Letters From the Broom Closet

The Fading Sunlight Cocktail

Yep! It’s time for another magical cocktail and to make some potions and imbibe some witch’s brew with family and friends. Here’s a cocktail I made over the weekend because the ingredients screamed to me as I was shopping at the grocer.

This cocktail can be made non alcoholic as well and will still be very tasty. Simply don’t add the whiskey!

Now, I big batched this cocktail, but for you guy, I’ll give it as an individual recipe that you can make either for one or two people, or to make a nice party punch.

2oz whiskey

1/2oz spiced syrup*

3 oz Apple cider

2 oz ginger beer** (ginger ale if not available!)

Squeeze of lemon juice, and garnish with either slice of apple, or lemon twist

Shake whiskey, spiced syrup, lemon and apple cider over ice. Pour ginger beer in a cup with ice and strain cocktail into it. Stir clockwise and serve.

This cocktail is one of gathering and invigoration. Giving a spiritual boost to make it through the upcoming seasons, and a reminder that seasons change and we get to witness it. The cider should have cinnamon in it, if it doesn’t, add a stick to the syrup.

The Magic Explained: The peppercorns represent the seasons and energizing you to make it through then. Black for fall, white for winter, green for spring, and pink for summer. Apples are a seasonal connection to the harvest and gathering as friends. Lemon is a citrus and follows the tradition of citrus during the cold months and being a symbol of the sun and it’s return. Following the tradition of giving citrus for fall and winter holidays. Whiskey for its connection to warmth and celebration also has its history being given to warm up a stranger at your door on a cold night, representatives hospitality (and adorable st. Bernard’s with barrels on their neck of it is something that always brought a smile to my face.) Ginger has a long tradition of protection, energizing and healing in folk medicine, drawing out toxins and allowing people to heal.

*Spiced syrup: makes approximately 1.5 cups syrup.

Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in saucepan and heat on low.

Add in cracked cardamom pods (about 4) or ½ tsp cardamom seeds.

Add in 1 tbsp cracked mixed peppercorns (white, Black, green and pink)

Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture starts to thicken a small amount. Let cool completely and then strain out cardamom and peppercorns

**Ginger Beer is a slightly more flavorful ginger ale. It’s non alcoholic and has more ginger in it than the more widespread ginger ale.

So, have a good holiday season, and share a toast with those you hold dear!

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch

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Witchy Moon*:･ﾟ✧

A little guide on using the moon in your favor while practicing witchcraft!

as winter months (and yule festivities) approach, pine becomes an excellent component of green witchcraft. evergreen trees, of course, symbolize immortality and perseverance. they are a great addition to any spell involving resilience or overcoming obstacles.

hanging a pine branch above your door will invite good energies, be it spirits or friends, into your space. placing pine above your bed will ward off illness.

throw pine into the fireplace (or bonfire) to summon protective energy.

pinecones work as a health and fertility charm.

pine is also an excellent smoke cleanser for purifying and warming a space’s energy.

pine trees in general are associated with divine harmony, peace, releasing guilt, and clarity. for this reason, meditation under a pine tree (or with a pine sprig in your hand) can be very healing and beneficial spiritually.

Dear Goyim Witches,

Stop. Using. Hebrew. In. Your. Spells/Other Witchcraft.

Hebrew is the religious and cultural language of the Jewish people.

Stop. Using. The. Star. Of. David. In. Your. Spells/Witchcraft.

The Star of David is a cultural and in modern times, religious symbol of the Jewish people.

Stop. Attempting. To. Practice. Kabbalah.

You HAVE to be Jewish to practice Kabbalah. Kabbalah is 100% based off of Judaism/Jewish myscitism.

Stop. Dressing. As. A. Stereotypical. Witch.

It’s not yours to reclaim. That stereotype of big curly, puffy hair, big noses, and pointed hat was created by antisemitic Medieval stereotypes of JEWS, not witches. They though that Judaism and Jews were sorcery and witchcraft which is why you have the Jew-codes witch look. We have suffered greatly for that stereotype because it comes FROM the belief of Judaism being a form of witchcraft (which is specifically why I’m asking you guys to stop using Hebrew, Kabbalah, and the Star of David in your magic if you aren’t Jewish)

Stop. “Praying”. To. Jewish. Angels/Spiritual Jewish. entities.

These entities are incredibly sacred, and again Judaism does not condone witchcraft, and has had a truamatic history of being compared or seen as witchcraft.

I don’t know how me, and other Jews can make it easier for you to understand. The Jewish people have a traumatic history of being seen as witchcraft to the point all witches in old fairy tales were Jew-coded. I’ve made so many posts about this.

Jewish people are NOT okay with goyim witches doing any of this shit, especially since many of your antisemitic. You are being an utter culture vulture and are enabling and encouraging our oppression.

Idc whether you think what you are doing is “out of respect” or that you think you are doing it with the “upmost care and delicacy” WE DONT CARE. We want you to stop, no bargaining, no budging. Just, stop.

Judaism is a CULTURE, a culture that has been oppressed for being seen as witchcraft. Judaism is a people that have been oppressed for thousands of years due to our language, our symbols, our spiritual entities. You do not get to profit, spiritually, fianically, emotionally, etc. off our oppression.

I tagged this with many tags used by witches in hopes you guys see this and understand how harmful your actions are to one of the oldest oppressed groups out there.

i’ve made a list of all kinds of correspondences you can find in nature and in the supermarket, based on the book The Green Witch ☆

♡ WOODS

APPLE — life, longevity, fertility, fairies, the otherworld, afterlife, creativity, love, healing, harmony

ASH — water, strength, intellect, willpower, protection, justice, balance, harmony, skill, travel, weather, wisdom

BIRCH — cleansing, protection, purification, associated with children

CEDAR — healing, spirituality, purification, protection, prosperity, harmony

ELDER — protection, prosperity, healing

HAWTHORNE — fertility, harmony, happiness, the otherworld, fairies, protection

HAZEL — luck, fertility, protection, wishes

HONEYSUCKLE — psychic awareness, harmony, healing, prosperity, happiness

MAPLE — love, prosperity, life and health, abundance

OAK — defense, thunder, strength, courage, healing, longevity, protection, good fortune, fertility

PINE — cleansing, purification, healing, clarity of mind, prosperity, protection from evil

POPLAR — prosperity, communication, exorcism, purification

ROWAN — improving psychic powers, divination, healing, protection from evil, peace, creativity, success, change, transformation

WILLOW — moon, water, love, tranquility, harmony, protection, healing

WITCH HAZEL — protection, healing, peace

YEW — death, spirits, the otherworld

♡ FLOWERS 

CARNATION — protection, strength, energy, luck, healing

DAFFODIL — love, fertility, luck

DAISY — love, hope, innocence, associated with children

GARDENIA — love, harmony, healing, peace

GERANIUM — protection, fertility, love, healing, courage

HYACINTH — love, happiness, protection

IRIS — purification, blessing, wisdom, peace, harmony, love

JASMINE — moon, feminine energy, love, meditation, spirituality, harmony, prosperity

LAVENDER — relaxation, sleep, peace, harmony, tranquility, love, purification, healing

LILAC — protection, banishing negative energy

LILY — protection, death and afterlife, rebirth, cycles

LILY OF THE VALLEY — concentration, mental ability, happiness

PANSY — divination, communication, happiness, love

POPPY — tranquility, fertility, prosperity, love, sleep, invisibility

ROSE — healing, divination, tranquility, harmony, love, psychic ability, spirituality, protection

SNAPDRAGON — protection, illusion, deception, reflect negative energy

SUNFLOWER — sun, happiness, success, health, abundance

TULIP — prosperity, abundance, protection, love, happiness

VIOLET —  peace, hope, harmony, protection, luck, love, sleep, tranquility, fertility, abundance

♡ HERBS

ALLSPICE — prosperity, increasing energy, love, healing, luck

ANGELICA —protection, purification

BASIL — prosperity, success, peace, protection, happiness, purification, tranquility, love

BAY — success, wisdom, divination, making a wish

CHAMOMILE — prosperity, peace, healing, harmony, happiness

CALENDULA — happiness, prosperity, love, psychic powers, harmony

CINNAMON — energy (booster), money, success, action, healing, protection, love, prosperity, purification

CARAWAY — anti-theft, health, mental abilities, protection, fidelity

CLOVE — protection, purification, mental abilities, healing

COMFREY — health, healing, protection, travel, prosperity

DILL — good fortune, tranquility, prosperity, lust, protection

GINGER — energy (booster), kick-starter for love, finances, success

MAJORAM — happiness, protection, love, joy, family

MINT — prosperity, joy, fertility, purification, love, success

MUGWORT — prophetic dreams, divination, relaxation, tranquility, protection, banishing, consecration

NUTMEG —psychic abilities, happiness, love, money, health

OREGANO — love, courage, action

PARSLEY — power, strength, lust, purification, prosperity

ROSEMARY —protection, improving memory, wisdom, health, healing

SAGE —purification, protection, anxiety, wisdom, health, long life

VERBENA —divination, protection, inspiration, abundance, love, peace, tranquility, healing, prosperity, artistic skill, reversal of negativity

YARROW — courage, healing, love

♡ FRUITS

APPLE — health, longevity, love

CHERRY — love

PEAR — health, properity, love

ORANGE — joy, health, purification

LEMON — purification, protection, health

LIME — happiness, purification, healing

GRAPE — properity, fertility

KIWI — fertility, love

BANANA — fertility, strength

MANGO — spirituality, happiness

PEACH — spirituality, fertility, love, harmony

PINEAPPLE — prosperity, luck, protection

PLUM — love, tranquility

MELONS — love, peace

STRAWBERRY — love, peace, happiness, luck

RASPBERRY — strength, courage, healing

BLUEBERRY — tranquility, peace, protection, prosperity

BLACKBERRY — prosperity, protection, abundance

CRANBERRY — protection, healing

♡ VEGGIES

GARLIC — healing, protection, banishing, purification

ONION — protection, exorcism, healing, prosperity

LETTUCE — fertility, peace, harmony, love, protection

CARROTS — fertility, health

PEAS — love, abundance

CUCUMBER — fertility, healing, harmony

POTATOES — fertility, protection, abundance

CELERY — love, tranquility, concentration

SQUASH — abundance, harmony

MUSHROOM — strength, courage, healing, protection

LEEK — protection, harmony

CAULIFLOWER — protection, prosperity

BROCCOLI — protection, abundance

BEANS — love, family, protection

CABBAGE — protection, prosperity

tasseomancy/tasseography/tassology

Witch Tip Wednesday 11.7.18

Tarot Card Reviews and Barberwitch Tarot Masterpost

So, I’m not sure which one you meant since I’ve posted all of these at one point and at least 3 recently!

Prisma Visions Tarot (2nd edition)

You can buy the 4th edition here!

I love this deck, and I actually got it as a gift 2 years ago for Yule! The artist James Read did a beautiful deck. One thing that really made me happy is that if you lose or damage a card, you can pay $1 + shipping to get a replacement with your original order number. Sturdy card with silver edging. The deck is also printed in black and white called the Light Visions Tarot with gold edging.

It’s easy to read and has a small booklet with a definition and poetic interpretation to go with each card. The imagery definitely conveys meaning that’s easy to interpret. If you have the budget or want to give someone an amazing gift, it would brighten up any tarot reader’s day.

The editions matter because this deck always has a 79th card with its own meaning, specific to the edition.

Strawberries

The Gift

Illumination

(Current) The Flying Boar

Last thing…these cards are extremely glossy. Photographers beware the glare 😎

The Marigold Tarot

This is a beautiful deck I treated myself to via a Kickstarter last year! Amrit Brar is a fantastic artist who put a lot of energy and time into making and producing this deck.

It’s available here, and literally must have just restocked because someone asked about this the other day and it was sold out. It also is available in a gold gilded edge option for some extra $$.

Visually stunning and supports an artist of color who shared her vision of tarot and brought death imagery to a beautiful level. The suits are slightly varied, being rings instead of Pentacles for example, but again, pretty easy to read. The cardstock is similar to a regular playing card deck and has a similar texture as well.

The Ophidia Rosa Tarot

Available for purchase, and she still has some first editions available!

Full 78 card tarot deck from Leila & Olive. While it’s beautiful and definitely channels the wild witch in the forest vibe with its depictions of snakes and various flowers and herbs, it’s an intuitive deck. It’s all nature related so no humans if you depend on portraiture and facial expressions to remember meanings.

This was given to me last Yule by my work wife and I squeed. The aesthetic is totally up my alley. Plus, the sides are gilded soft gold so…bonus right?

As it’s an intuitive deck, it may not be the best beginner deck. There isn’t a booklet, but there is a foldout that has some minor meanings, a sentence or two a piece.

Dalí Tarot Universal

Unfortunately, this deck is no longer in print. You can still find copies, but they’re third party sellers and it can be difficult finding which one has the cards and which is just the book. I’ve seen listings go from $60-$250 the priciest ones at $500 and above may actually be some of the original printing. This deck was a limited print by TASCHEN along with the Dalí Cookbook (which is amazing).

This deck will always have a special place in my heart. Salvador Dalí painted all 78 cards. There’s an interesting history with them too. He was commissioned to make them as a prop for one of the 007 movies but they decided not to use them and never collected. Free from a time table he put a ton of work into adding depth and symbolism to existing pieces of artwork making them something completely new. He dedicated the deck to his wife who was a tarot reader herself even during the Franco Regime in Spain where it was against the law. Eventually the movie company wanted to collect due to his popularity and wanting to have the original paintings to do what they wanted with. There was a legal battle and Dalí eventually made a printing of the deck to sell to the public before handing over the originals (if I remember properly).

Unlike the other decks in this post, this is closer in size and shape to stereotypical large tarot deck. It’s on a more flexible cardstock and may be a bit difficult to handle with smaller hands and the lighter cardstock. Not a super shiny deck, but it does have some gloss. If you ever come across it and it’s decently priced, especially if you’re a Dalí fan, get it. He made original paintings for this deck as well, including painting himself as both the fool and the king of coins. It also has a rather large book to go with it. Goes into the meaning, history and symbolism of every card, and some background on Dalí himself.

The Wild Unknown Tarot

Available here in their shop! They also have an Oracle deck call if that’s more your speed. I got this deck on Pre-order a few years ago.

This is a deck a lot of people are familiar with, pretty popular and I love the artwork. One of my favorite cards in this deck is The Hanged Man. It utilizes animal symbolism and nature motifs for the entire deck. For this reason I do make the same point for beginners, that the symbolism doesn’t always reflect the meaning especially when it comes to the minor arcana.

I like reading this deck intuitively, especially because the companion book (a good sized one) really anthropomophizes each card into a person. That’s not really my everyday reading style, but it can be a helpful tool especially if you do a lot of love and relationship readings.

Heavy cardstock and a matte finish, I got another copy for my sister as her first tarot deck. She likes it but has trouble with the imagery.

The Pagan Otherworlds Tarot

Available directly from their website.

I received this deck as part of a trade.

This is an unusual deck because it’s not 78 cards, but rather 84. It has the additional card “The Seeker”. It also includes 5 “Luna” cards for the different moon phases. It’s a cool concept and an interesting addition to your readings. They can be read as the aspects of the moon, used for timing and when events will occur/red. The artwork is very soft and detailed and while I think it’s visually appealing, I personally have trouble connecting to it (probably because the people look so real 😂). If you like the Smith Waite style deck, this is definitely more appealing visually than the original to me.

Medium cardstock similar to playing cards and only slightly longer than classic playing cards.

Now! For some additional Tarot Goodness

Here are some of my favorite posts I’ve made about tarot, Divination, tools, tips and DIY

🌕Full Moon Clarity Spread. It’s one that I do rather often and can definitely be an emotional one. The last 3 clients I’ve done this for have cried at some point in the reading in a cathartic release. Also, it’s one of my most popular posts.

🤹🏻‍♂️Finding a Rhythm with your Tarot. Some ideas on how to work with your deck and find your reading style and just…jive better

🕯Should I Cleanse or Ground [tools, including Tarot] differentiating between full on cleansing and resetting the energy of tools, or getting them back to neutral. Not just in relation to tarot, but can include it.

⁉️I Keep Getting The Same Cards it happens to all of us, but what does it mean, or what could it mean?

🤝Meeting Your New Deck, an Introduction Spread. This also has an example of how to read it. It’s the spread I’ve done for all of my decks, and it definitely helps me understand how to read each one individually and in my style.

👻Spirit Communication: Tarot and Cartomancy. How you can use tarot cards for spirit work. Asking questions, getting answers and a glimpse into their lives. Also, my process and a bonus sigil made based on the post by a discontinued blogger.

🃏DIY Divination Tools: Tarot, Oracle, and Cartomancy/alternative reading systems. This was another ask turned Witch Tip Wednesday all about making your own decks. Especially if you’re creative or on a budget. Also has links to some printable tarot cards!

🛠More Tools, More Problems. If you’re feeling inadequate because you don’t have a bunch of witchy stuff, don’t. You’re a witch with or without tools.

I’ll update this post occasionally as I post more tarot related tips.

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch

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This is the ✨Wonderful $100 Weekend Post✨, charged with crystals of abundance and prosperity. Seeing this post will bring you good fortune and your wish will come true. May you be fulfilled and enjoy this weekend.

✨Like and reblog for prosperity to come your way.✨

Winter is coming quickly. A lot of people see this time of year as bleak, depressing, or just boring. Here are some tips to stay attuned to nature during these months.

❄️ Go outside. Even if it’s cold, the trees are bare, and the only colors are muted and dull. We often think that summer is the only time to enjoy the outdoors—the only time to hike, meditate outside, etc. In winter, there are no lush green trees or balmy days filled with sunshine and the smell of flowers. While summer is intoxicating, winter is a time to contemplate and reflect. Go outside. Feel the cold. Feel the mud and the dead grass and the chilly wind. Listen to how quiet it is. Understand that the dark half of the year is a time of silence, stillness, and death. It’s natural to have an aversion to these things, but take some time to sit down and just listen. Breathe. Feel the reality of silence and death around you. It’s a sobering experience, but also a very insightful one. If you have any fear of death or quiet, now is the time to go sit with those things as they appear in nature and just meditate with them.

❄️ Eat cozy foods. It’s cold outside—warm up with hearty soups, stews, homemade bread, and root veggies. Warm spices and hot drinks will keep you feeling grounded. This is a wonderful time of year to practice kitchen witchcraft—focus on coziness, family, protection, and rest.

❄️ Study magic! The Dark Half of the year is devoted to self-reflection, rest, and contemplation. Snuggle up indoors with a fluffy blanket and devote some time to studying magic and witchcraft with a hot cup of magically-brewed tea.

❄️ Think spirits are sleeping along with all the greenery? Think again! The Dark Half of the year, in many cultures and spiritual traditions, is considered extremely spiritually active. Deities like Odin, Berchta, Hekate, and spirits such as elves and ghosts are very active this time of year. You can choose to honor them if you want, or practice various spirit-working techniques. If you’re into necromancy or divination, this is a wonderful time of year for those things.

❄️ Be kind to local wildlife by installing things like bird feeders outside your home. We modern humans may have an easy time of it in winter, but animals struggle to survive during these months. Any bit of kindness will be much appreciated.

❄️ Nurture your fire energy. During winter, it’s easy to internalize the cold and take on its characteristics—sluggishness, sleepiness, a foggy-headed feeling. Some crystals that are great for winter include golden rutilated quartz (aka Venus hair), citrine, carnelian, obsidian, and garnet. All of these crystals contain a strong fire element as well as offer grounding qualities, mental clarity, and protection.

❄️ Go out and forage for magical ingredients! Melted snow is extremely purifying and can be incorporated into spells for purification and cleansing. Icicles can serve as temporary wands, especially in spells that require a strong water element. The ash from bonfires (or hearth fires) can be used to make black salt. Fallen branches can be crafted into wands. There may be nothing growing this time of year, but you can get creative and still find magical ingredients in unexpected places. Just be respectful and don’t collect from places where it’s illegal!