(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

This post is part of a masterpost. Click here to go to the masterpost. Please read the disclaimer in the masterpost if you notice our beliefs may be different. Next: Practical Energy Work 02 anticipated, not published

When I say "energy work" I mean the manipulation of metaphysical energies through direct application of willpower.

I think in order for us to navigate this terrain together we should be on the same page about what these energies are and how it's possible to work with them in the first place.

"But how can I do energy work? How is it possible?"

You do not need to integrate or internalize the following beliefs. But for the purposes of this series, let's just agree that the following things are true - even if you don't 'really' believe them.

If we can agree on these things while we do energy work together, we'll be able to build our understanding of energy work on the same bedrock, perhaps making it possible for us to raise sturdy creations using very similar architecture.

I'm using the term 'ethereal energy', which I will explain below, because I'm a bit worn out by the vagueness of 'metaphysical'.

1. Ethereal energy is some beautiful stuff about the web of life, basically

'Metaphysical' energy exists on what you might call astral, ethereal, or subtle planes. I call it ethereal energy, or at least I do for this series.

There's lots of kinds of this energy, categorized by its qualities. Ethereal energy can be rapid or slow-moving, invigorating or calming, enlivening or draining.

This energy is infused within and around the world, and it's a vital and natural aspect of experiencing our reality. Ethereal energy isn't far away or locked behind a veil: it's around us all the time. It's part of life and existence itself in our world.

This energy is a major part of how living beings sense and perceive the world around us. This energy has its own qualities, but it also carries a great deal of information - just like a warm humid breeze in late May carries a great deal of information to people who understand weather patterns.

This energy influences what is around it. Living beings, spirits, the dead, and even gods are impacted by ethereal energy. This is true because most beings exist on the same plane as ethereal energies: we're all joined together by the ethereal web of life. Yes, we're a part of the same web of life as both the gods and the tiniest amoeba in the primordial sea! Isn't that beautiful?

Because we're all joined together by the ethereal, these energies can be manipulated to directly impact experienced reality for everything bound together by the ethereal web of life, or anything that needs to interact with that web.

2. People are inherently energy-sensing

Everything alive (and many things not alive in the biological sense) is inherently energy sensing.

You can learn to sense, interact with, read, and interpret energies because this is just something that people can normally do.

We sense energies all the time and we're used to interacting with them as part of our normal way of being.

Some people are naturally more energy-sensing and more reliant on the information they gather from their inborn energy-sensing. Other people are more closed off, gaining little information from the energy around them or rarely relying on it.

You can learn to get more in touch with your natural energy sensing and actively work with it as an inherent sense. You can do this casually as a way of getting to know your entire being, or you can do this more formally as a focused hobby and skill.

3. People are inherently able to manipulate and control energies.

You can gather up, modify, deposit, or dissipate metaphysical energies. People do this all the time as part of being alive, just like we move water from the sink to the toilet by virtue of being living beings.

We can control and move energies because we naturally exist within the ethereal web of life. Each of us has an ethereal extension of our physical bodies, commonly referred to as the 'energy body'. But it just means that our natural selves extend beyond the physical, and we can affect and manipulate ethereal energies just like we can manipulate the cup of coffee on the counter.

Once we expand personal focus and awareness into energy sensing, then discerning and manipulating energies is just like any other skill. This is just like a beginner cook slowly expanding their palate and truly tasting new flavors inside of old foods, just because of careful practice and focus on their experiences.

Or, this is like a sculptor being able to make finer and more delicate sculptures. They've had their hands the whole time, but they can begin to do things they've never done before because they've chosen to focus on expanding a specific skill.

4. Ethereal energy is like water, not like the atmosphere: there's not an even coating of it everywhere

Ethereal energy can be densely packed into an area, within an object, or around a living being.

Or it can be stretched thin and patchy, or completely absent altogether.

Energy workers and Witches can tell you that powerful wellsprings of ethereal energy are not always available. In fact you may have to go through significant effort to find energies that are suitable to your needs (meaning that their qualities closely match the qualities of energy you need to get your job done).

This is why major tasks of the beginner energy worker (and Witch) are to learn how to discover free-flowing wellsprings of ethereal power which they can draw on in order to create energetic walls, objects, artificial spirits, and any other desired design.

This also means that it's more than possible for you to fuck up the energy balance within a place or especially within yourself, leading to potentially a great deal of discomfort until the place is rebalanced (which may happen automatically over time).

And this is why, if the first major task of the energy worker or Witch is to learn how to raise up energy, the second major task is to learn to put it down, or in other words dissipate, rebalance, diffuse, or send away energies. If this is not done, you can end up fucking up the ethereal plane around you so that your own spaces become flooded with dense energies of strange qualities, impacting you (and everyone else, including the spirits) in unexpected and unwanted ways.

(Or inversely, you can end up stripping ethereal energies out of a space, making it feel 'dead' and uncomfortable or even actively difficult to exist in).

5. Energy sensing and manipulation is going to be a lot easier if you accept that it's regularnatural and it's been around you this entire time

Once we're used to the idea that we innately exist beyond the physical, beginning to identify the energies around us becomes relatively trivial when we remember that we're already very familiar with those energies!

Ethereal energies are not exotic, they are ordinary. I believe that it's more difficult to find these energies by looking for something new or strange. It's easier to find them by seeking out the commonplace qualities of daily living.

Whether or not you want to be an energy worker, energy is a part of your life and it has an impact on you, just as the weather outside and the temperature and humidity in your house has an impact on you.

This is because it's around us all of the time! It's just a part of our life.

When trying to learn energy sensing, remember that you are a fish in the ocean looking for water. You're not going to be running into exotic energies with bizarre qualities - not at the beginning.

What are the qualities of elemental fire? Remember the last time you sat before a bonfire or a hearth fire. Remember how it felt to be near that fire - the experiences the fire gave you that you would not have experienced if not but for that fire. Those are some of the qualities of elemental fire. That was your energy sensing self, tasting the fire the way the chef tastes a strawberry.

- Roger J Horne's Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, & the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner

I appreciate this perspective as here in Australia, our seasons are just not the same. I'm up in Queensland, and I would say that our seasons are nowhere near as distinct as the classic spring, summer, autumn, and winter that you get in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm currently working on making a seasonal calendar by conferring with Gubbi Gubbi elders about traditional song lines that dictate the changing seasons. Here is a seasonal calendar that the The Wakka Wakka, Jarowair and Barrumgum tribes follow who are the traditional owners of the Bunya Mountains.

thank you so much!!

-- @kuhli-mahou !!

Oh hey! I know a little bit about both things. I don't often do "energy work" in a traditional sense, only because my personal magic system is tailored to draw less energy from my "personal store" due to my chronic illness.

I think I can safely say that many witches use energy as a sort of "binder" to hold the magic together. Just like a car needs gas to run, magic needs energy to work. I like to work under the basic laws of physics: energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed or transformed. So, where does that energy come from?

Any number of sources! Some people light a candle and draw energy from that into their spells. Others manipulate the energy of the wind. Some use storms. As mentioned above, it can even come from your own personal store of energy, but that can be incredibly draining. It could even come from combined source. Any sort of "event" that would, in theory, be that transformation of energy, can be used. It doesn't always have to be kinetic energy, you can use potential energy as well. You can put energy into a spell to have it be used up at a different time. This would be an example of a delayed effect spell. When you pull back on a rubber band, you're giving it a whole bunch of potential energy, which remains as potential energy until you release the band and it goes flying across the room. That potential energy isn't getting destroyed, it can't be. So when you put that potential metaphysical energy into a spell, it stays there until it's needed.

Now, if the spell is actually doing something, then yeah, the energy is likely to get depleted, and you'll probably want to "recharge" the spell, so to speak. That's why many witches will remind you to "charge your protection spells", because the protection is an active process, it's burning energy, so every once in a while it's a good idea to refresh them.

Protection spells can come in many forms. One of my personal favorites is the witch bottle. You can use any number of correspondences, a mix of herbs and crystals that match your intention. I sealed it with black wax, because in my practice black is the "universal" color (a lot of witches say white can be used to substitute any color when using a color correspondence, which I can understand, seeing as when talking about light as a spectrum, white encompasses all other colors, but I prefer black, just for personal preference).

However, protection spells, as I said, come in innumerable forms. There's wards, which are often protection of a house or delineated space. There's spells of all kinds, whether it's a chant or prayer, a physical representation of the spell (like the witch bottle), a talisman or superstition (like a horseshoe hung over the doorframe). There's even something as simple as sprinkling eggshell powder across a doorway to prevent negativity from crossing the threshold.

There's no "right" or "wrong" way to go about a spell. Intention is the foundation of your spell, regardless of what you do. The first question you should ask when trying to create a spell is "what am I trying to achieve with this?" Essentially, what is the goal of your spell? Is it protection? Prosperity? Health? Whatever it is, that's your starting point. From there, you can decide what would be the best spell method for this specific instance.

I hope this answers some of your questions about energy and protection. You're of course welcome back in my inbox any time, however I will warn you there's a very good chance I'll be taking a nap soon so if I don't answer, it's cuz I'm a very sleepy witch lol.

A great majority of it is feeling things out (no pun intended). Trying things yourself. Past the basics, there simply is not a lot available.

Let's define some very basic terms so that you can look them up later. Anything past this is honestly something you will have to teach yourself, especially relating to healing work.

Grounding: Sending excess or unneeded energy into an object or a place, usually the Earth or the Earth's core (though this could technically go anywhere), and pulling energy back up to restore your system. This is an excellent way to cleanse yourself.

Centering: Bringing your energy back to yourself from various places that are not yourself, and directly the energy to settle correctly within your body (whether this be through a pillar, imagining it as whole, imagining all your energy centers filled, etc.).

Shielding: Essentially a personal ward, usually shaped in a bubble (though basic bubble shields are ill recommended for a number of reasons). These are not just used in fights, though usually they are consciously employed for these purposes.

Scanning: Examining anything energetic.

Programming: Giving energy instructions on what to do, which is crucial. Something that is already programmed, or rather, made for a specific purpose that is not explicitly a shield, is called a "construct".

"Psiball": An energy ball. One of the basics you will usually want to learn and implement at least a couple of times before moving on to other matters.

There has been a very sharp dwindle in resources since the 2000s-2010s, but some resources and people from there are still around. Unless otherwise listed, materials are completely free.

Energy Work Resources Masterpost--

From least to most accessible (posted in groups of bullet points):

Resources available only through archive, word-of-mouth, or not readily accessible links:

Sordhent's old posts, and especially his guides to energy work and the eldritch. You can obtain these from me or anyone else who has the content stored on their devices.

Any books by Charles Cosimano (archive).

USpsionics, also has resources on the sidebar. (archive)

SacredEmber (warning: very difficult text to read). (archive)

The Veritas Society. (archive)

Robert Bruce, NEW Energy Ways.

Charles Cosimano YouTube playlist.

Old posts by Windvexer, most of which are contained in a masterpost on their new and currently maintained blog.

Resources that still have webpages up (even if they are otherwise defunct:

Psionics Institute.

r/energywork.

As a scholar, I would not *formally* recommend pirated resources for peace of mind, however, they are out there and... some people... may have some links to them. Morally I would implore you to support the author of these works when you can well afford to, even if it is in a different form.

Various books (obviously paid). Some of these are available via audiobook:

Hands of Light by Barbara Brennan.

Energy Work by Robert Bruce.

Subtle Energy by Keith Miller.

The Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn.

Basics

How to Invoke Spirits

13 Rules When Working With Spirits

The Divine

How a God Becomes Your Divine Parent

How to Find Your True Gods

The Dead

Graveyard Etiquette

About Ancestors

When You Know Nothing About Your Ancestors

Other Kinds of Spirits

Little-known glamour witch tricks to weave magic into your daily beauty rituals.

These spells are subtle, powerful, and hidden in plain sight — perfect for charging your aura with charm, confidence, and magnetism wherever you go.

• Charm your reflection: Before you leave the house, trace a sigil for confidence or beauty onto your mirror with rosewater or moon water. Let your reflection “absorb” the spell.

• Enchant your makeup brushes: Lightly brush them over a charged crystal (like rose quartz or selenite) before applying your makeup to infuse your look with a specific energy.

• Lip gloss spells: As you apply your lip gloss or lipstick, speak your intentions softly (“My words weave beauty and charm,” “I radiate irresistible energy”).

• Perfume potions: Mix a few drops of essential oil (like ylang ylang or jasmine) with your perfume to enchant your aura with attraction, joy, or mystery.

• Color magic in your outfits: Even tiny things, like your socks or hair clips, can carry color magic. Choose secret colors based on your spellwork that day (pink for love, blue for calm, gold for success).

• Earrings as talismans: Charge your earrings under the full moon or over incense smoke. Every time you wear them, imagine them guarding your energy and amplifying your glamour.

• Aura mist: Make a body spray with rose water, a little vanilla, and clear quartz chips. Mist it over yourself before going out to leave an invisible trail of enchantment.

• Mantra while doing hair: As you style your hair, repeat: “Every strand glows with charm and power.” Imagine each lock catching the light and magnifying your magnetism.

Masterlist | linktree | Patreon

A lot of witches will tell new witches (baby witches) that they should start by learning and using protection magic. However, I've started to see a lot of witches say that protection magic is not as important as other witches claim it to be. Saying that they don't have anyone coming after them or an enemy in real life to warrant a spell of protection.

I think this may also be due to how I've not personally come across anyone really explaining why a witch may want to use protection magic all the time.

Now, it is true that there's no need to be paranoid all the time and have protection up 24/7. But here's a list where you may use it, find it useful, or haven't thought protection magic could be included.

An actual person -- This one is obvious, you have an enemy in real life or on the internet and you need protection magic to protect you from their curses.

A malevolant spirit -- They can come from your windows, mirrors (including tv screens, computer screens, and other reflective surfaces maybe), they seep through floor cracks, hanging onto your coats from outside, etc. Just like how you'd use garden gloves to avoid dirt up your nails being trapped there. Protection magic is just like putting on those gloves.

An energy -- Say you have a neighbour who's arguing with someone. They're yelling and screaming and it can be heard through the apartment walls. That negative energy is seeping into your home and your energy. So it may be worth protecting your home and energy from that sour neighbour's energy. (ever been scolded by your mother and your mood is sour? it's kind of like the same here.)

Your own spell -- Now a self-love spell is probably not something you should protect yourself from. But let's say you're doing a curse. It would be a smart idea to make sure you're protected before beginning such a spell. Much like how you'd wear an apron to protect your clothes from stains when cooking food. You may not always spill your food when cooking, but damn it is it annoying when you do and the stain won't wash off. It's the same with a spell.

Unintentionally -- Sometimes things can happen that's out of our control and it's a good idea to be a little prepared. A black cat suddenly running across the street? Bad luck. Someone got jealous when you told them something good? Evil Eye. Think of it as going to the store with an extra bag for your groceries. You may not need it, but isn't it handy when you at one point do need it?

Protection magic doesn't have to be elaborate or grand or be convoluted. Protection magic is powerful but also extremely simple. All you need is a horseshoe above the door, a little talisman in your pocket, a sigil for your car, etc.

Ingredients:

🫙 A small glass jar with a lid

🌾 Dried grains (such as wheat, oats, or rice)

🪙Coins or small crystals (such as citrine or aventurine)

🍂Cinnamon sticks or powdered cinnamon

🌿 Dried herbs (such as rosemary, basil, or thyme)

🍃 Bay leaves

📝 A piece of paper and pen

🎗️A yellow or gold ribbon

🧿 Cleanse Your Space and Tools:

Make sure you cleanse your space and the items you’ll be using to get rid of or neutralize any old or negative energy. Energy cleansing with smoke is going to be the easiest way since nothing will get wet, but you can also use cleansing spray for people with sensitivities/strict rules. Just a soft mist- you don’t need to dowse everything in water.

🧘🏿‍♀️ Set Your Intention:

Meditate with the jar in your hands. Imagine whatever blessings you want, and really visualize it going into the jar. Feel the energy from your daydreams and wishes charge it.

🪷Layer/pour your spell jar Ingredients:

Layering your ingredients in the jar, starting with the dried grains, can make it aesthetically pleasing. Of course, you can throw them into the jar with passion and disorganization as well. Whichever you feel is right for you. As you add each layer or handful/spoonful of ingredients, focus on your intention and visualize abundance.

🖊️ Write Your Intention:

Write down sigils, intentions, affirmations, runes, or whatever you feel is best with your style to put in the jar. It’s best to roll it up or fold it so it fits, just don’t burn it or rip it up.

You can say: “With this spell jar, I invite abundance, prosperity, and gratitude into my life.” OR you can make up your own spell.

🦭 Seal the Jar:

Once all the ingredients are in the jar, seal it with the lid. Wrap the yellow or gold ribbon around the neck of the jar and tie it in a knot or bow. Yellow and gold are colors associated with the sun and abundance.

🌕 Charge the Jar:

There are a few ways to do this.

The first way is you can put specific miracle tones, chants, meditation music, and subliminals to charge it. Let it sit in front of the music for a long time. However long you intuitively feel is necessary.

The second way is you can place it in the sun or under the moon. I typically use the moon. Try to not do it under a new moon.

For the third way, hold the jar in your hands and focus on your intention once more. You can say a prayer, chant, or simply visualize golden light filling the jar and radiating out into your life.

Use any method you are used to or feel intuitively pulled towards! These three examples don’t need to be the way you charge- they are just ideas.

🙏🏻Place the Jar

Place the spell jar on your altar, a windowsill, or another special place in your home where it will be undisturbed.

💫 Maintain:

IMBOLC (CANDLEMAS)

Clean your home and space to welcome the coming of spring.

Bake a traditional Imbolc loaf of bread or other seasonal foods.

Use the colours white and yellow in your decorations and outfits.

Light a bonfire or light candles to represent the returning light.

Plant seeds or bulbs to symbolize the rebirth of nature.

Honour deities associated with Imbolc, such as Brigid, Cailleach, Danu, Persephone, Demeter, Pan, The Morrigan, and Freyja.

Perform a ritual to honour the coming of spring and ask for protection and blessings.

Make a Brigid's cross or other handcrafted decorations with herbs and other natural materials.

Perform a blessing of your home and surroundings with holy water or smoke cleansing.

Set up an altar or sacred space to honour the Celtic goddess Brigid, associated with Imbolc.

Make Brigid's bed, a traditional ritual of placing straw under your bed to bring fertility and growth into your life.

Connect with nature and spend time outside to honour the changing season.

OSTARA (SPRING EQUINOX)

Participate in fertility rites and rituals to celebrate the coming of spring and the planting season.

Honour deities associated with Ostara, such as Ēostre, Aphrodite, Persephone, Dementer, Flora, Pan, Hecate, and Freyja.

Create baskets filled with seasonal treats and decorations for loved ones.

Decorate your altar or sacred space with symbols of Ostara, such as eggs, bunnies, daffodils, and pastel colours.

Perform a spring cleaning of your home and life, releasing old habits and welcoming new beginnings.

Light a fire or light candles to honour the return of lighter, longer days.

Bake a traditional honey cake or other seasonal sweets to celebrate the sweetness of spring. 

Plant seeds or herbs for new growth and prosperity.

Go for a nature walk or hike to connect with the natural world.

Participate in an egg hunt or egg rolling, traditional Ostara games.

Celebrate the coming of spring with those you care about by sharing a meal.

Perform a protection spell or ritual to honour the increasing light and longer days.

Create a spring bouquet or wreath by using flowers like daffodils, crocuses, and other spring blossoms.

Practice self-care rituals to nourish and rejuvenate your mind and body.

BELTANE (MAY EVE)

Celebrate the fertility of the earth with bonfires and rituals honouring the fire god, Belenos.

Make a maypole and decorate it with colourful ribbons.

Participate in a maypole dance, a traditional celebration of fertility and joy.

Make a wish list and tie it to a tree on Beltane eve.

Collect flowers, especially May blossom or hawthorne flowers, and make a garland or crown to wear.

Honour deities associated with Beltane, such as Belenus, Cernunnos, Freyja, Pan, Flora, Aphrodite, Lilith, Daina, Artemis, and Green Man.

Create a flower crown or wear one made of wildflowers to honour the faery folk and fertility spirits.

Perform a ritual to bless your home and land for prosperity and protection.

Jump over the Beltane bonfires, symbolizing jumping over obstacles and embracing new beginnings.

Have a picnic or gathering with friends and family to celebrate the abundance and growth of the season.

Create a sacred space or altar for Beltane, decorat with flowers, herbs, and other nature-related objects.

Perform a cleansing ritual to rid yourself of negative energy and welcome the energy of new beginnings.

Make a bouquet of wildflowers or herbs, and hang it on your front door to welcome the spirits of Beltane.

Go for a walk in the woods or a natural setting and connect with the beauty and energy of the season.

LITHA (SUMMER SOLSTICE/MIDSUMMER)

Participate in a bonfires or lighting a sacred fire, celebrating the arrival of the longest day of the year.

Collect herbs and flowers, especially ones associated with the sun, such as calendula, yarrow, and St. John's wort, and make a solstice garland.

Perform a ritual to honour the sun and ask for protection and blessings.

Dance around the bonfire or engage in other traditions associated with the Summer Solstice, such as singing and drumming.

Have a solstice feast, filled with summer bounty, seasonal foods, and family.

Celebrate in the natural world, go for a walk, or have a picnic during the longest day.

Honour deities associated with Litha, such as Gaia, Freyja, Aphrodite, Sol, Lugh, Sulis, Apollo, Belenus, Danu, Oak King, Hestia, and Ra.

Start summer resolutions. 

Get your hands dirty and embrace the earth. Consider planting a vegetable garden for fall harvest or add to your flower garden to mark the occasion. 

LAMMAS (LUGHNASADH)

Baking bread. 

Crafting corn dolls. 

Pick wild flowers. 

Honour the earth and the cycles of nature. 

Perform Sun magick. 

Give thanks to the spirits and/or deities for the beginning of the harvest season. 

Collect and honour the first fruits of the harvest, such as grains, corn, and apples.

Perform a ritual to honour Lugh and thank the gods and goddesses for the harvest.

Hold a harvest festival or feast, sharing the bounty of the land with family and friends.

Make a Lughnasadh altar or shrine with symbols of the harvest, such as corn, grains, and apples.

Participate in a traditional Lughnasadh celebration, such as a harvest dance or ritual.

Honour deities associated with Lammas, such as Lugh, Demeter, Ceres, Tailtiu, Danu, Persephone, Freyja, The Morrigan, and Green Man.

Collect herbs and plants for healing and protection, as Lughnasadh is traditionally a time for preparing for the winter months.

MABON (AUTUMN EQUINOX/FALL HARVEST)

Celebrate the balance between light and dark, and the onset of the harvest season.

Participate in a harvest celebration, collecting and honouring the fruits of the land.

Gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods.

Make a corn dolly or a straw figure as a reminder of the abundance of the harvest.

Perform a ritual to honour the balance of the seasons and thank the gods and goddesses for their blessings.

Spend time writing in your journal. You could reminisce about your summer experiences, reflect on the shifts you feel with the changing season, contemplate what you're ready to release, or express gratitude for the blessings in your life.

Adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.

Honour deities associated with Mabon, such as Demeter, Persephone, Ceres, Freyja, Pomona, Green Man, Loki, Modron, Freyr, Osiris, The Morrigan, Dionysus, Epona, Donn, the Muses, Hermes, Thor, Mabon, and Thoth.

Participate in a nature walk or ceremony, taking time to connect with the natural world and the turning of the seasons.

Enjoy your favourite fall beverages. 

Make a gratitude list or write a gratitude letter, expressing your appreciation for the abundance and beauty of the harvest season.

Connect with nature. 

Bring the beauty of fall indoors by decorating your home with seasonal touches. 

Make wine.

Performing a gratitude or release ritual. 

SAMHAIN (ALL HALLOWS/FINAL HARVEST)

Carving pumpkins with friends. 

Relax and watch some horror movies. 

Treat yourself to sweets. 

Participate in a haunted house, hayride, or corn maze event.

Declutter/organize your home. 

Focus on letting go to make space for the new year. 

Honour deities associated with Samhain, such as the Morrigan, Hecate, Cerridwen, Persephone, Hades, Lucifer, Pomona, Lilith, Cailleach, Santa Muerte, Odin, Loki, and Hel.

Collecting leaves. 

Bake treats that contain pumpkin. 

Creating a spooky, atmospheric decor for your home or workspace, such as cobwebs, faux spiders, and other creepy décor items.

Gathering friends and loved ones for a Samhain feast, feasting on symbolic foods like apples, pumpkin, or corn.

Visit a local pumpkin patch. 

Making personalized altar items and decorative pieces for your sacred space, such as witch jars, mandalas, sigils, symbols of the harvest, items associated with death, etc. 

Participating in a divination practice like tarot reading, scrying, or rune casting to gain insight and connect with the energy of the night.

Go to a harvest festival or carnival.

Hold a Samhain seance or mediumship session to contact the spirits of loved ones who have passed on.

Participate in a potluck dinner with witches and pagans, dressing in traditional Samhain garb.

RESPECTFULLY visit a graveyard. 

YULE (WINTER SOLSTICE/MIDWINTER)

Burn a Yule log. 

Make an evergreen Yule wreath.

Decorate a Yule tree. 

Make a Yule wish list or a Yule resolution, as Yule is a time of reflection and intention setting.

Practice Yule carol singing, participating in a community sing-along or carolling event.

Celebrate in candle light. 

Give back to nature. 

Exchange nature-based gifts. 

Host a feast for those you love with foods associated with Yule, such as: roast goose, Yule ham, nuts, berries, spices, squash, and potatoes. 

Cook/bake or eat Yule ham, gingerbread, mulled wine, roast goose, spiced cakes, shortbread, snowball, caraway, ginger snaps, honey cakes or pastries, and biscuits. 

Eat or give sweets flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or peppermint. 

Participate in the longest night of the year and prepare for the return of the light.

Honour deities associated with Yule, such as Odin, Baldur, Hel, Loki, Sol, Freyr, Njörðr with lights, candles, and bonfires.

Participate in a Yule spell or ritual, asking for blessings and protection for the coming year.

Decorate your home with evergreen boughs and wreaths, representing the evergreen nature of the sun and eternal life.

Host a Yule log ceremony. 

A few weeks ago I posted about doing some self-care for ourselves (I wish I could find that post to link it, but alas).

Now it's time to look outward. I haven't kept much of the OBOD training. But one thing that I've really taken to heart is the prayer they use. The concept here forms the foundation for a lot of what I do.

Deep within the still center of my being, may I find peace. Silently within the quiet of the Grove, may I share peace. Gently and powerfully, within the greater circle of humankind, may I radiate peace.

So, we've sought peace within ourselves. Now let's find it in our Grove. To me, that can be interpreted two ways. Your Grove could be your household, or your community. I've looked at it both ways, kinda depending on my situation at the time.

For myself, right now, I'm looking at it as the community. And therein lies the challenge I put to us all this week (and maybe for a few weeks)...

Do something to share peace within your community.

Some ideas:

🌸 Buy the coffee/takeout order for the person behind you in line at the drive through

🌸 Sign up to be a "zoom visitor" at your local long term care home

🌸 Find your local buy-nothing group and donate some items you are ready to pass on so they can serve someone else

🌸 Donate to the food bank (no, not the expired thing, or the whatsit that you bought and disliked... GOOD STUFF)

🌸 Spend some time picking up trash along the sidewalks or in your local parks

🌸 Find out when your next local election is, make sure you're registered to vote. Encourage and help other people get registered. Educate yourself on your local issues.

I really believe, that when we do these things at the community level, it transforms to the third section of the prayer. That peace begins to radiate out from where we are into the greater scope of all humankind. And for me, that encapsulates wonderfully what it means to be a hearth witch in the modern era. It doesn't have to be all aesthetics, and baking, and domestic, and old-school hobbies.

We did a door cleansing ritual together the other night that we wanted to share with you all! ✨✨

Doorstep Cleansing

Ingredients:

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of vinegar

1 tablespoon of salt - for protection, blessing, and purification

3 whole cloves (or in our case three teaspoons of ground cloves) - for protection, energy, and purification

Lemon juice (fresh or not!) - for joy, purification, and health

Ginger (fresh is better but dried and ground works too!) - for energy, and health

Simply combine and wipe down your door! Don’t be afraid to really do a deep clean of the whole door - hinges, doorknobs, top of the door! As you clean imagine washing away all of the negative energy from the doorway, and if you like you can repeat the mantra, “I hereby cleanse this threshold of negative energy”.

Keep in mind that witchcraft is a personal process, what works for us may not work for you! You can always change things up to suit your craft and your needs!✨⭐️🌱

This particular ritual comes from “The House Witch” by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Happy spring and happy casting!🪴🌸✨

My personal practice in witchcraft is Hearthcraft. If you have ever read The House Witch, it is an excellent read and gives one a good basis for beginning their own hearthcraft adventures. I will be posting about that book in the future, as I go through it chapter by chapter for those out there who are interested in learning more about hearthcraft and how to bring some of it into their own lives. The House Witch discusses the home itself, and the space and energy within. While that is definitely important - and a great place to begin - it is not the only aspect of hearthcraft (imo).

I believe that hearthcraft is three-fold : Hearth, Home, & Garden. Here, when I say "hearth" I mean "kitchen", since most homes originally had the cooking (and often worship of deities) done over the hearth. At its heart, hearthcraft is about turning your home into the safe haven it is meant to be. Not only so you feel safe, and have a wonderful environment in which to rest, recuperate, and work toward your goals, but because if you want to make real changes in your life, you really do need to start at home.

Like I said previously, a great place to begin ones hearthcraft is in the space itself. Feel the energy in your home. What is it like? Does your home have a name it is trying to whisper to you? Is it cluttered? Bare? Feel the space as much as you look at it. Is your home the way you envisioned it when you moved in? Are there improvements you want to make? How would you do that? Hearthcraft is not Feng Shui, but I believe there is definitely some overlap between the two (2), and Feng Shui is also a great thing to implement as a part of your hearthcraft practice. I moved into a new apartment at the end of June, and the place is still a work in progress. (We are getting there, one day at a time).

The next aspect of hearthcraft is kitchencraft, or kitchen witchcraft. Why? Every home has a kitchen. Food nourishes your body, your mind, your soul. What are you eating? How does it make you feel? How do you prepare it? What could be better? Pizza is a prosperity spell, if prepared correctly.

The last aspect is greencraft. Green witchcraft. Gardening. Plants. Bring some life into your home (literally). I have a large balcony, that I am slowly turning into the most wonderful balcony garden. Plants soothe the soul, not to mention gardening is a great way to add healthful, wholesome food into your life. If you do not know where to start, get a cactus. Really. They are nearly impossible to kill (I will still claim this even though my mother has been the in/direct cause of death to several of my cacti over the years).

TL;DR

A useful potion for mundane cleaning purposes, designed to invoke happiness and abundance. This cleaner is safe for most surfaces, disinfects, is non-toxic, and even food surface safe. You'll want to get the supplies set aside soon for that New Year Clean

You Will Need: The peels off three oranges A large, glass mason jar Distilled white vinegar A glass spraybottle A sunny window 2 Clear quartz points Corresponding sigils & runes of your choice, inscribed on a piece of yellow paper Timing: New Moon to New Moon Rinse the orange peels well, and put them into the jar. Cover them entirely with the white vinegar, using enough to fill the jar.…