Hidden Garden

1) be curious and develop your critical thinking - ask questions. Allow yourself to follow down rabbit holes of thought. Let yourself follow link after link through Wikipedia. Fall asleep in a bed of library books with conflicting information and have the skills to sort out what’s right and true for your practice.

2)  learn a bit of the history of witchcraft - Enough to know that the “Burning Times” were not a thing, there is no unbroken line of ancient witches, that the rise of modern witchcraft and our contemporary understanding of it grew (and changed) out of the Wiccan religion from the middle of last century and filtered through the 80s “Satanic Panic” and the 90s “love and light”, that actions and beliefs that look like witchcraft exist in many folk and cultural traditions but they are only witchcraft when self identified as such.

3) The mechanics of your practice - whether it is an existing magical tradition or a practice you have built from scratch, whether is is religious or secular - know your own mechanics. Knowing mechanics isn’t the same as knowing how magic works. Knowing mechanics is understanding the why of you practice and the how you do your practice. What value do you find in techniques, correspondences, paradigms, and methods that go into your practice? Are you doing things by rote or have you found personal gnosis? That being said, you don’t owe anyone any explanation, you should just know it for yourself.

4) Know theyself- this is more than just high magick navel gazing. Know yourself and what you are capable of. What your boundaries are, how you react to certain things, whether you can actually commit to celebrating every moon cycle, setting realistic expectations and goals for yourself, learning that constantly comparing your practice to others can be a hindrance and keep you from focusing on you own practice.

5) How to claim your space - this, to me, is such an important foundation and a way to put all the other things in practice. This can be your own combination of cleansing (mundane and magical) , protecting, warding, defense, and safety. This can be applied to physical spaces and witchy spaces. This is making your house or other space your sanctuary. Also, knowing some fire safety so as to not set your claimed space on fire or knowing enough about herbs you decide to work with so as to not get poisoned.

throwing this out there because i had to remind myself recently that:

you don't have to work with every single herb

or crystal

or deity

or celestial body

or anything else

I keep coming back to coin divination because I really like it's simplicity. It's a form of divination that's quite portable and effecient. I've been playing with it more to turn it into more of a fully fleshed out divination system, something that could speak to a wider array of topics. Previous posts I've written have talked about how to use it while fully contextualized by a question or series of questions but I wanted it to be capable of being used for general readings or in place of cards in spreads.

In the process, I wrote up a post that makes me sound a bit like the red string guy but I offer it here in case it makes sense to someone who isn't me, someone who can make use of it in their personal practice.

I've gotten several questions over the years from people living in conservative or fundamentalist Christian homes about how to learn divination and I think nothing beats coin divination. Coins are everywhere and no one would really think it's that weird if you have one in your pocket. Artisan coins are becoming a popular EDC item to carry. It's something easy to take with you if you have to leave or find once you get somewhere.

Yes playing card divination is another one of my favorites, but I know some homes are so strict in their rejection of gambling that they ban cards altogether and all the meanings can be tricky to memorize. With this version of coin divination I hoped to create something where the basic meanings could fit on an index card that could be hidden behind a phone or somewhere else fairly safe.

I didn't mix geomantic figures with this system as they didn't fit well with the other moving parts. I think the focus for geomancy is on the figures created rather than the meanings of the coin results itself. Given this it is possible to have two forms of divination - something I recommend every magically operant person know - in a single coin. One could use this coin divination system and geomancy separately (perhaps with a geomancy cheat sheet on the back of the index card.) Magical minimalism meets mass accessibility.

Basically, I think this has real potential, especially for folks who need to travel light or who are living in repressive circumstances.

The Subject Compass

A compass or 8 point figure seems like an obvious choice to divine on but as I looked for one that was rooted in western esoteric traditions, I struggled to find one that was semi-consistent and had areas that were helpful for divination. So I came up with a model loosely inspired by the 4 orienting points of an astrological chart - ASC, IC, DC, MC and combinations of meanings there of.

W - ASC - Self + Health

SW - Family + Resources + Spirituality

S - IC - Internal + Root/Past + Home

SE - Sex + Children + Pets

E - DC - Other + Partnerships

NE - Education + Community + Coworkers

N -MC - External + Aspirations + Journeys

NW - Reputation + Work

To decide the direction, establish some part of the coin as the point. For coins with human or animal faces, this can be the direction the eyes point. For other coins it could simply be the generally agreed upon top of the coin. If a face has none, it may be necessary to file a notch into the coin or mark it in some way permanently. Whichever direction the point most faces, that's the subject being discussed.

Using heads for positive/active and tails for negative/passive and the meanings of these areas, combinations cam point to specific areas. For instance a heads in the East could mean a new or generally positive relationship or friendship. A tails in the S could indicate a new challenge or difficulty at home. This can then steer the question phase or further clarify confusing answers received during it.

Yes/No Questions

The format I use to answer questions is to flip a coin 4 times and use the following results to determine an answer:

4 Heads - 0 Tails - Strong Yes

3 Heads - 1 Tails - Weak Yes

2 Heads - 2 Tails - Neutral/Ask Later

1 Heads - 3 Tails - Weak No

0 Heads - 4 Tails - Strong No

I think this format in particular is great for spirit work since it necessitates something conversational and quick. Cards can actually be a bit of a drag in these situations where quick to the point answers are needed. You can keep it to just this or you can layer in other meanings as you need for your purposes.

The main thing I'm adding here is this: extrapolating from aspects of geomancy, one could also read into the order in which you got your heads and tails for more meaning and specificity. Taking heads as generally positive/active and tails as generally negative/passive, you can see where a given result might be most relevant. This could also be used to further clarify a subject before asking questions.

First Position - Head - Fire/Plasma - Spiritual

Second Position - Neck/Chest/Arms - Air/Gas - Mental

Third Position - Core/Organs/Groin - Water/Fluid - Emotional

Fourth Position - Legs/Feet - Earth/Solid - Physical

Difference in Points

This is probably my most red string of all the meanings. Basically, when you start given reading you decide what point of the compass your reading most aligns to. We'll call this the heading. Then as you flip the coin, you count the difference between the heading and where the point landed for that toss to get a number. At the end, you add these numbers up to get a numerology number that can also be interpreted using those principles. I honestly find combing through the vast majority of numerology information on the internet a real drag so I just use the numbers from Tarot loosely as my basis:

Beginnings, seeds, new, solitary - start something new, reflect in isolation for a while

Balance, partnership, preparation - make needed preparations, balance or rebalance

Creation, community, education - create something new, learn from your community

Stability, stagnation, temporary - this too shall pass, loosen your grip, give back

Turning point, challenges, woe - be transformed, remember what is truly important

Follow through, past, go, do - take right action, right your prior wrongs, be fair and just

Pause, illusion, tend - wait it out, there's a lie or delusion in the mix, water the garden

Crossroads, journey, binds - Free yourself and journey onwards, make a decision and commit

Luck, manifestation, completion - put a bow on it, cause and effect, mourn it's end

General Reading

With these added layers of meaning, it opens up the possibility for a general reading. One could flip a coin 4 times and note the result and the direction of the point without any question at all. For example:

Heading - W

H - NE - 5

H - S - 2

T - S - 2

H - N - 6

5 + 2 + 2 + 6 = 15 = 1 + 5 = 6

Weak Positive - There's a balance of the external and the internal, there's a doubling of the south so home might be the main focus, maybe there's a weakly positive opportunity to learn at or about your home in a way the furthers your current aspirations in life, the only tail showed up in the third position so maybe what you're learning is has to do with a water problem in your home - either actual water/plumbing or GI related health issues or an emotional issue. Given that the education result is also in the fire or spiritual position, perhaps the subject is spiritually significant or is something you discussed or agreed on with a spirit. With 6 as the number for the reading, this would indicate a need to get started on this education right away.

Other Spreads

You could use this method on spreads designed for other divination systems. It certainly won't work as well as the systems they were originally designed for but it is still workable. 4 tosses per spot would be the most complete but it's also almost too much information to fit in the context of the spread.

I recommend 2 tosses per spot. With some tweaking you can condense some of the meanings I pointed to in the general reading. The first toss would be read on the subject compass. But the second would need to be read on a second compass to add back in the elemental and body readings. You can use the directions that make the most sense to you or use these:

Second Coin Compass

W - Water

S - Fire

E - Earth

N - Air

You could read into the mixed points (SW, SE, etc) if you wanted to add a layer of meaning, or you can just pick the main compass point it is closes to to keep it simple.

Example

Let's look at a simple Past - Present - Future - Advice spread.

Past - Heading: S - [T - NW] [H - E) - 5 + 2 = [7]

Neutral; Reputation + Work, Earth - Physical, Legs/Feet; Pause - Taking a break from work, putting your feet up

Present - Heading: W - [H - S] [H - W] - 2 + 8 = 10 = 1 + 0 = [1]

Positive; Home + Root, Water; New - A renewed connection with someone from the past

Future - Heading: N - [H - S] [T - NE] - 4 + 7 = 11 = 1+1 = [2]

Neutral; Home + Root, Air/Earth - Erosion; Partnership - This connection is likely to erode again for a while

Advice - Heading: NE - [T - SW] [T - W] - 4 + 3 = [7]

Negative; Family + Resources, Water; Wait - Refocus your efforts on your family, don't make any sudden decisions

Summary of the Reading

Overall Number - 7 + 1 + 2 + 7 = 17 = 1 + 7 = 8 - Crossroads, Journey, Binds

Querant's focus was on work but in learning to relax, they've reestablished a connection with someone from their past, perhaps from their hometown. They shouldn't necessarily dive right into it as it's likely to erode. They should protect their resources and not lose sight of their family. Wouldn't lend this new person any money. This friendship might force them to finally make a decision they've been putting off or put them in a bind of some kind.

Conclusion

Part of my practice is making friendship bracelets with colors of what I want to manifest. I learned morse code and tie my goals into the bracelet. It look like a normal bracelet, no one would know the difference unless I told them. Your manifestations and spells can be verbal and whispered to the wind, your sigils can look like doodled stars or stick figures, your altar doesn't need to be anything more than the tools you use (if you even need an altar). You can put spells together based on what you have and what the things around you mean to you.

A few things that I do when I’m at my lowest. Made specifically for disabled people, but anyone can do these! See this post for low energy witchcraft ideas not directly related to disabilities.

Enchant your blanket for a good night’s rest

Enchant your coffee/juice/water/NyQuil/whatever you’re drinking to aid in recovery

Enchant food to aid in recovery

Place sigils around to aid in recovery, memory, etc.

Keep relaxing herbs/stones/etc. around

Cast a sleep aid spell (I have a bag with lavender and amethyst hanging on a bedpost)

Cast a recovery spell (I have another bag with a variety of protection and rest herbs and crystals)

Enchant fidgets or objects used to stim to calm you and to never break

Use energy magic instead of physical spells.

Use art/writing/etc. magic! Draw sigils, deities, write spells, recipes, shopping lists, etc.

Stir and infuse good energy/banishing into teas or coffees.

Keep some supplies nearby (i.e. tea lights, a lighter, grimoire, oils, etc.).

Use showers, washing of face/hands, etc. for cleansing.

Brush out the bad energy when brushing your hair.

Ward health aids or mobility aids against breaking and bless them to work quickly and well.

Use apps or websites for sigils, spells, etc. (VirtualCandleSpell for digital candle spells, Craiyon for sigils).

Keep room sprays near you and bless them to serve a certain purpose.

Make emoji/song spells! Use corresponding emojis and charge them with intent. Use corresponding songs, put them on a playlist, charge them, and listen to it whenever you want to cast it.

Use makeup/skincare as glamours.

Use sunscreen as protection!

Use wax warmers and melts instead of candles.

Use oils in diffusers instead of candles or incense.

Hi, thanks for the ask 😀 I think I might be able to help you.

Firstly, you've got to understand that correspondence and what can be used for what is often a vague and sometimes personal thing. It can be kind of hard to figure out why something is protective against one thing and not another, or if they're generally protective, or only protective against something specific.

So my personal method is looking at symbolic meanings of things, or assigning my own symbolic meanings. My practice uses symbolic concepts and imagery a lot, so I just try to figure out what something can mean and why.

So here's some ideas. The shell from a walnut, or other nut, can be defensively protective against mundane things, because in the mundane world, that's what the shell does. Oak is a protective wood used for spiritual protection, but also can be used for mundane protection, as it's been used for making shelters for generations, and was common to make shields and weapon handles throughout history. An enchanted knife can keep you safe from violence as it can symbolize self defense and intimidating an attacker. A shred of old seat belt or scrap of airbag plastic can keep you safe in travel. Speaking of travel magic, there are a lot of sailing superstitions and charms for a safe voyage that can translate into all travel, or serve as inspiration for your own mundane travel protection spells.

There's tons of materials out there that you can use, just think of the thing you want protection from and if there's anything that symbolically could represent protection from that thing. If it's a super specific situation, you could also try making your own components like sigils and petitions. Go a step further and burn the sigil or petition and use the ashes as a component.

I believe X. It is a cold hard fact.

I currently believe X, but I'm open to changing my mind.

The idea of X works for me, but I recognize it's probably not the WHOLE truth.

I believe X is true for me, but may not be for others.

I believe X is true, but also Y and Z which may conflict on a surface level.

I'm ambivalent about an "absolute" truth to this, but it is helpful to apply this belief in certain situations.

I'm not sure what I believe about X and am not concerned with figuring it out.

I don't believe in how X is described, but the principle/process works even if we don't understand exactly how. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I don't believe X in a literal sense, but it helps me conceptualize something more esoteric.

I don't believe X in a literal sense, but find value in its deeper message.

I believe X is entirely false, but there's something helpful/valuable/effective in acting as if it were true.

I believe X is complete bullshit.

I believe X is equally true and untrue.

Whether X is "true" or not isn't the point.

I believe in X but not in the way other people describe believing in X

My belief in X is fluid.

My belief in X is personal.

Here are a compilation of Aphrodite spells that you can practice almost everyday. I personally find myself doing most of these things out of habit.

I hope you guys enjoy! Criticism is always allowed, and I highly appreciate the notes and likes :P

Also feel free to ask questions, I’m always happy to answer! And if you want me to post about something, let me know.

Ａｐｈｒｏｄｉｔｅ＇ｓ  ｂａｌｍ

This spell is one you make once, and then can use it everyday. Apply it every morning on your wrist, neck, behind your ears, elbows, etc.

Ingredients

💕 1 ½ teaspoons beeswax beads

💕1/4 cup sweet almond oil

💕1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

💕2 drops vanilla oil

💕1 drop rose oil 

💕2 drops jasmine oil

💕Almond oil

💕Sweet orange oil

💕Amber oil

💕A small jar/container to store the balm in

Directions

Melt the bees wax and sweet almond oil in a clean container/can in a sauce pan of water (Half full). Put the heat on medium and let the water melt the oils and wax. Remove the melted ingredients from the heat and with oven mitts remove the container. Now is the time to add in your essential oils and vitamin E oil. Stir in with a popsicle stick. Let the mixture cool slightly, but not enough to harden completely. Now stir again and add to your jar/container and then let harden completely.

Now you can enchant this object and I highly suggest calling upon Aphrodite to bless your creation, although this is completely optional.

When you want to use it, warm the product with your fingertips and scoop enough to apply as you would a solid perfume.

Ｉｍｍａｃｕｌａｔｅ Ｂｅａｕｔｙ Ｓｐｅｌｌ

- An edible spell that makes you feel like a god/goddess

This one you can make in the morning and night, and always puts me in a good mood. 

Ingredients 

💕Hot chocolate mix of choice - Self-love, Nurturing, Love, Balance

💕Dark/bittersweet chocolate - Love, Romance

💕Almond milk or any milk of choice 

💕Vanilla - Attraction

💕Cinnamon - Power, lust, success 

Directions

Heat up milk, then add your hot chocolate mix. Melt your real chocolate, and add vanilla and cinnamon. Let it sit on the heat for a couple more minutes. Pour into a favored mug, or one that is enchanted. Top with anything you’d like.

Ｓｐｅｌｌ ｏｆ Ｓｗｅｅｔ Ｓｐｅｅｃｈ

- A spell to sweeten your voice and words

This is a spell I do every morning when I start my skincare and makeup ritual. I learned it when I first started the craft. 

Ingredients

💕Honey (Or agave nectar)

💕A spoonful of sugar

Directions

Take your ingredients, enough to coat your lips, and mix them together. Then using your thumb (this represents will power and will boost the spell) smooth the mixture over your lips. Envision what this spell will do for you, and think of your intent in your mind.

Other little things:

Enchanting all your skincare/beauty products

Burning pink and white candles every morning

Taking your time to pamper yourself (Proper hygiene, baths, skincare)

Doing the things you love ❤️ 

Thank you for visiting my blog, 

and all the love, from Angelica

I love you all! My DMs, mail, and comments are always open! 

Above are three simple money spells I had previously posted on my blog. Upper left for a momentary burst of funds; upper right for a lighter mindset about money and a steady, light stream of money; bottom for substantial increase in income and controlled hours.

In general, you should set 3 parameters before putting together your creation.

Explicit end goal

Time frame

Means of feeding the spell

Things to keep in mind:

Spirits called upon

Transfer of energies/services

Spiritual currents

Realm of influence (impacted by spirits called upon)

So! Let's put that all together in a way that makes sense.

By explicit end goal and time frame I don't mean something like, "Oh, baby, what are you doing? What are you doing this for?" I mean that you should have a concrete dollar amount that you will receive or have by a concrete, set time. The more specific you are the easier this will be. A distinct failure is just as valuable as a success.

So ask for an extra $20 by the end of this week (that you aren't already expecting to get), and see what happens. Do you get it? Why? Do you not get it? Why? The answer may lie somewhere with the other aspects.

What spirits did you call upon? How did you call on them? Did you cater your set up and design to what they are most comfortable/familiar/associated with? As in, you wouldn't call on the devil with a psalm and you wouldn't put a baphomet statue before an angel.

So, let's say I want $20 by the end of the week and I just so happen to want to call on my ancestors. I know for them, their offerings - exchange of energy/services - are going to take the form of foods, beverages, and treats they were known to like during their lives. The means of communication for them are also going to be bodies of water, so I would incorporate bowls/cups of water that can carry currents (this, I have since found out - found this post in my drafts - is a thing from the PR/Hispanic influence on my family/practice, so this may not apply to everybody).

Most of my ancestors are either super religious or super not, so determining what associations I'll play into, or off of, would really be on a case-by-case basis. Let's just assume I'm working with the Abrahamic side. To recreate what they are most accustomed and receptive to, I would incorporate frankincense and psalms in the atmosphere/surroundings. Drawing spirits in by recreating what they are drawn to or dwell comfortably in can help ease the working into one of success, I've found. Any further means of feeding the spell and ensuring its success really depend on specifics of what I'd be looking for, so I won't get too much deeper into this example.