Gemstone Witchcraft

GUIDE TO CHARM BAGS!

A charm bag is simply a magick spell inside a bag. They are spells in a bag and the most popular way of carrying power  items with you. To make a charm bag, simply fill with one or more magickally charged items. Magickally charged items may include herbs, stones, charms, drops of essential or magick oils, amulets, and crystals.

Charm bags may be as simple as a square of fabric tied together or they may be beautifully embroidered hand made works of art. They may be made of silk, leather, metal,or any fabric.  The choice is yours, but keep in mind that the container is part of the spell.

Bag Colours Gold: Wealth, protection, the God

Silver: Prosperity, the Moon, psychism, the Goddess

Yellow: Healing, finding employment

Orange: Communication, messages, travel

Green: Prosperity, abundance, friendship, growth, nature

Blue: Peace, calm, wisdom. benevolence,

Purple: Wisdom, mysteries, wealth, grandeur, justice

Red: Success, strength, romance, protection

Pink: Love, friendship, healing

Brown: Houses, home, justice, Earth, permanence

Black: Absorbs and dissolves baneful energy Bags with drawstring closures are useful because you can open and close them, adding materials as they are found or needed. A closed bag is called a “hand”.  

Here are a few examples of stones that you could place in your bag:

Aluminum: Travel, communication

Amethyst: Wisdom and psychic powers

Aventurine: Healing and prosperity.

Clear quartz: Good for any purpose

Copper: Love and healing

Gold: Prosperity and protection

Iron: Protection and strength

Moonstone: Emotions, peace and love

Rose quartz: Love and harmony

Silver: Protection, Lunar power, love, prosperity

Tiger’s eye : Wealth and protection

Tin: Wealth and honour

Here are a few examples of charms that you could place in your bag;

Acorn:  Luck, prosperity,protection from lightning, and sexual potency.

Broom: Brushes away negative influences, sweeps in luck, protection, wealth and good into the home.

Clover: Life, luck and abundance.

Hammer: Luck and a means of driving out evil.

Horn: Repel the"evil eye,“  a symbol of nature and fertility, sexuality.

Horseshoe: Luck.

Key: Power,  Luck, especially if it is found and the finder does not know which lock it opens. A symbol of access to hidden things

Lightning-struck wood: Protection against all harm.

Pine cone: Luck, favourable influences,protection from harm, and sexual power, repels baneful influences.

Religious symbol: Symbols of various religions are held to be protective.

Salt: Purification, repels evil, and attracts wealth.

Silver: Protection, wealth, and the blessing of all Goddesses.

Toadstone: Heal illnesses and to repel evil. Toadstone is a fossilized shark’s tooth.

( ☮ )

everything-aesthetics // new york city

Witch Tip: for artists

Things you can do with paintwater:

- use it in spells for art, creativity, or to help lift artists block

- use sun/moon/rain water with your water color paints, to rinse your paintbrushes while painting or to clean them afterwards

- make a gem elixir with crystals that have creative/inspirational properties and use that while painting, cleaning brushes or rub on your temples to stimulate the mind

- use paintwater in spells to banish feelings of dullness, dry spurts, little inspiration or frustration with your art

*from my own B.O.S*

While I took a nightly stroll I could not help but notice the air was dense of energy. Tonight is a special night I feel, and the inspiration is flowing through me. Which is always welcome. I have felt quite drained lately

How to Harvest your Magical Herbs

Most plants used for cooking can be harvested at any time of day but if a herb is being harvested for medicinal use there are certain times of the day and certain weather conditions that are best for capturing the strength of the most active ingredients.  Also if herbs are being used for magikal works there are times that the plants energy is at its optimum and therefore aids the work being undertaken. The perfect conditions for gathering leaves flowers and fruit for drying and storing is a very dry day probably around mid to late morning as any moisture on the surface from rain, mist or dew can cause the plant material to degrade quickly and can induce fungal and bacterial growth.  Harvesting should also be avoided when the sun is high and hot as the essential elements of the active ingredients can be evaporated or lose strength.

Having said all this there are times that you may stumble on a particular plant that has been eluding you and you are totally unprepared for collecting it in the perfect weather conditions, moon phases or with the correct tools and in these situations it comes down to the two choices

come back when the conditions are right which I have done and then been unable to find the plant again

pick it anyway and hope that the active ingredients are not too diminished (I have been in this situation and have had good results anyway)

It is best not to harvest any herbs that have been growing close to the road as the leaves take in the carbon monoxide and poisonous fumes given out by the traffic and take it down into the plant to the root where it becomes stored.  Do not pick wild herbs and plants from verges or throughfares as this contravenes several laws and also the fact that most areas like these are open to our friendly dog and cat population.

If harvesting wild plants leave a large amount of flowers, seed and root as the plant population of that area will very quickly die out if you go in mob-handed and wrench up the only two plants for miles around.  Make sure you know what you’re picking this is very important when harvesting in the wild there are many pocket spotter books available that are invaluable when identifying plants, I try to carry one with photographs rather than drawings as sometimes they can be a little misleading.

When to harvest

Most herbs are harvested in the summer either before or during flowering.  Seeds and most types of bark are collected in early autumn and roots in early autumn and spring.  The leaves of evergreens are collected throughout the year but don’t collect large amounts before or during a heavy front as this will leave the plant vulnerable.

Early Spring: Collect Dandelion roots

Late Spring: Arial parts during flowering; Lungwort, Sweet Violet, Flowers: coltsfoot, cowslip, elder

Early to Mid-Summer: Arial parts/leaves before flowering; Agrimony, Angellica, Catmint, Cleavers, Dandelion, Dill, Fennel, Feverfew, Garlic, Hysop, Ladys Mantle, Lemonbalm, Motherwort, Parsley, Peppermint, Plantain, Sage, Stinging Nettles, White horehound, Yellow Dock.  Bark while flowering: Rose.  Flowers; Borage, Camomile, Honeeysuckle, Linden, Pot Marigold, St Johns Wort

Mid to Late Summer: Arial parts whilst flowering; Californian Poppy, Heartsease, Marjoram, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Mugwort, Shepherds Purse, Skullcap Thyme, Vervain, Wild Lettuce, Wood Bettony, Wormwood, Yarrow.  Flowers: Hops, Lavender, Mullain.     Leaves After Flowering: Borage, Colsfoot, Cowslip, Fenugreek, Lungwort, Sweet Violet.

Autumn: Roots/ bulbs when leaves have wilted: Angellica, Black Cohosh, Burdock, Comfrey, Cowslip, Elecanpane, Garlic, Goldenseal, Lovage, marshmallow, Soapwort, Valerian.  Seeds/ fruit: Celery, Elder, Howthrorn, Dill, Fennel, Lovage

N.B. When getting plants from the wild, respect the area and plant you are harvesting, never strip a plant bare, never pull it out by the roots to get a few leaves and always check if there are other plants of the same species around. Also be very sure that the plant you are about to pick is what you think it is, Mother Nature can be very tricky sometimes, and 2 seemingly identical plants can have very different effects when ingested. 

It is best to ask permission of the plant before taking it’s bounty, and remember, respect, respect, respect !

Transporting your herbs must be done carefully to retain their valuable powers. It’s best to take an open-topped basket or cotton bag with you and some layers of tissue so that herbs can be transported dry and safe back to home, it is pointless seeking out a special plant, than sticking it into a carrier bag in your pocket so it sweats, bruises and it unidentifiable mush by the time you get home.

Disguising Magic in an Unsupportive Household

1. Crystals: wearing and keeping crystals around is a good way to express your personality and interest in nature without showing that you’re explicitly practicing the craft

2. Herbs: Whether in soaps, candles, or food and drinks, herbs are a good way to share your magical ways through gifts and spending time together without them knowing about your craft. 

3. Gardening and enjoying the outdoors: Most people don’t know that being a witch implies having a love for nature. Maybe suggest gardening as a chore you’d like to have weekly. This is very easy way to spend time with family at the beach on vacation, experiencing a National Park, or in the backyard without them knowing that this is actually a part of your craft. 

An unsupportive household can cause a lot of anger, sadness, and resentment. Don’t forget to keep a journal (Book of Shadows) about your experiences, as an escape, and a way to vent.

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What herbs would you suggest are most important when starting off with spells?

For me it would be:

mint (protection, luck,success)

basil (success, prosperity,protection against negatvie energies)

lavender (calm, peace, sleep,cleansing)

rose (love, emotions, glamour)

thyme (purification, protection)

rosemary (purification, protection, cleansing, luck)

sage (protection, purification, cleansing)

bay leaf (success, luck,prosperity, purification, protection)

(these are the main properties for me)