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This is a simple spell I’ve been doing every night to give me interesting dreams and a restful sleep. It works wonders!

You will need:

⭐️ an amethyst crystal/any crystal or stone you associate with sleep and restfulness

⭐️ a window that shows the sky

Turn all the lights off in your room and hold the crystal up to the window. Look at the sky and your crystal and ask your intent either out loud or mentally, such as “give me a sweet and restful sleep” or “give me fun dreams”.

When you feel that your crystal has been charged with that intent, seal the spell by kissing the crystal and go to bed. Place the crystal under your pillow for your night to be as you asked of it!

Hey witchblr and everyone else who is interested! I’ve noticed a lack of awareness when it comes to herbal remedies/medicines having side effects and interactions with medications, and realized a lot of people don’t know where to look! (All sites linked are free):

Articles on herb-drug interactions: [1] [2] [3]

Chart for possible herb-drug interactions

HerbMed has a search function where you can look up the herb and find possible interactions.

WebMD has a search function where you can look up an herb, and then select interactions and pull up very thorough medication lists. 

University of Maryland Medical Center has some info on common side effects and how to safely use herbal remedies. 

NIH has a search function where you can look up the herb and find credible articles and info on it. 

iMedPub has scholarly journals and articles on herbal medicine.

Elsevier also has scholarly journals and articles on herbal medicine.

This sigil was designed to discourage people from noticing the wearer / caster. Rather than invisibility, which is more difficult to achieve, this sigil encourages others to find the wearer utterly unmemorable / uninteresting.

There’s a lot said, in witchcraft circles, about correspondences. Not just what the correspondence of anything is but where that particular correspondence comes from. Some people rely on pre-written lists, such as the type I organize and post here, but many people believe that any correspondence used should be your own.  In order to figure out what your own correspondences are, it is important to understand what a correspondence even is - it’s merely something that is used to represent something else. And the reason why spells often consist of things meant to represent or correspond to something else is because it is a form of sympathetic magic. Like produces like, the effect resembles the cause. Spells are a metaphorical representation of what you want to happen.

Some correspondences are near-universal, and baked firmly into culture. There is mass recognition by everyone, witch or not, that roses are linked with love. Giving someone a red rose is a clear representation of love even with no other context. 

I’ve been too strict with myself throughout my witching career. I convinced myself that rituals are most effective with a ton of preparation and picking just the right tools. While magic certainly works this way, it can also work if I perform them spontaneously. This year, I’m focusing more on spontaneous, simple rituals performed with little or no tools, that are still effective in their own right.

To clarify, when I say “no tools”, I’m talking about a situation where you wish to perform a ritual but have none of your witchy supplies on you (divination sets, magical herbs, candles, instructions etc.). In most cases, you may be outside or traveling. Say you went to the beach, or a park, or cemetery, and wish to honor the spirits or cast a spell. How would you do so?

Recently I’ve been brainstorming these methods using outdoor rituals I’ve performed in the past as reference. As a disclaimer, these correspondences (for lack of a better term) are highly personal to me. Since these rituals are usually spontaneous, you’ll have permission to alter the significance of these as you see fit.

Gestures 

Hands on the ground can ground you, stabilize your energy, and focus on your energy mingling with the energy of the earth.

Raising your hands towards the sky helps you harness and absorb energy from the sky, and celestial powers. You can also just face your palms towards the sky if you want to remain inconspicuous.

Pointing is a powerful gestures used to direct energy. If you want to charge an object, for instance, you can point at it or tap it. 

Your palms facing away from your body can act as a protective gesture, cutting you off from outside forces. You can also sweep your hands across areas to isolate them, brushing unwanted energies away from the space.

Your palm pressed to the ground or an object directs energy into it. Not only can this ground you, but it releases a lot of energy, activating a spell. You can also raise your own energy by pressing your hand to your heart, or even hugging yourself. 

Grabbing helps you pull in and trap energies.

In the same vein, opening your hand releases energy.

Extending your hand, as if to give a handshake, is a welcoming gesture that invites forces to come to you. This signals to spirits that you welcome them, and that you request to work with them.

Sitting still allows you to listen and meditate. If you want to hear a response or a sign, it is best to remain still.

Dancing releases energy and raises the vibration of the energies around you. You can collapse to the ground when the energy has reached its peak, and needs to be released.

Breathing techniques are a staple in magic, but since I’ve already made a post about them, I’ll link that post here.

Music / Sounds

Certain words and sayings hold great power when stated and chanted. I won’t list any because there are too many to count, but memorizing a hymn or repeating whatever persists in your mind can have great effects.

Similarly, singing raises the power of these words. It can be used to conjure, harness and build energy, sanctify and invite.

Clapping, or otherwise banging objects together, creates a lot of energy. This can cleanse ritual spaces, raise power, and release power.

Whistling and humming helps you resonate with the energies around you. It can also help you attain a meditative state, and attract spirits.

Silence allows you to listen and inspect.

Handling the Ground (Such as Dirt or Sand)

Drawing or marking a circle gives you a designated ritual area. Although this isn’t necessary, I find it useful to mark an area that I can raise energies in. You can draw it in the dirt or sand, or mark the area with stones, flowers, leaves or sticks.

Drawing symbols in the dirt can drastically change the energy of a ritual area. It can be part of a spell or an offering. Hearts, sigils, words and phrases–your options are flexible here.

Burying objects releases it from your control and your sight. This can be done for offerings, banishings, and letting go spells.

Sticking objects into the dirt or sand allows the object to absorb the earth’s energy, without being entirely released from your control.

Concerning Objects Available to You

If you’re performing a ritual outside, chances are you have some natural items available to handle, such as stones, grass, leaves and perhaps water. What you do with these objects depends on the purpose of your ritual. Rituals without tools tend to be spontaneous, meaning that you’ll have to determine the use of each object on the spot. 

If you’re conducting a ritual with no tools, that most likely means that you won’t have a grimoire or correspondence list with you. You’ll have to use what you know about that object, and what you feel is best by speaking to it. In fact, I almost didn’t include this section because unprepared rituals are so uniquely you that I cannot instruct them.

I’ll list some things I’ve done in the past as examples. But remember that your intuition will guide you the most. When it’s your turn, you won’t have this post to guide your actions.

Stones stabilize energies and provide a focal point. I’ve place stones in the middle of my ritual circle as a centerpiece. I’ve also held them to ground myself and meditate. You can also make noise and music by banging said stones.

Leaves have multiple uses, but I often use them as energy directors. They can outline a ritual circle, be used to make symbols, and point to objects. They can also be infused with energy, and then crumpled, buried or ripped.

Sticks direct energy, similar to wands. They can draw symbols, mark circles or outlines, or funnel energy into a specific point.

Water cleanses, blesses, and invigorates with life. Use on yourself or your makeshift ‘tools’.

Wind cleanses, releases, and sweeps away energies, whereas celestial bodies such as the sun and moon charge things with energy.

Metawork Terminology Series: [ Energy Work ] [ Astral Work ]

These definitions are not put forward as the only possible meanings, they are simply based on my own experiences and personal definitions. Like my other two posts, there are no citations because these definitions are based on my own experiences and may or may not describe the experiences of others.

BASIC SPIRIT TYPES & CLASSES

Spirit - An organized cluster of energy with at least some level of sentience that has an energy body and in most cases also an astral body. Spirits generally do not inhabit physical bodies unless they are possessing an entity with a physical body, are attached to a vessel, or are reborn as a spirit incarnate.

Vessel - A physical container that helps a spirit manifest on the physical plane.

Spirit incarnate - Any living being with a physical body (usually a human being) whose energy and astral bodies would be classified as a non-human spirit. This most frequently occurs as the result of a non-human spirit being reincarnated as a human, which is how the spirit became incarnated in a physical body.

Spirit species - A variety of spirits who all share many common traits in their general appearance, energy signatures, and other features. Spirits of the same species will generally be able to produce offspring that carry most of the same traits as their parent(s).

Class of spirit species - A broad grouping of many spirit species that are interrelated in terms of their energies and morphological features. They may also possibly share cultural, linguistic, political, regional, and other commonalities.

Deities - A class of spirits who are powerful beyond the scope of most other spirits and who have control over forces in a specific area or the entire universe on a macro scale. (friendly reminder: these are all my personal definitions, not universal ones)

Nature spirits - A very broad class of spirit species that relate to the forces of nature. I consider plant spirits, tree spirits, fae spirits, land spirits, and many elemental spirits to all be types of nature spirits.

Fae (faeries) - The faefolk are a sub-class of nature spirits. The many different fae species have a wide diversity of outward appearances, but they are all distinguishable by the common aspects of their energy signatures that every fae species shares. Fae energy is a specific combination of nature and pure magic energy. Some live on Earth’s physical plane while others reside in any of the many different fae realms across numerous astral planes.

Land spirits - A sub-class of nature spirits who are very closely associated with a certain territory and primarily live to protect that land.

Night spirits - A class of spirit species that are aligned with the nighttime. They are often classed as “demons,” but many are actually just various species of nature spirits. Usually but not always quite dangerous.

Parasite - A class of spirit species who are energy feeders and prey on certain entities as their hosts. Often warded and protected against.

Human spirits (ghosts) - The deceased spirit of a human being. All human spirits are a part of one single spirit species.

Ancestral spirits - A class of spirits who are the ancestors of an entity either from that entity’s current lifetime or across other lives. Typically, the terms “ancestral spirits” and “ancestors” refer to a person’s human ancestors from their current lifetime.

Twin flames - Two entities with energy signatures that are identical, almost identical, or so interrelated in some fashion that they clearly are two halves of a whole. Twin flames being reborn during the same lifetime seems to be rare.

SPIRIT WORK

Metawork - The practice and discipline of the three highly interrelated fields of energy work, spirit work, and astral work.

Spirit work - The practice and discipline of sensing, interacting with, or commanding spirits. A sub-field of metawork. This is not necessarily a type of witchcraft, but can be referred to as witchcraft when spirit work is incorporated into someone’s witchcraft practice. Closely associated with hedge craft. Many other types of magical traditions that are not forms of witchcraft also include spirit work.

Ancestor work - The practice and discipline of working with ancestral spirits. A sub-field of spirit work.

Conjuring - The act of bringing a spirit to a specific location. Conjuring encompasses a wide variety of different methods which can range from voluntary such as using a beacon of energy to request a spirit’s presence to involuntary which magically force a spirit to manifest at the target location.

Banishing - The act of sending a spirit away from a certain area (the opposite of conjuring). Banishing techniques can be voluntary such as communicating or negotiating with a spirit for them to leave or involuntary when magical methods are used to forcefully remove the spirit against their will.

Binding - The act of using magical means to control a spirit’s behavior in some way. Binding is frequently used to ensure that a spirit remains connected to a vessel, but it can also be used to keep a spirit in a general location or prevent them from transgressing certain predetermined rules. It not uncommon for binding to be completely consensual between spirits and spirit workers.

Possession -  When a spirit inhabits and/or takes control over a physical body that is usually controlled and inhabited by someone else. To some, this term implies that a spirit with harmful intentions has forced control over a human being, but in many religions, spirit possession is welcomed and invited. Whether or not being possessed by a spirit is a negative thing usually depends a lot on the specific context and the spirit involved.

Spirit adoption (reverse adoption) - When a spirit wishes to become a spirit companion or live and work with a spirit worker and voluntarily chooses to do so. Adoptions are often facilitated by a spirit adoption center or shop.

SPIRIT ROLES

Spirit spouse - A term usually used to describe a human spirit worker’s spouse who is a spirit or a deity.

Spirit companion - Any spirit and spirit worker who have established some kind of meaningful relationship and who wish to use this term to describe that relationship.

Spirit guardian - A spirit who has taken on the role of protecting something or someone. I typically use this term as a generic way of describing a spirit who spends a lot of time and energy looking after a person or another spirit. It is not uncommon for people to have spirit guardian(s), and sometimes a spirit companion may also wish to act as as a guardian.

Thoughtform - Any spirit who was created by a spirit worker through magical means (whether purposefully or accidentally). “Tulpamancy” comes from the Tibetan word tulpa that relates to practices within Vajrayana Buddhism, so this is not a secular spirit work term that is appropriate for general use.

1. Use periodic table abbreviations as sigils for the element it stands for and that element’s correspondence

2. Use the official Latin word for animals as mantras/spells to work with what that animal represents

3. Use chemistry knowledge and utensils to make potions.

4. Develop rituals that coincide with psychological techniques and log the psychological effects rituals have on you

5. Create spells by making math equations adding and subtracting numbers based on their correspondences (+ what you want to attract, - what you want to banish, × what you want to increase, ÷ what you want to lessen). The solution can be used like a sigil.

6. Create mini temples, either mapped out in blueprints or made physically for offerings

Incorporating the elements

Air

Draw the sigil in the air using incense

Draw the sigil on your body and go for a walk

Energetically trace sigils in the air and let the wind carry and charge them

Draw the sigil on paper, rip it up, and let the wind blow it away

Draw the sigil onto a flag, let it blow in the wind

Trace the sigil in the air with your hand, push it away

Draw or attach the sigil to a windchime

Leave the sigil outside during a windstorm

Water

Draw the sigil on your body and take a shower

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper, submerge the paper in water, let the water evaporate

Carve the sigil into a bar of soap and wash yourself with it

When taking a bath, draw the sigil in the bottom of the tub with soap/bath salts/baking soda

Draw the sigil on a stone with water and wait for it to evaporate

Draw the sigil on you hand, then wash it away

Breathe on your window so that it fogs up, then draw the sigil on it

Draw the sigil on any surface using water

Sew the sigil into your clothes, wash them

Draw the sigil on paper and put it under running water

Draw the sigil on a beach, let the ocean wash it away

Draw the sigil on a rock and throw it in a river/ocean

Flush the sigil down the toilet (make sure it’s on biodegradable paper)

Draw the sigil on paper and place in in a jar, add salt and water, then shake it up (Optional: add a drop or two of essential oil matching intent)

Leave the sigil outside during a rainstorm

Put the sigil in a pot of boiling water

Draw the sigil onto a coin and toss it into a fountain

Earth

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and surround it with crystals that match the intent

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and bury it in the ground

Place the sigil with a plant

Draw the sigil on the ground

Draw the sigil on a rock and leave it somewhere that makes you happy

Draw the sigil on paper and put it in a jar of salt

Put a crystal that matches the intent on top of the sigil 

Trace the sigil with a crystal matching the intent

Tape the sigil onto a window during a full moon

Trace the sigil in dust/dirt, then blow it away

Use herbs matching the intent of the sigil, draw the sigil on paper and mix everything together, paper included

Burn herbs matching the sigils intent, pass the sigil through the smoke

Fire

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and burn it 

Carve the sigil into a candle and burn with intent

Draw the sigil on the bottom of a tea light candle, let it burn out

Pass the sigil through smoke (any smoke works, but incense is best)

Draw the sigil on paper, leave it in sunlight

Carve the sigil into a candle, let it melt away

Sigils In everyday life

Eating and Drinking

Carve the sigil into your food before eating it

Draw the sigil under your kitchen table

When drinking tea, draw the sigil in the bottom of your mug with honey

Trace the sigil on the bottom of a pot before cooking with it

Draw the sigil on the bottom of your favorite cup

If you’re at a bonfire/cooking over a flame, carve the sigil into your food with a toothpick before you roast it (Hotdog, mashmallow, etc.)

Draw the sigil on a piece of bread, toast it

Draw the sigil in a pan with cooking oil, then cook

Draw the sigil out of ketchup on your food

Put pancake batter in a squeeze bottle, draw your sigil in the frying pan with the batter

In Art and Music

Incorporate the sigil into an art piece that has to do with the intent

Paint the sigil over a picture that didn’t turn out the way you wanted

Draw the sigil anywhere on your body and draw a pattern around it, don’t wash it off, let it fade on its own

Trace the sigil onto a pair of headphones/speaker with your finger, listen to music that matches your intent

Draw the sigil on the inside of your sketchbook cover

Draw the sigil and scribble it out

Draw the sigil on paper and tape it to the bottom of your laptop/tablet/phone if you write, draw, or make music digitally

Place the sigil in front of music speakers

Draw the sigil onto a CD that you love, and play it

Imagine the sigil in your mind while dancing

Draw the sigil on a dry erase board and erase it

Draw your sigil on the ground with chalk 

To Keep it With You

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and put it in your purse

Draw the sigil on the bottom of your shoe

Sew the sigil into your clothing

Draw the sigil on paper and keep it in your wallet

Draw the sigil on your skin with water/oil/marker/etc. depending on intent

Tattoo the sigil onto your body (This only applies to certain sigils)

Draw the sigil on the back of a necklace you always wear

Draw the sigil on your nail, then paint over it with nail polish

Draw the sigil on your car steering wheel

Draw the sigil on your face with concealer, then blend it in

Put the sigil in a locket and wear it

Technology

Take a photo of your sigil, then delete the picture

Draw the sigil on paper and place it under a charging device

Draw the sigil inside your phone case

Set the sigil as your phone lockscreen, charge the phone

Draw the sigil on paper and tape it to the bottom of your laptop/tablet/phone

Download a sigil app

Directing Your Own Energy

Body Energy and Visualization

Visualize the sigil in your mind, think about the intent of your sigil

Draw the sigil on the ground/write it on a piece of paper and sit on it while meditating

Exercise while visualizing the sigil and your intent

Leave the sigil under your pillow during acts of passion

Masturbate while thinking about the sigil

Draw the sigil on a vein (wrist works well)

Recite a chant that goes with the sigil’s intent

Draw the sigil on paper and rub it between your hands

Draw the sigil somewhere on your body, tap it when you think about it

Draw the sigil on paper and stab it

Draw the sigil with blood as ink (controversial, not recommended)

Draw the sigil on your palm and clap your hands

Other

Draw a sigil on the corner of your homework assignments

Visiting natural history and art museum. Not only for the spirit work (museums are surprisingly rife with spirits) but also the reflection on the objects themselves that are imbued with death energy due to their age.

Kitchen witchcraft with fermentation. I’m talking both home starters/yeasts and drink based fermenting! The process of encouraging fermentation is literally a controlled necromancy if you think about it! Also your own fermented product will be excellent to use in spellwork!

Upcycle crafting! The process of reusing items in a new way that you already had or seeking out items to use instead of letting them become trash is also working with death energy!

Playing death related games or watching movies with friends and family. Death witchcraft tasks and energy work doesn’t have to look witchy! If you have a weekly or monthly hangout where you play tabletops like Betrayal at House on the Hill or even online games. Or watch documentaries or movies with loved ones that related that totally counts! Especially as a lower spoon option.

Drawing or photographing abandoned buildings/architecture. So often people forgot that the decay of manmade objects and places do hold death energy and weight. Tapping into this side of death witchcraft can be an interesting experience.

Visiting a 24 hour store or restaurant in the middle of the night. This is a personal experience of mine but that quiet low level liminal space energy is such a similar transitional energy as to help you grow your experience and sensing of death energy. Also walking through a store at 3am is a good time to practice a walking meditation or some simple spirit communication without too much trouble. Just have your headphones in for an excuse!

Learning to maintain your own compost! I’m hopeless with the green thumb side of things myself but I still have composting I do for my yard in general. My wildflowers and natural growth is lovely because of it! The cycle of your kitchen supplies life and decay is such a simple and deep way to access that death energy and maybe even work your way up to having that green thumb! Also using this compost in spellwork will pack a punch!

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

To begin with nail magic, pick a color that matches your intent (or infuse your intent with the color you want):

*Green - wealth, luck, prosperity

*Yellow - joy

*Purple - creativity

*Black - banishing, protection

*White - protection

*Pink - love, harmony

*Red - passion, courage

And so on!

If color is all you want, stop there and have fun with those cute nails~ But you can also add:

*Sigils

*Glitter for joy or power; to enhance the color’s magic

*Polka dots for joy, fun, excitement 

*Stars to connect with space; attention-grabbing, beauty

*Stripes to aid the movement of energy; to add another color to add another intent

*Flowers/nature to connect with the Earth; beauty, growth

*This is my personal concoction. I use it for protection, and in my circle casting*

Crushed eggshells (start by drying them. Clean them out and peel out the membrane if you like, then bake at 200*F for around 30 minutes until they are dry. Use a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to crush them however fine you like.) -this is for protection and power

Dried, chopped Basil- this is for protection, peace in your workings and to keep evil or negativity away.

Coffee grounds- for grounding the work, and giving it energy

Thyme- for purification and prosperous outcomes to your workings

I use this powder in my circle castings, in some of my jar spells for warding, and for general protection use.

Happy crafting!

M.G. /|\

Black:

Absorbing Energy, Balance, Banishing Negativity, Black Magic, Beginnings, Binding, Civil Servants, Challenges, Creating, Criminals, Death, Debts, Defense, Discoveries, Divination, Elders, Farming, Grounding, Justice, Karma, Law, Learning, Manifestation, Material Gain, Overcoming Obstacles, Patience, Plumbing, Pride, Protection, Real Estate, Rebirth, Release, Repelling, Reversing, Sacrifice, Safety, Scrying, Soothing Anxiety, Tests, Truth, Uncrossing, Understanding Limits, Unhexing, Wills, Wisdom. 

Blue (Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces):

Astral Projection, Communication, Calming, Doctors, Domestic Harmony, Elevation, Fidelity, Focus, Forgiveness, Foreign Countries/Cultures, Good Fortune, Growth, Happiness, Higher Education, Horses, Increase Wisdom, Insight, Introspection, Joy, Long Distance Travel, Loyalty, Luck, Meditation, Oceans, Opportunity, Organization, Patience, Peace, Philosophy, Political Power, Reading, Religion, Remove Confusion, Removing Bad Energy, Sincerity, Social Standings, Sports, Truth, Water, Wealth, Willpower

Brown (Scorpio, Capricorn):

Animal/Pet Magick, Animals, Concentration, Construction, Decision Making, Earth, Earth Magick, Endurance, Financial Crisis, Finding Lost Things, Focus, Food, Fruitfulness, Generosity, Goods, Grounding, Harvest, Health Of Pets and Livestock, House Blessing, Improve Concentration, Material Goods, New Beginnings, Real Estate, Security, Sound, Stability, Telepathy 

Copper: 

Business Success, Career Growth, Fertility, Money, Passion 

Gold:

Divination, Divinity, Fast Luck, Great Fortune, Health, Justice, Luxury, Male Energy, Masculinity, Positive Attitude, Prosperity, Understanding, Solar/Sun Energy 

Gray:

Contemplation, Glamour, Loneliness, Removing Negative Influence 

Green (Aquarius, Cancer):

Abundance, Acceptance, Affection, Alliances, Artistic Ability, Beauty, Beginnings, Change, Cosmetics, Counteract, Courage, Decorating, Employment, Emotion Health, Envy, Fertility, Fae, Gardening, Garden Magick, Gifts, Grace, Greed, Growth, Harmony, Healing, Herbal Magick, Hope, Immortality, Income, Increased Love, Increased Trust, Jealousy, Jobs, Luck, Luxury, Marriage, Money, Partnerships, Peace, Physical Health, Plant Magick, Prosperity, Rebirth, Relationships, Social Activity, Success, Soulmates, Trees, Weather 

Indigo: 

Ambition, Dignity, Divination, Meditation, Psychic Ability, Spiritual Guidance, Stop Gossip/Lies, Overcome Depression 

Lavender: 

Intuition, Knowledge 

Light Blue:

Peace, Protection, Spirituality, Tranquility 

Orange (Leo, Sagittarius):

Abandonment, Action, Ambition, Breaking Down Barriers, Business Success, Celebration, Creativity, Dominance, Fun, Harvest, Intellectual Matters, Investments, Joy, Justice, Kindness, Legal Matters, Material Gain, Mental Alertness, Opportunity, Overcoming Addiction, Sealing a Spell, Self Expression, Strength, Releaving Depression, Vitality 

Pink:

Calming, Compassion, Domestic Harmony, Emotional Healing, Emotions, Femininity, Friendship, Gardening, Getting a Move on, Harmony, Healing, Homosexuality, Honor, Infants, Love, Maturity, New Beginnings, Nurturing, Partnership, Personal Success, Physical Energy, Protection of Children, Relaxation, Romance, Self Improvement, Self Love, Spiritual Healing, Woodworking

Purple:

Breaking a Habit, Contact with Spirits, Change Luck, Drive away Evil, Government, Independence, Influence, Spiritual Power, Wisdom  

Red (Scorpio, Aries):

Ambition, Action, Assertiveness, Business Deals, Combat, Competition, Conflict, Confrontation, Courage, Danger, Desire, Energy, Fertility, Fire Element, Health, Hunting, Independence, Mechanical Things, Mercury, Motivation, Passion, Renewal, Repairs, Self-Esteem, Sexual Potency, Sports, Strength, Vitality, War 

Silver: Communication, Divination, Dreams, Feminine Divinity, Gambling, Luck, Intuition, Medication, Moon Magick, Psychic Awareness, Victory

Violet (Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius):

Astrology, Clairvoyance, Clarity, Connection to Higher Self, Correspondences, Education, Forgiveness, Goddess, Heal Wounded Pride, Hidden Forces, Humility, Insight, Intelligence, Justice, Meditation, Memory, Messages, Occult, Psychic Power, Relief Of Emotional Hurt

White (Pisces):

Confidence, Connection to  Higher Self, Connection to Spirits, Cycle of Life, Enlightenment, Endings, Freedom, Goddesses, Health, Imitation, Inspiration Mental Clarity, New Beginnings, Outgoingness, Poise, Protection, Purification, Shyness, Transformation 

Yellow (Taurus Libra):

Death is a daunting and controversial topic in society.

Sure a lot of our generation may joke about death lightly in various memes or ‘lol someone just kill me, I wanna die from this failure I committed’, but when actually confronted with death, some people start singing a different tune. We’ve all been affected by it some way or another, whether it be the death of a friend, family member, beloved pet, or an idol you adored. Reactions and how we are, in turn, affected by said death is variable.

Some take it better than others, others reel and take a very long time to recover, but it is never easy when someone reaches that inevitable ending.

As such, death witchery is a road less traveled when it comes to witches. I won’t lie and say it’s an easy path to take on. Because it isn’t, death witchcraft is probably one of the most daunting paths of witchcraft one can choose. Working closely with death isn’t for everyone and can be quite dreary on the mind, but hopefully with this entry level guide, you can really decide whether or not you truly think death witchery is a path for you. 

Based on some actual experiences

- When a stranger comes to your apartment door on May day morning asking to borrow some butter or milk, don’t lend any…all your luck will go with it. Never give any stranger a light for their cigarette on May day either - giving out fire is giving away your luck as well. 

- When you are walking at night and you hear music, no matter how beautiful, or voices inviting you to join them don’t acknowledge that you can hear them and turn back towards home.

- When you are out walking at night and you hear the sound of horses or hounds or riders find shelter indoors or in your car quickly. The Wild Hunt (we call them Ghost Riders in America) is mercurial and if it’s the Slua Sí passing by they will do you harm if they can.

- Never run from the Fair Folk, if you see Fairy hounds or anything uncanny that frightens you. Running is what prey does and you do not want to be prey. Don’t acknowledge seeing them, if possible, but leave as quickly as you can. 

- If you are being pixy-led, if you have lost your way in familiar territory, turn your socks or coat outside in or laugh and joke about how much fun you are having. this will free you from the enchantment. 

A lot of spells call for singular herbs like basil or cinnamon, but seasoning blends often get overlooked! Especially because these blends tend to be easier and more affordable in the kitchen. Let’s break a few down.

Pumpkin Spice- (Allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg.) MONEY MONEY MONEY and also luck.

Five Spice Powder-  (Cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, pepper.) Protection, banishing/exorcism, probably especially so for things related to psychic powers and abilities.

Italian Seasoning- (Thyme, oregano, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, savory, sage) Cleansing, purifying, and consecrating spaces, protection. Combined, this probably makes it great for warding.

Creole Seasoning- (Paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, cayenne, thyme, oregano.) Hella banishing power, with a kick. May also help start patching up any spiritual wounds, afterwards. But mostly banishing.

Tajin- (Chili peppers, salt, lime) Cleansing! Burn out/erode all that gunk.