good luck and godspeed!

I have seen quite a lot of promotion of this or that tool to use in one’s craft or place on one’s altar over the years, but I haven’t seen as much discussion on how to properly care for or use those tools. Taking proper care not only increases your connection to the tool - making its use more potent - but extends its longevity. I thought I might start with two near universal work horses: the cauldron and mortar & pestle.

Cauldrons

Cast Iron

The majority of cauldrons I’ve seen commercially available are made of cast iron. Cast iron cannot be cleaned like a conventional pot or ceramic dish. Dish soap and steel wool should never touch your cast iron tools. 

To clean:

A clean, stiff bristled brush and hot water should function for common cleaning needs. Do not soak in water, this will cause rust.

For hard, stuck-on bits make a paste of kosher salt and hot water and use that to scrub with a rag or paper towels. You may also boil water in the cauldron if the situation is dire.

Thoroughly dry the cauldron with a paper towel or lint-free cloth. Air drying is often insufficient and can cause rust to set in.

Using a cloth or paper towel, swab the entire cauldron, inside and out, with oil. I use linseed or flaxseed but olive oil is also very common. This is referred to as seasoning.

If rust does set in do not fret; it’s often fixable by rubbing the area with a raw potato.

Brass & Copper

Brass and copper develop patina/tarnish over time, especially when handled often. There are a few non-irritating methods of removing tarnish that can often be found in your pantry:

Ketchup - apply a layer on your cauldron and let sit 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and buff dry.

Lemon and salt - a 2:1 ratio of fresh lemon juice and salt. Gently buff with a clean cloth, rinse, and buff dry.

Baking soda and white vinegar - Mix just enough vinegar into baking soda to create a thick paste. Layer onto your cauldron, let sit half an hour, then rinse and buff dry.

Mortar & Pestles

Marble & Granite

This is by far the most common mortar and pestle type I have come across. I have one made of marble and use it several times a week. You must season a mortar and pestle when you first get it.

Seasoning:

Grind uncooked rice. This is the initial coarse grind that should loosen up any debris or particles in the mortar. Discard once ground to a fine powder.

Grind garlic. This binds up any dust and debris loosened from the coarse grind, making it easier to remove. Discard once thoroughly pulverized.

Grind pepper then salt (and cumin if you have it). This provides a fine abrasion, smooths the walls of the mortar, and removes any lingering odor from the garlic. If you have cumin seeds grind those to a powder first, then pepper, then salt.

Cleaning:

Rinse immediately after use to prevent staining, especially if grinding oily or acidic materials.

Dab highly pigmented/oily sections with lemon juice or white vinegar but don’t allow it to sit.

Mild dish soap on a cloth or sponge can be used, but I tend to avoid it as it can sometimes leave a taste behind. Rinse with warm water.

Soaking your stone mortar and pestle will stain or damage it. For stubborn stuck-on bits grind white rice, then salt to remove. This is excellent at removing strong odors as well.

Volcanic Rock (Molcajete)

The molcajete is a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle made of basalt. This has been used by Mesoamerican cultures like the Aztec and Maya for thousands of years. Because of the highly porous nature of basalt, the molcajete will develop a deep season over time, and should never, ever, ever be cleaned with soap.

Seasoning:

Seasoning the molcajete is an involved process. If you need to, take breaks between each phase but do not cut corners - it’s worth the time and energy to do it right.

Soak for about two hours in clean water. Allow it to dry thoroughly - because basalt is very porous any lingering water could attract mold.

Before you begin to grind place a very slightly damp kitchen towel or sillpat beneath it to keep it from moving and to protect your counters.

Grind white rice to a fine powder to loosen sediment. The powder should turn grey from basalt being ground away. Do this until the powder stays white.

Grind rice and roughly a tablespoon of water into a paste. It’ll likely look grey and unappetizing; repeat until the paste stays white.

Grind garlic, cumin, salt, and a hot pepper into a paste. Let this sit overnight to absorb flavors, then rinse with warm water. Thoroughly dry your molcajete.

Cleaning:

After the seasoning trial, cleaning is relatively easy.

Rinse with warm water after each use.

Scrub, if needed, with a firm bristled kitchen brush - one that has never met soap. It’s best if you can have one set aside just for cleaning the molcajete.

Thoroughly dry - towel it dry, then flip it upside down, then right side up, repeating while it air dries.

Wood

My first mortar and pestle was a wooden one gifted to me by a well meaning Baba. Not understanding that it had a specific function I promptly ruined it and eventually replaced it with a marble one. Generally speaking you want the material of the mortar and pestle to be harder than the material you intend to grind. A wooden mortar and pestle is best used for softer items - dried or fresh herbs, yams, garlic, and the like - and ideally it should be set aside for a specific ingredient.

Cleaning:

For dry ingredients simply wiping out the mortar with a cloth is sufficient.

Otherwise, rinse with warm water.

A soft sponge with a tiny amount of unscented dish soap can be used. Allow to air dry.

For pungent ingredients, grind uncooked rice into a fine powder.

or at least, obscure in the fact that they either don’t show up on Theoi.com or on general lists of Hermes’ Epithets and Titles I see floating around

—

Araios (Areias)

This is found on a Mycenaean tablet (PY Tn 316). As far as I know, this is the only instance of this epithet appearing. It has been suggested to mean a variety of things from an association with Ares / War, suggesting a warlike Hermes, or that it otherwise relates to the Ram, or has the context of being ‘Defender / Protector’.

Psithyristēs

Whisperer - relating to a method of divination involving Hermes, in which one is meant to whisper in the ear of the god’s statue, and then listen to conversations in the marketplace to find an answer. I remember reading that this epithet has other contexts possibly, but I can’t figure out where I had read that unfortunately. Additional insight would be helpful!

Dendrites

Of the trees - found as an epithet of Hermes in the Kato Symi sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite in Crete. We know this Hermes was given offerings specific to his role as involved in rites of passage regarding coming of age - rites that were also involved with hunting. I have not seen much discussion on the topic however. I know trees usually symbolize a sense of everlasting life or renewal and can also be linked to fertility. This epithet is also shared by Dionysos.

Kedrites

Of the Cedars - similar to Dendrites, also an epithet found at Kato Symi. Offerings to the god were hung on cedar trees. An interesting thing to note here is that an image of Hermes on mount Kyllene was said to be made out of Juniper, according to Pausanias (which is often commonly considered to be a cedar) and if I recall correctly the greek Kedros can be used to refer to Juniper as well.

—

I’ve been seeing a lot of this shit lately.

Apparently bergamot is getting popular. I figure now’s a good time to address the issue.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit that smells amazing, so a lot of people like to make essential oils out of it and put it in candles and stuff.

However, this should NEVER go on your skin. It has the same effects as Giant Hogweed (& some other wild carrots like Queen Anne’s Lace) and will give you nasty rashes and chemically hyper-boosted sunburns by making skin highly reactive to sunlight.

Remember this?

I personally have had friends who were seriously hurt by putting bergamot essential oils on their skin. It sucks.

In case you don’t want to look it up yourself:

Don’t use or make bergamot soap. Don’t use or make bergamot lotion. Don’t use or make bergamot anything that goes on your skin.

Just don’t put bergamot on your skin.

So I have an awful lot of lavender to harvest and part way through I realised I’m not too sure what to do with it all. So I took to some researching online and have a few ideas;

Lavender wreaths for above beds (originally was going to be just a dried bunch but these are gorgeous) one for home, uni and other family members who want them (maybe two for uni...)

Lavender crown. Just because.

Lavender wands one for actual magic and others for keeping clothes/shoes smelling good.

Bed spell sachets (for family and a few friends. (I need to work out a good spell))

Any extra will either be stored as bunches and/or several airtight jars of the flower heads!

These will then slowly get used up in bath spells/other spell works as a focus or an ingredient

Anyone got any other ideas??

So much witchcraft emphasizes how important it is to honor and work with the Earth, but then teaches us spells with ingredients we basically have to import using locations we don’t have access to. It’s rare to find an existing grimoire or guide book that actually works with where we live. We can still use them, but it doesn’t enhance our connection to our local land, which to many can feel important. Here are some tips for localizing your practice and working with the land you actually live on.

See what nature exists around you. Explore your own backyard with a critical eye. What plants can you actually go and pick yourself? What are those plants associated with? Do you have access to a creek or river? What does your local land actually have on it? If magic correspondences for your local plants haven’t been written about, you may have to do your own research.

Example: I grow several plants on my back porch which I can potentially use for magic.There are magnolia trees and rhodedendrons on the grounds of my apartment complex. My parent’s neighbors have chickens in the backyard, so I have access to some feathers when they shed. 

Check out local folklore, legends, etc. This is one of my favorite parts, but can also be the hardest. What are the stories of your area, both on a local and cultural scale. 

Example: A West Virginian may incorporate legends of the Mothman. Everyone says that one building on my old college campus is haunted (and they’re right.) People talk about that liminal-space feeling when you drive down that one road at night.

Find the magic spots. Sometimes the urban legends will tip you off to these (usually in a bad way) but other times you can find them on your own. A place where the energy is just right for some reason. A place you can go to be closer to nature, or a place you could host a ritual if needed. Sometimes it’s just a place where you can feel your mind open a little bit.

Example: The shady corner of a public park. The tunnel downtown. That weirdly-perfect circle of trees in the woods behind Wal-Mart.

Meet your land wights. Spirits of the local land. This could be the fair folk, but also house spirits, the spirits of the trees near you, the nature spirits of wherever you are. They’re there. Be good to them and they’ll be good to you! 

Note: Some spirits and wights will not be interested in working with you, and that’s okay. I generally think it’s good to at least leave a polite offering to just be on general decent terms even if you never work with them more directly beyond that. 

POSTS BY ME ARE ITALICIZED!

This is by no means completed, up-to-date, or the only way you can view or perceive witchcraft. These are just some posts, found on my blog, put together in a list for easier access.

This is also being updated as I go through my archives, and whats on the list as of [Sept 22nd, 2018] is from start - August 2018. This list will be updated as often and as quick as I can possibly manage.

I PREVIOUSLY HAD MY DAILY WITCH TIPS ON HERE, I DELETED THAT SEGMENT.

This isn’t really as organized as I would like it, but I broke it down into categories and alphabetical order such as:

Moon Shit:

2017 Lunar Calendar 

August 2018 Lunar Schedule

Full Moons Of The Year

Lunar Eclipse Dates

Lunar Phases

Magick Of The Moon Phases

Moon Magic 

Moon Magic Grimoire 

Moon Phase Runes

Top Stargazing Events of 2018

Herb Shit:

5 Herbs Every Witch Should Have In Their Garden

Anti-Anxiety Herbs

Big Witchy Guide On Herbs And Flowers

Dangerous Herbs

Gardens  Of The Witches

Herb Masterpost

Herbs For Hexing

Herbs For Protection

Indoor Plants For The Space Conscious Witch

Poisonous Herbs

Reasons Herbs May Not Work

Sacred Herbs Of The Gods 

Top 10 Magical Herbs

Crystal Shit:

Crystals Every Witch Should Have

Gems For Depression

Taking Care Of Your Crystals

Emoji Spells Shit:

Easy Sleep

Spells Shit:

4 Free Spells

A Method To Cleanse And Ward After Unsavory People Leave

Anti-Anxiety Charm

Anti-Anxiety Jar

Bad Habits Tarot Spread

Bad Luck

Bandage Sigils

Banishing Nightmares

Bath For Sunburns

Belladonna’s Spell Page

Celestial Nail Polish Magic

Change Your Luck

Crow Bone Hex

Curse A Bitch

Dreams and Nightmare Protection

Easy Cleansing Ritual

Elemental Ideas

Forest With Me

From My Grimoire

Glamour Enchanted Jewelry

Hail The Glow Cloud

Hex For 2017

Icelandic Staves

Increasing Emotional Tolerance

Lavender Self Love Jar

Love Enhancer

Love / Protection 

Memory Aid

Mermaid’s Breath

New Year Purification Bath

Peppermint Spell

Recharging 

Return To Sender

Ritual For Positive Thoughts 

Ritual Of Gratitude

Self Love And Healing Jar

Seven Useful Powder Spells For Every Occasion

Sew Closed Your Heart

Simple Protection 

Simplicity

Sleep Spells And Sigils

Steps To Strengthen A Romantic Relationship

Stop Nightmares

Using Glitter In Spells

Ward Types and Components

Warmth In Winter

Advice Shit:

10 Common Misconceptions of Baby Witches

10 Daily Witch Things

10 Plants To Survive A Zero Sunlight Bedroom

10 Terms Every New Witch Should Know

26 Activities To Help Your Mind, Body, And Soul

A Collection Of Witch Tips

A Long List Of Ways To Spiritually Protect Yourself

Astral Temple Meditation

Aura / Energy Colors & Meanings

A Secret Witches Guide To Concealing Your Craft

Back To School Magic

Basics Of Kitchen And Cottage Witchcraft

Beginner Masterlist

Beginner Witchcraft 

Being A Witch

Blood Magic

Breaking Astrology Down

Candle Uses & Meanings

Charging/Activating Sigils

Cosmic Witch Masterpost

Daily Witchcraft

Discreet Little Witchy Things

Discreet Witchcraft

Earth Element Correspondents 

Enchanting Items

Everyday Magic Is Easy

Faerie List

Fire Safety

Hearthandhold Reading List 

How I Draw My Sigils

How Runes Work

How To Learn Witchcraft

How To Make Your Own Sigil

How To Use A Sigil Wheel

Imbolc

Incense Uses

Inexpensive/Free Witchcraft

Jarring Tips

Keeping Yourself Protected

Knot, Thread, and Cord Magic

Little Tips For The College Witch

Low Energy Tips

Magic For School/Education

Magical Herb

Modern Polytheism

Modern Witches

Modern Witches

My Advice For Baby Witches 

New Witch Budget Tips

Nik’s Tips For Discreet Witchcraft

Reading Tea Leaves

Rose Water Is My Religion

Salt & Witchcraft

School / Work Grounding

Some Things To Track

So You Want To Talk To Spirits?

Spell Books

Stoner Witch Tips

Succulents

Tarot Cheat Sheet

Tech Witches

The Wiccan’s Glossery

There Comes A Time When You Need To Stop Researching And Just Practice 

Tips For Discreet College Witches

Tips For Writing Incantations 

Types Of Witches

Types Of Witches And Witchcraft

Understanding Concepts In Witchcraft

Urban Witch 101: House and Home

Violets Witchcraft Masterpost

Ways To Start Feeling Again

Water Magic

Witchcraft In The Shadows

Witchcraft PSA

Witch Resources

Witch Tips For City Witches

Witches With Depression

Witchling Endeavors

Witchy Grimiore Ideas

Witchy Podcasts

Witchy Tips

Recipe Shit:

Anti-Nightmare Pouch

Apple Cider Love Bringing

Black Salt

Budget Witch DIY

Calming Sugar Scrub

Charming Lip Balm

Cleansing And Calming Salt

DIY Gemstone Necklace

Drawing Out A Latent Talent Pouch

Drying Out Roses

Infused Water Magic

Milkshake Magic

Moon Spell Cakes

Moon Water

Peaceful Sleep Sachet

Potion For Sleep

Rose Water

Smoothie Potions 

Soothing Dreams Sachet

Communication Shit:

Crystal Hand Of Prosperity

Dead Dash

Earth Witches Reblog…

Hey There

Like/Reblog if you…

Looking To Follow

Money Bear

Money Pentacle

Witchcraft Asks

Witches

Witches reblog if…

Witches Reblog If…

Witchy Asks