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[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Let’s take a deep dive into one of my favorite topics: How to Ask Better Questions in Tarot!

I put “wrong” and “right” in quotation marks here because of course how you choose to read is entirely up to you! There is absolutely room for yes/no questions in Tarot and many situations where these type of questions can be useful. This post is meant to help if you’re looking to dive a little deeper or if you’re searching to find more empowerment with your readings. Asking more helpful questions is definitely something that I struggled with as a beginner so I figured some of you might find this useful!

Remember, this can be applied to many other forms of divination too and doesn’t just apply to Tarot.

I hope that some of you find this helpful. As always, I am available for readings or divination lessons so feel free to reach out if you have any questions! 🔮

Website | Etsy Shop | Instagram

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

blackbearmagic’s Crystal Hunting Guide

Introduction

Scientific Fact: Witches love crystals almost as much as they love jars.  Consumerism Fact: In many metaphysical shops, nice-looking crystals can be had for relatively cheap. Ethical Fact: Many of those crystals are as cheap as they are because they are mined with no consideration for the damage done to the environment or the welfare of the humans collecting them.

So what’s a good, honest, ethically-minded witch to do, especially if he/she/they don’t have the money to afford crystals that were mined sustainably and responsibly, or the time to research which sellers obtain their wares from ethical mines?

Find their own.

I’ve been crystal hunting all my life, but only within the last year have I started doing it seriously. I’ve walked away from a creeking expedition with slabs of smoky quartz the size of my palm or calcite hunks bigger than my fist, and I personally think creek-crystal energy is much more vibrant and easy to work with; by comparison, the crystal points I’ve bought from metaphysical shops feel… inert, lifeless.

So let’s get straight into it!

What You’ll Need

a good-sized creek or stream with lots of gravel spits along its length

offerings to the spirit of the creek, if appropriate to your personal practice

bug spray, sunscreen, snacks, water, and anything else you’d normally bring on a hike

your trusty adventurer’s Bag of Holding

your sweet self

Now let’s talk details.

When I say “gravel spits”, this is what I’m referring to:

These tumbles of stone are going to be where you’ll find your treasures, and the size of the stones themselves actually tells you what size of crystal you might find: When the conditions are right (ie, during a flood), the water flowing through that portion of the creek is capable of lifting and moving rocks of the size you see there now. 

In my experience, the crystal specimens you’ll find are typically half or one-third the size of the average rock on the spit. They’re usually larger than the smallest rocks, but much smaller than the largest rocks. Not always, though–I have found specimens larger. (See the introduction.)

Regarding offerings, if that’s part of your path, you’ll want to make sure it’s nothing that will harm the local wildlife or damage the ecosystem in any way. My personal go-to is water, ideally water from a bottle I haven’t drunk from yet.

In the same vein as offerings, I’ve had great success in making a sort of bargain with the spirit of the place: That in return for treasures, I will pick up and remove any litter I find in the area. It is, of course, always a good idea to remove any litter you see when you’re out in nature, but it doesn’t hurt to point out to the spirit of the place that it’s something you’re doing for it. Bring along a trash bag to help collect it.

Lastly, with regards to your bag, I would advise something with two shoulder straps. Rocks are heavy.

What You’ll Do

Once you’ve hiked to your creek and found a gravel spit with lots of good-sized rocks, it’s time to start looking. There’s two main approaches I’ve found that work well, and I tend to use both. 

The first is a broad sweep. This one works best if you’ve got good lighting on the rocks. All you do is stand in one spot and sway side to side slightly while looking over the gravel, looking for anything that glints, shines, or otherwise catches the light shining on it. If you see something, investigate it. Repeat.

The second is the more detailed search. Get down on the ground–whether that means kneeling, crouching, laying on your belly, I don’t care–and go over each rock one by one. Use your eyes and use your hands. I imagine this method is probably going to be unpleasant for a lot of you, but honestly, it’s like crack to me.

Once you���ve combed over the current gravel spit as thoroughly as you please, pack up and move on to the next. Continue for as long as you like, or until you feel it’s time to go. Just remember that as far out as you go is how far you’ll have to walk back!

Advice and Warnings

Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back. If you godsforbid go missing, they’ll be able to give the police an idea of where to start searching for your poor, lost ass.

Keep a charged cell phone with you at all times. 

If you see something or someone iffy, do your best avoid it. Sometimes there are creepy people in the woods, and sometimes they do creepy things. Don’t get involved.

Make sure you’re not trespassing on private property. All of the creeks I hike on are on public land. If you’re in a state park or other protected environmental area, don’t go off the trail–you could cause damage to a fragile ecosystem.

Following the creek is a good way to get out and back without losing your way.  Don’t stray too far from it if you’re in unfamiliar territory.

The best times of year to go hunting–assuming Northern Hemisphere, a temperate climate and deciduous forests around the creek–are the spring and summer. In the autumn, you’ll have to clear fallen leaves off of the gravel before you can look, and winter is too cold. 

The best time of day is the morning, when the sun angle is lower and is more likely to glint off of shiny rocks.

You’ll have your best luck the day after heavy rain. Rain will swell the stream and shift the stones around, and could uncover new treasures! 

Inspect anything that looks even remotely worthwhile. You’ll find a lot of duds, sure, but that will help train your brain to tune out what you don’t care about finding.

“What Can I Find?”

Exactly what sort of minerals and crystals you’ll find is highly variable. All minerals are not equally distributed across the planet, because many of them require very different conditions to form and the crust composition varies slightly from place to place. However, there are some stones that are pretty common all over the Earth, so no matter where you go hunting, you’re likely to find them.

Of course, for more specific identifications, please consult the internet, a book on mineralogy, or your local rockhounding club. 

Quartz

The chemical formula of quartz is SiO2, or silicon dioxide. Silicon and oxygen are, by mass, the two most abundant elements in Earth’s crust; around 90% of it is composed of silicate minerals like quartz. Ever find a pretty, sparkly, mostly-clear rock on the ground? It was probably quartz. 

Quartz comes in a mind-boggling array of colors, from smoky quartz so dark it’s practically opaque to purple-and-orange ametrine to the brilliant clear of a Herkimer diamond (yup, not actually diamonds) but all of these varieties are still quartz. In my region of North America, clear and smoky quartz seem to be the most plentiful. 

Calcite

Calcite is calcium carbonate, CaCO3. Like quartz, it is made of some of the Earth’s most abundant crustal elements (in this case, calcium and oxygen) and comes in a stunning array of colors. In my creeks, I’ve found calcite in yellow, orange, white, and even blue and red.

The biggest giveaway for rough calcite is its texture. If you pick up a rock and it feels like someone rubbed wax all over it, you’ve probably got yourself a calcite specimen.

Feldspar

Feldspar is one of the most abundant minerals in the crust, alongside quartz. It’s also a silicate, and it frequently finds its way into other minerals, such as granite. 

What sets feldspar apart from the other two minerals I’ve mentioned here is its fracture habit: It naturally fractures along cleavage planes which intersect at 90-degree angles. It doesn’t shatter–it shears. If you find a rock with a smooth face that looks like a polished stone countertop, it’s probably feldspar.

“But Bear, I Want Crystal Points!”

Oh. Yeah.

You can find those too. 

Every one of those pictures is of quartz points that I have found in my area. (In fact, they’re actually all from the same crystal-hunting hike, and represent only about a third of the specimens I found that day!) As you can see, they aren’t all perfect–and I have plenty of others that are, like, three facets and no point–but they’re all beautiful, and some of them really sing, if you know what I mean. 

Conclusion

Finding your own crystals can be pretty simple, when you get down to it. It can be a lot of fun to get down and dirty, and is a great way to get yourself out in nature for a while. And, of course, you can rest assured that your crystals were gathered in a sustainable, respectful, ethical manner–assuming you took care of yourself and the environment while finding them!

Best of luck! –Bear

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Actually useful shit to have as a witch

You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.

A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.

A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.

Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.

A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.

A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.

A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.

A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.

Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.

A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.

A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.

On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.

A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.

Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.

Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.

A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.

Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.

A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.

And a last tip- if something is too hard for a mortar and pestle, a plastic bag and hammer works too.

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Strawberry and Rosemary Jam for Joy, Luck, and Protection.

500g strawberries

500g white sugar

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Rosemary leaves (a bunch, it’s not precise, add it to your taste)

Rince and remove the leaves of the strawberries.

In a big large pan add the strawberries, sugar and the lemon juice and zest

High heat first until it boils, then medium heat for about half an hour.

Towards the end, pour a few drops of jam in an cold plate to let it cool fast and see the texture. Do it regularly until you are happy with the texture.

Add the finely chopped rosemary leaves.

Once ready, pour the jam in sterilized pots.

Enjoy!

I made Strawberry and Rosemary Jam to bring Joy, Luck and Protection and it has been a long time that I’ve never felt so magical. :-) I don’t have a garden, they come from the farmer market and they were grown in a farm near Edinburgh. I’m really trying to live by the motto “Think global, Act Local.”

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Celebrating Litha in the Kitchen - Kitchen Witchcraft Recipes for Litha / Summer Solstice

Kitchen witchcraft recipes for Litha

Summer solstice is upon up and I don’t know for you but I am celebrating mainly inside. This year I am feeling really inspired in the Kitchen. I have published a great recipe that I created for this sabbat. Since lots of us are still staying inside for Litha, I made a selection of recipes you could try to add a bit of Kitchen Witchcraft to your celebrations! All those bloggers and you tubers are amazing and I highly recommend that you visit their pages, you might discover some gems!

Lemon, Lavender, and Thyme Madeleines. A Midsummer treat! https://witchy-kitchen-craft.tumblr.com/post/621382849796489216/lemon-lavender-and-thyme-madeleines-a-midsummer

Litha Sun Cakes :: The Witches Corner https://youtu.be/p0GRlNXtmkI

Super Moist Honey Lemon Pound Cake Recipe | Homemade Food by Amanda https://youtu.be/6ovBEkFQuyg

Beautiful Floral Shortbread Cookies || Floral Shortbreads for Litha || Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/yifxdT8Ony0

Magick Chamomile Sweet Rolls || Anti-Anxiety Spell https://youtu.be/Ct7-wcS-Nm0

Magick Litha Lemon Cake 🍋 Summer Solstice Kitchen Witchery 🍋 Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/IDvcLrRcLJ4

Litha Celebrating The Summer Solstice 🌞 Everyday Summer Solstice Rituals & Magick https://youtu.be/WLlWSL7fQxE

LITHA RECIPE | Magickal Midsummer Lemon & Elder Tart | Summer Solstice cake https://youtu.be/2DDgXLZla7w

My Witch’s Year | Summer Solstice & Midsummer | Honeycake & Fae Offering https://youtu.be/JOxDkE0DmpU

Honey Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Solstice Cookies: https://deerhoofandrabbitsfoot.tumblr.com/post/175022965984/solstice-cookies-appropriate-for-both-the-summer

Summer solstice honey cakes ☀️🌻https://childofthecrowmoon.tumblr.com/post/621445997214777344/summer-solstice-honey-cakes

Kitchen Witchcraft Correspondances for Litha

Don’t want to follow a precise recipe but still want to celebrate in the kitchen? Don’t worries I got you! We are at the peak of Summer, think fresh fruits and vegetables, lemonades, fruit cakes. Try to choose something that grows in abundance in your region and that is in season.

Food

Fresh fruits

Fresh vegetables

Lemons

Honey

Lemonades

Ice creams

Ales and Meads

Butternut Squash

Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Herbs:

Chamomile

Rose

Honeysyckle,

Oak

Lavender

Yarrow,

Elder

Thyme

Ginger

Basil

Rosemary

Mint

Here we are! I hope this will keep you inspire for the new season! We are already half of the year. It has been weird and difficult so far but now is the time to celebrate all the hard work we have done and set up new goals and intention for the other half of the year.

Blessed be!

Have a wonderful Litha!

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Potato Soup for the Healing Heart

One of the things I love most about soup is its ability to heal the heart, body, and soul. A few simple ingredients, no matter how little you may have, can come together to create a whole and satisfying meal. You can dress these creations up or down, add or switch ingredients to suit your own needs. And who doesn’t love tucking into a nice bowl of soup, stew, or chowder?

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon, diced (optional)

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

¼ cup flour

2 cups beef or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups milk or oatmilk/almond milk

2 cups potatoes, diced (mixed small potatoes or golden)

1 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Allspice (careful! This can easily overpower a dish)

2-3 large Bay leaves

Cayenne

Marjoram

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

OPTIONAL. In large pot, cook bacon (if desired) until crispy. Dice and set aside. Leave bacon grease in pot.

Melt butter and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. 

Add flour and cook another minute or so, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Add broth and simmer another few more minutes. Add milk, potatoes, and half of diced bacon. Add spices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are soft.*

Stir in cheese, if desired. Adjust salt/pepper to taste.

Serve warm and with toppings. You can dress it up with bacon, cheese, sour cream, peppers, chives, green onions, etc. It’s up to you!

*Note: Remove some of the potatoes, mash them, and then return to the pot. Cook another few minutes for a heartier, thicker soup.

Keep reading

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Crash course on fake stones/misrepresentations

Because I have been too lazy to type this all up.

Quartz:

If your quartz has teeny air bubbles it’s glass.

If it’s got a fruit name it’s dyed. End of story. (strawberry, cherry, lemon, pineapple, blueberry) yes there may be some very rare exceptions-fire quartz being dubbed strawberry- but due to the rise in fakes with that name it’s generally called fire quartz now.

Aura quartz is a regular quartz that’s been bonded with another material. (man made)

Cinnabar Infused Quartz usually reconstituted and mixed together to make a red crystal.

Green quartz can be grown in a lab and anything that forrest green color is

Turquoise:

Magnesite and howlite look very very similar to turquoise when they’ve been dyed, magnesite will have very deep cracks in it though.

No there is no white turquoise. 

You can do a uv test to see if it’s real

Amber

Often faked with Copal. They look nearly identical.

Amber will float in salt water-copal will not.

Irradiated/dyed stones:

Very vibrant colors!!

Irradiated: (they irradiate the crystals to get a deeper or more vibrant color)

deeply pigmented topaz or kunzite

dark (almost black) smokey quartz 

very deep pink or red tourmaline 

colored diamonds 

some cultured pearls 

vibrant yellow heliodor 

Dyed:

Pearls

Agate

coral

other stones may be dyed as well, generally if it looks fake..it is.

Heat treated stones: (really not a bad thing but if you’re going for natural)

Amethyst-lighten color+remove brown

Citrine-heat treated amethyst.

Aquamarine-remove green

Ruby-clearer stone 

Sapphire-clearer stone

Rainbow Cal-Silica

Nope, completely fake 100%

Literally just car paint layered with calcite and resin.

Citrine: (im so sorry)

Much of the citrine on the market is lab made.

If it’s lab made it’s usually amethyst that’s been heated until it changes color

The bottom of these stones will be white with more color at the tips.

srry

Lapis Lazuli:

High quality is vibrant blue, hard to come by, and very expensive.

Low quality howlite, jasper or sodalite is dyed blue, and passed off as lapis.

Acetone will remove the dye but damage the stone.

Obsidian:

The clear green obsidian you see all over ebay is slag glass.

Natural green obsidian has been found but it is opaque and is more gray than green.

there is red obsidian as well but again, it’s not a vibrant red and is more brick colored.

Wikipedia is not always right.

Goldstone:

it’s glass it’s legitimately just glass

Opalite:

also glass. 

real opalite exists but it’s green and not commonly found

once again, don’t believe everything on wikipedia.

Bismuth:

Doesn’t naturally form in the crystals, lab made!!!

rlly pretty though

Hematite:

Not naturally magnetic!

Magnetic hematite is 100% man made!

I’ll add more as I come across them~

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

gay rights haha rb patreon insta

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

green magick for the home

an apple can be used for a simple house blessing; cut an apple in half, and eat one half in your home. place the other outside, in the backyard or front porch, as an offering to good spirits for protection and warm energy.

bay leaves can be placed in the corners of a room to banish evil from it and protect those within it.

a cactus can be grown near a house to offer strong protection; even stronger protection is gained by planting cacti at all for corners of the home.

planting catnip in the garden, or hanging it above your door, will attract good spirits and good luck.

chamomile can be sprinkled about in the home to break curses and unwanted spells cast on or in the home.

cilantro brings peace and harmony to a home.

clover can be sprinkled around a home to banish unwanted spirits.

garlic can be hung in a home to bring its inhabitants closer together.

ivy plants can be hung to deter unwanted guests.

lavender can be burned and its ashes sprinkled about to cultivate rest and tranquility within the home.

orange peel can be placed in windowsills to bless the house with angel and sun energy.

peppermint can be burned as a smoke cleanser to remove illness and negative energy from a new home.

a sprig of pine can be hung in the home to bless it and its inhabitants.

sachets of saffron can bring happiness to the home.

thyme burned or hung inside brings good health to its residents.

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

All About Astsrophyllite

Astrophyllite is a rare formation of titanium silicate. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning “star leaf” because that is what the formation looks like! The “Spears” inside the stone are created by a supernova of mineral, radiating out of a single point like a star. This stone will turn your life around, literally. Unless you don’t want a positive life altering change in your sense of direction, don’t use astrophyllite. This stone bursts with positive energy, transforming confusion and feelings of being lost into a sense of purpose, understanding and confidence. Because it is a dark stone, astrophyllite is also highly protective, specifically for people with psychic abilities (including empaths, sensitives, light workers, etc) much like the evil eye, it makes sure no negative people or entities enter your field of energy.

🧿What is astrophyllite associated with? 🧿

🖤Astrological Sign: Scorpio

🖤Tarot: The Star

🖤Numerology: 9

🖤Element: Storm (water, air, fire)

🖤Chakras: Crown and Third Eye

🖤Planet: Mars/Venus

🧿What should I expect if I use astrophyllite?🧿

Some people are surprised to learn that astrophyllite actually symbolizes the crown chakra, not the base or sacral chakras like most dark stones. What this means is this is the strongest stone for develop spiritual and intellectual strength without opening yourself up to any spirit. You will feel a sense of strength and positivity you didn’t know you had. This is a great stone for depression.

🧿How does it enhance psychic abilities?🧿

It will enhance your telepathic abilities and your ability to contact other people through psychic means. Astral projection, long distance aura reading through meditation, and dreams are the most common ways to communicate with someone psychically.

🧿is astrophyllite good for magick work?🧿

Astrophyllite is a great stone for recovering and trusting in the future. Whenever you feel unsure of yourself or lost, like contacting a new deity or working with darker magick, wearing this stone is beneficial for opening yourself up to positive entities.

🧿How do I cleanse astrophyllite?🧿

Since astrophyllite has minerals in it, it might be safe to not put it in salt water overnight. Regular water, burying it in the dirt, and leaving it out under the full moon for 12-24 hours (depending on the strength of energy you want in it) is ideal.

🧿How do I charge astrophyllite?🧿

Meditate with it. Bring it to your lips and whisper to it what you want it to do. Hold it until you feel a strong connection, and you are done!

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Save The Date : 2020

The 13 Full Moons of 2020

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑

🐺 Friday, January, 10th

❄️ Sunday, February, 9th

🐛 Monday, March, 9th

💗 Wednesday, April, 8th

🌸 Thursday, May, 7th

🍓 Friday, June, 5th

🌩 Sunday, July, 5th

🐠 Monday, August, 3rd

🌽 Wednesday, September, 2nd

🏹 Friday, October, 2nd

💙 Saturday, October, 31st

🐿 Monday, November, 30th

🥶 Wednesday, December, 30th

Retrograde Planetary Movements

Uranus Retro in ♉️ : Aug, 12 (2019) – Jan, 1st

Mercury Retro in ♊️+♒️ : Feb, 17th – Mar 10th

Pluto Retro in ♑️ : April, 25th – Oct, 4th

Saturn Retro in ♑️+♒️ : May, 11th – Sept, 29th

Venus Retro in ♊️ : May, 13th – June 25th

Jupiter Retro in ♑️ : May, 14th – Sept, 13th

Mercury Retro in ♋️ : June, 18th – July, 12th

Neptune Retro in ♓️ : June, 23rd – Nov, 23rd

Uranus Retro in ♉️ : Aug, 15th – Jan, 1st (2021)

Mars Retro in ♈️ : Sept, 9th – Nov, 14th

Mercury Retro in ♏️+♎️ : Oct, 14th – Nov, 3rd

Celestial Signs

♑️ Capricorn : Dec, 22nd – Jan, 19th

♒️ Aquarius : Jan, 20th – Feb, 18th

♓️ Pisces : Feb, 19th – Mar, 20th

♈️ Aries : Mar, 21st – Apr, 19th

♉️ Taurus : Apr, 20th – May, 20th

♊️ Gemini : May, 21st – Jun, 20th

♋️ Cancer : Jun, 21st – Jul, 22nd

♌️ Leo : Jul, 23rd – Aug, 22nd

♍️ Virgo : Aug, 23rd – Sept, 22nd

♎️ Libra : Sept, 23rd – Oct, 22nd

♏️ Scorpio : Oct, 23rd – Nov, 21st

♐️ Sagittarius : Nov, 22nd – Dec, 21st

Sabbat Festivals (Northern Hemisphere)

🕯 Imbolc – Candlemas : February, 2nd

🌺 Ostara – Vernal Equinox : March, 21st

🔥 Beltane – Mid Spring : May, 1st

☀️ Litha – Summer Solstice : June, 21st

🌾 Lammas – Harvest : August, 1st

🍁 Mabon – Autumnal Equinox : Sept, 23rd

🎃 Samhain – All Hallows’ Eve : Oct, 31st

❄️ Yule – Winter Solstice : December 21st

Sabbat Festivals (Southern Hemisphere)

🌾 Lammas – Harvest : February, 2nd

🍁 Mabon – Autumnal Equinox : Mar, 21st

🎃 Samhain – Witches’ New Year : May, 1st

❄️ Yule – Winter Solstice : June, 21st

🕯 Imbolc – Candlemas : August, 1st

🌺 Ostara – Vernal Equinox : Sept, 23rd

🔥 Beltane – Mid Spring : October, 31st

☀️ Litha – Summer Solstice : Dec, 21st

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Bring Nature Inside: Part 1

Last Spring I delved into gardening more than I ever had before. I planted all kinds of flowers, trees, herbs, shrubs, and more! It was fantastical to dig in the dirt and care for these plants, watching them bloom and grow and stretch toward the sun.

Then winter came and one by one many of my plants began to whiter or stop giving off blooms. This is obviously upsetting but also a reminder to contemplate the nature of life and death and everything in-between. 

However, there is a simple way to help bring that joy of plants and growing into the home through houseplants! Below I have provided some house plants that I personally care for as well as both mundane and magical properties of the plant.  

💐 Devil’s Ivy (Pothos)💐

Devil’s Ivy is one of the easiest plants to care for in the home.

Mundane Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Only water the plant every two weeks (over-watering is the most common way to kill a devil’s ivy and under-watering rarely harms the plant).

The plant is toxic to both you and pets. So if you have any familiars lurking about that like to munch on things keep it out of reach!

The plant is easy to propagate and after a while you can have hundreds of them around your home.

If your plant looses a leaf it will never grow back on that part of the stem.

Pothos is fairly slow growing but will live for decades if properly taken care of.

Magical Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Save stems you trim off to be used in binding or banishment spells.

Like most ivy, growth this plant around the walls or floors of your home can protect it.

Can be used in witch jars as a form of poison magic.

💐 Spider Plant💐

Mundane Properties (Spider Plant):

A spider plant is a great addition to every home!

Although all plants will remove toxins from the air, Spider Plants are one of the most effective house plants and achieving this goal.

Over-watering is the leading cause of death for plants at home.

The plant, when happy, sends off shoots that produce babies which can easily be snipped off and potted to create more plants.

This plant is non-toxic and is safe around familiars and people!

They prefer a bright North or East facing window.

Magical Properties (Spider Plant):

Spider Plants can be used in all kinds or protection magic.

The pups can be cut off and placed in a spell jar to filter out bad spiritual energy.

Long stems and leaves of the plant can be tied into a witch’s ladder for protection.

Placed on your altar the plant can help equalizes the energy of your altar and tools placed upon it. 

💐 String of Pearls💐

Mundane Properties (String of Pearls):

The String of Pearls can be a difficult plant to get right, however, once you do you will be happy with the beauty it can bring into your home.

This plant requires a fairly consistent temperature (room temperature or a bit warmer is perfect for this girl).

Make sure to place this plant away from any breezes (windows, fans, and vents can cause this plant to stop growing and possibly die).

Only water this plant when the soil is completely dry, take care to ensure the pot you have it in has good drainage.

You may need to work carefully with the String of Pearls to unravel it’s many creeping tendrils and prevent it from looking a mess.

It may take a few tries but the String of Pearls is a fairly easy plant to propagate and give to friends.

Fairly fast growing in the right conditions. 

Needs very bright light.

Slightly toxic when consumed, some people are also receptive to the juice and sap of the plant.

Magical Properties (String of Pearls):

The fairly fast growing tendrils can be snipped (this does not hurt the plant) and be used in love charms and love magic.

Growing in the home, the plant promotes positive energy and happiness.

Pearls which fall from the plant can be used in divination bags once dried.

When the plant flowers the energy surrounding is perfect to use in all magics wishing to draw something to you.

(Disclaimer: This is by no means a comprehensive guide to each of these plants. Doing research on any plant before attempting to grow it yourself is highly advised. The magical properties of these plants are my own interpretations and you may find different or alternative uses for them.)

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Support Black witches

Support Black healers

Support Black tarot readers

Support Black occultists

Support Black astrologers

Support Black magicians

Support Black pagans

Support Black spiritualists

Support Black spirit workers

End racism in spiritual and occult communities.

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Abalone Runes - x

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Four shells protection spell

Hellooo everyone! I did a lil something to celebrate summer since I’m finally officially on holiday! ♡

Materials:

• salt

•black pepper

•rose thorns (pins will work as well)

•sea water (you’ll need just a few drops)

•rosemary

•sage

•lavender

•seaglass

•basil

•4 candles (one for each element- I used blue for water, red for fire, black for earth and white for air.)

•marker

•4 sea shells (like these ☟)

☾1☽ Draw on the inside of the shells the symbols of the elements (one on each)

☾2☽ Light the candles, then place the herbs, salt and seaglass inside of each shell (the order does not matter). Sprinkle the sea water on the shells; while you do so visualize your goal, for example protecting your house from thunderstorms, from burglars… whatever you need

☾3☽ When you’re done, pour the wax of each candle on the corresponding shell to seal it.

☾4☽ Once the wax has cooled down, place the water seashell west, the air one east, the earth one north and the fire one south. 

You can bury them in the garden or if you don’t have one you can bury them in small jars. You can also keep them on the floor or forniture inside your house! ♡

∼Blue

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

I know my blog is becoming witchy cottegecore but no one can argue the aesthetic

- intention infused herbal honey

- pockets full of seed packets

- carrying sugar water around for the bees (or the fae) in little glass jars

- overgrown herb gardens

- offerings that can become compost

- faerie rings

- mushrooms on a witch hat

- ivy covered cottages

- potions made from things from your own garden

- a fat, green eyed cat familiar

- herbs drying at every doorway and threshold

- scarecrow to ward all unwanted predators and pests

- pocket altar with crystals, herb clippings, riverstone carved runes

I could go on and on.

[houseplantsandtealeaves]

Basic ideas for kitchen witchery

These are not recipes, but ideas - what meal could serve what purpose. They are simple, so you either should have your own recipes for them, or find them on the internet easy enough. 

Happy cooking!

BANISHING

chili (cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili - generally spicy things)

lemon-infused water (lemon is a repellant, and water is uncrossable for some entities)

sugarfree coffee with cinnamon (coffee and cinnamon are both banishing ingredients)

curry (cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili - generally spicy things)

PROTECTION

caprese salad (basil, tomatoes)

margarita pizza (basil, tomatoes)

apple pie (apples)

corn-on-a-cob (corn)

mint tea (mint)

herb soup (rosemary, basil, mint, thyme, bay leaf…)

HEALING

apple pie (apples)

golden milk (milk and turmeric)

elderflower tea (elderflower)

mint tea (mint)

onion syrup (onion and honey)

chamomile tea (chamomile)

lemon-infused water (lemon)

ginger tea (ginger)

nettle soup (nettle)

pumpkin soup (pumpkin)

pumpkin cookies or bread (pumpkin)

curry (turmeric, garlic, onion)

LUCK

cinnamon rolls (cinnamon)

orange juice (orange)

chamomile tea (chamomile)

corn-on-a-cob (corn)

pineapple juice (pineapple)

poppyseed buns or bread (poppy)

HAPPINESS

orange juice (orange)

honeyed tea (honey)

mint tea (mint)

lemon-infused water (lemon)

vanilla-flavoured ice cream (vanilla)

sunflower seed buns or bread (sunflower)

sugar cookies (sugar)

PEACE

lemon balm tea (lemon balm)

lavender-infused water (lavender)

cucumber-infused water (cucumber)

vanilla-flavoured ice cream (vanilla)

PROSPERITY

milk with honey (milk and honey)

apple pie (apple)

pumpkin soup (pumpkin)

pumpkin cookies or bread (pumpkin)

chocolate chip cookies (chocolate) 

sandwich - any (bread)

fried rice (rice)

curry (rice)

fries (potatoes)