How To Dry Herbs
Air drying works best for low-moisture like marjoram, oregano, rosemary and dill.
Trim fresh herbs at an angle to protect the rest of the plant. Put the bundle of herbs, stem-side up.
Hang or over a week, ideally in a cool, dark place.
Herbs are best stored in airtight glass containers. They're uses range from cooking, tea, tincture, even decoration.
Gather 5-10 branches together and tie with string or a rubber band. The smaller the bundle, the easier and faster they will dry.
I’ll have to try this!
Have you tried reading tea leaves? Give it a try ! You may get surprised ;)
Enchant your morning cup of tea/coffee
Match the colours of your makeup to your intentions for the day
Visualise the water washing away all the negativity when you shower
Enchant your nail polish (bonus: match the colour to the intention, black for protection, red for love, green for prosperity, etc)
Say your affirmations (for clear skin, fading scars, reducing dullness, etc) when doing your skincare
Charge your perfume with the energy you wish to attract
When tying your shoes, visualise them symbolically protecting you from tripping and “falling” into places and situations that disturb your peace
Use music to your advantage, listen to songs that match your intentions, or alternatively, use music as a tool for divination
Some witches veil to keep their energy from draining and to protect them from others’ emotions, but a beanie works too
If you wear glasses, use them as a tool so that they help you “see clearly”
Put your moisturiser on in the shape of a sigil before massaging it in
Child’s pose is always there for you, use it when you need it (alleviates stress and anxiety, helps clear the mind, releases tension in the back, helps to steady breathing, is overall great for grounding, etc)
Visualise the A+ (on your report card/on the paper after it’s been graded/etc) right before beginning to solve your test/exam, it also helps if you can draw a sigil somewhere on the paper, or trace it on the paper with your finger
When shaving, visualise any energy buildup being shaved off as well
If you play the guitar, draw a sigil on your plectrum/pick for an added boost (this works with other instruments too)
Do not litter out of respect for nature and its spirits
Feel free to add more things onto the list
When you’re just starting out, or even when you’re just too drained to practice your craft like you used to, it can feel like there isn’t enough magic in your life. This is your daily reminder that a lot of the time, the only difference between routine and magick is intent.
virtual altar to aphrodite
ALLSPICE: increase energy, love, healing, luck
ANGELICA: protection, purification
Benefits for health: improve digestion
ARTEMISA: dream divination, clairvoyance
AZUCENA: sentimental improvement, progress, peace
BASIL: economic success, money, prosperity, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquillity, love
BAY: fosters loving vibrations, protection, wards off negativities in a home, success, wisdom, divination
BAY LEAF: protection, purification, healing, strength, good fortune, money and success
BIRCH: protection, purification
BLACK PEPPER: protection, courage
CALENDULA: happiness, prosperity, love, psychic power, harmony
Benefits for health: treat skin irritation (like eczema, bruises, scars, scrapes)
CARAWAY: protection against negativity, health, mental abilities, fidelity
Benefits for health: antitheft
CARDAMOM: passion, sex, intimacy
CARNATION: cosmic energy, magic, disease, protection, strength energy, luck, healing
White: peace, healing
Red: sex, love, passion
Yellow intellectual movement
Rose: disappearance of disagreements
CHAMOMILE: brings love, healing, relieves stressful situations, prosperity, peace, healing, harmony, happiness
Benefits for health: sooth stomach problems, calm headache, calm nerves
CHICHWEED:
Benefits for health: astringent, cooling (topically), demulcent, relieves itchiness
CINNAMON: aphrodisiac, passion, love, luck, prosperity, success, raises spiritual vibrations, purification, energy, healing, protection
Benefits for health: antimicrobial, aromatic, astringent, mild stimulant, relieves wind
CLOVE: protection, purification, mental ability, healing
COFFEE: intellect awakening
COMFREY: health, healing, protection during travel, prosperity
CUMIN: protection spell
DAFFOIL: luck, fertility, love
DAISY: love, flirtation, hope, innocence
DANDELION: divination, interaction with the spirit world, wishes
Benefits for health: bitter tonic, diuretic, liver cleanser, mild laxative
DILL: good fortune, tranquillity, prosperity, lust, protection
ELACAMPANE: protection, luck, dispels negative vibration, plant spirit communication
EUCALYPTUS: health, healing
FENNEL: longevity, protection, healing, purification
GARDENIA: harmony, healing, love, peace
GARLIC: protection against evil eye
GERANIUM: protection, happiness, mental clean up, fertility, love, healing, courage
GINGER:
Benefits for health: fight cold, calm stomach, suppress nausea
HAWTHORN:
Benefits for health: antioxidant, heart tonic, lowers blood pressure, relaxes blood vessel
HIBISCUS: divination, dreams, love and lust
HERBABUENA: money, prosperity
HYACINTH: love, happiness, protection
INCENSE: Spirituality
IRIS: wisdom, valour, peace, harmony, love
IVY: protection, healing
JACINTO: overcoming old pains of love
JASMINE: divinatory dreams, sexuality, moon, feminine energy, seduction, sensuality, love, meditation, spirituality, harmony, prosperity
LAUREL: success, glory
LAVENDER: love, peace, restful sleep, clairvoyance, happiness, healing, money, passion, protection, relief from grief, longevity, meditation, harmony, tranquillity, purification
LEMON: happiness, love
LEMON BALM: love, success, healing
Benefits for health: antidepressant, antispasmodic, insect repellent, relaxant, relieves wind, topical anti-viral
LEMON VERBENA: love, purification
LILAC: protection, banishing negative energy
LILAS: purification, love
LILY: helps memory, love, protection, elimination of hexes, rebirth
LILLY OF THE VALLEY: enhances concentration, mental ability, encourage happiness
MADRESELVA: helps remove the vices and addictions
MAGNOLIA: love
MANZANO: love, happiness
MARJORAM: happiness, protection, love, joy, courage, health, money
MIMOSA: divinatory dreams, love
MINT: avoid jealousy, dreams, protection, prosperity, joy, fertility, purification, love, success, lust, travel
Benefits for health: calm headache, stimulate appetite, aid digestion, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, mild analgesic, mild bitter, mild sedative, relives wind
MEADOWSWEET:
Benefits for health: antacid, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, astringent
MUGWORT: psychic powers, protection, increases lust and fertility, prophetic dreams, divination, relaxation, tranquillity, banishing, consecration (*Do not ingest, and do not even handle if pregnant*)
NAIL: Protection spells
NARCISO: Love
NARDO: Love
NETTLE: protection, healing, lust
NUTMEG: Money, prosperity, good luck, protection, psychic abilities, happiness, love, health
PANSY: divination, communication, happiness, love
PARSLEY: Protection in general, power, strength, lust, purification, prosperity
PATCHOULI: Money, sex
PEPPERMINT: Purification
PINE: Health, Healing
POPPY: tranquillity, fertility, prosperity love, sleep, invisibility, money, luck
ROMERO: Longevity, purification, prosperity
ROSE: Love, encourages closeness with nature, healing, divination, tranquillity, harmony, psychic ability, spirituality, protection, luck
Red: passion, peace, welfare
Yellow: commitments
White: spiritual love
ROSEMARY: love, lust, promote healthy rest, protection, improving memory, wisdom, health, healing, mental power, purification
Benefits for health: calm headache, stimulate circulatory, nerve and digestive tonic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic
SAFFRON: money, physical movement
SAGE: longevity, wisdom, protection, dispels negative energy, purification, health, immortality, wishes
Benefits for health: calm anxiety, antimicrobial, antioxidant, astringent, digestive tonic, oestrogenic, general tonic,reduces sweating
SALVIA: money
SANDALWOOD: spirituality, healing, tranquillity, sexuality, desire.
SNAPDRAGON: protection from illusion or deception, reflect negative energy
STAR ANISE: peace, tranquillity, awakening of psychic awareness , Luck, spiritual connection, psychic and magical power
SUNFLOWER: sun, sun energy, happiness, success, health, associated with welcome and family, fertility
THYME : health courage. Eliminates nightmares, Attracts loyalty, affection, psychic abilities
TULIP: prosperity, abundance, protections, love, happiness
VANILLA: sex
VALERIAN: protection, drives away negativity, purifies sacred space
VERBENA: calm headaches, eases stress, divination, prosperity, reversal of negative activity
VIOLET: peace, hope, harmony, protection, luck, love, sleep, tranquillity, encourage peace among people, calm nightmares, fertility, abundance
WATER LILY: happiness
YARROW: healing, divination, love, promotes courage and confidence
Resources:
Wicca Herbal Magic by Lisa Chamberlain
Charms, Spells and Herbs by Esteban Portela
The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch by Rachel Patterson
Look up the big stuff first. "Desert witchcraft" "mississippi river lore" etc. Rivers, mountain ranges, and biomes are your friends, and you'll get more results from "prairie witchcraft" than "Iowa witchcraft"
If you live near a natural park, see if it has lore or spirits associated with it. I guarantee you'll get some results about the lore behind Yellowstone or the grand canyon
Bookstores and libraries are your friends! There's no better places to find local lore, recipes, and if you're lucky, some witchy bits.
The local spirits know this land best. Where I live, the spirit of a local hero is a better guide to the land than most who live on it.
Visit the local cemetery, and research those that are buried there (there are almost always large memorials for those who did notable things, they'll be easier to research). Let those buried there call to you while you're there too.
Old. People. Ask them about the monuments, landmarks, superstitions and listen to them.
MYCELIA - CARD ZERO
as card 0 of my oracle deck, MYCELIA holds ancient knowledge, learnt from millennias of experience. Rooting around in primordial dirt, MYCELIA is the cycle connecting life to death to life again. As both the beginning and the end of the circle, the place where two meet and become one, MYCELIA holds a multiplicity within and around itself. This card urges you towards connection, spiral-ity, the cycles of life, and to tap into the ebb and flow of energy all around you. This card serves as your reminder to acknowledge all you have done to get to where you are today. MYCELIA knows the journey was and continues to be hard. Despite this, MYCELIA knows you have the power within and around you to keep growing, exploring, and connecting.
Deer in rose garden