MAGICAL PROPERTIES OF CLOTH/MATERIAL

Houseplant Correspondences & Meanings

I've developed these correspondences as part of an oracle deck that I had planned to create but I need to actually draw them.

ANYWAYS here are some houseplants and their witchy correspondences!

If you know me personally or have been following me for a while, you'll know that I'm obsessed with houseplants. So of course, being me, I've been trying to incorporate them into my practice.

Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)

-Inner Strength, Positivity

Snake Plants can live and thrive even in difficult environments. This plant reminds you of your inner strength and of the positivity around you. You are capable of adapting to your situation. Be confident in yourself and your decisions, even if those decisions are hard to make.

These plants are also believed to have the ability to absorb negativity and release positivity, as a person this is someone who always shows you the bright side.

Rubber tree (Ficus elastica)

-Flexible, Lenient, Support

Rubber trees are diligent and flexible. The aerial roots of the rubber tree are used to build bridges in some places! These plants are able to be trained as they grow so that the tree is never harmed.

Things are changing and you seem to be handling it well, allowing yourself to go with the flow is the right choice. You may be the support for someone else going through a change right now, allowing them to lean on you and reflect on your love and kindness.

Ficus Elastica reminds you of your resilience, your ability to bend without breaking. You know that as time passes and things change you will only get stronger.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

-Easy going, Care-free, Quick to recover

Perhaps it’s time that you allow yourself some freedom. This card urges you to practice some self-care–and that doesn’t just mean drinking a gallon of water and smearing on a mud mask–let yourself relax and have some fun. Hang out, like the vines of your friendly pothos.

This plant can also represent someone who is outgoing, carefree, and a true extrovert. Seek them out for support, they are a good companion to have.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum)

-Friendship, Community, Kinship

The spider plant is one of the easiest plants to propagate, making it an easy gift for those around you! This plant signifies a strong community and friendships. Take stock of the friends you have and let them know how grateful you are! 

You can look toward and lean on your friends and your community, either for guidance or for a listening ear. Let yourself be a part of this community and know that it doesn’t make you any less of an individual to be part of something bigger than yourself.

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum)

-Gentle, Careful

Maidenhair fern is soft to the touch, encouraging you to be gentle with yourself and those around you. Let yourself be taken care of and allow others to shower you in love and praise, you deserve it. You are being careful, and there is no shame in that, but without any trust in yourself or those around you, you may end up worse off. Let your hair down and have some fun.

ZZ Plant

-Resillient, Independent

The ZZ plant is known for thriving even with little outside help, it’s time to be like ZZ and be independent. You have the resilience and strength necessary to make it on your own. This doesn’t mean that you need to be alone, just that it’s time to stand with your own two feet. 

This plant also reminds you that while being independent is certainly something to be proud of, it’s okay to reach out for help when you need it. Even the ZZ plant needs to be watered and given a little sunshine!

These correspondences are based on the history, meanings, and overall vibes of the plants. It's ok if you don't agree with these, as this is just a page from my grimoire that I'd like to share with other plant lovers.

ANYWAYS here are some houseplants and their witchy correspondences!

“Choose to love yourself; choose to respect yourself; and promise with all your heart and soul that you will never leave you.”

— Kimberly Kirberger

GROUNDING ☀️

Howdy! I’m back with another installment in my protection series!! Today I’m gonna be talking about something a little bit less magickal and more mundane: Grounding!

What Is Grounding? 

A quick google search will bring you to a plethora of pages talking about the phenomenon known as…grounding. Be wary that some of these sources will talk about autoimmune diseases and other chronic illnesses as if they can be cured by grounding- that is NOT the case! 

Grounding is talked about in two capacities: as a practice that can help you pull away from flashbacks, unwanted memories, and negative or challenging emotions..or the other way grounding is mentioned in modern day witchy settings is as: a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. 

I honestly think these are one in the same, but I think of grounding as “centering” myself to protect myself from any malicious energy that may intend to harm me, and as a way to dispel any unwanted energy. 

How To Ground Yourself

Put your hands in water: focus on the temperature, the feeling of the water, etc. 

Breathing exercises: By bringing focus to your breath, you can help calm and center yourself. I personally favor an app called “Breathwrk” that has guided breathing exercises. 

Take a short walk: You may not always be able to take a break to walk, but this is an amazing way to get in touch with the earth and your surroundings while also giving yourself a little “reset” to get back to a healthy mindset. 

Hold ice: Like with the water technique, holding an ice cube and letting it melt in your hand gives you a sensory focusing tool to bring your mind back to the present 

Light a candle: Or something to that effect. If you put on your favorite diffuser scent, or light your favorite candle, you can focus on the scent and draw your attention to the scent that fills the room

Play a “challenging” game: I think this one may just be me but I love to do the daily mini cross word, or a similar game like solitare, when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It brings me back to the moment and gives me a second to reset while stimulating my brain 

Think in categories: Choose one or two broad categories, such as “musical instruments,” “ice cream flavors,” “mammals,” or “baseball teams.” Take a minute or two to mentally list as many things from each category as you can.

List your favorites: Listing is something I thoroughly enjoy, and by listing your favorite ______ (insert category) you are bringing your mind into a thankful/uplifting headspace 

Close your eyes and focus on your energy. Get it under control so that it’s manageable—and then, using your hands, push it into the ground, a bucket of water, a tree, or some other object that can absorb it.

Why Do We Ground?

Grounding is useful in multiple mundane situations, like when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, etc. But we use grounding in magickal situations…especially surrounding energy work. For example: If you fail to center yourself properly before you preform a spell, ritual, or something that is highly demanding of your energy, you can feel kind of “amped up” or jittery afterwards. When you preform any sort of magick, you can get a rush of energy afterwards if you didn’t properly center yourself. Grounding is extremely useful because it can help get rid of that extra energy you’ve stored up. 

Sources/Citations/More Resources

Remember it’s always important to cross reference your information, for this post I used multiple sources I knew have been vetted by much more experienced witches than I am- but still! You need to make sure what you’re reading is credible

Grounding Techniques: Healthline

Magickal Grounding

Grounding 101

What Is Grounding: Healthline

Getting Grounded

common outdoor items & their uses

a guide to common outdoor items and their magickal uses.

acorns- luck, protection, wisdom, power

walnuts- healing, protection, self care

pinecones- fertility, masculinity, growth, nature

pine needles- cleansing, healing, strength, banishment

pecans- employment, protection, success, abundance, prosperity

grass- growth, learning, healing, new beginning, grief, recovery

maple leaves- feminine, travel, change, decisions, healing

oak leaves- truth, justice, knowledge, steadfastness, protection, guidance

birch leaves- protection, cleansing, fertility, purification

dandelions- calling spirits, divination, healing

dandelion seeds- divination, wishes, manifestation, dreams, luck

dandelion leaves- defeating negativity, steadfastness, growth, purification

2 leaf clovers- love, luck, courage, cleansing

3 leaf clovers- protection, luck, fidelity, divination

4 leaf clovers- spirit work, luck, psychic ability, attraction

5+ leaf clovers- wealth, luck, attracting money, sanity

wild clover flowers- animal magick, blessings, breaking curses, luck, love

apple seeds- love, secrets, knowledge, gateways, divination, prosperity

tree bark- protection, binding, banishment, cleansing, purification

rocks- many rocks have crystals hidden inside, the most common is quartz types. if unsure, rockcs can represent strength, stability, protection and banishing. if you suspect its a crystal, look it up and discover the correspondences that matter to you!

will add more as i can, feel free to add your own!!

Egg shells in witchcraft

Save your eggshells and make them into a powder. You can use them for protection, peace and cleansing!

Also, can be used to make Black Salt. Just add some incense ashes!

Just rinse them, allow them to dry, crush in your mortar and pestle and store them in a labeled bottle.

Powdered Eggshells can be used in your magical workings to cast circles or for protection.

To add some extra oomph, add a pinch of salt and dragon's blood resin in your protection blend.

All About: House Spirits

Well, it's about time I brought them up once again, in their own post. This guide may be on the lengthy side, but it's here to explain what they are and how to begin working with them.

What the hell is a house spirit?

House spirits come from all different cultures and folklore. Known as, you guessed it, guardians of the home. They protect the house itself, the land around it (they get along with the land spirit(s) most of the time), and they also protect the family if treated right. A home certainly doesn't feel like one without these presiding spirits helping. In fact it gives the home a life of it's own.

What do they look like? Are there types?

Across many cultures, there are these spirits and the folklore varies for each. In my tribe, we consider them to usually be little dwarves or goblins that must be appeased, otherwise they will cause bad luck or even resort to curses. Regular offerings are required. Then there are the land spirits, which is a whole other topic. If given regular offerings and respect, we believe that they will not only generate good luck and events for us, but protect us and help with our daily lives. For the witches of the tribe, they will often assist in rituals and spells. That all being said, this has carried over into my personal beliefs. Many cultures describe house spirits assisting with the same things and if they are displeased, bad occurrences following. As far as looks go, it depends on the folklore surrounding your area and your cultural background(s). You may believe in one or two types or an entire spectrum of house spirits from the realm of the fair folk. You could have one house spirit or twelve. It's entirely up to your home. In some cultures, there are door spirits (yes, that guard the doors) and ones that work in the kitchen, among others for different functions of the home.

Okay so, I live in an apartment building. Can I still work with them?

Yes. When I used to live in apartments, I found it was an either/or situation regarding how many were there. Some buildings have only a few that roam around, sometimes only one that protects the entire building, or there may be multiple hanging out in one apartment. Most complexes have multiple however. And then for the lucky buildings that have one for each apartment...those are nice. I've included a short offering ritual at the end of this post, which you can use to ask questions about whatever you wish to know, including how many there are in the building.

What kind of offerings do they like?

Milk, honey, bread, and herbs are a safe bet. They especially like bread baked by you, as they see it as a labor of love and that your energy is in there. Taking time to tend to the garden and taking care of your property & home in general are things they like to see. Don't leave the house a huge mess, as many prefer a tidy atmosphere. Not an offering per say, but important to mention nonetheless.

What should I put on their altar?

I keep my altar for them in the kitchen, as it is in a place that is undisturbed and can't be torn up by my land shark (aka, my dog). I also feel that most of the house spirits I have worked with in my life enjoy hanging out in this area of the home. They seem to like assisting in kitchen magic and cooking in general and the warmth of the stove. You may also want to include a small area near the front door if you believe that there are separate spirits for there. I'd recommend a shelf, as it won't take up as much space in the entryway.

Okay, back on track. Plants (if the space gets enough light), a cauldron, candles, offering bowls, a chalice, glass, or mug of some sort. A special spoon to stir the drinks or potions with. Decorative pieces from nature. Things you craft by hand.

How can I begin working with them?

Anytime, in reality. However, you do have to develop an actual relationship with them. This can take time and the more you speak to them, give offerings, and invite them in as you cook or clean, the more they will be willing to help with your spellwork, wards, and healing. Try the introduction ritual I've included. See what happens. Document it. Try again another time the following week. And just...keep going. Make sure that they know you haven't forgotten about them by leaving a small nightly glass of milk out before you head to bed. It doesn't have to be filled to the rim (hey, cost of living is ridiculous right now). It can be a splash with a squirt of honey added. Or a sprinkle of herbs on their bowl. Or maybe a small helping of what you whipped up for dinner. Point is to show them that you acknowledge and respect their presence. That will be the biggest component. Do the ritual once a week until you start seeing signs of contact. Once you do, make your own ritual with them. Incorporate them into your daily life. Ask them to help with blessing your cooking. Ask them to make sure your wards are in tact. Ask the door spirit to purify the energy of anyone that walks in & make bad people resist coming by. Start seeing if they'd like to sit in on a ritual, if you feel comfortable with that idea. Ask for a blessing when you clean the house & to assist you in removing all the bad energy.

Brief introductory ritual

To introduce yourself to your house spirits, I recommend sitting in your kitchen. If you consider your hearth to be the living room, you can choose to do it there. Make sure to bring offerings with that you feel will be applicable. Freshly baked bread (from your own hands) and some milk with honey stirred in would make a wonderful first treat. I usually introduce myself in a new home by bringing these treats to the location of choice, and start by speaking my intention aloud which goes something like:

"Spirits of the home,

Guardians and Protectors of this dwelling,

Please come sit with me and enjoy these offerings.

I wish to have a working relationship where we can honor, respect, and help each other."

I usually spend about ten-twenty minutes meditating after this is spoken aloud. Sometimes you will feel a strong presence. This is the time I take to set up my kitchen altar as well. If there is a place that I am able to create a mini-altar by the front door, I do so there for the door spirits. The land spirits get their own little thing out in the backyard. I've found in the many places I've lived, they almost always work together and some house spirits spend quite some time out there too!

From here on out, you'll develop your relationship with regular offerings and take it from there!

Let’s talk about ●●●

●●● Warding II

★ As with almost everything in magic, there are countless ways to create protective barriers around objects and places.

☆ Wards need to be effective and powerful, so choose methods you can relate to, and avoid experimenting with things you don't know or have a lot of experience with.

❗ Before creating a protective barrier anywhere, physical and spiritual purification is necessary, because in the same way that wards are able to prevent certain energies from entering, they also prevent all energies that are already inside from leaving. Ideally, the physical space should be clean and purified, to prevent existing energies from influencing the expected final result.

→ Warding Methods 101

• Spray warding

   This is a simple method that doesn't require much visualization, and is recommended for beginners. The intention placed at the time of creating and applying the flavoring, and choosing the right herbs is enough.

   Wards made from air fresheners are not as durable, and need to be redone every month or so. There are ways to enhance the effect, at the time of creating the flavoring, by combining it with sigils, crystals and using a good amount of herbs with protective properties.

• Incense

   For warding, it is recommended that only natural resin incenses are used, made from herbs with protective properties. If that's not possible, make an herbal smoking stick, but don't just use incense sticks to create energy barriers. Avoid using them, but if you still want to, combine them with other methods, or your ward will have low energy and will quickly deactivate.

• Sigils

   The best thing is that you create a specific sigil for the warding of the object or place you want to protect. You can adapt bindrunes for this purpose, but beware of runes that will be formed unintentionally during the process, as they can weaken or get in the way of the desired end result.

• Energy targeting

   If you're already experienced with energy manipulation and directing, this is a great way to work on these aspects and make your ward exactly the way you want it to look. It's also a very customizable way, so it's great for creating your own personal way of making energy barriers.

• Containers

   Barriers made using containers as a base have good longevity, and need to be reinforced less frequently. Choose a variety of fresh or dried herbs with protective properties, and add other ingredients that can boost energy, such as properly purified and energized essential oils and crystals for protective purposes.

• Salt

   Works well for creating temporary barriers. The salt used can be coarse salt, sea salt or table salt as a last resort. For more intensified protection, I recommend black salt

★ Warding I | Free Witchy Newsletter  |  Tip your witch ★

I think people very often oversimplify what shadow-work is and typically don't know what it's for.

The term Shadow in Shadow-work refers to the Jungian archetype. Jung said the Shadow "represents our darkest desires, our untapped resources, or even rejected qualities. It can also symbolize our greatest fears and phobias." Exploring the Shadow is inherently uncomfortable and can bring a reaction out of us when we come close to it. For example, we feel anger or hostility to others often because they represent or demonstrate an aspect of our Shadow.

Shadow-work, however, is the practice of acknowledging, identifying, and understanding the contents of our Shadow. So not only are we not ignoring the Shadow, we're deliberately exploring it.

The purpose of Shadow-work is to facilitate personal growth, identify and heal lifelong traumas, promote personal accountability, understand the mind's conditioned responses, add context behind our personal behaviors, to know what our values are and why we hold those values, and to be consciously aware of our actions, their consequences, and why they produced the consequences they had. The Shadow is not some kind of evil programming inside us designed to ruin our lives, but rather parts of ourselves we've chosen to bury as opposed to addressing their needs.

Why is this work important? Becoming adept at Shadow-work turns someone into the orchestrator of their life as opposed to the byproduct of it. We learn act as opposed to react. We happen to life as opposed to life happening to us. This state of sovereignty is essential for magical and spiritual growth, which is why you see many practitioners undertake it.

It's uncomfortable work, but it's work worth doing.

Laws of Magick (Grimoire Excerpt)

The Laws of Magick are concepts that describe patterns in the effects of witchcraft. Here are some simple definitions.

The Law of Attraction

What you put out to the world will be returned to you. This is manifestation through intention: "I want kindness so I will give kindness"

The Law of Knowledge

Knowledge is power. The more you know about something, the more you understand it and can use it or have power over it.

The Law of Self-Knowledge

Know thyself. The more you know yourself, the more you are capable of becoming the master of your own destiny and the facilitator of change in your own life.

The Law of Cause and Effect

Consistency is key. If you do the exact same action in the exact conditions, you will get exactly the same results every time.

The Law of Synchronicity

There is no such thing as coincidence. Though possible, it's extremely rare that two things happen at the same time that are not interconnected in some way.

The Law of Association

If any two patterns have elements in common, the patterns interact through those common elements.

The Law of Similarity

Having an accurate physical or mental representation of something facilitates control over it.

The Law of Contagion

Objects or beings in physical contact with each other continue to interact after separation. More contact = more connection.

The Law of Names

Knowing the complete and TRUE name of an object, being, or process gives one complete control over it.

The Law of Words of Power

Certain words hold great power. Even if their meaning is lost, the power is still there. An example is names: though you may not know what your name means exactly, it still holds a lot of power.

The Law of Personification

Personifying (considering it alive or to have a personality) anything makes it an entity. This can be beneficial in many ways: one example is personifying an object to channel a deity through it

The Law of Invocation

It is possible to establish internal communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the communication process.

The Law of Evocation

It is possible to establish external communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be outside oneself during the communication process.

The Law of Identification

Prolonged connection or association with another (person, being, entity, etc) can result in becoming said person/thing, including holding their knowledge or power. In other words, possession is possible.

The Law of Personal Universes

Reality is only our perceived conscious understanding of the world around us (and within us). It's possible that "reality" means different things to different people.

The Law of Infinite Universes

The concepts that multiple realities can exist at once, whether that be your own (like "multiple/alternate reality theory") or yours vs another's (like your perception of reality being different than your friend's).

The Law of Pragmatism

If a belief system allows someone to cope, survive, or achieve their goals, it becomes "real," "true," and "sensible" to them.

The Law of True Falsehoods

It's possible for two belief systems to contradict but still exist at the same time. Basically, just because something doesn't make sense to you, it doesn't mean it won't make sense to someone else. This is like a TL;DR of the above 3 laws.

The Law of Synthesis

If two "opposing" patterns combine to produce a new pattern, that new pattern will be more true than the previous two alone. In other words, if two understandings of reality combine, the new understanding will be more "true" or reasonable/understandable because it applies to more realities and therefore can be believed by more people.

The Law of Polarity

Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two "opposing" characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.

The Law of Opposites

The "opposite" of something contains information about said thing, by providing information on what it is not. This creates control or power over it because you now have knowledge over it, even if through its opposite; once again showing how interconnected all existence is.

The Law of Dynamic Balance

Balance is key. To live life to its fullest, one must allow themselves to not fall into extremes so that they can experience all that life is and can offer.

The Law of Perversity

Murphy's Law. If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Emotional stability and self-awareness can help avoid things becoming utter disasters.

The Law of Unity

Every phenomena in existence is linked directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future.

Hi, I’ve been wanting to study greek religion for quite a time now. Even considering worshipping deities but I don't want to disrespect anyone. What can you suggest to where I can start? If there are reading the most accurate materials, please do tell.

Χαίρε, anon :) Thank you so much for your question!

I actually do have a RECOMMENDED READING FOLDER

If you're only just getting into the study of ancient Greek religion, I would suggest reading the following books/articles:

Jon D. Mikalson's "Ancient Greek Religion"

K.A. Rask's "Devotionalism, Material Culture, and the Personal in Greek Religion"

Mary Depew's "Reading Greek Prayers"

Jennifer Larson's "Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide"

I also suggest reading the following primary texts:

Apostolos N. Athanassakis' translations of "The Homeric Hymns," and Hesiod’s "Theogony, Works and Days, Shield"

And Richmond Lattimore's translations of the Iliad and Odyssey :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to message me!