ArT DeFiEs

This banishment powder will send away an unwanted lover or suitor. Dust it on your body when going out or sprinkle it around your doorways and windows.

The rind of a orange, burnt and ground to ash

Black salt, ground to a powder

Dried rose petals, burnt to ash

To target a specific person:  Write their name on a slip of paper. Burn it to ash. Combine into the mixture.

31 WITCH MOVIES

to lead up to halloween here are all kinds of movies all about witchcraft. funny movies, sad movies, scary movies, vaguely historically inaccurate movies. movies that are not explicitly about witches (this isn’t a very large genre ok)

häxan: witchcraft through the ages (1922)

i married a witch (1942)

black sunday (1960)

horror hotel (1960)

witchfinder general (1968)

bedknobs and broomsticks (1971)

the devils (1971)

simon, king of the witches (1971)

suspiria (1977)

inferno (1980)

return to oz (1985)

the witches of eastwick (1987)

kiki’s delivery service (1989)

teen witch (1989)

warlock (1989)

the witches (1990)

death becomes her (1992)

hocus pocus (1993)

the bride with white hair (1993)

witch hunt (1994)

lord of illusions (1995)

the craft (1996)

practical magic (1998)

ginger snaps (2000)

bewitched (2005)

the woods (2006)

solstice (2008)

the house of the devil (2009)

beautiful creatures (2013)

hansel & gretel: witch hunters (2013)

Mabon is also known as the witches Thanksgiving. The holiday takes place surrounding the Autumn Equinox between September 21st and September 23rd. On the Autumn Equinox the day and night are equal in length of time. Therefore, Mabon is a celebration of balancing the light and the dark both within ourselves and in the physical world. It is also the middle of the harvest season, so it is a time to be thankful and celebrate the abundance in your life. The Autumn Equinox marks the change of the season from Summer to Autumn. Take this time to embrace who you are and who you want to become in the new year, finish up old projects and relish in the high energy that surrounds this time of year.

There are many ways to celebrate Mabon. Here are 10 ideas:

1. Count your Blessings

Start by counting your blessings. Literally, count them. Take a piece of paper and cut or tear it into many smaller pieces (large enough to right on). Find a jar or bowl that can hold the physical representation of you blessings. Light a pink or red candle to symbolize the love in your heart. A green candle can also be used to symbolize your heart chakra and the growth you’ve experienced this past year. White is another acceptable alternative if you have no colored candles. Now, write out each blessing that has entered your life over the past year, one for each piece of paper. After you write each one, add it to the jar or bowl. When you have finished place the jar or bowl somewhere you can see it. Add to it as you think of more blessings that you are grateful for.

2. Collect the Gifts of Nature

Another way to celebrate Mabon is to take a walk in nature. Bring with you a bag or basket that you can use to collect the gifts of nature. You can use these for crafts and to decorate your home or altar. Some things you might want to collect are beautiful yellow, orange and red leaves, acorns and bare twigs.

3. Enjoy the Fruits of your Labor

Mabon is a time to celebrate the harvest and abundance. Invite friends to a potlucks where you share in each others company and food from the heart. This is made even better if some of the food came from someones home garden. Watch the sun set together as the light dims and the sun disappears into darkness. When the darkness comes turn on a string of lights or lights some candles.

 4. Go Apple Picking

Spend some time in the crisp Autumn air in the glowing light. Apples are a wonderful symbol of the Autumn season. They can be used for divination or simply to make an apple pie. Celebrate the fruits of the season and have a treat. 

5. Raise Energy and Vibrations with Music

During Mabon, Energy levels are very high. Keep the energy in the air active and add to it with music and dance. If you play an instrument play it and invite friends over to jam with you. If you don’t play an insturment dancing, singing, playing recorded music or even clapping are great alternatives.

6. Honor the Darkness

There is no light without dark. Now is the time to honor the coming dark season. Find a warm and cozy place to meditate on balance. Think about what the darkness means and how the lightness is reflected in the darkness. Meditate on the balance of your life and time and how you manage stress.

7. Create a Seasonal Herbal Mix

Autumn is associated with many comforting and earthy scents. Make a mix incorporating these. Try cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, hazelnut, vanilla, orange, and ginger. Use this mix as a potpourri or loose incense to add scent to your whole house. Sprinkle it around doors and windows for protection.

8. De-Clutter your Home

Mabon is a great time to finish up old projects and remove unwanted items from your space. Go through room by room and collect anything you no longer use or need. Gather these items and take them out of your house.

9. Give Back

The most powerful way to share your gratitude is to pass it on. Find a way to give back to your community. Look through the things you got rid of in the previous step decide if someone else could use them. Donate anything worth reusing to charities. Give someone else a blessing to count.

10. Host a Ritual

Lastly, make sure you make time to host a ritual for Mabon. You can do this alone or with friends. Make sure the focus of your ritual is abundance, gratitude and giving back. Incorporate the colors of the season: brown, red, orange and yellow.

Accept it as you wish, or not; and if not, may it pass you like a leaf on the breeze.

As the light of summer wanes, may the light of your hearth grow, whether your hearth be a fireplace, a stovetop, a candle, or simply inside your heart.

As the dark of winter approaches, may the cold invigorate you, not chill you; may the stars brighten all the more for the long nights; may your harvest be bountiful, whatever it may be: may your home life be rich, your work life bear fruit, your spiritual life ripen, your creative life flourish, and your relationships deepen.

As the balance of the sun and moon tips toward the night, may the your life increase in happiness. As the leaves turn and fall, may your spirit brighten and rise.