I am Lola, a 27 years old Italian witch living in the countryside.
I consider myself very lucky, because every morning I can see the most beautiful sunrise from my windows.
During daytime, I spot many little birds, butterflies and insects looking for something to eat in my garden and, at night, I often see foxes and badgers trying to do the same.
I am a witch. I felt it since I was a little girl, playing with dirt, making potions and speaking with animals. I can still remember when my parents bought me to a crystalās shop for the first time! I started practicing actively 10 years ago.
I am very close to nature and its seasons so I try (even if I am very busy with work and life in general) to live according to them.
Seasons are a huge part of my practice, I am quite fond of my altar and its decorations are based on the Sabbat in which we are in. My magick is also based and influenced by the time of the year, moon phases, etc.
I read tarot cards, even though I donāt consider it a way to predict the future ~ but a way to explore myself and/or have a better understanding of the present Iām living in.
Candle magick is one of my favorite kind of practice, but I also use food, spices, oils, herbs and crystals.
I am not a Wiccan, but it has been part of my journey with witchcraft.
I love fairies and gnomes! I never found one in my life - but I really hope Iāll be able to, one day!
In my profile you will find everything related to my practice and the things I like ~ if you also like everything related to fairytales, dark/light academia, gnomecore, gremlincore⦠letās get to know each other!
Currently, I am not offering paid readings - but I am always open for free readings. You can always tip me if you feel called to.
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What is elemental protection and how could you use it?
As the name suggests, elemental protection is a protection technique that involves the presence and the collaboration of the elements (air, water, earth, fire, spirit).
Please, note, that I used the content of the book āPsychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestationā by Mat Auryn as an inspiration for this post.
When is the best time to use this kind of protection?
Even if thereās not a specific time or reason to use it, you should know that elemental protection works by literally BLOCKING your interaction with the energies outside you.
Therefore - you canāt perform any spell or be energetically āactiveā outside your protected area. When youāll believe that youāll no longer need to be (that) protected, youāll have to āmanuallyā remove the layers of protection around you.
That being said, youāll recognize that the most suitable time to use elemental protection is when you feel like having NOTHING to do with that particular place/situation.
The process
First, youāll have to ground yourself to the earth. Put yourself in a meditative state by taking a few loooong breaths. Feel the energy of the soil below your feet and the energy of the sky above your head.
Then - visualize yourself at the center of a big golden bubble: the energy shield that protects your from the outside world.
Take some time to feel the warmth and the comfort inside of your bubble.
See yourself as a beautiful castle (or inside of it!). Every beautiful castle has some big, strong, walls to protect it. Visualize them all around you. Thatās the earth element.
Outside of the wall, thereās a moat full of water. The water is also there to protect you from enemyās attacks.
And, to top it off, the highest, inaccessible curtain of fire encircles the castle. The enemies here are definitely not welcome.
Do you want more? A terrible storm is hovering outside the flames, wind is blowing at its highest speed.
All of that while you lay comfortably into your beautiful castle.
āøļø The Witchās Year: Yule & The Solstice Threshold
The longest night. The hidden flame. The return that begins in silence.
š® What is Yule?
Yule is not Christmas with pine needles and a magical log.
Itās not the ancient One True Holiday handed down perfectly through the centuries.
Itās a feral midwinter threshold ritual that has shape-shifted across lands, languages, and lore. And it is still transforming.
Yule is anchored to the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. A moment when the sun appears to pause, catch its breath, and maybe come back.
The name comes from Old Norse jól, a midwinter festival that involved:
Feasting
Honoring the dead
And a terrifying divine ghost stampede across the sky called the Wild Hunt
(You know, holiday stuff.)
Yule didnāt just survive Christianity. It put on a new mask and haunted the place.
What weāre actually celebrating is the invocation of deep dark, the first flicker of returning light, the tangled threads of ancestors, and that weird liminal zone where nothing grows and everything just... waits.
To practice Yule isnāt to cosplay Vikings or rebuild a perfect past.
Itās to meet winter where it is. In your body, your land, your longing. And ask:
How do I move through the dark?
š® Yule: History Beneath the Holiday
Not a preserved rite. A memory that shapeshifts. Still breathing. Still loud.
ā¦Ā Etymology & Early Roots
So, āYule.ā Not invented by Christians. Not code for āWitchmas.ā The word comes from Old Norse jól (and Old English Ä”eÅl), probably from Proto-Germanic jehwlÄ , meaning āwinter feastā or āwheel-turning party.ā Some linguists think itās connected to hjul, meaning wheel, as in āyo itās the sunās seasonal U-turn.ā
In the Norse world, jól was not one tidy night with matching napkins. It was a whole multi-day rager for midwinter survival. Odin was out here cosplaying Death Santa, riding across the sky with the Wild Hunt. Which is basically the spirit version of an air raid siren made of wolves, ancestors, and unresolved grief.
Meanwhile, early Anglo-Saxon and Germanic folks were:
Feasting like their survival depended on it (because it did)
Pouring ale for gods and local spirits
Talking to their dead
Making oaths over fire
Doing midwinter divination to figure out how bad the next year would suck
Did this line up perfectly with the solstice? Nah. Calendars were weird and regional. People were just vibing with the land, so Yule happened when it felt right. Thatās the point. Early Yule was a relationship, not a timestamp. Not one-size-fits-all, and definitely not curated for the feed.
ā¦Ā The Yule Log and Fire Customs
Before it was a Pinterest mood board or a sugar bomb, it was a full-on metaphysical event.
You know that looping video of a fireplace on Netflix? Yeah. Thatās your great-great-great-ancestorās sacred fire altar now being used as digital ambiance. Progress is weird.
The original Yule log wasnāt just seasonal decor. It was the chosen one. Oak or ash, maybe carved with runes, maybe soaked in ale, salt, or blood. Burned slowly over days, and the leftovers? Saved like sacred Wi-Fi for next yearās fire. Ancestral flame continuity. Year Two: Electric Boogaloo.
In some traditions, the log wasnāt just wood; it was a spell. A container of intentions, protection, luck, and probably that one cousinās slightly chaotic oath to change everything this year (again).
These days, witches might:
Burn a candle over several nights as a mini-log
Carve sigils into a small stick and set it aflame
Bake a chocolate Yule log and charge it with chaotic sugar magic (do not underestimate the spell potential of frosting)
Whether youāve got a roaring hearth, a single tealight, or just the last half-dead lighter in your junk drawer, this is fire as portal. Fire as promise. Fire as the voice that says, āBurn it down and start overā.
ā¦Ā Christian Adaptation & the āTwelve Daysā
Because nothing says āwe see your ancient festivalā like repackaging it with saints and carols.
Christianity spread across Europe like a well-dressed colonizing fungus, took one look at Yule, and said, 'Nice feast. Shame if someone... stole it.'
So Yule didnāt disappear; it got absorbed. Transfigured. Slapped with new labels. By the medieval period, it had shape-shifted into what we now call the Twelve Days of Christmas (Dec 25 to Jan 6), which was a lot less ābaby in a mangerā and a lot more āliminal chaos zone filled with spirits and social anarchy.ā
No joke, this stretch of time was feral.
Ghosts roamed.
The Wild Hunt howled.
Social roles got flipped (peasants became kings for a day, and nobody liked that except the peasants).
People told scary stories, invoked old gods in secret, and tried not to get possessed by seasonal depression or literal spirits.
Modern witches are out here reclaiming this twelve-day stretch like, āWhy yes, I will do a twelve-day spell cycle. One day for grief, one for rebirth, one for ancestral screaming, and maybe one for baking bread and sobbing gently into it.ā
Reminder: Yule isnāt just one night. Itās an unfolding. A spiral. A witchy Advent calendar stuffed with transformation and feral vibes.
ā¦Ā Solstice Markers Beyond Europe
The sun is out here doing weird stuff everywhere, and (gasp) other cultures noticed.
So, fun fact: the winter solstice is not just a vaguely pagan European thing with pine trees and vibes. It is an actual astronomical event that shows up all over the world. And surprise! People everywhere were like, āHey, the sun is dying. We should probably do something magical about that.ā
Hereās how some non-European traditions mark the longest night:
š¼Ā Dongzhi (East Asia):
The Winter Solstice festival celebrates the return of yang energy. Families gather, eat warm food (especially sweet glutinous rice balls called tangyuan), and lean into themes of reunion, balance, and cosmic recharging. Itās giving ācozy resilience and quiet power-up.ā
ŪĀ Shab-e Yalda (Iran):
This is the longest night vigil. People stay up with pomegranates, nuts, poetry, and storytelling to keep the dark at bay until the sun returns. Itās romantic, ancestral, and extremely goth in the best way.
š³Ā Inti Raymi (Quechua/Inca):
In the Southern Hemisphere, their midwinter solstice is in June, and it hits different. This celebration honors Inti, the sun god, with offerings, dances, and ritual processions. Itās not about dormancy ā itās about renewal through ceremony and fire.
šĀ Kemetian / Ancient Egyptian Temples:
These temples were built like cosmic clocks. Alignments with the solstice sun meant divine rebirth, solar resurrection, and that glorious moment when the architecture of a civilization high-key channels the literal sky.
These arenāt just aesthetic menu options. Theyāre living cosmologies, still humming with power.
So no, donāt just slap pomegranate seeds on your altar because you saw someone post it and thought it was cute. These traditions are sacred and specific. Theyāre not universal metaphors for āwinter vibes.ā
The Wheel of the Year is made up. But like, in a helpful way.
Letās be clear: the modern eightfold Wheel of the Year (Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, etc.) is not ancient. Itās basically a magical group project from the 20th century. Gardner and Nichols looked at a bunch of folk traditions and said, 'What if we made this a seasonal pie chart?'
And honestly? It works fine.
If you vibe with it, amazing. Roll with it. Light the candles. Decorate the wheel. Have your sabbat feasts.
But also: you donāt have to pretend it descended from the druids on a flaming oak of cosmic truth.
Because guess what. You can make your own calendar.
You can track time by your dreams, your grief, your local ecology, or whatever weird sacred rhythm is pulsing through your bones.
For example, your solstice might look like:
ā§ The first snowfall that actually sticks
ā§ The last time your period shows up before the new year
ā§ Your grandmaās death day that always feels thin-veiled
ā§ The final mugwort harvest before the ground freezes
ā§ That one December night when your dreams last six years and the moon side-eyes you the whole time
Yule doesnāt have to be on December 21.
It doesnāt even have to be called Yule.
The solstice is a real celestial moment. But the spell? The name? The ritual? Thatās yours to build.
Some of the best witches youāll ever meet built their calendars out of broken clocks and pure feral instinct.
ā Solstice as Threshold
Not just a holiday. A cosmic soft reset button. Bonus: metaphysics.
The solstice isnāt just a vibe. Itās not āyay, more sun soonā and then back to your peppermint mocha.
Itās an occult event.
Like, astronomically real. Celestially spicy. The sun literally hits pause.
The word āsolsticeā comes from Latin solstitium, meaning āsun stands still.ā
Because from Earthās perspective, it does. It hangs low. Suspended. Hovering on the edge of reversal.
Thatās not just poetic. Thatās spell fuel.
Across so many cultures, this moment wasnāt just marked; it was celebrated. It was mythologized.
Egyptians, Romans, Mesoamericans, Norse, Inca. Everyone out there is watching the sky go full drama queen.
And why? Because the solstice doesnāt ask permission. It turns the whole year on its axis and says, 'Time to pivot, babes.'
In myth, this moment shows up as:
The death of a solar deityĀ
A spark stolen back from the underworld
A child of light born in the dark
A fire lit in the bones, not the sky
So what do witches do with that?
We treat it like the threshold it is.
We donāt just decorate it. We cross it. With spells, stillness, songs, silence, or whatever weird tool youāve got in your witch kit.
Whether youāre a chaos witch, a folk practitioner, a cosmic cryptid, or just out here trying to mark time without crying in a shopping mall parking lot, the solstice is yours to meet.
You donāt need tradition to validate it.
You just need to notice the moment the sun stops moving, and ask what part of you wants to move next.
š Yule as Spell, Not Spectacle
Midwinter magic isnāt here to make your Pinterest board pop. Itās here to rearrange your soul in the dark.
Yes, candles are cute. Yes, evergreen garlands are aesthetically pleasing. Yes, you can totally make a cinnamon-scented altar and bless your cat with juniper smoke.
But thatās not the root of Yule.
Cultivating warmth that doesnāt come from external validation or literal photons
Sitting in the dark without demanding it makes you feel better
Witnessing the first flicker of return without kicking the door open too soon
Itās rest. Deep, defiant, anti-productivity rest. The kind that spits in the face of hustle culture.
In a world screaming 'grind till you die and smile about it,' Yule is over here whispering, 'What if you just cocooned for a while and ignored your inbox until spring?'
And you donāt need a snowy forest.
Nor a perfect altar setup or a coven in matching robes.
You don't even need a name for it.
You just need to notice when the light changes, and decide what youāre going to do about it.
āļø Ways to Work with Yule
Spells for when the sun yeets itself into seasonal hibernation and you're just trying to vibe through it.
This isnāt a checklist. Itās not homework. Itās a spell menu. Pick what resonates. Mix it up. Add glitter. Add grief. Yule isnāt about being impressive. Itās about staying warm in the quiet.
Hereās how you can work with it:
Light a single candle at sunsetĀ and keep it burning till dawn. Donāt do anything else. Just vibe with the fire. Stare into it like itās holding the universeās secrets. It probably is.
Burn your grief lettersĀ and dump the ashes in snow, dirt, or straight into the void. Let the earth take what youāre done carrying.
Leave offerings for house spiritsĀ like youāre bribing your way into their good graces. Bread, salt, milk, or that midnight snack you swore you wouldnāt eat.
Sit with an obsidian mirrorĀ or a bowl of dark water. Gaze in. Ask the dark what it knows. Hope it doesnāt roast you. If it does, you probably needed it.
Listen for the Wild Hunt.Ā Or just name whatās been chasing you all year. Put a bell on it. Banish it. Feed it. Your call.
Smoke cleanse your homeĀ with evergreen like youāre airing out the ghost of seasonal depression. Spoiler: itās still in the attic, but now it smells better.
Crochet or knot a ritual piece.Ā Infuse it with intentions. Then unravel it at Imbolc like youāre dismantling old timelines. Bonus points for dramatic music.
And if none of that feels right?
Youāre allowed to do absolutely nothing.
Seriously. Just noticing the solstice happened is enough. Even if youāre in bed under three blankets with a half-eaten cookie. That still counts.
š Rewilding the Wheel
Because not every witch lives in a pine forest or feels spiritually aligned with snowflakes and wassail.
Yule is powerful. But itās not one-size-fits-all.
Some practitioners are like: āThe light returns!ā
Others are like: āThe sun never left, itās literally 90 degrees and my air conditioner is possessed.ā
Both are valid.
Not everyone lives in a climate where the sunās absence is felt the same way.
Not everyoneās body follows the same seasonal rhythm.
Not everyone descends in winter.
Not everyone wants to pretend theyāre a medieval peasant in a linen robe.
This is whereĀ chaos witches,Ā urban witches,Ā queer witches, andĀ just plain tired witchesĀ start remixing the calendar.
You can build your own ritual year out of whatever actually feels sacred to you. That might look like:
Celebrating your "new year" on yourĀ birthday,Ā divorce finalization date, orĀ the day you found out your bloodline isnāt cursed, just dramatic
Honoring yourĀ ancestors in the dry season, or duringĀ mushroom bloom, or whenever your family ghosts are loudest
Turning the solstice into a ritual toĀ release capitalist holiday expectations, gender performance, or emotional burnout wrapped in tinsel
Making aĀ personal sabbatĀ out of your flare-up week, your dead friendās favorite season, or the one night a year your house is finally quiet
The solstice is real. The turning point in the sky is real.
But your response? Thatās art. Thatās spellwork. Thatās yours.
The Wheel of the Year is a map, not a contract.
Use it, remix it, or set it on fire and draw your own spiral in the dirt.
Youāre not late. Youāre not wrong. Youāre just listening to a different rhythm.
āøļøĀ Part ⠔ ofĀ The Witch's YearĀ ā Follow for the full series!
#The Witch's Year
āļø Further Reading & Sources
ā§ History & Folklore
Ronald Hutton.Ā The Stations of the Sun
Carlo Ginzburg.Ā Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witchesā Sabbath
Emma Wilby.Ā Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits
Ćva Pócs.Ā Between the Living and the Dead
ā§ Modern Witchcraft & Chaos Rites
Aidan Wachter.Ā Six Ways
Byron Ballard.Ā Roots, Branches & Spirits
Starhawk.Ā The Earth Path
Sarah Anne Lawless. Blog archives
ā§ Cultural & Feminist Critique
Sylvia Federici.Ā Caliban and the Witch
Jason Pitzl-Waters.Ā The Wild HuntĀ (selected articles)
Hang a cinnamon stick onto your Yule tree - focus your intention with a sense of gratitude and be ready for all the abundance that the new year will bring š
I also add dried orange slices, to bring lights into the dark season. Invite the sun to shine again and honor the nature, as it slowly wakes up from the winter.
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How often do we feel disconnected from our craft? What do we do to get the spark back, when we feel distant from the magick world?
Well, let me give you a little context.
When I was younger in my craft, I felt like witchcraft needed to be all - or nothing. I almost took it like a duty, a āsecond jobā.
This behavior, after a short period of time, led me to abandon my practice because I soon got overwhelmed, stressed - I got fomo and started comparing my journey with other practitionerās ones.
It no longer was a safe place, but another way to compare myself to others and another obligation I had to attend during the day.
What I want to suggest now, is to treat yourself with more kindness.
Life is life! You need to work everyday, do house chores, study, gather with your loved ones and be present for them.
So - I wonāt call it ālosing your magickā, I wonāt call it āhiatusā, Iād just call it life.
There will be moments in which youāll be called to be more present into your daily mundane activities.
Your craft wonāt be disappearing, just waiting for you.
If you, like me, love the cozy season and chocolate - this magical recipe might be for you.
Of course, we are going to add a little enchantment in it āØ
What youāll need, is (for 1 person):
⢠30g of dark chocolate;
⢠10g of cocoa powder;
⢠150ml of milk / vegan options of your choice;
⢠bio orange peel;
⢠a little piece of a cinnamon stick;
⢠cinnamon powder;
⢠(optional) star anise;
⢠(optional) honey.
Heat up the milk/other option together with the orange peel, the star anise (if you want to add it) and the piece you took from the cinnamon stick - but donāt make it boil.
Then, add the (previously chopped) dark chocolate and keep stirring.
If you want your hot chocolate to be sweeter, you can also add honey.
Yule is on its way, and Iād like to share with you a little tradition that you can perform too, from today until the 21st of December.
As you probably know already, Yule marks the Winterās solstice - the point where the dark rules over the light, daytime is at its shortest and the earth is dry and covered by snow.
Apparently, there is no sign of light.
In fact, the 21st of December brings us the longest night of the year.
During this time, we feel called to reflect upon what we achieved this year, wha we are grateful for and, also, what we are willing lo let go of.
The last month of the solar year, brings us a sense of closure and itās also a special time to celebrate with the people we love most.
Butā¦
What if the dark we are seeing now also means the promise of a future light? Every ending is also the doorstep of a new beginning - we just have to look for it and be patient.
As the ancient tradition taught me, I want to welcome the upcoming light with a sense of renovation.
It is said that placing a red candle every night - for just one hour - near to your window, will lead luck and blessings in your life (be safe when using candles!!!).
Do this, if you have time, every night until Yule ~
Hereās a tip on how to stay protected and preserve our energies to survive the mundane world ~
My favorite, quickest method (if you also need to take a shower):
While you are in the shower, close your eyes and imagine the water falling down on you of a radiant blue color - or a vibrant gold. Let it wash off all your ādirtā.
Then, draw a pentacle or your protection sigil on your showerās glass (that, at this point, will be steamed up!).
Stare at your pentacle/sigil and imagine a bubble protecting you from head to toes, thanking all the elements for the cooperation.
You can also do this with your windows too, if you donāt mind the fingerprints ~ so you can keep your house protected as well.