To live with the land I am on is a blessing

A version of a spell taught to me by the Beloved Goat, similar to other rituals that have been taught to me in the past. This spell requires no materials, but may take some playing around with it in order to get the feel of things.

The feel of things is the necessary component for this spell. We also need these definitions* to help feel out the right things:

Malfeasance: Wrongdoing against responsibilities and duties. Something should have happened according to honor and obligation, but instead something wrong was done.

Betrayal: Violation of trust.

Harm: Hurt, damage, unjust effects.

Identifying the problem

The first step is to conjure into your awareness the powers of malfeasance, betrayal, and harm that have been enacted against you.

OBFUK (observe, believe, feel, understand, or know) that within the universe are things harmful to you. Within the universe, malfeasance has been done against you.

Stay with this idea, considering that this is a force that exists in energetic form, and can therefore be manipulated and changed with energy. Play with the idea until you are able to OBFUK that malfeasance against you exists and can be dealt with.

Repeat this step with the concepts of betrayal and harm.

The more you understand and feel these ideas, the better. In this stage you are casting a net by defining what it is you want to deal with.

Contemplate what it really means to have your trust violated. Contemplate what it means for people to have responsibilities to you, and the debt that is created to your wellbeing when these responsibilities are ignored or neglected.

Dwell with these ideas until you have got a pretty good idea of what it is you want to banish and protect against. This stage may initially take several minutes, but with practice may be completed speedily.

Banishing

The second step is to banish malfeasance, betrayal, and harm in six directions. This step is the same for each direction, except you just turn in a circle and/or or re-envision the bisecting line.

Face north. Mentally bisect your body at the midpoint (solar plexus if lying down, middle of skull to top of feet if standing, etc).

OBFUK (observe, believe, feel, understand, or know) that this line of bisection extends infinitely across the universe. You will repeat this envisioning, so play around with it until you are comfortable with it.

Once you have gotten steady with the idea that a divide is going through your body that completely separates the universe into "the north," you are ready to banish.

Say, think, or sign, something quite like the following (note the four distinct sections; identifying problem, setting intent, commanding action, demanding results):

I see the malfeasance that is to the north of me. I see the betrayal that is to the north of me. I see the harm that is to the north of me. I revoke these things. I rebuke these things. I banish these things. They fade into the earth and into the blackness between stars. They turn to ash and dust and settle into the forest and into nebulae. They scatter to the winds and become the colors in the sunset. They sink into the waters and become algae the fish and frogs feed on. To the north of me, malfeasance, betrayal, and harm enacted against me are banished. They are no more.

It's best to stay with this portion until you are personally satisfied that you've said the right things. You may like to go on a diatribe about how the energies are burned by hellfire and consumed by demons, and so on.

The spell is all the better if you stay with each direction and gnash on the energies until you are satisfied that you have settled on the right words. Repeat sections as many times as you like, using any words that inspire you. Polish is less effective than conviction.

Protecting

After you have banished in one direction, re-focus on the bisecting line. In the middle of your body, on the axis of that line, is a core of power.**

OBFUK (observe, believe, feel, understand, or know) that this is your personal power.

That power is ready to flow around you in a spherical shield that protects you.

Say, think, or sign the following:

To the north, I am protected. I am protected from malfeasance. I am protected from betrayal. I am protected from harm.

As you intone this, OBFUK that an impermeable, impassable, perfect shell of protective power pours forth from you in a hemisphere, wrapping around you from east to west, entirely protecting you from what is in the north.

Repeat this portion as many times as necessary, or play around with it a bit, until you feel satisfied the protection has occurred.

Moving in 6 Directions

Repeat the Banishing and Protection step for each of the six directions (north, south, east, west, above, below).

You may go in any order you like. I move clockwise from north, hitting east, south, and west; then turning north again to finish above and below.

Each time you work in a new direction, adjust how you envision the bisecting line that goes through your body.

Your goal is to envision the line in such a way that all six lines intersect at the same point, if possible, marking a singular point. The banishing pushes everything outwards from this singular point.

In order to accomplish this, moving around or readjusting yourself may be necessary.

Remember that each time you conjure the Protection, it is a hemisphere. This means it necessarily overlaps the others. Half of the eastern hemisphere will overlap north, and the other half will overlap the south. The above and below hemispheres will encapsulate all for hemispheres before it.

You may find that banishment and protection are easier or harder in different directions, which is normal. Work in each direction until you are satisfied both with the banishment and the protection.

As you move through subsequent directions, you may find your hemispheres interlock or layer in ways you weren't expecting. Let the energy moves as it desires, as long as it conforms with your standards of protection.

When you have worked in 6 directions and laid down 6 hemispheres (to create 3 total overlapping spheres of protection), move to the finish.

Sealing

There are 3 complete spheres of protection around you; one created by the joining of north and south, one created by the joining of east and west, and one created by the joining of above and below.

Whether or not these spheres seemed to combine, or were combined, in earlier steps, seal everything now to properly finish the protection.

With your focus on yourself (not necessarily placed upon any direction), intone the following:

The protections to the north of me and to the south of me join together in perfect unison and perfect harmony. I am infinitely protected from all malfeasance, all betrayal, and all harm. The protections to the east of me and to the west of me join together in perfect unison and perfect harmony. I am infinitely protected from all malfeasance, all betrayal, and all harm. The protections above me and below me join together in perfect unison and perfect harmony. I am infinitely protected from all malfeasance, all betrayal, and all harm. I am infinitely protected from all malfeasance, all betrayal, and all harm.

The spell is complete.

[*The definitions are for the purpose of this spell, so we can sniff out what we are working on like a bloodhound sniffing out a rabbit. Dictionary definitions may differ.]

Banishing isn’t really the issue — they’ve stopped reaching out in the physical world through mundane means (aka “stop contacting me about this” texts that finally went through) — but energetically, I keep clearing their gunk away and multiple cord cuttings, shieldings, and banishings just don’t stick once the person starts obsessing and unconsciously reaching back out again.

Binding can be done on someone's energies and attentions through any normal binding means, e.g. a knot spell.

Option B would be a stay-at-home. This includes large witches bottles, proper wards, decoys etc.

A simple carry-on that I’ve employed is a hand felted bag that was infused with juniper branch tea instead of water while I felted it. I was also using my own handmade Castile soap for the process.

This bag was then filled with salt of the opposite color of the bag, as my bag is blue I went with pink salt that I smoked with juniper as well.

As this all came together I said my intention over it in the form of a spell, which just amounted to me saying that all negative influences will be sucked into it, instead of into me. You could also add a taglock of yourself into it.

This form of charm should be rebound every once in a while when the smokey smell of Juniper starts to fade.

While I haven’t given any specific spells or rituals to you, I do hope you find some ideas from this, as I think inspiration is one of the best witching tools.

(At this time I don't differentiate between astral travel and hedge crossing. I define astral travel as being undertaken in a trance state where some degree of awareness of your physical body is retained. This post contains UPG)

To travel to spirit worlds or otherworlds, you typically go through a door or a passage. Some sort of 'road trip' is often required. You can't just go through the door in the tree trunk; you have to go down the trunk, and through the other door, and down the path, and down the well, and through another door.

This isn't just head games. You are traveling somewhere. Sometimes these entryways are blocked and require sorcerous technique (or diplomacy) to traverse.

Doors are everywhere. They are affixed within physical times and physical places. Some doors open during certain times and are fixed shut during other times. Some doors will lead to one location for a while, and then suddenly lead elsewhere. A single path, known and familiar, can one day lead to a different location, or grow longer with more things in-between.

They are fairy roads and fairy doors, if you like. They do not operate by boring rules.

The following troubleshooting is based on the assumption that in order to travel to an otherworld, you've got to find a door that leads there. Therefore if you're struggling with travel, it may help to troubleshoot your door.

Guided meditations can be useful ("...you are standing before a tree with a door in the trunk"). We can imagine that we're being guided to build our own doors and roads, which of course people have the power to do - that's what laying a compass or calling the quarters is.

In any particular guided meditation, try it a few times just to make sure you've given yourself enough chances to build the road. For the purposes of troubleshooting, consider that you're literally build-discovering your own actual portals to otherworlds. This takes time and energy. You may be too tired to do it all at once, or it may be a bigger project than expected. This is why it's useful to keep re-using the same ones once you've built them. Between various meditations, try sticking with your same old tree, or hole in the ground, and so on. It's hard to make a blanket if you start a new one every time you sit down to work.

It can be remarkably helpful to align attempts at a guided meditation with times of power. Full moons do pretty well for this. Or, give it a try at midnight.

Other methods of creating and opening your own doors include drawing a door with chalk, knocking on it, and calling forth the path. A holey stone makes a fine door, just as a braid makes an excellent ladder to climb up or down. Many enchantments can be created which either function as doors, or which facilitate travel itself.

But remember the road trip - it's not just passing through a door. You also usually have to walk a little while. Therefore, also just walking a little while can get you there.

In a trance state, while your body is at rest, send your mind walking out of your room, to the vent over the stove, and climb up into the air ducts. Keep climbing up and try to find the exit. The exit might lead to the top of your domicile, but it certainly may not.

Alternatively, climb down the plumbing. Or, mentally walk yourself out of your house, to the nearest tree, and climb up it. Or down it, through a hole in its roots. Maybe an angry gopher is at the roots. Back away and try a different tree.

Perhaps your nearby environment won't do. That's alright, there are doors everywhere. Go and find one while you're out and about. To go downwards, find holes. To go upwards, find things that are tall. Suppose there's a water tower in your town. Go there and really take a good look at it. Dwell in the present moment with that water tower, as much as you can.

At home, in a trance state and while your body is at rest, remember going to the water tower. Relive exiting transit, going closer to the tower, and looking at it. Start remembering something new. Remember how you started climbing it. Climb and remember how you climbed this water tower to find a door that would lead you to an upperworld.

Is there a door at the top of the water tower? Well, maybe not. But there might be one along the way that you'll creep into if you keep your focus on finding a door that takes you to where you want to go.

Always keep a very strong focus on finding a door that leads to your desired location. And I mean that you should know exactly where you're trying to end up at, don't insert "*desired location" as a wildcard.

They are fairy doors and fairy roads. A memory of a water tower from this morning will do. What about a memory from 30 years ago, from when you were a kid? That mountain you'll never forget at the place you'll never return to. That's fine. A good memory makes a fantastic porch for a door. Relive the memory. But when you get to the part when you looked at the mountain for the last time, don't turn away. Remember that you walked towards it. Remember that you started climbing up it.

Remember that you climbed up the mountain to find a door.

Spirit helpers can be of immense assistance in all manner of travel, including finding doors, the "road trip," navigating the otherworlds, and safely returning. I don't mean to pray to your ancestors for guidance. I mean to engage an individual spirit helper to literally walk in front of you, show you the way, and even carry you.

Just now I drew a sigil on a piece of paper. I did energy work to charge the sigil, which represents a door. I placed the paper on a tray on the rug, and knocked on it. Then I went to lie down in bed. I practiced progressive relaxation to facilitate trance. When I felt relaxed and fuzzy, I chose to remember drawing the sigil, putting it on a tray, and knocking.

I remembered that when I knocked on the paper, there was a scratch at my door. I had opened the door and my spirit helper was there. I turned around - I remember it clearly - and the paper wasn't normal paper any more. The sigil was a doorway, it appeared like magic. My spirit helper reminded me to become small, so I did and sat on xer back.

Xe walked through the portal, and we both change sizes. I sit on xer back as we pass through a dark hallway, then a natural cave, and then the cave opens into something I'm about to see for the first time---

The bed is soft underneath me and it's dark in this room, and soon for the first time I will see what's on the other side of the cave.

.

If a guided meditation door doesn't work, make one using sorcerous techniques. If that doesn't work, find a natural amulet - like a holey stone. If that doesn't work, find one in the world around you. Try a few different ones. They really can be blocked, and that's got nothing to do with your skill. If that doesn't work, try traveling during special times. If that doesn't work, try engaging the help of a familiar spirit who is willing to teach you how to travel, and who will assist you while you travel.

Remember:

Know where you are trying to get to

Keep a strong focus on trying to get there

Most people are not able to leave their body fully behind

Your level of immersion depends on travel skill and trance skill

Seeing can feel low-resolution despite Knowing remaining strong. Do not discount valid travel experiences because your spirit eyes are weak.

Always strive to go back the way you came and return through the same door. Spirit helpers can carry you out if you get too tired or are about to fall asleep. Forgetting to do this isn't the end of the world.

if you can't access any of these links lmk!

please reblog with your own! and add links or book recs if you have any.

the passage of time

learn chronokinesis (x)

different philosophical theories of time (x)

pagan ideas of time (x) and nature's time (x)

the spirituality of time (x)

critical understandings of myth

defining myth (x)

modern constructions of myth (x)

what happened to myth? (x)

modern media myth (x)

modern myths and design (x)

american myth and nationalism (x)

british myth and nationalism (x)

european non-classical myth (x)

criticisms of paganism

*these are a collection of criticisms that i found interesting, and worth reflecting on. contrary to what tumblr thinks, there are negatives for (neo)paganism, and blind spots. being aware of them is useful.

is it giving ancient pagans a bad name? (x)

is it a nature religion? (x)

is it theist? (x)

does it allow space for grooming and sexualisation? (x) *note, original essay is no longer accessible, but i think the comments do a decent job explaining.

is it authentic? (x)

is there a secret global neo-pagan movement? (x) *note, probably not, but this article still offers some interesting criticisms despite being a bit... kooky?

The creation of a scapegoat for protection in witchcraft is an act of sympathetic magic. You create something which is magically identified as you, and unwanted things which seek you out will be distracted/confused/mislead by the scapegoat and attach to it instead.

This is indeed the basis for the witch bottle of piss fame which we were joshing about just a post or two ago. The point of adding your urine to the witch's bottle (along with things like hair, blood, or nail trimmings) is that they are a correspondence for you, and something seeking you out will find the bottle instead.

Importantly, this bottle is kept outside of the home or wards, or at threshold points where an entering curse would necessarily encounter the bottle first (buried under the hearth or front door step). These days, one rarely buries a scapegoat under the literal front doorstep, but the same principle applies.

A witch bottle, or a scapegoat, is not a poppet which when acted upon sends the acts of magic back to you. It's actually a lot more like building a snowman around a fire hydrant, so that when the jackass in the truck swerves onto the sidewalk to knock over your snowman, this time he totals his truck and gets sued by the city.

A witch bottle in particular is an act of remarkably aggressive magic. Not only are your own bodily taglocks included, but often things like rusty nails, bent pins, and broken glass. This is to tear up and destroy magic (or other things) that enter the bottle.

Curiously, it's been said that if a spell is caught in the bottle, it will give the instigating witch horrid bladder pains, and if the bottle is thrown into the fire and explodes, the witch who cast the curse upon you will die following agonizing abdominal pain. We can surmise that a taglock gathered from the human body, instead of a plant or chemical based substitute, may have implications that spread far beyond 'this is tricks the spell into thinking the bottle is me.'

Creation and deployment of a witch bottle, or any scapegoat, can be an invaluable tool in dealing with aggressive targeted magic. Keep in mind its dual function and its vital placement:

It is likened enough to you that something seeking you out will at least explore it or enter into it trying to find you.

It contains harmful things to tear away at the magic that enters it.

It is placed in the world in such a way that incoming magic creeping into your home will find it first.

While the aggressive nature of such a working may seem unnecessary, consider if you think the following is likely:

While a bottle of wee and nails may throw a spell off your trail, we might guess that a sufficiently well cast spell or cunning practitioner is indeed able to target better than "them or what they left in the toilet." If a scapegoat does not perform an action to neutralize or trap the harmful magic, then do you think that magic is free to return to its hunt for you? Or, do you think the magic will find the first thing that could pass for you and just stop?

A broad opinion my friends, take or leave it as you prefer:

Most witches, especially beginners, should not expect to be able to cast a single spell on anything and have the effects be permanent, forever.

Many witches, and beginner witches, work with perfectly good and fine magic, call power unto themselves, employ technique with skill, and achieve results. This is good!

Then, after a few weeks or months the effects will wear off, and that same person doing good work will just sort of say, ahhhh well. I tried, didn't I. That's too bad I can't really do magic that good, then.

Unless you are either remarkably talented at what you're doing, or unless you are neck-deep in techniques of permanency, most magic - especially stuff you find for free online - is best regarded as a treatment, not a cure.

Spell vessels run out of energy and must be recharged

Oils, incenses, and pertinent substances once applied lose potency and must be refreshed

One-shot spells, like a ringing bell, reverberate out into the world and then eventually fade away

The living world, both physical, magical, and beyond, continues to grow - and trees chopped down send up new saplings, old root balls start lapping up water, and termites wriggle their way into fresh wood piles

Therefore:

If something worked great for a while and now you need to do it again, then you should do it again.

If you worked hard at a spell and it got you some of the way there, but not all the way, you should rest up and do it again to get more of the way there.

If a frenzy of casting solved some of your problems, but not all of your problems, wait until you are rested and begin casting again.

study of the love note

Guide to Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is a simple practice, and there are several methods to choose from depending on the type of herb and your desire use. Here's how I dry my herbs:

1. Drying on Newspaper

This method works well for larger leaves and herbs that don’t need to be hung.

Lay the herbs flat on a clean sheet of newspaper in a single layer.

Place the newspaper in a dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight.

Turn the herbs occasionally to ensure even drying.

Once the herbs are dry and crisp to the touch, they’re ready for storage.

2. Hanging Herbs Upside Down

Perfect for longer herbs, like rosemary, lavender or thyme, that can be tied together.

Gather small bunches of herbs and secure them with a cord or string.

Wrap the herbs loosely in a breathable cloth, like cheesecloth or muslin. This helps them air freely while catching any small leaves or flowers that may shed during the drying process.

Hang the bunches upside down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Avoid direct sunlight, as it can degrade the color and potency.

Once the herbs are completely dry (they should crumble easily), remove the leaves or store them as they are.

I do this with fresh lavender that I put in my closet as shown in the picture.

3. Pressing Herbs

This method is ideal for preserving delicate leaves or flowers for decorative purposes or rituals.

Place the herbs between sheets of paper (such as parchment or regular printer paper).

Insert the paper into a thick book, ensuring the herbs are spread flat and evenly.

Place additional books or a weight on top to press them.

Leave them for 1–2 weeks, checking occasionally for dryness.

4. Drying Small Petals

For small, delicate petals or flowers, a rule bag works wonders.

Place the petals or flowers in a breathable rule bag (such as a mesh or cotton drawstring bag).

Hang the bag in a dry, ventilated area.

Shake the bag gently every few days to prevent clumping and to ensure even drying.

General Tips for Best Results

Use Breathable Cloths: Wrapping your herbs or laying them on a breathable cloth allows air to circulate freely, preventing mold while catching any small leaves or flowers that shed during the drying process.

Timing: Dry herbs as soon as possible after harvesting to retain their potency and fragrance.

Environment: Choose a dry, cool, and ventilated area to prevent mold or mildew.

Labeling: If drying multiple herbs, label them to avoid confusion.

Storage: Once dried, store your herbs in airtight containers away from sunlight and moisture.

Using Dried Herbs

Always check if the plant is safe for use before collecting it. Do not make tea or touch anything with unknown properties. Always clean your plants before drying.

According to atavistic wisdom, the ceremony is to be performed using a suffumigation of leaves of the Oak tree. It is essential that the leaves have been willingly sacrificed by the Patron tree, and gathered from where they have fallen to the earth beneath it. To violate this imperative is to violate the very essence of Claensunge and to invite misfortune into the home.

The leaves should be lit from the hearth (or in instances where there is no hearth, from a spiritually central location in the home), and prayers spoken to the primordial Goddess of the hearth.

The suffumigation should then be continued, moving outward from the hearth in a counter-clockwise spiraling pattern, as allowed by the confines of the structure. Thanks and praises should be given to the Spirits of the hearth and home.

Upon reaching the Threshold of the home, the spiral is to be continued outside, until the house is encircled and Ensorcelled. Having drawn this Boundary, its Spirit must be entreated to aid in the purification and protection of the Home. Only then may the remaining leaves be extinguished.

With the suffumigation complete, it is essential that the worker of the sacred rite of Claensunge return to the Threshold of the Home and knock three times on the upper length of the door frame before reentering. This is to be immediately followed by an offering of an egg upon the hearth.

something i dreamed about (can't remember it now) prompted me to wanna ask y'all

if someone does a spell to manifest a specific, tangible item but it was actually purchased for them much further in advance to give as a gift, did they really manifest it?

Imagine a tapestry of a radiating orange sun on a blue background. The center of the sun is the spell.

When the witch casts the spell, a lot of metaphysical energy is raised. A lot more than is typically normal. Flow of energy is gathered and released, radiating like the sun.

On the left-hand side of the tapestry is the first orange thread. When this first, singular orange thread is introduced on the tapestry, it occurs well before we get to the sun.

This thread is necessary to complete the sun. After all, the sun radiates. The orange threads that show the radiation are a necessary part of the picture.

As we travel from the left-hand side of the tapestry, to the right-hand side, that thread may seem to travel up and down out of our point of view. That does not mean the orange thread disappears. Rather, it is a part of a larger picture that we can't see due to our narrow and linear view of time moving from left to right on the tapestry.

As we approach the sun in the center of the tapestry, more orange threads may bind together in order to make the radiation lines thicker. Here, it may seem that the effects of the spell are cast even before the spell has been performed. But that is another trick of perspective; if it's a tapestry, a weaving, or a web, it's all interrelated.

When you reach the sun, you have reached the cause or reason for all those orange threads to exist.