splish splash

Hi, anon. If I had more information, I could give more specific advice. But, based just on what you've given me, here what I would do:

Take two unneeded items from members of your family. They can be any items, but the first should be from the oldest member of your family and the second should be from the youngest. You're going use these to represent the breadth of the spell, impacting everyone in your family. Take these items to two places where your family is unlikely to go (better if they can be in a separate town) and leave them there (if you are concerned about littering, you can absolutely put them in dumpsters or trash cans in different parts of town). As you hide or dispose of each one, say a charm such as "As far as I have flung these items, so far let this spell be removed from my family. Let it do no more harm to us or anyone else."

A few notes:

If you are putting the items in the trash, the phrase "As far as I have flung these items" helps to ensure the desired effect, even if they end up in the same dump. Because the focus is on the effort you have gone to to put them in different places, rather than on the places they actually end up.

Alternate Version: This is the version I personally prefer to use, but it's not always feasible for everyone because it requires access to remote wooded areas and the ability to walk some distance. Instead of two items which can be disposed of anywhere, you can also use two pieces of natural (biodegradable, undyed, unbleached) cord. I prefer these to be one of the length of the Nameless Finger (left ring finger) of the oldest member of your family and one of the length the Nameless finger of the of the youngest member of your family. Wrap each around a different stick and tie it three times saying "This cord measures the Nameless Finger of the eldest/youngest among us. The space between them measures the spell upon us and all the damage it has done." Take these sticks to remote areas in exact opposite directions (ex: to the North and the South) and stick them into the ground, saying: "As far removed as these lengths of cord are from each other, so far removed from my family shall this spell be and remain. Let it do no more harm to us or to anyone else. As the earth reclaims this cord, let it claim and neutralize this spell."

[Alt Text for Screen Readers: "A Spell to Reveal an Unknown Identity"]

At the darkest point on a Thursday night, take a candle stub (three or four inches should do) from a candle used upon your altar or a Church altar and place it in front of a mirror or bowl of water. Cover your eyes with your hands and say "Come, now, spirits without name, and reveal to me the person that I wish to see."

Uncover your eyes and explain in plain speech who it is you want to have revealed to you (ex: a person who is gossiping about you, a secret admirer, etc.). Then, light the candle and gaze into the mirror or water beyond it, waiting for the identity to be revealed to you. This may happen as an image in the flame or the in the mirror, an impression that occurs in your mind, or in a dream after your spell.

Adaptation: If you prefer, you may also use another divination method by the candle's light (Tarot, bones, etc). Whatever divination you work best with is fine.

This spell is started on a Thursday night because, Thursdays are considered an especially potent time for sorcery and for works invoking the help of spirits. This is especially true with magic relating to graveyard and churchyard work and is a noticeable theme recorded in Swedish and Norwegian personal grimoires. (If you want to view examples directly [and can read Norwegian], I recommend browsing the University of Oslo (UiO) "Magic in Norway" Archive. If you cannot read Norwegian or Swedish, The Graveyard Wanderers: The Wise Ones and the Dead in Sweden (Johnson) also contains several examples of this association in practice.)

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a tale that centers on the magically concealed identity of the heroin's husband, which she reveals with the use of a bit of candle given to her by her mother. Although this would make a candle from the family home or any candle stub procured from a loved one suitable for this spell, I elected to use a candle associated with the Church or one's altar instead. I made this choice both because of the folk magical associations with curios from chruchgrounds (often used in the summoning of spirits and the revealing of hidden things) and because of the themes of Christianity and purity which appear in the folk tale.

materialist crystal shop: these crystals will make you feel better because they're a cool part of nature and pretty to look at :)

For folks who have limited mobility in their hands due to pain, weakness, shakiness, or anything else. These are a range of ideas, not all of them may work for each person, but hopefully they’ll spark something that will! 

Looking for broader low energy, low mobility or bedridden ideas? Check out my bedridden witch series (click here!)

Tarot:

Tarot apps are a great way to pull a card with a tap or two (Labyrinthos and Galaxy tarot have been recommended). 

Place your deck in your lap. Feel for any loose cards, then pull them. 

Split the deck (doesn’t have to be even). The cards on either end of the split are the cards for your spread. 

Spread the deck on a flat surface, and move your hand over to pick (let your hands sense the energy), or pick based on intuition. 

If gripping/managing thin paper is tricky, some people use other objects for tarot readings. I’ve seen jewelry charms as a common one, but the possibilities are endless (cardboard, wooden blocks, etc.). >Here are some printable decks!<

You can do more than readings with your cards. Pick one per day and just spend time with it. Look at the art, pay attention to how it makes you feel. Learn the meanings of the card. 

This post may have more ideas: Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Pendulum: 

I have had success with using a pendulum while dealing with shaking hands. 

Let something else do the work! Hang it by an open window, focus your energy and let the wind move the pendulum for you. 

Use a pendulum jar/stand.

Use a shorter pendulum that can be used with one finger. A string with a small crystal bead will do. 

Prop your arm/hand on a pillow.

You could also use other parts of your body to hold the pendulum (like your mouth or toes… wouldn’t recommend switching between the two though!)

Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Other Divination:

Runes may be easier to hold/use than tarot cards.

Use rune apps (runic divination was recommended).

Scrying (using a mirror or bowl) is hands-free.

For more ideas: Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Spells and Energy Work:

A lot of witches use their hands to focus energy during spellwork and other magical doings. While this may be helpful, it’s not necessary!

Focusing energy can be helpful. Use a crystal or other object and touch it in some way (with your hand, have it in your lap, whatever works for you). Use the crystal/object to help channel and amplify your energy.

I usually draw energy up from the earth (even while in bed) by placing my palms flat(ish) towards the earth by the sides of my body. So if I was lying down, my arms would be at my sides with my palms facing down.

Use visualization! A LOT of my magic involves visualization. 

Candles and Incense:

Himalayan salt lamps are a great way to bring a similar energy that a burning candle would.

I honestly really like electric candles, but I know they’re not everybody’s thing. Plus sides: if you forget about them they simply run out of battery, can be decorated–tape with color correspondences, sigils, spells, etc. (you could even print something and tape it on). 

Reed diffusers. Get the yummy smell that candles or incense brings without the flames and smoke. Plus you can ignore it for months!

Essential oil diffusers. Great way to get the correspondences that incense often holds. (please use safely and not around your pets).

Room spray. Store-bought or self-infused natural sprays are a great way to add good smells and/or correspondences. 

Recording information:

Voice text or dictation software are often accessible, though not always perfect. It is a great way to get things down that you don’t want to forget/want to reformat later.

Typing can sometimes be easier than writing, and journals/grimoires in documents are easy to organize, and to read. 

I’m a very tactile person and enjoy writing (even if it hurts/is difficult). My tarot journal is filled with terrible handwriting, random shorthand, and codes I came up with to shorten things (ie. a little symbol for each suit, then the card number). It doesn’t have to be an all-day process. 

I’d imagine that some tarot apps record which cards you’ve pulled, or have an option to save it. 

Odds and Ends:

Use compression gloves or other gear to support your hands? Add sigils or enchant them!

Same goes for any lotions, creams, balms or medications used to help; sigils, charging, enchanting, etc. are all great ways to incorporate magic. 

Teas are an easy way to get multiple herbs + their medicinal values without needing to do anything!

Into kitchen witchcraft? Using electric mixers can be very helpful.

Create sigils using a phone app (touchscreen) and your fingers rather than holding a pen. 

Other posts you might like:

Magic for witches with limited hand mobility

Bedridden witch series

Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Spoonie witch masterpost

Do none of these posts meet your needs after perusing? Send me an ask, I’m always looking to fill the gaps when it comes to accessibility and witchcraft!

With suggestions and contributions from:

@useless-bisaster​, @crowxwitch​ and anonymous. Thank you!

If any would lead you into thorns, let their words falter and fall to dust. If any would hide their face in deceit, let their mask break and their name be known. What is crooked shall be made straight. What is hidden shall be brought into the day.

As mist flees the rising sun, so let false friends depart from you. Blessed is your road and wise be your counsel. Your path is kept, you steps are guarded, and only those who walk in truth shall remain beside.

- a blessing charm for clarity and protection from false friends

A note from Wisdom Kaye:

This can take thinking about symbolism and archetypes in folklore and culture. For example, consider the trope of "the knight in shining armor" present in many books and fairy tales. These characters are usually brave, helpful, loyal, and put others before themselves. A figurine of a knight could be a symbolic representation of someone in your life that also exhibits these traits, and you could use it as a poppet for blessing and protecting them.

The same applies for pop culture characters too! No matter where your interests lie, there's a character out there that reminds you of your target in one way or another. Imagine if you wanted to hex someone that's very controlling over your life. A Disney lover might be reminded of Cinderella's evil stepmother. To a Star Wars fan, that person may play the role of Darth Vader in their life.

You could even use things that the target is passionate about. A Pokemon plush could be a powerful connection to someone who's been a lifelong fan of the series since childhood.

And if you want to make it as simple as possible, just consider what exactly the object physically is. You don't even have to know who the character is or what they're from. An action figure that looks like it's wearing a spacesuit? Make it a success charm for your sibling that's studying astrophysics. Creepy clown? Dedicate it to baneful work on someone who makes fun of you. You can even just use color correspondences and look for a cheap toy in a color you associate with your intention towards the person.

Match magic is a versatile and easy sort of spellcrafting. Unfortunately, fire is a necessity so this is not for people who can’t light matches.

The basic concept of match magic is that the matchstick is charged with intent. Then, the match is burned to release the intent so the magic can go do its work. As the match burns, watch the flame to divine the success or manifestation of the spell.

1. Getting prepared

The only thing you really need are wooden matches. Lighters do not work for this particular kind of thing because the main focus is on charging and burning the wood, not the fire itself. I can find a box of 250 large wooden matches for a dollar here.

When you hold a lit match, the match cannot burn all the way down (or you will really burn your fingers!) This may lead you to feel like the entire spell has not been released. There are three solutions I have found and perhaps one will resonate with you depending on your beliefs:

a. Mark a line on the match with a pencil, and put the intent only on the burning end. When the flame reaches the pencil mark, blow it out. All the intent will be released without your fingers being burned. b. After the match is lit, carefully and firmly grasp one end with a pair of tweezers. This will allow the entirety of the match to burn, releasing all the intent. c. Recognize that the bit of unburnt match left over works to ‘ground’ the magic in your life, helping keep the intent attached to the physical plane as it goes about and does its work in the ethereal or astral.

If you choose, you may watch the match burn down in order to divine the success of the spell, or the path it will take during manifestation. The shape of the charcoal may also give you a clue as to the success of the magic. However, in order to read the omens in the flame, you should have a good understanding of what a regular, mundane match looks like when it burns. Get your box of matches and decide on a few things:

Will you be holding all your matches perfectly horizontal, or vertical, or in some other fashion?

Will you be holding the match with your fingers or some other tool?

How long will you allow each match to burn?

Ensure that you are wherever you are likely to do your match spells most often (it may be over an altar, or for me, my desk). Turn off any fans in the area, close windows, and generally reduce any drafts as much as possible.

When you have an idea of how you want the little ritual to go, light about ten uncharged matches in your working area and carefully observe how they burn. Note how high the flames tend to go, how quickly the flames move along the match, in what way the wood curls when it is burned, et cetera. Carefully save these burned matches (you could also take a photo) and use them as a control group to compare against your magical matches. You may or may not notice a distinct difference between how your plain matches compare with your magical ones; my magical matches tend to burn in a corkscrew shape and the flames often reach much higher.

2. Understanding the nature of match magic

Match magic is not a big kickass sort of spell. It can be powerful and forceful, but it is more like a paintball gun than a cannon. The wood itself can only hold so much energy, and the energy is released quickly instead of through a long, steady burn. This is really more like quick fix-it Band-aid magic than anything else. Here is what I have found match magic to be appropriate for:

Motivation

“Get me through the day/this class/this meeting”

Quick fix for anxiety, although only for a short amount of time

A nudge for someone to do something

Gaining focus for a task ahead

Because the matches burn so quickly, they are also appropriate for on-the-go devotionals or to add quick power to an existing spell. Many of us will leave tea lights on an altar to empower something; if you cannot leave a tea light burning, charging and burning a match may be a sufficient substitution.

Here is one paradigm explanation for how match magic “works”: Wood is good at holding magical intent and charge. The physical item is also excellent as a focus point. As you gather power, you can store it in the match. When you intuit that you have collected enough energy for the magical task at hand, use your magical willpower to imprint your intent on the raw energy. After you ‘stamp’ your intent in to the energy, the match is now a self contained charm. However, we want the magic to move ahead of us and around us in order blaze the trail for our success. When the match is lit, the energy is rapidly released and goes on its merry way.

The fire in this spell is transformative; full of changes. It transforms our intent in to reality; it releases contained energy in to flowing energy; it converts one situation in to another.

3. Charging the matches

Do not bother using your own energy for this kind of spell; you can actually get the energy within the match quite dense, and you may end up draining yourself. Instead, call upon an external energy. If you ground with a root system, you can call upon the powers of the earth to work for you. If you can gather energy from the space around you, do that - you can also use energy stored in crystals, or whatever other method you typically use for raising spell-energy.

In this spell, your energy is the wheel, not the clay - call upon energy from something else and use your magical reservoir to shape it.

Before you begin, ensure you have a simple statement of intent. The statement is probably better off being positive instead of negative. Here are some examples:

POSITIVE:

I will get all of my homework done today

Laura will skip class today

That dog will be silent today

NEGATIVE:

I will not be sleepy

My bills will not come in the mail today

John will not call me today

Hold a single match in your hand (marked with a pencil if that is how you prefer to do it). Call energy to you and direct it in to the match. At first the energy may be very thin and in a cloud around the matchstick. Compress the energy down until it is all contained within the wood. Draw up and compress more and more energy until you feel you have gotten enough. The matchstick may seem to be glowing very brightly, if you can ‘see’ energy, and if you can feel energy the matchstick may make your skin feel quite weird. Using your magical will, keep the energy within the matchstick contained. Simultaneously use your will to stamp your statement of intent in to the energy, forming it and molding it so it is programmed to your will. If you don’t get what I mean, just imagine that the matchstick is full of all this raw, smooth energy. Then mentally shout at it until you intuit that the energy is programmed.

After this, you may wish to do a sealing action (“so mote it be”). Then immediately light the match and hold it in the same way you did during your practice runs. Watch the match burn and see if you can determine how the spell will go. Blow the match out when it is time and keep or discard the charcoal and leftover wood however it feels right to you.

If you wish, call appropriate and relevant energies instead of just using whatever. Air energy is appropriate for focus and mindfulness, while Mars energy is appropriate for acts of aggression.

Easy Homemade Florida Water Recipe No.1 Enchant your herbs using the following tags.

Lavender/Lavanda - for cleansing, protection and peace of home, mind, body and spirit

Orange/Naranja - for spiritual cleansing, to attract good fortune and luck, removal of stagnant energy.

Rosemary/Romero- for cleansing, protection

Cinnamon/Canela - for speed, to attract good luck and fortune

Cloves/Clavo - for domination of adverse conditions, to attract good luck and fortune, to remove negativity and purify spiritual vibrations

Mint/Mentha - for purification of energy, cleansing, protection and the attraction of good luck and fortune

Tangerine/Mandarina - for purification, to attract positive energy, uplift and bring abundance, to clear away negative influences

Lemon/Limon - to purify, cleanse and promote clarity

Mix together in a decent sized bottle, using distilled water and one cup of cheap high proof Vodka or Rum as a preservative, charge on your altar, in the moonlight or using your prayers.

A Little Trance Reference Guide

Disclaimer: These are things I’ve learned to do through trial and error. My advice might work for you, or it might not work for you. I don’t have many resources, as this is something I simply learned through working with Spirits, along with trial and error.

What is trance?

How I define and experience it, trance is going in a state where I’m relaxed, less in control, and allow myself to become a conduit for either information, energy, or imagery; sometimes it’s two of those things at once, or even all three. I use trance during hedge walking (astral travel), introspective spirit work, and some spell work. In part one I’ll be discussing three forms of trance that I use, along with things I help to induce trance and aid in the process. In part two I will discuss what type of trance I like to pair with what aids, and what those combos have been useful for me for. Also a lot of this is off the dome from just experience being a witch on the specific path I'm on, and experience with using trance for my spirit work, hedge walking, and some spell work– so I don’t have resources to cite.

Types of Trance

Ecstatic trance - This form of trance is high energy, and involves a lot of movement. The movement is usually big, and oftentimes can be symbolic. Light Trance - This form of trance is not so high energy. It involves little movement. Deep Trance - This form of trance requires either no movement, or very little movement depending on what you do to help achieve it.] Note: All of these will be discussed further in part two, along with examples of each type of trance.

Trance Aids (things to aid in helping you achieve trance)

Herbs

Forewarning: When using any herbs please be mindful of your allergies, any medications you’re taking that may interact with herbs, along with any other health concerns, and the legality of herbs where you are and your ability to use them.

Herbs like mugwort and chamomile have helped me with trance. Mugwort is an herb that has associations with second sight, visions, and clairvoyance. While I’m not sure if chamomile has any direct ties that are widely known with its help with visions and the like, I have used it before to help aid in the process of relaxing myself to better be “present” in my trance activities and it worked very well for me. You can make tea with chamomile, but I would not suggest making tea with mugwort. Like, you can, but the price you pay in taste is not nearly worth it. I’d suggest burning mugwort to get the same hard hitting effects that will help you with trance. The downside to this is mugwort does have a pungent smell– so crack a window if that bothers you, or also if you have sensitive fire alarms.

Marijuana (18+)

Smoking a joint can be very helpful with aiding hedge walking, and trance! If you’re not used to smoking, I’d say start off with a hit or two of a joint, and increase from there.

Oils & Ointments

Flying ointment is something I use for all of my trance activities– it doesn’t matter if it’s ecstatic, light, or deep. Flying ointment (or oil) is a salve that has herbs or roots that’s properties are associated with spirit travel, clairvoyance, and spirit sight. I wrote a post about how to make your own flying ointment, but there’s many wonderful etsy sellers who make great ointments! Here’s two different options at different price points: CatCaveCrafts ($10) + DeadLandsApothacary ($25). I like to put it on with intention, and ask the plants in the oil to aid in my session. You can rub it on your inner wrists, behind your ears, and the bottoms of your feet. I also like to anoint my spirit eye (the point in the middle of your forehead) with it, and the top of my head.

Spirit Guides

(Disregard if not applicable to your practice.)

If you have Spirits that you have relationships with, there’s always the option to ask them to help with your sessions! Spirits can range from Deities, to animal spirits, to fae. It’s dependent on you, who you feel comfortable asking, and sometimes the purpose of what you’re doing. For example: If I’m doing hedge walking and I want help not only crossing over, but being protected, I know I can ask the Ferryman (a Guide I have a relationship with) for help by simply asking him to guide the session after I put on my oils, but before I start the actual activity.

Music

I use music as a base component for all my trance activities, because it helps not only filter out the noise of my house, but it also helps my ADHD be not so distracting. For me I like to repeat songs with heavy drums, repetitive chanting or sounds, and I usually like to go for songs in other languages because it helps me not to focus on the lyrics vs. what I'm trying to do. A few songs I've found helpful: Traust by Heilung // Drumming by Drums of Trinidad Tobago // Hagal by Wardruna // Fire by Oakville Choir for Children // Vibrant Night by African Tribal Orchestra // Whirling Dervish by Omar Faruk Tekbilek // Tyr by Wardruna Depending on what sort of trance you're trying to achieve, some songs will work better than others. If you want to do a deep relaxing trance, using a song that's too energetic might not help. Also, these songs are songs that are just examples of what I like. I used Drumming by Drums of Trinidad & Tobago because I have relationships with deities from the African diaspora. It works well for me for that reason. The songs are to provide an example and reference for things that can be helpful, but by no means will 100% work for you. Use songs that speak to you, your spirit, and even your spirit life. Be okay with trial and error here!

This is my finished miniature oracle deck! It’s made purely from sigils, and that was a very purposeful decision. I wanted something small and easily referenced; just one card to pull every morning to see what the day will bring, or if pulled upside down, what it will be missing. It can tell me what sigil to wear that day or what to be on the lookout for. So it’s nothing fancy, just a fun idea I had and went for it.

Sigilwork is by far my favourite way to do magick other than kitchen witchcraft and it brings me a lot of joy. I didn’t use any of my personal sigils on these cards just because I wanted something I could throw together within the last two days, but in the future I plan to remake this deck or make a normal sized one complete with all personalised sigils.

I absolutely love art and I always have so that will be a joy to do. and if any of y’all have been considering making your own oracle decks or means of divination, I say go for it! I had a great time and I feel like I’ve made something that i’ll get some true use out of and something that i’m proud of.

But yeah! I just wanted to share it and since I didn’t use any of my personal sigils, i’m not afraid to share the full pictures of each card. the backs are nothing special, just some swirls to represent each card’s energy. Let me know what you think and I might be occasionally sharing what card I pull each day.

Blessed be!!

I have been wanting to experiment with eating magnolia blossoms for years now, essentially since the day I realized they were edible.

My neighborhood is full of pink magnolia (Magnolia sp., I think maybe 'Jane', but it's hard to be sure) - for two weeks every year, our entire world turns pink. When the spring winds blow through, our world is a virtual snow globe of pink petals falling all around. It is absolutely enchanting.

I had the opportunity, I just needed a recipe. A starting place, if you will. Maybe just a bit of inspiration.

I even saved a couple of magnolia cakes, but I'm not much of a baker, and a multi-tiered cake for just my partner and me seems a bit...excessive.

I was floored when I saw some more manageable recipes being shared in my local foraging group this spring. I can't credit her directly as it is a private group, but these recipes came to me via KM.

I'm by no means an expert on magnolias, and these recipes are not my own. But they are excellent, and if you, like me, have magnolias growing in your neighborhood, you should try them, too.

A note on wild foraging: Please ensure that you have properly identified the plant as a magnolia and taste its petals before cooking with them. Each plant has a slightly different flavor profile, and you should find a tree that tastes good to you. Safe foraging practices apply: avoid trees in high-traffic areas, cemeteries, near factories, or in places that have been sprayed with pesticides.

Magnolia Syrup

I am the queen of floral syrups, so of course I had to try this first. This is a basic simple syrup recipe that should keep in the fridge for about 4-6 weeks.

1 Cup Filtered Water 1 Cup White Sugar 1 Cut Magnolia Petals, lightly crushed

Allow the sugar and water to incorporate over medium heat, add the magnolia blossoms, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and store in an air-tight container.

This is lovely, floral, and quite gingery. It tastes lovely with green tea and Raspberry Zinger (the two teas we've tried it with so far). I'm excited to try it with a cocktail - I think rum seems like a good starting point. For a thicker, more pourable syrup, make a complex syrup that is two parts sugar to one part water.

Pickled Magnolia

I was very intrigued by this recipe as it is the most frequently repeated recipe for magnolia I have found on the internet. It appears to have been popularized by the Black Forager, as many people list her as their source. We decided to make this because it would keep for longer. Additionally, the local woman who wrote the recipe mentioned that it's excellent on bahn mi, and we have some pork belly that has already been earmarked for a bahn mi weekend.

20 magnolia blossoms, cut into strips 1 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar 1 tsp salt 2 Tbs sugar of choice

Here, you simply heat the other ingredients together until they dissolve and then pour them over the magnolia blossoms in a sealable jar. After a day, they are ready. These are supposed to keep for up to three months in the fridge.

I am absolutely floored by how well these recipes came out.

And, someday, I'll have to suck it up and make a magnolia cake!