Magickal Toadstool

My gorgeous fox skull is finally done. It’s been a journey that’s for sure.

I found this beautiful creature passed away in a ditch and I waited months before I collected the remains that I could carry. I admit it was not pretty, it wasn’t fully decomposed and I wore gloves, mask and double bagged everything!

Over the last (almost a year) the skull has been degreasing and finally it was in a state that I was able to give it a couple of baths in hydrogen peroxide to remove some staining and even out the colour.

I’ve reattached the teeth using PVA as advised by a taxidermist as it means if I ever need to remove them that it’s just a case of soaking it.

The lower jaw which has split into two is being held together with a strong fine thread which is also totally removable.

As this fox is local and was found within a 5 minute walk from my front door I do feel a connection that I can’t ignore. It would have traipsed through the same foraging ground as me, explored the bramble patches and It may have even been seen by myself at some point.

My practice is very nature based and I try my hardest to utilise what my local landscape can provide for me, from the berries on the bushes to the pebbles on the beach and I’m so grateful for this gift and will honour the beautiful fox.

I am in the process of cleaning some leg bones still as well as smaller foot bones which I hope to use in an osteomancy set for myself and in time, one for my son.

There are a huge number of galls that can form on Oak trees and I’ve come across a few.

The ones I’m interested in are the large ones, the Marble Gall, Oak Apple Gall and Knopper Gall.

All of which are reportedly high in tannins and can be used to create a black ink that I feel would make a wonderful addition to my spell work.

As I don’t have enough of the more traditionally used Marble Galls I thought I would try it with Knoppers which have been plentiful enough last year that I could give it a good try and not have to worry if I had to start over as I’ve picked up more this year to dry.

The method of creating the ink comes in stages so I’ve started with the longest process.

You will need…

- Rain Water

- Oak Knopper Galls (Dried for 6-12 months)

- Pestle & Mortar

- Jars with lids

- Vinegar

- Steel wool

- Gum Arabic

- Coffee filter or cheesecloth

- Glass pen or brush (not fountain/nibbed)

Extracting the Tannins

🌳 Remove the galls from the acorn host and clean off any dirt or debris especially if they have been collected from the muddy ground.

🌳 Using a pestle and mortar or bag and mallet, crush the galls. They do not have to be ground up but chunky pieces.

🌳 Remove any unwanted materials including any remaining larvae.

🌳 Put the crushed galls into a jar and add enough rainwater to cover them. Tannins will begin to leach out into the water almost immediately.

🌳 Place the jar in a sunny spot and leave for 10 days, shake occasionally if you feel like it.

Making the Iron Sulphate

🌳 Add a good lump of steel wool onto a jar and pour in the vinegar (this can be a cheap malt vinegar)

🌳 Place the lid on lightly and set aside with the gall solution.

…WAIT 10 DAYS…

Making the Ink

🌳You should now have a dark brown solution in the jar with the galls.

🌳 Strain the solution using a filter into another clean jar.

🌳 Repeat this process again with the steel wool/vinegar solution but make sure it’s into a clean jar and use a new filter!

🌳 Take the jar which you would like to hold your ink and add in equal measures the two solutions before adding in a small amount of the Gum Arabic and stir to help it dissolve, more can be added if required.

You should be left with a dark brown to black solution that you can now use as ink!

Most of us have it, sometimes not enough, sometimes too much or where we don’t want it 😂

It comes in a multitude of natural colours and textures and can be a huge part of a persons identity, culture or even religion.

Hair in the craft can be a very potent ingredient for personalisation of a spell, any hair can be used but hair from the head tends to be the most commonly used today next to pubic hair which has associations with carnal magick.

The general associations of hair is strength, psychic protection, virility as well as the connection to the person it directly came from.

Due to its nature and the fact it doesn’t decay and breakdown as quickly as the rest of the human body and is easy to legally obtain and keep, this material is an excellent material for those who wish to work with their ancestors.

Fun Fact - Those accused of being witches often had their heads shaved as it was believed that this would render them powerless.

To aid in getting a confession the bodies of accused witches were shaved bare to avoid the concealment of the devils mark.

Ways of Utilising Hair…

**Braiding**

One for those with long hair or even partners/children with long hair.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but a simple braid on its own done with focus and intent can work wonders.

Strengthen or further focus your will using coloured ribbons, flowers, threads or beads with relevant correspondences for the desired effect.

**Knot Work**

As with ribbons and cords, long hair can be knotted easily and lends itself to this way or working.

You can use a single strand or more if you wish. These could be from multiple people especially if you are working something that may involve binding or tying them together. We all know it’s almost impossible to unknot hair when it’s pulled tight.

Knotting will also fall into creating witch ladders.

**Felting**

Ah yes; this may gross a few of you out but this is what made me think of sharing this information with you all.

If you have long hair and a lot of it you will be familiar with the brush full of hair that greats you after a good grooming session.

There are methods (and they are easy) of using human hair for felting. It’s not soft and cuddly but if you are willing to put in the time and effort it is possible to create a felted effigy of someone.

Due to the amount of hair required this one is better suited to those with long hair and looking to work on spells aimed at their own well being. I’m personally planning a little felted poppet to represent myself that I can later embellish with small drilled gems in places I require healing or help.

**Sigils**

Long strands or hair can be used carefully as fine thread and really lends itself to a creative witch who wishes to personalise something with an embroidered or cross-stitched sigil, symbol, name or word. This could be done on fabric, cushion or even on a poppet.

**Stuffing**

Using hair to stuff a poppet or cushion.

This will work for both long and medium length hair. It would also work for short hair but a double layer of fabric may be required to avoid hairs poking out too much.

This can be used alongside other ingredients that you may want to have inside such as herbs or a few crystals.

**Cuttings/Loops/Curls/Locks**

It was very common in the Victorian era for women to collect locks of hair from their loved ones and have them in books or if they wanted to keep them close, in lockets.

Locks of hair can still be kept this way and used for personalisation but it’s also a lovely way of keeping a piece of a loved one for ancestral workings.

The ends of the loop can be kept together using general wax or as I prefer; sealing wax. The persons initial can also be pressed or carved into the wax and be kept as a trinket of sorts that can be used for focus and calling on them if they have passed.

**Art Pictures/Embroidery/Cross-stitch**

Get creative with the glue, resin or wax and use shorter hair clippings mixed with a medium.

Alternatively there are a huge number of art forms that can be created with long hair and I would strongly recommend searching online for ‘Victorian Hair Art’.

Create works of art using Hair from your family members and use it to focus spells that you want to blanket your family unit (protection).

**Bottles/Jars**

Just shove it in 👍🏻

**Hair Care**

Remember that this stuff is on you 24/7 and washing it in specially created shampoos, floral rinses or even a natural hair spritz means you will carry your intent with you all day.

Setting intent whilst bushing you’re hair is also an option. As brushing also generated energy (static) it’s also a nice way of charging and storing energy.

I personally love washing my hair when I’ve had a really bad day and enjoy feeling all the heaviness and turmoil wash away down the drain. I find it really helps me focus myself as well as relax.

**Matting**

Matting hair from someone to bring on bad luck. This can be achieved easily by rubbing long hair between the palms of your hands.

I love the abundance of berries and nuts that the cooler days bring along with all the beautiful colours.

Because of this I thought I’d share one of my projects from last autumn.

Rowan berries have a natural five pointed star on the bottom

Ingredients

1mm Waxed Cotton Thread

Rowan Berries

Needle

Wooden Spacer Beads (Optional)

Method

Sort through your berries and discard any that have gone bad.

Tie a good hefty knot in the end of the thread and taking your first berry, push the needle carefully through the 'star' at the bottom of the berry as this is its strongest point and the berry is less likely to sheer off as you carefully slide it to the end of your thread.

Tie a knot after your berry or use a wooden spacer bead. The knot/spacer means that the berries are not resting against each other so they are less likely to go bad.

Continue threading the berries and tying knots until you are at a length you are happy with.

Tie off the end and hang your garland somewhere dry.

Over time the berries will dry and the colour will fade but they make a beautiful and natural decoration as well as a protective charm.

**Note: I like to tie knots as it helps me bind my intentions to the item*

If kept in a dry environment the garland can be kept for a number of years. They make a beautiful seasonal addition to a hearth.

I’ve been waiting to collect these remains for a while now and I finally did it.

This beautiful creature passed away in a ditch that was half full of water and now 6 months later it’s dry and just about passable through all the nettles.

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, a number of years ago it wouldn’t have been mine. As I’ve gotten older and watched members of my family have their bodies fail them and held their hands as they passed, death and my view on it has shifted significantly.

For those interested, it’s a fox. The remains I have collected will be cleaned and be utilised in my craft which is very much based on what my local landscape provides.

I very rarely work with ingredients that I’ve not foraged for or grown myself and I feel this is another way of making a connection.

Often used as a tipple around the Yuletide season mulled wine was believed to help avoid sickness and promote health especially during the the winter months.

This particular recipe was passed to me by my sister around 9 years ago and it’s a firm favourite amongst my family and extended family.

It makes an excellent warming drink regardless to the season (I live in the UK, it’s cold and wet frequently) as well as a tasty offering.

Alternatively it can be served chilled topped up with fresh orange or lemonade in a tall glass as a summer drink. Think of it as a super spiced sangria!

Ingredients

2 Clementine’s (or two small oranges)

1 Lemon

1 Lime

200g Caster Sugar

6 Whole Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

3 Fresh Bay Leaves

1 Nutmeg

1 Vanilla Pod (halved length ways)

2 Star Anise

2 Bottles of Red Wine

Method

• Remove the peel from the clementine’s, lemon and lime and set aside.

• Put the sugar in a large pan on a medium heat, add the peel.

• Squeeze in the juice from the clementine’s (tip: do this over a strainer to avoid too much pith or pips)

• Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vanilla pod and 10-12 gratings from the nutmeg.

• Pour in enough wine to cover the sugar and let simmer.

• When the sugar is fully dissolved, boil for approx. 5 mins or until it forms a thin syrup/cordial consistency.

•Reduce the heat and add in the star anise along with the rest of the wine.

• Leave on a gentle heat for 5 mins.

• Serve and enjoy!

Correspondences:

Oranges - wealth, money, prosperity, fortune, love, luck, health, beauty, divination, knowledge, education, fertility, sex, energy, strength, lust, creativity, dream work

Cloves - protection, banishment, kinship, mental clarity, luck, prosperity, empathy, healing, aphrodisiac, protection (esp. children), stopping malicious gossip, keeping good friends close.

Limes - cleansing, emotional healing. Health, strength, cursing, love, protection against negativity; energy, knowledge, education

Lemons - friendship, growth, health, happiness, longevity, fidelity, psychic powers, protection, cursing, knowledge, education, lust

Bay - protection, success, wisdom, fortune, purification, strength, psychic powers, prophetic dreams

Star Anise - luck, stimulates psychic abilities and awareness, magnified power of placed on an altar

Cinnamon - happiness, fertility, health, money, protection, fire, lust

Vanilla - passion, restoring lost energy or to increase energy, love, lust, strengthening mental abilities

Nutmeg - luck, employment, prosperity, breaking hexes, increase intellect

Red Wine - luck, happiness, love, warmth, lust, passion, earth, money, sex, fertility, wealth

Sugar - luck, kindness, love, sex

I’m not one to bury jars with spells, I prefer a more eco friendly option and like to use items that are natural or will break down.

I thought I’d share some of the items I use...

Conker Shells

Hollow or hollowed veg

Fruit skins eg citrus fruit

Toilet Roll Tubes

Sea Shells

Snail Shells

Nut shells (walnuts are great!)

Seed Heads/Pods

Large leaves (I use fig)

Natural fabric scraps (silk rots quickly)

All of these are safer in my mind as glass carries a risk factor especially for my hole digging son.

Items can be sealed with soy wax or twine/ribbon such as hessian, cotton or silk which will break down far easier than synthetics.

Sigils still can be painted or drawn on many of the cases.

If I know I’m going to bury a spell I like to try and incorporate flower or herb seeds (Nigella/Blessing seeds are a favourite) as when the casing breaks down the seeds will often germinate.

This is one of my older altars and was part of a ritual to say goodbye to three family members who had passed (including my mother in law and my own father).

These frisky little animals are a common site in most UK woodlands, the beautiful red one far less common than the invasive greys but they are all quite entertaining to watch.

I’ve personally felt a connection to the squirrel for as long as I can remember and even to this day, a squirrel sighting on a bad day will lighten my mood. Maybe it’s their playful, sometimes naughty and scatty nature!

The squirrel is a rodent and belongs to the family Scuridae and there are said to be around 300 different species across the world but the ones I’m going to focus on are the two that are found here in the UK (and Europe).The beautiful and smaller red squirrel is the only native squirrel to the UK and it’s said that until the medieval era the squirrel was able to travel across the entire country via the ancient woodlands; most of which no longer exist.

These days the red squirrel is on the endangered list and most of the population can be found in Scotland, although they can be found in a few other Welsh, Irish and English habitats.

The decline in the red squirrel can be attributed to the introduction of the non-native North American Grey squirrel and the parapox virus which is carried by the greys but is deadly to their native red cousins. Thankfully recent studies have shown that the reds are starting to show signs of growing immunity to the virus. Obviously, the other contributing factor to their decline is the loss of habitat.

It’s the lovely red squirrel that has inspired artists and writers alike and is famously depicted in the works of Beatrix Potter as the naughty Squirrel Nutkin.

llIustration by Beaxtrix Potter (The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin)

Squirrels are known for being energetic and playful but when they aren’t chasing after each other and having fun; they can be seen stashing food away for the winter months when they may only emerge for a couple of hours a day. This is where the saying ‘squirrelling away’ come from.

The Squirrel in Nordic Mythology The most famous squirrel that those with an interest in Norse mythology may be aware of is Ratatoskr. He was said to represent rain and snow as well as the elements Earth and Air. Ratatoskr is a red squirrel and is known as a speedy messenger that scampers up and down Yggdrasil (the world tree) and would relay messages between Níðhöggr (a monster that feeds on Yggdrasil’s roots and resides in the underworld) and the wise Eagle Veðrfölnir who lives at the top of the tree (more often than not, the messages were insults.)