New Orleans Witch

🖤apache tear + gentle form of obsidian, useful for mending sorrow and grounding + legend states this stone formed when the tears of weeping apache women fell to the ground as they mourned their dead warriors

🖤calendula (marigold) + often used in funerals and remembrance ceremonies, eases sorrow + closely tied to samhain and día de los muertos

🖤cemetery dirt + used in a variety of death rituals and spells + contacting the dead, banishment, protection, astral protection + various types have different effects, research ethical collection first

🖤copal + resin often burned for purification, grounding, exorcism + closely tied to día de los muertos

🖤cypress (tree of death) + used to honor the dead and mend associated sorrow + chips may be sprinkled over a grave to ease the pain of loved ones left behind and help the departed soul move on + classic symbol of mourning, commonly found in cemeteries 

🖤frankincense + resin burned for consecration, exorcism, communing with the dead

🖤mullein (corpse candles) + can be used as a substitute for cemetery dirt + stalks are often used as wicks for homemade candles + used to invoke spirits and for divination 

🖤myrrh + resin burned for purification, exorcism, healing sorrow + increases power of any incense, often paired with frankincense 

🖤patchouli + can be used as a substitute for cemetery dirt + powerful, earthy musk when burned, useful for grounding in rituals

🖤poppy + suitable offering for the dead and many deities associated with such + brings peace to the deceased and loved ones

🖤rowan (mountain ash) + may be worn or planted near homes for protection + planted on graves to prevent haunting by departed spirits

🖤violet + legends tell of violets blooming on graves of virgins and saints + appropriate offering for the graves of children

🖤willow (witches aspirin) + traditional symbol of mourning as it “weeps” similarly to humans + used for protection and to commune with spirits + often found in cemeteries to soothe departed spirits

🖤wormwood + often used to summon spirits and commune with the dead + burned with sandalwood at night in cemeteries to conjure spirits

for witches, wanderers, and the quietly curious

Speak softly. The dead do not sleep, but they listen.

Never walk directly over a grave. Circle around with respect.

Leave offerings only if they are natural: flowers, stones, a whispered prayer.

Ask for permission before taking anything — even a leaf, even a photograph.

Do not bring loud music, disrespect, or ego. You are a guest.

Coins on tombstones are for the dead, not souvenirs.

If you cry, do it freely. Spirits understand grief.

Do not perform magic on a grave unless explicitly invited — by the spirit or by blood.

Never disturb animal life. Cats and crows are guardians here.

When you leave, turn back once and thank the cemetery for having you.

Witchcraft 101: Spell ingredients for Money

This is a little list of some spell ingredients you can use in money spell work based on my personal experience.

Lemongrass

Rabbit Feet/ Many kinds of animal feet + toes

Celery Seeds

Orange/Orange Peel

Ginger Root

Bay Leaf

Chamomile

Rice

Cat's Claw

Pine

Cinnamon

Vervain

Jasmine

Pumpkin

Bees

Keys

Gold, Green, or Orange Candles

Real or Fake Money (real preferred)

Pyrite, Green Aventurine, Quartz and Tigers Eye are my favorites for crystals but there are many

Seeds/Plants

Bank Dirt

Bank Statements

Money Oils, Road Opener Oils, Blockbuster Oils

Business Cards (especially if you own your own business/want to get promoted)

Gold Items

IMBOLC (CANDLEMAS)

Bake anything with blackberries or seeds.

Use the colours white, light yellow, green, gold, silver, lilac, pale pink, and purple in your decor and outfits.

Light a bonfire or candles to represent the returning light.

Plant seeds or bulbs to symbolize the rebirth of nature.

Honour deities associated with Imbolc, such as Faunus, Eros, Oak King, Green Man, Pan, Cupid, Aenghus Óg, Brigid, Demeter, Hestia, Vesta, Aphrodite, Ceres, The Morrigan, Venus, Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Gaia, Aradia, Athena, and Minerva.

Make a Brigid's Cross, or other handcrafted decor, with herbs and/or other natural materials.

Perform a blessing of your home to let go of the past year.

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 a straw/cloth Brigid doll in a basket or box before placing it on your home’s hearth with offerings of food or cloth left out to bring in Brigid’s blessings (signs of her visit, such as disturbed rushes or marks in the hearth ashes, are sought as confirmation of her blessings.)

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 Mars, Ares, Green Man, Apollo, Pan, Cernunnos, Oak King, Týr, Odin, Osiris, Dagda, Adonis, Ēostre, Aphrodite, Isis, Gaia, Athena, Minerva, Cybele, Persephone, The Morrigan, Dementer, Flora, Astarte, Hecate, and Freyja.

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

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

Clean and cleanse your home and space, releasing old habits and welcoming new beginnings.

Plant seeds or herbs for new growth and prosperity.

Go for a nature walk or hike.

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.

Honour deities associated with Beltane, such as Pan, Belenus, Oak King, Green Man, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Bacchus, Priapus, Faunus, Eros, Ra, Freyja, Aphrodite, Flora, Brigid, Persephone, Hestia, Astarte, Lilith, Juno, Diana, Hera, Artemis, Epona, and Bastet.

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 for fertility, love, transformation, new beginnings, and/or 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.

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

LITHA (SUMMER SOLSTICE/MIDSUMMER)

Participate in a bonfires or lighting a sacred fire.

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

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.

Honour deities associated with Litha, such as Belenus, Green Man, Sol, Apollo, Helios, Lugh, Baldur, Ra, Zeus, Oak King, Horus, Dionysus, Aten, Loki, Jupiter, Thor, Cernunnos, Brigid, Hel, Amaterasu, Hestia, Juno, Hera, Gaia, Sulis, Aphrodite, Danu, Áine, Freyja, Bastet, Hathor, Sunna, Flora, and Vesta.

Start summer resolutions. 

Consider planting a vegetable garden for autumn, or add to your flower garden. 

LAMMAS (LUGHNASADH)

Baking bread. 

Crafting corn dolls. 

Pick wild flowers. 

Honour the earth and the cycles of nature. 

Perform solar 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.

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 Adonis, Gofannon, Hades, Hephaestus, Lugh, Green Man, Mithras, Ninurta, Odin, Ceres, Osiris, Set, Helios, Thor, Vulcan, Loki, Dionysus, Vertumnus, Apollo, Xiuhtecuhtli, Danu, Tailtiu, Persephone, Demeter, Freyja, The Morrigan, Anu, Cailleach Bheur, Arianhod, Ceres, Inanna, Corn Maiden, Isis, Cybele, Ops, Pomona, Brigid, Proserpina, Rhiannon, and Cerridwen.

MABON (AUTUMN EQUINOX/FALL HARVEST)

Gathering 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, express gratitude for the blessings in your life, etc.

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

Honour deities associated with Mabon, such as the Green Man, Loki, Freyr, Osiris, Dionysus, Thoth, Hermes, Thor, Mabon ap Modron, Donn, Hades, Dumuzi, Cernunnos, Demeter, Persephone, Ceres, Freyja, Hestia, The Morrigan, Pomona, Epona, the Muses, Inanna, Banba, and Autumnus.

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 sigils, runes, or symbols into pumpkins that you want to attract into your life.

Relax and watch some horror movies. 

Treat yourself to sweets. 

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

Declutter/organize your home. 

Honour deities associated with Samhain, such as Hades, Lucifer, Donn, Odin, Loki, Dagda, Cernunnos, Osiris, Anubis, Belenus, Arawn, The Morrigan, Hecate, Cerridwen, Persephone, Brigid, Hel, Santa Muerte, Lilith, Badb, Cailleach Bheur, Kali, Bastet, Nephthys, Durga, Arianrhod, and Baba Yaga.

Ethically collect animal bones or feathers to honour the natural cycle of life and death.

Decorate your home with Halloween or Samhain-themed decor to welcome the energy of the season.

Gathering friends and loved ones for a Samhain feast, feasting on symbolic foods like apples, pumpkin, corn, etc. Leave an empty place at the table with food and a photo of the deceased, inviting their spirit to join you.

Visit a local pumpkin patch. 

Try scrying or mirror gazing, divination is especially powerful when the veil is thin (all of October especially, and in November too).

Go to a harvest festival or carnival.

RESPECTFULLY visit a graveyard or cemetery.

Watch your favorite spooky/witchy movies to awaken Samhain's energy.

Do a simple releasing spell: take a leaf, focus on something you want to let go of, crush it gently, and then release it into nature.

Add photos of your ancestors or deceased loved ones to your altar.

Bake Samhain treats (soul cakes, barmbrack, Colcannon, pies, or anything that contains apples or pumpkin) with your desired intentions and positive energy.

Wear Samhain colours in your clothing, makeup, or nails (orange, purple, white, black, brown, and/or gold).

Use crow feathers or crow motifs to honour death and transformation.

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, spiced cakes, cinnamon-flavored cakes, ginger tea, hot apple cider, wassail, seasoned soups, spiced buttermilk bread, nuts, apples, honey, oranges, dried fruits, turkey, roasted meats, mincemeat, eggnog, chocolate, roasted chicken, roasted capon, roasted partridge, roasted suckling pig, venison offal, rabbit stew, fruit mince pies, sugar cookies, grog, spiced cider, mulled wine, plum pudding, marmalade cakes, chocolate biscuits, fruit pies, tarts with nuts, Yule Log cake, bread pudding, roasted nuts, gingerbread, potato latkes, Yule ham, and hot cocoa (these are just suggestions for traditional Yule foods, but feel free to eat or drink anything you like.)

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

Honour deities associated with Yule, such as Baldur, Dionysus, Cernunnos, Odin, Holly King, Mithras, Green Man, Oak King, Loki, Apollo, Horus, Saturn, Osiris, Cronus, Amaterasu, Athena, Hecate, Demeter, Cailleach Bheur, Skaði, Frigg, Freyja, Brigid, Hestia, Isis, and Perchta/Berchta.

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

Supplies

[ ] black or white candle + something to carve it with

[ ] bowl or dish

[ ] protection oil(optional)

[ ] a piece of hair/fur/scales/etc from everyone you wish to protect as a taglock (optional)

Herbs + Crystals

[ ] salt

[ ] cloves

[ ] agrimony

[ ] rosemary

[ ] nettle leaf

[ ] hyssop

[ ] comfrey

[ ] eggshells

[ ] lavender

[ ] amethyst

[ ] obsidian

[ ] clear quartz

(not all are necessary, pick what feels right to you)

Instructions

1. Cleanse your space and your bowl. I like to do this with incense, however you can do it using sound, sprays, visualizations, etc. Pick whatever method(s) feel right to you.

2. Fill the bowl with salt and add your eggshells and herbs (except for the cloves). As you add each herb, set your intention and express your gratitude to the plants for aiding in protecting you. If you're using crystal chips, you can also add those at this time.

3. Stir the herbs counterclockwise to banish any residual negative energy a few times, then clockwise to welcome in the protective energies

4. Grab your taglocks. If you don't have DNA items such as hair, you can write their full name and birthdays on a slip of paper or bay leaf. Bury them into the salt, visualizing the salt as a protective shield around them.

5. Place 5 cloves around the bowl in the places where the points on a pentacle would be, and then place your charged crystals.

6. Grab your candle and carve word "protected" into it. Hold the candle in both hands and concentrate on who and what it would be protecting. If you have a protection oil, annoint your candle at this time. Place it in the middle of your bowl

7. Light the candle with intention and let it burn all the way down. If you'd like to enchant any jewelry or items to protect you in your travels, you can place them in the bowl before lighting to charge them

Refresh once a month, or whenever the energy feels off and you think it caught something

Energy work is probably one of the easiest ways to explain how to make a ward, for those who are already familiar with the basics of energy work. Simply visualizing and working with your intent is the largest chunk of what is needed. How you channel that energy is up to you-- maybe you pull from candles or flowing streams, music or breezes, herbs or cooking, etc.

Some visualization examples:

Tall powerful walls built from impenetrable stone. Dragging up energy from the depth of the earth to form a fortress, where none can get in without express permission.

A sticky spiderweb that surrounds you, trapping everything that comes your way before it can actually reach you.

A thick layer of pillows that surrounds you, suffocating things that should not approach, but comforting those who are allowed in your space.

A fearsome shadow that follows you around, scaring off those with ill-intent by altering your appearance.

A cloak that keeps you hidden from prying eyes

A moat, drawing from the roaring force of rivers, surrounding a room that prevents entities from getting in.

Mirrors that face outward, reflecting the image of anything that tries to see inside (particularly useful for divination wards-- if someone tries to scry on you, make them read for themselves instead)

A thick wall of slime-- melt or transmute energy before it can reach you.

Witch is gender neutral.

Men, women, binary people, all can be witches. Trans people, gay people, bisexual people, asexual people, all queer people, can be witches.

Witch is a self claimed title. A witch chooses to become a witch and call themselves a witch. Or not. "Natural born witch", "hereditary witch", "destined witch", aren't actually a thing like a lot of people tend to think they are.