rhíannon

How to form habits that last

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Greetings! 💚 Here’s a little something I’ve been working on, which I hope you’ll find useful. :)

All text and graphics are created by me, Sal @blueplaidstudies.

i think we all need a little inspiration during this time!

make sun water. the vernal equinox has marked spring’s arrival (in the northern hemisphere). with the days growing longer and the weather improving each day, it’s the perfect time to leave some water in the sun’s rays to be blessed.

sun water has correspondences of protection, healing, comfort, luck and courage which may be useful to all of us. in addition, it’s a great offering for Apollo or any other sun god. i often use sun water to water my houseplants and they seem to really appreciate it!

perform kitchen magick. you really don’t have to be a master chef, nor do you need a lot of fancy ingredients on hand. using kitchen magick you can bless any food you prepare and eat it with the loved ones you may be self-isolating with.

i love to bake when i get bored at the moment. there are many recipes online with as little as three ingredients: my personal favourite are peanut butter cookies, made with just a cup of caster sugar, a cup of peanut butter and one large egg. again, whatever you make can double as an offering! the fae will almost always accept gifts of baked goods.

Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.

What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.

So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.

I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.

Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends or herb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.

How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item

Smoke or spray item.

Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).

How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space

Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.

Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]

Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.

For multiple floors, repeat on each level.

For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.

I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.

You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.

So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]

Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.

That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.

Symbol/Sigil Wards

Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.

Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.

As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.

Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)

Pick an item - any item.

Get your warding intentions in mind.

Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.

If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.

Vocal Wards

If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.

You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.

This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.

I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.

Health: caraway seeds, eucalyptus leaves, ginger, juniper, berries, pine needles, rose hips, sunflower petals or seeds, thyme.

Happiness: baby’s breath, cedar chips or shavings, fir needles, marigold petals, marjoram, orange peel, oregano, savory.

Love: cardamom pods or ground cardamom,carnation petals, cinnamon chips or ground cinnamon, coriander seeds, hibiscus flowers, linden flowers, mint, rose petals, willow leaves or bark.

Prosperity: acorns, allspice, almonds, banana chips, cloves, oak leave, oats, poppy seeds, rice, saffron threads, sage.

Peace: basil,catnip, lavender, lemongrass, olive branches or olive leaves, rosemary, violets.

Protection: angelica, black beans, cactus needles,garlic powder, or garlic salt, nettles, ground black pepper or black peppercorns, thistles, thorns.

Good Fortune: ash leaves, bay leaves, cumin seeds or powdered cumin, dill seeds or leaves, whole or ground nutmeg, vanilla beans.

PURPOSE:

I use this spell for so many purposes. Most commonly (and the one I’ll be discussing here,) is to send good energy, luck, and comfort to someone you can’t physically be with. For example, lighting a candle for a friend who is sick in another state. 

SPELL:

I like to start by sitting cross legged on the floor, holding the candle in both hands. Close your eyes and meditate on your intent for a few moments. Visualize yourself lighting it, then picture its warmth reaching the person/people you’re trying to comfort. Imagine the warmth wrapping around them. 

After you’ve done this, simply light the candle and keep it in a high, safe place in your home. If possible, near a window. (Make sure no pets, babies, or anything flammable is in danger!) 

happy full moon, loves ♡ the full moon is a time to release what no longer serves you. this could be some part of your life, a relationship, an attitude or belief, a habit, or some aspect of yourself that you have outgrown. at the full moon, energy is powerful. we can harness this energy by performing a full moon bath ritual to cleanse, let go, recharge, and welcome positive change and new opportunities into our lives.

in this ritual bath, mineral rich himalayan salts eliminate toxins, balance the body’s pH, reduce inflammation, and stimulate circulation and cellular regeneration. himalayan salt also promotes spiritual and mental balance, relieves stress, and restores your sense of wellbeing. coconut milk gently exfoliates, nourishes, and hydrates your skin and makes your bath silky and soft. uplifting rose, lavender, and soothing essential oils promote peace, protection, purification, clarity, healing, and love.

ingredients:

♡ 4 cups coconut milk ♡ 1 cup himalayan salt ♡ 1-2 cups dry or fresh rose petals and lavender buds ♡ 10 drops lavender essential oil ♡ 10 drops rose essential oil

directions:

first, clear your energy and cleanse your space. you may choose to light incense, perhaps white sage or palo santo to purify. light your favourite candles, or candles that correspond to your full moon intentions (for example, white candles represent peace, truth and purity; pink candles represent positive self love, friendship, harmony and joy; light purple candles represent intuition, peace, and healing). corresponding crystals can also be included to amplify the power of your bath.

✨Full Moon 🌕 in the sign of Leo ♌️✨

✨ Taken from my telescope 🔭 - 9/2/20✨