A-sprig-of-thyme - Bella

reblog/like if you’re witchy ✨🌙

I’m new to pagan practices and am looking for more blogs to follow and learn from, about:

☕️ tea recipes

🌿 herbalism

⚗️ alchemy

💎 crystals

💗 healing rituals

🕯 candles (especially DIYs!)

🔮 tarot

🛁 self-care

♈️ sigils

💭 meditation/mindfulness

✨ spells/curses (of any kind)

How To Stop Using Your Own Energy To Fuel Your Witchcraft

Do you ever feel like you have to wait to be in just the right state to do magic?

Maybe you’ve been told you shouldn’t do magic when you’re sick.

Or maybe you’ve just found that spells tend to flop when you’re tired or sad.

THE PROBLEM IS, FOR MANY OF US THIS CAN MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR LIVES!

From illnesses to working multiple jobs, raising kids or mental health struggles, life is messy and you just can’t maintain that optimal magic working state all the time.

This can be SO FRUSTRATING but today I’ve got a solution for you!

Now, sadly I can’t fix the parts of your life that drain you or wear you down. As much as I would love to have the ultimate answer to how to have that pinterest perfect life I am in the same boat as everyone else.

What I can do is show you how to work magic anyway.

You have to stop relying on your own energy. I know it sounds a little nuts, energy is literally what magic runs on and now I want you to just remove it from the equation?! What?

I promise I haven’t lost it and YES, that’s exactly what I want! Or at least I want you to make energy way less of a key player in your magic.

I want you to never have to worry about whether or not you have enough energy to work magic ever again.

This is all explained in detail, including energy work and getting past all of the things that are stopping your from practicing your craft, in my new program Old World Witchcraft.

You achieve this by using other sources of energy to fuel your work.

Pulling energy from other sources is a way to fuel spells when you’re low on energy yourself or you’re working on something very big that needs more than you can safely offer.

Basically what you’re doing is finding an alternative source of energy and channeling the energy you take from it into your work in much the same way you would channel your own energy into it. Instead of being the source of energy in this case you’re simply a conduit, connecting power source to magic and allowing the entire framework to run without needing your input, only your direction.

The first step in this process is finding a good source.

This source can be anything;

Plants

Animals

Crystals

People

The earth

The moon

etc.

It’s important to take into consideration that if you’re pulling from a living source you must ask permission first. It’s usually easiest to choose a source that you’re comfortable with, if you don’t work with plants much using plant energy in your magic is going to feel clunky and unwieldy, stick to what’s familiar.

Once you’ve found a source it’s time to connect your energy to it. If you’ve ever grounded and connected your energy to the earth it’s much the same. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and feel for the energy of your source. Visualize your energy and the sources energy connecting and mingling together.

Begin gently pulling the energy from your source into yourself, it might feel a little odd to do this so be careful during this process. Often pulling too much energy into yourself can cause some unpleasant symptoms such as lightheadedness, nausea, and giddiness. For this reason I suggest you have whatever you’re channeling the energy into at the ready so you can immediately pass the energy from the source, through yourself and into your spell.

You do NOT want to use yourself as a holding bay for that energy any more than you absolutely must.

It can take a bit of practice to get this technique down well enough to be used in spell work. I would suggest starting with training exercises to get comfortable before trying to use it for any big spell work.

As an example, you could try pulling energy from a plant or the earth and passing it into a stone or crystal and then back again. As you get more comfortable you can work up to transferring different energies and in greater quantities.

This technique can be used in a variety of ways, obviously, as I suggested, it’s good for adding a little extra power to your spells but it could also be used to store energy for later spells in crystals or tools. You could use it to heal yourself by channeling the energy into your own body where there are deficiencies causing pain or illness. You could even do this in reverse to deactivate a spell (it’s suggested that you not deactivate a spell by channeling into a living being, the earth is best in this case).

It’s always a good idea to thank whatever has leant its energy to you, fertilizing or watering a plant, cleansing a crystal, picking up litter for the earth, whatever you can manage to show your thanks and be respectful.

After using this technique it is always advised to finish by grounding yourself. Moving large amounts of energy can pull your own energy out of balance leaving you with too much or too little or even leaving residue of whatever you were moving stuck to your own energy. Plugging into the earth and allowing your energy to equalize and come back to a balanced state will prevent any negative side effects.

Do you have a better grasp on how to outsource your energy needs? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

And if you want to know more about how to become a witch and work magic the smart way, go check out my program Old World Witchcraft!

Offering stones

When taking something from nature, such as herbs, it is nice to give something back. You can leave these lovely air-dry stones in places such as the forest as a way to say thank you. Leaving these in nature is also totally safe for the environment. You can also offer these to a god/goddess.

Recipe:

2 cups of baking soda

1 cup of corn starch

1 ½ cups cold water

Mix until smooth, then put it in a pan and stir until it boils. Keep stirring until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Let it cool and take the clay out of the pan. It should feel really smooth and you will probably play with it alot before you are even going to make the stones :)

I added some herbs and flowers, such as rosemary, lavender, roses, carnations, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, some blue flowers of which I don’t know the name and some orange berries that I found near the park.

I just made a little ball, then made a hole in it and added some herbs.

Now you can decorate it! You can add anything and shape them in any way you want. As you can see I made some squares, hearts, blobs and even an easter egg :) I’ve seen some people use glitter and I recommend you don’t add any glitter since that is actually bad for the environment. I tried using normal white sugar as an alternative, but i noticed that the stones got kind of wet, which I should’ve seen coming. Not sure what’s going to happen when it dries so I’ll keep you guys updated.

I’m so happy with these and I am definitely going to use these for Ostara ^^ Of course you can use this recipe to make anything you want, not just offering stones. 

I hope this was helpful for you guys ^-^

Always allow your life to be a beautiful mess full of treasure🌿✨🙏🌼

COLOUR MAGIC (PART 001)

*Please read the introduction post and important notes HERE  <—-

BLACK is good for getting out that dark negativity that sits inside of you. That depression, burning hatred and chaos. Black isn’t a bad colour, in fact it’s a very protective and powerful colour for the witch who uses it! Stones that pair well with this colour I’ve found are black agate, onyx, black tourmaline, obsidian and hematite.

CHARCOAL is similar to black in the sense that it is used as a form of protection, I use it to help battle any sad emotions or mundane negativity. This colour is best used if you wake up just in one of those moods that you can’t quite put your finger on, you know? It’s just a little boost of energy protection. Stones that pair well with this are cat’s eye opal and grey quartz.

SILVER is used when I need to receive guidance or insight from a spirit guide, communication and when I need help finding something I’ve lost or misplaced! Stones best paired with this colour are hematite, grey moonstone and grey quartz.

LIGHT GREY: Personally, I use light grey when working with water or storm magick but, I’ve read others use it for glamour type spells and even fear, so this colour goes all over the place. Whatever magickal energy you feel drawn to use it with/on, go for it. Stones that pair best with this colour are moonstone, russian agate and grey quartz.

OFF-WHITE is used to help clear a clouded mind/ judgment; when things feel fuzzy and off and like you’re suffering from a hangover. It’s that solid and opaque grounding colour. Stones that work best with this colour are calcite, howlite, citrine and white jasper.

WHITE represents purity, perfection, universal energy and the source/creator/gods/goddesses to me. Stones that pair best with this colour energy are diamonds, opal and clear quartz.

The Full Moon Partial Lunar Eclipse 🌙 Such a time for culminated energies bridging us to the big solar eclipse on the 21st. The shifts taking us to further our journey through willed expression that ring true. We echo these waves, so allow for both a forgiving love upon yourself & where you are - while also recognizing where it is time to release & welcome the new you wish to experience into BEing. We’re graced with challenges sometimes, but they are their so we can step into and grow towards what we are called in our hearts to be. Take heed to the winds, and listen within - for there is where you will find the keys to unlock your future. 🌟

( via EricTecce.com | TheDeepForest.org )

Just kinda wanna be that spooky misunderstood witch who lives in a small cottage in the woods that smells like sandal wood and cinnamon as well as walk around talking to a crow that chills on my shoulder

Autumn is almost here…

If you’re an ACTIVE blog that posts:

🎃 Autumn & Fall Photos 🎃 Fall & Cozy Aesthetics 🎃 Halloween & October Photos

Please REBLOG or LIKE this so I can follow you! 👻

CIRCLE CASTING 101

A magickal circle is an energetic construct that you build or envision around yourself before working magick, doing a ritual, some like to cast a circle before meditating or reading tarots. For a solitary practitioner the circle is typically 5-6 ft in diameter, but the size expands based on the size of the group. It can be defined physically, energetically, or both.

Circles provide protection and serves as a container for your personal energy as well as the energy you conjure.

Please remember that this is just what i personally like to do when casting a circle, but that there are many methods.

Preparation for circle casting

1. Determine how much space you will need.

2. Cleanse your area. Vacuum, sweep, throw away any trash in the area.

3.Make sure you have everything you need for your ritual! Theres nothing more frustrating than having your circle casted and realizing you’ve forgotten an herb or any supplies you need for the work you’re about to do.

4. Purify your area. Light purifying incense, sage, sprinkle salt and holy 💧. Most importantly, Visualize the negative energy dispersing. If you don’t focus & visualize, your physical actions will have little effect. Visualization is hands down one of the most important things in any and all magickal workings!

5. Now its time to cast your circle!

Visualize protective energy coming from within you and direct it towards your casting arm. Focus it through a casting tool (Athame, wand, or ✋)  and visualize a beam of energy coming from it and settling on the ground. Trace your circle with this energy, 3 times in a clockwise direction. Once for protection, once for focus, and once for power.

Call the 4 quarters

Face North and say “I call to the North, to the element of Earth. Grant me (us if not practicing alone) your endurance, your strength.”                                  Sprinkle salt onto your altar or crumble soil into a bowl on your altar.

Face East and say “I call to the East, to the element of Air. Grant me your creativity and your intuition.”                                                                             Light incense, wave a fan,or drop feathers onto your altar.

Face south and say “I call to the South, to the element of Fire. Grant me your passion and your energy.”                                                                                 Light candles.

Face west and say “I call to the West, to the element of Water. Grant me your empathy and your emotion.”                                                                              Pour blessed/storm/moon/natural water into a bowl or into your chalice.

Now would be the time to call on any deities you’d wish to work with. You can call any Goddess or Angel by personalizing this to them. I typically do not personally work with deities, but if you were to want to, Call to them similar to how the Elements are called. Ex. “I call to Gaia, Mother Goddess, Spirit of Earth.” and then place an offering symbolizing them, so for Gaia you might place  grain on your altar as an offering.

If not solitary, now would be the time to invite others to the circle. The group leader typically invites others in by a series of phrases, although i know every coven has their own method fine tuned for themselves, This is just the method i’ve seen used and am familiar with.                                                                    Group leader:”Children of the Goddess, I now invite you to enter our circle.” Each member will be asked “How do you enter this circle?” The response should be “In perfect love and perfect trust.”

Now its time to raise energy. This is the most important part of this process. It is so important because when you open your circle at the end of spellwork, You release all of your energy you have filled with intent out into the universe to go manifest whatever it may be you have called to. You want as much energy as possible to be released carrying your intent!

Here are a few ways! There is no wrong way to do this part, and there are SO MANY ways. You can fine tune this all to you. Remember that this is your ritual, and you want your energy fully behind everything you are doing. This is all customizable, most of all the energy raising.

-Witches Rune Chant

“Darksome night and shining Moon,

East, then South, then West, then North,

Hearken to the witches’ rune;

Here i come to call thee forth.

Earth and Water, Air and Fire.

Wand and pentacle and sword,

Work ye unto my desire,

Hearken ye into my word.

Cords and censer, scourge and knife,

Power of the witches blade waken all ye unto life,

Come ye as the charm is made.

Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Lend your power unto my spell,

and work my will by magic rite.

By all the power of Land and Sea, By all the might of Moon and Sun,

As I do will, So mote it be;

Chant the spell, and be it done.

Eko, Eko Azarak

Eko, Eko Zamilak

Eko, Eko Karnayna

Eko, Eko Aradia”

-Meditating to raise energy. Visualize energy building and building by visualizing warm, yellow light fill your body until its expanding out of your body and filling the dome above your circle. visualize it filling with energy until you are content.

-Music or Drumming, Dancing and Chanting.

Once you reach your desired energy level, it is time to get into whatever spellwork or ritual you desire to preform!

After your spellwork, its time for Cakes and Ale. I like to make little spirit cakes and have some red wine after a ritual. Expelling all of that energy from your body is draining, and you should take your time to enjoy this part of the ritual. Set a cake and some wine aside for the entities who have lent you their energy as thanks. Cakes can be anything, from saltine crackers to cupcakes. Ale can be water. Anything that works for you is ok. For my cakes, i bake a shortbread and mix whatever ingredients i want into the dough. This way, I can craft them with the intent for whatever ritual i may be doing.

ONCE YOU FINISH YOUR WORK SAY GOODBYE TO THE ELEMENTS AND THANK THEM FOR THE POWER THEY BROUGHT. ALWAYS SAY GOODBYE AND THANK ANY DEITIES CALLED ON. 

HERE IS HOW I DO IT:

-Farewell to Goddess. ex. “I thank you, Gaia, for gracing me with your glory. Farewell and Merry met.”

-Farewell to Quarters (Counterclockwise). 

“My thanks to the element of Water, Your compassion was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Now cover your dish of water or pour it out, Physically say goodbye as well.

“My thanks to the element of Fire, Your fierceness was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse your candle. 

“My thanks to the element of Air, Your wisdom was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse incense/flip fan/turn over feather.

“My thanks to the element of Earth, Your protection was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Cover earth with a cloth, or return it to ground.

I like to walk the circle the opposite way of its casting three times, and voila!

Keep in mind that this is just my method! There are many methods and this is just one of them.

I hope this is helpful to you! 

-Love and light, @lapiscat

Not All Witches.....

Not all witches wear black Not all witches are hippie Not all witches are Wiccan Not all witches are evil Not all witches believe in the same thing Not all witches worship Satan Not all witches grow plants or herbs Not all witches do spells Not all witches do rituals Not all witches read tarot Not all witches believe in the God and the Goddess Not all witches are Pagans Not all witches practice alone Not all witches are apart of a coven Not all witches curse Not all witches heal Not all witches are women

We are witches but we are all not the same