Witchshkt

🖤✨

elemental witch practices

fire dominant: candle magic, burning dried herbs and incense powders, pine bundles, full moon rituals, calendula, constantly changing witch aesthetics and wanting to get rid of old practices, vengeance magic, 7-day candles, working with potent essential oils like myrrh and frankincense, eclectic witchcraft

air dominant: wands and bundles of baby’s breath, stocking up on books about the occult, enhancing the throat center, speaking spells and incantations aloud many times, incorporating singing into spellwork, journals full of correspondences and notes, divination, getting really intrigued with niche spiritual practices

water dominant: selenite towers, sound bowls, womb magic, rose petals and bath magic, floral facial steams and tea infusions, curling up and practicing dream/astral magic, leaving offerings for ancestors on altar, asking guides for love advice/working with love deities, storm witches, practicing divination and crying about it after, glitter and whimsical aesthetic

earth dominant: late night witchcraft, collecting crystals, specializing in manifestation and abundance magic, having a familiar, making jars of dried herbs, working with their hands, crystal grids and floral mandalas, is friends with their plants and local trees, dancing under the moonlight and telling butterflies their secrets

Knot Spell for Relieving Anxiety

This is a simple knot spell to help bring anxiety down to a manageable level. It combines the type of fiddly hand motion that helps calm down a lot of people (as well as myself) and a nice chant to help with focus.

What You’ll Need:

A piece of ribbon or cord with a texture you find nice to run your fingers over.

How It’s Done:

Run your fingers over the length of the cord/ribbon while taking deep breaths. Push as much calming and relaxing energy as you have to spare into the ribbon.

Say this chant and as you do so tie the corresponding knots in the ribbon/cord:“One to begin and two to breath Three to sit back and four to see Five for calm and six is for me Seven brings peace and eight reprieve Nine nears done and with ten I am serene.”

If you need to repeat the chant as much as you need to until you are calm. Simply move your hands over the knots in place of tying them.

When you are done dispose of the cord/ribbon as you see fit. My personal suggestion is to pass is over some cleansing smoke a few times and keep it in an easily accessible space for when you need it again,

That’s that folks. I know it’s pretty simple but I hope it helps when anxiety gets too much.

Feel free to tweak or modify this spell to suit your needs. I don’t even mind if you write it down in your personal book, just please note where it came from. Also please don’t upload/post this spell anywhere else and claim it as your own.

🌙 Unconventional Ideas to Include in a Book of Shadows ✒

Here are some of the more bohemian things that take up space in my Book of Shadows:

Warded Cover Page: every Book of Shadows I’ve ever owned has begun with a cover page that is warded out the ass. The style and technique of these wards has grown and evolved with my craft, but they always involved an invisibility spell tied to my name and bound with a blood taglock. The purpose is to make the book go unnoticed by everyone but me (and anyone who I allowed to read it)

The Headless Rite: a goetic invocation of your higher self/heavenly energies

Channeled Deity Artwork: Similar to spirit writing; I find that I create my best artwork when I’ve invoked a higher power, and I have currently created devotional portraits of Hekate, Lucifer, Demeter, Persephone, and several other deities by invoking the deity in question and then sketching whatever comes to me

Channeled Spirit Writing: Attuning to the energy of a spirit, ancestor, or guide and writing whatever comes to me

Magickal practices and techniques of various cultures in my heritage

Pieces of advice I’ve learned from various witches throughout the years

Manifestation Page: Similar to a mood board or an intention board; fill the page with words and pictures of your goals and desires 

Deity Sigils: I do find that some deities prefer to be evoked/invoked without the use of sigils, but for those that do have their own specific sigil, I record them here

Journals of instances where I have witnessed manifestation first-hand

Encounters I have had with spirits or other supernatural phenomena

Personal associations for herbs, crystals, colors, etc., and not just the ones you can find on Google

Spell Ideas that I find particularly intricate, beautiful, or devilishly enticing, but don’t quite have use for or the time to execute yet

Lists of names of my ancestors and of historical witches

Recurring symbols that appear repeatedly in dreams, tarot readings, or in the physical world

Omens that appear to me, such as wild animals or strange weather

Record of spells that I’ve performed: I long ago gave up on the pretty idea of recording every single act of witchcraft I performed in great length, detailing the position of the sun and moon, the exact procedure, and any and all outcomes. Instead, I just try to keep a bullet list of every spell I perform with a very brief description. It shouldn’t take me longer than 60 seconds to write max; very useful to reference, especially if a spell goes wrong and you don’t notice its negative impact until much later 

Brightest blessings, and best of luck 🕉

Witchcraft Books by Bree NicGarran

Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft

For the witch whose town is devoid of occult shops and covens, learning the craft can be a daunting task indeed. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for a budding practitioner to make a start.

Stroll down the forest path with Bree NicGarran, author of The Sisters Grimmoire, and discover the surprising ways you can practice your craft with commonplace items from the supermarket and the craft store. Build a travel kit for on-the-go magic. Create your own spells from scratch with a step-by-step guide. Learn how to make your own witch webs and magical powders. Uncover the secrets of walnut charms and witchballs and much, much more. Every page carries tricks of the trade and homegrown charms from the files of the Grovedaughter herself.

From besoms to banishings to a bit of good advice, Grovedaughter Witchery is the ideal book for any witch with an inclination toward a practical, no-frills approach to witchcraft.

The Sisters Grimmoire: Spells & Charms For Your Happily Ever After

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, Who’s the cleverest witch of them all?

With the spells in this book, it just might be you!

Inspired by the well-known works of The Brothers Grimm, this volume boasts over sixty original spells lovingly crafted from favorite fairy tales, along with helpful spellcrafting instructions and several indices to aid you in your journey. All of this is wrapped up with useful chapter forewords discussing the various themes within the tales, some insight into the creative process, and a bit of discussion on ethics and the usage of magic.

Whether you’re ready to yell “All Heads Off But Mine,” looking to turn your luck around with some Buried Coins, or just wanting to show the world What Big Teeth you have, there is sure to be a spell within these pages that is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

After all, who couldn’t use a bit of Happily Ever After?

Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils

From the author of Grovedaughter Witchery comes a volume of potions and powders for all occasions, suitable to enhance the craft of any practitioner.

Old standards like Banishing Powder and Blessing Oil meet new classics like Dream Dust and Stargazer Wishing Oil. Need to rid your house of a troublesome spirit? Try a sprinkle of Ghost-Be-Gone Powder. Looking for a way to get your zest back after spellwork? Brim With Vim Vitality Oil might be just the thing. Over 200 original formulae await you within these pages, along with helpful hints, safety tips, and detailed instructions for creating your own magical powders and oils.

Collected for the first time in a single volume, these recipes are the product of twelve years of experience and much experimentation. While magic is never a guarantor of success, the potions within these pages just might give your spells the edge you need.

Visit my Amazon Author Page for listings and book reviews! You can also visit my Wordpress shop to order books and other witchy goodies directly from me. (All orders billed through Paypal. Nominal shipping charges will apply.)

Make sure you check out my podcast, Hex Positive, on your favorite podcatcher app! (Part of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.)

If you own a shop and would like to carry my titles, please contact me at BreeNicGarran@gmail.com for wholesale information.

Getting To Know Plant Allies

photo source

Use It!

One of my teachers was very insistent that before I was allowed to study a plant, I had to get to know it first. Head knowledge is one thing, but when you are working as a herbalist you have to have more than that.

Before using any herb, even for these exercises it is important to look up contraindications for the herb. Herbs are medicinal, even in small doses. Personally I like to use this book. And remember to always tell your doctor if you are taking any herbs!

Based on the type of herb, make a decoction or infusion. Fragile herbs, usually dried leaves or flowers, are better suited to an infusion (let steep in nearly boiling water for 20 minutes). Hardier herbs such as roots can be simmered in the water for 20 minutes (decoction).

Sip slowly, taking notice of how the tea feels in your mouth. Does it trigger a salivary response? How does it taste? Anything your experience is worth taking note of. I’ve never been sad I took too many notes!

Take a bath with it. If a full bath isn’t possible, do a foot or hand bath. I was taught to start with water as close to room temp as possible. This can be a good way to determine if the herb has warming or cooling properties.

Again, make notes! Lots of them.

Get creative with how you experiment. Cook with them, use them for facial steams. Any way that you’re called to, and remember, take notes!

Study It - Materia Medica

It’s time to make your own herbal! We’re going to take our observations and start a Materia Medica. This is the term herbalists have been using since the 1st century AD, thanks to the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides. Modern science now often uses the term pharmacology but I greatly prefer the Materia Medica.

Some witches will combine this with a Materia Magica which goes into the magical correspondences for the herbs. But this post won’t be covering that.

How each herbalist organizes the Materia Medica is going to vary, but it should hit a few key points. And, of great importance, is to track your sources! Any information that you include in your MM needs to have a citation so that you can track your info.

Latin Name

My Materia Medicas always start with the Latin name for the herb. Herbs have many, many different names. Both through history and throughout the world. The best way to ensure that you’re using the correct plant is to use the latin name. But then, after that, I make not of common names and historical names.

History/Lore

If a herb has an interesting history, or appears in folk lore I make note of that next. It can be interesting and is helpful for knowing the herb. There’s a lot of knowledge to be gleaned from old stories!

Description

If you’re inclined for either wildcrafting or foraging, a section on the cultivation and appearance of the plant.

Chemicals

Now, we get into the medicine of it. Herbs work because they contain chemical compounds. A lot (all?) of modern medicine is derived from the manufacturing of these chemicals.

Make a list of the chemicals that are found in the herb. Making note, where you can, of what these chemicals actually DO. Over time you’ll want to get to know which ones are the active ingredients and how the work. Yup, it’s science!

Herbal Actions

Actions come next. Herbal actions are a whole language to learn. But as you are putting together the Materia Medicas you’ll start to get the hang of things! An action describes the way a herb works on the body.

It can seem a bit overwhelming, so here is an example.

Bitter is an herbal action, and it is aptly named. Herbs with this action typically taste… bitter! The action that they have on the body usually starts in the mouth where it stimulates saliva production as the first step of aiding in the digestive process. (they do a lot more but we’re keeping it simple for the example).

Examples of bitters are: arugula (also called rocket), dandelion greens, and black coffee.

Here’s a very simple way to experiment yourself! Take some time to sample one of the above mentioned bitters and see how your body reacts.

Christopher Hobbs is an herbalist I respect a lot. He has a handout that he uses in his classes which lists herbal actions, indications (we’ll get into that next), and lists example herbs.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/webdocs/class-handouts/keville-hobbs-2016/Herbal-Actions.pdf

I highly suggest printing this sheet out and keeping it handy, reading it over often. Eventually it’ll become more intuitive, but it takes time and practice.

Indications

Indications are where we want to use the herb. IE: where is the herbal action of the herb indicated? This is going to be a list of conditions that the herb in question is good for treating.

For example, Corn Silk (zea mays) is an antiseptic, demulcent and a diuretic. Because of this, it’s indicated for use with a urinary tract infection. (it’s indicated for other things too, but I’m trying to keep things fairly basic!)

The demulcent soothes the irritated skin, the diuretic helps to increase urine output, and the antiseptic of course helps to prevent the growth of harmful organisms.

Medicine

The last section of my Materia Medica deals with dosing and contraindications. 

I like to include dosing for both teas and tinctures as they are my personal favorite ways for treating people.

Contraindications means anything that counteracts with the herb. St John’s Wort is a popular one for this, as it has many. It is a highly reactive herb and can interact negatively with many drugs! 

It is very important to know how the herb interacts. People think that because herbs are natural/plants that somehow this excludes them from the realm of medicine. But the very reason that herbs are effective is because they ARE medicine!

When I am working with a client, I do my best to take a detailed history, even things they don’t think is important. But I also inform them of every herb I am giving them and encourage them to do their own research. And it’s important to be aware of your body when you are taking herbs. From the practitioner to the person taking the herb, everyone needs to do their own due diligence.

If you found this post useful, or have any comments/thoughts/etc I would love to hear it. If there is interest I can do posts on salves, tinctures, etc. And perhaps examples of my own materia medicas.

🌕✨ moon water correspondences ✨🌕

taken from one of my favourite pages of my grimoire! 

moon water can be used for blessings, enhancing spells or rituals, for promoting clarity or relaxation, in love magic, wealth/prosperity magic, to increase psychic awareness, and many other purposes! but by harnessing your moon water at different times, you can then incorporate the specific traits of that time/phase/zodiac period into your spell work. 

✨new moon water ✨

the new moon is associated with new beginnings, so use new moon water in spells or rituals focusing on things like new employment, new relationships, or new homes. 

e.g. when moving into a new home, add a couple of tablespoons of new moon water to the water you would normally use to cleanse your house with!

✨waxing moon water ✨

the waxing moon is the period in which the moon is growing in size, so use waxing moon water as a way to grow the strength of your spells. waxing moon water is also beneficial in spells to promote growth (of abilities, skill, or knowledge). the power of the waxing moon also increases the potency of fertility spells, wealth, luck, business and relationship spells  

✨full moon water ✨

the full moon is the point at which the moon is at its peak, so use full moon water for spells that require an extra push of energy. also use full moon water in spells to promote strength, love, protection, health, or use in spells to strengthen spiritual gifts and achieve your dreams 

✨waning moon water ✨

the waning moon is the period in which the moon is decreasing in size, so use waning moon water for all magic intended to remove things from your life; banishing spells to rid yourself of bad habits, toxic relationships, lingering diseases, weight loss, stress, addictions and negativity 

✨dark moon water ✨

when justice is required and is not obtainable outside of your spell work, casting in the dark of the moon and adding dark moon water will help with any crosses, hexes or binding spells

✨super moon water ✨

think of full moon water x1000000…… when you need an EXTRA BIG KICK OF ENERGY for your spells, this guy has you covered 

✨lunar eclipse moon water ✨

the lunar eclipse signifies change, so when drastic change is required, the addition of lunar eclipse water draws on the phenomenal change shown during an eclipse, as the moon cycles through all of its stages in a single instance

✨zodiac* moon water ✨

full moon water also takes on the energies of the zodiac sign the full moon is in. here’s a brief rundown of those properties and/or what they can be used for:

1) full moon water in aries = couragous, positive energy; charging tools 2) full moon water in taurus = stable, earth, fertile energy 3) full moon water in gemini = positive charge, overcoming obstacles 4) full moon water in cancer = loving, maternal, protective energies 5) full moon water in leo = lucky, creative, successful energy; arts, politics 6) full moon water in virgo = practical energy; facilitates planning 7) full moon water in libra = persuasive, balancing energies; legal matters 8) full moon water in scorpio = psychic, spiritual, banishing energy  9) full moon water in sagittarius = transforming, spiritual energy; meditation 10) full moon water in capricorn = careers, politics, attaining material goods 11) full moon water in aquarius = innovative, inventive energies 12) full moon water in pisces = dreamy, psychic energy; astral projection

✨ how to manifest ✨

hi babes, I’m back! wanted to make a quick post on my manifestation routine and some of the essential steps necessary for the law of attraction to be effective. for those of you who don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about, the loa states that our thoughts, beliefs, and intentions create our reality. there are various methods, of course, but this routine has worked beautifully for me! I’ve manifested an entire business, a dream job, $2k in 24hours, my soul family, & so much more! let’s jump into this shit! 

1. get in a high vibrational state of being! what does this mean? it means focus on eliciting positive emotions and feelings at the start of this process. when we raise our vibration, shift our mood, we’re more in alignment with what we desire. in a high vibrational state, you’ll feel bubbly, happy, and excited! do anything that you can to achieve a higher vibration! listen to music, watch some R.IP vine compilations on youtube, dance around your room, etc. do whatever the fuck you gotta do. struggling with depression or anxiety? it’s okay! this state only has to be maintained for a couple of minutes for it to be effective. 

2. set your intention! what are you trying to bring into your life? to set your intention, all you have to do is write it or speak it out loud. pro tip: instead of saying ‘I want to manifest xyz’, say ‘I am ready to receive xyz’. the word ‘want’ creates more lack and will keep you in a state of ‘wanting’. another ex: “I am manifesting my perfect partner” vs. “I am going to manifest my perfect partner. 

3. visualize your desire manifesting. this is the fun part! vividly imagine and feel what it would be like to hold the desired amount of cash in your hand. what emotions would you feel if you were given what you asked for? being able to truly envision having your desire is going to make it a reality in your mind and put you in alignment to receive it in the physical.

4. detach from the outcome. definitely the part that everyone fucking hates. it’s important to let go of any attachment and trust that the universe will deliver what it is that you’ve asked for. surrender and allow it to unfold. don’t stress about when, where, or how it will manifest. just trust that it will happen. this is the one area where most people get stuck!

5. act as if you already have what you desire. this is also a pretty fun part! how would you feel if you had everything that you wanted? probably pretty fucking fantastic. acting as if sends a message to the universe that you are ready. 

6. & finally, take action! sometimes the universe will just drop blessings right in front of us, yes, but not always. you’re probably not going to find the love of your life if you spend all day in your house. you’re not going to become a famous actress if you don’t get up and audition! the universe can do so much for us but we also need to work with it. don’t just wait around for something to happen. search and be open to receiving the opportunities that you ask for. 

THANKS, THAT’S ALL I GOT FOR YOU BBYS !! hit me up with any questions and reblog with your manifestation tips or stories! share the good vibes. 💖💖