collected witchcraft for beginners

It's that time of year again! It's October, the leaves are turning colors, the pumpkin spice craze is back. Yes, Samhain!

So first... yes it's pronounced Sah-wen, but I can't help but say it in my head as Sam-hayne, sue me.

What is Samhain?

Samhain is one of four ancient Fire Festivals that many witches, druids, and pagans alike celebrate. Samhain is on October 31st and November 1st in between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. It marks the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. This is also the ancient Celts' New Year day. It is also a time to celebrate the dead or ancestors. They believed that the veil between worlds was thinnest on this day.

Where Did Samhain Originate?

Ancient Celts were the folks who are first recorded to celebrate Samhain, hence it's name being an old Gaelic name. However, Celtic revivalists and other pagans have helped the holiday gain more popularity over the years.

What are Some Samhain Traditions?

The oldest traditions of Samhain involve putting out the hearth's fire in their homes, harvesting crops, and lighting a community bonfire. They did this by using a wheel that which would then cause friction and spark a fire. This wheel represented the sun and was used along with prayers. They would offer sacrifices of cattle and when the festival was over, take a flame form the community fire home with them to relight their own hearth.

More modern tradition include:

Bonfires

Creating Alters for the dead or for associated deities

Creating Feasts

Making Pastries

Communing with Spirits

and more!

Can I Celebrate Samhain?

Despite what some people (though very few) will tell you, anyone of any origin can celebrate Samhain! Just be sure to educate yourself and don't disrespect the ancient tradition or deities involved in this sacred holiday.

Associations:

(These are not Traditional associations, they are modern pagan associations)

Deities: The Morrigan is the main deity for this day, however, over the years as paganism has become a melting pot of pantheons, people have also considered other gods to be associated with the holiday such as: Pomona, Cernunnos, Anubis, Odin, Osiris, and Hecate to name a few.

Colors: Red, yellow, orange, most warm colors, black

Herbs: Mugwort, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, sandalwood, and dragon's blood.

Stones and Metals: Onyx, obsidian, tiger's eye, smoky quartz, ruby, copper, brass, Jet, black stones in general, darker red stones, etc.

Of course this is a list of the most common associations. If you have an item or god that you associate with the holiday you are more than welcome to celebrate with them! I am not one to gatekeep a holiday. :)

Here is my Success Jar!! This is the one I take to all of my acting auditions and helps me focus on success. 

Ingredients:

Salt - cleansing

Eggshells - strength

Black pepper - vitality

Cinnamon - prosperity

Powdered sugar - sweeten thy words

Rose petals - confidence

Thyme - courage

Rosemary - focus

Saffron - wealth

White candle - purity

Light your candle. Wash out your eggshell with soap and water (I recommend saving an eggshell from cooking so there’s no waste). Combine all ingredients with a mortar and pestle, reciting the magical attribute for each one as you go. Add the mixture to a small jar and seal with candle wax. Charge in moonlight the night before you need it, and carry it with you to the important event you need to succeed in. 

Crystals: Pyrite, Orange Fire Opal, Citrine, Amber, Clear Quartz, Topaz, Jade, Rose Quartz, Emerald, Tiger’s Eye, Peridot, Aventurine, Sapphire, Diamond, Labradorite, and Amethyst.

Herbs: Alfalfa, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Allspice, Ginger, Basil, Cinnamon,  Chamomile, Cedar, Honeysuckle Poppy Seeds, Nutmeg, and Cloves.

Incense: Jasmine, Patchouli, Vanilla, Clove, Pine, Cinnamon, Vetiver, Saffron, and Dragon’s Blood.

Essential Oils: Orange, Myrrh, Clove, Cinnamon,  Frankincense, Sandalwood, Galbanum, Patchouli, and Spikenard.

Sometimes, those you care about are having a rough time. And you want to help! It’s natural to want to use what you know to help others. Here’s a spell I use to do just that.

What You Need:

turquoise

amethyst

lavender

rose petals

red candle

Now, set it all up. Candle in the middle, I sprinkled the lavender and rose petals around said candle. The lavender is to help soothe my particular person’s deep sadness, while the rose petals symbolize my love for them. 

I held the amethyst in one hand, for protection and clearing mind clutter, allowing for clarity and healing. Turquoise for another type of protection, more physical. Both to help clear the person’s mind and aid them.

Then, I focused. Focused on how much I cared for the person, how much they meant to me, times we’d had in the past that meant so much to me. I thought of how my strength was given to them and how I wanted them to be better and safer and feel loved. 

A simple ritual to help someone who’s passed find peace.

Ingredients:

A small candle (white or black is good, or a color you associate with the deceased)

A small piece of paper and pen/pencil

Rosemary oil or leaves

Thyme

Violet, marigold, or rose petals

Ground clove

A pinch of sugar (any kind)

A small candle-safe bowl/holder (needs to be a bit larger than the candle itself so herbs can be placed around)

1.) Write the name of the person on the piece of paper. Write what you wish for them (peace, rest, happiness, love, reunions, etc.).

2.) Place the paper under the candle. If you have rosemary oil, rub the candle with it lightly. If you have the leaves, you can stick them into the candle in a ring around the outer edge.

3.) Create a ring around the candle with the herbs and petals. Sprinkle the sugar around on top last.

4.) Light the candle and say the person’s name and the things you wished for them.

5.) Leave the candle burning as long as you are able, but it’s okay if that’s a short amount of time.

Ostara Honey Cake

This will be my first Ostara so I’ve been putting together my recipes for the event. The following recipe is a dairy and egg free cake with a hint of honey; a simple recipe I’ve modified. It can even be gluten free if you substitute a gluten free all purpose flour (I personally like Bob’s Mill) Perfect desert for the sabbat! It’s simple, not overly sweet, and I’ll be putting a light lemon glaze on top, but it would be wonderful plain. A perfect finish to bring in Spring/Summer.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup honey, warmed 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oil 2 cups water

Directions:

Imbolc is a sabbat which some celebrate to welcome the Celtic goddess Brighid, a deity of fire and fertility. Imbolc can also be celebrated as winter gradually coming to a close with the days getting longer, and the seasonal and agricultural implications of that. Either way, it is a festival of light and new beginnings, and is celebrated with fire and joy.

Before Imbolc - A time for resting

Do not make new plans

Sleep as much as possible

Take care of your body

Take hot baths and moisturize your skin

Arts & Crafts

Brighid rules art and creativity – do anything artistic! Your creative skills are at a peak this time of year. If you’ve been in a rut, now is a good time to do some self-cleansing and bring yourself out of it.

Decorate a candle with spring leaves and flowers

Make a Brighid’s bed

Make a Brighid’s cross

Make a Brighid mantle out of a green cloth long enough to wrap around your shoulders. Leave it on your doorstep on the night of Imbolc and Brighid will bless it for you. In the morning, wrap yourself in the mantle to feel her healing energy.

Make Brighid wheels and hang them on or above your door

Make a corn doll

Make a priapic (acorn-tipped) wand

Make a sun-catcher

Make ice candles

Make paper snowflakes and hang them around your home

Put together a playlist that reminds you of the season or of Brighid

Start a dream diary

Write a poem about spring

Write in your grimoire about the season, the sabbat, and what all of it means to you personally

Cleaning & Cleansing

Clean off your altar and redo it

Clean your home

Consecrate tools that will be consumed throughout the year (candles, incense, ritual tools, etc. that you plant to use for spell casting)

Consecrate your agricultural tools

If you do not feel ready to charge or consecrate your own tools, leave them with an offering in a windowsill to be blessed by your deity overnight

Rearrange the furniture in your home.

Refresh any crystal grids or salt lines around your home.

Cooking

Make braided bread

Make your own butter

Use milk in your cooking to represent spring lambing

Decorating & Gardening

Place a besom at the front door to symbolize purification and cleansing

Plant bulbs and new seeds in your garden

Put a grain effigy and a phallic wand in a basket next to the hearth or candles at night to welcome Brighid

Remove Yuletide greens and burn or dispose of them (make sure your greens are safe to burn and always practice fire safety)

Spell-casting & Divination

Cast spells for prosperity and new beginnings

Dip a ribbon into a natural body of water (or moon water, if there is no natural water near you) and tie it to a branch in your yard to welcome hope and healing

Dismantle old spells (jars, talismans, etc) and use what remains to charge new spells. The recycled energy will make the new spells even stronger.

Explore some love or fertility magic

Healing spells are extra powerful this month. Before or during Imbolc when the moon is waning, take time to banish or release any illnesses affecting your or your loved ones. Afterwards, when the moon is waxing, perform spells to draw in healing energies.

Practice lithomancy

Take time to focus on divination and increasing your own magical abilities

Use your priapic wand in your garden to awaken trees and plants from their winter slumber

Other Activities

Go out to a local park or forest and pick up litter to help make way for new spring growth

Light candles in your garden to purify and invigorate them for the coming growing season

Pour some milk onto the earth as an offering and ask that the coming year brings you what you need

Prepare homemade remedies to use through the rest of the year

Put out bread, milk, grains and/or seeds for Brighid on Her eve

Sit out under the moon with some chamomile tea and appreciate the view!

Visit a lake, stream or other body of water and go for a swim (or meditate if it’s too cold for that!)

Welcome the sun by lighting a candle (or all your candles!) at sunrise and/or sunset

After Imbolc - A time for cleansing

Clean the home and prepare for spring

Do a body cleanse

Open windows to let in fresh air

Rearrange your furniture

Replace your home air filters

Imbolc is celebrated on or around February first to welcome the earliest beginnings of spring.

Last Spring I delved into gardening more than I ever had before. I planted all kinds of flowers, trees, herbs, shrubs, and more! It was fantastical to dig in the dirt and care for these plants, watching them bloom and grow and stretch toward the sun.

Then winter came and one by one many of my plants began to whiter or stop giving off blooms. This is obviously upsetting but also a reminder to contemplate the nature of life and death and everything in-between. 

However, there is a simple way to help bring that joy of plants and growing into the home through houseplants! Below I have provided some house plants that I personally care for as well as both mundane and magical properties of the plant.  

💐 Devil’s Ivy (Pothos)💐

Devil’s Ivy is one of the easiest plants to care for in the home.

Mundane Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Only water the plant every two weeks (over-watering is the most common way to kill a devil’s ivy and under-watering rarely harms the plant).

The plant is toxic to both you and pets. So if you have any familiars lurking about that like to munch on things keep it out of reach!

The plant is easy to propagate and after a while you can have hundreds of them around your home.

If your plant looses a leaf it will never grow back on that part of the stem.

Pothos is fairly slow growing but will live for decades if properly taken care of.

Magical Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Save stems you trim off to be used in binding or banishment spells.

Like most ivy, growth this plant around the walls or floors of your home can protect it.

Can be used in witch jars as a form of poison magic.

💐 Spider Plant💐

Mundane Properties (Spider Plant):

A spider plant is a great addition to every home!

Although all plants will remove toxins from the air, Spider Plants are one of the most effective house plants and achieving this goal.

Over-watering is the leading cause of death for plants at home.

The plant, when happy, sends off shoots that produce babies which can easily be snipped off and potted to create more plants.

This plant is non-toxic and is safe around familiars and people!

They prefer a bright North or East facing window.

Magical Properties (Spider Plant):

Spider Plants can be used in all kinds or protection magic.

The pups can be cut off and placed in a spell jar to filter out bad spiritual energy.

Long stems and leaves of the plant can be tied into a witch’s ladder for protection.

Placed on your altar the plant can help equalizes the energy of your altar and tools placed upon it. 

💐 String of Pearls💐

Mundane Properties (String of Pearls):

The String of Pearls can be a difficult plant to get right, however, once you do you will be happy with the beauty it can bring into your home.

This plant requires a fairly consistent temperature (room temperature or a bit warmer is perfect for this girl).

Make sure to place this plant away from any breezes (windows, fans, and vents can cause this plant to stop growing and possibly die).

Only water this plant when the soil is completely dry, take care to ensure the pot you have it in has good drainage.

You may need to work carefully with the String of Pearls to unravel it’s many creeping tendrils and prevent it from looking a mess.

It may take a few tries but the String of Pearls is a fairly easy plant to propagate and give to friends.

Fairly fast growing in the right conditions. 

Needs very bright light.

Slightly toxic when consumed, some people are also receptive to the juice and sap of the plant.

Magical Properties (String of Pearls):

The fairly fast growing tendrils can be snipped (this does not hurt the plant) and be used in love charms and love magic.

Growing in the home, the plant promotes positive energy and happiness.

Pearls which fall from the plant can be used in divination bags once dried.

When the plant flowers the energy surrounding is perfect to use in all magics wishing to draw something to you.

With the holiday season coming up and hours getting increased at work + seasonal jobs opening up, as well as companies screaming at you constantly “BUY, BUY, BUY!”, this is the time of year I feel most inclined to spend. We may even feel inclined to buy the most extravagant presents for our loved ones when we know we can’t afford it. Or maybe you just have a chronic reckless spending problem, and you need to stop buying for now and save for the future. This spell will bind you from reckless spending so you won’t feel caught up in the materialism that is the Christmas season. ✨

Moon phase;

preferably a new moon, but you can perform this on any night of the waning cycle (I’m performing mine this upcoming new moon on November 7).

Materials;

1 blue candle for willpower, patience, and focus.

1 piece of green aventurine (or any crystal that represents money for you)

1 receipt from something you bought but didn’t need (I had a few in the bottom of my purse, but if you can’t find any, you could even print out your bank statement, cut out a transaction of something you didn’t need, & wrap it in that)

1 black ribbon

Incantation;

“My need to recklessly spend money is tightly bound

And I bury those urges deep into the ground.

I want and am able to save money.

I am financially responsible so my future can be comfy.

This is my will, so mote it be.”

Directions;

As you say the incantation, wrap the crystal in the receipt and then bind it together with the black ribbon. When finished, circle it around the flame of the candle counter clockwise before blowing it out. Then bury it outside so you will never see it again.

This simple, yet potent, spell dates back to antiquity and is a Halloween tradition among many witches.  To perform this spell, you will need three things: an ordinary mirror, a candle that has never been lit before, and a sincere wish.

Begin after sunset on Halloween night by lighting the candle with a match.  (If you desire, you may anoint the candle with three drops of your favorite ritual oil prior to working this spell.)  

Turn off all the lights and stand before the mirror, holding the lit candle in your power hand.  (The hand you normally use for writing.)  

Gaze into the reflection of your own eyes and clear your mind of all thoughts, except for those pertaining to your wish.  

Visualize your wish coming true as you whisper the following incantation:

Hi there! I decided to post this because it’s been extremely helpful for me, and I’m sure it will be for everyone else too!! It’s a super easy spell I love to do.

This spell can get rid of your doubts or can get rid of a negative situation.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Piece of paper. Lined or printer is fine.

Black pen or marker.

The elements, be safe with them.

STEPS:

First, write down every single doubt you have on that piece of paper, or instead, write down the situation you want to get out of.

If you’re using fire,

BURN THAT BITCH.

If you’re using water,

DROWN THAT BITCH.

If you’re using the earth,

BURY THAT BITCH.

If you’re using air,

FLY THAT BITCH.

That’s it.

For fire, burn it and rid of the ashes. For water, soak it until the words are unreadable then flush it down the toilet. Earth, bury it. Air, rip it up on a windy day and throw it into the wind.

Using the elements will allow the negativity to detach from you.

Do this as many times as you need to, and let me know how it works for you, I love feedback!

A health potion recipe I made for my little sisters cold/flu!

1. Apple juice or apple pieces and water (as a base, and for love for yourself or the sick friend)

2. Ginger (antiseptic and good for chest problems)

3. Cinnamon (cleansing, healing, and digestion)

4. Cloves and anise (cleansing, healing and antiseptic properties )

5. Honey

6. Salt

STEPS

1. Simmer the apple juice, or apple pieces in water

2. Add the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and anise, focusing on the meaning of each ingredient.

3. Add 3 very very small pinches of salt for cleansing; one for the body, one for mind, one for the spirit.

4. Add honey for binding

5. Stir counterclockwise as you visualise banishing the sickness

6. Hum or sing a prayer, chant, or something soothing.

(7). Optional: I asked for the god and goddesses blessings, and sealed it with a kiss.

8. Strain into a cup and enjoy!

If you’re like me and love harvest season (especially the Harvest Festival!), but are student with limited resources as far as cooking goes, you’ll be looking for a simple bread recipe that could be baked in a dorm.

I’m not sure about ya’ll universities, but mine allows me to have a crockpot/slow cooker in the dorm as well as a microwave. So here is a recipe for harvest bread that is perfect for dorm cooking!

Ingredients

3 cups flour

¾ teaspoon yeast

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups warm water 

olive oil

Supplies

Large bowl

parchment paper

slow cooker/crockpot

Steps to Make Dough

Add flour, yeast and salt to your bowl

Stir it all thoroughly

Add your water to the mixture 

Stir until dough forms

Lightly oil the outside of the dough ball

cover bowl with plastic wrap

Let rise for 6-8 hours is a warm dark space

fold dough in on itself on an oiled counter top

Let rise for another hour

Steps to Bake Loaf

Set your slow cooker to it’s highest setting

Place shaped loaf on top of parchment paper in slow cooker

Cover with lid

Check loaf after 1 hour, since baking time varies if it is not cooked after 1 hour, check every 15-30 minutes until done.

Let cool and Enjoy!

🎃 time for my yearly samhain giveaway!! 

winner will be decided October 30th, 2018, Samhain. 12:00 EST. i’ll message/inbox you, please answer within 24hrs or a new winner will be picked, i will ship international. must be 18+ to enter!

🎃  need to be following this blog to win!

🎃  please don’t reblog to giveaway blogs please! (nor tag it as one)

🎃  winners will be chosen randomly by an online number generator.