarily works with Mars

spells may include those having to do with vitality, energy, passion, courage, and strength

Jovian - primarily works with Jupiter

spells may include those having to do with luck, good fortune, prosperity, mercy, humility, and charity 

Saturnian - primarily works with Saturn

spells may include those having to do with protection, revenge, justice, law, order, responsibility, and chaos

Uranian - primarily works with Uranus

spells may include those having to do with technology, weather, freedom, psychic abilities, higher thinking, and metaphysics 

Neptunian - primarily works with Neptune

spells may include those having to do with illusion, chaos, dreams, the sea/ocean, divination, inner vision, and self-sacrifice 

Plutonian - primarily works with Pluto

spells may include those having to do with death, the underworld, spirit work, transformation, change, and crisis

[goldenhawthorn]

Spell Jar for Positivity, Protection, and Happiness In The Home

What you’ll need:

Jar (salt cleansed and charged in sunlight to remove any negative energies)

White candle (for peace and balance)

Sunflower petals (energy and protection)

Rose petals (domestic peace and happiness)

Sea salt (protection)

Coffee grounds (peace)

Cinnamon (protection)

Ginger (positivity and prosperity)

Cloves (protection)

Vanilla scent, vanilla beans, vanilla extract, etc. (positivity and energy)

Personal preference: I used a blue cloth to work on to promote domestic harmony

Make sure your area is prepared and ready.

Layer all ingredients in your jar, focusing on the property of each that you wish to impart, leaving the vanilla for the very top. There is no specific way you need to layer this, really, just whatever works best for you.

Seal the jar (lid on, wax seal, however you want) and place your hands on the lid.

Repeat 3x:

Bless this jar with positivity, protection, energy, and happiness.

Meditate over the jar, letting your energy flow into it. Blow out or snuff your candle to finish spell.

Place in a window sill where you will see it often and where it will be able to charge in the sunlight.

Some notes:

I used fresh petals because their color is much more vibrant and gives off a positive energy. Fresh petals are not necessary, and they do not have to be yellow.

I didn’t give measurements because each jar is different. For my jar, I used a shot glass to measure out the coffee (a Gingerbread blend with the cinnamon, cloves, and ginger already blended in) and sea salt. I did 2 shot glasses full per layer.

I placed my jar in the window sill above my kitchen sink. The kitchen is the heart and hearth of the home, and is where we spend most of our time as a family. Put your jar wherever you feel it is needed most.

Inspired by this spell.

[goldenhawthorn]

Gardens of the Witches

Already starting to plan this years garden so I thought I should do a post on Witch Gardens

Moonlight Garden

A garden that blooms in the moonlight, a great place to perform night time rituals, meditations, or to just take a midnight stroll. A garden that is full of magick even after the sun sets. 

Plants to add in your moonlight garden:

Moonflower: (Ipomoea alba) A nocturnal relative of the morning glory. Has fragrant flowers that open at dusk and close by dawn.    

Evening Primrose: (Oenothera biennis) Has beautiful, scented flowers that bloom only at dusk. 

Night Flox: (Zaluzianskya capensis) A sweetly fragranced flower that only unfurls its pinwheeled shaped flowers after dusk. 

Four O’Clock: (Mirabilis jalapa) Its scented flowers bloom at around 4:00pm (hence its name) and do not close up until morning. 

Queen of the Night: (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) A species of cactus whose flowers only open at night. Attracts moths and bats!!!

Night Blooming Jessamine: (Cestrum nocturnum) Strong, sweet scented star shaped flowers that only bloom at night. Attracts moths and bats!!! All parts are toxic, do not ingest!

Angel’s Trumpet: (Brugmansia) Produces a strong scent on warm summer evenings. All parts are toxic, do not ingest!

Evening Stock: (Matthiola longipetala) Produces lots of small blossoms that produce a perfume described as a mix of vanilla, rose, spice, and cloves only after the sun sets.

Ever-Flowering Gladiolus: (Gladiolus tristis) Release a strong almond fragrance after dusk.  

Lilac: (Syringa vulgaris) Although has a perfume during the day, it is said to be a lot stronger after dark. 

Flowering Tobacco: (Nicotiana) Open in the late afternoon and have a fragrance that smells of jasmine. All parts are toxic if ingested!

Summer Snapdragon: (Angelonia angustifolia) Preferably in white, to reflect the moonlight. Has a scent apple-scented foliage. 

Silvermound: (Artemisia schmidtiana) Has thick foliage that will shimmer under the moonlight.

Jack Frost: (Brunnera macrophylla) Hdeart shaped leaves of silver and green, perfect to add more highlights of silver to your moon lit garden. 

Any plant that blooms after dark or has white, lavender, pale pink, pale yellow on it is a perfect addition to your moonlight garden. 

Things to add:

Stepping stones that have the phases of the moon.

Fairy lights

A place to sit

Candles

A small fountain to sing along with the insects and birds of the night

String charms and bells on tree branches for a soft jingling every time a gentle breeze passes. 

Herb Garden

For witches who need a more practical garden for uses of healing, tea crafting, drying, and growing plants used in their practices.

Plants to add to your herb garden:

Anise: Helps to ward of the evil eye, find happiness, and stimulates psychic abilities. 

Basil: Use for anything pertaining with love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Dispels confusion, fears & weakness. Drives off hostile spirits.

Bergamont: Corresponds with money and prosperity. Provides with protection from evil and illness, improves memory, stops interference, and promotes restful sleep.

Borage: Corresponds with courage and psychic powers. 

Cat Nip: Is sacred to the Goddess Bast. Brings forth beauty, happiness, good luck, and good spirits.

Chamomile: Corresponds with love, healing, and sleep. Is known to reduce stress.

Chervil: Brings a sense of the higher self, placing you in touch with your divine, immortal spirit.

Coriander: Corresponds with love, health, immortality, and protection.

Dill: Corresponds with money, protection, luck and lust. 

Lemon Balm: Corresponds with love, success, healing, and psychic/spiritual development. 

Marjoram: Used to cleanse, purify, and to dispel negative energy.  

Mint: Promotes energy, communication and vitality.

Oregano: Corresponds with joy, strength, vitality, and added energy 

Parsley: Calms and protects the home.

Rosemary: Protects, cleanses, purifies, and aids memory. 

Sage: Used for self purification and dealing with grief and loss.

Thyme: Attracts loyalty, affection, and the good opinion of others.

Things to add:

A place to dry herbs

A place to compost any herb scraps

Rocks

A place to leave offerings before you harvest

Bee Garden

Make yourself a sanctuary to watch bees frolic and thrive

Plants to add to your bee garden:

Bee balm

Lavender

Crocus

Snow Drop

Wildflowers/Any native species

Catmint

Borage

Anise hyssop

Heliotrope

Sunflower

Oregano

Yarrow

Coneflower

Black eyed susan

Asters

Goldenrod

Foxglove

Marigold

Pansies

Sweet peas

Nasturtiums

Things to add:

Bee houses

Bee waterers/bee baths

Bee feeders

A place for offerings to the bees

Some other ideas for your garden:

Hummingbird garden

Medicinal garden

A garden whose plants and decorations represent/correspond with your practice.

Butterfly Garden

Faerie Garden 

The options are endless! I hope this gives you some ideas for this years garden.

Happy planting!

==Moonlight Academy==

[goldenhawthorn]

any fun or wonderful witch fact about fitness and the gym

[goldenhawthorn]

How To Make a Luminous White Garden

How To Make a Luminous White Garden

Catching Moonlight I think of a white garden as primarily one that is grown in a part shade nook of a garden, but so many beautiful white flowers are full sun lovers. While very lovely during the day, such a garden would really some into its own after dark, catching moonlight. White blooms become luminous on a summer evening. To make a garden with a monochromatic white theme, there are three…

[goldenhawthorn]

Again this year I will be working on the Moon Garden on the back grounds.

[goldenhawthorn]

DIY Gifts for Your Witchy Friends

You want to get your bffl the perfect magical gift, but you’re no basic witch: you can’t just buy any pack of incense and call it a day! For those of you that want to imbue a little magic into your festive gifting, here’s our list of DIY ideas for the holidays and all year round. 

1.     Perfume. Fragrance is always a great gift option, but why not make it more personal and blend the scent yourself? This is also a great option because it allows you to easily add some magic based on the ingredient correspondences. Try out one of these ideas and then charge your creation under the full moon! 

2.     Black Bath Bomb. We’ve all seen the hypnotizing black bath bomb that took over the internet, but what better way to add extra magical umph then to make it yourself? Give a go at either this recipe or this one for the perfect bath to banish negative energy. Add an essential oil of your choice for even more magic. 

3.     Incense Cones. Just because you’re not buying a pack of incense doesn’t mean you have to forgo the idea entirely. Making incense means more magic when burned then store-bought, and now you can customize it to your receiver’s needs. Use this recipe as a guide but use your own ground herbs to target what this witch needs more of in their life (hint: its probably cleansing!). 

4.     Salve or Balm. Every witch loves a gifted salve because it means they don’t have to make it. These make particularly great gifts for those friends who want something practical and useful in addition to being cute (looking at you, earth signs). A great compilation of recipes can be found here. 

5.     Gem Soap. It looks as pretty as a crystal, but has an everyday use, too! Make a big batch with this recipe to give to all the bath witches in your life and all the witches with the swoon-worthy gem collections. Hell, give them to all the witches in your life because they’re so absolutely adorable! 

6.     Bath Melts. Especially around the holidays, bath melts are great because they deliver much needed moisture to dry, irritated skin. This recipe, made with milk, honey, and almond oil, could easily be charged to attract prosperity and therefore makes a great gift for any struggling witches out there. 

7.     Smoke Cleansing Sticks. This one is for the purist friend who likes the traditional (they probably read all of Cunningham). Why reinvent the wheel when you can just give it a seasonal twist? Personal favorite of this list is the thyme and cinnamon bundle because it just screams holiday energy. 

8.     Reading Runes. While runes are typically inscribed with the Norse alphabet, why not give a version you know they don’t have with a moon phase update? Not only are they the cutest ever, but you can ascribe your own meanings! Note: the original link is under construction but general instruction can be found here.

9.     Body Butter. A charged body oil post bath magic can be heavenly but it sure is messy. Upgrade your fellow witch’s ritual experience by making them a fun whipped body butter instead. This recipe uses hibiscus tea, which would be perfect for attracting love, but switch in lavender tea for protection or ginger tea for confidence. 

[goldenhawthorn]

Witchy Baths Masterpost

Here is a big masterpost of different types of baths for different types of witches! Use these baths before or after witchcraft to pump yourself up or to wind down. And you do not have to be any specific type of witch to use any of these baths. Any witch can use them.

Note: Many of these baths call for crystals. Research crystals before getting them wet. Many of them listed you should not put in water, instead keep them at the edge of your tub or near it.

Sea Witch Bath

Kelp Powder (1 tsp)

Sea Salt (½ tsp)

Coconut Oil (1 spoonful)

Coconut Water (½ cup)

Sea Glass, Sea shells, aquamarine, ocean jasper, abalone, pearl, larimar, coral, sand dollars and/or clear quartz

Wood Spoon

Blue and white candles (optional- ocean scented ones)

Steps: Light your candles before filling the tub. Once you start filling the tub add your coconut oil, coconut water, sea salt and kelp powder. With your spoon stir clockwise to help mix in the powder, which can take a bit. The water should turn a faint green tint (the more kelp you add the greener it gets but also the stronger the smell gets). Line your tub’s edge with your sea glass, sea shells, and gemstones. Be sure not to let the gemstones fall in the water, especially if they are ones that can’t get wet. Get into your tub and enjoy.

Note: Kelp powder smells very strongly of kelp, it is a scent I personally like but a lot of people don’t. Air out your bathroom a bit after the bath to disperse the smell. Also if you do not wish to smell like kelp yourself, rinse off after your bath quickly.

Swamp Witch Bath

Kelp Powder (2 spoonfuls)

Clay or Bath Mud like Moor Mud (read label for how much to use)

Green and brown candles

Wooden Spoon

Snail shells, alligator teeth, rounded rocks and any green gemstones you may have

Optional- Moss if you have potted moss to keep on the edge of the tub (or a moss bathmat)

Steps: Light your candles then begin to fill your tub. Add in your kelp powder and the mud, using your wooden spoon stir clockwise to mix. Depending on the type of mud/clay you are using the water will either turn very green to a dark brown. Line your tub with your gemstones, rocks, teeth and snail shells. If you are bringing in a moss plant or other plants keep them near the tub. Get into the tub and relax, if your moss is a stepable type of moss and in reach you can rub your fingers in it as you relax.

Note: Like the sea witch bath, you may want to air out the bathroom after your bath. This bath will smell much stronger of kelp and you may want to shower afterwards to avoid smelling strongly of kelp. You may have to rinse your tub to rid of mud used.

Forest Witch Bath

Pine Needles

Pinecones

Pine essential oil (2 drops)

3 bags of green or black tea

Green sachet

Mint

Cedar Chips

Green Candles (optional- tree or plant scented ones)

Steps: Light your candles and begin filling your tub. In you sachet add 1 part cedar chips and 1 part mint. Tie it shut and add to your bath as it fills. You may then add the pine needles to float freely or you may add them in a sachet as well. Add your two drops of pine oil once the tub is half filled to ensure it is well diluted in the bath. Add your tea bags into the water, line your tub with the pinecones and get in.

Note: essential oils can be harsh on certain skins, dilute the oil with a carrier oil and test on your skin to see if it affects you. If your skin is too sensitive for pine oil omit it from the spell.

Floral Witch Bath

Rose petals

Lavender

Chamomile

Meadow sweet/Sweet grass

Rosemary

Pink and/or Green sachets

Pink Candles

Rose Quartz and Milky Quartz

Floral scented candles or incense of choice

Steps: In your sachet(s) add your lavender, chamomile, meadow sweet/sweet grass and rosemary. Light your candles and incense. Once you begin filling your tub add your sachets, once tub is half filled add your Rose petals. Line your tub with your quartz and get in to enjoy.

Storm Witch Bath

Rain or Storm Water

Thunder/Lightning Charged Water

Acorns or Acorn caps

Black tea (2-5 bags)

Gray Candles

Sounds of rain, storms, and/or drums

Steps: Light your candles as your tub fills. Add in your charged water and rain/storm water as the tub fills. Add in your black tea bags. Line your tub with the acorns or acorn caps. On a laptop, tablet, or phone that is a safe distance from the tub, begin playing your sounds of choice. Get into your bath and enjoy.

Divination Witch/Psychic Witch Bath

Moon Water

2 bay leaves

Lemongrass

Marigold

Mugwort

Purple Sachet

2-4 bags Green Tea

Amethyst, Jet, Moonstone, Nuummite, Silver, Sunstone, and/or Tiger’s Eye

Steps: As your tub fills add in your moon water. In your sachet add 1 part lemongrass, 2 part marigold, and 1 part mugwort; add it to the filling tub along with your tea. Line your tub with the crystals and metals you have available. Once the tub is nearly filled add in bay leaves. Soak and relax.

Urban Witch Bath

Epsom Salts

Bubble bath of choice

Dyed Quartz, Crackled Quartz, Aura Quartz and/or clear quartz

Bath/Body safe glitter of choice

Sachet of Coffee Grounds (freshly used or never used)

Device to Play Music

Steps: Begin filling your tub. Add in the amount of epsom salts you usually use as well as your bubble bath. Drop in your sachet of coffee grounds when the tub is still filling. Sprinkle in your glitter onto the bubbles once the tub is about half filled. Start your music and line your tub with your quartz. Soak and enjoy yourself.

Tech Witch Bath

3 bags of black tea

Fairy lights, lamps, night lights, etc

LED Candles

Sachet of color of choice

Oatmeal/Oats

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Music Playing Device

Steps: set up your lights and LED candles as you wish. Be sure none of the wires are near the tub or where water will be, be safe! If you can turn off the main lights. Don’t do this if you can’t see well enough to move about safely! Begin filling your tub and add your tea. In your sachet add your oatmeal and add it to the bath. Start playing your music and get into your bath and enjoy.

Death Witch Bath

¼th cup olive oil

2 spoonfuls of Salt (or more if desired)

Purified, bottled or moon water (at least 1 cup)

White Sachet

Rosemary

White candles

Myrrh, Frankincense, Jasmine, Chamomile, or Sage Incense

Obsidian, Jet, Onyx, Fire Agate and/or Garnet

Steps: Light your candles and incense; fill your sachet with rosemary. Begin filling your tub and add in your water, oil, salt and sachet. Let it fill to about half way before lining tub with your gemstones. Get in and soak and enjoy.

Stellar/Cosmic Witch Bath

Cosmetic/Bath/Body safe glitter in colors of choice

Star Anise

White Sachet

Basil

Chammomile

Orange peels/slices or Lemon peels/slices

Goldstone (blue, green, purple, etc)

Purple, white and blue candles

Steps: Light your candles before you begin to fill your tub. In your sachet add your Basil and Chamomile (about 1 part each). Add in your sachet and star anise as the tub fills. Add your glitters of choice to the water as well and until it glitters the amount you desire. Line your tub with the goldstone. Add your citrus peels or slices before you get in. Relax and enjoy your bath.

Note: Due to glitter you may have to rinse the tub after your bath.

Fire Witch Bath

Red Sachet

Red, Orange, and white candles

¼th cup sunflower seed oil

Rosemary

Cloves

Marigold

2 drops red food coloring

Carnelian, citrine, lava stone, fire agate and/or red jasper

Steps: Light your candles before you begin filling your tub. In the sachet add your rosemary, cloves and marigold. Add the sachet and sunflower oil as the tub fills. Line your tub with the crystals and stones you have available. Once the tub is nearly filled add 2 drops of food coloring (or more if you want a more intense color). Get in and enjoy.

Note: food coloring shouldn’t stain your tub unless you use large amounts.

Water Witch Bath

Rain Water

Purified or Bottled Water

Moon Water

Cucumber cut into slices

Blue Sachet

Jasmine

Lemon Balm

Catnip

Aqua Aura Quartz, Moonstone, Blue Lace Agate, Lapis Lazuli, and/or Pearl

Steps: Begin filling your tub. Add in your waters as it fills. In your sachet add in your jasmine, lemon balm, and catnip. Add in your sachet. As the tub fills line your tub with your gemstones and crystals. Once tub is about half filled add your cucumber slices and get in to enjoy.

Earth Witch Bath

Moor Mud

Agate, Jasper, Jet, and Quartz

Salt of your choice

1 cup oats/oatmeal

Brown or Green Sachet

Sage Incense

Steps: Light your incense before filling your tub. As the tub fills, add in your mud to the amount it states on package. If needed use a spoon to stir it clockwise to mix. Add in your salt. In your sachet add your oats before dropping it into bath as well. Line your tub with your gemstones before getting in.

Note: Due to mud you may have to rinse or clean bath afterwards.

Air Witch Bath

Yellow Candles

Yellow Sachet

Incense of choice

Cilantro

Lavender

Rosemary

Mint

Dandelion

Amethyst, mica, opal, tiger’s eye, and/or turquoise

Feathers

Sounds of wind or wind chimes

Steps: Set up your sound playing device to play the sounds you desire to listen to. Light your candles and incense before you start filling your tub. In your sachet add your cilantro, lavender, rosemary, mint and dandelion. Place your feathers near your tub but where they won’t get wet and ruined. Line your tub with gemstones and add in your sachet. Get into your tub and enjoy.

Solar Witch Bath

Gold and Orange Candles

Marigold Tea (2-5 bags)

Black Tea (1 bag)

Orange slices or peels

1 drop of a citrus essential oil

Sunstone

Steps: Light your candles before filling your tub. As your tub fills add in your teas and one drop essential oil. Place our sunstone near your tub or about the rim. Once tub is about half filled add in your orange slices/peels and get in. Soak and enjoy.

Note: essential oils can be harsh on certain skins, dilute the oil with a carrier oil and test on your skin to see if it affects you. If your skin is too sensitive for the oil omit it from the spell.

Lunar Witch Bath

Moon Water

Jasmine Tea (4 bags)

White and Silver Candles

Amethyst and Moonstone

Silver or White Sachet

Mugwort

Anise

Steps: Light your candles before filling your tub. As your tub fills add your jasmine tea bags. In your sachet add 1 part mugwort and 2 parts anise before adding it to the tub as well as pouring in your moon water. Line the tub with amethyst and moonstone before getting into the water and enjoying.

Special thanks to @cosmic-witch and @death-witch-envy for helping with my research for the Stellar Witch Bath and the Death Witch Bath. Thank you both very much for helping out~

[goldenhawthorn]

*✧・ﾟ:*🌸 SPRING 🌸:*・°☆.。 Witchy things to do!

oh my god SPRING 🌸 🌸 is here it is one of my FAVORITE seasons! Here is a list of magical witchy things to do! 1- Make floral water! Violets! Rose! Sakura and Plum Blossoms! Lavender! Elderflower! Lilac! Dandelions! Pansies! So many wonderful and edible flowers! You can make fragrant water with them that could be used for spells, cooking, drinking (dandelion can be sometimes spicy or bitter but pairs well with ginger!) and syrups!  2- Make floral Extracts! For all the flowers mentioned above and other edible kinds you can also buy some vodka and make extracts from them too! It makes it easier to preserve the flavor to cook with or use in perfume fragrances! But another great way to preserve the fragrances are: 3- Make fragrance oils! I read that sweet almond oil can be the nicest for infusing flowers to make fragrance oil. There’s a great site here that you can buy different carrier oils and really nice tinted bottles at a great price! Fragrance oils are great for body products like bath spells, gels, soaps, salts, glamour magic, body butters, lotions, candles the possibilities go on and on. Here is a nice post about the benefit of different carrier oils for the skin. I would research which flowers you wish to put in an oil and see if they are friendly for the skin but things like rose, jasmine and lavender are great. 

4- Dry flower petals! Here’s a nice tutorial and tips on how to dry flowers. Dried flower petals are great to add to bath spells (sorry I love bath witchcraft so that’s why I keep going back to that), bath salts, but either whole or crushed into powder its amazing for baking (if you ever have a real French macaron that is floral flavored they use powdered petals to mix with the almond flour to get the real flavor), in powdered form could be used in incense, in petal form could be used in teas and if you like to smoke, you can roll it in a blunt or a bowl! If you like hookah you can mix it with tobacco or smokable teas and it tastes great. The first time I ever had hookah I was just smoking jasmine with no tobacco and it was interesting. Also a kitchen witch thing, you can add dried or powdered petals to sugar and make floral sugar or add it in honey and make floral honey! Delicious addition to teas, baking or spells! 

- Also with all these flower magic things going on, it will give you an excuse to take beautiful nature walks! Which is always great for a witch to do!

5- REPOT YOUR HOUSE PLANTS I do this around Beltane as a tradition but your house plants are going to die if you don’t give them fresh nutritious soil at least every two years (cause I stretch it and they still survive lol.) But its good since Spring is a time where gardening stores get all excited on you to also remember to take care of your plants inside!  6- Plant things Or maybe plan your garden! Even if you don’t have a garden maybe get some herbs or pretty wildflower seeds and sprinkle them in the woods or any naturey place you like to seclude yourself in for rituals. Just don’t throw it on neighbor’s yards or be a nuisance lol. ALSO! Watch out for which plants are invasive weeds like Mint is a menace (though it’s a tasty menace but it spreads like fire). I guess maybe suggesting spreading random seeds in nature might not be a good idea since there are a few plants that can cause trouble. I mostly was referring to cute wild flowers or chives maybe. If you want to do that just be careful I guess.  I’ll probably add on more to this later but this is the few things I could think of. I hope everyone enjoys spring! I’m already readying my arsenal of jars to collect blossoms in lol. 

[goldenhawthorn]

[Revised 2/17] Books for Witches, Diviners and Spellcasters

Hi, everyone. A while back (a long time ago, actually), I started an annotated bibliography on books about witchcraft and magick, and I’ve updated it once (last November). 

Since then, I’d been keeping a list of things I need to add to it, but didn’t get around to actually reworking and updating the list a second time until today. Largely because I can’t really go outside much today because of the smog. But anyways, here it is. I’ve also included divination-related books in this version, whereas previously they were separate.

I hope you find something on here that suits your fancy! Happy reading! Also, yes, I do want to do more book reviews on this blog, so if you’d like a longer review of one of the books listed below, let me know and I can write one.

For Absolute Beginners

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Basic Techniques

Protection and Reversal Magick, by Jason Miller. This gets a little woo-woo at times, but he gives good advice on how to avoid serious problems that can come up as you begin to practice. Take with a grain of salt, though - some of this has the potential to make you feel paranoid.

City Magick, by Christopher Penczak. If you’re at all interested in tech witchery, or just want to practice magick within an urban setting, do check this out. It is by far the best look at the subject I’ve seen, and his discussion of urban tutelary spirits is worth the price alone.

Power Spellcraft for Life, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Nicely done, quite secular book providing basic beginner information regarding writing original spells and workings. It does fall prey to the trap of just listing correspondences with little information at times, but also contains a great deal of detail about ritual timing, raising power, and other topics essential for the beginner.

Sorcerer’s Secrets, by Jason Miller. This is a decent volume that describes a lot of techniques you don’t usually see in books, such as gesture and gaze-based magick. Be warned that Miller writes extensively about manipulative techniques, but it’s useful theory regardless of how you put it into practice.

Witch’s Bag of Tricks, by Melanie Marquis. This is not recommended for beginners, because the whole point of this book is to help existing practitioners refine and improve their already-established techniques. It’s got some novel ideas in it, and I like the author’s approach to symbolism in spellcasting.

Direct Magick (Energy Work)

The Un-Spell Book, by Mya Om. This non-denominational guide to working with magical forces is filled with useful exercises that go beyond the author’s previous work. I recommend reading this after reading Energy Essentials.

Instant Magick, by Christopher Penczak. Excellent beginner’s guide for those who don’t have access to a lot of fancy tools or prefer to work without them. This book won’t instantly teach you magick, but it will help even a seasoned practitioner find quicker, less-complicated ways of achieving results.

Energy Essentials for Witches and Spellcasters, by Mya Om. Though I balk at the use of the term “energy” to describe magical forces, this book is worth a look. It’s a bit like a workbook, with various exercises. Expect a lot of pseudoscience, though, and there are many religious references, but the techniques are solid.

Hedgewitchery and Astral Travel

Ecstatic Witchcraft, by Gede Parma. This is actually probably my favorite book on this subject, even though hedgeriding is only a part of what the book discusses. The only bad thing I can really say about this book is that it’s really not recommended for beginners, and it’s helpful to have the basics of visualization already mastered (for example) before doing the exercises Parma recommends.

By Land, Sky and Sea, by Gede Parma. This book goes into even greater details regarding different ways of conceptualizing the cosmology of hedgeriding, and I find it a very refreshing book that appreciatively draws from a number of different perspectives while grounding itself, so to speak, with the overarching metaphor of land, sky, and sea as the three worlds.

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak. Penczak is usually a pretty mixed bag, and this book is no exception. It gives a lot of good practical information and a very in-depth exploration of the three worlds (a useful concept), but it’s primarily framed by Wicca, so it might not resonate with those of other faiths and particularly those who aren’t pagan at all.

Ascension Magick, by Christopher Penczak. There’s a chapter or two in this that address alternate ways of conceptualizing the architecture of reality, and it’s pretty helpful for a hedgerider. Beyond that, this book is mostly about ceremonial magick, but it’s a (mostly) good book. Certain parts (such as the bit about UFOs) are a little off, in my opinion.

The Shamanic Witch, by Gail Wood. This book is really best suited for someone who practices Wicca and, besides the background info and cosmological descriptions, is really only useful in the context of that tradition. If you’re Wiccan or willing to pick around a lot of Wiccan-talk, though, this is a good foundation.

Witches, Werewolves and Fairies, by Claude Lecouteux. It can be hard to find scholarly works on these phenomena that are affordable, but here’s one I personally enjoyed. It details many accounts of journeying experienced by both pagans and Christians in earlier times, and gives a good description of the concept of the astral double, the architecture of the soul, and other topics throughout history.

Betwixt and Between, by Storm Faerywolf. This book is mostly a guide to the Feri tradition of witchcraft, but while I myself don’t practice that, those who do seem to know a lot about hedgeriding! The book has several chapters on the subject and is highly recommended for this reason.

The Psychic Energy Codex, by Michelle Belanger. A lot of people have strong opinions about this author, but this is book actually provides a lot of good information about so-called “energy work” which can be a step in the right direction for those wanting to ride the hedge.

Psychic Dreamwalking, by Michelle Belanger. In this book, Belanger discusses, essentially, how to use your non-waking life as a vehicle to for journeying, and while I myself don’t usually dreamwalk, much of what she says applies to hedgeriding in other states, too.

Hedge Riding and Hedge Witchcraft, by Harmonia Saille. I only mention these two in order to say that they’re best avoided. Saille tries to give a comprehensive look at the phenomenon, but it’s poorly-written and overly New Age. The negative reviews of them on Amazon really cover the problems with these book in more detail than I ever could.

Magical Writing, Words, and Symbols

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, by Claude Lecouteux. Mostly a historical text, this book isn’t exactly practical or terribly useful. It is, nevertheless, incredibly interesting. It’s a bit difficult to navigate, but worth a glance.

Composing Magick, by Elizabeth Barrette. A very general, but well-done, look at writing in a magical context. Some of the ritual templates are slightly specific to religious witchcraft traditions, but most information is widely applicable.

Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, by Susan Pesnecker. Focuses both on the physical act of writing as a magical act, and the mental state associated with it. Highly recommended

The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire, by Skye Alexander. This book is for those who want to create their own grimoire. It gives fairly good advice for doing so, as well as providing hints and tricks for spellcasting and useful correspondences.

General Concepts

Planetary Magick, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. If you want to work with the planets at all, particularly in a highly ritualized context, I recommend this book. It’s large, comprehensive and gives a good foundation beyond what you find in general astrology books.

Practical Planetary Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Shorter than I would have liked, but a useful reference to have on your shelf, with excellent tables and appendices in the back. The meditations are also quite useful.

Practical Elemental Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Should be read alongside the other book by this pair. Comprehensive guide to working with the elements in a ritualized fashion. Not as accessible to newbies as Lipp’s book, but good for seasoned practitioners.

The Way of Four, by Deborah Lipp. Though mostly geared towards Wiccans, I found this author’s in-depth treatment of the four elements highly fascinating. I will note that it’s probably best to get the print version of this book, as it contains exercises and quizzes.

Ingredients and Correspondences

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook, by Karen Harrison. I cannot praise this book enough for its concise and well-formulated approach to astrology, herbs, and magick as a whole.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson. This is excellent for anyone who’s interested in any kind of magick. Yes, the focus is generally herbs, but there’s a lot to be learned here about Kabbalah and other correspondence systems, as well.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic, by Sandra Kynes. Fills a very difficult gap in published knowledge regarding the use of essential oils by discussing, in great detail, how scents interact with each other and how to create a formula that’s not only palatable, but evocative.

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery, by Gerina Dunwich. Given the New Age fascination with all things shiny, it was quite a chore to sort through the myriad crystal books to find something with good information. While far from perfect and not exactly devoid of fluff, this book does give a level of detail about the lore surrounding gemstones not seen in many other texts.

Real Alchemy, by Robert Allen Bartlett. Excellent book, lots of history and detail. There’s a strong focus on tradition within the text, yet the author is quite accommodating of his audience and describes alternate methods that work better in a modern context.

Spagyrics, by Manfred M. Junius. With a highly-developed academic tone and attention to detail, this book is a meaty look at traditional alchemy. I recommend this more for intermediate practitioners due to the sheer density of information.

Spellbooks

The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen. The title sounds horribly fluffy, but this is a hidden gem. It explains obscure concepts like alternative alphabets and potential uses of musical notes, as well as plant lore and other bits and pieces. Definitely worth checking out. It’s way more than just “a book of spells.”

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, by Judika Illes. The title sounds trite to some, but it delivers. This book has spells from almost every culture and spiritual philosophy, as well as a very detailed formulary. I read it when I’m bored sometimes, too, just because I always learn some tidbit from it.

Book of Spells, by Nicola Pulford. In most editions, this book is absolutely gorgeous and describes spellcasting traditions from a variety of perspectives and traditions. Recommended for those who already understand the basics, as this book jumps straight into spellcasting and gives only a small amount of information about how things work.

Ceremonial Magick

Modern Magick, by Donald Michael Kraig. I received this as a gift several years ago. It is essentially a workbook meant to be completed slowly, step by step, and while the format will not appeal to everyone, it’s a good easy-to-read introduction to ceremonial magick.

Familiar Spirits, by Donald Tyson. Though geared towards ceremonialists, any practitioner can likely learn a thing or two from Tyson’s interesting stroll through the whys and wherefores of spirit work and thoughtform creation. This is by far the best book I’ve seen on the topic of familiar spirits.

Secrets of High Magick, by Francis Melville. The most recent edition of this (the one I own) is lavishly-illustrated and full of rudimentary, yet useful information. He stresses the basics of ceremonial practice, and his writing style is very accessible. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

My Life With The Spirits, by Lon Milo DuQuette. This is a memoir of a ceremonial magician, but it gives a good look at the magickal mindset in a highly developed form from someone who’s experienced quite a lot. I have major issues with DuQuette’s approach to Qabalah, but his memoirs are worth a read.

Chaos Magick

Liber Null and Psychonaut, by Peter Carroll. Classic book of chaos magick. I consider it required reading for almost anyone interested in the occult. Even if you have no love for chaos magick, do give it a read, just to understand how influential Carroll is, and why.

Hands-On Chaos Magic, by Andrieh Vitimus. Knowing some of the people involved in the creation of this book, I’m a bit biased towards it. That said, even if I didn’t know them, I would still recommend it. It’s especially interesting to read alongside Liber Null and Psychonautin order to see how the chaos “current” has developed over the years.

Pop Culture Magic 2.0 by Taylor Ellwood. There aren’t a lot of books on using pop culture symbolism in magick, but this one is nearly perfect. The author writes in a highly erudite, literate fashion, while still being accessible to newbies. Many useful resources cited, as well, so prepare to branch off a bit while reading it.

History-Related

Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton. An inside no-holds-barred look at the history of Wicca and Modern paganism. Highly recommended. This is sort of the book that fluffbunnies don’t want you to read.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, by Richard Metzger. Lots of facts and history of magick in the context of Postmodernity. This is different from the Crowley text of the same name, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to focus on his tradition.

The Place of Enchantment, by Alex Owen. This is a purely historical text that documents the occult revival within the context of Modernity. I remember it being very good, but please realize I haven’t really picked it up much since graduating, and it might just have served my mindset at the time.

Tarot

The Book of Thoth, by Aleister Crowley. Make sure you actually own (or have access to pictures of) the Thoth deck before you dive into this. By far one of the best books on Tarot ever published. The prose is often dense and purple, but in this one book, Crowley teaches so much about Tarot and it’s connection to the Western Mystery Tradition. I can’t really say much more - it must be experienced.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, by Arthur Edward Waite. I recommend this book because it is a classic and was introductory for many older readers. It will teach you to read and gives insight into the methodology behind the Waite-Smith deck specifically, particularly his use of what are essentially parables and why he does this. Do not expect too much esoteric information, but read it anyways.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, by Rachel Pollack. This is the epitome of a good modern Tarot book and is really one of the first ones I’d recommend for someone looking for an accessible book on Tarot in a modern context. Very dense in information and history, yet altogether worth it. You’ll want highlighters nearby for this one!

Tarot for a New Generation, by Janina Renée. This is essentially a book for children and teenagers, but I do recommend it for them, specifically, because it is well-written, easy to understand, and helpful to absolute beginners.

Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This book focuses just on the history, symbolism, and creative process of the Waite-Smith deck. It gives you an inside line on just what Pixie Smith was thinking when painting specific scenes, and is a great look at her life’s work, as well.

The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, by Robert M. Place. This book will not teach you to read Tarot, but does give an actual, accurate portrait of the history of the phenomena, which is incredibly important and useful. Know your history.

Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, by Lon Milo DuQuette. I hesitate to recommend DuQuette due to issues I have with his approach to Qabalah, but many people ask me for a beginner book for the Thoth Tarot specifically, and this is the closest I’ve come to finding one. I recommend reading this alongside, and not instead of, Crowley’s Book of Thoth.

The Back in Time Tarot, by Janet Boyer. This is more for the intermediate reader, and the entire book details a single, extremely useful technique for familiarizing yourself with the cards, namely by framing past events in terms of how they might appear in a spread.

Lenormand

The Essential Lenormand, by Rana George. This was not the first Lenormand book I picked up, but it was the most influential and intense. Ms. George writes in a personable, touching fashion and brings the concepts of the system home by relating them to life experiences in a way rarely seen. She is one of those authors I literally go all “fangirl” over.

Learning Lenormand, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This is one of the better beginner books on Lenormand. I’m not going to lie - it isn’t as good as Rana George’s, but it definitely is worth reading if you’re completely new to the system. It’s very accessible, where some of the books I’ll be listing later in this can seem intimidating, or so I’ve been told.

Lenormand: Thirty-Six Cards, by Andy Boroveshengra. This book is intense, but in a different way than Ms. George’s. Expect to be inundated with information and techniques. Another one of those where you really need to take notes or highlight while reading, and read it multiple times.

Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle, by Sylvie Steinbach. This book is organized in a novel and useful fashion by topic, and gives specific techniques for readings on love, money, spirituality, and other topics. Highly recommended, and I tend to use it as a reference book nowadays, looking things up as needed.

The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook, by Caitlyn Matthews. Not for the beginner, nor the faint at heart, this one details a lot of what, to me, seem to be more advanced approaches and techniques. I use this book a lot, and I think anyone else will enjoy it, too. Good information on the connection between Lenormand and traditional playing cards, too.

Cartomancy with Lenormand and the Tarot, by Patrick Dunn. This is more of a special topic book, and best read after you’ve got some familiarity with both Tarot and Lenormand. It’s all about using them in tandem and the synergy between them.

Astrology

The Luminaries, by Liz Greene. I could really recommend anything by this author, but she’s written so much, and this book is a particularly important one. It focuses entirely on the Sun and Moon in astrology, and gives a good look at why the luminaries need to have a special place in your understanding.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Practical Astrology, by Priscilla Costello. This is focused, as you might expect, on actual interpretation of charts and less on theory, but it gives a good background on that, too. Was quite helpful in my attempts to interpret @xepsurah‘s unusual natal chart.

The Complete Book of Astrology, by Kris Brandt Riske. Very beginner, and very light on intellect, heavy on intuition. A great introduction, but I would not suggest it as the only book you read if you’re really interested in the subject.

Tasseography

Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners, by Caroline Dow. There are only a few books within Llewellyn’s immensely popular “For Beginners” series that I would recommend, and this is one of them. The symbol glossary (which makes up the bulk of the book) is the most useful part.

Tea Cup Reading, by Sasha Fenton. This book goes into some detail (quite a bit, actually) about the history of tea and coffee, and, better yet, how to prepare them in the traditional fashion! A lot of traditional lore is described, as well.

Scrying, etc.

Scrying for Beginners, by Donald Tyson. This is really a surprise find, as I don’t usually expect much from this series, by Tyson knows his history and goes far beyond simple exercises for scrying. He is a bit biased towards mirror and crystal-gazing techniques, but does discuss other methods.

Psychic Development for Beginners, by William Hewitt. Readable, and offers some very practical developmental exercises for those wishing to hone extrasensory abilities. Be prepared to sort through a lot of woo, though.

[goldenhawthorn]

A sigil I made for myself because my sex repulsion has been causing me a lot of sickness lately… I figured there were probably others who could benefit from this sigil and decided to share. Please do not repost. Reblogs only.