Chaotic N. Witch

🫧 sound

music, bells, pots and pans, singing

🫧 liquid

charged or blessed water, alcohol, vinegar, essential oil sprays

🫧 scents

candles, essential oils (diffused)

🫧 physical cleaning

sweep

vacuum

wipe down

*make a blend of cleansing herbs, sprinkle around your space, and either sweep it out the back door or vacuum it up and dispose of the contents

🫧 simmer pots [for the steam]

🫧 rearrange your space

🫧 open your windows

🫧 visualization + meditation

🫧 sun, moon, or starlight

🫧 rain + storms

🫧 the elements

earth - salt floor sweep

air - breath and wind

fire - heat and sunlight

water - see above

🫧 salt

place a bowl of salt in the main room of your home

🫧 crystals

place in the center or corner of the space you want to cleanse

What I think you should learn as a beginner witch..

1. Basic spells, I know it’s exciting to start looking into the world of spells but you should start with the basic spells, the other ones aren’t going anywhere don’t worry!

2. Different types of witches, if you come across a type of witch that you resonate with then it can make your journey into witchcraft easier. However, you should do whatever witchcraft connects with you more instead of trying to fit into a box or aesthetic, it’s just a suggestion that may help.

3. Crystals, they are a massive part of witchcraft so it’s useful to start learning about them ASAP. It doesn’t matter what magic you want to do, crystals are central to the craft and you can avoid them but it is quite difficult. They’re fun and super interesting, so don’t worry!

4. Herbs and Plants, similar to crystals they are a big part of witchcraft. They can be useful for many different types of the craft and they’re fun to learn about.

5. Altars, an Altar is your personal space for witchcraft, it can be a massive table or bookshelf or if you’re a closet witch who perhaps cannot be so loud and proud about your identity, a simple shoebox can also suffice.

6. Bonus that’s not on tiktok, Divination, Pendulums, Tarot, all the things you’re excited to try. I would advise setting them aside physically and reading about them a lot before usage as especially things like Tarot have a lot of different meanings and messages.

Remember, witchcraft is constant learning and practice but don’t let that put you off. There’s a great community out here to help you if you ever get stuck or confused, happy witching everyone!

Check out my Tiktok to support me on there too!

In the last few months, as I've been focusing on promoting my new book and supporting Reclaiming events, I've been speaking less publicly about my folk magic practice. My partner and I recently moved into a new home, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my current go-to magical home security system. This post goes over my process for cleansing and protecting a home that has never had any kind of magical protection done on it before, but you could also use bits and pieces of this process to round out existing wards on your current home.

If you've never seen me talk about this side of my practice before, please note that I grew up in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian mountains (that's "Apple-AH-chin" not "Apple-AYE-chin," thank you very much), so my personal folk magic practice is a mix of Appalachian traditions and Deep South traditions. I'll try to specify which body of traditions different pieces come from, but some of this is just pulled from the big ol' melting pot of family lore.

One thing I've noticed over years of living in shared and rented housing is that a lot of older folk practices assume that the practitioner owns their home. This just isn't reality for most of Gen Z and many Millennials, at least not in the USA, where I live. In the spirit of accessibility, I've included renter-friendly alternatives throughout this post.

Step One: The mother of all deep cleans

If you moved into a new home and found that the previous tenant had left all of their clothes, furniture, and trash behind, you'd probably be pissed. We don't want to deal with the previous residents' physical junk, and we don't want their spiritual junk either. This is where cleansing comes in.

A heavy-duty cleansing clears out any lingering spiritual gunk, emotional cords, energy, or whatever you want to call it from the home, giving us a fresh start. It's important to cleanse before putting up any magical protections so you don't accidentally trap spiritual junk inside your home.

My heavy-duty cleansing method of choice is a two-part process that combines an Appalachian practice with a Deep South practice. I start by burning asafoetida all through the house, then I clean the floors with ammonia.

Asafoetida is used for heavy duty cleansing, curse-breaking, and protection in Appalachian folk magic. It will clear out just about anything that you need gone from a space. It is traditionally burned for these purposes. I use a cast iron cauldron and a block of self-igniting incense charcoal for this. Sprinkle the asafoetida on the lit charcoal and it should almost immediately start to smoke. Carry the incense through the house, wafting the smoke around the rooms. Traditionally, you'd start at the back of the house and work your way forward, ending at the front door.

Ammonia is used in Deep South folk magic for aggressive cleansing and curse-breaking. Like asafoetida, it has a reputation for getting rid of EVERYTHING, both good and bad, leaving a completely blank slate. I buy pure ammonia from the hardware store, then dilute it with water according to package instructions. I charge the ammonia solution with my intention to completely and totally clear the home, leaving it empty of all spiritual residue and ready for a fresh start. Then I clean the floors as I normally would. (Full disclosure: I use a spray mop with disposable mop pads because it's easier for me. For carpeted rooms, I just spray a bit of water mixed with ammonia on the carpet for a refresh.)

Let's get one thing out of the way: yes, asafoetida and ammonia both smell bad. Yes, your house will stink while you are doing this. But I truly have not found a more effective combo for a spiritual deep clean. I usually just burn a nice-smelling incense or light a scented candle when I'm done, and I've never had issues with the smell lingering.

Renter-Friendly Version: If you can't burn incense, try mixing asafoetida and table salt into hot water, allowing it to cool, and then sprinkling this solution all around your house. (Don't try to use a spray bottle, because it will get clogged. Just sprinkle it around with your fingers.)

Tip: Make sure you have the windows open during your cleansing, especially when using smoke. On a metaphysical level, this leaves a path for all the nasties you're clearing out to leave the building. On a practical level, it increases ventilation and prevents smoke inhalation.

Step Two: Locking up with wards

I really like Althea Sebastiani's definition of warding from her book By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn: "Warding is a practical magickal means of protecting and securing a person or place… Most means of warding utilize physical objects as anchor points for energy."

In Southern folk magic practices, warding tends to be a "set it and forget it" kind of thing. You shouldn't really be thinking about your wards unless they've caught something or been compromised by an attack, in which case your guides will often let you know something is wrong.

I want to be clear that targeted psychic/magical attacks are rare. While we all occasionally have to deal with negative influences like evil eye or minor jinxes, these are usually sent our way unintentionally and without any real malice. These everyday nasties are easy to get rid of, and your wards should be able to take care of it on their own, even without regular maintenance. The average person does not need to worry too much about warding their home. The wards covered in this post are more than enough for an average household.

Warding in both Appalachian and Deep South folk practices focuses on three main areas: the doors, the windows, and the edge of the property. These are all seen as places where unwanted influences could potentially enter the home. The front door specifically is seen as a sort of metaphor for the things you allow into your life. (The common-on-social-media practice of blowing cinnamon through your front door to attract abundance is an example of the same principle.)

I like to include an element of modern witchcraft in my folk practice by focusing each of these three wards on a different type of protection. This idea was inspired by By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn.

I like to start with warding the property line. For this, I use four railroad spikes. Railroad spikes are made of iron, which is known for its protective qualities in many different cultures, and railroad spikes specifically are commonly used for protection in the South. I drive one spike into the ground at each corner of the property while praying for my home and the people who live there to be protected from all energy and influences that are not invited.

Renter-Friendly Version: If you don't have a yard, you can drive a railroad spike into a pot of potting soil. Do this with four pots, then place one in each corner of your home. (This was my setup in my previous home.)

Next comes the doors. It's important to remember to place a ward at every door that leads to the outdoors, including back doors and side doors. Once again, I use iron for this, but this time in the form of horseshoes over the door. In Appalachian folk magic, horseshoes are always hung with the opening facing up, so that the horseshoe looks like the letter "U." This shape is believed to catch good fortune, like a bowl or a cup. It's said that hanging a horseshoe the other way, so that it looks like a "n," pours out the household's good luck.

When I hang the horseshoes over the door, I pray that my home be protected from all uninvited people and spirits, so that only those who were explicitly invited may enter.

Renter-Friendly Version: If you can't use nails, try hanging your horseshoes with command hooks or another renter-friendly alternative. If you can't put anything on the walls at all, you could use a doormat to anchor your ward instead.

Finally, it's time to ward the windows. Every window that looks onto the outdoors needs to be warded. For this, I use 1 inch by 1 inch craft mirrors. Mirrors are used a lot in Deep South traditions for their ability to reflect energy and send it back to its source, which makes them especially useful for protection magic. To ward a window, I place a craft mirror in the corner of the window (which corner doesn't matter) with the reflective side facing OUT of the house. I use clear packing tape to keep it in place. As I place the mirror, I pray that my home and the people who live there be protected from all spying (including psychic spying and spying via divination), gossip, and unwanted attention from outsiders.

This ward is more renter-friendly than the other two, but if you can't put things in your windows for whatever reason you could instead place a single mirror in each room in your home, then pray over each mirror as described above.

A note on maintaining your wards: Like I said, folk magic wards tend to be of the "set it and forget it" variety, but you will want to "feed" your wards every now and then to keep them strong and active. You can do this by anointing the objects anchoring your ward (in this case the railroad spikes, horseshoes, and mirrors) with protection oil. (You can make or buy a protection oil blend, or you can use regular olive oil that you've prayed over.) I like to feed my wards once a month.

Step Three: Calling in what you want

At this point, we've spent several hours getting rid of everything we don't want in our homes and making sure it can't come back. Now it's time for a step I think a lot of people tend to forget: inviting in what you DO want! If you skip this step, your home will remain an empty shell, which isn't very fun to live in.

I start by explicitly inviting in the deities and spirits I work with. (Yes, deities can probably get around my wards if they want to, but it's still polite to invite them in.) I do this by making an offering to them and officially welcoming them into my new home in a way that is appropriate for that specific spirit. Most of the spirits I work closely with enjoy coffee and whiskey, but your unseen allies may have different tastes.

As a side note, I also like to make sure I introduce myself to the house spirits already present in my new home. I usually do this with an offering before I start cleansing and warding, just to be polite.

Finally, I like to call in the energy/qualities I want to see in my new home. I want to fill the space with good vibes. I tend to be pretty lazy with this part. I am not above buying a pre-prepared spell candle from a witchy business I trust, lighting it up, and going about my day. Witch smarter, not harder.

Sources:

Beyer, R. (2023). Mountain Magic: Explore the Secrets of Old Time Witchcraft. Wellfleet.

Casas, S. (2017). Old style conjure: Hoodoo, Rootwork, & Folk Magic. Weiser Books.

National Mortgage Professional. (2025, March 25). Gen Z And Millennials Are Locked Out Of Homeownership. Retrieved April 6, 2026, from https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/gen-z-and-millennials-are-locked-out-homeownership

Richards, J. (2019). Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia. Weiser Books.

A folk grimoire of destagnation.

Those of us with European parents are undoubtedly familiar with the feeling of coming home from some trip, where your parents urge you to run through the house and open all the windows: "air out the house!" You speed around, kicking up dust, moving the air, slowly washing away the strange feeling of stillness that has contaminated your home. Air out the house. "Don't catch the draft," your parent yells up the stairs at you. The draft, of course, is never explicitly acknowledged to contain some ill-wishing spirit that will give you the flu, but everybody knows it does. And the same can be said for that stagnant air in the house, the silence permeating the walls.

So with regard to energy cleansing, I would first analyze why you feel the need to cleanse often. Some people do it a bit reflexively or get caught up in the idea that metaphysical muck builds up way faster than it actually does - the witchy equivalent of germophobia, really.

You mentioned in the comments that you're often in stressful social or familial situations and that other people's emotional energy tends to rub off on you, or at least disrupt your personal equilibrium. So it sounds like you've already identified a cause. And in such cases, rather than constantly doing what amounts to cleanup work after the fact, I'd recommend trying some personal grounding and shielding exercises to try and deflect or slough off disruptive energy when you're around it, so there's less that "sticks" to you in the first place.

There are a number of ways to go about both of these, mostly involving techniques which are common in mundane calming, focusing, or anti-anxiety exercises. I'd recommend looking up some tutorials and seeing what works best for you.

As an example, since I also have this problem sometimes, I shield myself before going into a situation that I know I might find stressful or overwhelming. My process consists of taking a minute or so in a quiet space (usually my car or the bathroom) to sit and slow my breathing and have a moment of Calm And Not Moving. I work best with some kind of visualization, so I picture a bubble or a wall or a suit of armor materializing around me. I imbue it with my own will, which sort of feels like painting the inside of the space you're standing in (if that makes sense), and give instructions for what the shield is meant to do. Usually, the instruction is something like, "Filter out enough disruptive or overbearing stimuli to keep me from becoming overwhelmed" or "Block out uninvited energy and let only my own exist inside this barrier." Sometimes I picture different materials - some days I can get by with a bubble, others need a brick wall or a circle of fire. It's never foolproof or 100% effective, but it does help. I'm also careful to remove myself from situations if it looks like they're going to became unmanageable and I have some way to exit or take a breather.

If I start feeling overwhelmed or like the feelings I'm feeling are intruding from outside, taking a breather helps, and so does grounding. Usually, grounding is an exercise that centers your focus in your own body to consciously release stress and tension so you can physically reset. But there's also a quick-and-dirty version that's a bit like offloading a static charge. Again, technique varies, but what I usually do is find something I can grab onto or put a hand on that runs directly into the ground. Failing that, I use my own feet or stick my hands under cold running water. I "gather up" the disruptive energy, that jittery unstable feeling, or emotions that feel intrusive and not-mine, and direct it into the object and down into the ground where they can harmlessly dissipate. Bit like a lightning rod.

And if I can't get away and just have to grin and bear it, I shower with intent when I get home, physically and metaphysically washing away the remnants of the day until only myself and my own energy remain.

Primary Element Jeweled Court Member: The Emerald God

Intent: To harness the power of the lunar cycle for the manifestation and fulfillment of wishes.

Materials:

Small Jar with tight-fitting lid

Chime candle & fire source

Oil for sealing

Herbs and Items representing your wish

Ideal Timing: Waxing or Full Moon

Find a clear space to work. Make sure it’s free of fire hazards. If possible, try to work near a window through which you can see the moon. (If you don’t have one, that’s all right too, since you’ll be setting the jar out for the moonlight when finished.) Light your candle, focus your intentions, and get to work.

Select herbs and trinkets which fit inside the jar to represent your wish. For example, if your wish is for money or prosperity, you might include coins or small craft gems. If your wish is for health, you might include vitamin pills or a charm representing medicine. Check your books for herbs or crystals that correspond to your wish as well. This is your wish - make the spell your own. The contents of the jar can be whatever you want.

Use the materials that resonate best with you, but remember that your focused intention is the most important component of all. If desired, you can write your wish on a dried leaf or a piece of paper to give the spell a clear direction to work in.

Some common plants associated with wish-making include:

Bamboo

Bay Leaf

Blue Violet

Dandelion Seeds

Dogwood Petals

Nutmeg

Peppermint

Sage Leaf (any color)

Sunflower Petals or Seeds

Once your jar is complete, drip three drops of wax from the candle into the jar and circle the mouth of the jar three times with the oil to seal the charm. Then cap the jar and seal it with wax. Leave your thumbprint in wax on top of the lid. Place the jar somewhere that it will be touched by the light of the full moon and leave it overnight.

The jar should work for about a month, or slightly longer if you’re working with a supermoon. When the next full moon rolls around, you can recharge the jar by leaving it out overnight again, or make a new jar with a new wish.

Recipe suggestions under the cut. (And if you like this spell, you'll love my books!)

Happy Witching! 🌕💜

Prepare for the blooming season and make sure you take those allergy meds - it’s time for the Pink Moon!

Pink Moon 🌸

Named for the appearance of spring flowers, in particular the early springtide ground phlox (also known as moss pinks), the Pink Moon often coincides with the first bloom of the season, with trees and fields in flower and a profusion of color returning to the world after the long bleak greyness of winter. Despite the name, the moon itself does not turn pink to match.

Falling on the mischievous occasion of April Fool's Day this year, the full moon will be at peak illumination at 10:12pm EDT.

North American indigenous names for this moon include Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin), Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit), Moon When The Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Planting Moon (Tunica), and Frog Moon (Cree). Alternate European names for the Pink Moon include Egg Moon and Budding Moon, and some modern pagan traditions call it the Awakening Moon.

The April full moon is also sometimes known as the Paschal Full Moon, being the first full moon after the spring equinox. The Christian Easter holiday, which has a floating date, occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon.

Farmer’s Proverb: A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

What Does It Mean For Witches? 🌸

The Pink Moon is a time for reconnecting with yourself and the world around you. The world is giving a good yawn and stretch after a long winter’s sleep and so can we! Get outside if you can and get some fresh air. Explore your area, especially if there’s something or someplace new you’ve been meaning to try. Revisit old haunts and discover what’s changed since the last time you were out and about.

Take a moment to assess your current goals and mark your progress. Celebrate your growth and learn from your setbacks. Assess your boundaries as well. Are you making enough time for yourself? Are you letting things or tasks or people intrude where they shouldn’t? Is there anywhere that you should be standing firm but aren’t?

Balance dedication to your work with playtime and relaxation. Remember that you are not required to set yourself on fire to keep others warm. Take time to care for your own needs and address those “I’m Sure It’s Nothing” health concerns you’ve been putting off.

What Witchy Things Can We Do? 🌸

By the time the Pink Moon comes around, there’s either one more cold spell working its’ way through or the first true warmth of spring beginning to appear. If the temperatures are rising to sunny pleasantry in your area, it’s the perfect time to start planting your garden.

Whether you have a few pots on a patio or a fully-planned plot or just some well-beloved houseplants, get your fingers into the dirt and transfer those seeds and sprouts to a nice fertile home. You can work various kinds of magic as you do, for growth, fertility, prosperity, tenacity, resilience, protection, whatever seems needful. (This can also be done separate from planting if you’re not growing a garden.) If you grow your own plants for your magical practice, you can also bless them for their intended purposes.

If you don’t garden (and not all of us do) but still want to work some plant magic, you can grab your field guide and pruning scissors and go foraging. You can pair last month’s Dig Through The Ditches exercise with some foraging and harvesting of the wild weeds growing in your area.

For a fun and easy full-moon spell, set out some gallon jugs of potable water to make Pink Moon Water. This will be excellent for watering your garden…and yourself! (Rainwater isn’t safe to drink these days, and water collected from wild sources is dicey even if you boil it, but drinking water works just fine.) You can also cast spells for creativity, change, fertility, happiness, adaptability, and growth. Use whatever methods resonate with you and remember that the most important component of any spell is the witch who casts it.

Furthermore, since this year's Pink Moon falls on April Fool's Day, if you're looking to create some magical mischief, you couldn't ask for a better occasion to do it!

Happy Pink Moon, witches! 🌕🌸

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

2026 Witches’ Calendar

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

April Pink Full Moon 2026: What the Phlox?, The Peculiar Brunette.

April 2026 Full Pink Moon: Paschal Moon Meaning, Folklore & Best Viewing Tips, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Wild Weed Harvests, Bree NicGarran.

April Fool's Day, Wikipedia article.

Easter and the Paschal Full Moon: Determining the Date of Easter, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

Image Source: NY Post, April 2024.

March 2026 Witch Guide

New Moon: March 18th

First Quarter: March 25th

Full moon: March 3rd

Last Quarter: March 11th

Sabbats: Ostara- March 20th

March Storm Moon

Also known as: Chaste Moon, Hrethmonath, Lenting Moon, Lentzinmanoth, Seed Moon & Worm Moon

Element: Water

Zodiac: Pisces & Aries

Nature spirts: Air spirts, water spirts & mer-people

Deities: Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Cybele, Isis, Luna & Minerva

Animals: Boar, cougar & hedgehog

Birds: Sea crow & sea eagle

Colors: Pale green, red-violet & yellow

Trees: Alder, dogwood & honeysuckle

Herbs: Apple blossom, high John root, Irish moss, pennyroyal, wood betony & yellow dock

Flowers: Daffodil, jonquil & violet

Scents: Apple blossom & honeysuckle

Stones: Amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, moonstone, obsidian, onyx, red zircon & topaz

Issues, intentions & powers: Astral, banishing, beginnings, empowerment, fertility & purification

Energy: Balance, beginnings, dream work, energy breaking into the open, exploring, growth, inner development, prospering, spiritual debt & truth seeking

March’s full Moon is often called the Worm Moon. It was thought this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring.

However, In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) & other Native American tribes & wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm”—beetle larvae—which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees & other winter hideouts at this time.

• Storm moon comes from heavy rains & gray skies abound — the earth is being showered with the life-giving water it needs to have a fertile & healthy growing season. This is also a time of equal parts light & darkness, so a time of balance.

This month’s full moon is a blood moon which is a full moon that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. This moon can have an unusually reddish appearance

Ostara

Known as: Alban Eilir, Lady Day, Spring Equinox & Vernal Equinox

Season: Spring

Element: Fire

Symbols: 8-Spoked wheel, butterflies, chicks, decorated baskets, eggs, feathers, hares, rabbits, seeds, shamrocks, spring flowers & sunwheels

Colors: Green, light-blue, indigo, pink, red, silver, violet, white & yellow

Oils/Incense: African violet, apple blossom, columbine, crocus, daffodil, daisy, florals, ginger, honey, honeysuckle, jasmine, jonquil, lilac, lotus, magnolia, narcissus, orange blossom, primrose, rain, rose, sage & strawberry

Animals: Bees, boar, butterflies, hare, hedgehogs, horse, rabbit, ram, sheep & snake

Birds: Chicks, cormorant, hawk, robin, sparrow & swallow

Stones: Amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, moonstone, red jasper & rose quartz

Mythical: Pooka & phoenix

Food: Asparagus, dairy foods, dill, eggs, fruit, honey, honey-cakes, lamb, leafy green vegetables, mead, pine nuts, pumpkin, radish, seafoods, spring onions, sprouts & sunflower seeds

Herbs/Plants: Acorn, broom, ginger, gorse, hyssop, high John root, Irish Moss, lemon grass, olive, strawberry, woodruff

Flowers: Apple blossom, columbine, crocus, daffodil, dandelion, daisy, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, jonquil, lilac, lily, linden, orange blossom, narcissus, peony, primrose, rose, snowdrop, tansy, tulip, violet

Trees: Alder, apple, ash, birch, dogwood, hawthorn, maple, yew

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Amalthea, Ariadne, Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Blodewedd, Coatlicue, Cybele, Demeter, Diana, Eos, Epona, Flora, Freya, Gaia, Guinevere, Hera, Idunn, Iris, Ishtar, Isis, Juno, Libera, Maia, Minerva, Ostara, Persephone, Rati, Renpet, Umaj, Venus, Vesta & Vila

Gods: Adonis, Aengus MacOg, Attis, Celi, Cernunnos, Coel, Dalon ap Landu, The Dagda, Dumuzi, Eros, The Green Man, Kama, Mithras, Odin, Osiris, Ovis, Pan & Thor

Tarot cards: The Empress, The Fool, The Magician, The Priestess, Strength, Justice & The Star

Spellwork: Altar rededication, beginnings, fire magick, new employment & new projects

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Agriculture, balance, beauty, fertility, growth, life, light, love, rebirth & renewal

Ostara

Ostara gets it’s name from Eostre, however the celebration isn’t based on her even though she is said to be interpreted as the goddess of spring, fertility & the dawn. There is very little information on Eostre and none have shown up before the eighth century because of disagreements on she had Celtic or Germanic origins.

People tend to believe Ostara is an ancient holiday at it’s core with an ancient goddess, but that may not be the truth. While most gods & goddesses have many myths & stories surrounding them, the same cannot be said about Eostre

It is still up for debate whether or not this goddess ever existed or if she was revered & celebrated the ways she’s been in the more recent years.

•Like many other spring celebrations in other cultures, Ostara symbolizes fertility, rebirth & renewal. This time of year marking the beginning of the agricultural cycle when farmers would start planting seeds.

No-salt dough offering coin craft:

Spring is a wonderful start to leave offerings to nature or start an outdoor altar, it’s great way to be outside & connect with your practice. However with any outdoor working, you want to be sure whatever you leave doesn’t negatively impact the environment or critters around the area. These no salt dough coins can be a replacement both indoors & outdoors for food offering when leaving food or drinks on your altar isn’t practical.

Prep time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour

Ingredients

1/2cup of cornstarch

1cup baking soda

2/4cup water

Preparation

Step 1Preheat your oven to the lowest setting or 170 degrees F

Step 2Start by cleaning & cleansing your space

Step 3Mix the cornstarch and baking soda together in a medium/large sauce pan, using a whisk (or fork) to break up any clumps until it dissolves

Step 4Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat

Step 5Stir until the mixture thickens with a wooden spoon

Step 6Remove from the heat immediately and turn it out on a flat surface

Step 7knead the mixture until it forms dough but be careful as it should still should be hot

Step 8Form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic so it doesn't dry out

Step 9Wait 5-10 minutes, then unwrap to knead again until the dough is smooth

Step 10Pull off a thumb sized amount of dough, roll it into a ball, then flatten it with your palm. While doing this you can say prayers of thanks or spells into them

Step 11Optional: Add runes, words of thanks, symbols, ect into the dough with a knife or toothpick

Step 12Place coins on parchment paper lined sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes, flipping half way though

Step 13Take them out and let cool on a rack if you have it. Be sure to let cool completely before storing them

Activities:

•Go on a hike/walk & look for signs of spring

• Add Ostara symbols to decorate your altar space

• Plant vegetable &/or flower seedlings indoors after blessing the seeds

• Color bight, decorate & hunt eggs

• Set your intentions for the weeks/months ahead

• Start a new class or hobby

• Create eggshell candles

• Make plans & new routines for the future

• Participate in rituals & ceremonies that connect you with energy & the life force of nature

• Have a feast with your friends &/family with sprouts & leafy greens

• Bake hot cross buns

• Clean & de-clutter your home

• Try a re-birthing/ renewing ritual

• Bring fresh flowers or plants into into the home

• Host a spring & floral themed tea party

• Make egg based food dishes & desserts

• Assist houseless individuals as most temporary shelters will soon be closing

Related festivals:

• Nowruz: March 20th-

Nowruz marks the first day of spring & renewal of nature. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox. It is also celebrated as the beginning of the new year by people all around the world for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East & other regions.

It promotes values of peace & solidarity between generations & within families as well as reconciliation & neighborliness. Nowruz plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples based on mutual respect & the ideals of peace and good neighborliness.

Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire & water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, symbolic objects & more; these customs differ between the diverse peoples & countries that celebrate the festival.

• Holi: March 4th-

Holi is a popular & significant Hindu festival celebrated as the The festival of colors, Love &Spring. It commemorates eternal and divine love of the deities Radha & Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it celebratess the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. Holi originated & is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia & parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.

The festival has many purposes; most prominently, it celebrates the beginning of spring. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests & the fertile land. It’s believed to be a time to enjoying spring’s abundant colours & say farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark an occasion to reset & renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts, & rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from the past

It also has a religious purpose, symbolically signified by the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi. People gather near fires, sing & dance. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated.

•Easter: April 5th-

Also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival & cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, & penance.

Easter traditions vary across the Christian world & include sunrise services or late-night vigils, exclamations & exchanges of Paschal greetings, flowering the cross & the decoration and the communal breaking of Easter eggs (a symbol of the empty tomb) among many others. The Easter lily is a symbol of the resurrection in Western Christianity traditionally decorates the chancel area of churches on this day & for the rest of Eastertide. Additional customs that have become associated with Easter & are observed by both Christians & some non-Christians include Easter parades, communal dancing, the Easter Bunny & egg hunting.

Other celebrations:

• Festival of Luna: March 31st-

Is a feast day honoring the Goddess Luna who is seen as the divine embodiment of the Moon.

The Temple of Luna was a temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome, dedicated to Luna, the moon goddess. Its dedication was celebrated on March 31st, thus the celebration.

According to Tacitus, it was built by king Servius Tullius. However, the first confirmed reference to a temple to Luna dates to 182 BC & refers to one of its doors being knocked off its posts by a miraculous blast of air & shot into the back of the Temple of Ceres. That account probably places the temple at the north end of the hill, just above porta Trigemina. The temple was struck by lightning around the time of the death of Cinna, as was the temple of Ceres. After the destruction of Corinth, Lucius Mummius Achaicus dedicated some of his spoils from the city to this temple. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD & not rebuilt.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

Encyclopedia Britannica

A Witch’s Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2026 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

Llewellyn’s Sabbats Almanac 2026

Illuminate My Path A sunshine inspired tarot spread

This tarot spread has been inspired by the Sunshine that has been gracing my home in recent weeks; all is aglow and all in bright, and thus it feels right to utilise this Sunshine to shed some light onto ourselves and see where we are headed.

1. The Ground: Just where is your current path based? In what, is your foundation; your beginning; your inspiration? What drives you? Is it growth? Learning? Spirituality? This card will tell you.

2. The Sky: Where will this path take you? You are headed up and away, but where is up and away? What will following this path lead you towards? Fulfillment, hurt, or something else entirely,…

3. The 1st Branch (physical): Paths often wind and twist and branch off into new and interesting places - where else will this path lead to? What opportunities that you did not expect will reveal themselves to you should you continue on this journey?

4. The 2nd Branch (emotional): This path may open up or make you vulnerable to new emotions and feelings; how does this path make you feel and how can you deal with these emotions?

There are lots of ways to create spells, from planning everything to the minutest detail ahead of time to absolutely flying by the seat of your pants in the moment. If you'd like to write your own spells, either for use in your craft or as a creative exercise, here are some suggested steps that I use in my own practice:

1) Determine the intent or goal of your spell. Decide, first and foremost, what you want the spell to do. Refine your goal if necessary and try not to be too nebulous. Your intent tells the spell what it's meant to do. A more focused goal may increase the chances of success.

2) Determine how you want the spell to manifest. Decide how the spell should work and what the result should look like. This is a good time to build in a sign of success, especially for spells that may not work in an obvious or visible way.

3) Determine what or whom the spell will affect. If the spell is to have a target, be it a person or a place or an animal or an object, decide what that should be and how they or it will be represented in the casting.

4) Determine how long the spell is meant to work. If your spell is timebound or has a deadline, decide what that will be. If the spell is meant to work long-term, you may want to check in and refresh it from time to time. (Not every spell will be timebound. Many spells will simply expire when they have fulfilled their purpose or if they are blocked or circumstances are not favorable.)

5) Determine the timing of the spell, if applicable. Not everyone uses celestial or astrological timing for their spells, but if you do, look into the prevailing conditions and decide on an advantageous time for your casting. (Please note that magical timing can only enhance your spell and casting something on the "wrong" day will not necessarily cause it to fail.)

6) Determine what methods and materials you want to use to cast the spell. Decide how you're going to go about performing the casting, whether you're doing a ritual or making a charm or just using energy. If you're going to need a ritual space or physical components, plan that out and make sure it fits with what you want to do.

7) Determine the words, if any, which will empower the spell. If you want to include a prayer or a petition or a song or an incantation with your spell, decide what that should be. This is not strictly necessary and the words need not be spoken aloud. (Rhyming incantations are not required, but if you prefer them that way, you can certainly do so.)

8) Prepare the materials for casting the spell. Get all your necessaries together ahead of time. Make sure you have everything you need, that tools and components are in good and useable condition, prepare your workspace, and make sure everything is within easy reach so you don't have to stop and search for things in the middle of your casting. (And for goodness sake, if you're working with open flame, observe fire safety and tie your hair and sleeves back.)

9) Finalize details and perform the casting. When you're ready to begin, try to eliminate as many possibilities for distraction or interruption as possible. Go over your spell and components one more time, then proceed with casting the spell.

10) Record the particulars for future reference and to determine how well the spell worked. Make a record of the spell, including your goal, how it should manifest, the words and components used, the date of the casting, the casting method and procedure, and how the casting went. If there are any additional details or observations that seem important, include those as well. This will serve as a useful learning tool in the future and will allow you to check your work if the results make themselves known.

It's useful to write spells from time to time if the inspiration strikes you, in order to better understand how they fit together and how they work. Plus it's a fun and creative journaling exercise and recording the spells you cast a great way to measure your progress later on.

For additional tips on writing your own spells and helpful tricks for using timing and available materials to your advantage, check out my podcast, Hex Positive, Eps. 006-007, "Come In For A Spell, pt 1 & 2."

More Witchcraft Exercises Here

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"It is as I will it. "

"As I speak it so it is. "

"This I command."

This is by my power."

"This I manifest."

"By me and the powers that be."

"Because I fucking said so."