love always

THE NEW YOU SPREAD

For use when you are looking for self improvement, or are unsure where you want to be in life. 

Crystals to use: 

Citrine (positivity + Solar Plexus Chakra)

Tiger’s Eye (grounding)

Amethyst (intuition)

Multi use Spell bands

Setting fire to things or putting items in bottles is not the only way to cast spells. This is my blend of knot magic and Buddhist ritual. It is the easiest and cheapest way to cast but also one of the most powerful. Some magic is simple but this takes an element of commitment.

You need :

Three pieces of cotton long enough to go nearly twice around your wrist.

(That’s it, no expensive herbs, bottles, wax, oils……)

Tip : Save even more money by using those free sewing kits they give away in hotels. (people are always happy to collect these for you and they cost nothing)

Spell Technique:

I find it best to work this spell out in nature. Old wooden posts hold thread well and you get a better connection.

Tie the ends together and leave an inch loose. Hook the knot into anything natural or tie it loosely to a branch.

Plait the treads loosely together, repeating in your mind what you wish to happen. This might sound easy but thread takes awhile to plait. Building your spell repeatedly into the weave.

Stop when you are almost at the end and finish the band with another knot.

Finally tie the band to your wrist (you might need a friend or partner do it for you) and cut away any excess. Do not remove the band even to bathe. In a week or two it will naturally fall off and the spell is then set.

Tips :

if it’s still there after a year you might want to check that you haven’t used nylon..

If you experience any discomfort or a rash, cut off the cord. Fate is telling you that it was not the right time.

Fishtail Braid

Chinese Ladder/Staircase

Striped (Simple)

Box style is usually for lanyard but it’s my favorite so here

Things to help you move on and recover from a long day, a rough night or a good cry.

Spells and magic:

Rose quartz healing tears spell

Ease the pain spell

Here comes the sun spell

Self love bath / Shower ritual

Cleansing ritual body scrub

Quick pick me up glamour

Seashell charm for self acceptance

A simple spell to release stress

Full bloom spell

Sunrise magic

Things to make:

Self care sachet

Self love and healing spell bottle

Inspired healing bottle

Self love jar

To move forward:

I move on sigil

Restarting spell

Clarity spell

Letting go - banishing spell

Spell for reassurance

Self empowerment spell jar

Little things to do:

Surround yourself with crystals like rose quartz, carnelian, amethyst, rhodonite, citrine, pyrite and more!

Use rose water or honey to sweeten up your day.

Witchy thing to do right now

Magical self care

Self care magic

Self care for the witch

Witch self care tips

What to do if witchcraft drains you

Drinks:

Self love latte spell

Overall positivi-tea*

‘Give me sunshine’ potion for happiness*

A warm heart tea recipe*

Healing heart tea*

Mental reboost tea*

More in this masterpost!

*Please research herb safety before using!

Odds and ends:

The new you tarot spread (3 card)

Moving forward tarot spread (5 card)

Magics for heartbreak

Witchcraft for the grieving

Gentle witchcraft

Magic to replenish energy

sometimes spells just flop, and you want to redo them. but before you do that, you should nullify the first attempt, to prevent the first attempt creates conflicts with the second attempt of the spell. 

⚫ TO NULLIFY ONE OF YOUR OWN SPELLS ⚫

WITH SPELL INGREDIENTS:

✴️️ gather the contents/ingredients of the spell you first cast it with

✴️️ separate the burnable and non-burning contents of the spell

✴️️ salt the burnable ingredients lightly (such as paper, herbs, etc)

✴️️ burn the ingredients, and cover the non-burning pieces with the ash.

✴️️ rinse the non-burning pieces clean and cleanse them. 

WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL INGREDIENTS:

✴️️ gather as many of the same spell components as you used to cast it

✴️️ perform the spell backwards, speak any chants used backwards. 

however, sometimes it isn’t a spell you cast, and things can get a little trickier. how do you nullify a spell you didn’t cast?

⚫ A SPELL YOU BELIEVE HAS BEEN CAST ON YOU ⚫

✴️️ gather a bowl of salt water and a black candle

✴️️ place the candle in the center of the bowl

✴️️ burn a hair of fingernail clipping of yours on the flame

✴️️ let the flame burn down until it is extinguished by the water

⚫ A CURSE YOU BELIEVE HAS BEEN CAST ON YOU ⚫

✴️️ make black salt but combining ash and salt

Throughout history those who practice magic have had a close connection to the spirit world, from fairy doctors who were said to learn their craft from the fae, to ceremonial magicians invoking angels and demons, to witches working with familiar spirits. To practice magic is to open yourself to this connection and to become aware of a whole new world of intelligent beings.

In modern Western culture, there’s a lot of fear around working with spirits. There are countless horror stories about malevolent hauntings, seances gone wrong, and violent possessions. It’s easy to see why many new witches are reluctant to work with spirits.

Ironically, in most other times and places, the spirit world was and is accepted as a normal part of life. All over the world, since before recorded history, people have honored their ancestors, left offerings for local land spirits, and built relationships with deities. We’re actually the weirdos for not having a healthy relationship with the spirits around us.

I personally have found working with spirits to be incredibly rewarding, and being aware of the spirits around me adds a lot of depth to my spiritual practice and my witchcraft. As long as you do your research, keep your wits about you, and are polite, you have nothing to fear and everything to gain from working with spirits.

Some Philosophy Terms

Animism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects.” An animist believes that all things have a spirit, from animals and plants to rocks and even man-made objects. Animism is a big part of many magical practices, especially in folk magic. It’s also a part of several modern religions, including Shinto and Anito. I personally am an animist, and my magic includes connecting with the spirits of the plants, crystals, and objects I work with.

Pantheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.” A pantheist believes that the physical world is the Divine. Whereas an animist believes that all things have their own spirit, a pantheist believes that the entire world shares a single, divine spirit. Many Wiccans are pantheists, and in some cases pantheism can coexist with animism (all things are both individual spirits and part of the divine whole).

Panentheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “the doctrine that God includes the world as a part though not the whole of his being.” A panentheist believes that the world is a part of the divine, but that there is also a part of the divine that exists beyond the physical world. Some Christian groups are panentheists. Another example of panentheism is ancient Egyptian religion, where natural objects like the sky and the sun were seen as the bodies (but not the souls) of the gods.

Which of these philosophies you resonate with will shape how you interact with spirits and the spirit world.

Types of Spirits

This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but here are some of the types of spirits witches commonly encounter or work with:

Ancestors: deceased human spirits, especially those with a familial link to you. Ancestor veneration is a huge part of some magic systems, as well as many religions. Some witches ask their ancestors for help in every single spell or ritual, while others honor their ancestors on certain days, like on Samhain or on a deceased loved one’s birthday. Honoring the ancestors is a good place to start with spirit work because they already have a connection to you and are more likely to be willing to help you. However, working with ancestors can be difficult if you don’t know your family’s history or if you don’t feel close to your family. As author Aaron Oberon says, “Sometimes ancestor work is undoing the blocks our ancestors have built.”

To begin connecting with your ancestors, start by researching your family history. Ask your living relatives about their parents and grandparents. Try your hand at genealogy research and see how far back you can trace your family. If you feel called to do so, you can create a special altar to honor your ancestors. Light candles and leave out offerings of food that your ancestors enjoyed while they were alive.

Land Spirits: spirits that embody and are connected to a natural object or landmark. There are many, many types of land spirits, from individual tree and plant spirits to the spirits of great mountains and rivers. Some land spirits are even worshiped as gods – like Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile. Some modern witches even choose to recognize cryptids like Mothman or the Jersey Devil as land spirits! Working with your local land spirits can help you develop a deeper connection to your environment and can make your magic feel more localized and personal.

To begin connecting with land spirits, start by learning about the biology and folklore of your local area. Offerings for land spirits are usually left outside, so be sure to offer things that won’t harm local wildlife. Wild bird seed, fresh fruit, and unsalted peanuts are a few examples of safe offerings.

Spirits of Place: spirits tied to a specific building or location. Unlike land spirits, these beings aren’t always connected to a natural feature. Houses and other buildings can have their own spirits that embody the energy of that place. In Germanic folklore, these spirits are called house wights or husvaettir, and in English folklore they’re called brownies. For people who grew up in non-animist cultures, it can feel strange to leave offerings for the spirit of a man-made building, but there’s a long history of these types of spirits being honored all over the world. I personally see house wights as being similar to land spirits.

If you want to begin connecting with the spirits of your home, start by greeting them by name and leaving out an offering for them. Establishing a relationship with the spirits of your living space can help you create a more harmonious and productive home. Traditional offerings for house wights include dishes of cream, grain-based porridge (like oatmeal or grits), and clean water.

Animal Spirits: the spirit of a specific animal, the archetypal Spirit (with a capital “S”) of an entire species of animal, or an individual spirit that appears as an animal. The concept of animal spirits that act as protectors and guides is found in many cultures, especially those with shamanic traditions. In Norse mythology, fylgjur were protector spirits who often appeared as animals. In British Traditional Witchcraft, witches work with familiar spirits that often take on animal forms. It’s worth noting that the terms “spirit animal” and “totem animal” come from Native American spiritual traditions and should not be used by people who don’t belong to those cultures. The concept of animal guides exists in other cultures, so there’s no reason to appropriate indigenous words and ideas. In my experience, animal spirits are often friendly and easy to connect with, so this is a good place to start for witches who are new to spirit work.

If you’d like to work with animal spirits, you can begin by connecting to the animals that are local to your area. You may feel called to bring a part of the animal you’re connecting with into your sacred space – for example, I keep crow feathers on my altar. Offerings depend on the type of animal spirit you’re connecting to – some require only fresh water, while some traditions state that familiars should be fed with blood (not human). Use your intuition to choose what works for you.

Fairies: fairies are a specific kind of land spirit, and most fairy lore is based on mythology and folklore from the British Isles. Fairies have a reputation in modern pop culture as being sweet, friendly creatures – some authors even compare them to angels! However, I think it’s important to remember that historically, fairies were known for being mischievous and sometimes dangerous. In folklore, fairies are less Tinkerbell and more Spiderwick Chronicles. As author Morgan Daimler says, “They can be cruel and vicious, or generous and kind. Some of them are helpful. Some are indifferent. And some of them think we make a very tasty meal indeed.” For this reason, fairies should be approached with caution.

If you want to honor the fairies in your practice, I recommend checking out Morgan Daimler’s books – they have several on this subject that are both easy to read and well-researched. There are a lot of rules for working with fairies, such as not telling them your full name and not saying “thank you” to a fairy, so this is one type of spirit that you should definitely research before beginning to work with them.

Angels: divine messengers; spirits of love and light that come from the Divine and have no physical form. Strictly speaking, “angel” refers to a messenger of the Abrahamic God, but there are other spirits from other religious traditions that fill a similar role. Angels and similar spirits embody divine love, and as such they are both incredibly powerful and incredibly supportive. Because of their loving nature, working with angels is a good place to start spirit work. Some witches who have had negative experiences with Christianity, Judaism, or Islam may feel uncomfortable working with angels. I have personally found that angels don’t really care how you identify in terms of religion, and have had good experiences with Christian angels even though I identify as pagan. However, your experiences may be different, so please don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable!

There are a lot of bad resources floating around the Internet when it comes to angels. If you’re interested in working with them, I recommend Chantel Lysette’s books Azrael Loves Chocolate and The Angel Code. There’s also a YouTube channel called Ask Angels with Melanie Beckler – I don’t agree with 100% of her ideas, but it’s a decent free resource. Offerings to angels are typically non-physical, like the light from a candle or the smoke from incense.

Demons: spirits of mischief, strife, and/or evil with no physical form. In Western culture, we associate the word “demon” with Christianity, but demons appear in many other religions, including Hinduism and Kemetic paganism. I personally define “demon” as a spirit who: 1.) is not and never was human, and 2.) is antagonistic towards humans. Most witches only deal with demons when they’re trying to get rid of one. However, there are some magic traditions, such as Goetic Magic, that call on demons in magical rituals. Let me just say this: in my experience, there are very few reasons why someone would want to work with a demon, and doing so is as dangerous for the person doing the summoning as it is for the intended victim. I definitely recommend that new witches stay away from these spirits. (But it should be noted that demons are not the same thing as dark deities!)

If you need to get rid of a demon, sulfur is used in American traditions to banish them. (It may also banish helpful spirits, so keep that in mind.) Blessed water is used to repel demons in several cultures. You can also call on an angel or deity for protection.

Deities: powerful, divine spirits who are worshiped as gods. Deities vary a lot from culture to culture, and each deity has their own personality, moral code, and mannerisms. I have found working with deities to be very fulfilling, as deities allow us to put a human face on the Divine. It’s much easier to form a relationship with, say, Odin than it is with an abstract divine force, at least in my experience. Aside from spiritually fulfilling relationships, deities can also be powerful allies in magic. It’s worth noting that very few deities are 100% good or 100% bad – they’re more nuanced than that. Just like anyone else, deities have strengths and weaknesses. (Yes, even the Abrahamic God. Read the Old Testament sometime and tell me God doesn’t have flaws.)

If you are interested in working with deities, start by doing research into the pantheons you feel drawn to. Were you obsessed with Greek mythology as a kid? (Or Norse? Or Egyptian? Or any other culture?) Read up on it! Find out how those deities were worshiped historically, and use that as a starting point for building your own practice. Offerings for deities vary from culture to culture, but I’ve found that fresh, clean water seems to be pretty much universally accepted.

This post ended up just being a whole lot of vocab, but I wanted to get some definitions straight before I start writing about how to connect with the spirit world. In my next post, I’ll talk about how to introduce yourself to different types of spirits and etiquette for maintaining a healthy relationship!

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

Let’s face it, although it definitely feels exciting to think that you’ve been gifted a sign from the universe or any deities that you worship, not everything is a sign. In fact, most experiences aren’t a sign- but that’s not a bad thing! This just makes signs all the more special when we do receive one. Think about it: if we were sent signs from the universe or our deities all the time, they would slowly lose significance and meaning as they blended into the regular aspects of our lives. Eventually, they would no longer stand out to us and it’s possible we would stop noticing them altogether. So, don’t be discouraged if you realize that something you experienced wasn’t a sign- there will be plenty of opportunities for you to receive a genuine sign in the future when the time is right! If you’re having trouble discerning what experiences are actually signs and what’s just a coincidence, here are a few tips: 

It probably was NOT a sign if… 

The experience is suited to its surrounding environment- If something is likely to happen within a specific environment due to the nature of the environment, then it’s most likely not a sign, instead it’s just a result of your surroundings. For example, if you see a deer while you’re taking a walk through the woods, then that’s probably because you’re strolling through the natural habitat of a deer, not because you’re receiving a sign. 

You haven’t requested a sign from the universe/your deities- If you haven’t reached out to your deities or asked the universe for a sign lately, then it’s more likely that your experience is just a coincidence. If there’s no present issue at hand that you’ve asked for help with, then there’s less explanation as to what message the sign could be carrying and too many possible meanings to examine. 

You receive the experience in a way you’re not used to- Some people directly communicate to the universe/their deities that they would like to receive signs in a specific manner so that they can be sure it’s a genuine sign from their higher power. If you have done this and your experience is received in a way that’s different from the specifications you’ve asked for in a sign, then it’s more likely to be a coincidence or simply an odd experience. 

The experience could have happened to anybody/is too general- Sometimes, we really need to ask ourselves if an experience is actually significant, or if it’s just a coincidence that could happen to anyone. For example, say you’re contemplating leaving a relationship and you happen to see a bird near you flying away. Is that a sign? Well, it’s not exactly specific or super significant to see a bird flying away. That could very well happen to anyone on any given day, therefore it’s likely not a sign. 

You find yourself desperately trying to force meaning within your experience when there’s no true connection- It happens. At some point, we all have felt really lost in life, and as though we have no guidance. These feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can cause us to try and find meaning in our experiences when there’s no sign to be found. This is likely because, in these moments, we feel as though our lives themselves are lacking meaning, therefore we can become desperate to try and find significance in something else. 

It’s likely that it WAS a sign if… 

You have requested a sign from the universe/your deities- This is one of the first things you should consider when you’re trying to determine if your experience was a genuine sign! If you’ve clearly asked the universe or sent a prayer to your deities for a specific sign and you receive an experience shortly after, then it is significantly more likely to be an actual sign because it is an answer to your request rather than a random message being sent. 

The experience matched the specifications you have requested- In your prayers to your deities/the universe, perhaps you have made it clear that you prefer to receive signs in a specific manner, such as asking to notice it within a certain time frame, or a specific number of times. This is usually done with the purpose of having extra ways to verify signs from the universe/your deities. Thus, if your experience matches the criteria you’ve requested, then it is significantly more likely to be a genuine sign. 

There were repeated symbols within your experience- Consistent and clear repetition of specific actions, symbols, figures, meaningful numbers, or words is undeniably more meaningful than simply having one odd experience. In this case, your experience is much more likely to be a sign because the universe/your deities may be using repetition to catch and hold your attention. 

The experience was highly unusual for its surrounding environment- The key element of this indicator is contrast. If the experience seems unsuited or ‘out of place’ for its environment, then it is more likely to be a sign because the specific experience is being highlighted in notable contrast to what is around you, which is another way of catching your attention. 

There were specific symbols that connect to your deity- Most deities have specific symbols, figures, meaningful numbers, or words that are known to be connected to their role as a religious or spiritual figure. If your experience features key elements that tie to a deity you worship, then it is more likely to be a sign because there are specific references to your deity within your experience. 

You felt an intense, distinct reaction to your experience that sparked an immediate connection- If you discover after your experience that you feel extremely certain that it is a sign, and this is paired with a distinct physical/emotional ‘gut’ feeling, then you should pay attention! This is likely your intuition telling you that this is a genuine sign.