Tag: Wicca

Posted on in Tarot

Advice for July 12th: The Fool (again!)

Advice for July 12th: The Fool (again!)

This is why I collect decks. Each one reveals different aspects of the archetypes represented by the cards. This card is about the leap of faith new beginnings require. Have faith in yourself and the universe. Don’t be afraid to take that leap.

The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.

Posted on in Tarot

Advice for July 11th: The Fool

Advice for July 11th: The Fool

It’s time to act a fool. Embrace the foot loose and fancy free energy of this card. With all these planets in retrograde it’s important to focus on the fun aspects of life. Life can really suck some times, but it’s important to maintain a positive outlook because you attract the energy you put out into the universe.

Considerate Cat Tarot by Madeline Belanger.

Posted on in Tarot

Advice for July 3rd: King of Swords

Advice for July 3rd: The King of Swords

“I believe in a fair world for all.”

The swords suit is all about logical thought and intellect and the Kings are masters of their suits. Today you’ll need to cut through the chaos and confusion and remain clear in your thinking. In difficult situations consider both sides and act fair and just. If not you might end up getting yourself in trouble. Embody the King of Swords.

The Starman Tarot by David De Angelis.

Posted on in Kitchen Witchery

Meal Prep Spells

here is always something to be thankful for.

Balancing work, school, and coven duties I’m often too busy to do kitchen magick more in-depth than enchanting a box of mac and cheese.  When cooking I prefer to gather all the ingredients and focus on the intent of each item. Sometimes I even cast a circle or meditate beforehand. But the truth of the matter is that most of my magick is done on the fly.

While this is fine some nights, it bothers me that I have to wait till the weekend to go through the whole shebang.  Recently, I’ve been interested in meal prep. It’s all over Pinterest and seems like an easy way to have full tasty meals in little time. This got me thinking about using the meals I prep as spells that would only be activated once they are cooked and consumed.

Using this method would make it easy for a witch to whip out a spell whenever the need arises. You could even pick the moon phase that corresponds with the spell and prep your meals then. This allows you to focus on your intent because you’ll have more time and won’t be rushed or drained of energy.

Ideas:

  • Pick bags that have corresponding colors to your intent
  • Draw sigils on the bags
  • Use containers with different shapes
    • ex: circle for unity, feminity, completion, etc.
  • Meal prep can be used for all three meals of the day
  • Use the same idea to make smoothie packs
Posted on in Altar, Kitchen Witchery

Altar Crafting

Altar Crafting

My altars change on a regular basis. Almost weekly my SO and I head out to our local Salvation Army and peruse the shelves for new additions to our individual practices and home. Honestly, I recommend checking out thrift stores before you buy anything full price off the internet or from other shops. However, I’m a huge supporter of local business, and if you’re lucky enough to have a witchy shop within a reasonable distance that would be preferable.

It’s common for beginner witches to start with Wicca, and this leaves them with the idea that their altar must be set up following those guidelines. Sometimes people people feel stuck or think that they just don’t connect with that aspect of witchcraft. Nobody needs one to be a witch.

I was years into my practice before I got the knack for altar creation, and it’s one of the most fulfilling aspects of my path. In the beginning, I was just going through the motions, unsure why I was doing certain things and curious as to the purpose of the trinkets arranged on the corner of my dorm room desk. Eventually, I gave up all together.

But then I came across the idea of a magickal workbench, a space to express my witchiness, where I could work on my craft and be more hands on. Soon my work bench spanned a writing desk, a long white table, an end table, and my makeup battlestation. Obviously, I needed to scale it down a bit. Now I just use a small desk in my studio as an altar, and I’ve come to find that I prefer to only use it for my witchy business.

An altar is a micro version of the universe. When you change, add, or remove things from your altar you are making changes in the universe. I view the top my altar as the conscious and under it the subconscious, but there are numerous ways to interpret your altar. It reflects the energies you want to cultivate within your life. My current altar was made with the intention of bringing wealth and prosperity to me. A day after completing the new set up my boss offered me a side job cleaning the office which added an extra $200 a month to my paycheck.

Some Ideas to Elevate Your Altar Crafting:

  • Play with height.
    • This can create interesting contrast to the layout, and will allow you to bring attention to certain objects.
    • You can also use height to denote certain ideas: heaven/ earth, conscious/unconscious, divine/mundane, etc.
  • Make your own devotional candles.
    • I made a Leslie Nope candle and always keep it near by so I can imbibe her essence. Just having her on my altar helps me manifest her energy.
  • Use tarot cards
    • I use tarot cards because they are perfect for representing archetypal energies. If I want to be more creative and connect with the divine feminine I use the Empress or when I want to gain a deep understanding of my inner self I pick the Hermit.
    • The pip cards work just as well as the major arcana. They represent the day to day aspects of our lives instead of cosmic energy, archetypes, and big picture stuff.
  • Using personal mementos
  • The written word
    • Words are powerful. My altar has sticky notes in various places with words of importance, notes, and quotes.
    • You can include poems, speeches, letters, etc.
  • Themes
    • Often, people will decorate according to sabbats, but you can also incorporate other themes like the seasons, specific colors, the duality of male and female (this is my favorite), a specific animal, etc.
  • Interesting thrift store finds
    • You can find the coolest things at a second hand shop. I’ve snagged offering dishes, a cauldron, several glass containers for various purposes, and several figurines.
  • Having a central focus item
  • Creating separate sections on your altar

Unconventional Altar Options:

  • Mini tin altars
  • Shoebox altars
  • Digital altars
    • You can also create websites dedicated to deities or ideas that others can use. A great example is this website dedicated to Frigg where visitors can “light a candle” in gratitude, praise, or for a request.
  • Make an entire room your altar space
  • Shadow boxes
  • Kitchen altars
  • Bathroom altars
  • Bedroom altars
  • Outdoor altars!
    • Not really unconventional, but still uncommon enough to warrant  a mention. While walking my cat, he found an old stump which I cleaned and now use when working outside. It’s great for working with landvaettir.
    • Special gardens can also work as altars.
  • Collage altars
    • You can create collages for your altars, and any time you want to change something make a new one. This is good for people in the broom closet or low on funds.

 

Posted on in Uncategorized

Making Your Home a Magickal Haven

inallyfoundmy newhome! (1)

The home is one of the most important aspects of a person’s life, but many forget the significant role it plays in our lives. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a pyramid used to illustrate what people need in order to be fulfilled and satisfied in their life. The first four sections of the pyramid are what Maslow referred to as “deficiency needs” because they are fundamental. Shelter resides in the largest section, Psychological needs, but can also be considered part of the second section, Safety needs.maslow

Creating a safe, warm environment where I live is essential to my mental health and spiritual practice. I focus my magickal efforts towards the betterment of my hearthcult. Protection spells, kitchen magick, and maintaining a healthy happy home is the majority of what I do (in various forms). Since becoming a witch I’ve lived in a dorm room and then several apartments which made it difficult to set up a magickal inner sanctum. But I realized after a year or two of constant moving that no matter where you live you can still make it a sanctuary. 

Some simple ideas:

  • Wards
    • Simply put a ward is a field of magick that can be used for various purposes, but most witches use them for protection. There are numerous types of wards you can use, and in a previous article I discussed warding with WiFi. The one I have around my apartment promotes positivity and blocks all negative energy.
  • Protection sachets
    • Making a simple sachet filled with protective herbs and items is simple and effective. I have a few on the tops of windows and door frames.
  • Sigils
    • I’m a die-hard fan of sigils. I use them in almost all magickal workings. They’re simple and potent.
    • Ideas or using sigils around the home:
      • Use oils to paint a protective one on your front door.
      • Make ones for positivity and hide them in place throughout the space.
      • Sigils for sleep kept on your head board or under your mattress.
      • Draw self-love sigils on mirrors.
      • Use them as a part of your wards.
  • Having an altar (or many)
    • I have my main altar in our studio, but I also have a spice cabinet in my kitchen and a simple bedroom altar.
    • You don’t have to have an altar to practice magick or be a witch, and I didn’t have one for a while because it just didn’t feel right to me. However, altars bring a sense of magick and mystery to the home.
  • PLANTS!
    • I love green things (as most pagans do), and have plants scattered throughout my home. They help elevate moods, clean the air in some instances, can be used in spell work, and look pretty.
    • I have a plant dedicated to Frigg, and taking care of it is a work of devotion to her.
    • Plants directly connect you to nature.
    • You can even create an indoor magickal garden. I have rosemary and mint near my altar for use in spells and kitchen magick.
  • Cleanliness
    • This is just general house keeping. Keeping your space at least somewhat clean and organized will improve mood and the overall energy of your space.
    • You can work magick into your cleaning routine with simple tweaks.
      • Adding a pinch of salt and a few drops of essential oils to an all natural cleaning solution helps kick it up a notch.
      • Sweeping gets rid of negative energy.
      • As a kitchen witch, the hearth (oven) is important to me and I try to keep it clean in reverence to ancestors and Frigg.
  • Incense, essential oils, and candles
    • In some apartments don’t allow incense or even candles, but you can still get a similar effect from a diffuser.
    • Candles bring the element of fire safely into your home.
    • Incense and essential oils alter your state of mind, and can affect moods, cleanse spaces, or be used in the creation of wards.