forestwitch

Hexagonal grids can be used for any intention because quartz crystal system is also hexagonal it is preferred to use quartz as the center stone around that center stone place your other stones at the 6 around the perimeter of the hexagon by drawing your own template you will be making your grade much stronger you can leave your template under your grid or you can carefully slide it out after you place your crystals it’s totally up to you.

The Flower of Life grid is created by overlapping evenly spaced circles this pattern can also be used for any intention you can simply just place your center stone and then put your other stones around the design wherever you feel the need to but remember to keep it symmetrical.

The five pointed star is good for protection and purification of the energies in many cultures a five-pointed star helps with higher state of consciousness and deep meditation. Place your center stone and then put your other stones at each point.

The square grid can add a dimension of stability to your environment and protection again just place your center stone and the grid stones at each point.

The spiral grid is good for expansion creativity and feminine energy to place the stones in the spiral place your center stone in the middle or at the beginning point of the spiral and read it out loud with the positioning of the other stones. The phi spiral works best.

The infinity symbol grid is used to bring about endless abundance of anything like prosperity love health and wealth among others it is a symbol of unity perfection in the incident and the Earth’s cycles this bread is perfect for bringing about prosperity and abundance in any area of your life your center stone should be placed directly in the intersection and the other stones positioning along the perimeter of the design.

Grounding & Happiness Crystal Grid 

 Simplistic crystal grid I created for grounding and inner happiness. 

The planet may be weakly aspected, overruled or overlapped by another placement, in Detriment or Fall, in a house where it is not comfortable, or negatively aspected with other strong parts of your chart. Those are the most common (and likely) reasons, but there are specific possibilities for each planet and either luminary, so I will explain them below.

SUN: The Sun is your base personality, your ego, or your sense of self. This is you on the simplest and most succinct level, but certainly not the most comprehensive. While your Sun sign will have a kind of influence over every part of your life and character, it is merely the starting point – your other planetary placements add to and alter those traits. For example, if you are a Libra, you may not feel like a charming or flirtatious person as many stereotypes suggest, but that might be due to your Virgo Venus. I find that the sign your Mercury is in while have a great impact on what you do and don’t relate to, and I’ll get to that in a second.

MOON: The Moon is your heart and your past. It is about feelings and one’s core wants and needs. However, your Moon sign describes your natural way of operating on an emotional level, and many people grow past that. It is what you inherently or somehow immediately know, somewhat like the way babies cry to communicate every imaginable emotion that they feel must be conveyed – except, for example, if you have a Sagittarius Moon, your instinct may be to run, be careless or optimistic rather than to cry. That’s what the Moon is about: instincts. And instincts can be manipulated or ignored in order for you to grow.

MERCURY: Mercury is the way you think, speak, and learn. It is the intellectual planet, having everything to do with the mind. That being said, your Mercury sign is the one you think like, and it is very common for this to be a sign one greatly identifies with. However, it’s easy for the Sun to overrule this planet’s position, and it’s also easy to overanalyze your reactions and inner processes to the point of seeing yourself as something you’re not, which is something I’ve noticed is exceptionally common with people who have Mercury in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces (the signs where it is in Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment, and Fall).

VENUS: Venus is your romantic and artistic side (or lack thereof). This planet rules the love and beauty department. The way you express affection (either romantically or platonically), your opinion on art and fashion, and your aesthetic choices will be determined by your Venus sign. It is possible for the Sun to overlap this placement as well, but also Mercury, especially if you’re a thinking-over-feeling type of person, and Mars, which rules passion and ambition. It is also not uncommon for someone to have chosen to condition themselves to behave a certain way in relationships or during creative exploits due to life circumstances or even simply their personal philosophies on those subjects.

MARS: Mars is your sex drive and determination. Mars is the planet of action, and thus it rules when, how, and where you choose to act upon strong feelings and intentions. Your Moon and Saturn signs have a great impact on this planet’s expression, and can restrict it to the point where you no longer trust your Mars impulses or reactions. I believe that the Mars sign is too ordinarily suppressed, and the reason you might not relate to it is that you could be ignoring it, refusing to acknowledge it as a relevant part of you.

JUPITER: Jupiter is your luck, morals, and life path. This planet is not only about what you’re good at and how staying true to that will benefit you, but how it can benefit others as well, and whether or not profiting yourself is more important to you than profiting others. However, since this sign also points to the lifestyle that will prove virtuous to you, it is something you have to grow into. Jupiter identification, unless another placement implies otherwise, is something that must be searched for and discovered, or accidentally (luckily) stumbled upon. And age has nothing to do with that.

SATURN: Saturn is your fear and sense of obligation. Saturn is the planet that tells you, “No, you can’t do that!” for a slew of probably irrelevant reasons that, strangely, mean a lot to you, and seem logical enough when at that moment but later look like nothing but irrational excuses that cushion one’s inhibitions. It is said that Saturn is the karmic planet, which means that it points to the negative things you did or that happened to you in your past life which will come back to haunt you in this one. Other than the general probabilities as to why you don’t relate with a particular planetary position, there aren’t usually many things clouding your ability to relate to it, and you might just not have encountered its affects on you yet.

URANUS: Uranus is your innovation and need for change. It is the planet that rules your inner rebel, but primarily values progression over wanting to “shake things up.” It is all about caring for humanity and community while still being original and unique. Ironically (and quite amusingly), the planet of individuality is one of the slowest to move, so extremely large groups of people will have the same Uranus sign. It, along with the next two on this list, is considered a generational planet, and you may not relate to it because it’s not meant for you to relate to, personally, but for your entire peer group, as well. If you want to notice the affects of this planet, look perhaps not directly inward and at yourself, but at the entire population of people who share your Uranus sign.

NEPTUNE: Neptune is your imagination and receptivity. It is about all things illusory and inspiring, desired but unreachable, mysterious but widely searched for. Neptune rules everything divine, whatever is beyond; it is perhaps the most spiritual planet, next to Pluto. But its influence is often hidden and shrouded in confusion. If you don’t relate to it, start looking in unfamiliar or frustratingly evasive places, such as the truth and fate of this generation and the last. You may find its affects amidst chaos and healing alike.

PLUTO: Pluto rules all powerful transformation and regeneration. This planet can take up to thirty years to change signs, so if you do not see its affects in yourself, look at the last few generations and all the great, irreversible changes that have been made during their time.

A lot of people seem to have issues using pendulums to get specific answers, to identify a spirits species or to find out things about who they are or how they look so here are some basic questions that can be answered with yes no or maybe. Honestly this is all just like playing that game Guess Who. 

What Are You

Are you a ___? : pretty basic just go down the list of all the things you can think of until you either run out or get a yes.  

EX: Demon, Angel, Vampire, Werewolf, Shapeshifter, Hellhound, Harpy, etc

Are you more animal like? (Dragons, hounds, etc)

Are you more humanoid?

Are you a human spirit?

Are you a Death related spirit ?? (Dullahan, Grim, Reaper, Banshee, etc)

Are you an elemental spirit? (fire, earth, water, air, ice, snow, lightning)

^^this is usually a subcategory. For example if you get water and faerie you are looking for a species of fae connected to water

Are you connected to a specific religion or culture

If yes specify which and then go through the list? religion? Abrahamic? Culture? Irish?? 

This is where shit get touchy so be respectful of other cultures and their spirits okay?

Are you something I already work with?

For spirit workers with a large spirit family this could be helpful

If you get a maybe it likely means that they are but a different type. Say you get a maybe and when you go through the types of spirits you work with you get a maybe for vampire. They are likely a different type of vampire than the one you already work with

Is you’re species one well known / known at all by humans?

Yes this does happen, and yes it complicates things a bit

Do you know what humans call you’re kind?

This happens occasionally usually with demons or subcategories of bigger species labels (angels, demons. etc)

Who Are You

Are you male?

Are you female?

Are you both/ neither male and female?

Do you use She/Her | He/Him | They/Them pronouns

Do you have a sexual orientation? 

Are you more masculine physically ?

Are you more feminine physically?

Do you feel neither human gender fits your physical description?

Do you have a birthday?

Go through all the months until you get a yes then do the same with the days. You will not likely get a year

Are you older than 100?

Ask in large intervals until you start to get more specific. ‘are you over 100?’ YES ‘over 200?’ NO ‘Over 150′ NO ‘Over 130′ Yes ‘over 140′ NO  ‘I31 ‘NO ‘132′ NO ‘133′ YES , boom now you know their age in human years.

Are you taller than 5ft?

Basically the same as the age one but with height ‘are you over 5ft’ Yes ‘Over 6ft’ NO ‘5′5?’ YES

Do you have hair?

Do you have long/short hair?

Is you’re hair Brown/Black/Blonde/etc

Is you’re hair a color humans could have naturally? Green/Purple/Pink/White/Gold

Is you’re hair made of something other than hair? Fire/Feathers/Snakes/Tentacles

Do you have eyes?

One eye? Two? Three?

Do you have pupils?

Are you’re eyes one solid color?

Are you’re eyes more than one color?

Brown? Gold? Blue? Green? Red? Gold?

Are you’re pupils like mine? Like a cats? Like a snakes? Like a goats?

Are you’re sclerae white? Black? Pink? etc

Are you pale?

Is you’re skin dark? 

Is you’re skin a color humans usually have?

Do you have scales/fur? 

Are you’re teeth pointed? 

Are you’re ears like mine? Long/Short and pointed? Like a satyr/fawn (reference)? 

Do you have sharp nails or claws?

Are you’re feet like mine?

Are you’re feet like an animals?

Do you have wings?

Do you have a tail?

Do you have horns?

Do you have more than two arms?

Can you shapeshift / Do you have a more humanoid form

Usually a question for things like hellhounds and hellcats who in most cases can switch between an animals and human form

Other 

Do you want a vessel?

Can you assist me with a specific form of magic/witchcraft

Blood magic? Dream Work? Energy work? Astral travel?

Have I ever known you in a past life? 

be careful with this one, don’t be manipulated. Also even if they did know you in a past life it does not mean they know what is best for you now

Do you have have a preferred type of offering?

Food? Incense? Energy? Blood? Music?

Are there specific ways we can bond?

Movies? Reading? Witchcraft? Art? Music?

Do you feed on energy? Blood? Physical food? Etc 

Do you have a preferred method of communication?

Pendulum, Tarot, Ouija, Runes, Telepathy

Will you be able to help protect me from other spirits?

never really completely on spirits to protect you, protect yourself

Do you have more than one physical form

Do you have certain gemstones you like?

Would you like you’re own space (kinda like an altar but not)

Do you understand my house rules?

Pendulums

Where can I get pendulums?

This shop HERE has some very nice pendulums for very nice prices. You can just look up pendulum on etsy or amazon and get a lot a good options

Pendulum Boards

The board I use

Simple pendulum board

Moon phase pendulum board

Basic pendulum board

**Keep in mind that you do not have to have a fancy pendulum board on a piece of wood or anything like that you can just print one out or draw one  **

How To Use A Pendulum

Pendulum 101

Pendulums: A How To

Pendulum Guide 

Pendulum Divination

Hey witches! This is a little post on candle scrying, and how to interpret the flames, especially before casting a spell. Begin by lighting your candle and getting into a meditative state. Once you are calm and your mind is quiet, look at the flame. Use this guide to interpret the flame.

A Strong Flame: This indicates that power and energy are going into your desire for manifestation. When a figure candle is used, a strong flame generally means that the person represented is winning, angry, or using authority over another. When two figure candles are present, the higher and stronger flame represents authority over the other.

A Weak Flame: This can show that you are facing heavy opposition and must redo the magic several times to overcome the power you are facing. The weak flame can also indicate, on a figure candle, that the subject is losing the battle. The weak flame that goes out means that you’ve missed your target altogether, start over.

A Jumping Flame: This is an attention getter. It can indicate raw emotions along with explosions of energy.

Rainbow Flame: If your flame is composed of various colors this indicates that there are outside influences at work that may be beyond the power of the questioner. Colors can also show that the question may be best answered at a later date. The factors involved may need a change to develop and evolve for a clearer view of what may occur.

Direction of Flame Movement

North: On a waxing moon, something physical is manifesting.

East: Something mental is manifesting.

South: Your energy is strong, and is good for spell casting. In love matters, you can expect love that doesn’t last too long.

West: Emotional aspects. A good sign of success and love.

Direction of Smoke

Northern Movement: Something physical is manifesting. You will have to work for what you wish to achieve.

Eastern Movement: Something mental is manifesting. Think things through and have patience.

Southern Movement: Something intense and short lived is manifesting. Success comes rapidly and with intensity.

Western Movement: The manifestation of strong magic intervention. The issue is too emotional. You are too involved. Step away for a time. Clear your thoughts.

If you have any spirits, they may converse through the candle’s sound:

Infrequent Noise(Soft): Pure thoughts, intimate conversation.

Frequent Noise(Mild): An authority figure giving orders or directions.

Frequent Chatter(Strong): Arguments, quarrels or loud disagreements.

Dragon Planters and Figurines by Dragon Farm on Etsy

See our ‘planters’ tag

The Autumn equinox is next week and this year (2017) on a Friday! As it’s the equinox the day will be equal parts light and dark (perfect for the beginning of Libra season!) and as it’s autumn in the northern hemisphere there will be leaves that are beginning to change and squirrels scurrying about. Autumn is such an important season of mine and it’s my favorite. It’s also special to me as it begins on Libra season (I am a libra) and also according to the French Revolutionary Calendar, the season of wine. Libra season is one of fun and beauty and that combined with autumn and the celebration of wine makes this the start to my favorite part of the year.

Autumn Equinox is not only the time to be grateful for all that you’ve earned during your hard work of the summer, and be grateful in general for the good that has occurred to you this year, but it’s also a time of letting go. As we inch closer to Samhain, the time of death and transformation that leads to the new year, we should take time to reflect and see what needs to be shedded like falling leaves. The keyword to my rituals are Reflection. Reflect on what makes you grateful and reflect on what needs to be let go. I do have a personal correspondences post that might help explain why I also chose certain things listed below! (Also here is my personal tag.)

A lot of us witches practice alone and have our own solitary rituals for each sabbat that we observe (or the ones we’ve created just for ourselves that we observe alone!) Like any solitary eclectic witch I do things my own different way but some of these things might line up with others practices. I do refer to some of the equinoxes/solstices/crossquarters by their celtic sabbat names but I celebrate them in a secular animist way and treat the wheel of the year I celebrate as more of an argrarian cycle and celebrating nature. I use sabbat names as a point of reference and also people that do celebrate these witches sabbats more traditionally might find value in my personal practice!

When I am alone and casting spells a lot of it is visualization/intent so my solitary rituals are more like activities I like to do then specifically casting a spell. If I am doing a spell with an activity based on it a lot would be listening to music to get in the mood and focusing on a candle while visualizing for a period of time! Eves are also important to my celebration as I like to stay up until midnight and cast a spell then!

Mabon Eve

Thursday September 21st 2017

Autumn Tea lights! First we all know autumn scented candles are the best, but for the autumn equinox festivities, making special autumn tealights is a must! Make Apple tealights, acorn tealights  or squash tea lights (x) and decorate your altar with them or save them for the feast table tomorrow. Bonus: use scented autumn wax or natural beeswax and maybe top it with cinnamon or nutmeg! 

Acorn charms for good luck! I would make these annually for my friends. Acorns represent prosperity and everytime the bell jingles its to hope it will bring you more prosperity for the rest of the remaining year!

Swap wardrobe clothing for your autumn clothes and put a sack of nice smelling herbs like cinnamon sticks in the corner of your warddrobe to make them smell nice.

If you enjoy wearing makeup take out all of your autumn shades of lipstick and eye make up and charge them with your tools of glamour like rose quartz, carnelian and good energy.  

Dry fruits and herbs in an oven or dehydrator! Annually I love to make apple chips this time of year. 

Enjoy snacks while doing crafts! Eat caramels, dried apple chips, nuts (like peanuts if you are not allergic. I like nuts to honor the squirrel and acorn season), maple sugar candies, sugar candied nuts, sweet corn bread, butterscotch candies. Also if you don’t like nuts/can’t eat them but want something acorn-like, make these donut acorns! Bonus if they are cinnamon sugar! (Or you can coat them in maple sugar glaze!) 

If you love knitting this is a great time to begin a knitting project! Use knot magic to bind intent into your scarf to keep you warm in the cold seasons!

I love the spirit of Oktoberfest and though it is too early for that I like to celebrate the eve of Autumn with great fall beers and apple sausages. (There’s a great German beer hall near me and they start their Oktoberfest specials early so some years I go on the eve!)

Preparing dishes Since tomorrow is a great autumn feast day, the evening would be fantastic to just cook autumn magic into the food of tomorrow.  That also being said, Make Caramel Apples! I associate caramel apples with this holiday and candied coated apples with Halloween. Make a nice maple sugar caramel and top with sprinkles, cookie crumbles or enjoy on it’s own! 

Decorate your Altar! Wipe your altar down with oils like cinnamon and cedar. Cover it in chrysanthemums, beautiful fallen leaves, carnival squash, mini pumpkins, and anything fall colored. Burn cinnamon and apple incense! 

Go Star Gazing This time of the year is the best for star gazing. It probably has to do with the temperature at night being pleasantly cool and there being far less bugs. Spend a night under the stars especially since it will be the last night possible to do so before the weather cools! 

Midnight Spell: Focus on what you would like to shed away from your life. This is a time that’s great for letting go of what is no longer working for you in the previous year. As an activity I do like to collect dead and colorful leaves that have fallen and write in gold pen the things I want gone from my life. Over a flame I burn it to a crisp. If you can’t have fire, this is equally as great if you can toss it out of a high window to let it ‘fall away’ (I’d suggest not writing anything on it though, just put the energy into it), or crushing it into powder and letting it blow away in the fall winds. Another spell I like to do is road opening. If you feel blocked and don’t know what to shed away, this helps instead. I always like lighting a candle for road opening spells as it’s similar to lighting a lantern on a path shrouded with darkness, but this can be understood as a leaf blower spell. Take a pile of leaves as clean as you can find them. (at least 10-20 is good enough). Take your favorite stack of tarot cards and shuffle them thinking about the obstacle that you can not overcome. Once you are done, the top card is what you must do. (Or any that jump out randomly). Take that advice card and put it under the pile of leaves. Envision the leaves as the many things that are cluttering your path. When you are ready, take a mighty blow and blow them away off the card! Acorn Spell I like to pick an acorn I am drawn to and think about the things I want to prosper. I use them as wealth spells. As I charge my things and do magic for the ritual, I also charge my acorns with positive intent. That night or the next morning I go to a nearby park (usually the same where I got the acorn) and bury it into the earth. As the acorn is a seed that will grow, so will what you wish to prosper in your life. 

Mabon Day

Friday, September 22nd 2017

When you pick your clothes for this day, Either wear the most fall-tastic witchy outfit or wear the dark veil witchy outfit. Fall is officially the Season of the Witch sorry I don’t make the rules. (I mean 365 days of the year is the season of the witch to me but like, fall is goth witch time). It’s time for burgundy, brown and black lipsticks, heavy eyeshadow, black veils, velvets, boots, flocks of crows following you around as you shop for mini pumpkins. Little kids watching you in awe and believing in magic as you and your Raven companion go pick up Halloween candy. 

Go Apple Picking! If you have the great privilege and opportunity to, this would be the most blessed day for apple picking. Being in the country side and picking apples is the most ideal way to spend Mabon Day. Make a tart with those apples for the feast or save them to make autumn apple cider for Samhain! 

Take a Bike Ride or a Fall Hike! Autumn is an airy season for me and the winds are playful, give life to dead leaves and howl wildly in the night. I love to spend autumn biking and feeling one with the streams of air. Go on a ride and collect the beautiful leaves you see! If you don’t have a bike, taking a hike would be just as rewarding especially in a trail in the mountains!

Drink spiced autumn drinks and be grateful for the past year and the season to come! Enjoy a nice hot apple cider, spiced autumn mulled wine, a spiced chai tea or even a pumpkin spiced Latte (YEAH I SAID IT) don’t let anyone take your autumn festiveness away from you! 

Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables! APPLES! Plums! Grapes! Squash! Yams! Offer some back to nature to show gratitude! 

Plant bulbs in the garden for next spring! You should try to harvest what you can from your garden and pickle your produce and dry your herbs but if you want some things to pop up in the spring, now is the time to plan before your garden goes to rest! 

Make Apple bird feeders!

If you have the opportunity to, tour a winery or a beer garden! Not all of us might have the time to go on a hike or apple picking, yet it is wine and autumn beer season so a nice outing to a brewery will be equally as festive!

Charge yourself in the cool autumn winds! Whistle with the whispering winds, release intentions into them. Find a cool and clean place where you won’t be disturbed to center yourself and allow their energy to flow around you. Feel free as the birds flying south. 

Evening

Celebratory Dinner The feast is the most important part. This holiday is often compared to Thanksgiving because its an autumn feast that has a focus on gratitude yet this is gratitude for what the earth has given for the harvest and your hard work (and not stealing land from other people) and if you are lucky enough to celebrate it with those that share your practice, you should go around the table to say the things that you are blessed for this year passed and toast each one to hot spiced cider. Let the loving warmth engulf you as you drink it and reflect on the good that has become of you this year. One year I made a fantasy feast for each sabbat and this is a recipe post for Mabon. 

Make sure to remember to make a plate for any entities you like to work with. Leave something nice for your ancestors, or the spirits of nature outside. Anything you have left over like organic waste, apple peels, squash string, put it in compost to give back to the earth when the time comes.