Lavender and Moonwater

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2022 dates for the major holidays, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom. Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed. Enjoy!

WOTY Holidays and Solstices

February 1-2 - Imbolc

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

May 1 - Beltane

June 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer

August 1 - Lughnasadh

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon

October 31 - Samhain

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 17 - Wolf Moon ♋️

February 16 - Snow Moon ♌️

March 18 - Worm Moon ♍️

April 16 - Pink Moon ♎️

May 16 - Flower Moon ♏️

June 14 - Strawberry Moon ♐️

July 13 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑️

August 11 - Sturgeon Moon ♒️

September 10 - Harvest Moon ♓️

October 9 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♈️

November 8 - Frost Moon ♉️

December 7 - Cold Moon ♊️

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. In 2022, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 2 ♑️

February 1 ♒️

March 2 ♓️

April 1 ♈️

April 30 ♉️

May 30 ♊️

June 29 ♋️

July 28 ♌️

August 27 ♍️

September 25 ♎️

October 25 ♏️

November 23 ♐️

December 23 ♑️

Special Events

April 30 - Black Moon & Partial Solar Eclipse (10:42pm EST)

May 16 - Total Lunar Eclipe (12:11am EST, coinciding with zenith)

June 14 - Supermoon

July 13 - Supermoon

October 25 - Partial Solar Eclipe (11:01am EST)

November 8 - Total Lunar Eclipse (5:59am EST, coinciding with zenith)

SOURCES:

Inverse - Full Moon 2022 calendar: Dates, times, schedule, and names for the brightest nights all year

Astroseek - Full Moons 2022 & New Moons

Αθηνη (ah-thee-nee) - Athene AKA Athena, Pallas Goddess of wisdom, strategy, defense, weaving, pottery, handicrafts, war, and good counsel Ouranic Olympian with Einalic aspects

Symbols: Spear, Aegis, crested helm, a shield, Gorgoneion, flute Animals: Little owl, snake Colors: Gold, yellow, green, bronze, white Plants/Herbs: Olive tree Stones/Crystals: Quartz, marble, bronze, gold

Retinue: Nike Relations: Zeus (father), Metis (mother), Erikhthonios (adopted son), half sister to all children of Zeus Identified with: Minerva (Roman), Menrva (Estuscan), Neith (Kemetic), Sulis (Celtic), Nike (Hellenic)

Festivals: Panathenaia (23-30th Hek. every 4 years), Lesser Panathenaia (23-30th Hek.), Kallynteria (24 Thar.), Khalkeia (29 Pya.), Synoikia (15-16 Hek.), honored on the 3rd of every month

Morpheiea is a personal, self-made holiday that falls on the fourteenth day of the lunar month; this date is based on the start of my relationship with Morpheus. This holiday is focused on reflection and introspection in addition to honoring Morpheus and thanking him.

M O R P H E U S   R E S O U R C E S

Morpheus Theoi

Oneiroi Theoi

Morpheus Masterpost by @bibliophilicwitch

Hymns/Prayers for Morpheus:

Orphic Hymn #86 

The Dream King by @dark-vowelled

Let me tell you by @pomegraniteandivy

Lord of Dreams by @winebrightruby

Morpheus by greekpagan.com

Prayer to Morpheus by @monkeyballxs

Sweet Silent Morpheus by @afreudianego

Wings of Morpheus by @winebrightruby

Crafts/Activities/Spells: 

Bottled Nebula Craft

Dream Pillow/Sachet by @natural-magics

Dream Pillow/Sachet Blends by @natural-magics 

Dream Tea @amethystnightsgarden

Evening Ritual by @bibliophilicwitch​

Nighttime Sleepy Tea Potion by @recreationalwitchcraft

Restful Sleep and Sweet Dreams Spell Bottle/Sachet by @witchy-little-fox

Set up a dream calendar/journal

Spell for Positive Dreams by @the-witch-named-wesa

Star Sweeper Calming Sleep Spell by @oldmotherredcap

Sweet Dreams Spell by @thegraveyardwitch

Divination:

Oneiromancy (Dream Divination/Interpretation) by @sparklesforestsandmagic

Dream Interpretation Tarot Spread by @servantofthefates

Dream Messages Tarot Spread from Labrynthos

Wish Upon a Star Tarot Spread by @thegreyblogofshadows-blog

Wish Tarot Spread by unknown

Suggest a Topic | Masterpost of My Personal Practice Posts | Support Me

❤️ Here’s a tarot spread for you ❤️

Whatever religious or spiritual tradition they identify with, most witches agree that there is something sacred about the natural world. We draw our power from the earth beneath our feet, the sky over our heads, and the air in our lungs.

And yet, many of us live in societies that are actively contributing to the destruction of the natural world. Most developed nations have a linear economy, which means resources are extracted and then sent on a one-way trip to consumers who will use them and then throw them away. This leads to overflowing landfills, air and water pollution, and quickly disappearing resources. The World Economic Forum predicts that, if our habits don’t change, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. And I dearly hope that by now we’re all familiar with the reality of climate change and its devastating impact on global ecosystems.

I’m not trying to scare you, but I do want to point out the hypocrisy of drawing power from the Earth in our magic while simultaneously contributing to her destruction. If we truly want to consider ourselves spiritual allies of the planet, we need to make an effort to live our lives — and practice our magic — in ways that are less harmful to her.

You don’t have to become an environmentalist or switch to a zero waste lifestyle, but we can all make little changes for a more sustainable life. There’s lots of information out there about how to live a more Earth-friendly lifestyle, so in this post I’ll be focusing on how to apply that same philosophy to your witchcraft.

Steps to a more Earth-Friendly Practice:

Limiting your consumption will automatically lower your negative impact on the planet. Follow my previous guidelines for avoiding consumerism to start shrinking your carbon footprint.

Avoid plastic as much as possible. According to the WEF, 70% of our plastic ends up in a landfill or in the world’s waterways, and according to Julia Watkins, author of Simply Living Well, only 9% of household plastics get recycled. Plastic (unlike glass and metal) cannot be recycled indefinitely — it can only be recycled a handful of times before it becomes too degraded to be repurposed any further. There really is no way to make plastic safer for the planet, so it’s best to just avoid it altogether. Look for tools made of metal, wood, or glass instead of plastics, and try to order things shipped in paper and cardboard when possible.

Create spells that won’t leave leftovers. One of the big contributing factors to our current environmental crisis is that we just produce too much waste. You can avoid this in your magical practice by crafting spells that won’t leave you throwing away a big ball of candle wax, herbs, and paper. Kitchen magic is a no-brainer for this, since kitchen spells are meant to be eaten. If you want to do a candle spell, use small candles that will burn up completely — I find larger candles are more likely to leave leftover wax. Making magical bath salts is another great option for leftover-free spells — just make sure everything you include is safe to go down the drain and won’t contribute to water pollution!

Forage for your own spell materials. One of the best ways to avoid plastic packaging and cut down on emissions from shipping is to use materials from your backyard! Learn about the plants, animals, and minerals native to your area, and take regular nature walks where you can gather what you need. Remember to only take as much as you need and to be careful never to damage the plants you harvest from. Make sure to carefully disinfect any animals bits you pick up — you can do this by burying them in salt for a full moon cycle and/or setting them in the sun/under a UV light for several days. If you find a dead animal and want to strip and clean its bones for use in ritual, this is a much more involved process and will require special research, equipment, and lots of time. And, of course, never eat anything you have foraged unless you happen to have an advanced degree in botany.

Keep a magical garden. Another great way to connect with the planet and shrink your carbon footprint is to grow your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits. You can, of course, grow food for your kitchen if you have space, but even if you live in a tiny apartment you can grow a handful of magical herbs in pots. For a list of common houseplants and their magical associations, check out this post.

Shop for spell materials at a local farmer’s market. Buying local is a great way to avoid the environmental impact of shipping produce, and it allows you to support small farms. Farmer’s markets also typically carry seasonal produce, which can help you align your magical practice with the cycles of nature. Farmer’s markets are a great way to find seasonal fruits and vegetables for kitchen magic, but you can use the produce you find there for other types of spells as well.

Trade paraffin wax candles for beeswax or soy wax. Paraffin, the material used for most cheap candles, is a by-product of crude oil, which is not only highly unsustainable but contains carcinogens (chemicals that may cause cancer). Beeswax is a sustainable alternative, and beeswax candles produce a “clean” burn, meaning it does not negatively affect air quality. Soy wax is a slightly pricier, vegan-friendly sustainable option that also produces a clean burn.

Use undyed, unbleached paper for your written spells. The bleaches and dyes used in most commercially available paper have a toxic effect on the environment. Colored paper cannot be recycled or composted because it will contaminate everything it touches. Use plain, unbleached paper for your written spells, especially if you plan to bury them in the ground or dispose of them outside.

Make sure your essential oils are ethically harvested. Essential oils are tricky — although they are marketed as natural, many of them are produced through unsustainable methods. Because essential oils are concentrated, it may take thousands of pounds of plants to produce a single pound of oil. This can have a devastating impact, especially for endangered plants like white sage or palo santo. Look for ethically-sourced, wild-harvested essential oils — these are oils that are gathered from the wild in ways that don’t hurt the local ecosystem. Mountain Rose Herbs and Eden’s Garden are two brands that are committed to sustainable essential oil production.

Instead of burying a spell in a jar, bury it in a hollowed-out fruit or vegetable. Many traditions call for spells to be buried in the ground. Items like jar spells and witch bottles are traditionally buried on the witch’s property. The problem with this is that plastic and glass bottles do not biodegrade, and will remain in the ground for years. Instead of putting these materials in the ground, bury your spells in a hollowed-out fruit or vegetable. As a bonus, you can choose this item to support your intention. For example, you might use an apple for a love spell or a spicy pepper for protection. Just make sure everything inside the spell is also biodegradable!

Keep a compost pile as an offering to your local land spirits. Compost is an easy way to reduce food waste, and it gives your garden a boost! Even if you don’t have your own garden, you can give your compost to a fiend who does or look into donating it to a community garden. When composting, it’s important to maintain a balance between carbon-rich “brown” ingredients (leaves, undyed paper, cardboard, etc.) and nitrogen-rich “greens” (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc.) — you want about four times as much brown as green in your compost. Start your compost with a layer of brown — preferably twigs or straw to allow good airflow. Alternate layers of green and brown materials as you add to the pile. Every time you add to your compost, verbally express your gratitude to the land spirits. Your compost should be moist, but not soggy — you’ll know it’s ready when it’s dark and crumbly and smells like soil.

Make your own tea blends with loose herbs and a reusable tea strainer instead of buying teabags. Witches and tea go together like peanut butter and chocolate, but the individual wrappers on teabags create a lot of waste. On top of that, since many of these wrappers are dyed, they may not even be recyclable. Keep your teas earth-friendly by buying dried herbs in bulk and blending your own teas. Making your own blends is not only better for the planet, but also allows you to choose each ingredient for a specific magical intention.

Find ways to use your trash in your craft. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Instead of throwing things away, find ways to use them in your magic! Use food scraps from cooking, like carrot greens and potato peels, in spells. Turn an old shoe box into a travel altar. Add your coffee grounds to spells to ground them and manifest results in the physical world. You get the idea. Be creative!

Research different models for Earth-friendly living, like the zero waste/low waste lifestyle, sustainability, and the solarpunk movement. This will give you more ideas for a sustainable lifestyle, as well as a sustainable magical practice.

The funny thing about Earth-friendly living is that, the more time you spend taking care of the planet, the more connected you feel to it. I encourage you to try some of the ideas on this list — you’ll be amazed by how quickly you develop a deeper relationship with the Earth and all her creatures.

Resources:

Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, study says” from The Washington Post

A Sustainable Mind podcast

Large altars:

Olive oil

Honey

Wine or juice

Bread

Olives

Pomegranates

Pears

Olive tree bark or leaves

Blue, gold, red, and white candles

Dragon's blood, frankensince, orange blossom, cedarwood incense

Large crafts such as pottery, textiles, etc.

Ship figurines

Snake skins

Figures of owls

Helms (toy or otherwise)

Shields (toy or otherwise)

Lace or spears (toy or otherwise)

Trophies and medals you've won

Your favorite books

Small/hidden altars:

Roses and sweet smelling flowers

Spices, especially cinnamon

Crystals such as lapis lazuli, azure, turqoise, onyx, star sapphire, ruby

Drawings of owls, snakes, ships

Small crafts like art, paper crafts, candle making, embroidery, or small items made by sewing or crocheting

Wool

Golden jewelry

A difficult test that you got a good grade on

Your job resume

Your diploma or graduation cap

Owl feathers

The playing card Queen of Spades

Pencils and pens (you can ask Her to bless them and use them for tests or writings)

Craft supplies such as needles for sewing/crocheting

Take some of your hair (gathered from your hairbrush) and wrap it around a spindal and offer it to Her

Actions:

Learn about self-defense

Learn about your rights

Defend and stand-up for others who need help

Create art dedicated to Her or of Her

Make or listen to music for Her

Make hymns or poems dedicated to Her

Handmade crafts for Her

Your work in general! Yes, really, She enjoys her devotees to work hard at their job(s), crafts, or classes!

Study and learn new information or skills

Read and learn about Her history

Learn more about the politics of your country/state, write letters to your senator or mayor etc.

Read

Learn about welding

Grow an olive tree

Wear clothing with her colors (royal blue, gold, orange, yellow, emerald green, red) or with owls on it

Wear jewelry with her favorite crystals

Play strategy games

Decorate your room with owls

Pray to Her for wisdom, knowledge, strength, help with studying, and help with your work or crafts

Self-care bath spells and rituals

Sources:

https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/goddess-athena/amp/

https://occult-world.com/athena/

Since there has been some confusion over what is appropriate to use when cleansing one’s space, I thought I’d make a little post on my favorite methods from my own Grimoire. 

1. Salt. 

Simply sprinkle salt (a small grain type) on the carpet. After about an hour, vacuum. Salt crystals have an amazing natural built in-ability to absorb negative energy. As an alternative, you can put bowls of salt in the corners of the room and remove them after a few hours. *this works for people too. Instead of sprinkling yourself with salt, take a bath with 2 cups of sea salt in it. It’s grounding and clearing all at the same time.

2. Room spray

Buying or making a room spray with pure essential oils helps clear negative energy. The best ones to use for clearing are rose, lavender, frankincense, and patchouli. *this works for people too. Gently mist yourself with the spray!

3.  High-Frequency Music

Playing high vibration music can make a big difference. We already know what a difference music can make in our own energy, and it does the same for spaces. Any music that makes you feel good will work!

4.  Black Tourmaline

This is my favorite crystal for clearing negative energy.  I have several of them around my house. This crystal does not need to be cleared as others do. 

*this works for people too. I often put it in my pocket or purse while traveling. It’s great for sensitive people who seem to pick up on the energy around them and need some extra protection.

5. Burn White Sage

You can buy white sage sticks in many places, including online. Burning this while you walk around your house with it (swirling it in a counterclockwise rotation) is really great for clearing bad energy.

I usually say something as I do it like “I’m clearing all stagnant energy from this space and allowing only that of the highest vibration to remain.” *this works for people too. Start at your feet swirling the smoke from the sage around you until you get all the way up to your head.

6. Incense

Burn sandalwood incense or dried sage to disintegrate the negative energy in each room. Wave it counterclockwise in each corner, closet, and cabinet. You may also let one stick burn in each room. Say, “Thank you for the complete disintegration of all negative energies, thoughts, and emotions from this room now.”

7. Candles

Light a candle to dedicate energy to your endeavors. Say your wish out loud. For example, “I am so grateful for all the love, harmony, and healthy energy pouring into my home right now.”

8. Bells

While Tibetan bells have additionally sacred symbolism to them, the ring of any bell will brighten up your space with positive energy. As the sound vibrations disperse blocked energy, the sweet chimes work to uplift the fresh energy leftover. Ring your bell throughout your space, working the vibrations into those overlooking areas.  

9. Essential Oils

Diffusing essential oils is a great way to clear negative energy from your home or office space, and as the oils stay in the air for hours afterward, you continue to experience their therapeutic properties.

With the right essential oils, a diffuser can also set a positive, safe space and reduce the accumulation of negative energy in the first place.

10. Purification Salts. 

Same principle with the sea salt, only with added herbs for extra oomph. I like Hyssop, Argomony, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, and Lavender. Grind together with Sea salt and Epsom salt and you have a powerful purification salt. Great for ritual baths as well! 

Connect with land spirits. This need not be just trees and flowers; urban inventions are a part of the environment too. The land will teach you much, and it is always good to be on safe terms with the ground you walk on. Your surroundings are varied and rich and have seas of depth to them to both love and fear.

Keep in touch with the spirits. Make a habit of connecting with the spirits you know, not just with offerings, but with regular, enlightening contact; bargain with them, talk to them, work with them, know them. You are associated with them because they are important. Let them show that. This alone can make for an enriching experience.

Identify your place in the spirit world — or, know yourself. This can be an analysis of what you most deeply desire, what drives you to do magic, the types of spirits you connect to; what are you suited for? Who are you? What is your fetch like? What are you made of? What do you want out of this? Consider what you are naturally bound to, what you have chosen and been molded into, and what you want to become. Then actually pursue it.

Daily practices. Some people perform banishing rituals, some recite prayers with incense, some do automatic writing, some do awareness/attention practices, some meditate, some scry, others do other things. Find a way to touch this ‘other side’ regularly and feel it. Boredly reading cards or drinking tea doesn’t count. Actually enter the altered magical state we all know and love; stillness meditation and breathing techs work nicely if you don’t want to do anything else.

Practice awareness. There is much more than the surface to just about everything, including yourself. There is a serpent in the ground and there is a mutual darkness in the sky, in the trees, in between your ribs. The world is a web. Look at it closely, and do not forget the body inside of your body; it moves just as much as you do. Not only is this just peaceful to practice, but it will also assist in actual magical work.

Study. Just don’t get stuck in the armchair.

Do not do yourself a disservice by lying to yourself about your progress or effort. You are only stunting your growth to save from the creeping notion that you didn’t do something right. Treat yourself better; accept when you do something questionable and adjust accordingly. You can do this. You owe it to yourself to be honest.

zeus

hades

poseidon

ares

hestia

hephaestus

demeter

tyche

athena

dionysus

artemis

apollo

peresphone

aphrodite

hermes

hera

Since I’m on a plant kick today because I’ve decided to give my green thumb a try, I’m creating this master post relating to household plants. This is especially useful for witches like myself who don’t know the first thing about taking care of a plant inside the house besides watering and letting the darn thing get some sun! So, here we go:

Common TOXIC (as in you may not want to get these if you have kids or pets) household plants and their properties: *Aloe (toxic to pets, not toxic to humans) - wards against evil, protection from intruders and household accidents, brings good luck (also great for burns and good for your skin)

*Lillies, as well as the Peace Lily - love, comfort, harmony

*Ivy - protection, drive away negativity, promote fidelity and fertility

*Poinsetta - purity, celebration of winter holidays

*Snake plant (aka Mother-in-law’s Tongue) - long life, prosperity, beauty, health, strength, intelligence

*Dumb cane - for keeping secrets and starting gossip (not recommended for a magickal household)

*Arrowhead plant/vine - brings luck

*Myrtle - love, fertility, youth, peace, money

*Mistletoe - protection, love, hunting, fertility, health, exorcism

*Amaryllis - hidden or platonic love, friendship, retirement

*Gardenias - love, peace, healing, spirituality, psychic awareness

*Fig (aka weeping fig, fig tree, ficus, ficus tree) - divination, fertility, love, prosperity, guards against poverty and hunger if placed in kitchen, aids in restful sleep if placed in bedroom

Common NON-TOXIC household plants and their properties:

*African Violet - love, protection, promotes peace and spirituality

*Lavendar (can be toxic If your pets ingest a lot of it) - love, friendship, calm, protection

*Spider plant - protection, healing, absorb negativity while improving the energy and air quality of your home

*Bamboo -  protection, luck, hex-breaking, wishes, protection, helps with depression

*Orchid - love, power, charisma

*Ferns (some ARE toxic, however the Boston Fern is not) - protection, luck, can aid in summoning rain 

*Ti plant (can be toxic If your pets ingest a lot of it) - good luck, can be used to attract money if you place a coin under it

*Succulents (hens and chicks, burro/donkey tail, etc.) - love, abundance

*Palms - spirituality, good vibes, protection from unwanted spirits, ghosts, astral entities

*Cacti (non-toxic, yet can still be painful for kids and pets if they touch the spines) - protection, strengthens will, increases sexual stamina if juices are added to a love potion, guards against intruders if a cactus is placed in the North, East, South and Western points of your home

*Jasmine - love, money, prophetic dreams, seduction

*Other plants and veggies that can be grown indoors

***I’ve recieved a lot of feedback on this post stating that most of the NON-TOXIC plants I have listed are in fact toxic. I’ve made a few notes and changes, but let me just add that many plants can be toxic to animals if they eat a bunch of it. Vomiting, diarrhea, and depression are side effects that your pet may exhibit if they’ve eaten too much of a plant that can be considered non-toxic or mildly toxic. It’s always best to seek medical attention for your pet if they show these sympstoms, just in case. Otherwise, try to keep your plants out of reach of your pets, please!

Use your best judgement on which plants are best for your household. I’m not an expert, these are just some of the things I have gathered through research. If you’re afraid your pets are gonna eat your plants and get sick, then maybe you should get a different plant that is edible or otherwise in no way a danger to the animal.

You can refer to the ASPCA’s website on toxic and non-toxic plants if you’re unsure, but please keep in mind they do not mention the severity of the toxicity of the plants they list, so you can do a simple google search to find out for yourself, but AGAIN please do not replace any information you find on the internet to actual medical care! Consult with your veterinarian if your pet it sick!

Plant Spells:

*Magickal Soil Spell

*Spell to Speed the Growth of Your Plant

*Plant Growth Spell

*Plant Enchantment

Plant Sigils:

*”Pests will avoid my plants” by @sigilcrafter

*”These plants are free of pests” by @sigilathenaeum

*”My plants will survive and thrive” by @sigilathenaeum

Crystals Good for Plants:

*Moss Agate (aka the Gardener’s Stone) - prosperity, vitality, helps plants thrive and will assist plant growth, wearing moss agate while planting/gardening will increase your green thumb and give you energy, assosciated with nature spirits

*Green Jasper - aids in luxurious growth of your plants

*Green Calcite - healing, can be used to soothe when the environment is too loud, associated with Earth spirits of woods and meadows

*Clear Quartz - aids in growth and vitality, grounding, can also be placed in a vase of freshly cut flowers to help them last longer

*Rose Quartz - especially beneficial for roses as it maintains their bloom longer

*Smokey Quartz - keeps pests away

*Tourmaline - healing 

*Amethyst - calms plants that are stressed

*Jet - can be worn to make plants flourish

*Green Fluorite - healing, especially good to use for a plant that has been injured or broken in some way

*Moonstone - fertility, encourages healthy plants and flowers, promotes a soothing, restful area

Sources:

an old spell of mine i had posted on an old side account before deleting the blog, but i’m reposting it here on my new witchcraft side blog. a jar spell that charges in the sun to keep your space protected. this ward is strongest in late spring and summer.

☀️ gather: jar, black tea leaves, green tea leaves, cayenne pepper, apple seed, black candle

☀️ light your black candle

☀️ layer the ingredients one by one into your jar. black tea grounds to expel negative energy and entities, green tea leaves to amplify energy and behave as a catalyst, cayenne pepper for offensive magic/quick results/heat, then one by one place a desired amount of apple seed*

☀️ as you drop your apple seed, affirm “for every attack on this ward, it is reflected to the attacker ten times the amount for every apple seed in this jar”

☀️ spit inside the jar and seal with candle wax

☀️ place in a section of your home where it can be in direct sunlight and recharge (or reheat) as needed.

It’s a new year! Which means it’s time for a new festival calendar! Oh joy! This is actually my first year doing anything like this. And trust me it took a lot of time, a lot of wine, and a lot of me shushing my perfectionism. It was a huge pain in the ass to put together, I’m not going to lie to you, babycakes. But my hope is that now that I have SOMETHING, it’ll make the process less of a hassle in the years to come. And also hopefully this will help you not want to smash your face into the keyboard when you go to plan out your festival year.

Before we get to the actual plan, I want to talk a bit about how I went about constructing the year.

I mainly used the Hellenion.org calendar as a basis along with Baring the Aegis. I went through both month by month looking at the festivals listed and deciding whether I wanted to celebrate those festivals and when exactly I wanted to celebrate them. Both websites provide information on each festival they mention, but I also did independent research just to back everything up and see if I could find any additional information.

 It’s important to note that the Hellenic year follows the lunar cycle, so it doesn’t line up with our modern calendar. It’s up to you to decide how you wish to approach that. The Hellenion calendar transfers the Hellenic calendar onto our modern one which is extremely useful for those of you who want to keep your worship as traditional and historically accurate as possible.

I did not go in that direction (shocker!). I chose to instead adopt the calendar to not only fit the modern calendar but fit my own life. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for me so I won’t get overwhelmed.

Some festivals line up with when about they were traditionally celebrated, but others I decided to move around for various reasons. I tried to spread out the holidays because again I didn’t want to get overwhelmed and some festivals I put on the sacred day of the god being honored because why not? I’m already giving them an offering so why not just make a whole celebration out of it?

Like I said, I designed this calendar specifically with my needs, interests, and life in mind. And I encourage you to do the same. In no way are you required to celebrate every festival so don’t put pressure on yourself to do more than what you can manage. Remember you can always alter and update the calendar each year to add more so there’s no need to jump into the deep end right away. Do what makes sense to you, your worship, and your life.

Okay one last thing before the calendar. I want to note that there are some special days that I will be celebrating monthly which are:

Noumenia - Celebrated the first of the month (traditionally on the New Moon) this holiday is used to prepare for the new month. Great time to set goals for the month, reset your energy, and of course ask the gods and any household daemons to bless and protect you.

Sacred Days - Some of the gods had days of the month which were sacred to them and were given offerings or libation in their honor on those days. Athena (3rd), Aphrodite and Hermes (4th), Artemis (6th), Apollo (7th), Poseidon (8th), and my own personal addition Persephone (First Quarter Moon).

Hekate’s Deipnon - Celebrated the last day of the month (traditionally on the Dark Moon) this holiday is all about doing what needs to be done to let go of the old month. Tying up any loose ends, making sure all debts are repaid, all obligations have been fulfilled, reflecting on the lessons learned, and just doing what you need to so you don’t bring any baggage into the new month. You wanna start fresh! Also it’s time of the month to honor Hekate to make sure you stay on her good side and a good day to do some charity or volunteer work. Especially anything involving feeding the homeless and those in need.

And now we can finally get to the calendar! I didn’t include descriptions of the festivals because I’m going to make separate content for each one and update this post with links as I do. Also if you don’t want to wait you can research them with the resource links I already provided!

Okay finally! Here’s my festival calendar for 2020!

 January

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite and Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Theogamia

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 February

1st - Noumenia

2nd - Imbolc, Persephone

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite and Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

14th - Valentine’s Day (Aphrodite, Eros, Psyche)

29th - Hekate’s Deipnon

 March

1st - Noumenia

2nd - Persephone

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Elaphebolia (Artemis)

7th- Apollo

8th- Poseidon

9th- Dionysia

19th - Ostara

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 April

1st- Noumenia, Persephone

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

10th- Mounykhia

13th - Olympeia

22nd - Earth Day (Gaia)

30th- Hekate’s Deipnon

 May

1st - Beltane, Noumenia

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Thargelia

7th - Thargelia

8th - Poseidon

10th - Mother’s Day (Hera)

30th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 June

1st- Noumenia

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th- Poseidon

11th - Death of Alexander the Great

21st - Litha, Father’s Day (Zeus)

28th - Persephone

30th - Hekate’s Deipnon, MY BIRTHDAY!

 July

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Khalkeia

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

17th  - Aphrodisia

27th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 August

1st - Lammas, Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Boedromia

8th - Poseidon

25th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 September

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Kharisteria

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Mabon

24th - Persephone

29th - Thesmophoria

30th - Thesmophoria, Hekate’s Deipnon

 October

1st - Thesmophoria, Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Persephone

31st - Samhain

 November

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Pyanepsia, Oskhophoria

8th - Poseidon

22nd - Persephone

30th - Hekate’s Deipnon

 December

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

13th - Poseidea

21st - Yule, Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

Hope you all have an absolutely blessed year in 2020! <3

OR Basic Bitch Banana Pumpkin Bread ($$$)

Okay. Strap in. This is a complicated recipe, but totally worth it. Make this bread for a nice Autumn prosperity spell, abundance spell, or even as a shareable for Mabon. This is full of spices with money/prosperity correspondences, and never forget that banana and pumpkin are great for attracting prosperity, too. As this is the harvest season, I like to add a splash of whisky to represent grain. 

Meditate, set your intentions, and prep your ingredients. I like having everything set out in bowls/cups. This cuts down on how often you (if you’re like me) have to scramble around and breaking your concentration.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs*

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 can pumpkin puree

½ cup honey**

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour***

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground clove

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ginger

Optional Ingredients

¼ teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoon espresso

½ shot grain-based alcohol, preferably whisky/bourbon - to represent the grain harvest

Walnuts for topping

Raisins

ALTERNATIVE DIET OPTIONS

*To make vegan, add 6 tbsp aquafaba (garbanzo bean juice)

Please note that this will add a slightly nuttier taste to the mixture, but with the banana and pumpkin, there isn’t much of a noticeable difference

**For a vegan alternative to honey, try agave syrup

***To make gluten free, replace all-purpose flour with almond flour. This WILL change the texture of your loaf. It will be a bit denser. Also, to keep the recipe gluten free, DO NOT add any grain-based alcohol

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (you may sprinkle it with almond flour to make it even less likely to stick).

Stir together the banana, eggs, oil, pumpkin, honey, and sugar. Add espresso and alcohol, if desired

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices

Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Add walnuts/raisins, if desired.

Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. To check loaf, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If done, the toothpick should come out clean

Allow to cool before serving

Ingredient correspondences below break

🔮Path Ahead Spread🔮

1. Preparations

2. Where I want to be

3. How to get there

4. What’s in store?

5. Driving force

I would truly love to think it’s at the top of our to do lists to be good people. I would love to think that and also see it put into place. We can pray to our gods for others, we can (consensually) do a kind spell or sigil for them too, and it’s all well and good. But what can we do for the environment? I got you covered, let’s take a look at my many ideas on how you can be a conscious witch for nature’s sake!

But, Ariel, don’t you usually use a million links in your posts? This is true, but I’m writing this based on everything my amazing teacher taught me back in my Environmental Science class in college. Except without all the big science words because I didn’t do great at that part, however, I did great at solutions and human theory, which is exactly what we want here. So, I encourage you so much to be inspired by this and look for more sources online! Never stop reading on what you can do to help the environment!

And without further ado, this is a quick stop of A-level Environmental Science by someone who cannot for the life of them remember terminology, woo!

Devote An Activity

Whether this be an organised beach clean up, picking up trash on a footpath, helping a charity store or a petition sign up, or any other environmental activity, devote it to your deity/ies! Just some examples would be going to a beach clean up and praying or just speaking in your mind to, say, Poseidon about how you honour him with this action.

Side note, it’s also a good meditative practice as you clean something up or fulfil a list/sheet.

Pick Organic

You guys thought this was just about shopping, didn’t you? Well, it isn’t, but I do want to say that if you can buy organic you should consider it because it means no artificial chemicals and fertilisers have touched the food. Farmers have to leave previously chemically-touched land to rinse itself and be scientifically declared ‘natural’ again before using it for organics, so when you buy organic, it’s a sign to farmers that it’s worth their time and money!

But no, this is about how you can make sure your plants are organic. Put down the chemical pest control and pick up your phone to research! Something as simple as a two foot board can keep out carrot flies, or planting marigolds and keeping coin or egg shell barriers can stop slugs. There’s alternatives and they’re usually fun to learn about, interesting to undertake, cheaper for your wallet, and better on your little plants and environmental microcosm you have going on there.

Plant Cloning

So plant cloning can be easy or difficult depending on the species at hand, but for the most part all you do is take a cutting, snip it diagonally, and put it in water until it sprouts roots and can be planted. This is called micropropagation, but it’s also some pretty awesome green witchery if you ask me!

You can do this for your herbs so you don’t have to buy more, which is good for your purse, but I also thought that if you consider yourself a good gardener with abundant native wildflowers nearby, or some in your garden, why not try your hand at cloning one? Native wildflowers are the absolute best thing for your native pollinators (did you know some wasp and fly species are also pollinators? It’s not just bees!) Not only that but also native plants are a really good thing to encourage right now because in our current era we’re seeing the negative effects of invasive species. Rhodendrons are a famous invasive plant around the world because it just grows… All year… All the time… Swallowing anything in its path. It also happens with fauna species: Harlequin ladybirds, cane toads, west african giant killer snails (which I’m sure wasn’t the actual name, or was it?), european rabbits, and so on and so forth. Now, we can’t fix the fauna part, but we can do our own little bit for the flora part. Also, if you manage to grow wildflowers, you’ve beat my environmental science professor because he could never get them to survive in his garden, so props to you!

Create Habitats

This is a really great one you probably see people do all the time but never considered to be witchy. Buy birdboxes (or make some!), set up bee-friendly hives (have you see the nests you can get? Google!), but also consider actually leaving dead wood around. I can see the confusion you have right now, but here’s the thing: a fallen tree is an ecosystem for all manners of insects. It creates another level of ecosystem within the bigger environment. For instance, if you go to a nature reserve, ever notice they don’t cut the trees down at the same times? Forgive me, Richard (my enviro teacher), for I have sinned and forgotten the name of the method, but it’s done because it creates different types of environment. Where the trees are pollarded and light hits the floor, flowers may grow and that encourages certain types of fauna. Where the trees create a canopy overhead and the ground is left to be darker and cooler, it again attracts different species. In this same way, a fallen tree is great for certain species. Give it a little research and see what you could attract by leaving that log out a little longer!

Act Consciously

I’m not even kidding with you: trampling is actually a really serious issue with environmental protection and reserves. It straight up makes it onto the Legal Quantative Sheet Thing that people have to fill out when trying to assess if the plans for the land are going to be a gain or loss. It’s why you see designated footpaths and raised walkboards in SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and various other areas of designated protection. It’s really important we think more about how our visit reflects the visit of many. To throw some Kantian Ethics in here, using one of the three maxims, we should think universally. This means we should assume when we do an action, it permits everyone else in the world to do it and they have also done it. When you walk off the boards which are clearly labelled not to, so does everyone else. When you litter, so does everyone else. Honestly Kant’s maxims are a really good way to encourage yourself to be a more ethical person. Just don’t read too much into his whole ethical theory. It’ll hurt your brain. Anyway! Here’s things to try to be more conscious of actively doing:

Pick up litter

Stay on designated paths

Use walkboards when provided

Step around flora where possible

If it says keep your dog on a lead it’ll be because of the wildlife there - usually for safety both ways - so do so until you get to the lead-free zone

Visit the visitors centre to learn more about helping the site or what native plants they have

Don’t practice activities banned in the area, as in fires or driving, because it’s probably because the environment can’t take it

Just don’t invade nature’s space, friendsssss

Donate A Little

Sometimes, nature runs low on funds. If you’ve got £2 for the charity bin to help your local reserve build a visitors centre, why not chip in? Visitors centres allow for education of the public and also visiting school groups. It’s places like that that teach you information like this.

Pray

Simple one here, folks. In between the prayers to deities and thanks and wants or whatever you happen to pray for, pray for the environment. Yours or globally. Also pray for general world atrocities, but that’s another post.

Compost

Literally everything made of some natural material is compostable somehow if you do your research on what conditions and so on, but at the very least all your vegetable peels and fruit slices can be left to one side to decompose into dead organic matter. Dead organic matter is like gold to plants because its natural nutrients which seep back into the soil which originated from the earth anyway! You get to decrease what you send to landfill whilst also giving a little home brewed offering to your plant babies.

Reuse and Recycle

Collect your candle wax to fashion into new candles, collect the ash when you burn things to put into your soil, when you’re done working with magic water, pour it into your plants, turn an old shirt into a braided witches ladder, and so on and so on. There is magic in putting time into fashioning a disused item into something entirely new, or in giving away what you no longer need. I’m going to start calling this The Phoenix Rule and it’s going to be my new witch code as of now (15th June 2019, you read it here first, folks). This is about doing what you can to grow from your own ashes or plant something good out of something old.

Paper? Leaves

Do you find yourself using a silly amount of brand new paper for sigils or intent in spells? Start collecting leaves (or old newspapers and things!) and use these instead of brand new paper. In fact, you could match the folklore of the plant to your spell and sigil. Bay leaves for accomplishing dreams, oak leaves for wisdom and knowledge, there is endless possibilities. Start picking up those fallen leaves! They’re free and they’re not using lots of water and chemicals to make them. Okay water, but water from the sky and ground that isn’t excessively farmed and pumped from nature for the paper bleaching industry.

And I think that’s where I’ll stop for now, but this is definitely not the end of all the things you could do to incorporate environmentalism into your witchcraft. And also, since it wouldn’t be written by me without them, I found some articles to get you started on researching this all further if (hopefully) the eco flame burns on in you~

None of them are witchy because when you Google ‘Environmental Witchcraft’ it’s all some very angry blog posts about who even knows what. Zealots in one. Such strange people. Anyway:

Organic Gardening Tips

82 Tips for Sustainable Gardening

10 Organic Gardening Tips

10 Reasons People Buy Organic

23 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles

51 Ways to Reuse your Waste

Why Is It Important to Preserve Nature

Composting Tips

How to Reuse your Candle Wax

How to Reuse your Candle Jars and Wax

Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden

Creating Habitats in your Garden

How to Grow a Wildflower Garden