moaning myrtle

*This is the ritual I wrote to preform for tonight, I have not yet attempted it. This is an original spell so please please please don’t repost but reblogs are fine!*

*Also if you don’t have all of this stuff that’s fine! Just replace it or simply don’t use it. Feel free to adjust accordingly.*

First and foremost, take a shower, and cleanse the place that you are working with. I use a desk with a glass surface to practice my craft so I plan on wiping that down with lavender oil and water. Then I will smoke cleanse the room with cedar. 

Gather:

2 white pillar candles

One green candle

Floral incense (or whatever you have)

Offering dish or crystal dish

Amethyst, smoky quartz, blue lace agate, green adventurine, rose quartz

Lavender, rose petals

Steps:

Arrange your crystals and set your crystals in dish.

Light your incense and spend a few moments just watching the smoke and imagine it cleansing any residual energy. This is a spell of renewal so there is no room for anything stagnant. 

Light your white pillar candles and watch the flames for a moment, imagining it sparking change. 

Light the green candle and and spend some time visualizing all the blessings that you want to welcome into your life. This could be a new job, a new adventure, spending peaceful time with your loved ones, or just overall joy and happiness. Really focus on this to the point that you actually feel it happening. 

Take the lavender and sprinkle around candles and into crystal dish and repeat:

                     “I have pushed through the dirt

                      Like the first bud of spring

                      I invite into my life

                      That which makes my heart sing”

       6. Next take the rose petals and sprinkle around candles and in dish while              repeating:

                    “This time of suffering is now over

                     And it is time for rebirth

                     I will feel myself bloom

                     With my roots planted in the. Earth”

       7. When you feel ready thank your deities/universe/whatever you believe in             for all the blessings that are soon to come into fruition and the ones that you already have.

When taking something from nature, such as herbs, it is nice to give something back. You can leave these lovely air-dry stones in places such as the forest as a way to say thank you. Leaving these in nature is also totally safe for the environment. You can also offer these to a god/goddess.

Recipe:

2 cups of baking soda

1 cup of corn starch

1 ½ cups cold water

Mix until smooth, then put it in a pan and stir until it boils. Keep stirring until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Let it cool and take the clay out of the pan. It should feel really smooth and you will probably play with it alot before you are even going to make the stones :)

I added some herbs and flowers, such as rosemary, lavender, roses, carnations, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, some blue flowers of which I don’t know the name and some orange berries that I found near the park.

I just made a little ball, then made a hole in it and added some herbs.

Now you can decorate it! You can add anything and shape them in any way you want. As you can see I made some squares, hearts, blobs and even an easter egg :) I’ve seen some people use glitter and I recommend you don’t add any glitter since that is actually bad for the environment. I tried using normal white sugar as an alternative, but i noticed that the stones got kind of wet, which I should’ve seen coming. Not sure what’s going to happen when it dries so I’ll keep you guys updated.

I’m so happy with these and I am definitely going to use these for Ostara ^^ Of course you can use this recipe to make anything you want, not just offering stones. 

the following things, considered to be a sign of upcoming death - or even something that would bring death upon someone - are widely present in many branches of slavic beliefs. they are deeply rooted in the belief in magic - and even if now thought by many to be merely folk superstition, they were once a very set and important way of recognizing signs, foretelling the future, and protecting yourself and your household - way of life if you will.

considering my research and sources I’m using focus mainly on Polish folklore (with lesser additions from other slavic countries) I refrained from using the universal “slavic” title and categorization.  

however, keep in mind that many of those will be present in the folklore of other slavic (especially east and west) lands.

birds:

- if a rooster crows three times, it means the death is coming - similarly, if he crows at night. if a hen crows similarly to the rooster, it should be killed because it is a terrible omen

- killing a stork will bring death upon the killer and misery upon the entire village

- if a swallow hits the window and dies, it foretells a death of someone in the household

- if you hear a cuckoo while staring at the ground or looking down it means death will get you before the year ends

- if a woodpecker pecks at the door or threshold of a house it warns you about the upcoming death

- if a woman sees a black pigeon it is a sign she will soon be a widow

- if an owl hoots throughout the night near the household it is a sign that someone will soon die

- if a jay sits upon the roof, someone in the household will die

- if a nightingale sings while someone is sick or dying, it means their death will be peaceful and painless

- crows, raven, and jackdaws circling above the household were the most agreed upon death omen

dogs:

- if a dog howls relentlessly at night, it means someone will die

- if a dog howls precisely three times, it means that someone just died and their soul passed close-by

- if a dog howls while looking down on the ground, it means he sees death itself coming for someone

- if a dog keeps digging in the ground in one place it is a sign of a grave having to be dug soon

- if a dog dies while its master is sick it is a sign the person will die as well

plants:

- cutting down an elderberry would bring death upon the person who did it; cutting one growing above a pond or stream would poison the water

- a lonely tree in a field, especially if dead or slanted, would bring bad luck, demons, or even death upon someone who touched it or sat beneath it

- digging up a rowan or a  hazel tree (or destroying its roots) would bring death upon the one who did it

snakes:

- killing a household or barn snake would bring bad luck, illnesses or death upon the family

- if a child was sick and a household snake died it was a sign the child would die as well

dead, corpses, funerals:

- if someone points a finger at a funeral procession, they bring death upon themselves

- falling asleep in the room where a body of the deceased was kept would bring sickness and death on the person – similarly if someone sat or put anything between the legs of the dead

- if you look a dead person in the eyes they might take you with them

- if you do not belong to the closest family of the dead person or you are not the one appointed to carry out funerary preparations, touching the corpse might bring death upon you

- if someone looks through the window of the room and sees the deceased, that person will die soon

- if the funeral procession stops randomly while going through the village, someone will die in the house by which they stopped

- do not look behind you while in the procession, as the dead person’s soul might be following and will take you with it

spring and Kupala’s Night:

- if someone fences off his household in spring – or during Kupala’s Night St. John’s Eve – and drives the stakes through the ground, they will die before autumn

- if someone bathes in a pond or river before Kupala’s Night or St. John’s Eve they might die, killed by “the evil in the water” (usually topielce, boginki, witches, evil spirits etc)

these are, in all honesty, just a part of nearly countless beliefs and superstitions connected to death - and the signs and omens. 

if anyone - especially my Slavic followers - knows more and has something to add, please do so, I’d greatly appreciate it.

As yall know, ive been having a rough week. So i decided this morning that it was time to make a witch’s ladder and get my shit back together.

For those who are new to the craft, a witch’s ladder is a braided group of strings with items placed in it at regular intervals. It can be used to help meditate or to cast a spell.

When you’re making a witch’s ladder (or doing really any kind of magic) it’s important to think about correspondences! I picked these colors because they correspond with my intent. Earlier this week i disappointed my Sisters and i want to cast a spell to heal the rift that i created. Purple was chosen because it signifies familial love, the thing i want to preserve. Black signifies protection, in this case protecting our relationship. Blue signifies peace and healing, both things i want to bring to our relationship.

Numbers matter too! I cut each strand of yarn to be 3ft long. 3 is my number, and if youre familiar with numerology you probably have one too.

Make sure to cleanse and consecrate all your materials before you begin the braiding process!

When you have your strands, pull them together into a knot and visualize binding your intent to that knot. Visualization is KEY to getting your spells to be effective. Visualize yourself as already having what you want. In this case, i visualized becoming closer to my Sisters.

Find some items that you want to tie into your ladder. Numerology is important here too. I chose 27 items because 3x3x3 is 27 (or three, three times). That gives this number extra power.

The items can be pretty much anything. Organic things are especially powerful, which is why feathers, plants and seashells are often used. You cant find real feathers where im from so i got some fake ones in colors that correspond to my intent. Symbols are important, so it works pretty much the same. 

If you’re having trouble getting beads onto a larger string like yarn use a needle to pull the yarn through. Even in doing that i couldnt get the pendant to go on so i traded it out for a pearl.

When you’re braiding the strands together, raise power. You can do this by chanting or humming or reciting something, but i find that singing works better for me. Just stay in the moment and visualize your intent. When you finish braiding, shout or say something final when you tie the last knot to truly bind your intent into the braid and keep it there.

When you’re done, hang your ladder somewhere that youll see it often. I might move mine to my Book of Shadows when i finish it.

Every single time you do something good, you’ve made a decision to make the world a little brighter.

Stop trying so hard. Which is a bitch of a thing to say I know, but hang with me.

We have this really weird notion in our head that meditation looks like sitting silent in a dark room doing nothing and thinking nothing, and that’s… that’s not accurate?

Meditation is just spending quality time with yourself. It’s hanging out with your best friend on a nice summer day or chilling in a basement doing absolutely nothing except whatever you feel like. 

Except your best friend is you.

It’s sitting in your favourite chair knitting. It’s writing in your diary. It’s going for a long but not strenuous walk. It’s dancing to your favourite song. It’s skipping rocks in a pond. It’s playing tetris. It’s stimming. It’s reciting your favourite prayer/poem sixteen times. It’s brushing and replaiting your hair. It’s sweeping the floor, or doing the dishes, or washing windows, or polishing the good wood furniture. It’s giving yourself a pedicure. It’s setting the alarm ten minutes early so you can drink coffee staring out the window at the sunrise before anyone else wakes up. It’s a bath, at midnight, with only a candle. (And you’re starting to be, “wait J some of these sound like self-care not meditation, right?” But *why* do these things care for your self? What are you *actually* accomplishing when you do them? What’s your frame of mind?) 

It’s not zoning out, it’s being intentional, but you’re gonna also zone out sometimes that that’s fine. You can’t fail at meditating, anymore than you fail at laundry just because there’s always more.

It’s whatever lets you just exist with yourself, for two seconds, no judgment. And maybe that *is* sitting in a dark room staring at a candle for five minutes. That’s certainly one of my favourite ones. But if that makes you more unsettled more dissociated more scattered, that’s *okay*, don’t do that. (And it *can* and *nobody* warns you about that. The wrong kind of meditation for you can make you worse not better. Listen to your body, if you hate something you’re almost always right to.)

You’re trying to get yourself into a place where you feel your feet and you exist behind your eyes. You’re trying to just let yourself be, to take the thoughts you have as they come, to take the body you have as it is, to take the moment for what it is. If you can’t do that sitting still *that is valid*. That’s why dancing is the one constant in all paths of witchcraft. That’s why singing and chanting and choreographed movements are part of pretty much all spiritual practices.

When I was a baby witch, it was really difficult for me to understand the Sabbats and the wheel of the year. To help all my baby witches, I made a short summary to make it easier. 

🎄 Yule (Date: on the winter solstice, dec. 20-23) 🎄

This is the Sabbat for celebrating rebirth. Many people celebrate it similarly to Christmas, with gift giving, feasting, and wreath making. People will often kiss a consenting partner under a sprig of mistletoe for good luck.

🐏  Imbolc (Date: feb. 2) 🐏 

This Sabbat celebrates the return of spring. People make corn dollies and set them in a basket next to a symbol of masculinity. Many Witches will clean out their homes during Imbolc.

🐣 Ostara (Date: on the vernal equinox, Mar. 20-23) 🐣 

This Sabbat celebrates the coming time of fertility. Egg decorating is common during this time.

🔥 Beltane (Date: May 1) 🔥

This Sabbat focuses on fertility. Many Pagans choose to conceive children at this time (or just to enjoy themselves sexually with a partner). Beltane festivals are often high energy, with plenty of dancing and bonfires. 

☀️ Litha (Date: on the summer solstice, Jun 20-23) ☀️

A Sabbat for celebrating the longest day of the year, as well as for mourning the shortening days after. Some Witches burn bonfires or light candles to represent the Sun.

🌾 Lughnasadh (Date: Aug 1 -> 1 day before my birthday!) 🌾

I love this Sabbat but I’m not able to pronounce this name :). This is the first of the three harvesting Sabbats. There are festivals of grain and bread. People make gingerbread men during this time.

🍁 Mabon (Date: on the autumnal equinox, sep. 20-23) 🍁

This is the second of the three harvesting Sabbats. Witches give thanks to the Earth and the harvest. Celebraters will make and drink wine at this time.

⛄️ Samhain (Date: nov. 1) ⛄️

This is the last of the three harvesting Sabbats. It is also the festival of the dead. The veil is at its thinnest at this time. Witches will sometimes hold a big feast during Samhain.

Feel free to contact me if you have more questions!

Blessings, 

They tell you that healing intergenerational curses isn’t for the weak, but you are never truly prepared for what that’s like until you begin the work, and things start to move. Especially when some of that movement is done in alignment with certain spiritual processes. 

You will first be asked to face your own character deficiencies - depending on  you and who else walks with you, this process will either be challenging or at a more sympathetic pace. You will be forced to acknowledge your shadow. You will unearth and work through your own trauma, repressed memories, and hidden fears. You will dig, and beg your ancestors to let you stop. They won’t; they will instead carry you and help you sweep when your feet are cut from all the mirror shards. You will remember who you are; you will realize how many projections and illusions you carry that made you forget. You will subsequently be angry at a lot of people, and then forgive them, as more and more about your bloodline is revealed to you. You will realize how old some of your wounds are, and how a number of them weren’t even yours to begin with. Then you will heal them one by one, sometimes several at a time, as your ancestors cheer you on.

You will learn, if you didn’t know already, who you need to love from across the street. You will know who seriously, truly, cannot be left behind. You will know who you can never speak to again without regret. Some of them will spit on your name for doing this work instead of manifesting the family curses like they did. You will learn, through experience, exactly how much trauma looks like pride on some people, and what it looks like when people operate from their wounds instead of their power. You will cry…a lot. You will be angry at a lot of people, and then forgive them, as more and more about your bloodline is revealed to you. You will realize how old some of these chains are. Then you will break them one by one, sometimes several at a time, as your ancestors cheer you on. 

You should know that expecting a thank-you from your living relatives is like waiting on your enemy to die. You will grow bitter, and you will watch as they prosper without realizing whose spiritual work made that possible. And you will learn to accept that none of this is personal. You incarnated to do this work, and agreed prior to incarnation, because all of this is bigger than you.

You will, by the way, be freer and more at ease that when you started.

I know I hate scrolling through really long posts that I don’t want to read, so I’ll put everything below the cut for those who would like to read through it.