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How to Organize Your Book of Shadows/Grimoire

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A great recommendation on how to do so! Remember, though, this is only an opinion: always follow your intuition and include what feels right! There may be topics on this list that are not applicable to your practice and/or don't interest you, and that is okay. Each book of shadows/grimoire is unique item that should be personal to you and you alone.

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Witchcraft: Tea Magic

Credit: spells8

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Witchcraft: How to Connect With Your Intuition

Credit: lovebyluna

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Secular Celebrations - Lughnasadh

From Midsummer, we move to Lughnasadh in early August. Also called Lammas, this is the first of the three harvest holidays. Much of what you’ll see associated with this holiday involves bread, bread, and for a change of pace, more bread and also corn. But there are also associations with field games, music, crafts, artistry, games of skill, self-expression, wishmaking, and the first fruits of the harvest. It’s another holiday for picnics and bonfires, so keep that in mind when you’re planning your festivities.

It’s probably easiest to talk about the food first, since that’s a big part of this holiday. Lots of witches bake bread of some sort for Lughnasadh, in observance of the grain harvest. This would be a great time to put that sourdough starter to use, if you made one. But don’t limit yourself to bread alone! Late summer fruits and vegetables are also coming into season and that gives you plenty of options for kitchen witchery. Check your local farmer’s market or produce stand for what’s available, or see what’s in season for your area, since this will vary from region to region.

You can make jams and preserves, try your hand at winemaking or brewing beer, make a vegetarian or fruit-based dish, or cook over an open fire, if you have the option. You should be able to harvest things from your garden as well, since it will be producing by this time, and this is another great holiday for visiting pick-your-own berry patches and orchards. If you can, share what you harvest or make with friends and neighbors. This is a time to remember your circle and your community as well. None of us stand alone, and we are stronger when we stand together and nurture those bonds.

Make decorations with wheat stalks and corn husks, and thank the fields and the sun for their bounty. Just like on Midsummer, you can hang ribbons and paper wishes from trees and shrubs if you like. I’m also partial to (very carefully) gathering brambles, rose thorns, and holly hedge cuttings for use later in the year around Lughnasadh. It’s a tricky, prickly business, but they come in very handy when you’re preparing magical protections for the home.

If you can have a small bonfire or have the opportunity to light up a cauldron or a burning bowl, you can throw incense or paper wishes into the fire. If you like, you can also throw paper packets containing your regrets into the fire, symbolically ridding them from your life and freeing you to move forward.

If the weather allows, have a field day! Play games, have a cookout or a barbecue, play music, and enjoy yourself. Celebrate the abundance that the first harvest brings into your life and all the hard work you’ve done so far in the year. Provided that your circle can gather, maybe have an informal tournament with games of skill and chance. For those of you who just went, “-gasp- Trivia contest!” you’re right on the mark. That carnival atmosphere comes into play again for Lughnasadh, so have a little fun with your near and dear.

Handicrafts and the arts are also celebrated at Lughnasadh. It’s a good time to start that new project you’ve been meaning to do, or to try your hand at a new skill.

This is also a time to begin reaping what you’ve sown and to examine your own progress since the beginning of the growing season. Meditate on how your personal projects are going. What progress have you made toward your goals? What have you learned so far this year? What promises have you kept, which ones could use more dedication, and which ones fell by the wayside?

How have your actions, for good or for ill, affected the direction of your path? What have you sown that is now coming to fruition? What is still budding? What has yet to manifest? What might require more of your attention?

Meditate also on self-expression. How well do you communicate with others? What would you like to improve? Are there boundaries that you need to clarify or reinforce? How much are you allowed or able to be your truest self? What do you long to be able to do or say or express differently?

Keep in mind that progress, education, and recovery do not happen in straight lines or have constant upward trajectories. Be patient with yourself. You may not be exactly where you thought you’d be, but you’re still further along than you were. Even a single step forward counts, and it’s okay to stop and rest if you need to.

- Hex Positive, Ep. 011 - Secular Celebrations (November 01, 2020)

Other Posts In This Series:

Imbolc

Spring Equinox

Beltane

Midsummer

Lughnasadh

Autumn Equinox

Samhain

Yule

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop.

The Hex Positive podcast is a proud member of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.😊

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New Herbal/Kitchen Witchery Guide : - Featuring so many more herbs, flowers, roots, etc. - Now with a fruit/vegetable set for cooking your spell work ;) - There’s now deities associated and planet/gender/element for each listing.

This is the second post in the series, ginseng through star anise

Herbalism Post Link Tree: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

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New Herbal/Kitchen Witchery Guide : - Featuring so many more herbs, flowers, roots, etc.  - Now with a fruit/vegetable set for cooking your spell work ;) - There’s now deities associated and planet/gender/element for each listing. 

This is the first post in the series, acorns through flax seeds 

If you guys notice any errors or issues on this post (or the other ones) let me know here or in a message so I can fix it! 

I managed to catch COVID earlier this week (send me your healing vibes pls). The 3rd post is the most likely to be wonky since I worked on it while fevering today  😂

Herbalism Post Link Tree: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

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New Herbal/Kitchen Witchery Guide : - Featuring so many more herbs, flowers, roots, etc. - Now with a fruit/vegetable set for cooking your spell work ;) - There’s now deities associated and planet/gender/element for each listing.

This is the last post in the series: sunflowers through ylang ylang, then fruit and vegetable correspondences! 

Herbalism Post Link Tree: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

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Bedridden witch: Elements edition

Little ways to connect to the elements while you’re bedridden or stuck inside.

Earth:

Keep jars of dirt from special places.

Grow cacti or succulents.

Make a mini sand garden.

Hang macrame with crystals or stones.

Keep a bouquet of flowers.

Hang herbs from your walls/ceiling.

Get a little plant starter kit, keep seedlings by your window.

Keep some books on plants and geology around.

Watch nature documentaries.

Keep pebbles and crystals under your pillow.

Make a miniature garden/landscape using fake or real plants!

Reach down and feel the energy of the earth below you. Sometimes this is easier on the floor.

Burn candles that smell like the earth/forest/your favorite place.

Drink herbal tea.

Water:

Get a mini waterfall or fountain.

Keep plants that grow in water.

Get a water essential oil diffuser.

Make a spray from infused water.

Open windows when it rains.

Set up a bird fountain outside.

Fully savor your next glass of water.

Keep blues and sea green colors around.

Watch videos or documentaries on aquatic/marine life.

Watch the raindrops or condensation on your window.

Keep a bowl of water around. 

Listen to water/rain ambiance.

Burn candles that smell like the ocean or the rain.

Use a washcloth to wipe down your face/body.

Keep jars of water from your favorite places.

Air:

Open your window.

Use room spray/mist.

Burn candles that smell like the wind.

Hang wind chimes.

Listen to air/wind ambiance.

Get a small fan for some air flow.

Burn incense and watch the smoke move through the air.

Use your breath.

Hang feathers in your room.

Hang scarves and cloths around your room, watch the breeze sway them around.

Get some air plants.

Use an app that lets you see the sky/night sky.

Watch the clouds from your window.

Meditate, allow your senses to explore the air around you.

Fire:

Burn candles/incense.

Hang red or orange curtains.

Get a Himalayan salt lamp.

Use a wax melter.

Get an electric candle.

Use a heating pad or electric blanket.

Listen to fire ambiance. 

Use the heat of your body.

Watch gifs/videos of fire.

Keep a lighter nearby when you need a little flame. 

Place a little tealight in a fireproof vessel near your bed.

Feel the warmth and strength of the sun.

Build up energy with your hands, imagine it’s fire.

Drink tea with warming spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc.)

Click here for my other posts in this series!

Thanks to @healing-water-witch for giving me the idea and contributing!

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Witchcraft: Dream Herbs and Crystals

Please do your research and be cautious if you intend to ingest any of the herbs mentioned here. If in doubt, don't consume it!

Credit: manifestmoons

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Small Witchy Challenges to Reconnect to Your Practice

Sometimes it can be hard to really feel connected to the actual magickal side of being a witch. Personally I’m involved with my deities or other spiritual/personal things 110% of the time but I don’t always feel connected to my actual witchcraft. So here are a few small magickal challenges I thought up to help anyone in a similar situation.

✨ – Set aside a time once a week to burn a candle. Make it a color that connects to whatever aspect of your life you would like insight or growth in and spend 10 minutes watching the flame and opening yourself to whatever it is you’re seeking.

✨ – If you have any books with pre written simple spells in them (most intro to witchcraft books have a section) flip through it and find a spell that calls to you and do it! As written, just to practice getting out of your head and going through the motions of spell work.

✨ – Send out blessings. To your crush. A new friend. Your best friend. Your mom. Whoever.

✨ – Call up your energy into your palms and then place them on your own heart to send yourself love and healing and to connect yourself to your energy.

✨ – Spend some time picturing the kind of witch you wish you were, your ideal witchsona if you will. Then tell yourself that’s exactly who you already are. Keep reminding yourself whenever you feel disconnected from your craft that you are already an unbelievable witch.

✨ – Go back through your old book of shadows/grimoire and reflect on what’s worked for you in the past.

✨ – Wake up and tell yourself first thing “I am a witch. I am magick. My life is full of magick. I see and feel all the magick around me. I am a witch.”

✨ – Pick out outfits or accessories that make you feel witchy. (Bonus points for intentionally planning a super witchy outfit on the full moon)

✨ – Do a spell for anything that’s coming up in your life that you want to work out a certain way, no matter how trivial it seems. Test this week? Do a spell. About to start a work out routine? Do a spell. First date? Spell. Gotta stay on budget grocery shopping? Spell. Your worth it, it’s good practice, and if it all ends up working even better!

✨ – Write down spell ideas as they come to you. Save them as notes in your phone and then come back and flesh them out in your BOS later.

✨ – Come up with your own challenges! If you’d like to share, tag me on your post or send them to me, I’d love to hear your ideas!

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Witchcraft: Home Protection Spray

Credit: wiccantips

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Coffee and Tea Magic

Two of the most popular beverages around the world, coffee and tea are more than just a tasty drink.

Do teas or coffee really have magical properties? Read more to find out~

Tea Magic

Tea is a staple beverage in just about every culture. Not only do we love the taste of tea, we love what it can do for us! 

History

The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is native to Asia. More specifically China.

Perhaps the most common origin story for tea says that in 2732 B.C. Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when the leaves of the tea plant fell into his cup of hot water.

Shen Nung decided that he would try the beverage and liked the taste.

The earliest historical written record suggests that China was drinking tea as far back as 206 B.C.E. 

At its earliest, all teas were green or herbal teas. This was before we knew about oxidation in tea. The more oxidation the tea goes through, the darker and stronger the tea gets. Other factors involve when and where the tea is harvested and how it is prepared.

Teas were used as medicine for a long time, many teas still have their place in wholistic medicinal practices today and hold their titles as home remedies. If you’ve ever heard that chamomile was good for sleep or peppermint tea is good for your stomach then you know what I’m talking about.

There have been studies done to learn about the possible health benefits of tea, and there are some genuine uses for the different types of tea in medical practice. For example, in some studies it shows that ADHD people can benefit from drinking green tea.

How do you use tea in witchcraft?

You can use them as a drinkable spell, adding the necessary herbs to the base tea of your choice and charging it with intent. You can charge the tea with intent by meditating, or by just thinking about it as you make the tea.

There are plenty of spells packaged neatly into a tea bag, ready to use. You can buy them from someone or make your own. Another magical way to use tea is tasseomancy--a form of divination that uses tea leaves.

Correspondences

Tea magic is basically drinkable herbal magic. Not only because it comes from a plant, but because a lot of the magical correspondences and properties you may see given to teas are due to the herbs/plants mixed in, not the tea itself.

It’s like a spell jar that you can drink! Please don’t eat or drink the contents of your spell jars unless everything inside it is actually edible.

That being said, here are a few commonly used magical properties for tea:

Black: Strength, repelling negative energy, protection

Green: Cleansing

White: Purification

Oolong: Focus

What about herbal teas?

Technically herbal teas aren’t categorized as tea, since they don’t contain the tea plant. Instead, herbal teas are considered infusions, since they are a liquid (water) infused with herbs. However, only tea snobs will glare at you for calling these infusions tea. The correspondences of these teas will vary greatly depending on the herbs and plants used to make them, thus there is no general or common correspondence I can give you.

Here are a few of the herbs often added to teas along with their magical properties:

Lavender: Used for calming and psychic work.

Chamomile: Sleep and calming.

Mint: Abundance, wealth, purification, and protection (also a great anti-inflammatory).

Hibiscus: Love, attraction, and divination.

Ginger: Luck, passion, and success.

Cinnamon: Confidence, creativity, strength, and protection.

Calendula: Prosperity, psychic ability, and prophetic dreams.

Nutmeg: Wealth, luck and fidelity.

Rose: Love (romantic, platonic, or self-love), lust, and positivity.

Orange: Creativity, energy/stimulation, divination, and strength.

Lemon: Happiness, friendship, purification, and clarity.

Note that these are some common correspondences I've found, these are not the only correspondences for these herbs.

Be careful when ingesting herbs in any way and make sure that they won’t interact with any medications, disorders, disabilities, or allergies that you may have.

Coffee Magic

Another fan-favorite hot beverage: coffee!

History

The history of coffee doesn't date back as far as tea, but it has still been around for quite some time. In Ethiopia there is a story told claiming that centuries ago a goat herder had seen his goats acting strange. After eating the berries from the coffee tree the goats would be so energetic that they wouldn't even sleep at night. The herder told the abbot at a local monastery who then used the berries to make a beverage. After drinking the beverage the abbot realized that he could stay awake even through long hours of praying. Word spread and so did the beverage which evolved into what we know of as coffee. That being said, the earliest evidence of the coffee being used similarly to what we have now dates all the way back to the 15th century, and as far as we know, the cultivation of coffee began on the Arabian Peninsula. It wasn't until the 17th century that Europeans would jump on board the coffee trend. Since then, throughout history there have been those who tried to have coffee banned for one reason or another. Some claimed it was the invention of Satan, due to it's black color and bitter taste; others were worried of the effects coffee may have on physical and mental health. In the mid 1600s coffee made it's way over to North America, first entering New York, and it would become the morning beverage of choice for those in what would become the USA after the taxation on tea that caused the Boston Tea Party. Eventually coffee found it's way snugly fit into morning routines all around the world.

How do you use coffee in magic?

Coffee can be used by itself in magic, its properties include adding energy, quickening a spell, clarity, dispelling negative energy, and focus. You can also use coffee for:

Divination, much like reading tea leaves!

Curse breaking.

An offering.

Grounding.

The diverse uses of coffee really comes from the flavors that you put in it.

Correspondences

Personally, I add cinnamon to my coffee to not only add flavor but to give me confidence and energy for the day ahead. Here are some common additions to coffee, as well as their magical properties:

Vanilla: Calm, compulsion, and fortune.

Caramel: Attraction, love, positive energy.

Toffee: Comfort, love, and patient healing.

Pumpkin: Prosperity, creativity, and fertility.

Allspice: Luck, abundance, and wealth.

Mocha/Chocolate: Love, grounding, and prosperity.

Hazelnut: Wisdom, intelligence, and patience.

Note that these are some common correspondences I've found, these are not the only correspondences for these additions.

TL;DR

Tea, like many other plants, has been around for a long time. As humans, once we find something we like that actually does something, we start snooping around for more uses. In medicine we’ve found that some teas are good for certain ailments. In magic, we’ve found that tea is a great way to cast a spell, do some divination, or just consume a great drink. Coffee can be used by itself or added as an ingredient to your spells, or you can whip up a spell in your favorite mug! Much like tea, it can also be used for divination, as an offering, and even grounding.

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Witchcraft: Grounding

Grounding or “Earthing” is the exercise of adjusting your energy and body to the Earth’s frequency. The Earth continually pulsates at the frequency of 7.83 Hertz, which is called the Schumann Resonance. This frequency is generated in the Earth’s electromagnetic field by the electrical collaboration between the Earth’s surface and the ionosphere.

There are many ways to ground yourself or promote grounding energies around you. The possibilities of techniques are nearly boundless which is inspiring. Everywhere you could possibly be is on this planet, meaning you can ground at any moment you desire.

Common Grounding Methods:

Chromomancy:

Using color magic, you can incorporate colors around and within yourself to ground. One can preform this with their wardrobe, crystals, candles, thread, hair color, makeup, artwork, interior designs. The Root Chakra is correlated with the color Red, whilst the hues Brown and Black embody Earth itself. You can visualize your body filling with a warm light that is brown, red, or black.

Crystals:

Whilst on the idea of color magic, you can choose stones of the particular aforementioned colors for grounding purposes as well. However, every single gem comes from the Earth, and thus works. My personal recommendations would be Moss Agate, Tiger’s Eye, Bronzite, Dendrite, Garden Quartz, and Tree Agate. You can do this by wearing or carrying stones with you.

Edibles:

Growing, cooking, or simply eating foods that grew beneath the Earth’s surface can assist in attuning you with Earth’s frequency or energies. This ranges from vegetables to spices. Ginger Root, Turmeric, and Galangal also can work phenomenally.

Scanning:

Body scanning is the process of taking the time to observe how each and every segment of your body feels to connect with yourself and the present moment. I recommend starting with the bottom of your feet, noticing how they feel. Are they sore, or maybe dry? Once you’ve felt it entirely, move upwards until you’ve focused on your entire body.

Scents:

Certain aromas will also influence you to become grounded, especially when done with intention. From oil rollers to diffusers, there are many ways to apply scent in your home. If essential oils are not your favorite, you can always use fresh flowers or leaves in a potpourri.

Sounds:

There are a vast range of methods that may incorporate sound into grounding. This includes but is not limited to listening to Hertz Frequencies directly. Alternatively, there are guided visualizations and meditations throughout the internet to use as well. If those do not resonate with you, listening to animals, winds, storms, or fires always work as well.

Walks:

Walking barefoot on the Earth is one of the most conventional methods of grounding out there. The Earth maintains an electrical potential on its surface, and when you are in direct contact with the ground, the Earth’s electrons are conducted to your body, and thus attuning it to the same electrical frequency.

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Witchcraft: Working with the Moon (+ lunar phase correspondences)

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Witchcraft: A Guide to Incense + Correspondences

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Caution:

Never leave incense to burn unattended! If you have to leave the room, extinguish it first by dipping the tip in water.

Only use incense in well-ventilated areas! Remember, incense is a smoke and breathing it in is not very healthy. Do not use it indoors unless you are in a very well-ventilated room.

Likewise, use it sparingly! There are plentiful alternatives to cleansing and creating a magical atmosphere besides incense that are just as effective. (Many witches and practitioners who can't have smoke in their spaces use water solutions to cleanse!)

Overall, if you use incense properly, safely, and sparingly, it should not pose you any health problems.

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Witchcraft: Herbal First Aid Kit

Note: Always consult a licensed doctor/physician before using any herbs for medicinal purposes, especially if intended as an internal supplement.