Witches ladders (also known as witch’s ladders) are a type of knot magic that can be used for a wide variety of purposes. They are commonly made by braiding or knotting cords together while incorporating other materials that represent the intention of the creator. Witches ladders can be easily customized for every practitioner and used for nearly any purpose, making them a very versatile and convenient talisman to create. Witches ladders can be used for purposes like attracting or manifesting things, creating a more positive environment, warding off negative entities or energies, protecting yourself or others, or banishing certain behaviors or individuals, just to name a few.
To make a basic witches ladder, you will need:
- Several cords of equal length in colors of your choice
- Whatever materials you choose to weave into the cords (such as feathers, bones, herbs, hair, flowers, seashells, ribbons, beads, hag stones, sticks, crystals, keys, charms, etc.)
Optional but helpful:
- Tape
- A ruler
Some other ideas: You can incorporate pieces of paper with sigils drawn on them, drawstring bags filled with herbs or crystals, or personal symbolic items that have been made from clay or another material. If you are making a witches ladder for an individual, you may wish to include a taglock (a personal item that is strongly associated with the target) to further bond the person to the talisman. Taglocks may include hair, jewelry, etc. Depending on your practice, you may wish to incorporate numerology into your witches ladder by using a specific number of knots, number of cords, or number of items used.
For my witches ladder, I used thick dark green yarn, twine, seashells, goose feathers, ribbon, a pine cone, and a sand dollar. I chose to arrange my goose feathers with the smallest ones at the top and the largest ones at the bottom. I also decided to make a double witches ladder purely for aesthetic reasons, but you can stick to one or make as many as you want.
Creating the witches ladder
1. Start by gathering your materials and getting your cords ready to knot or braid. It may help to tie the cords together on one end and tape the knotted end to a table or another surface. I found that doing so helps to prevent the cords from getting tangled in the process and it helps maintain a nice tension while braiding.
2. As you braid or knot your cords, begin adding your chosen materials. You may wish to recite something or chant as you are doing this, but it is not necessary. Depending on how many items you are using, you may wish to space them out evenly. For this, a ruler may come in handy. In my own experience, I have found that certain materials such as feathers, herbs, flowers, and certain bones can be difficult to braid around. It may be helpful to braid the cords first and then insert your objects into the braid later on.
3. Continue braiding or knotting until you have made your witches ladder as long as you would like it. To finish your witches ladder, you may choose to simply tie off the cords, or you may choose to add something extra to the end. I chose to add a pine cone and ribbon to one of my witches ladders, and a sand dollar to the other. Finish off your witches ladder however you see fit.
4. Hang your witches ladder. You may wish to hang it near a doorway in your home, near your bed, or even outside. The best location for your talisman will depend on both it’s intended purpose and your personal preference. If you have cats or other mischievous pets, it may be a good idea to hang your witches ladder up high or out of their reach.
-theowloracle
Please do not remove source
“I Am Safe In This Hospital”
Draw this sigil on paper or pull it up on your electronic device during a hospital stay and keep it on, with, or near you
Let's talk Travel Altars 🖤
My travel altar is something I use pretty often, since I do alot of my spell work outside.
Everyone's (travel) altars will look different. They should be custom to your craft specifically.
Contents
The container I use is an old make-up box with a mirror 🪞
A bag of crystals 🔮 (currently it houses: jet, tourmaline, bloodstone, moonstone, amethyst, clear quartz, and bronzite)
My pendulums, I also keep a pendulum mat folded in my box (see it located under everything)
A journal and pen. I use these to write when sitting outside, when listening to spirits, or when making sigils.
My tarot cards. Currently I use my Radiant Rider-Waite deck. I also bring its reference book 📖
Herbs and oils, as well as an empty jar and bag for collection purposes. Pictured: pink salt, ashes, lavender, rose petals, sage, cinnamon.
My cauldron
Incense, currently I keep some palo santo that was gifted to me.
My Mortar and Pestel, and a small silver plate (used to hold things or as an offering plate when needed)
A small metal tin (I have the ouija board tin from sprit halloween) filled with different colored birthday candles and a box of matches.
Packing it all up
Everything I need is able to be packed away into this little box, with room for more.
I use my altar for my craft, which is primarily focused on spirit work. Yours may not look the same, but I hope mine can bring you inspiration for your own.
Blessed be 🌒🌕🌘
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!
(esp if you're still in the broom closet) ❤️🦊
1. virtual and online altars
pinterest boards dedicated to your gods/goddesses; quotes and aesthetics.
tumblr dedication blogs.
social media page with your witchy alias.
discord server, a private place to organise channels and create categories for what you want, i.e., spellwork, candle magick, crystal associations, etc.
music playlists, for both manifesting and connecting with your deities, they love coming through music.
2. journal/book altars
similar to the idea of a book of shadows, this will be personal writings and thoughts for specific deities.
you can customise it and decorate it much like a physical altar! i.e., stickers, washi tapes, markers, sparkles.
custom spreads for whomever you work with, you can put prayers you've written for them, words you want to convey, and express.
3. the wooden box altar, also known as a travelling altar
a place to put all your trinkets and necessities.
if you're unable to have a physical space, having one that's portable will help you take your altar wherever you go.
you can carve/paint the box to be more personal for you, or to be ultra discreet about it you can just customise the inner part so it doesn't stick out to people you don't want knowing yet.
4. origami shapes
for manifesting, write out what you would like and fold it into a star to carry out the manifestation.
use the idea of symbolism to embed your intentions, for luck, a four leaf clover. for allowing new opportunities to find you and let go, a butterfly, to succeed in something you could make a bird; "soaring to new heights."
you could also use this time to connect with your deities, just being with them in the moment.
5. financial abundance
if you can't blow cinnamon on the first day of the new month, put a dash of it in your morning coffee or tea first thing.
use of coins in the soil of your plants welcomes in prosperity.
likewise with coins, frogs are symbolic of wealth.
a bay leaf where you keep your wallet/purse, the exchange of the money you give out you will receive back with a little extra.
6. kitchen magick/green witchery
add spices/herbs to help achieve something you want i.e.,
pancakes with vanilla and honey to bring in loving and warm energy.
adding pepper/salt/basil/rosemary to encourage protection.
for clarity and insight, chamomile tea.
to have peaceful and calm resolve, lemonade with fresh mint leaves.
7. clothing and jewellery
wearing items of clothing or jewellery in honour of your deities, i.e.
rings, bracelets, and necklaces that symbolise something of them for you.
shirts with quotes you feel resemble them; colour associations work plenty.
if you crochet or make your own items of clothing, knot magick or sewing in a symbol that means something for you can help you feel confident when wearing it.
8. self-care can be devotional
doing things that make you happy whilst doing it in honour of your deities allows them to be present in your simple joys.
writing, poetry, reading; feeling called to read something because it holds a message for you.
indulging a show or something you watched in your childhood years, deities take pleasure in watching something that means alot to you and will be grateful to share that moment.
treats and specific cravings, i.e., little upg, but loki loves sweet pastries.
taking a walk about in nature gives your deities more room to show you the beauty of the world. take them to your favourite bench, to your favourite coffee shop.
knot magick, if you crochet, make something in honour of your gods/goddesses. they will ensure it brings you comfort when you hold it.
painting your nails, you can charge your nail polish beneath the moon or mix in a little moon water to be energised and intuitively connected.
9. cleansing and clearing of old energy
water
will help the bad flow out and let the good flow in.
showers/baths are good for self-cleansing.
holding a glass of water before drinking it and wish your intentions.
crying, allowing yourself to feel what it is you're trying to process in order for it to be released. can't release something you haven't finished going through yet.
moon water, I recommend this during a new moon as that's more symbolic to starting anew, planting seeds and encouragement toward growth.
sun water, can help with energising you and bringing in positive energy, also a confidence boost.
earth
holding onto a crystal for a few moments, just breathing in and out.
crystals can be used for cleansing, smoky quartz, clear quartz. there is a crystal for all your needs.
plants! plants are great for protection and for taking in bad energy. they will listen to what you have to say, and will love you as much as you love them.
food, especially grown from the earth can help you feel refreshed and buzzing with energy.
fire
burning, writing out your hardships, struggles, anger and burning them (safely please).
lighting a candle while you work on something, very therapeutic, and you can visualise the bad energy being burnt out and released.
incense, the smoke is a natural cleanser and will do wonders. you aren't restricted to using sage to cleanse; others you could use are myrrh, sandalwood, lavender, or cedar. it's completely up to what your preferences are.
air
breathing in and out during meditation, as you take in some air and release it, upon release visualise what you're letting go of.
bells, the frequency of dinging bells helps to disperse bad energy.
sound cleansing through soft music, and intentional frequencies. you'll find alot of these up on youtube.
10. divination methods (aside from tarot/pendulums that i know of)
clouds, observing what you see and the shapes you recognise, what you need to know will be reflected in nature.
ceromancy, candle wax, burning a candle after asking for some clarity or an answer and having the wax form a shape for you to interpret.
numerology, angel numbers, and the significance of the numbers.
automatic writing, done in your personal journal, it's unconscious writing that can help channel messages you may need.
bibliomancy, randomly selecting a passage or words from a book.
capnomancy, the use of smoke from candles or incense, and reading the shapes and forms casted by the smoke
conchomancy, divination through seashells, shapes, and the type of shell.
casting a set of charms on a cloth and divinating the meaning of where they landed.
I recently made a creativity spell jar for Belinda and I thought I might as well post the ingredients for you guys in case anyone finds it helpful.
This spell jar is used to encourage creative ideas and to prevent any sort of creative block
Ingredients
Fern: mental clarity
Basil: prosperity, wealth, creativity
Rosemary: mental clarity, enhances memory, creativity
Clover: luck, success
Pine Needles: perseverance, prosperity, strength
Wild Sunflower Petals: optimism, creativity
Optional: I always like to write the personal/name sigil of the recipient on the spell jar as I believe that it helps to direct the energy and intent towards the specific person.
-Mod Pyre
There’s lots of Witchcraft within our modern times that can be done online. Especially mobile. Many people have a phone even if they don’t have a computer. This makes carrying a digital grimoire and/or secret craft a lot easier. Yet there are some, that still struggle with finding some good resources. So this post is made for just that.
Keep in mind that everything is meant primarily for phones, since that’s the most common thread among digital Witchcraft.
Free Apps
⚜️ TimePassages: An app for astrology lovers! It has a moon tracker as well as daily horoscope (if you’re into that) but one of the best features is its extensive and detailed birth chart information. It includes a birth chart wheel and all its aspects. It’s a great source for working with planetary energies within and without the self. It’s an all around great app.
⚜️ Rock Identifier - Stone ID: There are several apps that claim to identify stones and Crystals but this is the highest rated and the one I enjoy the most. It not only identifies the stone but can offer a bit of info on some of the beliefs around that stones energy.
⚜️ About Herbs: This is a wonderful app that doesn’t get enough love. It’s an app that discusses medicinal advantages and disadvantages of various plants. They are presented by the Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer center, and provide links to the research to back up their claims. They also make it clear that they are for informational purposes and not to self diagnose, or self medicate without proper treatments from your doctor. They are a wonderful app for those who prefer herbal medicine.
Web Sites
⚜️ Divination:
Tarot: This website sells their decks but also gives free single card draws for all of them. What’s great about it is that while tarot does have basic meanings they all share, the artwork on each deck plays a significant role in each meaning, making the reading far more unique then the average deck
Runes: A fairly simple and easy to use rune generator. They offer several spreads as well as the history behind the practice and meanings on each rune.
⚜️ Sigil Generators: Each website offers a different style to the sigils they create. Each as well has a downloadable feature for those sigils you make.
Sigil Engine
Psychic Science
Sigil Scribe
⚜️ Digital Altars: Digital altars can play an important role for the TechnoPagan. So these are some makers that you can use to make your own.
Picrew
Spells8
Text Symbols
These easily copy and pasted symbols are great for digital spell work and rituals.
⚜️ Gender:♂♀ ⚦ ⚨ ⚩ ⚤ ⚢ ⚣ ⚥ 🜢 ⚲
⚜️ Beliefs: ⛤ ⛧ 🜏 ☥ ࿊ ࿋ ࿌ ♱ ॐ ௐ † ☩ ۞
⚜️ Alchemy: 🜁 🜂 🜃 🜄 🜋 🜌 🜔 🜕 🜖 🜗 🜙 🜚 🜛 🜳 🝆 🝊 🝕 🝖 🝘 🝢 🝦 🝩 🝮 🜎 🜍 🜞 🜟 🜣 🜤 🜥 🜦 🜩 🜪 🜻 🜹 🜼 🜾 🝰 🝪 ྿ ☉ ☽
⚜️ Zodiac: ♈︎ ♉︎ ♊︎ ♋︎ ♌︎ ♍︎ ♎︎ ♏︎ ♐︎ ♑︎ ♒︎ ♓︎
⚜️ Aspects: ☊ ☋ ☌ ☍ ⚺ ∠ ⚹ □ △ ⚼ ⚻
⚜️ Planets: ☿ ♀ ♁ ♂ ♃ ♄ ♅ ♆ ♇
⚜️ Moons: ⚷ ⚸ ⚳ ⚴ ⚵ ⚶ ☾
⚜️ Stars: ☼ ✬ ✫ ★ ✯ ✧ ✪ ⚝ ✩ ✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ⁂ ⁑ ✰
⚜️ Runic: ᚠ ᚡ ᚢ ᚣ ᚤ ᚥ ᚦ ᚧ ᚨ ᚩ ᚪ ᚫ ᚬ ᚭ ᚮ ᚯ ᚰ ᚱ ᚲ ᚳ ᚴ ᚵ ᚶ ᚷ ᚸ ᚹ ᚺ ᚻ ᚼ ᚽ ᚾ ᚿ ᛀ ᛁ ᛂ ᛃ ᛄ ᛅ ᛆ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ ᛋ ᛌ ᛍ ᛎ ᛏ ᛐ ᛑ ᛒ ᛓ ᛔ ᛕ ᛖ ᛗ ᛘ ᛙ ᛚ ᛛ ᛜ ᛝ ᛞ ᛟ ᛠ ᛡ ᛢ ᛣ ᛤ ᛥ ᛦ ᛧ ᛨ ᛩ ᛪ ᛫ ᛬ ᛭ ᛮ ᛯ ᛰ
⚜️ Ogham: ᚁ ᚂ ᚃ ᚄ ᚅ ᚆ ᚇ ᚈ ᚉ ᚊ ᚋ ᚌ ᚍ ᚎ ᚏ ᚐ ᚑ ᚒ ᚓ ᚔ ᚕ ᚖ ᚗᚘ ᚙ ᚚ ᚛ ᚜
⚜️ Trigram: ☰ ☱ ☲ ☳ ☴ ☵ ☶ ☷
⚜️ Nature: ❧ ❦ ♣ ♧ ꕥ 𑁍 ❁ ✻ ✽ ❃ ❈ ❊ ✿ ❆ ❅ ✱
⚜️ Geometry: ◆ ◇ ✧ ❖ ✦ ✧ ⬪ ⬫ ░ ▒ ▓ █ ▄ ▌▐ ▀ ■ □ ▢ ▣ ▤ ▥ ▦ ▧ ▨ ▩ ▫ ▬ ▭▮▯▰ ▱ ▲ △ ▴▵▶▸▹►▻▼ ▽▾▿◀◂◃◄ ◅ ◆ ◇ ◈ ◉ ◊ ○ ◌ ◍ ◎ ● ◐ ◑ ◒ ◓ ◔ ◕ ◖◗ ◢ ◣ ◤ ◥ ◦ ◧ ◨ ◩ ◪ ◫ ◬ ◭ ◮ ◯ ◰ ◱ ◲ ◳ ◴ ◵ ◶ ◷ ❍ ❏ ❐ ❑ ❒ ❘ ❙ ❚ ⬒ ⬓ ⬔ ⬕ ⬖ ⬗ ⬘ ⬙ ⬚ ⬝ ⬞ ⬟ ⬠ ⬡ ⬢ ⬣ ⬤ ⬥⬦⬧ ⬨ ⬩ ⬬ ⬭ ⬮ ⬯ ⭓ ⭔
⚜️ Currency: £ € $ ¢ ¥ ƒ ₧ ¤
⚜️ Misc: ♡ ❥ ∞ ♤
Let someone be annoying or difficult in their own world, and stay away from you. Your supplies for this spell are:
• A photo or drawing of the person
• A pin
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Jar with lid
If you are using a drawing, write the person’s name on it as well. Fold it over once, and secure it folded with the pin. Drop it into the jar. Repeat the following:
Sealed with a pin In my jar, you stay in
Keep saying the words while you put a few drops of vinegar in the jar, and then a sprinkle of salt. Seal the lid tightly, and put the jar in a dark place.
http://www.free-witchcraft-spells.com/banishing-spells.html
Sigil Meaning: Peach with Shadow Self
Sigil Name: dɪlʌ ʃtæ
Planetary Correspondences: Neptune, Saturn
Color Correspondences: Charcoal, Maroon
Numerology: 1, 2, 9
A motivation spell jar for my university work 🧡
Basil for Luck
Cinnamon for Motivation
Rosemary for Clear thinking and Concentration
Coffee for Energy
and Lavender for Anxiety Relief
I drew my own sigil on the lid of the jar and sealed it with orange candle wax for Creativity, Inspiration, Attention, Good Luck and Positivity 🧡
Edmund | he/him | 22 | digital altar & spell gathering corner | non wiccan eclectic witch (spirit work, sigilcraft, technomancy, death craft, pop culture craft, etc.) | new to the craft & willing to learn
160 posts