balkan folk witch

Handcrafted by @coven-of-genesis

This blend was intuitively crafted to be a triple-threat oil - designed to protect, energize, and draw prosperity into your space and self. It combines ancient protective herbs with fiery enhancers and clarity-boosting botanicals, making it ideal for witches working across multiple intention categories.

🜂 Use it to shield, ignite, and attract.

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🔥 Primary Intentions:

• Protection - Against psychic attacks, negativity, and ill will

• Cleansing - Removing stagnant, harmful, or toxic energy

• Courage & Strength - Empowerment in spellwork, life, and ritual

• Luck & Attraction - Drawing in success, abundance, and opportunity

• Spiritual + Physical Energy Boost - Fuelling action, focus, and vitality

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🧪 Botanical Breakdown & Magical Correspondences:

• Ginger - Speed, attraction, power, fire element boost

• Parsley - Wards off evil, cleanses attachments, banishing

• Mint - Prosperity, clarity, peace in communication

• Fennel Seeds - Protection, spiritual cleansing, energy shielding

• Cinnamon - Wealth, passion, luck, strong protective fire

• Chilli Flakes - Hex-breaking, banishment, powerful energy activator

• Mustard Seeds - Courage, inner strength, action, warding

• Pink Salt - Purification, grounding, spiritual defense

• Coriander Seeds - Mental clarity, protective charm, peace

• Lavender - Healing, serenity, spiritual awareness, psychic protection

• Allspice - Determination, good fortune, energy amplifying

• Star Anise - Intuition, warding, spiritual growth

• Whole Cloves - Banishing, clarity, enhanced mental focus

• Bay Leaves - Manifestation, psychic sealing, wish magic

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🧴 Suggested Ritual Uses:

✨ Anoint spell candles, especially red, black, or gold, to amplify manifestation, courage, or protection

✨ Dress doorways, windows, or tools for ongoing home and energy protection

✨ Wear (diluted!) during rituals or public spiritual work to create a personal ward

✨ Add to spell jars, charm bags, or mojo hands for empowerment, luck, and clarity

✨ Incorporate into banishing and cord-cutting rites to sever ties to draining people or patterns

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This is a bold and commanding oil ~ excellent for witches who walk with strength, purpose, and intention.

Forbidden peanut butter cookies

I've been very much enjoying working with a new style of ward. It's pertinent materia magica blended into air-dry clay, worked into small disks stamped with protective symbols, and hung up near doors and windows (or carried).

Sometimes I paint them; this time I just filled in the symbols with India ink.

The recipe is quite nice as you can make several little wards for the effort of one spell. And they work up pretty quickly.

The recipe:

3 substances aligning with intent (sets given below)

A small handful of air-dry clay

Paint or ink to decorate, as desired

Thread or cord to hang up, if desired

Clear-dry glue (modge-podge used in picture) to seal clay, especially helpful to block strong-smelling herbs

Steps:

Work over each substance individually to ensure they are carriers of power. Ensure each substance is empowered and aligned with its duties before moving on.

Blend all three substances into some air-dry clay (the clay itself is not worked with as a correspondence, but could be, if you're into it).

Divide the air-dry clay into individual balls and flatten them out into disks. You may have to add plenty of extra water to counteract the dehydrating effect of salt or herbs.

Poke a hole at the top of each disk (I used the back end of a matchstick) if you want to hang them up.

On one side of the disk, carve or paint any protective symbol pertinent to your faith. Pictured, an equilateral cross.

On the other side of the disk, carve or paint a symbol that expresses the specific sort of protection you're working (such as a very simplified sigil, or perhaps elemental or planetary signs you're calling on, or a minimalist animal, and so forth).

Once the clay is dry, coat with a clear layer of glue or modge-podge. This helps protect against moisture and minor chips but primarily is to stop the charm from having a strong odor if you use, say, garlic and dill.

Combinations of Materia:

Use perhaps an eighth of a teaspoon of each to start with; I find the clay can hold a lot of foreign materials, but expect it to significantly change texture and dry out. Of course, use any materials you prefer.

Use only dried herbs. Fresh will not do.

Against Evil

Dill (to perceive, forewarn, and shelter against against evil)

Garlic (to protect against evil)

Salt (to neutralize evil)

Against Unwanted Spirits

Garlic (to protect against the uninvited)

Red pepper (to set boundaries against the uninvited)

Basil (to guard against transgressors)

Against Unwanted Energies

Rosemary (to shield and shelter)

Clove (to create a barrier that limits energies)

Salt (to neutralize unwanted energies)

Notes:

The spell can "end" at any number of moments; you can seal it once you mark symbols, or only after it's dried and painted, or only after you've done knot magic to weave a special hanger, etc.

IME, a very powerful set of wards can be made by linking 4 such disks, each one to a different element, and hanging them in the cardinal directions as your path specifies; thus assigning an elemental guardian working in tandem with his brothers to guard those roads of egress. Try making a base formula shared between all four disks, and then adding a unique ingredient to each one of them that corresponds with the element.

Air-dry clay is fragile. These wards are not especially suited to be carried around, but can be carried in a pinch. If you like, the idea of a ward breaking when it's done it's job is very applicable to brittle clay disks.

Some of my YouTube subscribers comment on how my readings are always to the point. How I never need to pause before interpreting a spread or a card. Maybe it's the two decades of reading. Maybe it runs in the family. Maybe I peek at the cards and rehearse before I start recording. (LOL Who has the time?) Or maybe it's just because I know all these techniques by heart. Hope they help you too.

Learn to interpret synchronicities

Learn 10 ways of reading a spread

Learn to avoid blanking when reading

Learn the right meaning to use each time

Learn to interpret tarot cards literally

Learn to read for yourself objectively

Learn to interpret in a personal way

Learn the importance of the card underneath

Learn to read suits in unconventional contexts

Learn to read reversals the right way

Learn the difference: advice vs. outcome

Learn the meaning of The Fool’s Journey

Learn how to predict timing reliably

Learn to interpret physical appearance

Learn the meanings of tarot’s colors

Learn the meanings of tarot’s numbers

Learn to determine locations with tarot

Learn traditional ways of dealing the cards

Learn how to deal with rouge cards

Learn to earn the trust of your tarot decks

I truly believe that when most witches fall short of success, it's not necessarily a failure of power or spellcrafting but rather a failure of strategy.

Witches can raise power and cast spells just fine and still not be able to accomplish goals. So when it comes to protection here are things I've learned, take what you like and leave the rest behind:

Do you actually have a magical wall or boundary that stops unwanted things from reaching you?

For this post, ward = protective wall; a division that creates discrete, defensible spaces

Conjuring good energies is not a ward

Cleansing negative energy is not a ward

Binding behaviors is not a ward

Banishing unwanted beings is not a ward

Calling guardians is not a ward

Cursing your enemies is not a ward

Asking gods for blessings is not a ward

A good place to start any protection is to BUILD A WALL.

This should be understood as a literal magical wall that is built within the spirit worlds that overlay our physical worlds.

Physical boundaries make the best anchor points for magical walls: the boundaries of your property, your house, the walls of the room, fences, cairns or markers, or encapsulating objects (your whole bed, your whole body)

Wall building spellcrafting and correspondences post

You can build walls by:

Making container spells with correspondences like stones, nails, wood, shells (sea creatures, nuts, eggs).

Making sigils that define the existence of the barrier

Going around physical boundaries and raising and fixing energies

Placing magically potent amulets or symbols along the boundary line, including symbols drawn with energy

Enchanting a candle or incense and carrying it along the boundary line to establish the boundary

Asking spiritual helpers to assist you in any of the above

You can have multiple walls. If you are under serious spiritual attack, you should probably have multiple walls.

Suit of armor: personal protection

Inner chamber: ward on your bed/sleeping space to protect your sleep

Room: ward on you bedroom or private area where you work magic and divination; a place where you can get a break and rest

Home: ward on entire home; more rooms may be individually warded as desired

Homestead: ward on entire property; can still be done on your building/nearby property if you live in apartments

Avoid splitting focus when you build walls.

Focus on BUILDING A STRONG WALL.

You can place 'aggressive protections' down later, this is like waiting to add spikes and boiling oil until after you've built the wall.

Do not siphon off your wall's strength and power by also having the wall do cute tricksy things ('this wall cleanses what is within!' NO, why are you redirecting power to provide passive cleansing?! You need to prioritize your actions, stop trying to mop while there's a hole in the side of the ship.)

Plan a point of ingress/egress and retain complete control over it.

"This wall is an immovable object. This wall is a mountain that existed before the rings of Saturn. This wall has only one gate, and I hold the key."

A physical key works very well to control this magical gateway.

DO NOT BUILD IN LOOPHOLES TO PROVIDE GRACE TO HARMFUL SPIRITS.

"This wall protects me from all spirits, unless I misunderstood their intentions, unless they apologize to me, unless they agree to be nice to me, even if they really dislike me but they just agree to not actively harm me-" like why are you doing this to yourself. Do you not think you deserve a greater degree of protection? You are not the 'mom friend' to spirits who needs to give them chance after chance for their mental health. You are not the 'group glue' that is holding the spirit community together. It is not your job to sacrifice your sense of security and wellbeing so random spirits have a game night to attend. Please choose yourself and your own safety.

Once your wall is built, assign guardians to it.

Pray and petition that powerful protectors assign angels, elementals, or spirits to patrol the gate in your wall. Contract with spirits yourself (such as your familiars or helper spirits). Build watchful and protective energy constructs.

If you've wisely placed the gateway to your wall to align with a physical gateway (such as the front gate or front door), see if a nearby plant, tree, stone, &etc. can be contracted to watch the gate for you.

Energy construct vessels (an amulet where the construct lives) and spirit vessels can be placed near the physical gateway to greatly empower their work.

Assign guardians in this order: First the gateway, to oversee who approaches and tries to pass through - the guardians should reinforce your rules, and protect against anything that isn't allowed to pass. Secondly, other guardians may patrol around the wall.

Planets can assign elementals, making Mars an excellent planetary power to petition for protection

Ask your spirits to introduce you to guardians who can help you with this task

A second protection spell can function as a guardian by utilizing protective correspondences and assigning the second spell to guard the gateway of the first.

When searching for guardians or creating constructs, keep in mind that keen eyesight and discernment are of great use; therefore correspondences that also benefit Second Sight and clarity are well employed (give wormwood or star anise a spin).

Once guardians are assigned, build any fancy extras you want - these are your aggressive or illusory protections.

Work with your guardians and ask them what tools would best help them protect the wall. They may give answers that aren't exactly about fortifying the wall (like, 'the wall is fine but we could use a resting place nearby').

If you aren't working with guardians or otherwise ready to proceed, now at this point add the spikes, the boiling oil, the invisibility shields, and anything else you want to fortify your defenses.

Add these by creating additional protection spells that 'drape over' the wall. Once the boundary of the wall has been established you may find it to be much easier to lay down additional protections along the same line.

Finally, deal with conditions inside of the wall.

(This is my first spell I’ve posted here- I hope you like it!!)

You will need:

One yellow/white candle

Sage essential oil, diluted preferred

Lilac essential oil, diluted preferred

Rosemary essential oil, diluted preferred

Something to carve with

Sigil symbolizing wisdom and focus

Steps:

Cast a circle, ground yourself, or do whatever it is that you do before performing magic.

Take your carving tool and carve your sigil into the front and into two of the sides of the candle.

Imagine a situation in which you are both productive and successful, where you are writing your essay without hesitation or swiftly doing your share of a group presentation. You feel little stress, your creative juices are flowing, and you feel no need to procrastinate. Hold onto this vision.

Keeping your intent in mind, rub your essential oils into your carved sigils, one at a time. Make sure to exercise proper safety when doing this as essential oils can be dangerous when undiluted!

Welcome back, Seekers! Within my local coven, we are journeying through the mysteries of Spirit until Winter Solstice. Today, I introduced the art of crafting Spirit Houses, and I thought it would be fitting to share a bit of that here. I like to keep these crafty posts simple and open-ended, leaving space for the practitioner to add their own touch. The best magick often arises from just diving in and letting your intuition guide the way. May this inspire you to connect, create, and explore! 🌙✨

As witches, we work with spirits every day, whether we realize it or not. Our homes, like ourselves, are steeped in the spirit world, alive with layers of unseen inhabitants that have their own roles, wisdom, and stories to tell. For many of us, it’s a quiet understanding that a witch’s home should be haunted—not in the fearful sense, but filled with life that pulses in harmony with our craft. From ancestral guides and house spirits, to the land’s ancient beings, these entities weave themselves into the very fabric of our spaces, enriching them with energy and presence.

Regardless of whether a home is newly built or weathered by decades, each dwelling becomes imbued with spirit. There’s an existing ecosystem of energies that connect to the land itself, the history of the area, and the layers of life that once lived or passed through. These spirits, sometimes subtle, sometimes profound, thrive within the space we call home, coexisting with us and enhancing our magick. But it is up to us to nurture a balanced and harmonious relationship with them.

Why Connect with the Spirits of Your Home?

Developing a deep, reciprocal relationship with the spirits of your home doesn’t just benefit your craft; it offers blessings for everyone under your roof. When these spirits feel acknowledged and respected, they offer protection, lend strength to your magickal workings, and create an atmosphere of peace and nourishment. A home can truly feel like a sanctuary when the spirits that dwell within it are in harmony with those who reside there in the flesh. This connection turns your space into an anchor—a place of personal power, healing, and resilience.

Building Friendships with Spirit

Nurturing relationships with spirits requires time, care, and a commitment to reciprocity. Just as with human friendships, there is a cycle of giving and receiving. Spirits respond to sincere attention and intention, as well as the gifts and gestures we offer them. One meaningful way to foster this connection is by creating a spirit house or a dedicated space where spirits can feel welcomed and honored.

A spirit house is both a physical symbol and a spiritual anchor. It becomes a place where offerings can be left, and it serves as a gateway for interaction with the spirit world in a respectful and clear manner. It’s a way of saying, “You are welcome here, I honor your presence, and I seek your guidance and protection.”

Creating Your Spirit House

Designing a spirit house is a creative, personal process. It need not be elaborate; sometimes, the simplest gestures carry the deepest respect. You may choose a small altar, a shelf, or even a discreet box placed in a peaceful corner of your home. Consider using natural materials—wood, clay, or stone—as they tend to resonate well with spirits of place. Personalize it with items like stones from your land, soil, dried herbs, or even water from a local stream. Each addition builds a bridge between your energy and the spirits you invite into your home.

When crafting your spirit house, remember that offerings and gifts can strengthen this relationship over time. Spirits, like friends, appreciate time, energy, love, and tokens of appreciation. Remember, spirits are aware of intention as much as they are of the physical offering, so approach this creative expression with reverence and sincerity.

For my spirit house, I’ve chosen to weave in unsea, or “old man’s beard,” gathered lovingly from my mother tree, a sacred link to the ancient and wise energies of the land. I've placed birds within the space, their forms standing as messengers and symbols of spirit, guiding and connecting with the unseen. Mushrooms, too, find their place here, embodying my bond with the natural world—grounded yet reaching into hidden realms. They carry the magick of spiritual growth, reminding me of the mystery and connection to realms beyond. Each piece breathes life into the space, deepening my relationship with the spirits I honor… and I placed a bell at the entrance, placed with the hope of hearing it softly chime as the spirits pass through.

Introduction to Shielding

If you haven’t already, check out my lessons on visualisation for the basic knowledge you’ll need to begin practicing shielding.

So what is shielding?

Shielding is a manipulation of energy, used to create a barrier between yourself and unwanted, usually negative or malicious energies. It’s a basic aspect of spellwork that everyone, beginner or experienced, should use to keep themselves safe.

What can I use shielding for?

Some beginner-level uses for shielding are drawing a circle, or casting a spell. A more experienced individual might use shielding in astral travel or spirit work, where there are a lot more malicious energies involved. Personally, I use shielding as often as possible, for instance when I do tarot readings, spells, spirit work, shadow work, and especially cursing. It gives that extra guarantee that you won't flood your personal space with unwanted energies.

Other uses include shielding against real-life dangers, to a certain degree. I often shield when I am walking through town at night for extra protection. But please remember to take other measures too! Call someone, pretend to be on the phone, plan your route, and even carry pepper spray if it's legal where you are.

An easy shielding method:

The easiest way to explain this is to think of your energy as a physical manifestation. Think how power attacks are shown in anime or cartoons - a streak of colour or light, or an element. Make it personable to you: fire signs (Leo/Aries/Sagittarius) might visualise fire, or a red energy or light etc.

Firstly, some people prefer to cleanse before shielding. I don't think its all that necessary but the choice is yours.

Begin by easing yourself into meditation. Get comfortable, and use whichever technique works for you. I have various methods for this in my visualisation lessons if you are struggling.

Attempt to visualise the energies surrounding you in your mind. It might be a swirling colour of light, almost like a cloud of dust. It could be flames, it could be water. Maybe try to see it held within your hand.

Now, attempt to shape this energy around your entire body. You might want to start with a bubble or a cube surrounding you. Feel this shape surrounding and protecting you. Visualise negative and unwanted energies being held back by it.

You can also layer shields, so if you are working with a particularly malicious energy you might want to have multiple shapes surrounding you, all within each other. You can also work with deities or spirits to ask them to shield you too.

Shielding Incantation

When I am shielding, I recite a spell as well as using visualisation techniques.

The shield of protection, I carry it strong, No ill wishes or trouble shall come along, You cannot harm me, or weaken my soul, My light is my weapon, and peace is my goal.

A lot of witchcraft seems to be focused on visualisation as a means of imbuing things with magic, energy work seems almost entirely written to suit those who can visualise images. I am extremely tactile, I am a touchy feely person with busy hands so I decided to share how I “enchant” items.

Enchantment in my book means to take an object and make it magical, whether it be a charm, a ward, an agent of the spell itself.

Kissing things - your lips are far more sensitive than your fingers, they are also very close to your nose so you can incorporate smell into this, too. Take the item, and bring it too your lips gently, place a plush firm kiss whilst focusing on planting your into into the item.

Stroking or brushing - I have heard people try knot magic by braiding their hair, my hair is too short for this, but you could start by brushing your hair. Really smoothing it out, deeply brushing hair or even fur is a great way to transfer magic from your mind to the hands to the object, brushing is very therupeutic and could almost be a trance inducing activity. When I had hair I could sit on, it was a wonderful sensory experience to hand brush it after a wash.

You could also feel the surface of your item by smoothing it with you hands, really get to know the texture, let the magic explore the grain of the wood, the crevices in the stone or the cool touch of the metal.

Crumbling something - You could do this with breadcrumbs for kitchen magic or a bath bomb for bath magic (I wouldn’t crumble a bath bomb imo but I have heard some people prefer to do that.) Guide your intent to your hands and let it over whelm the object in your palms.

Stepping on something - This could be very destructive and great for curses.

Walking around it - Walking around an object features a lot in folk lore, perhaps you could use it to slowly build up intent and magical energy within you?

Throwing or juggling - Juggling is a great skill to learn and I can well and truly say kinetic energy is magical very powerful, throwing and catching something in the air until your satisfied is a fantastic way of enchantment, the weight as you catch it in your hand and watching it fly in the air is just fantastic.

The base of making ointments is infusing herbs in some kind of oil or fat, resulting in a substance that is solid but melts at body temperature.

I usually use one part of herbs and four parts of the ointment's base, but it can vary.

The ointment's base I tend to use is olive oil, although it can be another one like almond or sunflower oil.

In order to infuse the herbs in the oil we will use the bain-marie technique. Two containers are needed: a saucepan with water and a bowl with the oil and the herbs that will go inside the other one.

This must stay over low heat for two hours, having a temperature around 40 °C (104 °F) .

An alternative to this step can be leaving the herbs and oil in a jar for two to four weeks, in a dark and dry place. To accelerate the extraction of the active principles of the plant it is convenient to shake the jar twice a day.

The oil can be filtered with a gauze and, once we have the infused oil, we will have to solidify the ointment, for which I usually use beeswax. The amount depends on the desired texture but 15% of the final volume is a good reference.

We will use bain-marie again to incorporate the beeswax. In the final jar we will put the oil and the beeswax, taking into account that the beeswax melting temperature is around 60°C (140°F) and that it isn't convenient to exceed it too much.

We will stir while the wax is melting until everything seems homogeneous. Additionally, Vitamin E can be added to extend the duration of the ointment. Finally, we will let it cool.

The Magic of Hair:

Hair has historically held great significance in many different cultures and the growing or cutting of hair had a significant impact. In my practice, hair holds great significance as well and is something I utilize in magical workings. I utilize hair in protection workings, as a personal taglock and to bring in certain energies (using colour magic). Hair as a taglock is actually a common association in many different communities. In some cultures, they burn their discarded hair to dispose of it as it prevents the hair from falling into the wrong hands. In my practice, I use it in spell jars or poppets that I am trying to link to me. I also incorporate glamour magic by colouring my hair red, this helps me feel and appear more confident and strong. Hair is a versatile tool in witchcraft and depending on your intention, it can be incorporated into many types of spell work.

Growing vs Chopping:

Some cultures view long hair as a reflection of commitment or spiritual growth. I believe that hair holds energy and I use my hair is a symbol of my energy. I rarely cut my hair and keep it long so that I can use it in my daily practices. The dedication and time that is put into growing out hair can be a spiritual experience in and of itself. Some people grow their hair out during specific times of their life or to represent a specific journey that they’re on.

The cutting of hair can also have many different meanings. Sometimes hair is cut off when close family members pass away or when they leave difficult/toxic situations. The cutting of hair can mark either the beginning or end of a spiritual journey. Some people believe that cutting their hair regularly rids them of negativity that they've been holding onto (through their hair).

Whether you choose to keep your hair long or short, you can find ways to incorporate it into your practice and use it in your magical workings.

Braids & Magic:

Braids have a strong magical and spiritual association in many different cultures. Their connection to protection magic is due to the fact that they are considered protective hairstyles. I braid my hair with intention when I don't want to wear a veil (I don't veil regularly but when I enter certain spaces, like graveyards, I like to). Braids are not the only hairstyle that this can be done with. For my short hair peeps, twists as work just as well as long as they are done with intention.

Many people believe that any hairstyle that covers the crown of their head can be used for spiritual protection. If you don't have the ability to braid or have access to hair-safe protective oil or veils, they can be great alternatives.

*All images are from Pinterest*

• You don’t need to have an altar. But if you want to, creating an altar on a wooden box is great; you can collect stuff to put in there and you can hide it under your bed.

• You don’t need crystals. Common rocks can be energised to act with a certain intention and they work just as well. You can also associate the place you got the stone/rock from with an intention, such as: a rock from a river or sea can be used for cleansing, purifying, taking energies away from you. A stone found at the property of a hospital can be used for health spells. These are vague examples, so I might make a list later on of all kinds of things you can do with mineral founding.

• Energised water is a great offering to most entities. Water holds memory and it’s easy to energise it with a certain intention if you concentrate.

• You don’t actually need candles. For many deities, an object that remembers you of them works as a taglock, an identification of the deity you’re worshipping. Besides, many spells do not need candles to work, such as: ritual baths, petitions, etc.

Learn these, and forget everything else.

1. The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread

Gives you a comprehensive answer to any question

2. The Soulmate Conversation

Tells you everything about your soulmate

3. The Three Wishes Tarot Spread

Tells you which of your wishes will come true

4. The Two Paths Tarot Spread

Guides you towards making the right decision

5. The True God Shuffle

Reveals which higher power you are connected to

6. The What If Tarot Spread

Shows you alternate realities

7. The True Colors Tarot Spread

Shows you a person's true colors

8. The General Prediction Shuffle

Tells you about your life in general

9. The Life Purpose Draw

Reveals your life purpose in this incarnation

10. The Major Arcana Grand Tableau

Shows you the full year ahead

11. Your True Passion Tarot Spread

Reveals your true passion and how to live it

12. The Life Advice Shuffle

Gives you advice about life's many departments

13. The Sex Life Draw

Reveals your sex life with a current or future partner

14. The Past Life Tarot Spread

Reveals the truth about your past life

15. Allies & Enemies Tarot Spread

Reveals who your allies and enemies are

16. Your Future Children Shuffle

Tells you about any future children of yours

17. Sports Match Prediction Method

Lets you win meaningful bets

18. Age at Death Prediction Method

Tells you how long you will live

19. The High Priestess Tarot Spread

Answers any question about the future

20. The Time Prediction Method

Some pics of the Baba Yaga's Hut piece I've been working on for a few days.