blueberrywitchh

[blueberrywitchh]

Samhain🍂🎃

It feels like just yesterday I was writing my post on Mabon, but Samhain is almost here already! I’ve been having a pretty tough time lately, with quite a lot going on that started around Mabon. I’m excited for Samhain, for new beginnings. 

Here is a compilation of info on Samhain from my Book of Shadows!

🍂Date: October 31st, the same day as Halloween! This is the halfway point between the Autumn equinox and the Winter solstice. 

🍂Basics: The veil between the spirit world and the physical world is the thinnest on Samhain. In the traditional Wiccan religion, the Goddess is going to the land of the dead, where she will be with the dying God. The dying God represents the Earth during the autumn season, beginning to die off in preparation for the winter. She opens the door to the world of the dead, which is why the veil is the thinnest during this time. Samhain is the third and final harvest festival, signaling the end of the lighter part of the year. 

🍂Reflect on: With the thinning of the veil, this is the best time of the year to reflect on ancestry and those who came before you. Give thanks for the sacrifices of your ancestors, and the witches that came before you. The Wheel of the Year is coming to an end. Reflect on the past year and all of the good and bad that has come with it, knowing even the bad parts are important to your growth in the end. 

🍂Corresponding herbs and foods: Rosemary for healing, good health, and help with memory. Sage for purification, spirituality, and cleansing. Mugwort for divination and spirit work, insight, and ancestral connection. Apples for protection. If you cut an apple in half, you’ll see 5 seeds symbolizing the protective pentacle. Pumpkins are also used for protection, carve faces into them and place them in front of your house to ward off evil spirits. 

🍂What to do: 

     Visit a graveyard. Honor ancestors, even if they’re not directly related to you. Clean up unattended graves and talk to the people resting there! Leave small offerings to show your appreciation for the people that came before you. 

     Samhain is the best time for divination, making this a great time for tarot, runes, scrying, and more. 

     Spend time outside, observe the beauty of the fallen leaves and enjoy the harvest season before it passes!

     Celebrate life! Trick or treat with your family, go to a party, enjoy being alive. Honor the dead by living your life to the fullest!

🍂What I’m doing: I don’t really know my plans yet, but I will be spending lots of time with friends and family! I’ll be doing a Samhain ritual for sure, giving thanks for the year and honoring ancestors. Since Samhain falls on Halloween, I’ll be celebrating that as well! I’ll dress up and probably go to a Halloween party. I’ll be celebrating Samhain throughout the week it falls in, just to make sure I can do everything I want to! I’ll definitely visit a graveyard and do lots of divination and spirit work!

Thank you so much for reading! Have a blessed Samhain and October! 

Sources: Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials: Samhain

[blueberrywitchh]

[blueberrywitchh]

Not the best pictures in the world, but I finished a design by @shitpostsampler (Had to modify it for a round frame but hey)

[blueberrywitchh]

**Reminder that "smudging" is part of a closed practice. Please call it smoke cleansing.

[blueberrywitchh]

GALLIARDISE

[noun]

extreme gaiety; merriment.

Etymology: from Middle French gaillard - lively, vigourous; a lively dance.

[James R. Eads]

[blueberrywitchh]

©Mio Im

https://instagram.com/cochlea1313

[blueberrywitchh]

[blueberrywitchh]

[blueberrywitchh]

♡ full moon milk bath ♡

happy full moon, loves ♡ the full moon is a time to release what no longer serves you. this could be some part of your life, a relationship, an attitude or belief, a habit, or some aspect of yourself that you have outgrown. at the full moon, energy is powerful. we can harness this energy by performing a full moon bath ritual to cleanse, let go, recharge, and welcome positive change and new opportunities into our lives.

in this ritual bath, mineral rich himalayan salts eliminate toxins, balance the body’s pH, reduce inflammation, and stimulate circulation and cellular regeneration. himalayan salt also promotes spiritual and mental balance, relieves stress, and restores your sense of wellbeing. during a full moon, healing potential is at its peak, meaning mineral absorption is optimized. coconut milk gently exfoliates, nourishes, and hydrates your skin and makes your bath silky and soft. uplifting rose, lavender, and soothing essential oils promote peace, protection, purification, clarity, healing, and love.

ingredients:

♡ 4 cups coconut milk ♡ 1 cup himalayan salt ♡ 1-2 cups dry or fresh rose petals and lavender buds ♡ 10 drops lavender essential oil ♡ 10 drops rose essential oil

directions:

first, clear your energy and cleanse your space. you may choose to light incense, perhaps white sage or palo santo to purify. light your favourite candles, or candles that correspond to your full moon intentions (for example, white candles represent peace, truth and purity; pink candles represent positive self love, friendship, harmony and joy; light purple candles represent intuition, peace, and healing). corresponding crystals can also be included to amplify the power of your bath.

draw a hot bath, adding salts and allowing them to dissolve while the water is running. add the coconut milk, essential oils, rose petals and lavender buds (if you prefer, you can put them in a muslin sachet to steep in the water instead). soak for at least 30 minutes, sipping on water or herbal tea to stay hydrated. use this time to meditate on what it is you’re ready to release from your life. what is holding you back, preventing you from moving forward, and what are you ready to let go of? you can imagine this release manifesting physically, all the negativity leaving your body and being absorbed by the salts. meditate on what you can achieve and what can come forth now that you have released what was once blocking your journey. as you let go of one thing, something new has room to come into your life. make sure you use the light of the full moon to manifest the new as well ♡

[blueberrywitchh]

Rabbit hunt, seven cards reading;

Cards should be placed as following:

1   2

  3

4  5

  6

  7

The cards represent:

the rabbit: you, the protagonist, the prey;

the wolf: the hunter, the chaser, your enemy in this game;

a crossroad: where or why rabbit and wolf meet, the look in your eyes as you see the hunter for the first time;

a choice: the path to your left;

a choice: the path to your right;

dead end: what will be of you, if you walk down the wrong path;

curtain call: what will be of you, once the chase ends.

A reading for games, with mischievous or malicious undertones, it is up to you. I made it up myself, and had quite some fun.

Can give clarity regarding the nature of a relationship, or deepen the knowledge one has of oneself. It implies that, given two choices, one is better than the other.

It’s all playpretend, so best start running.

[blueberrywitchh]

Building a Magical Home

One of my favorite quotes about the magic of homemaking comes from Cory Hutcheson, host of the New World Witchery podcast. He says, “Home is a transformational act. It is the thing you do to turn a space into a space… that is full of ritual and significance and meaning. So there is sort of this ongoing relationship you have with the space that makes it a home.”

The act of creating a home, of making a space your own, is inherently magical. But if you want to make your space feel a little more witchy, here are some ideas to get you started.

Charms and Talismans

Making your own magical objects can be a powerful way to bring magic into your space. The best thing about making your own charms is that you can make them look however you want, so it’s easy to disguise them as ordinary household objects. You can make a charm for any intention by combining objects based on their magical correspondences.

I’ve talked about protective charms in previous posts, so I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it here. The simplest protective charm is keeping a large piece of iron under your bed to keep away nightmares, evil spirits, and negative energy. You could also make your own protection charm, like a witch bottle.

You can create a “happy home” charm to bring peace, harmony, and happiness into your home. This charm could include herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and/or bay leaves, as well as other items that you associate with peace and good fortune, like lucky coins, crystals, or black cat fur. Write your desires for a harmonious and happy home on a piece of paper, fold it up, and add it to the charm. You could store these items in a green bag, bury them in your backyard (in this case, make sure you’re only using biodegradable plant matter — leave out the coins and crystals), or place it inside a household object like a lamp or an end table.

If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep issues, try making a dream charm to help you sleep well and have sweet dreams. To make a simple dream charm, fill a blue or purple bag with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and any other objects that you associate with peace, restfulness, and sleep. If you want to have lucid dreams or receive psychic messages in your dreams, include a bit of mugwort. Place the charm in your pillow or under your mattress. (I personally swear by this one, as it’s helped a lot with my insomnia.)

Charms are great for homemaking magic because you’re actually creating a magical object, which can then become a permanent fixture of the space.

Magical Decor

You can use magical items to decorate your home to bring certain qualities into that space.

Hanging or displaying a broom is said to bring good fortune, protection from evil, and good hospitality. Cauldrons are used to represent the Goddess, rebirth, and raw potential. Horseshoes hung above door frames bring safety and luck to all who cross under them, and keep unwanted guests away. If you can get them legally and ethically, animal bones, teeth, claws, and feathers can represent the spirit and energy of that animal. You can also put up images of spiritual and occult symbols — I have an image of the Sun tarot card hanging in my bedroom to promote positivity and growth.

If you need to be a little more subtle with your witchy decorations, working with the magic of color is a great way to do that. Gathering a lot of items of a single color in one room changes the energy of that room. Here’s a quick guide to give you some ideas:

Yellow is associated with divination, mental clarity, the element of air, success, communication, and inspiration.

Purple is associated with divine power, spiritual awareness, mystery, astral travel, magic, and authority.

Blue is associated with healing, psychic abilities, the element of water, peace, truth, and patience.

Red is associated with protection, the fire element, sex, power, vitality, and love.

Orange is associated with ambition, creativity, breaking through blockages, and career success.

Pink is associated with romantic love, friendship, self love, compassion, and emotional well-being.

Green is associated with nature, herbalism, the earth element, money, wealth, prosperity, and luck.

Brown is associated with grounding, animal magic, stability, and balance.

White is associated with purification, cleansing, the full moon, new beginnings, healing, and spiritual growth.

Black is associated with protection, truth, outer space, banishing, and transition.

Decorating your home with colors that are meaningful to you can create a powerful magical space. You may also have your own color associations (for example, yellow is a very “happy” color for me), so feel free to incorporate those into your decor as well!

Growing Magical Houseplants

Most witches feel a very deep connection to nature and draw power from the natural world, but we can’t all live in a cottage in the heart of the forest. Even if you live in a tiny apartment in the city, you can still bring nature into your space by keeping houseplants. Many popular houseplants have magical uses, and many popular magic herbs can be grown inside. Here are a few to get you started.

Aloe. This is one of my favorite plants. Aloe brings luck and protection, especially protection on an energetic/spiritual level. I like to keep aloe in my bedroom to protect me while I sleep, as well as to bring luck and inspiration while I’m working at my desk.

Basil. Basil is very popular in money spells, and will attract prosperity and luck to your home. However, it also has protective properties — both spiritual protection and protection from bugs, since basil is a natural insect repellent! Basil can also be used in love spells, and is just generally a good plant to have around for good vibes.

African Violet. This flowering plant attracts positive spiritual energy into your space. It has associations with the moon and the water element, and is very good for promoting spirituality and psychic power.

Rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs that every witch should have on hand. It’s so darn versatile, it can be used as a substitute for virtually any other herb, and can be used for almost any intention. Some of the most common magical associations for rosemary include: cleansing, purification, protection, healing, mental activity, and enhancing memory. According to author Deborah J. Martin, there’s an old English saying that, “Where rosemary grows, the woman rules the house.” Like basil, rosemary is a natural insect repellent.

Lavender. Lavender brings peace, love, and gentleness, which makes it a perfect addition to any home. It can be used in spells for cleansing and purification, enhancing psychic abilities, and stress relief. Lavender is also a powerful addition to love spells. Keeping lavender in the bedroom can aid in restful sleep, while lavender in the kitchen will bring harmony to the home.

Sage. Sage is the most talked about cleansing herb, and with good reason. Unfortunately, a lot of the sage bundles you can buy at metaphysical stores are made with white sage (Salvia apiana), which is sacred to Native American peoples and is endangered due to overharvesting. Instead of buying those, why not grow your own garden sage (Salvia officinalis), which has a lot of the same magical properties? Growing sage in your home will purify the space and protect those who live there. Sage also has an association with wisdom and mental prowess.

Hoya. Hoya is a common houseplant that you’ve probably seen even if you don’t know it by name. It has a distinctive appearance with waxy, dark green leaves and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. Hoya aligns and balances the energy centers within your body, as well as in the surrounding space. It’s associated both with grounding and with spiritual openness, so it can be great for balancing the two.

Peppermint. Peppermint has a variety of magical uses, but my favorite way to use it is for gently opening up blockages and getting things moving. It’s great for cleansing, but is more gentle than rosemary or sage. Place it in any room where you tend to do a lot of healing work, or where you could use some peace and love. Peppermint is also used in dream magic, so growing it in the bedroom may bring on vivid or lucid dreams.

Orchid. Orchids are used in magic for love and lust. Historically, orchid has been used in folk medicine to promote male virility and “Jezebel root,” used in American folk magic to attract wealthy male lovers, is a type of orchid root. If you live with a significant other, try growing an orchid in the bedroom to promote passion in your sex life. Otherwise, grow orchids in your home to promote love or to attract romance.

Catnip. If you have cats, they’ll love this one. Catnip is actually a type of mint, and has strong lunar associations. It’s said to make one more charming and attractive, and is especially useful for attracting women. At the same time, catnip promotes courage and fierceness. It is also, of course, associated with cats and feline deities, so this is definitely a plant you’ll want to keep around if the cat is one of your animal guides.

If you have a yard space that you can turn into an outdoor garden, your magical plant options are limited only by your local ecosystem. Some outdoor plants that have magical uses include roses, sunflowers, rue, lemon balm, and strawberries.

Creating an Altar

Altars are focal points of magical and spiritual energy. Many people, both witches and non-witches, find that having a designated space for their spiritual practice creates a deeper sense of sacredness and purpose.

An altar can serve lots of different purposes. Many witches use their altar as a magical work space to prepare spells, meditate, and do divination. You may choose to dedicate your altar to a deity, your ancestors, or some other spirit(s) you work with. You can also build altars for specific intentions, such as a money altar or a love altar — performing rituals at this altar everyday is a powerful method for manifestation. You altar may be some or all of these things, or it may just be a place to sit and connect with the spiritual.

You can set up an altar on any flat surface, like a shelf or table, or inside a container like a jewelry box. Your setup can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. An altar can be huge and complex, with statues and candles and flowers, or it can be as simple as a tealight and an incense burner. It’s all about what appeals to you.

Resources:

New World Witchery pocast, “Episode 143 — The Magical Home”

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

“Candle colors and their meanings” by Michelle Gruben on the Grove and Grotto blog

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

“The Magic of Orchids in Wiccan Love Spells & Rituals” on the Art of the Root blog

[blueberrywitchh]

HOUSE TO HOME

-a hearthwitch spell to make your house or apartment feel cozy, happy and loving, like a real home

1. Fill a bowl with water and bless it, focusing on the intent of your spell.

2. Add pink salt to encourage friendship and love in your family and friends whenever they enter your walls.

3. Add Oregano to instill health and wellness for all who live here.

4. Add Thyme to create feelings of closeness, coziness and happiness, ie. home.

5. Add rosemary for cleansing and protection.

6. Stir the bowl with your finger three times and chant

“With company or all alone

Make this house a loving home”

7. Dip your broom into the bowl and flick the water in each corner of every room in the house. At every corner, say the incantation again.

8. When finished, thank your tools and dispose of the water.

I made this spell after moving into my new husbands’s apartment. It had never truly been a home before. More of a place to eat and sleep when my husband wasn’t busy working. And after moving all my things in and cleaning, I just still wasn’t feeling. It felt odd and cold. Not like a home at all. So I wrote this spell and performed it, and the dynamics of our apartment instantly changed. It feels warm now. Warm and happy and cozy, and my husband and I look forward to when we get to spend time there together.

[blueberrywitchh]

House Witch’s Chores and Witchy Home 🏡

🧺 Ward the doors and windows to protect your home and family from negativity.

🧺 Brew and stir intent into your tea and coffee.

🧺Use kitchen witchery when cooking and baking in your home.

🧺Place a glamour spell or enchantment on your make up brushes and hair brushes or combs. Make an herbal hair rinse to use and turn it into a daily glamour ritual for yourself.

🧺Color coordinate your clothes, candles, and furnishings to match your intent.

🧺Place a piece of black obsidian in the left side of your windowsills to banish negativity from your home, and place howlite in the right side of your windowsills to invite positivity and calm. This is great for bedroom windows.

🧺Meditate in the garden in the sunshine and meet the Sun in meditation. Ground yourself too through meditation and feel the earth and grass beneath you.

🧺Put peanut butter on pine cones and dip them into bird seed to create nice treats for the birds and squirrels in your garden.

🧺Take ritual baths and showers to cleanse yourself after a tough day.

🧺Talk to your houseplants, use your pendulum to ask them if they need more sunlight or water, and bless pitchers of water to welcome new houseplants into your home.

🧺If you have dream catchers hung in your home, always remember to cleanse them regularly. Dream catchers can easily become “nightmare catchers” if they are not cleansed and cared for regularly.

🧺When knitting, weave protection charms and protective energy into your projects, especially if your making sweaters, scarves, hats, or gloves for friends and family.

🧺If sewing and repairing stuffed animals like rag dolls and teddy bears, place some lavender or small rose quartz tumbled stones if possible inside the body of the stuffed animal to not only make it smell good, but imbue it with love and soothing energies.

🧺Open the windows when you clean and smoke cleanse with sage to clear out negativity from the home or use rosemary to protect it.

🧺Mop your floors with salt water to cleanse your space.

🧺Sweep dirt and negativity out of your home through the back door.

🧺Place a protective charm on you and your family’s shoes or coats.

[blueberrywitchh]

[blueberrywitchh]

Ending romantic feelings (a few different spells)

🌙🔮💔

To Rid Yourself of an Unwanted Admirer or Ex-Lover Who Will Not Take No for an Answer

You will need:

A gray candle and a white candle close together

Timing:

Three nights, beginning on Saturday

The Spell:

Light the gray candle for yourself and say: "No more notice me. I am free, surrounded by the mists of invisibility."

Move the unlit white candle away from yours, saying: "No longer desire me or seek connection. My rejection though kindly is clear. Find love and life new, the binding is through, and you shall no longer be near."

Blow out the candle.

On night too, light the gray candle, repeat the first words, and moved the unlit white candle farther away from yours, repeating the second words.

Again blow out the candle.

On night 3, move the unlit white candle as far away as possible from yours, saying: "Follow your own path in joy; no longer walk along mine."

Like the white candle and let it burn through and then like the gray candle, saying: "May the mists of invisibility remain between us perpetually as you go your way and I mine."

Extinguish the gray candle and dispose of it and any wax from the white candle.

🌙🔮💔

For Cutting the Ties of a Destructive Relationship or One That is Going Nowhere

You will need:

A dark blue pillar candle

A length of thin red curtain cord or strong thread

A container of soil

Timing:

Saturday after dark

The Spell:

Light the candle and say: "By the power of fire, I am set free."

Tie a knot in the center of the cord and say: "Tie and wind and seek to find freedom from [name the destructive person or situation]."

Hold the knot over the flame with the cord taught in both hands.

Say: "The cord between us was long. The cord between us was strong. But now it is decaying, fraying, burning, breaking."

Drop both burned halves into the pot of soil, letting the flame burn out, saying: "The link is broken, and I am free."

Bury the charred cords where nothing grows, still in the soil from the spell.

🌙🔮💔

A Hand-Parting Spell

You will need:

A dark red cord about 3 to 6 and 1/2 yards long

A tree

Timing:

The hour before sunset

The Spell:

Wind the cord around a tree nine times, securing it with a very loose not, looping the over other end over your hands.

Slowly unwind the cord from the tree, moving in circles farther and farther from the tether, chanting: "Hand part, my heart; hand fast, not last; let go, unwind, unbind, untie, release, too tight bonds now must cease."

With a final tug, pull the knot free, unloop your hands, and as you do so, say: "Unbound, unwound, hand parted, and so life begins anew; the ties are through."

Loop the cord over the trees so that it will decay naturally.

🌙🔮💔

A Second Rainy Day Ritual to End a Destructive Relationship When a Lover or Ex Won't Accept That it's Over

You will need:

A large circle of green paper

A black pen

Pens of various colors

Scissors

Timing:

When the rain is steadily falling and look set to continue for much of the day

The Spell:

On one half of the paper circle, draw an image to represent yourself in black pen, and on the other half, the two of you together.

Draw a jagged line down the middle and cut the paper circle in half.

Place the half representing the relationship from which you wish to be severed in the rain, saying, "Not to harm you, but to calm; you must let go, it shall be so. New love you'll fine when you release me from your heart and mind."

Leave the half representing the relationship in the rain until it has dissolved.

Color the image of yourself in bright patterns and right across it, I AM FREE.

Pin it on a wall until you find new love and forge a new life without your ex.

🌙🔮💔

A Venus Ritual for Moving on From a Broken Heart

You will need:

A green candle

A ring or bracelet in copper, Venus's metal

A small bag of old metal nails

An empty bowl

Timing:

Friday, the first hour after dawn, Venus's day and hour

The Spell:

Light the candle.

Put on the copper ring or bracelet, touching it and then your heart with the index finger of your dominant hand, and say, "Lady Venus, morning star, call gentle love from near or far. Send me to a lover new, who will always to me be true."

Take off the ring, shake the bag of rusty nails hard, and say, "Lady Venus, fierce evening star, this old love does my future mar. Release me from my broken heart, for shattered I am that we did part."

Drop the nails one by one into the bowl, then say, "No more cruel love, for I grieve you. By the light of Venus, my thoughts you shall leave."

Put on the ring or bracelet again, saying, "Venus, star of morning, my life begins again with this new dawning."

Wear the bracelet/ring, dispose of the nails, and let the candles burn through.

-

"1001 Spells: The Complete Book of Spells for Every Purpose," by Cassandra Eason

-

@Xultimatekarix I hope one of these works for you 🖤

[blueberrywitchh]

and the two side by side….. love some good sun and moon imagery

print shop here

[blueberrywitchh]

Hypholoma Brunnuem Mushrooms, by Barry Doig.