sparklingrebel-bos

[sparklingrebel-bos]

ELEMENTS

Earth

Earth represents abundance, strength, femininity, wealth, prosperity and stability. In Ritual we use things like dirt, stones, wood, herbs and leaves to represent the element earth. We might tend to focus more on this element when casting a spell for business, fertility, prosperity and stability.

Earth Correspondence:

Direction - North

Gender - Feminine

Colors - Black, Green, Yellow and Brown

Time of Day - Midnight

Season - Winter

Ritual Tools - Dirt, Leaves, Wood and Stones (or any kind of plant)

Herbs (or plants) - Ivy, Grains, Oats, Rice, Patchouli, Nuts, Roots, Oak, Vetivert and Lichens

Animals - Wolves, Bears and Dogs (are just a few)

Metals - Iron and Lead

Signs - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn

Stones and Jewels - Rock Crystals, Emerald, Onyx, Jasper, Salt, Azurite and Quartz

Goddesses - Gaea, Mah, Ceres, Demeter, Nephtys, Rhea and Persephone

Gods - Pan, Arawn, Athos, Cernunnos, Adonis, Dionysus, Mardyk and Tammuz

Guardian Angel - Ariel

Air

Air represents our mind and intelligence, psychic powers, knowledge and dreams. In ritual we use things like incense or a wand to represent the element air. We might tend to focus more on this element when cast spells for freedom, seeking something or someone or for travel.

This is why when meditating or doing any type of divination work you’ll notice a lot of people use incense to help them relax and open there minds.

Air Correspondences:

Direction - East

Gender - Masculine    

Colors - Yellow or White

Time of Day - Dawn

Season - Spring

Ritual Tools - Wand or Incenses

Herbs - Frankincense, Myrrh, Pansy, Primrose, Vervain, Dill, Lavender and Aspen

Animals - Birds, Spider and Raven

Metals - Tin and Copper

Signs - Gemini, Libra and Aquarius

Stones and Jewels - Amethyst, Topaz, Pumice and Alexandrite

Goddesses - Cardea, Nuit, Urania, Aradia and Arianrhod

Gods - Shu, Kheoheva, Merawrim, Enlil and Thoth

Guardian Angel - Raphael

Fire

Fire represents energy, love, passion, inspiration and leadership. In ritual we use incense, candles or ashes to represent the element fire. We might tend to focus more on this element when casting spell for healing or purification.

Like with the element air, we use incense when meditating to symbolize (or help) opening up our minds. We also sometime use the element fire by lighting candles when meditating to symbolize (or help) healing, or purify the space we are meditating in.

Fire Correspondence:

Direction - South

Gender - Masculine

Colors - Red, Gold, Orange or White

Time of Day - Midday

Season - Summer

Ritual Tools - Athame, Candles, Incense and Anything Burning (like maybe a fire in a fireplace or outside like a bonfire)

Herbs (or plants) - Garlic, Cinnamon, Chili Peppers, Walnut, Fig and Coffee

Animals - Dragons, Lions, Horses and Snakes (are just a few)

Metals - Gold and Brass

Signs - Aries, Leo and Sagittarius

Stones and Jewels -  Ruby, Fire Opal, Agathe and Volcanic Lava (or rocks)

Goddesses - Brigit, Hestia, Pele and Vesta

Gods - Agni, Horus, Vulcan and Prometheus

Guardian Angel - Michael

Water

Water represents emotions, purification, wisdom, the soul, subconscious, eternal movement, emotional aspects of love and femininity and absorption. In ritual we use bowls of water, a cup or seashells to represent the element water. We might focus more on this element when casting spells for friendship, relationship, happiness and fertility.

Water Correspondence:

Direction - West

Gender - Feminine

Colors - Blue, Turquoise, Gray, Indigo and Black

Time of Day - Twilight/Dusk

Season - Autumn/Fall

Ritual Tools - Bowl of Water, Cup or Seashells

Herbs (or plants) - Ferns, Lotus, Mosses, Bushes, Water Lilies and Gardenia

Animals - Sea Mammals and Sea Birds (are just a few)

Metals - Mercury, Sliver and Copper

Signs - Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces

Stones and Jewels - Aquamarine, Blue Tourmaline, Pearl, Coral and Fluorite (are just a few)

Goddesses - Aphrodite, Isis, Marianne, Mari, Tiamat and Yemaha

Gods - Dylan, Manannan, Osiris, Ea, Neptune and Poseidon

Guardian Angel - Gabriel

https://thebeginnerwitch.tumblr.com/Elements

[sparklingrebel-bos]

'Earth energy' Visualization Technique.

Make sure you are in a room where you will not be disturbed and where it is dim. Candles/incense etc are optional.

Close your eyes and take 10 deep breathes holding each one for slightly longer than the last

Imagine the Solar system. See the Sun, Moon Earth and other planets revolving 

Zoom in to the earth and travel down in to it, right to the core where Warm Golden energy resides.

Draw the energy up towards the crust, See it transform in to roots that eventually break the surface to where you are

Watch them Coil around you starting with your feet, then working upwards. 

Now feel that golden energy travelling through the roots to you as you are now part of the earth.

This is a good way of starting any meditative work, or before a spell.

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Witch Teas

Its 430pm and do you know what that means… Its teatime, Witchy Tea Time. 

I just realized that I haven’t made any posts about tea and witchcraft yet.  Making tea has become a large part of my personal practice; I drink a lot of it. My moms whole side of the family is from Great Britain and we’re HUGE tea drinkers, I basically grew up on it. By the time I was in second grade I would have a cup of tea in the morning with breakfast and then have one as soon as I came home from school… and maybe another cup after dinner. Now the act of drinking tea has evolved into something much more sacred for me, a daily ritual.

Brewing and creating teas are a simple and enjoyable way to include magic into your daily life and activities. By combining herbs with specific correspondences, energies, magical properties or holistic benefits, you can create teas that are able to aid or enhance your work as whole.

Brewing hot tea is a blend of invocation and harmony of the elements.

Earth, represented by the botanicals you are brewing.

Water, the medium in which that plants are infuse into.

Fire, heats the water so that the fusion may occur.

Air, the steam, smell and taste rising from the brew.

Most of the teas that I prepare and drink today aren’t actually considered to be true “tea”. I mostly make herbal infusions, brews or “herbal teas” which are made from various herbs, roots, flowers and such. By creating my own blends it’s easy to find ways to make them apply to practices, also I have found that blends created by the drinker are much more magically potent than store bought blends. This is because your thoughts, intentions and energies are being mixed into the tea as you prepare it. I include tea in many of my rituals, spells, offerings, before or after mediation practices, etc., etc. 

(Some of my witchy tea recipes)

There is really so much potential when it comes to using tea for witchcraft purposes, choosing teas or herbs is a very important element when making brews. Always look and see what you have available and consider your options. Are you being drawn to an uplifting citrus blend, a soothing floral blend perhaps, or maybe even a spicy warm blend? Take note of these things, your choice of herbs can reflect what you may be currently needing at the time. It could be important for the future, especially if you like the results. I always set an intention for my tea, even if it’s something simple, such as to put me in a better mood. I then focus on this intention as a brew and prepare the tea. 

If you love tea and haven’t tried working with it before in your practices I highly recommend that you try it at least once.  

Some ideas are

Lavender, chamomile tea for stress relief. 

Rose tea for incensed love.

Ginger root, honey and cinnamon tea to keep positive and warm on cold shitty days. 

Sage, and rosemary for cleansing.

Or a white tea with jasmine and roses for a calming meditation blend

Then there’s Dream tea or teas for psychic enhancement, or for divination, healing teas… the possibilities are endless

Add honey, milk or sugar for sweetness and prosperity  

You could even add water and heat safe crystals to your teas for extra power (list of not safe crystals) or place your teapot within a crystal grid. 

When it comes to making my teas for rituals and magic I have a specific teapot that I use. (Its the one in the photo) she’s a tiny dark blue cast iron. (I really need a name for her) I choose to use a cast iron pot for a few reasons, one is super durability, two retains heat well, and three is because I have read that iron is the heart of the earth and universe itself, it is above, and below. Thus making it useful and universal when it comes to magical work. Speaking of teapots you can charge them with crystals or a specific purpose to help aid even further. 

This concludes my mini post on witchcraft tea, I hope you enjoyed it feedback is welcomed

-HoneyCoyote- 

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Witch Tea: Going to Class

this is a tea i make to help motivate me for class, i usually brew it and bring it to class with me in a big thermos. I have 6 hour studio classes that require a lot of focus, creativity, innovation and hard work. So this brew is aimed for those heavy work days when you need that extra boost of mental power.

Materials Needed:

3 parts Green Tea

1 part Black Tea

½ part Rosemary

½ part Mint

½ part Orange Peel  

¼ part Rose Petals 

boil water then while focusing on your intent pour the water over herbs, let steep. sweeten with honey to taste for a nice extra boost.

-by HoneyCoyote-

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Worry Stone Enchantment

p u r p o s e - to enchant a specific object with grounding and relaxing energy to provide relief for worrying/negative thoughts/anxiety.

s u p p l i e s

a smooth and small stone

your personal favorite essential oil or perfume

Choose your stone carefully. Smooth stones are best because you want one that you can easily rub with your finger, and you also want to be able to fit it in your pocket. Choose a stone that you feel drawn to and put at ease by.

Sit down in a quiet area with your stone, no distractions.

Feel the stone in your hands for a while. Feel its shape and weight, its curves and surfaces. Do this until the stone feels warm to the touch.

Put a tiny drop of the essential oil on your finger, then smear it on the stone and let it dry or wipe it off before doing step 5.

Close your eyes, and hold the warm stone in your hands and think of things that make you happy. What is your favorite memory? What do you look forward to in the near future? Shoo away any worries or anxieties, and don’t second guess your thoughts, just think them, and let them flow through your body and out your hands into the stone.

Do this for as long as you feel necessary: 1 minute, 10 minutes, an hour; whenever you feel like the stone seems “full”.

Whenever you feel anxious or begin to worry, hold the stone in your hand and run your fingers over it.

d i s c l a i m e r

This enchantment is not a replacement for actual medical treatment! If you feel like you are suffering from a disorder that is disrupting your daily life, please see someone if you are able to.

Some essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil (olive, vegetable, coconut, etc.) before use or they can irritate your skin. Read the bottle your oil came in for proper dilution instructions. If it makes your stone oily, it’s okay to wipe the oil off afterwards.

[sparklingrebel-bos]

These herbal treatments can help you deal with minor ailments and accidents. Seek help if symptoms do not improve or if the condition is (or becomes) serious. 

To make a compress: fill a bowl with cold or hot water and 5-6 drops of an appropriate essential oil. Dip a wash cloth into the bowl until it absorbs the water temperature. Renew temperature as needed until pain has subsided.

To prepare a steam inhalation: Half-fill a large bowl with boiling water, then sprinkle in 4-5 drops of your chosen essential oil. Bend over the bowl, cover your head with a towel, and breathe in deeply through your nose for a few minutes, remembering to keep your eyes closed. 

Headaches and Migraines

Make a cold compress using lavender and peppermint. Apply the cold compress to your forehead and lie down in a darkened room until the pain eases. Replace the compress with a new one once it reaches body temperature. 

Drink a calming herbal tea, such as lime flower, vervain, lemon balm or chamomile.

Earache

Apply a hot compress of lavender and German chamomile to the outside of the ear and its immediate surrounding area. Lie down somewhere quiet and replace the hot compresses when they cool, until the pain eases.

Sinusitis

The best remedy is regular steam inhalations, up to five times a day, using one or more of the following essential oils: lavender, tea tree, thyme, eucalyptus, peppermint, or pine. These essential oils all help clear the head and sinuses and have antiseptic properties to help prevent infection from occurring

Toothache

Apply hot compresses to the outside of the face near the affected area. Use German chamomile

Laryngitis and sore throats

The best treatment for both conditions is regular steam inhalations, up to five times a day with thyme, rosewood, sandalwood, or lavender. 

Colds

Using a burner with lavender before bed and rosemary during the day will help fight the infection.

Put a few drops of eucalyptus or lemon-scented eucalyptus on a tissue and sniff it frequently to help clear a stuffy nose.

Drink lots of fluids, especially chamomile, elderflower, or peppermint tea.

Coughs

Benzoin, bergamot, sandalwood, and thyme all have expectorant qualities, so use one or more of these essential oils in regular steam inhalations, up to five times a day.

You can also use these essential oils in the bath and dilute them for local massage of the upper back, throat, and chest. Sandalwood is especially good for persistent dry coughs and lavender, frankincense, and myrrh are also beneficial

Asthma

Do not use steam inhalations because the heat could aggravate your condition, but moisture is beneficial and repeated boiling of a kettle with lavender, frankincense, bergamot, or Roman chamomile.

Use regular massage of your upper back and chest with any of the essential oils mentioned above, using 6 drops mixed into 2 teaspoons of base oil, to try to lessen the severity and frequency of attacks.

Hay Fever

At the first sign of symptoms, sprinkle a few drops of Roman chamomile or Melissa on a tissue and sniff it frequently. Or try a steam inhalation with lavender or eucalyptus, but revert to the essential oils on a tissue if this is too powerful.

Use ice-cold rosewater or witch hazel on a cold compress over your eyes and nose

Drink herbal teas of chamomile and lemon balm to sooth symptoms.

Bruises

An effective first-aid remedy is to use a cold compress of witch hazel to reduce the pain and swelling. Follow this with further cold compresses using fennel, hyssop, or lavender.

If the oil is still painful at bedtime, add 3 drops of lavender to 1 teaspoon of calendula oil and massage gently into the bruise.

Sprains and strains

Make cold compresses of lavender or German chamomile and keep replacing them with fresh ones until the swelling subsides and initial pain has receded.

The following day, use the naturopathic technique of applying hot and cold compresses of lavender, German chamomile or Roman chamomile to aid the healing process.

Insect stings and bites

For wasp and bee stings, apply repeated cold compresses of witch hazel and lavender, until the immediate pain has eased.

For mosquito bites, apply neat lavender or tea tree oil as required. If the bite becomes swollen and painful, use the compresses listed above for wasp and bee stings.

Digestive Problems

To relieve nausea, sniff peppermint, lavender, or ginger straight from the bottle or a tissue with a few drops of essential oil sprinkled on it. Additionally, drink peppermint, chamomile, lemon balm, or ginger tea to help prevent vomiting.

To relieve indigestion, gently massage your stomach and solar plexus with 1 drop each of majoram, lavender, and Roman chamomile mixed in 1 teaspoon carrier oil. If the indigestion is painful, try a hot compress with the same essential oils.

Menstrual Cramps

Use repeated hot compresses of marjoram and clary sage over the abdomen. As you lie back and rest, drink a cup of chamomile tea.

To ease feeling bloating, tenderness, or swelling, take warm aromatic baths with the following mixture: 3 drops each of lavender and clary sage mixed into a little evening primrose oil.

Insomnia

To combat insomnia, take a warm, not hot, bath and add up to six drops in total of Roman chamomile, neroli, frankincense, and clary sage shortly before going to bed.

Fill a mister/spritzer bottle with water and a few drops of lavender oil and spritz pillow and blankets just before bed.

Drink chamomile tea in the late evening and before bed.

From The Aromatherapy Bible by Gill Farrer-Halls

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Herbs for Magical Teas

Alfalfa Leaf: home protection; money draw; prosperity; security.

Bergamont: money draw; success.

Black Cohosh: relaxation; turn worries aside.

Boneset: call upon devas; divination; protection; ward negativity.

Burdock Root: protection; purification; ward negativity.

Chamomile: calmness; meditation; prosperity; purification.

Chickweed: Crone Wisdom; divination; honesty; love; trust.

Comfrey: health; money draw; safety.

Damiana Leaf: attraction; divination; love.

Dandelion Root: divination; Fairies; good luck; honor/invoke devas; psychic power.

Echinacea: body’s self-defense; empowerment; invoke healing devas.

Elder Flower: Fairie blessing; honor/invoke the Goddess; healing; prosperity; rest.

Eyebright: mental sharpness; psychic awareness.

Fennel: healing; honor/invoke Horned God; protection; purification.

Fenugreek Seed: attract money; skill in verbal communication.

Feverfew: health; protection; purification; ward sickness.

Goldenseal: healing; honor/invoke the God; joy; prosperity; success.

Hops: comfort; good health; relaxation; well-being.

Hyssop: purification; ward negativity.

Irish Moss: invoke Fairies; luck; money draw; protection.

Lemon Balm: health; love; success.

Linden (Tila): love; luck; Otherworld; protection; rest.

Mint: Devas; money; protection; prosperity.

Mugwort: Hecate; divination; inspiration.

Mullein: between the worlds travel; courage; divination; health; protection.

Nettle: healing; love; protection; ward negativity.

Orange Peel: divination; love; luck.

Parsley: purification; protection.

Raspberry Leaf: Fairie blessings; health; love; protection.

Rose Hips: divination; consecration; Elves; protection; ward negativity.

Skullcap: healing (esp. headaches); hidden knowledge; Lord of Shadows; protection; wisdom.

Slippery Elm Bark: clear communication; persuasive speech; protection from envy, gossip, and slander.

Uva Ursa: divination; honor/invoke Artemis; purification; psychic awareness.

Valerian Root: Crone magics; love; protection; purification; psychic awareness.

White Oak Bark: fertility; honor/invoke the Green Man; health; protection.

Wild Cherry Bark: creativity; divination; love.

Willow Bark: health; mental acuity; reduce headache pain.

From Ann Moura’s “Grimoire for the Green Witch”

[sparklingrebel-bos]

There are seven chakras that go up the body. Each pool of energy has a purpose, and can be blocked by a specific kind of emotional muck.

~Guru Pathik

[sparklingrebel-bos]

A quick and dirty chart to tarot cards and their common meanings. Be open to different interpretations of these words. Researching deeper into the meaning of each card is recommended if things are still unclear, or these definitions aren't jiving with you.

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Birds

[sparklingrebel-bos]

I’ve talked about slumps, dry spells, and disconnects before — this is a more personalized approach to finding a solution. I’d like to update my original post, but until then…here’s the spread I was testing out earlier.

I decided to just go ahead and put the spread out as it is now. I like it and I think it works. But because this is literally my first draft of the spread, any feedback would be even more appreciated than usual!

Card One is where you were before the slump.

Card Two is what caused the slump or allowed it to happen.

Card Three is where you’re at now.

So, before we move on to the next cards, I want to explain this progression. I think it’s important, especially in these situations, to sort of check in on where you’re actually at and where you were before. Comparing the situations and seeing how you got to where you’re at is important, because it helps you understand what happened, and that’s how you make a plan to get out. 

Card Four is what keeps you down — this is why you haven’t moved on and why you feel like you’re in the slump to begin with. Think of it as your obstacle — this is what you’re up against.

Card Five is your first step out of the slump. Something I really focus on a lot in these situations is “Well what do I do NEXT? What do I do now??” This is your answer to that question.

Card Six is what I call the signs on the path. It’s what keeps you moving forward and what stops you from sliding back down into the slump.

Card Seven is where you’re headed. One of the keys to pulling yourself out of the slump and continuing onward is knowing what you’re actually working toward. It’s easy to lose your sense of direction down there — this is your North Star

[sparklingrebel-bos]

[sparklingrebel-bos]

“Tell me, as a pagan, who do you worship?’ ‘Worship?’ 'That’s right. I imagine you must have a pretty wide open field. So to whom do you set up your household altar? To whom do you bow down? To whom do you pray to at dawn and at dusk?’ 'The female principle. It’s an empowerment thing. You know.’ 'Indeed. And this female principle of yours. Does she have a name?’ 'She’s the goddess within us all. She doesn’t need a name.’

Neil Gaiman, American Gods (via wiccanmason)

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Vegvísir is one of many magical staves used commonly in Iceland for protection, healing, or luck during the middle ages and later. The images of these staves are preserved in a number of grimoires dating from the 17th century and on.

The origin of this particular type of magic is not know, although some of the staves bear similarities to Norse runic culture. Each symbol has a specific meaning relevant to the worries of Icelanders at the time.

Vegvísir is said to protect the bearer from harsh weather.

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Remember: Magic spells take many forms, from spoken word to candle burning, to mixing oils, to something as simple as posting an image on the wall. Your energy, focus and intent are what transform simple actions, words and gestures into magic spells.

Judika Illes, Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells (via dryadwitch)

[sparklingrebel-bos]

I guess this falls into the Inktober category. 

Edit - This will also be in the woolf-pack​ Hallow-Zine. 

[sparklingrebel-bos]

Sacra Luna