By Sparrow

 What Are Servitors?

Servitors are entities made by witches for a specific purpose. For a simple comparison, they are like imaginary friends.

Why Do People Make Servitors?

As stated above, servitors are usually made for a specific purpose. This purpose can be long-term or just until a specific action is completed. The most common reason is to create a servitor to serve as a protector, a living ward and shield. However, the purpose can be as simple as wanting a loyal companion, like a pet of sorts.

Servitors can also be made to carry out spells or curses. They will transport the intent to the target and then will cease to exist as soon as their duty is completed.

Types and Classifications.

Independent and Dependent.

And Independent servitor does not need its creator. It can exist without any attachment to the maker, leaving room for the risk of going rogue and disobeying orders. Independents are generally Intelligent. I do not recommend making Independent servitors. Dependents cannot exist without their creator. This makes them very loyal and will not be able to revolt without ceasing to exist. Dependents can have any level of Intelligence without risk.

Intelligent, Limited Intelligence, No Intelligence (No Free Will and/or no ability to communicate).

The level of Intelligence determines whether or not the servitor can speak, think, and have opinions of its own. It is what determines whether or not it is a dog or a human, to put it simply. This can be changed post-creation and servitors can evolve their Intelligence if given the chance and potential. Simple servitors that are not programmed to specifically stay at a low level of Intelligence can become very Intelligent.

Any combination of Independence (or lack thereof) and Intelligence will give you the basic foundation and limitations for your servitor. These can be changed post-creation, but it is recommended to keep the servitor in its original and intended state. High Intelligence coupled with Independence can potentially lead to trouble down the road if the servitor decides that it is not content with serving.

All of my servitors are completely Dependent, with varying Intelligence levels. It is much safer that way.

Methods for Making a Servitor (Soul Molding, Echo Weaving, Charging)

Soul Forming: This is the easiest way to create a servitor. It also ensures that the servitor is completely dependent on its creator and can be easily destroyed should it malfunction. This is recommended for companion-type servitors and long-term servitors.

Essentially, it is the process of the creator taking part of their energy or soul (whatever term you use), pulling a bit out like Silly Putty while leaving a string connecting to the main piece, and then shaping that bit into a form pleasing to the eyes. Using this method, the servitor is literally an extension of the creator. It is very easy to perform and the servitors made with this method are extremely dependable and easy to control, as the creator is simply controlling a piece of themselves. A good failsafe for this method, should a servitor try to go against its programming, is for the extended bit that the servitor is made of to immediately be reabsorbed at the first thought of retaliation. Nothing is wasted and it is very easy to “edit” servitors made with this method.

The main problem with this method is that it is not the safest method for servitors that might take damage. Protective servitors made with Soul Forming are extensions of the creator. Should they be harmed, there is a high chance of the creator also experiencing some discomfort. There is a possibility that, should a servitor be destroyed, that energy from the creator might not be able to be reabsorbed, causing a period of exhaustion as the creator’s energy work to fill in the gap left. So far, I have not experienced any of these possibilities, though they are something to keep in mind.

Echo Weaving: This is the newest method that I have begun to use. Servitors made with this method tend to have low Intelligence and are not as strong as ones made with different methods. This method is recommended for scouting, swarming, or easy-to-manifest servitors.

To use this method, the creator needs to be familiar with energy signatures, as this is what this method depends on. Everyone leaves behind a sort of echo or trace of their energy behind them, like footsteps. Once the servitor’s design is decided upon, the maker takes that energy signature echo and forms the servitor from it. This way, the servitor takes no present energy from the creator to manifest and it will feed on the constant echoes left behind. This method is currently being tested and has not been in use enough to know any possible problems that might arise.

Charging: This method is used to make a servitor out of a previously created character. It involves taking that character’s personality and form and pushing energy into it, as if breathing life into an empty husk. This method is recommended for those who already know exactly what they want. It is a process similar to charging a sigil or stone.

Each person generally comes up with a few personal methods that they prefer to use. These are just the main ones that I have used.

Anchors

It is recommended that every servitor that is long-term be made a physical anchor. For example, one of my protective servitors is linked to our plane by a painted deer skull. Bones work very well for animal-like servitors. A physical anchor can be anything from a picture to a pencil. Sigils are often used, as well. A physical anchor should be kept somewhere safe and away from any hazards. Should the creator get too weak to manifest the servitor themselves, then the physical anchor is what keeps the servitor functioning properly until the creator is better.

It is also recommended that the creator make themself an anchor. This way, the servitor has a portable anchor and can follow its creator easily. Servitors with this type of anchor are always Dependent. The creator should never be the only anchor for their servitor, only secondary.

Anchors are like save files for servitors. Once a work is complete, it is saved to a USB or a hard drive. It exists in that save file and is preserved. The reason that more than one anchor is important is that, should one of the save files be deleted or corrupted, there is a copy in a different location.

Basic Rules

·         Whatever you create is solely your responsibility.

·         Any offense that your servitor commits falls back on you, as you are the owner and creator. The blame falls on you.

·         If you have no further use for a servitor, destroy it.

Am I Ready to Make a Servitor?

Do you have the design and purpose for your potential servitor? Do you know exactly what you want it to do, how to act, and how to look? Much like creating a character to use in a story, all of this is essential before the actual performance. You are creating artificial life, not doing improv. Details are a must.

Now that that is figured out, do you have your anchor(s) figured out? Are you healthy and have a good idea of how to make your servitor? Do you have shields and wards up in case anything goes wrong?

If all of these questions are answered with “yes,” then go ahead. Good luck.

What Do I Do If My Servitor Goes Rogue? Am I to Blame?

Yes. A thousand times yes. I cannot stress this enough. You made this, you are responsible for every little thing it does. The servitor is a part of you-or was. You must take the blame for anything it does. If it harms someone, you have harmed someone. Keep this in mind if you were planning on avoiding any consequences of cursing someone by having a servitor carry the curse.

If you have a dog and that dog attacks someone, you take responsibility for that attack.

Another thing to keep in mind, servitors typically carry the same or a very similar energy signature to their creators. If I sent out one of mine to attack someone, then it could potentially be traced back to me by someone experienced with energy signatures.

If a servitor goes rogue, destroy it immediately. Whatever it meant to you, it has decided not to follow you anymore. It is dangerous and should be erased immediately.

Things to Keep in Mind.

·         It is possible to unintentionally create a servitor. It is actually a common problem that not many people realize that they have done. If an entity shows up to work with you and acts exactly how you want it to, then it might be a servitor that you unconsciously made. These types of servitors can come in any form, even as a powerful entity that one might believe is a god or divine being. They will act out of character if they are in the form of a commonly known god, though to the creator it will seem completely plausible. They might visit others. The more people that believe them to be a powerful entity, the more power the servitor will gain. There is a possibility that these types of servitors do not know that they are not who they look like. These types of servitors, once discovered to be servitors, should be erased immediately to avoid any long lasting consequences.

·         If the creator does not name their servitor, it might name itself. This is not too big of a problem, but it is recommended to check the meaning behind the name it has given itself.

·         Do not forget that a servitor is not truly its own being. If it malfunctions or there is no need for it, do not hesitate to destroy it immediately. It can be remade better later on.

·         Intelligent servitors can access your own knowledge, resulting in them bringing up latent problems or fears that the creator has not dealt with yet. This can be distressing if the servitor presses to have the issue worked out and the creator is not ready to do so.

·         Servitors do not stop existing if you forget about them. I have one that I forgot about for two years and she is still around-she even gained a higher Intelligence level while I forgot about her. They exist in a sort of limbo.

·         Keep an eye on higher level Intelligent servitors. These can become dangerous if not kept in check.

·         Rogue servitors can come to you masquerading as entities. While you may have not created them, they are still servitors and should not be treated as true entities, no matter what they claim.

·         Should you believe in past lives, servitors created lifetimes ago by a previous incarnation might still exist. They are typically very weak after long periods of having no contact with their creator-many ceasing to exist if separated long enough. Ones that persist through the ages to find their creators are generally very dependable.

·         Servitors that can talk usually come up with a name for their creator. I have been called “mother” and “mistress” and “my lady,” to name a few possibilities. My servitors are generally very aware of the fact that they exist because I made it so, thus having some sort of reverence toward me. I would assume that this is common with servitors that know they are servitors.

·         Servitors are great constant companions. They can also be utilized in astral travel as companions, guides, steeds, and protectors.

·         A servitor might start to weaken over time or fade. Should this happen, push more energy into them to revitalize them.

·         Servitors can be given to other people should the creator no longer want them or decides that the other person can use their servitor better. Once ownership is given, the original creator has no control over the servitor. The new owner can change the servitor as they see fit and give it a new purpose. Only trust another with your servitor if you know that you will never want it back. The new owner can destroy it, as well.

·         Avoid naming servitors that only exist to carry spells, as they will cease to exist as soon as their job has been completed.

I believe we're in reference to this.

[...] an enchantment thats powered/recharged by any nearby extra energies that fit its purpose (ex. if i had a necklace enchanted to protect, then anything its by that has “protective” energies—like idk even just a locked door or something—, itll automatically take it and use it to charge itself [...]

It's not the automatic recharge that gives me pause, but the nature of harvesting all energies that are "protective."

This is because of my personal beliefs on how protection works.

If we take common correspondence keywords like "protection" or "cleansing," I believe these words summarize the end result. I do not believe they are descriptive of how the magic works.

We can make a protection out of piss, rusty nails, broken glass, and dead wasps. This would be protective, and it would radiate protective energies.

We can make a protection out of lavender, rose quartz, rosemary, and braided white thread. This would be protective, and it would radiate protective energies.

However, it's my experience that if you wear the rusty-nails-dead-wasp protection, it's going to be a lot different than the lavender-rose quartz protection. It will make you feel different, it will protect you in different ways, and it will make the people who unknowingly interact with it feel differently.

A locked door keeps things out and can trap things in. A protective prayer can evoke divine energies. A protective plant can burn, agitate, or poison. A protective stone can ground out energies.

All of these things together, selected indiscriminately from the keyword "protection," seems like it would make a very chaotic enchantment that could act unpredictably based on whatever kind of energy it's been absorbing.

And if the idea is that the enchantment filters and transforms energy before it uses it, then you wouldn't need to absorb protective energy at all - any environmental energy would do, since it's being transformed anyway.

To anyone who needs this post, I am sending gentle and loving energy your way. Know that grief is meant to hurt, and with time it WILL get easier (but may not go away, and that’s okay). Please utilize this post only as a supplement, and talk to a therapist or loved ones if you need to.

Spells/Rituals:

Grief powder

Sage drops spell

Jar of grief spell

Honoring the dead

Grief vessel

Ritual of grief

A remembrance spell

Remembrance spell/ritual

Hug-in-a-mug grief spell

A spell for grief and moving on

A spell for passing and mourning

“Grief seed” pop culture spell

Storm spell to ease your grief

Sigils:

Grief over death is easier for me and effects me less

My grief does not control me

I grieve in peace

Memorial requiem

Rest in power / rest in paradise / rest in love

Loss of pets:

Animal release spell

Pet farewell ritual

Say farewell to a pet spell

Pet funerary spell

Other:

Tarot spread to ease grief

Norse spells/prayers for grief and death

Crystals in death magic (includes some for grief)

Crystals for PTSD (includes some for grief)

Taking Care by Callista Buchen (poem)

Helpful posts:

Masterpost for overcoming heartbreak

Rejuvenating witchcraft

Magic to replenish energy

Recommended tags to utilize when you’re ready:

#Moving on spell + #Moving forward spell + #Letting go spell

#Mental health sigils + #Mental health spell

#Self love magic + #Self care magic

#Release spell

Witchcraft is to be used in addition to proper medical care, treatment and medication, not as a sole alternative.

Other methods would be to place enchantments on your doors such as the one ofwoodandbone once posted, and I have a screenshot here!

If you have a potted rosemary, move it by the front door temporarily and give it offerings in exchange for capturing, filtering, and blocking unwanted energies, and for a general protective effect; you could try this with any of the kitchen herbs, perhaps most notably dill or basil.

A yule charm of cinnamon sticks, cloves, and lemon or orange peel (or, sticking cloves into the lemon or orange and creatively including a cinnamon stick somehow), can be hung by the door or guest areas and coaxed to transform or inhibit bad vibes.

The idea of the ambient spell isn’t so uncommon. My use of the word “ambient” may throw you for a bit of a loop. An ambient spell is any spell that permeates a space in an unobtrusive way. They affect the area surrounding their vessel and require little to no maintenance or upkeep. They’re long-term workings that require varying levels of effort to put together and cast. Depending on what exactly you need, they can be as simple as setting out a bowl of salt or as complex as crafting a home decor piece from scratch.

I always recommend making ambient spells that are self-fueling. I often refer to them also as “set it and forget it” spells. They’re the crockpot of spellwork — work up front for a slow burn output.

Chances are that you’re already aware of or even know how to create ambient spells. Any spell that affects the vibe of a room, for example, would count as an ambient spell. Lighting incense specifically to invite in positive energy counts. A ward that sucks up baneful magic and transforms it into blessings also counts. The primary idea of an ambient spell is that it’s making a change to your environment in the background. It’s the cool breeze in summertime, the subtle piano at a fancy restaurant, the scent of fresh-baked cookies fading as the day goes by. Positive, but not overt.

When to Use (or Not Use) an Ambient Spell

By their nature, ambient spells are fairly general workings. They can be quite powerful, of course, just like any other spell. The thing to keep in mind is that they’re not ideal for targeted magic.

For example, I wouldn’t create an ambient spell to banish someone from my life. I might make an ambient spell to make an area unwelcoming to them, or to anyone who would do me harm. The unwelcoming vibe might discourage them from coming around, sure. But it may not work outside of the area the spell lives in; and it may not get rid of them for good.

Similarly, an ambient spell might make a good general ward for keeping out loud, unwelcome spirits, but it wouldn’t specifically cast out the one particular spirit who’s been causing problems. It might discourage their behavior, but it wouldn’t necessarily get rid of them. A concentrated, single-use banishing spell would work significantly better for that purpose. Afterwards, an ambient spell can keep the area clear of that spirit’s influence.

I also wouldn’t use an ambient spell to draw in specific success. General success or money, absolutely — whatever wants to come my way is welcome, via a basic money bowl set up next to my wallet. But if I specifically want a promotion or a particular amount of money, I’m not going to leave that to the ambient money spell. I would craft a spell specifically for what I’m looking for.

When deciding what kind of spell to cast, keep this idea in mind. An ambient spell is best for behind-the-scenes results that happen without your concentrated effort. When you want something specific, a more targeted spell will work better nine times out of ten.

Creating an Ambient Spell

It’s possible to create an ambient spell with nothing but energy work. However, I often find that these fade quickly and don’t lend themselves well to self-fueling. They tend to need more active upkeep than I prefer for a spell that’s meant to be set and let go. I recommend choosing an appropriate vessel of some kind to contain the spell to help it last longer.

How do you decide what’s an appropriate vessel, though? And how do you set one up? How do you make a spell self-fueling? Let’s start from the top and go in order.

Identify the Purpose

Decide what the spell will do. This is going to define the components and the way you’re going to cast the spell. In my experience, ambient spells work best when they’re given a single purpose. For example, I wouldn’t make a spell that’s a ward and a cleanser and a spirit welcome mat. It dilutes the purpose. Choose a single, clear motive for the spell.

Choose a Vessel

Now that you know what your spell will do, it’s time to decide what it’s going to look like. The vessel you choose should reflect the spell’s purpose in some way.

An open bowl works well for absorbing energy. Why? It’s open. The face of it is open to the room, ready to take in whatever kind of energy you assign to its contents.

A closed jar, on the other hand, would be good for repelling. It’s closed off and sealed — a one-way road going out of the jar and into the room to clear it.

A wreath hung at the door could serve a lot of purposes, depending on what it’s made with. I would use a wreath as an agent of transformation or as an energy emitter to release a certain energy into the space.

A stone makes a solid vessel for protection or grounding. I have one on my working altar to help keep me in the moment and create a good environment for working magic.

When you’re choosing your spell vessel, keep in mind how visible you want it to be. Certain vessels are going to naturally be more obvious than others. A wreath, for example, is hard to miss — but it also just looks like nice home decor. A jar full of herbs and things would be more obviously a spell, but they can be small and easily hidden.

I have both obvious and hidden ambient spells peppered around my home for varying purposes. If you’re keeping your practice a secret, you’ll likely want to keep your spells more obscure or hidden. But if you aren’t, and you can make the choice of whether you want the spell to be in plain sight or not, consider the effect you want the spell to have.

If you want the spell to absorb bad vibes, baneful magics, the evil eye, or other negativity, a hidden spell might serve you well. Hiding the vessel somewhere means that whoever’s casting against you may not expect the resistance. On the other hand, if you want a vessel that allows friendly spirits to visit you during the holidays, a beautiful centerpiece on your dining table that’s charmed with spirit-friendly magic might serve the purpose.

Choose an Energy Source

Ambient spells need to draw energy from somewhere. Think of it like a battery. The ingredients you put into the spell may provide a temporary charge, but if you want the spell to be long-term, it needs an input. How will your spell recharge itself?

If you want the spell to be shorter-term, only a few days or so, then you can skip this step. But if you want an ambient spell to last a while, like a ward or vibe-adjuster, you’ll need to think about this carefully.

Like when choosing the vessel, the energy source should match the purpose of the spell. For example, I have a simple room refresher spell set on a table that’s central to my home. The purpose of it is to take anxiety and negative thoughts to turn them into positivity. I set it up so that the act of walking past the bowl swirls the air around it, and therefore also the energy around it. That kinetic energy fuels the bowl’s magic and keeps it going. I don’t have to actively recharge the bowl or its contents, because we walk past it constantly.

Another example would be an ambient spell to help you do the dishes. (Whether that’s remembering to do them or finding the motivation for it is up to you.) The fuel for the spell could be the act of walking into or past the kitchen, running water elsewhere in the home, or even cooking or eating.

The energy source could also be something like lighting a candle next to or over the vessel on a schedule, if you prefer. This would add an upkeep step, of course, and wouldn’t be my first choice. The only ambient spell I do this with is my money bowl, and that’s because it’s tuned to be able to shift focus from day to day depending on what exactly I need (commissions versus tips versus discounts, etc.).

Setting Up an Ambient Spell

Decide where you want to place your spell’s vessel ahead of time. If you have pets or kids, make sure you put whatever it is out of their reach. If the vessel is something like an uncovered bowl, you’ll want to be sure that it isn’t going to get knocked over. Similarly, if it’s made of glass, you don’t want it to fall and shatter. If your vessel needs to be hidden somehow, determine where you’ll keep it. It would be smart to make note of where the spell is and what it looks like in your grimoire or spell notebook just so that if you forget about it, you can identify it later on down the road.

After you know where you want to put it, it’s time to choose ingredients and fill your vessel. The components you decide on should, obviously, match your goals.

Casting an ambient spell is much the same as casting a regular spell. The only thing to keep in mind is that an ambient spell has a sort of prolonged release.

Upkeep and Care of an Ambient Spell

For the most part, ambient spells should require little to no upkeep. With that said, you should still do routine check-ups on them. I include them in my regular rounds when I check on my wards and various protections, but you could do yours whenever it makes the most sense to you.

Depending on how you decided to fuel your spell, you may need to do a bit of feeding. Whether that’s lighting a new candle, refilling a cup of water, mixing around a pile of herbs, or giving the vessel a little shake, do so anytime it feels like the spell’s energy is flagging. It may take some practice in sensing energy to know exactly when a spell needs refueling. This is partly why I suggest creating a schedule to check in on the spell; ambient spells are a great type to practice sensing spell energy, since they’re typically long-lasting and may wax or wane depending on the day.

If your spell is fully self-fueling and it doesn’t seem to be working anymore (or at all, even from the start), it’s time to take it apart. Discard disposable components according to your practice’s tenets. Cleanse the rest for future use. I would suggest washing your spell vessel alongside magical cleansing.

A Ready-to-Use Example

Here’s an extremely simple example of an ambient spell I use in my home to keep the main living area light, fresh, and conducive to getting work done. Since both my partner and I work from home, it’s important that our areas have an aura of focus.

Materials:

- A small bowl, preferably green or brown - Enough salt to fill the bowl halfway - A few pinches of dried rosemary

Instructions:

1. Ensure the bowl is clean and dry. Pour salt into the bowl until it’s halfway full. 2. Sprinkle dried rosemary into the salt and stir. 3. Instruct the spell, in whatever way makes sense to you, to exude focused but calm energy into the space. 4. Place the bowl in an area that is frequently trafficked. 5. Leave the bowl in place until it no longer provides a fresh, focused energy to the space. Dispose of the contents, clean the bowl, and reset the spell.

Notes: - This spell is powered by movement specifically, because both my partner and I work from home, and we pace when we’re having a hard time focusing. The spell draws in the energy from our pacing and the frustration we’re putting out to fuel itself. It then transforms and releases the energy as calm, focus, and productivity. - I suggest a green or brown bowl because this spell is meant to work for our jobs. Green for success, brown for grounding. Personally, my bowl has both colors. - When instructing the spell, you can speak to the bowl, write a petition, do an incantation, or whatever else you like. This is the most personal part of the spell, and it’s what makes the thing Go. It’s up to you to decide how it’s going to work.

Final Thoughts

I would hesitate to call ambient spells “low energy” spellwork. While they can be low-energy-friendly in the long run, and they can be extremely simple to set up (such as the one I described above), they aren’t always. Ambient spells do require an up-front energy cost. Even so, I find them very rewarding and useful.

Folks who visit my home often comment that it’s an inviting, friendly, good-natured space where they can leave their worries and anxieties behind. That’s on purpose. I’ve got ambient spells in place that eat up anxiety and spit out positivity. I’ve got ones that repel hexes and are charged by sunlight. All of these spells are long-lasting and well worth the effort it took to create them.

I hope this little guide is useful to you! If you’ve got questions, feel free to send me an ask. I’m happy to ramble about ambient spells or other types of magic as much as you’d like.

I always wanted to do a Nine Herbs Charm and this autumn i finally did it!!

The Nigon Wyrta Galdor (NWG) or, popularly, the Nine Herbs Charm, is an Old English healing spell—a galdor—intended to remedy a wound of some kind. The charm is recorded in a single manuscript, Harley MS 585 (ff 160r—163r), commonly known today as the Lacnunga (Old English ‘remedies’), which the British Museum dates to the 9th or early 10th century. The topics, themes, and entities the charm touches upon, such as animism, emphasis on the numbers nine and other multipliers of three, and the invocation of the Germanic deity Odin (Old English Wōden) stem from the pre-Christianization beliefs of the Old English.

These are the nine herbs that i used in my nine herbs charm. I changed some of the herbs for related varieties that i found in the forest behind my home (cause i really wanted this charm to have a really personal note).

Mugwort -> i used "artemisia vulgaris"

Plantain -> i chose to use both "plantago major" and "plantago lanceolata"

Lamb's cress -> i chose to use "cardamine flexuosa" from the forest behind my home and "cardamine hirsuta" that grows along our lawn

Betony -> i chose to use "stachys sylvatica" instead of "stachys officinalis" because that's the only variety i found in our woods

Chamomile -> i found some chamomile along the fields in our town

Nettle -> i chose to use 'normal' stinging nettles

Crab apple -> we have "malus sylvestris" in our garden so i used its leaves (i didn't use the apples cause i started collecting in November)

Chervil -> i used "anthriscus sylvestris"

Fennel -> i bought some fresh regional fennel from a local farmer's market, cut it into small pieces and slowly dried it in the oven

Mugwort | plantain | lamb's cress

Betony | chamomile | nettle

Crab apple | chervil | fennel

And here's an excerpt of a translated version of the Nine Herbs Charm:

Remember, Mugwort,

what you brought to pass,

what you readied,

at Regenmeld.

You’re called Una, that most ancient plant.

You defeat three, you defeat thirty,

you defeat venom, you defeat air-illness;

you defeat the horror who stalks the land.

And you, Waybread, plant-mother!

You’re open to the east, yet mighty within:

Carts creaked over you, women rode over you,

over you brides bellowed, over you bulls snorted!

You withstood it all—and you pushed back:

You withstood venom, you withstood air-illness,

you withstood the horror who travels over land.

Now, this plant is called Stune, she who grows on stone:

She defeats venom, she grinds away pain.

She’s called Stithe, she who withstands venom;

she chases away malice, casts out pain.

This is the plant that fought against the wyrm.

She is mighty against venom, she is mighty against air-illness;

she is mighty against the horror who travels over land.

You, Venom-loathe, go now!

The less from the great,

the great from the less,

until for both he receives a remedy.

Remember, Chamomile,

what you brought to pass,

what you accomplished,

at Alorford,

that no one should lose their life to disease,

since for him Chamomile was prepared.

Finally, this plant is known as Wergulu,

who a seal sent over sea-ridges,

to aid against venom.

These nine plants defeat nine venoms!

A wyrm came slithering, and yet he killed no one,

for wise Wōden took nine glory-twigs

and smote the serpent,

who flew into nine parts!

(...)

She stands against pain, she stands against venom,

she is potent against three and against thirty,

against a foe’s hand, against great guile,

against malice and bewitchment

from animal and spirit.

Now! May the nine plants do battle against nine glory-fleers,

against nine venoms and against nine air-diseases,

against the red venom, against the running venom,

against the white venom, against the blue venom,

against the yellow venom, against the green venom,

against the black venom, against the blue venom,

against the brown venom, against the purple venom,

against wyrm-blister, against water-blister,

against thorn-blister, against thistle-blister,

against ice-blister, against venom-blister.

If any venom comes flying from the east,

or any comes from the north,

or any from the west over folk!

(...)

For getting rid of stubborn ex-lovers, or would-be suitors who don’t understand the meaning of “no.” Counters Come Hither Powder, should the need arise.

Ingredients:

1 pt Pistachio Shells

1 pt Lime Peel

1 pt Cinnamon

½ pt Lemon Verbena

½ pt Black Pepper

½ pt Witch Hazel

3 crushed Chili Pepper seeds per ½ cup batch (any sort will do)

Optional: If the lover in question was attracted by magic, add ½ part Turmeric.

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle or Spice Grinder

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

Grind each ingredient separately for several minutes to produce fine powder. Sieve the material through the mesh strainer into the collection dish; this removes the larger ungrindable pieces and gives you cleaner powdered herb. (Pro-Tip: Putting a funnel under the strainer helps reduce lost material.)

For the Pistachio Shells, retain the leftover large pieces that don’t make it through the strainer. You can use this for loose incense or charm bags later. Remember, witchlings: waste not, want not!

Combine the component powders in the collection dish, mix well, and bottle immediately.

To rid yourself of a persistent ex, bind up three generous pinches in brown paper upon which is written your ex-lover’s name, tie with black string, and bury the packet under a flat stone somewhere off your property. If you can do so under a thorny bush or shrub, so much the better.

If your problem is harassment at school or in the workplace or a social setting, carry a small packet or bottle of the powder with you, or sprinkle several pinches where you know the person is certain to walk over it. To sever the attachment and put an end to things, dust your hands with the powder and firmly shake hands with the target while saying goodbye in some fashion. (Make sure it’s “goodbye” or “farewell,” not “see you later” or the like. Do not wash your hands until after the handshake.)

If your problem is unwanted attention at your home, sprinkle three pinches at each corner of your property, then mix a spoonful of the powder with 2 cups of vinegar and use it to wash your doorstep.

Note: Remember always that magic is no substitute for practical action. If you are being harassed or if you feel you are in any way endangered, contact the authorities or your local emergency hotline, and take all practical measure to ensure your personal safety.

I was wondering if you knew of or had any rites or recipes that would aid one with reconciliation in the matters of a friendship. I am looking for something that will help me not only get through to the individual I'm trying to make amends with, but one that will help heal and clarify the situation at hand. If I can fully rectify and mend the friendship, that would be the most optimal case scenario.

On another note, if you can share, what are some ways you utilize High John root in your practice and is this root particularly coveted by the Others?

Thank you as always!

On a Friday, fill a small vessel with Sweet Almond Oil and steep it with a mixture of Mint Leaves, Orris Root, Rose Petals, and a bit of Honey. Allow this to steep for one week before straining out the solid materials and setting them aside. As you ready this oil for its steeping, say a prayer invoking each plant used, and thanking them for their aid. If you are able to leave offerings for living specimens of these plants, it is all the better. For the honey, give thanks to all bees and flowers, and praise the fruits of their ancient relationship.

Align your space, raise your power, and call forth any pertinent forces you work with before proceeding with the spell.

Inscribe one Pillar Candle with your full name and inscribe a secondary one with your friend's full name, before anointing both with the previously crafted Oil. Anoint a natural fiber cord with the same oil and then secure each end of the cord around the base of each Pillar Candle. Kindle your candle, followed by the other candle, and fumigate them both with Dragon's Blood while saying, "With clarity and kindness, do I draw us back together." Punctuate this statement with whatever cultural variation of "so be it" is most significant to you.

Allow these candles to burn down and dispose of any remnants in running water flowing towards you.

—————————

As for your second question:

I believe that spells can backfire because magic doesn't just "work like magic." In my belief system, this more or less comes down to the witch's skill of cunning.

I believe that it's possible for spells to backfire because the wrong spell was applied to the situation, and even if the spell went perfectly, it's going to just make things worse. To me, this is perhaps the most direct definition of 'backfire.'

Example:

Goal: Stop an ongoing argument in the household

Spell: Bind the argument so these matters cannot be spoken of

Result: Arguers choose new things to argue about, but for some reason are much more angry about it

Potential sorcerous breakdown:

The argument was the symptom of ongoing unrest, not the cause of it

Binding the argument stopped the only venting of stress in the household

Household members feel blocked and unheard, and stress builds up. They redouble their efforts to feel seen and vent frustrations by choosing new things to argue about.

I believe that a good way to tackle these kinds of problems is through A) divination, but also B) common sense and human insight.

A simple spread of 1 or 3 cards can advise of the outcome of a spell. Multiple spreads, or more complex spreads, can be performed to determine the cause of an issue and provide suggested types of spellwork to solve it.

In addition, some things just take a little bit of common sense. If the actual financial problem is someone binge shopping, then a spell to generate more income is probably going to lead to bigger binges. The problem isn't having enough money; the problem is shopping compulsion.

Another reason I believe that spells can backfire is when the witch manifests a specific event to occur, while losing sight of the bigger picture and the obvious consequences such a spell could have. This sort of backfire perhaps more aligns with 'unintended consequences.'

Goal: Reduce and manage travel anxiety for an upcoming road trip

Solution: Cast a spell to ensure you have no anxiety at all that weekend

Result: You lose your inhaler and it is no longer safe for you to join your friends on the road trip; the backup inhaler is found just after they leave town. You spend all weekend playing Rimworld.

The following story is not my own; I read it maybe 15 years ago on a public forum, but it's another example of the idea of unintended consequences. A young person had a date to a school dance, but didn't want to go. They had almost no materials on hand for spellwork, and had never cast a spell before; but figuring that Air is all around them, they fervently prayed to Air to stop them from going to the dance.

A day or so later, that person fell ill with strep throat - and could not attend the dance.

A more common example of unintended consequences, which I've witnessed several times, is trying to banish someone and then destroying the entire social group, or getting fired from your shared job, and so forth.

In these cases, it often appears that the person doing the work is asking for an open-ended outcome which doesn't actually align with their true desires.

A witch's true desire might be, "I want Braxielygnn to be banished from our social circle, so all my friends and I can hang out together without him." However, the actual spell cast might be, "Braxielygnn is permanently banished from my life."

And, of course, one way to never see Braxielygnn again is if your mutual gaming group implodes and there are no more meetups ever again.

In these cases, I find that a solution is to be honest with yourself about your actual desires, and work magic that specifically pursues your end goal, instead of picking specific events to happen. I find this can be easier to do if you employ multiple, smaller spells; such as a protection for the gaming group, a weakening of Braxielygnn's influence, a blessing for the strength and community of a group consisting of [everyone's names but Braxielygnn], and so on.

Protection magic is an obvious yes. Mercury does not impact that. Death work? 100 percent, Hermes was one of the only gods to enter the land of the dead and return to the upper world. A communication spell? Suuuuuure, if you're okay with it getting real weird. Retrogrades don't stop energy. They redirect it. They go at it from an unusual direction. (like the back of a Volkswagen)

Mercury is so changeable that trying to define their energy is challenging anyway. Your spell will manifest differently than when the planet is in direct motion.

That might even be the result that you are looking for. (if you've tried it all and nothing is working, maybe work with a retrograde, ya know?)

A certain % of spells will always fail. I tend to approach it systematically.

Ritual work:

Did you explicitly state that spirits may only partake of the offering if they agree to do this job for you?

Did you limit access to the offerings to only spirits who are capable of carrying out the required task?

Did you plan your ritual around spirit gateways, such as certain astrological timings, days of week, or at natural spiritual gateways? Or, did you engage in acts of witchcraft to create spirit doors? All of these things make it easier to correctly contact and "call through" spirits.

Did you provide a "due by" date for the work to be completed?

Did you accurately and plainly describe exactly what it is you wanted to have happen?

Spirit work:

Did you correctly evoke the spirit? I.e., are you relatively sure the spirit was actually properly called into the ritual?

Did you evoke a single spirit, or many? If you only evoked one spirit, what steps did you take to ensure it would agree to do the job for you?

If you only evoked one single spirit, what steps did you take to ensure that the spirit is capable of doing the task at hand?

Is the spirit, or categories of spirits, known in lore to be able to deliver the kind of results you want? Are they related to, or do they dwell within, the domain where you want your results to occur?

Is that spirit(s) known to help people such as yourself? I.e., if you don't have a personal relationship with the spirit, are they known to help strangers?

Sorcerous strategy:

Did you perform divination before the spell to find out if there are blockages or problems you should address beforehand?

Did you perform divination before the spell to find out if evoking that spirit for that task would be effective?

Be reasonable with yourself:

Have you done many spirit evocations, and they usually succeed? If so, this may be a fluke.

Is this a new spirit you're working with, while other spirits usually deliver results? If so, you may have not yet learned how to correctly evoke that spirit, or how to engage with them for mutually satisfactory results.

If you're brand new to trafficking with spirits in order to work magic, then you may have just not learned all of the requisite skills necessary, or how to harmoniously put them together.

Have you successfully cast many spells in the past? If so, compare your spirit working rituals to prior, successful spells. See what aspects may be missing.

"To make your own rose water at home, this method is the closest to distilling and uses everyday kitchen equipment..."

In my strain of witchcraft, feeding of any spell (such as amulets or wards) is best done by applying a charmed physical substance, such as oil or incense. To use direct energy work is a stopgap solution not suitable for normal upkeep. To imagine the spell refilled with energy, without active energy work, is never a suitable solution.

Feeding of spells can be made from a chore into a breeze (*1950s commercial transition*) with the use of a small quantity of pre-charmed oil, such as olive oil, or any shelf-stable cooking oil (not E.O.). The most basic of these formulas is only a fat or oil with no other ingredients added.

Charming about an ounce or 30ml of oil will last months or more, even if you use it often.

The preparation is best performed on a Monday or full moon, or from the turning from midnight to the new day. Re-enchant the oil as often as desired, especially if it couldn't be initially enchanted under ideal conditions.

Put the entire quantity of oil you want to use in a clean, sealable container. Take the oil to a place free-flowing with magical power, such as under the full moon, in the presence of your allied gods, or within a cast circle teeming with elemental power.

Enter magical headspace through trance or any technique you prefer.

Using a clean stirring stick, or with a very clean finger, stir the oil clockwise while petitioning the powers in your presence. Call to the full moon, gods, elementals, and so forth, and ask them to bless the oil for the purpose of feeding, so that when spells consume it, the spell is revitalized and made fat with power. Speak plainly or plan a rhyme ahead of time. Work over the oil with constant stirring for several minutes, or until every petition is made, or until you have said everything that needs to be said.

When intuition advises, or when there's nothing left to be done, perform a sealing charm ("so mote it be" or variants) over the oil.

Thank all present powers and, if your tradition recommends it, provide payment as necessary.

If any energy is left raised, ground all of it into the oil.

Seal and set aside. Close the ritual as you normally do.

To feed a spell as you are casting it, or after it has been cast, dab a bit of the oil onto a tissue or Q-tip and wipe it on the spell vessel. Avoid sticking fingers into the jar as bacteria helps oils go rancid.

knick a knock upon the block flour and lard are very dear please we come a-shroving here your pan’s hot and my pan’s cold hunger makes us shrovers bold please to give us poor shrovers something here – A Little Book of Old Rhymes

His Scottish ancestors called it Fassern’s Eve, my Ukrainian ancestors knew it as Maslenitsa. Today it’s more commonly known as Shrove Tuesday [aka Mardi Gras] - the day before Ash Wednesday and the onset of Lent. Despite their differences, the names mean the same thing: the final feast that used up ingredients that were forbidden during Lent’s restrictive 40-day fast. In both Scotland and Ukraine the last of butter, eggs, milk, and cream were finished off in the form of griddle cakes - specifically crêpes - which were shared communally in a celebratory manner.

POTATO FLOUR PANCAKES Recipe adapted from ’Porters Seasonal Celebrations Cookbook’ by Richard, Earl of Bradford and Carol Wilson. [gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free] INGREDIENTS: * 6 eggs * 175g (6 ounces) potato flour * pinch of salt * 330ml (1 ½ cups) water, approximately * oil for cooking METHOD: Beat eggs until frothy and gradually whisk in the potato flour, salt and water until the mixture is pale yellow and foamy. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. Beat the batter again before cooking. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and when very hot pour in sufficient batter to cover the base of the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side until crisp and golden.

Maslenitsa’s roots reach back to pre-Christian times when Slavic pagans celebrated the “imminent end of winter” through communal sun-strengthening rituals and feasts using new foods (eggs) and stored reserves (grains, honey). While not as dependent on preserved foods as my ancestors, I attempt to eat as locally and seasonally as possible throughout the year. Much of my time’s spent growing and foraging food during the warmer months to preserve for the colder, leaner months - not just to live in the footsteps of my forebearers, but to celebrate the rich diversity of the land that I live on, too.

Shrove Tuesday’s bilini [crêpes] were made with eggs from local free-range hens. The salt, water, and oil were also local products. To sweeten the pancakes I opened my last homemade jar of syrup-preserved strawberries (local & homegrown fruit), and pulverized a handful of last summer’s foraged flowers (rose petals & elderflowers) into a fine powder which was stirred through a jar of locally produced heather honey.

Any explanation will do, provided it seems to explain.

So here's an explanation that seems to explain, although I find it's not too wise to get married to these sorts of things:

The physical bits of people (like the entire human body, etc) is not at all how much of a person there is. In a literal sense, all humans have a spiritual body that exists within and moves through the spiritual layer of our present reality.

We can sort of conceptualize this as an iceberg thing; the physical parts of humans are what is sticking out above water, and the hidden parts are below water, immersed in magical reality. Just because we can't see it doesn't make it any less real or any less vital to our wellbeing.

This spiritual body has a lot of nuances, but for our purposes, we can say that it's somewhat body shaped, or eggish-shaped, but extends past a person perhaps a foot or two, or more or less; this size corresponds with the size of the aura, and typically corresponds exactly with "personal space."

This spiritual body provides actual input in our day-to-day lives. It's maybe one source of intuition, if you believe in that sort of thing. Just like other sensing organs, we can learn to tune out what this spiritual body is sensing. Some people may be born less attuned to it, just like some people will never really have a fine-tuned palate; but some people can also be very sensitive to it.

Typically, one of the earlier goals a witch will want to get around to is learning to sense and interact with their spiritual body, and then further learn to work with it in certain acts of magic (maybe most commonly this would be glamours, shielding, or certain empowerments).

But whether or not someone knows they have a spiritual body, they have one. And that body is constantly intersecting with magical reality, which is the place where "energies," spells, and spirits live. Therefore in a literal sense, when someone sends a banishing spell on someone, that spell has the capacity to literally touch that person. It can literally touch them because their spiritual bodies are an integral part of being human.

The spell is conjured up and released within magical reality, which is where a part of you is right now; and then it goes to your target, who also exists partially in magical reality, and it directly affects them.

Just, you know, underwater.

Like a shark. 🦈

The idea behind a job spell might be to get the hiring manager to take very special notice of the resume, in which case the spell isn't like "ahhh I'm going to chase you until you leave! Run away! Omnomnomnom"

but rather, it grabs them by the spiritual-body collar and says, "woah, isn't that resume perfect? Wow, you could clock off and take your wife to dinner if you just agree to hire this super valid-looking candidate right now. Put a post-it note on this one, buddy! Olive Garden is calling your name."

And that person is experiencing those things because a large part of their literal sensing of reality is suddenly immersed in a physically invisible energy that is directing them towards that purpose.

And it's not like the spell is locked behind a glass wall in some faraway astral space (or at least, it shouldn't be... it can be. This is too much for one post, let's stay on topic).

I've mentioned a few (several?) times that I'm trying to rework my practice to be so much lower energy.

I want to practice a lot. My path has responsibilities and demands. I want to be engaged in witchcraft daily and often.

As a part of this I have had to really sit down and untangle the question of chronic magical fatigue, which then turns in to chronic regular fatigue.

I've come to some personal realizations during this quest. Here is one of them, which I would like to suggest as a concept or hypothesis but not a literal truism:

One of the most vital and basic energy working techniques you can learn is feeling how full your "mana tanks" are.

Magical battery, odic fluid, witch-power, whatever you want to call it. It's finite for all of us (even if for some it can recharge faster than they can use it).

I have yet to see a "daily practice" or "101 energy work guide" provide a resource on how to feel how much magical energy you have, and explain how to avoid over-spending it.

I have also never seen a 101 guide ever really explain that "energy-gathering" techniques which are meant to recharge you are in and of themselves draining.

Techniques which refill your mana tanks are often the same techniques as energy raising and energy programming.

E.g.: "Pull energy up from the earth" (energy raising) "and guide it to your spine, imagining that it refills and recharges your whole body" (energy programming).

This is an actively draining technique.

The only passive energy-gathering technique I'm familiar with is just resting.

As humans, this should be common sense! Eating food requires energy (to find food, to prepare it, to consume it) and then can further tire us as our body redirects resources to digestion.

As humans, when many of us get older, we start to realize our physical limits. You know how far you can get in the day on a single bagel. And for many of us, if you've pushed past your limits, your whole day is thrown off. Refueling might make you crash and nap, not suddenly fill you up with a huge burst of energy!

Yet somehow it's pervaded the 101 energy working sphere that a certain energy-gathering exercise - which drains your magical power - will just fill you up and you can do as much magic as you want again. Warnings about not over-exerting are usually like, "take it easy! Only do 1 or 2 minutes if you can't do all 15, or even take the day off ;)" but no actual instructions about how to feel out your limits and know how to reliably stop before you over-exert.

I think that for a lot of people it would be helpful to divide their energy-working abilities into two categories: Muscle and Fuel.

Your energy working Muscle becomes stronger over time. It has its own muscle-memory, and repetition of techniques can allow you to do them faster and better over time. This Muscle behaves very much like your earthly muscles: it burns fuel to work, but it also becomes fatigued and even damaged with over-exertion. It requires regular periods of rest. Once pushed to the point of fatigue, the necessary period of rest becomes a lot longer.

Your energy working Fuel can be thought of as the little magical calories floating around your energy body system. These units of energy are refilled and recharged as we do normal things like eating, sleeping, and engaging in restorative mundane activities. This Fuel doesn't do anything on its own*. In order to utilize it, you have to engage your Muscle. The more that you work with Fuel-collecting and Muscle-using, the more efficient your energy body system becomes at accepting, processing, storing, and expelling Fuel. You can use your Muscle to collect Fuel and store it inside your energy body.

No matter how much Fuel you have, once your Muscle is fatigued, you have to rest.

I can run a marathon (no I can't, but imagine with me) and be totally exhausted. If I eat an entire pizza, will this allow me to suddenly run another marathon? No, of course not!

Now, let's imagine that nobody brought a pizza to me, but I had to walk down to the corner shops to buy one - now, my poor muscles can barely hold me up. Energy-raising exercises still require you to flex your Muscle, and if it's already fatigued, you are probably just shooting yourself in the foot.

Your Fuel and Muscle are not automatically synchronised. And I think a lot of us out here are abusing our poor Muscles, demanding they work again and again and again, not understanding that they need literal periods of rest - hours and days to be allowed to relax, heal, and regrow to a stronger state. And I think a lot of people do believe that just by Refueling, their Muscles are supposed to "magically" work as if they just came of a week of rest.

In my beliefs, this Fuel and Muscle are the same ones we use for divination, spellwork, and spirit contact :) So if you're trying to do tons of these things all the time and thinking that a grounding exercise can replace rest, you're probably literally just… running yourself into the ground.

I would like to propose that if you are having a really hard time dealing with fatigue and energy levels when trying to engage with your practice**, you should learn two techniques: A way to judge the fatigue of your Muscle, and a way to judge the fullness of your Fuel.

Either of these things can be accomplished with a pendulum on a number line (using a pendulum requires usage of your Muscle, by the by!). Bodily sensations may tip you off - I get a strained feeling in my forehead when I'm close to over-exertion. You can also induce a psychic technique, such as asking yourself where you're at and waiting to hear, see, know, feel, or understand where your Muscles and Fuel are at.

I would also like to propose that metaphysical energy gathering can actually be so tiring that it might be inappropriate for everyday use. Raising a ton of energy and infusing it into yourself or objects for later use is a full day's activity, not a quick act you can shove into a morning routine. I'd like to clarify that here I differentiate between energy-raising, and meditative techniques which provide a "grounded," present-moment focused state of mind.

If you're taking suggestions, I would recommend figuring out how much magic you can do before you achieve a state of 50% Muscular fatigue/Fuel exertion, 75%, and 90%. I believe you shouldn't push past your limits. It just hurts. It feels bad, it's exhausting, and it takes exponentially longer to rest and heal. And I think many of us will be surprised at how little magic we can accomplish when we respect our limits.

*Some people who experience a great over-abundance of personal energy do have weird stuff happening around them all the time; it's the metaphysical equivalent of a cat rubbed with a balloon and set loose in a Styrofoam factory.