Dragon Tears

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What is Imbolc?

Imbolc is a festival that marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, occurring around February 1-2. Known as Brigid’s Day or Candlemas, it celebrates the first stirrings of spring and the return of light. The name Imbolc translates to “in the belly,” symbolizing new life, growth, and the creative potential that is awakening within the earth. It is a time of purification and renewal, where the energy of the earth begins to rise, bringing warmth and vitality to the whole world.

Imbolc is often dedicated to Brigid, the goddess of fire, healing, poetry, and craftsmanship. Brigid is associated with both the hearth and the forge, embodying the transformative powers of fire and light. As the days grow longer and the sun strengthens, we honor her influence in bringing fertility and growth to the land. The first signs of spring, such as the lactation of ewes and the appearance of snowdrops, are seen as blessings from Brigid, signaling that life is returning.

Imbolc is also a festival of light, a time to celebrate the increasing daylight through the lighting of candles, bonfires, and lanterns. As the earth begins to thaw and the seeds of spring stir beneath the soil, Imbolc offers a space for spiritual growth and creative awakening. It is a perfect time to clear away the stagnant energies of winter, refresh the soul, and prepare for the vibrant months to come. The act of lighting candles not only honors the growing light but also serves as a reminder of the inner light within us all, waiting to shine brightly in the coming seasons.

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Goddess Brigid

Brigid, one of the most revered deities in the Celtic pantheon, is also known as Lady of the Sacred Flame. She is the goddess of healing, fire, smithcraft, creativity, animals, hearth and poetry, Imbolc is her Sabbat, a time dedicated to honoring her influence on creativity and new beginnings. Her symbols are fire, poetry, lambs and fertility. Brigid is often depicted with a flame emerging from her head or a serpent coiled around her, representing the powerful energy she brings. She is also a goddess of protection, childbirth, women, blacksmithing and life.

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The Return of Light and the First Signs of Spring

Imbolc marks the shift from winter to the first signs of spring. Days start to get longer, and you can feel the earth beginning to wake up, even though winter isn’t completely gone. It’s the time when the sun starts to grow stronger, and we begin to see early signs of new life. During Imbolc, many light candles or bonfires in Brigid's honor, celebrating the return of light and the growing strength of the sun as the days grow longer.

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Brigid's Cross

A traditional symbol of Imbolc, Brigid’s Cross is woven from reeds or straw and represents both protection and blessings. It’s believed to offer protection from fire and lightning, making it an essential symbol of Brigid’s influence. In Ireland, it was common to hang Brigid’s Cross on the rafters of homes to invoke her protective energy.

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Brigid's Flame

According to legend, Brigid lit a flame on the hill of Kildare, pledging to keep it burning in her honor. This flame was said to burn continuously, symbolizing her eternal presence and influence over the cycles of life. The fire became a sacred symbol, tended by the Brigidine Sisters for centuries, representing not just physical warmth, but the power of creativity and healing.

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Magic Correspondences

Planets: Sun, Moon, Venus

Season: Midpoint between Winter and Spring

Element: Earth, Fire

Time of Day: Dawn

Tarot: The Star, The Empress, The Ace of Wands

Colors: White, Light Yellow, Green, Gold, Silver, Lilac, Pale Pink, Purple

Herbs: Chamomile, Clover, Angelica, Heather, Basil, Bay Laurel, Willow, Rosemary, Milk Thistle, Coltsfut, Lavender,

Fruits: Orange, Lemon, Pomegranate, Apple, Pear, Blackberry (Brigid's favorite fruit)

Vegetables: Leek, Potato, Carrot, Turnips, Garlic

Runes: Sowilo, Berkano, Algiz, Kenaz

Crystals: Carnelian, Amethyst, Garnet, Onyx, Ruby, Citrine, Clear Quartz, Milk Quartz

Trees: Rowan, Willow, Birch

Goddesses: Brigid, Demeter, Hestia, Vesta, Aphrodite, Ceres, Venus, Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Gaia, Aradia, Athena, Minerva

Gods: Faunus, Eros, Pan, Cupid, Aenghus Og

Dragon: Fafnir

Flowers: Snowdrops, Crocus, Daisy, Dandelion, Chicory

Animals: Lamb, Sheep, Cow, Deer, Groundhog, Hedgehog, Snake, Swan, Wolf, Bear, Boar

Magical Powers: Purification, Renewal, Creativity, Fertility, Awakening, New Beginnings, Hearth and Home, Healing, Hope, Inspiration, Cleansing, Protection

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Activities To Do:

🐑 Light candles or a bonfire to honor the return of the sun.

🐑 Make an Imbolc altar.

🐑 Rest and enjoy the midwinter season doing cozy activities.

🐑 Wear the colors of the season.

🐑 Cook or bake seasonal dishes, especially fresh bread, cheese, or other dairy products.

🐑 Make Brigid's cross.

🐑 Take a walk in nature and collect branches and stones to add to your altar.

🐑 Donate to animal shelters or send wishes for the animals born during this season, especially lambs.

🐑 Eat fresh bread or drink milk

🐑 Clean your house to invite new positive energy.

🐑 CREATE ANYTHING!! whether it’s art, crafts, edits or poetry.

🐑 Write the sigil of Imbolc somewhere visible to attract its energy( I usually do this on a piece of paper that I put on my altar or on my arm)

🐑 Take a bath with lavender or cinnamon essential oil

🐑 Read about the goddess Brigid

🐑 If it’s a sunny day, celebrate the festival of light by spending time outdoors and letting the sun purify you.

🐑 Do offerings for your deities

🐑 Dance to festive music, feel the joy of the season, and let your inner fire shine :D

🐑 Try spinning or crafting with wool to honor traditional Imbolc crafts.

🐑 Look for seasonal flowers like snowdrops or crocus and bring some into your home for decoration.

🐑 Plant seeds if the weather allows, symbolizing new beginnings and growth.

🐑 Do spells for fresh starts and set intentions

🐑 Worship Goddess Brigid or any deities you feel connected to during this time.

🐑 Read poetry to celebrate the creative energy of the season.

🐑 Make an Imbolc Magick Spell Jar

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Food and Drinks:

Dairy products (or vegetarian alternatives), like milk, cheese, and yogurt, freshly baked bread, muffins, waffles, blackberry jam, blackberry cakes (anything with blackberries), lemon cake, poppy seed cakes, biscuits coated in sesame seeds, dishes with bold spices, seeds such as sunflower, poppy, and sesame (for Imbolc seeds are very meaningdul), red cabbage, oats, butter, honey, garlic, scones, pancakes, crepes, pickles, cheese pie, oatcakes, bannock, mashed potatoes, colcannon, chili peppers, eggs, apple tarts, spiced nuts, roasted vegetables, hearty soups, grain-based salads, and citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon or pomelo). Don’t forget to make a wish while flipping your pancakes on Imbolc! <3

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useful sources: Wicca: A Modern Guide To Witchcraft & Magick; Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World by Judika Illes

gifs credit: Pinterest

Right blog this time! Achillean pirates, requested by @absolutepileoftrash​ 

Happy Day of the Dead everyone!

Since this is a special day for my heritage, I thought I'd share a little bit about how I celebrate it.

Day of the Dead comes with different traditions celebrated by different families because Mexico is huge and there are regional differences. Depending on the family's tradition, it can be anywhere from one to three days long. My family celebrates it for 3 days starting on Oct 31st to November 2nd.

The first day (Oct. 31st):

This day is for the souls of infants and children. This is the day when we put toys, candy, and sweets on the "ofrenda" (the home altar used to put food and items for the Dead: (LINK)). Anything that will make a child happy goes on the ofrenda. This is a day where we play games, tell funny stories and avoid anything scary or spooky to not scare my child ancestors and little spirits.

Trust me, you do not want to scare ghost children... My sister did this once and, well, I'll talk about it in the "my family rules for Day of the Dead" section. Even thought this day is on the same day as Halloween and people will sometimes watch scary movies on this day. I personally avoid anything that has to do with horror and only give out candy so I can still be with my little relatives while celebrating two holidays that make children and toddlers happy.

The Second Day (Nov 1st):

This is the day for the elderly. Anyone who died within this age group is honored with things that comfort elderly people like cigars, cigarettes, rum, alcohol, sewing, knitting, or embroidery, the warm beverage "atole" (a Mexican beverage: (LINK) similar to hot chocolate but with hot corn and masa), hot soup, tamales and we generally avoid food that's hard on teeth like rough steak or caramel apples as examples since the elderly often eat softer chewing food that's easier on the teeth. This is the day when we play black and white Mexican soap operas, old movies, old songs, very traditional things, and tell stories about our grandparents.

For example: One of the stories that I tell is when my grandmother died. On this day, I felt her spirit the second she died, even though she was all the way in Mexico and I was living the US. I called my dad (it was his mom) ASAP and he started crying because even though he would not get the official news until a couple of hours later, he knew it was true because he could hear her on the other side of the line calling his name and saying, "I'm sorry my son (mijo), my dear little boy."

The 3rd Day (Nov 2nd):

This is the day for everyone else. Because children and the elderly require special conditions like avoiding scary things or avoiding food that's tough on the teeth, they are generally celebrated separately. The last day is for everyone else and the spirits come in droves which is why it's also the day with the biggest celebration and the most spiritually active day.

On this day we give out all the traditional things you see on ofrendas, especially Mexican hominy soup called pozole (LINK) which I'm planning to get for them later today. This is also the most active day because when your ancestors come, my goodness do they let you know they have arrived!

I have these women in my family who fought in the Mexican revolution who wear bandolier (bullet belts) and traditional Mexican clothes and I always know they showed up because I can smell the gunpowder on them. They are the reason why the women in my family tend to run the household. My mom definitely wears the pants 😂

I also have a grandpa who always smells like cologne, cigarettes and flowers. Whenever he shows up, I can't help but giggle because when I was little, he'd always tickle me and then ruffle my hair so it's always fun to have him over!

This day is also special to another deity I work with that I don't usually talk about. La Santa Muerte who has been in my family for a really, really, long time! (Pre-colonization long)

I recently broke a VERY big Ancestral Curse and the second I spoke to her, she was congratulating me on doing something so big for my lineage. She's incredibly kind but very active and because she comes from a very superstitious country, she'll make the place feel haunted to people who are not used to Mexican traditions which is why I never talk about her on my page since I don't want people asking me about her because she's very intense for those who aren't expecting it.

My family has rules for the Day of the Dead. These rules can be broken but they're there for the comfort of the living (so our ancestors don't accidently scare us too much because they're really excited and this celebration can sometimes be a little too much for the ones that are still breathing).

1. We cannot under any circumstances call anyone on the phone. The spirits are VERY active during this time of the year for us and they can and will intercept your calls. This rule started when the phone was invented since the celebration is apart of my heritage. When I was growing up, everytime an adult talked about having any spooky phone calls, it usually went:

"I called my mom and we were talking when all of a sudden there was a lot of white noise and suddenly I heard my father, who has been dead for 2 years, on the other line!"

"Did you call on Dia de Los Muertos?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot!"

"Well, your dad didn't!"

2. No matter how loud, the Dead get, let them celebrate and don't worry about the noise. Do not go to the ofrenda thinking you'll see the living making noise because the dead are coming and they can be LOUD. My roommate broke this rule because she heard laughter and general merriment at 3am one night even though I told her to ignore it cus it always happens on Nov. 2nd. She heard a lot of people and when she went to the kitchen (where the ofrenda was) she was terrified to find no one was there. When she left, the loud noise started again and to this day, she insists it was the scariest thing she had ever experienced.

3. Fun stories only! Mexican people love to laugh and our ancestors are no different. They can and will get annoyed if someone is bringing down the mood! Although some might think day of the Dead is a sad day because of the Dead, it's actually a very happy festive day. One time I was feeling a bit down on the dumps and went to make a milkshake for a cousin who likes them and somehow the lid came off and next thing you know, it went on my face. I could feel them telling me to relax so I just started laughing at the idea of these dead relatives telling me to stop being so somber.

4. Do not expose the little souls to scary movies or they will prank you. Do you remember when I said my sister forgot this rule? Well, she was REALLY excited about seeing a scary movie that came out that day and watched it on her television, by the ofrenda! She started freaking out cus the little souls though it'd be a fun idea to prank her by grabbing her feet from under the bed. Yeah.... I avoid anything scary and if I have to see it, I do it as far away from the ofrenda as possible.

5. Do not have sex during this time. The dead are alive... sort of. On the day of the Dead, it is traditional to treat the Dead as if they were alive because you are celebrating with them so just as you wouldn't have sex in front of your grandparents, children and extended family, don't have sex on this day because it's very disrespectful to the Dead who have been waiting all year long for this time of the year!

There are a lot more stories and rules I can share but I have things to do for this big day so I'll probably share more later!

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

from my very happy ancestors to yours!

Autumn at the lighthouse

*A spell inspired by Theodin and Gandalf from Lord of the Rings to rid yourself of negative thoughts and influences*

What you need

White candle (purification/ cleansing)

Safe incense (cleansing)

Two quartz crystals

What to do

Cleanse yourself and your space as necessary, and prepare your tools

Set the candle at the center of the workspace, the incense in front of it and the quartz crystals to either side of the candle.

Light the white candle, let it burn for a moment, staring at the flame. As you do, visualize the light and warmth washing over you. Whatever negative influences you feel, whatever dark shadows, visualize them being pushed away and replaced with the light.

Say “dark thoughts, ill intent, you have no power here. Light fills me, and washes away my fear.”

Light the incense and stare into the smoke as it rises. As you begin to smell the scent, breathe deep and long and slow. Visualize the smoke filling you with cleansing energy. Fresh clean air.

Say “clean and pure within my heart and mind, cleanse this body and soul of mine”

Look now at the crystals, watch the way the light shine on and through them. Visualize that light filling your space, wrapping around you, enveloping you.

Say “light warm, light bright, fill my heart, make it right. Fill my life with love and peace, darkness has no power here.”

Sit and meditate on positive thoughts. Focus on the happiness in your life, let it grow and fill you with warmth and light. When you feel that the shadows have left you and your space, allow the candle and incense to burn down.

Good Luck and Happy Casting Witches!

/|\

M.G

(Had to make a new version because tumblr messed with the gif on the original and won’t let me edit my own posts…)

As a spoonie witch, using magic to help regain my mental and physical energy has been extremely helpful. I decided to compile some resources to make life easier!

Tea/Drinks:

Mental reboost tea spell

Easy energy tea spell

Energy boost tea

Energy spell

Rejuvenating tea

Morning coffee spell

Lemon cayenne wakefulness potion

*resources for herbal interactions*

Spells:

Spoonie spell for energy + Spoons spell

Rain energy spell

Electric charge spell (storms)

Solar charged spell

Energy boost spell

Pick me up energy spell

Odds and ends:

Energy bath

Energy shower scrub

Recharge yourself (with crystals)

Sun meditations

Motivation charm bag

Energy spell jar

Spell jar and sachet for energy

“I Shouldn’t Be Awake But I Have to Be” Jar Spell

Sigils for energy: [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]

Related resources:

What to do if witchcraft drains you

Spells and sigils for energy

Witchy things to do when you’re low on spoons

Simple spell work for low energy days

Witchcraft for the chronically fatigued

You may also like:

Rejuvenating witchcraft

Spoonie witch masterpost

Bedridden witchcraft series

Sick witchery

How to return to the craft

1st of May  / Fire festival or Flower festival 

We basically honor the sun, the flowers and the fire. 

Colors: Green, pink, blue, yellow, red, white, brown, and other pastel colors.

Crystals: Emerald, malachite, bloodstone, amber, carnelian, rose quartz

Gods and goddesses: : Apollo,Baldur, Cernunnos, Cupid, Eros, Freyr, Odin, Pan, Pluto, Ra, Aphrodite, Artemis, Astarte, Cybele, Danu, Diana, Don, Flora, Freya, Frigg, Maia, Rhea, Rhiannon, Venus

Energy: Conception, initiation, insight, inspiration, creativity, mirth, renewal, dedication, breath of life, life-path, wise counsel, plan, prepare.

Incense: Lemon, frankincense, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, strawberry or any floral scent. 

Herbs: Almond, ash, clover, cinquefoil, lily of the valley, meadowsweet, mint, mugwort, foxglove, honeysuckle, elder, ivy, lilac, rose, yarrow, bluebells, marigold, thyme, and other flowering plants

Animals: Bees, cow, rabbit, frog, swallow, dove, swan, cats, lynx, leopard

Food: Dairy, bread, honey, oatmeal, cakes, strawberries, wine, green salads, cherries, lemonade

Spell work: Cleansing, grounding, prosperity, protection/warding.

Symbols: Maypole, flower crowns, ribbons, spring flowers, bonfires, cauldrons, baskets, eggs, broom

Things to do

x by @cherryroses

x by @rosemoonwaves​ 

It’s very simple spell but I wrote this spell for my cat, Theo, who I love to pieces because I wanted to do something for him just to help ensure he’s safe

Materials

white or brown candle

drawstring bag, preferably in the color of the cat’s fur

pen and paper

catnip

cinnamon

lavender

salt

tiger’s eye

Directions

Light the candle

Create a sigil and charge it

Write the cat’s name on a piece of paper

Add all ingredients to the bag

Visualize the cat purring