Rootandrock’s musing post got me thinking. I have several clients that come to me in need of an unhexing, counter-curse, or exorcism. I almost always…
Uncrossing Yourself
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Cleansing yourself (or other people or your home) is the spiritual equivalent of “did you try turning it off?” (Meditation, of course, being the …
Cleansing Yourself
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Do not do what you desire – do what is necessary.
Take all you are given – give all of yourself.
What I have – – – I hold!
~ Robert Cochrane
So, you have watched the first two videos on cleansing and protection on my YouTube channel and you feel ready to cast a spell. Good for you! Here is the link if you need a review 😀 The Magickal Cottage on YouTube But first, let’s take a step back and consider all that is involved in spell work.
Just as the magickal path in general involves constant study and work, so, too, you must carefully “craft” your spell craft. I know, I know, I’ve seen these people, too, on social media who say they do “whatever they feel is right” with no rules to bind them. But please consider what I’m about to tell you about spell work before deciding on how to proceed.
At the risk of oversimplifying, I’d like to mention something about “karma”. To my way of thinking karma is a metaphysical term related to the mundane principle of cause and effect. You stick your hand in a flame and you will get burned. And I know there are those who don’t want to equate anything in the astral with things on the physical plane, but isn’t that what “As above, so below” is about? Enough said. I will give you my take on spell casting and you can decide for yourself how to go about things. I do like the quote above by Cochrane: “do what is necessary”. Being a light in the darkness for others is sometimes the best use of magick.
If you click on the menu tab of this blog site for the “Correspondences” page you will see a list of very useful information that should be helpful in spell casting. I will be adding to this page over time, so be sure to check back occasionally to see what is there. Feel free to copy this information into a word document and print a copy for your book of shadows. I will be referring to this information in this post on spell casting.
The Witches’ Pyramid (pictured above) has been around for quite a long time and has been a model for following a magickal path. There are lots of great blog posts and videos on the general meaning of the pyramid, so do some research on the topic. I have also found that the witches’ pyramid can be used as a model for spell casting, and that’s how I will be using it in his post. We will take each of the components of the pyramid in order and discuss how they can be applied in creating and casting a spell.
To Know
This is the part of the spell that involves doing the research. This component can make or break your spell. If your timing is off or your wording is wrong things might just go haywire, and they probably will.
I’ve heard it many times: “I tried a spell and it didn’t work!” If you sent out energy with intent it did work, just not the way you wanted it to. If you ALWAYS bear in mind that energy follows the path of least resistance it will serve you well. If you do a spell to “win the Lotto“, the Universe might present you with a child’s Lotto game. That would probably be the easiest way for the Universe to deliver what you asked for. That might be the path of least resistance. See what I mean?
And then there is timing. I make it a policy to never do spell work during Mercury retrograde or when the moon is void of course. You can find the Mercury retrograde periods for each year online with a simple search. For finding the moon’s void of course you can use a lunar app such as ILuna. The void of course period is when the moon is changing signs. With both the Mercury retrograde and the void of course periods Mercury ( about communication) and the moon are not able to lend their energies to your spell. And let’s face it! We will take all the help we can get in our spell work. It’s not just that these heavenly bodies can’t lend their energy, but they can’t lend their control the way they usually do. You may also consult the tables for the BEST moon sign or day of the week to work your spell. Consider all of the energies you would like to incorporate to help bring about your magickal goal.
So you have decided you have a need for a spell. If the spell is for yourself then you can proceed. If the spell is for someone else then you need to get their permission. There’s a little thing called “free will” that I like to respect. Take it from me, casting a love spell on another person not only violates their free will but is manipulative. You don’t like being manipulated, right? It probably makes you angry, right? That’s exactly how it will make your “target” feel.
I have included a “Spell Worksheet” on the Correspondences page. You can create a document by copying and pasting the text into a word document and make copies for planning your spells. You can even change the font to something more “witchy” and add artwork. Have fun!
Go ahead and fill in the spell worksheet by stating your purpose, figuring out your timing and correspondences and what supplies you will need. I plan to go into various types of spells in future posts, but for now let’s just go through the steps. You are making a plan. Here I would like to add that the wording of your petition is SO important! Here are pointers for writing a good spell petition:
1. State your request in simple terms that cover every aspect of what you really want.
2. Don’t use euphemisms or expressions because the Universe is very literal. Asking for “showers of blessings” could bring a downpour of rain or a leaky whatever…be specific.
3. State things in a positive way. Avoid negative words if possible.
4. Cover every possible outcome with “for the highest good in a happy, joyous way for all concerned“ … or something similar. You don’t want your new found income to be the result of an inheritance gained from the death of your favorite uncle.
5. “To bind the spell every time, let the words be spoke in rhyme.” This is worth the trouble of doing if you can manage to write your request in rhyming phrases. For one thing, it makes it easier to remember your request and say it without reading it. It also seems rather like a chant….very magickal! If you can’t manage a rhyme, then skip it. You don’t need to stress yourself out over this.
To Dare
So now you are ready to take action! You gather your supplies making sure to cleanse them. You ground yourself. You create a sacred space by either putting up your protective shielding, or you can cast a circle. There is a video on my YouTube channel that covers circle casting. Here it is: Casting a Circle
Remember that circle casting is not just for protection but to help with focusing the energy. You can decide if shielding or casting a circle are called for. I would say a simple healing tea light for someone’s headache could be done with a simple shielding. A more elaborate spell for protection or uncrossing might merit a circle casting. Call in or invite any guides, angels or ancestors to help you with the spell.
To Will
As you perform the actual spell you are going to want to generate some energy to charge the spell and send it on its way into the cosmos. You will raise energy over the area where you have performed the spell on a table or altar. There are lots of ways to raise energy like chanting, dancing, making sounds with rattles, drums and chimes, OR you can create what I call an “energy ball”. Above your spell work area, place your hands with your palms together and rub them back and forth to create friction. Then slowly separate your hands to feel the energy you have generated. There should be a springy feeling between your palms.
Shape the energy into a ball with your hands. Don’t worry if you don’t see anything! You can infuse the energy ball with your spell intent repeating your petition three times, allowing the energies of your spell ingredients to rise up into the energy ball and, when ready, you can release the ball along with your intent upwards into the cosmos. When you are infusing the energy ball try to visualize the outcome of your spell in the ball as if you are seeing it as a scene in a crystal ball. Use your inner knowing to decide when you have generated the right amount of “intention energy” into the ball, and then let it go by giving it a little (or big) push with your hands. Sometimes you get the feeling of that energy ball taking off like a shot! Sometimes it just drifts upwards and away. Just trust in whatever happens.
Ground yourself. Take three deep breaths and release the circle or shield. As you do this be sure to thank any spiritual helpers you may have enlisted and bid them farewell along with your blessings.
To Keep Silent
Congratulations! You cast a spell! You may feel like sharing this on social media, but DON’T. It’s important to keep silent. You don’t want other peoples’ energy adding to your spell and possibly altering the outcome. Make note of any events, contacts or other occurrences that may reflect the results of your spell work as well as opportunities that come your way as an answer to your spell request. The spell may bring opportunities for success but it’s up to you to act on those opportunities and do your part on the physical plane. You can cast a spell for a great job, but you still need to do the legwork and conduct a job search. So be silent and observant and receive your blessings quietly! It’s ok to smile like the Cheshire Cat as you do so! (Wink)
To Go
Now go about your business! Trust in your spell work. Have faith. No, you don’t need to rethink anything. No, you don’t need to do the spell over again. Release the spell and don’t take it back. You are the magick!
Bright Blessings,
SARINA
Posted in Magickal Living, witchcraft | Tagged magick, magick spells, spell casting, spell work, spells, witchcraft | Leave a Comment »
Hello, again! Here is the link to the latest in the series of videos on Spell Work 101:
Warding and Protecting Your Personal Space
Hope you enjoy it! Next up will be “Casting a Spell“. While you are there be sure to subscribe to The Magickal Cottage on YouTube to get all the video updates!
Bright Blessings,
SARINA
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Just a quick post to share the first video in a series on Spell Work 101. Let me know what you think!
Blessings,
SARINA
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I’ve had an old armoire at the Magickal Cottage that I’ve been meaning to fix up and use in some creative way. After painting it I decided it would make a great place to dry and store herbs.
So here is a link to my YouTube video showing how I created my magickal apothecary:
How do you dry and store your magickal herbs? Let me know in the comments below!
Bright Blessings,
SARINA
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Taking further inspiration from the whimsical water colors of Regan Ralston, let’s travel outside the witches’ cottage to the realms of the green witch and hedge witch.
As I mentioned in the last post, it’s possible to possess the traits of more than one kind of witchy aesthetic, and in many cases the lines between two or more paths might be a bit blurred. So it is with the green and hedge witch; so I will try to point out the main differences between the two.
The Green Witch
So, putting it bluntly, the green witch is an “herb head”. As they walk down the street they peer over peoples’ fences to see what’s growing . If you go hiking with them they will know the names of most of the plants along the path. If another green witch accompanies them they may even argue over a plants Latin or common name. But the arguing is all in good fun. To the green witch, plants are fun!
The green witches’ home may be filled with house plants and pots of soil containing their latest plant propagation projects. And a green witch doesn’t have a “dream home”; they have a “dream garden”. Not only does this witch know the names of LOTS of plants, but they know the plants’ magickal and medicinal properties as well. Got a problem? The green witch has a tea for that!
I know one green witch whose entire kitchen has been taken over by bottles and containers of her witchy brews. I mean, it’s jam packed with herbal vinegars and herbal infusions and herbal everything……It’s so cool!!!
The green witch may be an active environmentalist and/or they will send energy to planet earth and all its creatures on a daily basis. They truly understand the term, “Mama Gaia”. They connect with nature and feel their best when they can go on a hike out in nature in every season.
They love essential oils! They’re from plants, right? So picking just one for the green witch would be hard. Something herb-ally smelling like rosemary oil or thyme oil might get their attention. They probably place clear quartz crystals in and around their flower pots, but moss agate, malachite and green aventurine would inspire them as well.
I’ve just touched on some points about this green path. Want to explore green witchcraft even further? Here are a couple of book suggestions to get you started:
The Hedge Witch
In the British Isles much of the farmland is separated by plantings of hedgerows. Inside of the hedgerow was considered a safe place to be after dark for humans and livestock. Traveling beyond the hedge was considered risky. The term “hedge witch” comes from the practice of “flying beyond the hedge” which refers to astral journeying. This can be done with or without the aid of mind altering substances. The hedge witch shares this practice with those we call shamans or shamanic practitioners. The purpose of the astral journey is to gain spiritual knowledge and answers to pressing questions. This practice is what distinguishes a hedge witch.
The hedge witch does everything with intent and they enjoy their little daily rituals. So if you see an individual having a conversation with a noisy crow, or you observe them saying “goodbye, see you later” to their house as they exit the front door, they might be a hedge witch.
That individual might also be wearing practical walking shoes (none of those black, pointy toed Halloween costume shoes!). And they might be carrying a walking stick and a backpack. They are going on a mystic hike! The hedge witch shares an interest in herbology with the green witch so they may be into foraging like their witchy green cousins.
If you happen to be lucky enough to accompany them on the hike, you may observe the hedge witch pause a moment to seemingly stare at nothing. Then they will point their finger at a space under a bush and say, “There’s a lot of fae activity in there.”
Is the hedge witch loony? Some might say so, but if you understand the path of hedge witchery you will get that this person has decided to challenge the mediocre concept of reality to explore other realms. The hedge witch dares to follow their own path and enjoys keeping their own company. Sounds pretty admirable to me! BTW, if they have invited you to come on a hike with them, you may have what it takes to be a hedge witch. They just know things! That’s why you were invited to come. 😉
The hedge witch may enjoy the scent of oak moss oil or pine oil and fir tree oils. Think “trees“. They may make their own incense and can come up with some original blends to burn while in a dream state. Their best stones will be those they found out in nature. They can be lucky this way. They may find some gorgeous agates and moon stones, and I know one hedge witchy lady who found a good sized crystal point on one of her hikes
There’s lots more to know about being a hedge witch so here are a couple of books to nudge you along past the hedge:
Let me know what you think about these two paths of the green and hedge witch. Do either of them resonate with you? Tell me in the comments!
Herbal Blessings,
SARINA
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Have you been having vivid dreams lately? Or have you been extra intuitive about things? Well, perhaps that’s the Lion’s Gate energy you are feeling from this new moon that’s approaching on August 8, 2021. Some say this will be the luckiest day of the year!
Six years ago I made a YouTube video about manifesting your wishes during the new moon.
Here is the link that explains how to write your petition:
New Moon Manifesting on YouTube
With the approaching powerful energy I decided to create a new video on how you can use the present energy and future new moon energies to manifest long term goals. If you have any questions about the process please post them in the comments below or on my YouTube channel.
Here is the link for the new video:
Using New Moon Energy for Long Term Goals
Mark your calendars for August 8th and Happy Manifesting!
Blessings,
SARINA
Posted in Magickal Living | Tagged magickal living, manifesting, moon phases, new moon magick, pagan lifestyle, witch | Leave a Comment »
Lately I have been inspired by the work of the whimsical witchy water color artist, Regan Ralston, to write a series of blog posts on the various types of modern witches. With her gracious permission I am featuring her beautiful water color drawings as part of my posts. (BTW, you will love exploring her website, so please check it out!)
Understand, please, that this is not an attempt to typecast or pigeon hole anyone, but rather a fun way to help people explore their magickal paths. You, like me, might be a blend of a few of these witchy types. So let’s explore!
First off are the witches of hearth and home. These witches love their home and garden. They are the nesters and the crafters whose homes enchant you with a sense of comfort as you step through their doorway.
https://waterofwhimsy.com/
The Hearth Witch
No florescent lighting for these magickal ones! Candles and vintage lamps decorate their homes. The hearth witch may have a favorite comfortable chair where they sip their coffee or tea. At their feet you might possibly see one or two contented furry companions. If they don’t have a fireplace to sit by, there will be some hearth-like area in their home they have created near that favorite chair. It might be a table with a grouping of candles or a glowing salt lamp, but it will be a place that gives off the warm glow of the home hearth. They may, in fact, have a spell candle glowing in the fireplace at any given time.
For me the hearth witch brings to mind the Scandinavian word, “hygge” which connotes a sense of comfort and coziness. So “witchy hygge” is what the hearth witch is all about.
The hearth witch is the journaling type who likes to write down their musings and magickal wisdom. Their bookshelves are filled with a wide variety of well used books on a variety of magickal subjects.
Whether the hearth witch decorates in hippie/boho style or “witch cabin in the woods” style, there will be an emphasis on comfort. So, pillows and soft throw blankets and comforting smells will prevail.
They may prefer grounding scents like patchouli or cedar wood or homey, coffee, spicy smells. Crystal geodes and sodalite are good for amplifying their mental acuity for reading and writing, and smoky quartz or black tourmaline will help them feel protected and grounded.
Anna Franklin has written a series of books on the hearth witch worth exploring for further hearth witch info:
The Cottage Witch
The cottage witch is happiest when they are working or sitting in the cottage garden, or planning their next witchy craft project. They will cherish grandma’s antique tea set and serve floral teas in their rose water scented parlor.
The cottage witch may amaze you by salvaging an old garden gate and recycling it into a shabby chic (enchanted) wall decoration. Their outlook is the rosey one that sees trash as possible treasures. They may make their own clothes and are always dressed in a creative way to fit the current occasion. A witches’ tea party or picnic in the garden would be their idea of the perfect get together.
They make an effort to always have a fresh bouquet of flowers placed on the home altar. And they may know the magickal properties and mysterious messages of many of the cottage garden flowers. Even if the cottage witch lives in an apartment they will likely grow flowers on their window sill or balcony. Creating scented sachets and dream pillows may be one of their favorite types of spell craft.
Their home may smell of lavender oil, rose absolute or rose water. They may wish to display and meditate with rose quartz, amethyst or selenite which possess a loving high vibration.
If you think you are a cottage witch you might want to read more on the subject. One of my all time favorite books on cottage witchcraft is Cottage Witchery by Ellen Dugan:
The Kitchen Witch
As one might assume, the kitchen witch is a good cook. More than that, though, their kitchen skills extend beyond the culinary. With the kitchen witch there is always something brewing!
When you enter their home you will always be drawn straight to the kitchen by the delicious smell of something fresh from the oven. Their hosting skills are excellent and they will ply you with home made brownies and a warm cup of tea.
You will feel immediately at home, but don’t be fooled! Kitchen witches can be mighty magickal. When they cook with intention they can influence the stubbornest of minds through their scrumptious creations. There have been some who would malign the kitchen witch with tales of enchanted gingerbread cottages and poisoned apples, but the kitchen witch typically has a heart of gold.
They, no doubt, have a kitchen altar and light a candle to their chosen deity before starting a spell …..I mean recipe! They have a wooden spoon for a wand, a certain enchanted kitchen knife and they may wear a special apron as their kitchen witch ritual garb. They use only the highest quality ingredients, and if the don’t have a kitchen garden they will frequent the local farmers market. Many kitchen witches grow and dry their own herbs to include in their food and herbal remedies.
Beyond the obvious delicious food they create, the kitchen witch may craft salves, lotions, soaps and candles. They may make their own enchanted cleaning supplies and floor washes. You name it. If they can brew it, they will!
Lemon and lavender essential oils may be their favorites because of their cleansing properties, but cinnamon oil may liven up the atmosphere while rosemary oil is the all purpose enchanter. A quartz crystal cluster may be on their kitchen altar radiating its helpful energy.
In addition to their kitchen cookbooks, they will own books that name the magickal properties of foods and magickal cooking methods.
Here are a couple of the many good books to explore:
If you are discovering that you are a witch of hearth and home, I hope this post has been useful in helping you along your path.
If you feel this witchy aesthetic doesn’t resonate with you, stay tuned. We will explore more witchy types in future posts!
Magickal Blessings,
Sarina
Posted in Magickal Living | 2 Comments »
I finally finished up decorating my triple moon wreath I started back when I wrote my original post about creating a magickal moon wreath…..two years ago….time flies! To see the basic instructions for making these lunar wreaths click on this link: https://themagickalcottage.com/2019/07/18/witchy-craft-diy-moon-wreath/
To make the triple moon shape, I simply added two crescent shapes of the dried grapevine to the sides of a circular wreath. (I bought a pre-made circular wreath because of its added strength). I wove the star with the cotton cord by poking the cord through the spaces in the dried grapevine on the circular wreath. Joining the crescent shapes to the sides of the circular wreath took some patience …and strength. I used the cord for that but you might try using some wire (next time! 😉).
So this is what I ended up with before my project got put on the back burner:
Today I got out my trusty bottle of Tacky Glue and started tacking down any loose bits of moss.
I gathered some dried garden herbs and a few feathers and started planning how to arrange things.
The herbs were easy enough to just poke through the grapevine wreath, and if it makes you feel better you can add a drop of glue to the ends of the herbs before inserting them for added strength.
I had some yarrow I wanted to add but it was rather fragile, so I tied two bundles together, ends together, with some strong upholstery thread. Then I tied the bundles to the bottom center of the wreath.
To cover the thread on the front of the wreath I glued on some short stemmed flower clusters.
The rest of the decorating was just trial and error until I got a pleasing look. Knowing me I will probably add and subtract flowers or feathers to the wreath over time. But for now I’ll call it good and say it’s finished.
As I always say, make this wreath your own! I like a woodsy natural look, but make yours as glitzy as you like. There are no rules when it’s your personal creation. Please do let me know how your wreath turned out in the comments below! And don’t forget to to subscribe to The Magickal Cottage for more witchy craft ideas!
Bright Blessings,
Sarina
Posted in Magickal Living | 4 Comments »
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