verdant-witchery

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Stars in full bloom.

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Blessed Litha to the Northern witches (and blessed Yule to the Southern witches). This is my first Litha, and I am planning on giving some offerings to Freyja and Aphrodite since they’re both associated with this Sabbat. Along with spending some time outside, mainly harvesting the strawberries I’ve grown, since it’s finally summer.

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Happy Litha! Spent the first half of my day buying plants and doing some gardening ♡ Enjoying the sunshine even in this crazy heat....

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Litha / Midsommar / Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and is celebrated in many cultures. In this post I will focus on Litha the wiccan tradition, midsommar (the nordic tradition) and the general idea of the summer solstice.

Litha

Like many other wiccan and pagan sabbats, this celebration is inspired by celtic culture. In the reconstructed germanic calendar the Anglo-Saxon names for the months June and July is līða (litha) and it is from there that the tradition got its name.

During this day the sun is widely worshipped and worked with. It is somewhat concidered the beginning of summer and therefore divination and manifestation may be a good idea. Since this day also marks a shift in nature (days getting darker again) it can also be a day of reflection and meditation as well as inner power and brightness.

Midsommar

As a Swedish person this is a big part of my life. Even though this image looks rather outdated, the celebration looks very similar to this day. Some of my best and earliest memories are of this tradition.

Similar to the image, it is still common to dance around a maypole during this day. Earlier in the day, children and adults gather flowers to dress the maypole-skeleton with. When it is covered you raise it and place it in the ground. After that the dancing and singing can begin.

It is also belived that flowers and herbs have a greater magickal potency during this day. To harvest plants by midsummer evening ensures for strong herbs. A common thing that is still done in Sweden is putting seven different types of flowers under your pillow. This is belived to make you dream about your future partner. A simple form of love divination!

Midsommar has roots in pre-christianity, however the christian movement affected the holiday. John the Baptist is celebrated around the same time and is therefore an important figure during midsommar in some of the nordic countries (Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Norway) but in Sweden the tradition is not too influenced by christianity.

Previously midsommar was celebrated on the 21st in Sweden but in 1953 it started to be celebrated the Friday closest to the summer solstice.

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The Knight of the Flowers (1894)

— by Georges Rochegrosse

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What Is Sigil Magic? 🕯

A sigil is a symbol charged with your intention.

It’s magic through design — visual spellwork that speaks to your subconscious.

How to Create a Sigil

1. Write your intention clearly

Example: “I am protected”

2. Remove repeating letters

→ I A M P R O T E C D

3. Rearrange the remaining letters into a symbol

Let it flow naturally. Use curves, lines, or blend letters together.

4. Charge it

Focus energy into the sigil using breath, fire, moonlight, dance, etc.

Feel it activate.

How to Use It

• Draw it on your skin

• Hide it under your pillow

• Burn it to release

• Carve it into candles

• Sew it into clothing

• Tuck it in your wallet

✨ Sigils are quiet spells — small, powerful, and deeply personal.

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LOW ENERGY LITHA ACTIVITIES

light colourful candles

watch the sun rise or sun set

brew a honey & chamomile tea

burn a floral scented incense

decorate your altar with flowers

eat fresh fruits and berries

open the windows and let fresh air in

admire flowers

read a faerie related book

have a cleansing bath or shower

meditate outside

press some wildflowers in a book

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Witchy focus magic when your brain is foggy ✨🧠

for studying, spellcraft, or just surviving the day:

• light a white or yellow candle (or imagine one)

• drink peppermint, rosemary, or green tea — clear the cobwebs

• trace a sigil for focus on your wrist or notebook

• wear a headscarf, hat, or clip — crown chakra protection

• repeat: “my thoughts are clear, my path is sharp”

you’re not lazy. your mind is sacred. treat it like it.

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Some creative ways to incorporate sigils into your daily life:

Draw sigils with water on surfaces before cleaning them, imbuing your cleaning routine with intention.

Carve or paint sigils on candles before burning them.

Draw sigils invisibly using water, salt water, or herbal water on surfaces.

Paint sigils under layers of paint on walls or doors.

Visualize sigils while focusing on their purpose during meditation.

Apply sigils as temporary tattoos or body art for personal intentions.

Incorporate sigils into cooking and baking:

Draw sigils in oil on pans before cooking

Visualize sigils while preparing food

Stamp sigils into cookies or pie crusts

Use sigils in crafting projects like altar cloths, jewelry, or ritual items.

Draw sigils into hot drinks while stirring them.

Create verbal sigils by rearranging letters from your intention into a chant-like phrase.

Develop movement-based sigils using hand gestures, dance, or yoga poses.

Make a sigil rubber stamp to easily apply it to various surfaces.

Embroider sigils onto clothing or accessories.

Use sigils as phone or computer wallpapers.

Incorporate sigils into your journaling or planner layouts.

Create sigil art pieces to display in your home or workspace.

Draw sigils in the steam on mirrors after showers.

These methods allow you to subtly and creatively integrate sigil magic into various aspects of your daily life, making it a more intuitive and personal practice.

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Ai has NO place in my life and practice. If you follow me and use AI please understand we are not compatible on a intrinsic level sorry. I’m not hating, but I AM judging I will not lie.

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Strawberry Moon - June 11 2025

Grab your baskets and your moon jars, witches - it’s time for the Strawberry Moon!

Strawberry Moon 🍓

The Strawberry Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of June in the Northern Hemisphere. The name is taken from the ripening of those little red heart-shaped berries we find in so many summertime treats. Strawberries are typically ready to harvest beginning around the summer solstice, though this will vary depending on variety, planting times, and local weather. Sadly, the Strawberry Moon does not turn red or pink to match the berries.

Other European names for this moon include Honey Moon, Rose Moon, and Mead Moon. North American Indigenous names for the June moon include Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe), Green Corn Moon (Cherokee), and Hatching Moon (Cree).

This month, the moon will reach peak illumination at 3:44am EST on Wednesday June 11th. (You can check the Full Moon Calculator for your local time.)

What Does It Mean For Witches? 🍓

Full moons are excellent times for bringing wishes to fulfillment and plans to fruition, all the more so under one named after a prolific berry. This is an optimal time to make things happen!

Your intuition may be stronger than usual during this time, so pay attention to those little inklings and gut feelings that won’t be ignored. They might be telling you something important. Dreams may also be more vivid, though not necessarily more accurate or revealing.

This is a time to explore things that catch your attention or pique your curiosity, and to let yourself be open to new ideas and new opportunities.

What Witchy Things Can We Do? 🍓

With a full moon ripening in the sky and the summer solstice coming up soon, it’s time to prepare for a full bloom. Here’s hoping you’ve been nurturing those plans and seeds of growth you planted in the spring, because they’re about to start flowering and the way is clear to sow the next stage of your plans. What they will be and what new prospects the summer will bring is entirely up to you.

The full moon is always a good time to look ahead to the future. Think on the plans you have in process and let yourself dream of how things might turn out. If you’re inclined to journaling, make a note of how things are going so far and how you hope they’ll turn out. Pick your favorite divination method and do a reading for the month ahead. (Make sure you write that down too so you can check back later!)

This is a great time to go berry-picking or flower-gathering, so check your area for pick-your-own farms or farmer’s markets with local produce. Have a picnic with friends or just enjoy a quiet afternoon with your own thoughts and a few favorite treats. Make a jar of sun tea or a sweet and summery berry salad. If you’re partial to strawberries, indulge that sweet tooth!

You can also revisit your wildcrafting or foraging spots to see what's growing now that the seasons have changed and the summer greenery is coming in. Enjoy the scenery or gather a small amount for your craft. Just remember to harvest responsibly and give a little water to the rest before you leave. Check out this craft-building exercise for more ideas.

Strawberries are also excellent ingredient in spells for love, beauty, fertility, and emotional healing. Create a charm for self-love or perhaps to attract a summer romance. Enchant your favorite cosmetics or skin care products with a glamour of confidence. Just as expectant mothers once carried strawberry leaves as a folk remedy for pregnancy pains, you can carry a clutch of them in your pocket to help heal a broken heart or assuage the pain of grief. A packet of strawberry leaves is also a potent good-luck charm. Snack on strawberries to bring fertile abundance into your life, whether you’re looking for creativity or opportunity or perhaps hoping to grow your family this year.

Charge your crystals and spell jars and moon water under the light of Strawberry Moon to catch the energy of blooming flowers, ripening fruit, wishes coming true, and carefully-laid plans realized. (If you’re planning to use it for any consumables, please make sure you’re using fresh, potable drinking water rather than rain or runoff.)

Spend a little time reflecting on how your year has gone thus far. Try to focus on the things that have improved and how you’ve grown as a person and in your life journey. Reflect on your accomplishments and what you plan to do next. Take a moment to be unashamedly proud of yourself for everything you’ve done and for making it this far despite everything life throws at you.

Happy Strawberry Moon, witches! 🌕🍓

Further Reading:

2025 Witches Calendar

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

The Full Moon of June 2025: A Full Strawberry Moon!, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Strawberry Moon Meaning: The Spectacular Full Moon of June 2025, The Peculiar Brunette.

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches, Bree NicGarran.

Wild Weed Harvests, Bree NicGarran.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison.

Image Source - Pesto and Margaritas

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

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✨️🫙✨️Spells✨️🫙✨️

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🕯️ 5 Easy Beginner Spells (No Tools Needed!)

Just your energy + intention = real magic. For babes starting their craft ✨

1. ✨ Morning Glamour Affirmation

Look in the mirror and say:

“I am beauty, I am charm,

My energy is sweet and warm.”

Say it while doing your skincare or brushing your hair to enchant your aura.

2. 🧂 Salt Line Protection

Sprinkle a line of salt at your doorstep or windowsill and say:

“Only love may enter here,

All else disappears.”

Brush it away after 24 hours.

3. 💌 Self-Love Paper Spell

Write your name on a piece of paper. Around it, write words like “divine,” “worthy,” “radiant.” Fold it into a tiny heart and keep it under your pillow or in your journal.

4. 🌙 Moonlight Charging

Place a glass of water, crystals, or jewelry under the full moon overnight. Say:

“Moon above, charge with love.”

Use it to anoint yourself the next morning.

5. 🔥 Release & Let Go Spell

Write what you want to release on paper (ex: “fear,” “self-doubt”). Safely burn it in a fire-safe dish. Say:

“I let this go, I set me free,

New light, new love now comes to me.”

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You know what?

My ancestors would have wanted pasteurization, vaccines, antibiotics, disinfectants, birth control, psychiatric medications, pain management, anesthesia. My ancestors would have wanted to be able to keep their loved ones around longer, and not lose them too early/too soon to childbirths, injuries, bacterial infections, mental illnesses, and diseases that are curable and/or preventable in our modern day life.

Modern medicine saves lives.

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The Practical Witch’s Code of Botanical Respect

A creed for witches who respect their tools, their craft, and their damn thyme.

1. Thou Shalt Know Thy Herb Before Thou Waveth Thy Wand

If you don’t know if it’s culinary, medicinal, or mildly toxic when steeped—put it back. Research it. Ask a crone.

2. Store Thy Herbs in Glass, Not in Plastic Graveyards

Sunlight kills potency. Moisture ruins everything. Treat your herbs like spell components, not garage sale potpourri.

3. Color Fades, Scent Dies—That’s Not a Metaphor, It’s Shelf Life

If your basil’s grey and your mint smells like cardboard, stop lying to yourself. That’s not sacred. That’s compost.

4. Use With Purpose, Not Performance

Sprinkling sage everywhere without intent is no better than throwing glitter in the wind and calling it stardust. The plant gave its life—don’t waste it on theatrics.

5. Do Not Blame Capitalism for Your Lack of Airtight Containers

If your herbs are stale, look to your jar, not the economy.

6. Grow Thy Own When Possible, but Know Thy Limits

You live in a cold basement with one window and a radiator? Maybe skip the lemon balm. Choose wisely. Be realistic.

7. Dead Plants Are Not a Personality Trait

Your black-thumbed history is not an aesthetic. If you kill something, learn from it. Don’t make it a spiritual scapegoat.

8. Do Not Waste What Another Could Heal

If your herbs are beyond saving, give them to the Earth or the fire with respect—not some hollow ritual about “letting go of old energies” when you’re just clearing out expired stock.

9. If You Can't Name the Plant, You Can't Use It in a Spell

"I think it's like, yarrow or oregano or something?" No. Stop. You are not an herbalist. You are a liability.

10. The Craft is Built on Wisdom, Not Excuses

You are allowed to fail. You are not allowed to romanticize the failure to avoid accountability. There is no enlightenment in willful ignorance.

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Nights like these.