Fire Salt 🧂🔥

| 100+ Grimoire Prompts/Ideas |

To see any updates to this post, click [here]. I’ll likely update it. 

Disclaimer No single witch knows about all these things or has answers to all these prompts. This is just a reference list. Don’t get overwhelmed and focus on what interests you and relates to your path when making a grimoire or book of shadows. 

The Essentials:

Does your grimoire have an index for organization? Make one! 

Write about the history of witches, the occult, Paganism, ect. 

What is witchcraft?

What is intent? What is your will? How do they work? 

What types of spells are there?

What are some methods for spells? 

What types of witches are there? 

What is cleansing? Why is it important? How is it done? 

What is charging? Why is it important? How is it done? 

What is grounding? Why is it important? How is it done? 

What is shielding & warding? Why is it important? How is it done? 

What are circles? Why are they important? How is it done? 

What is visualization? Why is it important? How is it done? 

What methods are there for divination? How can it be used?

What is consecration? How do you consecrate tools? 

Write about energy, energy work basics, how is energy used? 

What methods of meditation are there? Have any favorites?  

Write about any tips for meditation you know of! 

Other Useful Stuff:

Make a list of terms commonly used in reference to witchcraft

How to write your own spells 

How to make moon water

How to make sigils 

How to dress candles

The wheel of the year. What is it? How do you celebrate it? 

Make a pendulum board

Write the entire Theban Alphabet 

Taglocks. What are they? How do you use them?

The Correspondences of:

The Elements 

The directions - North, South, East, & West 

Moon phases 

Zodiac signs 

Planets 

Days 

Times of day 

Numbers 

Colors

Tarot cards 

Runes 

Herbs & Spices 

Flowers 

Trees/Wood 

Other plants 

Essential Oils 

Incense 

Teas 

Seashells & other things from the sea 

Crystals & Metals 

Gods & goddesses 

Spirits 

Angels 

Fae

Entities:

List pantheons/deities 

Basic spirit work 

How to protect yourself from spirits

How to bind and banish spirits if something goes wrong 

Fae etiquette 

Types of Fae

List ways to communicate with deities/spirits/Fae 

Information on constructs, servitors, tulpas, ect.

Your Path:

Page of tips/reminders

List practices, topics, deities/spirits of interest

How did you discover witchcraft?

What kind of witch are you, if any labels apply besides witch? 

Why do you do witchcraft?

What inspires your practice?

Is your practice based on any certain culture, religion, ect?

Is witchcraft spiritual for you? How so? Are you Pagan, Wiccan, ect? 

What is special about your practice? Do you have any unique methods, ideas, systems? 

How do you believe magic works?

What has being a witch taught you? 

Do you have any rules for your path? What are they? Why do you have them? 

Write about your goals relating to witchcraft. 

Do you have any familiars, deities or spirits you work with? Write about them. 

Are there many witches, occultists, Pagans, ect that inspire you? Who? What about them is inspiring? 

Make a correspondence page for you. Your natal chart, birth tarot card, numerology, elements or signature ingredients you connect to, ect. 

Draw a chart of symbols you use in your practice. This could be alchemical symbols, sigils, runes, ect. 

Offering ideas for your deities/spirits

Plants you have and how to care for them 

Do you have any witchy drawings or doodles? Add them! Make some! 

Write about folklore, especially personally significant or local folklore

Write about any myths or folk tales you like 

Write about local animals, plants, in your area

Make lists of:

Witchy recipes, crafts, projects, ect that you wanna do

Tarot spreads you like

Other spreads you like, oracle, runes, ect

A section or separate book for readings/spells/rituals you do

Witchy places you like, that be it woods, cemeteries, shops, ect

A witchy wishlist, tools, ingredients, ect that you want

Witchy books you have and witchy books you want 

Random topics:

Astrology

Astral projection

Auras

Crystal grids

Dream interpretation

Familiars

Herbalism 

Lenormand 

Runes 

Sacred geometry

Scrying 

Symbols 

Tarot cards

Oracle cards 

Palmistry

Pendulums

Tarot A History and Brief Overview of Spreads

A History

The tarot, first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi or tarock is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot and Austrian Königrufen, many of which are still played today. In the late 18th century, some tarot decks began to be used for divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy leading to custom decks developed for such occult purposes. The word Tarot and German Tarock derive from the Italian Tarocchi, the origin of which is uncertain but taroch was used as a synonym for foolishness in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Playing cards first entered Europe in the late 14th century, most likely from Mamluk, Egypt, with suits of Batons or Polo sticks which are commonly known as Wands by those practicing occult or divinatory tarot, Coins which are commonly known as disks, or pentacles in occult or divinatory tarot, Swords, and Cups. These suits were very similar to modern tarot divination decks and are still used in traditional Italian, Spanish and Portuguese playing card decks. 

The first documented tarot packs were recorded between 1440 and 1450 in Milan, Ferrara, Florence and Bologna when additional trump cards with allegorical illustrations were added to the common four-suit pack. These new decks were called carte da trionfi, triumph cards, and the additional cards known simply as trionfi, which became “trumps” in English. The earliest documentation of trionfi is found in a written statement in the court records of Florence, in 1440, regarding the transfer of two decks to Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.

The original purpose of tarot cards was to play games. A very cursory explanation of rules for a tarot-like deck is given in a manuscript by Martiano da Tortona before 1425. Vague descriptions of game play or game terminology follow for the next two centuries until the earliest known complete description of rules for a French variant in 1637. The 18th century saw tarot’s greatest revival, during which it became one of the most popular card games in Europe, played everywhere except Ireland and Britain, the Iberian peninsula, and the Ottoman Balkans. French tarot experienced a revival beginning in the 1970s and France has the strongest tarot gaming community.

Italian-suited tarot decks

These were the oldest form of tarot deck to be made, being first devised in the 15th century in northern Italy. The so-called occult tarot decks are based on decks of this type. Three decks of this category are still used to play certain games:

The Tarocco Piemontese consists of the four suits of swords, batons, cups and coins, each headed by a king, queen, cavalier and jack, followed by the pip cards for a total of 78 cards. Trump 20 outranks 21 in most games and the Fool is numbered 0 despite not being a trump.

The Swiss 1JJ Tarot is similar, but replaces the Pope with Jupiter, the Popess with Juno, and the Angel with the Judgement. The trumps rank in numerical order and the Tower is known as the House of God. The cards are not reversible like the Tarocco Piemontese.

The Tarocco Bolognese omits numeral cards two to five in plain suits, leaving it with 62 cards, and has somewhat different trumps, not all of which are numbered and four of which are equal in rank. It has a different graphical design than the two above as it was not derived from the Tarot of Marseilles.

Italo-Portuguese-suited tarot deck

The Tarocco Siciliano is the only deck to use the so-called Portuguese suit system which uses Spanish pips but intersects them like Italian pips. Some of the trumps are different such as the lowest trump, Miseria (destitution). It omits the Two and Three of coins, and numerals one to four in clubs, swords and cups: it thus has 64 cards but the ace of coins is not used, being the bearer of the former stamp tax. The cards are quite small and not reversible.

French-suited tarot decks

The illustrations of French-suited tarot trumps depart considerably from the older Italian-suited design, abandoning the Renaissance allegorical motifs. With the exception of novelty decks, French-suited tarot cards are almost exclusively used for card games. The first generation of French-suited tarots depicted scenes of animals on the trumps and were thus called “Tiertarock” (‘Tier’ being German for 'animal’) appeared around 1740. Around 1800, a greater variety of decks were produced, mostly with genre art or veduta. Current French-suited tarot decks come in these patterns:

The Industrie und Glück (Industry and Luck) genre art tarock deck of Central Europe uses Roman numerals for the trumps. It is sold with 54 cards; the 5 to 10 of the red suits and the 1 to 6 of the black suits are removed.

The Adler-Cego animal tarot is used in the Upper Rhine valley and its neighbouring hills such as the Black Forest or the Vosges, and has 54 cards organized in the same fashion as the Industrie und Glück. Its trumps use Arabic numerals but within centred indices.

The Tarot Nouveau has 78 cards, and is commonly played in France and is somtimes used to play Cego. Its genre art trumps use Arabic numerals in corner indices.

German-suited tarot decks

German-suited decks for Bauerntarock, Württemberg Tarock and Bavarian Tarock are different. They are not true tarot packs, but a Bavarian or Württemberg pattern of the standard German-suited decks with only 36 cards; the pip cards ranging from 6 to 10, Under Knave (Unter), Over Knave (Ober), King, and Ace. These use Ace-Ten ranking, like Klaverjas, where Ace is the highest followed by 10, King, Ober, Unter, then 9 to 6. The heart suit is the default trump suit. The Bavarian deck is also used to play Schafkopf by excluding the Sixes.

Tarot Card Readings

The earliest evidence of a tarot deck used for cartomancy comes from an anonymous manuscript from around 1750 which documents rudimentary divinatory meanings for the cards of the Tarocco Bolognese. The popularization of esoteric tarot started with Antoine Court and Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) in Paris during the 1780s, using the Tarot of Marseilles. French tarot players abandoned the Marseilles tarot in favour of the Tarot Nouveau around 1900, with the result that the Marseilles pattern is now used mostly by cartomancers.

Etteilla was the first to issue a tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes around 1789. In keeping with the misplaced belief that such cards were derived from the Book of Thoth, Etteilla’s tarot contained themes related to ancient Egypt.

The 78-card tarot deck used by esotericists has two distinct parts:

The Major Arcana (greater secrets), or trump cards, consists of 22 cards without suits:

The Minor Arcana (lesser secrets) consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits of 14 cards each;

The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World, and The Fool. Cards from The Magician to The World are numbered in Roman numerals from I to XXI, while The Fool is the only unnumbered card, sometimes placed at the beginning of the deck as 0, or at the end as XXII.

Ten numbered cards and four court cards. The court cards are the King, Queen, Knight and Page/Jack, in each of the four tarot suits. The traditional Italian tarot suits are swords, batons, coins and cups; in modern occult tarot decks, however, the batons suit is often called wands, rods or staves, while the coins suit is often called pentacles or disks.

The terms “Major Arcana” and “Minor Arcana” were first used by Jean-Baptiste Pitois (also known as Paul Christian) and are never used in relation to tarot card games. Some decks exist primarily as artwork, and such art decks sometimes contain only the 22 major arcana.

The three most common decks used in esoteric tarot are the Tarot of Marseilles, the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, and the Thoth tarot deck. 

The six most common Tarot Spreads are the;

Love Spread

Here is a little you should know about the ‘love’ spread. This type of reading evaluates the relationships relevance, how strong and happy they are. Every relationship has its ups and downs and with this six-card spread you will be able to evaluate your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual connections with your partner. The ‘love’ spread has its own 6 cards which represent the following:

#1-The first card signifies what you currently feel about your relationship, your approach, and your outlook.

#2-The second card represents your partners current emotions towards you, his attitude, and expectations about your relationship.

#3- The third card is a connection card. For example; common characteristics of both of you

#4– The fourth card indicates the strength of your relationship.

#5– The fifth card shows the weaknesses in your relationship.

#6– This final card is your true love card. It interprets if the relationship is going to be successful or not.

Success Spread

Briefly about the ‘Success’ spread; it is a remarkably situational spread.  It’s often used when a person is facing an obstacle or hardship. It can also be helpful if you don’t know how to face or overcome a problem as it will point you in the right direction.

#1- it helps you to find out about the true colours of the challenge in front of you. It will help you to identify what sort of skill set and resources you will need in order to not just solve but also overcome the challenge.

#2- this further clarifies on your current problems and challenges.

#3- The third card reveals the hidden factors affecting your current situation. You need to have knowledge about what these factors are to really overcome the obstacle you’re facing.

#4- The fourth card represents new plans, people, or objects that can help you grow further. By adapting yourself to these new aspects, your vision of the situation will change, leaving you with better solutions to your problems.

#5- The final card shows what requirements you need to fulfill in order to be proven successful and things you should avoid as they will lead you to failure. It will point you towards success if proven to be a positive card but in other cases it could be a negative card and will warn you about an upcoming disaster in your life.

Celtic Cross Spread

Despite its complications the ‘Celtic Cross’ Spread has stood popular for many years. This is most likely due to the fact that its importance lies in its difficulty. Each result of the Celtic Cross can be illustrated in a variety of ways depending on the direction of the of the fallen cards. Though not recommended for beginners, once anyone understands it, he or she can use this spread to find out the full depth of the situation. With enough practice it can it can be taken in use to find the answer to any problem. Celtic Cross deals with intricate situations.

#1– presents the current situation the person finds themselves in the and the reading is about the question they are facing.

#2– is placed over the first card, pointing to the left and is always read in an upright position. It shows what the basic challenge is that needs to be solved or the mental or physical object holding them back.

#3– The third spread reveals the subconscious influences. These strange influences have an extremely strong and powerful effect on one’s everyday life, especially in scenes relating to the question.

#4 – The fourth card shows what resources one has and the things they can use to face and solve the problem shown by the second card and in the process reach their ultimate goal, shown by the third card.

#5 – The fifth card shows the prologue of the scene. A negatively influenced past may have an effect that prevents their success on their current situation and they will need to let the memory go in order to stop it from negatively influencing their current situation so they can face and eventually overcome the problem at hand as shown by the second card. A positive past should be can simply be called inspiration. Even though the person may be facing a challenge in their current part of life, the problem

They are up against is natural growth of the positive past they had the benefit of experiencing and after they have overcome all their challenges, things will look even brighter than they were in the past.

#6 – The sixth card is the headlight. If the card states there is some form of negative energy on the way the five previous cards should give a good reasoning of why this is taking place and what we could do to prevent it.

#7 – The seventh card represents the person’s attitude. It illustrates your physical actions, thinking and ideals regarding the current problem. This will give you more to work with into whether the person’s attitude is conducive to a likable outcome or whether it’s time to retrack the way the person perceives the information.

#8 – The eighth card is an energy card. It talks about the energy surrounding them and the energy other people and the environment is letting off and if these energies are helping in any shape or form.

#9 – The ninth card tells us about what the person’s desires and fears. This is a revelation card. It gives importance to the things a person should be aware of in their current situation and might change the way a person acts which should not be neglected by them.

#10 – This is the final outcome and emphasizes on the energies, if they are complementing or conflicting. It also tells the person about the future that will take place immediately and if it is necessary or not to face the future.

Spiritual Spread

Similar to the Success Spread, the Spiritual Guidance spread is used when faced with problems that are of a spiritual nature. These sorts of challenges are usually related to spirituality in a person.

#1 – The first card represents your main concerns. You may think you know about the problem but this spread goes more in depth with it.

#2 – The second card looks into your motivation for looking for guidance.

#3 – The third card looks into the things about your life you are insecure or worried about.

#4 – The fourth card emphasizes on the parts of your life that you are not aware of.

#5 – The fifth card is your advice card as it will guide you to the steps to face your fears. It ties in with the previous cards.

#6 –The sixth card guides us to a life with no worries so that we could move forward on our spiritual journey.

#7 – The seventh card teaches you to deal with the situation with the resources you have at hand.

#8 – Finally, the eighth card finishes the Spiritual Guidance Spread by telling us that the result of the tarot cards all depends on our reaction to it whether we focus on the positive or negative.

Career Path Spread

This spread is for times where we feel left out on our career. We work hard hoping for a promotion but to no benefit. It helps us with these kind of challenges that we face in our professional life.

#1 – The first card basically asks us if our job that we have right now is indeed our ideal job

#2 – The second card emphasizes on the actions we must take to further boost our career. A positive card means we should stay at the same position we are in right now whereas a negative one means we should make some changes.

#3 – The third card tells us about certain things about our job that we can no longer alter. The card may tell you to look for a job in the same category we are working in right now.

#4 – The fourth card refers to our skills on our job to see if they’re enough to get us a promotion or if we are behind everyone else.

#5 – The fifth card tells us about the things we can do in our career to improve and start a new one or just small things we can do in our current career to at least get noticed.

#6 – The sixth card gives us the answer to the question that if our past mistakes are influencing our career now.

#7 – The final card tells you that if the card is negative it might lead to a bad outcome as it might result in you making other bad career choices.

However, if you aren’t sure of the outcome, use the card again after a few days or weeks to see if the reading changes as your attitude changes.

Three-Card Spread

The simplest and the most useful spread, ‘The Three Card Spread’ only uses three cards. This is what makes it the most popular. This is one of the most powerful spreads and can find answers for you really quickly for almost anything, let it be overcoming a problem or an obstacle or if you are simply just feeling lost or left behind.

Linear 3 Card Tarot Spreads

As you can imagine, this layout is good at suggesting some sort of linear path, sequence of events, cause and effect, or a way of getting from point a to point b.

Past, Present, Future

You, Your Path, Your Potential

You, Relationship, Partner

Situation, Action, Outcome

Idea, Process, Aspiration

Balanced 3 Card Tarot Spreads

In this layout, each card of the spread has a common intersection. They are all equally important, like three sides of a pyramid. Without any of these, the whole structure collapses.

Mind, Body, Spirit

Physical State, Emotional State, Spiritual State

Subconscious, Conscious, Super Conscious

Option 1, Option 2, Option 3

What I think, What I feel, What I do

Foundational 3 Card Tarot Spreads

I think think one is a little harder to explain, but I like thinking of these spreads being communicators of advice in a way such that “given X and Y, the result is Z”. X and Y attempt to give you a clearer understanding of options, and Z is a summary, a crux, a way to move forward given the information that is there. In fact, even when phrasing these spreads, I like saying them in a way that follows this formula to make the point clearer. The bolded items represent the actual card positions.

Given your strengths and weaknesses, this is my advice.

Given what worked well, and what didn’t work well, this is the key lesson.

Given that this brings you together, and that this pulls you apart, you must focus on this.

Given that you want this from the relationship, and your partner wants this, your relationship is heading towards this.

Given Option 1 and Option 2, This is what you need to know to make a decision.

Crossed 3 Card Tarot Spreads

As the layout would imply, this is about understanding conflicts and obstacles. The card that crosses over is something that stands in the way and that needs to be overcome, something that blocks you from attaining your ultimate goal, while the third card acts as a sort of advice card, looking at the situation from a more distant viewpoint. These can also be used as simpler 2 card spreads if you want to use only the crossing cards.

Situation, Obstacle, Advice

Aspiration, Obstacle, How to Overcome

Opportunities, Challenges, Outcome

Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis

I will be doing card meanings on a later date :)

Samhain Spirit Offerings

With Samhain fast approaching the veil is thinning and the spirits are increasing. To honor and respect your ancestors as well as wayward spirits, here is a list of offerings appreciated by most spirits. You may find that a particular spirit asks for something specific so keep an open mind.  

Light: The plane that the spirits are on is often confusing and difficult to navigate. Lighting candles is a good way to guide lost spirits through our realm.

Incense: This has a cleansing affect and often a pleasant smell. Friendly spirits will know they are safe in your home if you burn incense.  

Milk and Honey: There are many foods you can leave out for spirits but milk and honey is always a winner in my experience. 

Fresh Baked Breads and Pastries: This is especially good if you baked it yourself. If part of your offering involves time and effort, spirits will be grateful. This is a good way to show your care and respect. 

Rosemary: This herb represents remembrance in the language of flowers. If there is a deceased relative you have on your mind, rosemary is a good offering. You can burn it, bake it into something, or just place it on your altar or outside your home. 

Apples: Another name for Samhain is the Feast of Apples. This fruit is seen as food for the dead and makes a good offering on this holiday. 

Pomegranates: This food is associated with death because of Persephone’s descent to the underworld. If you practice Hellenistic witchcraft, this is an ideal offering. 

Mulled Wine: Spiced wine is a symbol of Fall and Samhain and alcohol is often appreciated by spirits.

Fresh Food from Your Garden: This year Samhain falls on the Harvest Moon so it would be appropriate for you to offer your harvest to local spirits. 

✨Cleansing✨

Cleansing is the practice of cleaning the negative energy out of yourself, your posessions or surroundings.

✨Methods of cleansing✨

• Smoke. Pass the item you're cleansing through smoke, whether it be smoke from incense, a candle or a fire.

• Water. First make sure the item you're cleansing is water proof, or at least water resistant, there are a few crystals that are damaged by water, so beware! Sprinkle water on the object you're cleansing, especially if it's moon water or full moon water.

• Salt. Put the object your cleansing in salt, or put salt on the object. Salt will soak up all the negative energy in the item. Beware, there are some crystals damaged by salt.

• Sunlight and Moonlight. Put your item outside or near a window. Let the item bathe in the light for a few hours. Beware of bleaching! You can also sprikle salt in your doorway on the first friday of every month (or whenever) to protect and cleanse your home.

• Crystals. Use corresponding crystals to cleanse your object. Put them around/on your object. If you're cleansing your own energy, keep the crystals in your hands or carry them with you.

✨How to cleanse✨

• Pick the thing you want to cleanse (be it your home, your crystals, your witchcraft materials, your jewellery, etc)

• Pick a method of cleansing (use your intuition)

• Feel your energy and listen to your feelings when cleansing, try to stay calm. You can close your eyes and breathe deep.

• Try to transfer your positive energy into the object. Imagine your positivity flowing into it.

And you're done!

✨Cleansing crystals:✨

Crystals that have cleansing properties include:

• Selenite

• Clear Quartz

• Citrine

• Black Tourmaline

• Black Onyx

• Fluorite

• Selenite

• Apatite

✨Thanks for reading! Check out my blog for more witchy tips!✨

Interacting With the Fae!

Going along my path of working with the Fair Folk, I have tweaked some of my own guidelines when interacting with them. I had a post about Faery Etiquette that I decided to remove because looking back on it, many of the tips should’ve have been elaborated on so this is my new and improved tips for interacting with faeries.Theses guidelines have come from folklore, books and my own experiences!

Expressing Gratitude 

One of the hardest things for beginner fae workers to understand is the rule of not saying “Thank You” to the Fae. There are many theorised reasons why you shouldn’t say this particular phrase because it might be taken as you are being dismissive or you admitting debt to them. Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be grateful towards them, instead of quickly saying “thank you”, take your time to express gratitude towards them. One method is to pay back what they have blessed you with! This means setting out an offering of small trinkets, food or drink with the intention of showing gratitude. If you find yourself unable to set aside an offering or you would rather be short and sweet, try rephrasing “Thank you” in other words like “I appreciate this gesture….” or “I’m very grateful for…”

Names

It is best to not tell the Fair Folk your full name and this goes for any spirit. Names hold power and you wouldn’t go around giving just anyone the ability to hold power over you. If you go by a name different than your birth name, I still wouldn’t give them your current name. When they ask for an introduction you can give them a nickname or false name but phrase it so you aren’t technically lying about your name, for example “You may call me *insert new name*”

Honesty and Politeness

Faeries are very different beings from us humans so you should treat them with the utmost respect as to not upset and get yourself into a tricky situation. The Fair Folk are very honest beings and respect the truth so they expect us to be just as honest as they are, so do not lie! There is the belief that fairies cannot lie but it is unsure if that is myth or not. Although the Fae are very honest, they are very skilled at twisting their words and speaking in rhymes so make sure that you do not take everything they say as the straightforward truth. I would not recommend that you try at twisting your words when talking to them because that may get you into some trouble also so it is best that you either speak the truth or keep quiet. Apologies are very important but just like the rule with “Thank you” you shouldn’t say “Sorry”!!This can also be confusing but just show your apology in different way because the phrase can be seen as lazy or dismissive so try setting out an offering to appease them.

Visiting their Realm 

If you find yourself visiting the Faerie Realm, always err on the side of caution!!!! This goes for any spirit or astral work! You are stepping into a land that is unknown to you and has many of it’s own rules and customs. Take the countries of our own realm for example, North American countries are very different when it comes to countries in Europe or Asia and it is expected when you visit a different country you try to learn and follow those customs to be polite. Be polite and respectful of the beings that live there but also be cautious of their intentions. Fae workers must realize that not all fae have good intentions but then again not all fae are malicious so be wary when interacting! When visiting have your spirit guides or a trusted fairy guide you through the realm so you don’t get into trouble. 

Food & Gifts

Many old folk tales describing interactions with the fair folk often warn against the consumption of food in the spirit realm. For example in the story of Hades and Persephone the pomegranate Persephone eats ties her to the Underworld or in Japanese legend the goddess, Izanami was trapped in the Underworld because she had consumed the food there. Folk tales from the British Isles say that the food of the Faerie realm tastes heavenly but is often  enchanted so that whoever would eat it would be placed in a trance. But who knows if these tales are true so as I said before, always be cautious with faeries. Morgan Daimler states in her book Fairycraft, that “When in the Irish Otherworld it is a bad idea to eat or drink anything, and if its offered to you find a way to very politely decline; on the other hand if in one of the Norse Fairy Worlds- ljiossalfheim or svartalfheim, for example-it is acceptable to take food and drink and is worse to refuse than accept it. Should you be in a Fairy world that is not Norse or Celtic try to learn the expected customs first..” (Daimler, 2016)

Fairy Gifts are a very tricky subject I find but here is how I go about it! Trust your intuition when accepting gifts! Declining gifts from the Fae can be considered disrespectful to them so if you receiving a gift from a trusted faery then accept but if you are unsure about the side effects of accepting then either kindly decline or accept it and cleanse the gift. Just be wary that the faery may expect something in return for the gift so be prepared to give them an offering.

-Moonlight 🌙

Sources:

Daimler, Morgan. Fairycraft: Following the Path of Fairy Witchcraft. Moon Books, 2016.

WITCH TIPS: GOOD BOOKS

I linked all of these books from Amazon so you could all see the covers, authors, and prices!! As i’m looking up books i’ve bought in shops, i’m shocked at how overpriced they were :(

The Green Witch

A Witches’ Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook

A History of Witchcraft

Everyday Witchcraft

Grimoire for the Green Witch

The Witch’s Book of Shadows

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Quantum Sorcery Basics

Earth, Air, Fire & Water

Earth Power

Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise

The Crystal Bible

Crystal Grids Power

Moon Magic

Moonology

Raise Your Vibration

Astrology: A Guide to Understanding your birth chart

Woman Most Wild (submitted by anon)

Mrs. B’s guide to Household Witchery  (submitted by anon)

i’ll continue to edit this post as i come across new books!

feel free to pop in my asks with your favorite witchy books here

- @lapiscat 

🌿Fatigue Magick🌿

Fatigue is a lack of energy, a tiredness, this can be mental or physical. One who is fatigued might feel indifferent or apathic. It can occur on it’s own or as part of a disease or syndrome. Fatigue that appears in a healthy person is the easiest form to relieve. Feeling fatigued is super common. We all experience it from time to time, so here is a list of crystals, herbs and care tips to help out when you feel fatigued.

🔮Crystals for Fatigue🔮 🔮Aragonite: Raises energy levels, grounds the holder, provides muscular relief. $ 🔮Beryllonite: calming and stress relieving energy, helps with deep and peacefull sleep, harnesses and emits energy. $ 🔮Corundum: raises energy levels, lowers blood pressure. $ 🔮Milky Quartz: clears mind of worry, raises energy levels, brings positive energy, unwind from stressfull situations. $ 🔮Opalite: brings good fortune, raises energy levels, makes you more aware of self-worth. $ 🔮Ruby: lowers blood pressure, restores positivity and self confidence, raises energy levels. $$ 🔮Scheelite: calming and relaxing, transfer energy, raises energy, assist recovery of heart condition. $$ 🔮Thulite: Provides comfort, raises energy levels, promotes logical thinking, transfers energy. $ 🔮Vanadinite: brings positive energy and joy, raises energy levels, hels with breathing problems. $ 🔮Witherite: converts anger and agression into positive energy, grounds the holder, raises energy levels, provides muscular relief. $ 🌿Herbs for Fatigue🌿 🌿Ashwagandha: improves insulin sensitivity, balances hormone levels, alleviates mental and physical fatigue. 🌿Dandelion: detoxify the liver, fights tiredness and sluggish digestion. 🌿Eleuthero (Siberia ginseng): helps body handle stress, increases vitality, boosts concentration and energy. 🌿Ginseng (Asian): restore vital energy, improve physical and mental performance, helps recover from ilness and fatigue. 🌿Ginger: often combined with ginko and ginseng to combat fatigue, resistance to stress. 🌿Gota Kola: Indian folk medicine from the Himalayas used to fight off fatigue and boost stamina and energy levels. 🌿Ginko Biloba: remedies poor concentration and fatigue, improves oxygen utilization. 🌿Licorice Root: fight off fatigue, restore function of adrenal glands, enhances production of cortisol (= increased energy). 🌿Nettles: similar energy boosting effect as coffee without negative effects, fights weakness, boiled water and dried nettle brewed overnight makes for a perfect infusion. 🌿Reishi Mushroom: used in traditional Chinese medicine, boosts imune system, helps with chronic fatigue, raises energy levels, can de used as tea to replace coffee. 🌿Shilajit: Indiadn folk medicine known as “destroyer of weakness”, used by Himalayan mountain climbers and sherpas to preserve energy. 🌿Skullcap: alleviates tension aches, headaches and pains. Aids with good nights sleep. ✨ Fatigue Care Tips✨ ✨Get some excercise or go for a walk, even a little bit will help. ✨Make sure to drink enough water, stay hydrated! ✨Yoga is excellent for fighting fatigue . ✨Try eating more often, instead of having 3-2 big meals a day have smaller portions spread throughout the day. ✨Relax more! Make a bit more time to do things you enjoy. ✨Drink less coffee and alcohol. *Magick should never replace your medication and/or doctor’s instructions and advice* Taking post requests

𝕾𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖆𝖙𝖘

{Art by Julia Nikita}

The sabbats are holidays celebrated throughout the year on solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them. These sabbats form the Wheel of the year.

There is a controversy surrounding the dates of these holidays, as people celebrate them all over the earth, not only in the northen hemisphere but in the southern too. 

One viewpoint is that the Sabbats should be celebrated as they were originally created to be… in other words, Samhain is October 31st, regardless of where you live. In the Southern Hemisphere, even though you are just gearing up to summer on October 31st, this perspective says that you celebrate the cleansing and releasing, the honouring of the dead just as you would if you lived in the Northern Hemisphere. The other viewpoint (the one I personally agree with) is that you should celebrate when you feel like the season corresponds with the holiday, in other words, your craft, your rules. So if you live in the southern hemisphere, you have the choice.

I’ll be writing the dates for each holiday starting with the northen hemisphere and then the dates that many people celebrate them in the southern hemisphere

🌲𝐘𝐔𝐋𝐄

{December 21st//June 21st}

Yule focuses on rebirth and renewal as the sun makes its way back to the earth. It’s all about new beginnings, reflection and embracing warmth. Much like Christmas, many celebrate with a feast, gift giving, being cosy and appreciating the good.

↟Nature: cedar, frankincense, myrrh, mistletoe, pine, birch, ivy.

↟Foods//flavours: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, wintergreen, apple, dried fruit.

↟Stones: citrine, ruby, garnet, alexandrite, green tourmaline.

↟Activities: decorate your altar with incense associated with Yule, burn ash wood for prosperity, bake using Yule flavours like ginger or cinnamon, make wreathes to hang around the house, spend time with loved ones.

🕯️𝐈𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐂

{February 1st//August 1st}

Imbolc focuses on celebrating the nature that is preparing to grow and renewal, also known as “candlemas” and the “Feast of Pan”.

↟Nature: basil, blackberry, heather, celandine, iris, wisteria, vanilla, bay, yellow and white flowers.

↟Foods//flavours: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peppers, onions, spices, and herbal teas.

↟Stones: amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, onyx.

↟Activities: decorate with candles and sun decorations, go hiking, have a bonfire, bake foods with poppy seeds, and burn any leftover winter herbs.

🌼𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀

{March 21st//September 21st}

Ostara focuses on manifesting creativity and love. As the days become longer, energy becomes stronger.

↟Nature: ash, alder, daffodil, honeysuckle, narcissus, primrose, violet, jasmine.

↟Foods//flavours: olives, maple syrup, honey, edible flowers, chocolate, pine nuts, nettle or lavender tea, local fruits and vegetables.

↟Stones: amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.

↟Activities: gardening and planting seeds, bake breads with olives or honey for example, start new projects, talk to plants, do some painting, decorate with wildflowers.

🌰𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐄

{May 1st//November 1st}

Beltane focuses on fertility, love and abundance. Also known as “may day”, on this sabbat many celebrate with dancing, bonfires and many high energy activities, including enjoying themselves sexually with a partner or even conceiving children.

↟Nature: frankincense, lilac, ivy, marigold, woods, rose, thyme, mint, yarrow.

↟Foods//flavours: oats, leafy greens, fruits, breads, honey.

↟Stones: malachite, amber, fire opal, red jasper.

↟Activities: dance, decorate with florals and symbols of the sea, go to the beach, go hiking, have a bonfire, feast on fruits, vegetables and grains, laugh and let your hair down. And if you’re trying to conceive or simply would like to have sex, Beltane is a wonderful time to do so.

🦋𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀

{June 21st//December 21st}

Litha focuses on growth and celebrating the longest day of the year and the sun, before the shorter days begin.

↟Nature: fern, yarrow, sage, rose, oak, mugwort, lavender, chamomile, myrrh, pine.

↟Foods//flavours: herbed bread, honey, sunflower seeds, iced herbal tea, lemon, vanilla.

↟Stones: lapis lazuli, amethyst, malachite, tiger’s eye.

↟Activities: make or buy a sun catcher, surround yourself with warm tones, watch the sunrise and sunset, make sun water, spend time outdoors, make use of herbs.

🌾𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐒//𝐋𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐇

{August 2nd//February 2nd}

Lammas, or lughnasadh focuses on celebrating the first of the three harvesting sabbats and taking time to really feel the positivity in different aspects of life.

↟Nature: cornstalks, heather, acacia flowers, hollyhock, oak leaves, wheat, myrtle, spices.

↟Food//flavours: grainy bread, corn, potatoes, nuts, blackberries, wine.

↟Stones: amber, agate, citrine, clear quartz, obsidian, tiger’s eye.

↟Activities: bake bread, make corn dolls, visit a sunflower field, spend time in nature, acknowledged what you are grateful for, journal.

🍁𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐍

{September 21st//March 21st}

Mabon focuses on honouring the change of the seasons, balance and peace.

↟Nature: sage, pine, marigold, thistle, acorns, milkweed, oak leaves, myrrh.

↟Food//flavours: cinnamon, nuts, beans, dark fruits, pies, soup, butterscotch.

↟Stones: citrine, carnelian, clear quartz, sapphire, yellow agate.

↟Activities: collect pine cones, donate food and old clothes, meditate, dry herbs, spend time with loved ones, speak to the nature around you.

🎃𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍

{October 31st-November 1st//April 30th-May 1st}

Samhain focuses on celebrating life, and honouring those who are no longer with us.

↟Nature: heather, sage, pumpkins, straw, flax, patchouli, myrrh.

↟Foods//flavours: apples, cider, pumpkin, pies, soups, stews, potatoes, ginger.

↟Stones: amber, black obsidian, fossils, onyx, sandstone, bloodstones.

↟Activities: honour the deceased, spend time with family, make a hearty comforting meal, make or buy a scarecrow, spend time practicing divination.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭

↟Do a tarot reading relevant to that sabbat.

↟Spend time in the moonlight, charging your crystals and tarot cards, as well as meditating.

↟Bake something using at least one traditional food of that sabbat to share with others.

↟Cleanse your living space and any of your magickal items.

↟Write down how you’re feeling and how you’d like to feel in the weeks to come.

Components of a Spell

Intent

Intent is the most important component and is the starting point of any magical process. Part of manifesting your desires into reality is defining them clearly and empowering that thought. 

Making your intent specific is very important because it will help you avoid unwanted outcomes. Here are some examples of intents:

Weak: Protect me.

Better: Protect me from negative energy. 

Strong: Protect my mind, body, and spirit from negative energy while allowing good energy in. 

If you are less specific, you may find that you block of good energy as well as bad energy! The universe can also twist your words in ways you do not expect so be sure that your intent is clear.

General and simple intents may work for some practitioners but I recommend beginners strive to be specific. 

Everything from here on will be directly related to your intent.

Materials

Choosing materials sounds difficult but if you have a clear intent, it should not be too difficult. Having a book of shadows or notebook and taking notes on spell materials is very helpful to crafting spells. As a beginner, you may be overwhelmed by the wide variety of herbs, flowers, spices, and crystals. Try to focus on a few at a time and keep track of their associations. 

Pick materials that align with your intent. For example, if we are using the previous example you would want the following materials:

One that brings protection 

One that connects to the self or the mind/body/spirit

One that absorbs or deflects negative energy

One that welcomes positive energy

You do not necessarily need all of these materials, as when you are performing the spell you can compensate for this through your words or actions. 

Finding the correct components will involve research so be prepared! Your choices should be based on a combination of outside sources and personal experience. As you cast and create more spells you will become more advanced at using and choosing materials. 

Words

The words you choose to speak, sign, or think, when casting a spell should reflect your intent. Your spell does not have to rhyme but the rhythm of a rhyming poem can 1. make it easier to remember and 2. help you connect more deeply to your spirit. You can also use repetition to strengthen the spell and solidify your intent. 

If you are lacking in components, you should take great care in crafting your words. This is your chance to communicate to the universe what you want and need. 

I recommend researching different types of poetry and literary techniques. In a way, your poem is an offering to the universe as a thanks for empowering the spell. There is value in choosing beautiful and meaningful words to aid your spell. 

Actions

I find the actions people use when executing a spell vary depending on their religion and background. In the end, you have to go with your gut and choose actions that feel right to you. Some examples of actions you can take during a spell are as follows:

Kissing a component

Burning a material

Grinding or combining materials

Drawing shapes or sigils with your hands

Facing a specific direction 

Sitting, standing, walking

Dancing or physical exercise

As you can see, actions are much more open ended which I why they are difficult to explain. However, I can say that the actions you take can aid in adding power and energy to your spell. For example, dancing releases your physical energy which can charge your spell. 

Actions can also help you invoke specific spirits or deities. There is a reason many Christians make a cross motion when praying. The motions themselves are a symbol that invoke whatever power you are calling upon.

Conclusion

Much of spell-making is a personal process of research and discovery. But, hopefully this post gives you an idea of where to start! I invite people to add on to this post with other ideas and suggestions as well as critiques!

(image from pixabay)

Knot magic and witches ladder