Spellbound Lilly

Me, surrounded by tarot cards that card roasting me, crying: I’m a witch

Me, touching any cat ever: I’m a witch

Me, staring at all the notebooks I bought for grimoires while holding the composition notebook I Actually Use: I’m a witch

Me, choking on incense smoke: I’m a witch

PART I

I haven’t seen any Indigenous Australian spells on tumblr so I thought I’d share my knowledge.

Before anyone whines, I am Indigenous Australian of the Yuin people. I am also a witch. This does not mean that what I spread here is 100% facts as most of my families knowledge has been lost due to a chunk of us being from the stolen generation.

Now, a spell that I learned a long time ago.

Footstep Curse

WARNING: If you’re looking for a short spell to just slightly get back at the person who has wronged you, this is not the spell for you. Footstep magick lasts for generations. Please keep this in mind.

This is a relatively simple spell, so it’s good for any witch.

You’ll need:

a clear footprint of the person you want to curse

a sharp bit of rock, must be from the same area

a sunny day with no clouds

To perform this curse you must:

Bring the person to an area with dirt, sand, or another area which would leave a footprint.

Once they have left, stand at the top of the print (near the toes). Your shadow must cover the print.

Sink the rock into the center of the print until none of the the rock is visible.

Immediately leave the area and do not return for a full week.

After this your curse should have set in place. This curse damages the persons sense of stability and grounding, making them uneasy and easily troubled.

I hope this was easy to decipher for everyone.

Top 10 Herbs for the Lazy Witch

Maybe you’re maybe you’re a new witch unsure of what herbs are worth your time as a beginner, maybe money is tight, or maybe you’re just lazy (like us). If we could only choose 10 herbs to use in our craft, these would be our top picks. 

1. Basil – its the witch’s herb, need we say more? Not only do its magical uses span from protection to love to wealth to exorcism, but it is also delicious in mundane recipes as well. If you can only have one herb, basil is the way to go.

2. Rosemary – this herb is also blessed with a wide variety of uses. Excellent for purification, lust and love, good health, preventing nightmares, and all kinds of sea witchery. Bonus: its fragrance is to die for.

3. Lavender – so you might not be able to find this at the grocery store, but its magical uses outweigh the small inconvenience of tracking it down. Most often used for healing, love, protection, peace, purification, and sleep, lavender is a go-to for any mental health needs. 

4. Chamomile – lavender’s luckier, jovial cousin. Primarily used in love, healing, and stress reducing spells, but can also be used for luck and gambling. It is associated with the sun, and makes a great tea infusion for stress relief. 

5. Thyme – the best herb for social situations. It attracts loyalty, affection, and a good reputation, but we most often bathe in an infusion of thyme for constant flow of money. Also good for increasing courage. 

6. Cinnamon – while technically a spice, cinnamon has many magical uses and is also delicious in cooking. Ideal for prosperity and success, protection, love, and all spells related to the spiritual self. 

7.  Peppermint – a favorite in herbalism for treatment of digestive issues, this herb ideal for cleansing and protecting. Peppermint is also widely available, makes for lovely tea, and is a great addition to any luck spell.

8. Rose – is any love spell complete without rose petals? This flower is the symbol for beauty, marriage, sexuality, divine love, and all kinds of relationships. A larger list of uses for roses can be found here. 

9. Cayenne Pepper – every witch needs something with a bit of a bite. This spice does wonders as cursing or banishing agent, or even just as an addition to any spell to speed up results. 

Energy cleansing is not a glamorous process.

It is not good vibes, yoga and buddha bowls. 

It’s heavy, deep and can feel very ugly.

Most people like to pretend healing is just magic and positive vibes. 

Healing is accepting + integrating painful experiences from the past.

Honesty and transparency are important. 

Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel, and don’t hide it.

Aries: Crown Imperial, its flowers contain large drops of nectar and it represents majesty and power.

Taurus: Kingcup, its Latin name Caltha palustris literally means “swamp calice”. Represents desire for riches.

Gemini: European Sweetbrier, also known as eglantine (from Latin aculentus, “prickly”), known for the sweet apple fragrance of the leaves. Represents poetry.

Cancer: Dahlia, also known as “valley flower” referred to the Swedish “dal” (homophone of the man whose name was given to the flower, Anders Dahl). Used to treat epilepsy by natives of Mexico, it became famous during the Victorian era as a symbol of instability.

Leo: Basil, from Ancient Greek βασιλικός, an adjective meaning “royal”. Brought by Asian kings to Greece, it was said that only the most pure-hearted young men could pick it. Represents good wishes but also hatred.

Virgo: Vervain, also known as Tears of Isis in Egypt and Holy Herb in Christianity for having been used to stanch Jesus’ wounds on the cross. Represents purity, protection, mystical bliss and sensibility.

Libra: Circaea, named after the Greek sorceress Circe, said to have a vast knowledge of magic and also known for transforming into feral creatures her enemies. Because of this in Italy it is also called erba maga, meaning “sorceress herb”, and as “enchanter’s nightshade” in English. Represents charm and allure.

Scorpio: Solomon’s Seal, said to bear a royal stamp or resemble Hebrew characters, therefore in reference to the King’s vast knowledge of plants. Represents secrets and discretion.

Sagittarius: Hyacinth, named after a boy whom Apollo loved that was killed by the jealous Zephyr, god of the west wind. It represents playfulness, sports, sincerity and sorrow.

Capricorn: Mountain laurel, aka “spoonwood”, extremely toxic but has a resistant wood. Represents ambition.

Aquarius: Ginkgo biloba, from Chinese yínxìng meaning “silver apricot”, in Ayurvedic medicine was said to be the main ingredient of the elixir of eternity, known as soma. Represents Tokyo and six plants survived the Hiroshima bombing. Represents vitality, peace and endurance.

Being a green witch basically means you want to incorporate plants and nature into your craft! Other names include: nature witch, plant witch, garden witch, forest witch, etc.! I’ll talk about some of the basics being a green witch could entail, but this certainly isn’t an all-encompassing list!

On gardens and growing plants:

Whether you have a flourishing garden filled with everything one could possibly think of, a little windowsill herb garden with the bare essentials or one potted succulent; there’s no denying the joy that comes from helping green things grow!

A container around 2-3 feet deep and filled with soil is perfect for growing potatoes! Plop ‘em in, water them occasionally and harvest in the fall.

Plant things for the butterflies and bees!

Sage, rosemary, basil, mint, thyme, oregano and cilantro are all helpful herbs that you might consider planting.

Daffodils, marigolds, roses, sunflowers and primroses are my favorite witchy flowers.

Eggshells and banana peels are your friends.

These food plants can easily be regrown.

#garden witch / #garden magic / #garden tips

On bringing the green in (houseplants):

Let’s be real, not of all of us have access to areas for planting gardens, or infinite space for indoor plants! It can make being a green witch a bit tricky. 

Spider plants, lucky bamboo, air plants, aloe vera (succulents) and cacti are all pretty easy houseplants.

Terrariums are adorable and you can make them into mini gardens!

Grow one plant for each area of your life (happiness, mental health, etc) [source]

You can get bulbs for grow lights that fit into normal lamps, just be sure to put the plants directly under it!

Watering plants with rainwater will make them happy!

#houseplant magic / #houseplant tips

On incorporating nature:

Find a place outside you can safely visit. Try to spend at least five or more minutes a day sitting and watching. Quiet your mind and just be. (This could be your front porch or backyard, it doesn’t have to be in the forest)

Wander on some nature trails. Visit the local body of water. Walk outside.

Start taking pictures of beautiful wild places, or wildlife.

Learn about what birds and animals live in your area, and perhaps what their tracks look like.

Climb a tree, go swimming in wild waters, take your shoes off and feel the ground beneath your feet, remove invasive plants and plant native ones, pay attention to weather patterns, collect rainwater, etc.

#nature witch / #nature magic / #connecting to nature

On wild plants:

Get some basic plant field guides. I really like Audubon and Peterson, along with Botany in a Day. 

There are also plant apps and websites. 

Learn what plants have poisonous look-alikes and how to tell the difference.

Get a calendar. Go out at least once a week and document what stages the different plants are in. For example: March 4th. Oso berry leaves almost open. Nettles small but fully established. Bitter cherry has unopened flower buds. Salmonberry leaves almost open. Also worth adding where (elevation/location) which is SUPER helpful for harvesting reference later.

Pick a plant a week and research/journal it. Points include: What it looks like, what look-alikes there are, ecosystem + elevation it grows in, medicinal uses, edible uses, magical uses, etc.

Harvest plants and use them for medicine and food after safely doing research*.

#plant magic / #plant witch / #wild plants

Helpful links:

Green witch tips

Garden witch guide

Plant witchcraft: A beginner’s guide to growing

Tip: When your plant is dying

Keeping plants alive when you leave for a trip

Researching herb safety

Anatomy of plants

USDA plants database (external site)

Wildflower identification tool (external site)

Collection of helpful plant websites (external site)

Butterfly plants list (external site)

Bee friendly plants (external site)

Crystals and houseplants

Garden blessing

Plant growth spell

Spell to heal a wilting plant

Desert plant correspondences

Dealing with plant spirits

How to communicate with plant spirits

The etiquette of herb gathering 

7 tips for foraging

A guide to foraging wild edibles (external site)

Guidelines for sustainable foraging (external site)

Sustainable and safe herb gathering practices (external site)

Wording a spell correctly is extremely important! We’ve all heard the stories of someone who cast a spell and technically had it come true, but in a way that wasn’t what they actually wanted at all! Here’s a list of common “loopholes” spells will take to get the job done, and how to make sure you get what you want!

🕯Taking its time- “I want money,” you tell the Universe, hoping to get some help with rent. Well, rent comes and there’s no extra cash in sight! Then, two weeks later, a surprise wad of cash all but lands in your lap. The spell came true, but not in time for when it mattered. This is easily fixed by adding “…by the end of the month,” or specifying what the money is for, which in this case was this month’s rent.

🕯No help needed- “I want money,” you say again. Magic will often take the path of least resistance, so if you’ve already got a paycheck on the way, the spell might not do much besides make sure it doesn’t get lost. There. Money. It can be good to specify that you want your spell to work in addition to everything you’re already doing!

🕯 Bare minimum- This time from your money spell, it arrives on time from an unexpected source! But it’s a quarter you found on the ground. Maybe three quarters. Not much help! If your intent would require the money to be close to a certain amount or any other specific like that, let it be known! The universe isn’t there to make assumptions.

🕯 For the worst- Let’s say you have two friends that have been flirting, so you cast a nice little spell to let any mutual interest between them blossom into a relationship and save them some trouble. It happens, but it turns out they do NOT work well with each other. They are interested in each other, but argue constantly and bring out the worst in each other. The relationship is hurting them both. You had the absolute best of intentions, but there was no way of knowing that would happen! This is why a lot of witches include the phrase, “for the highest good” in their spells, as a failsafe for any unexpected pitfalls like this that may be lurking. The universe will see them but doesn’t know to care unless you specify.

🕯Another layer- Once I made a dream bear to bring me more dreams. Well, I had lots more dreams, but couldn’t remember any of them! I didn’t think that was something I needed to specify. Make sure you hit every point you need to be satisfied with a result.

As a general rule, if my spell includes a prayer or petition of any sort, I take a few minutes and comb through it for stuff like this beforehand. What am I specifying? What am I leaving up to interpretation? Could any of that manifest in a way I would be unhappy with? Take a little time before you start casting to smooth out all those wrinkles! Best of wishes!

Use a shoe box to hide your more obvious items.

Keep herbs stored in ziploc bags to easily conceal them.

Take up “rock collecting”.

Candles and incense because they “smell good!”

Use an Altoids tin as an altar.

Buy crystal jewelry.

Use perfume to cleanse.

Essential oils can be used in place of most herbs and are less obvious.

Get into cooking, buying herbs is justified then. Plus, kitchen magic!

Use old makeup/perfume/mason jars for spell jars.

You can use almost any necklace as a pendulum.

Use spice jars for tiny spell bottles.

Put an altar in a spare drawer.

Playing cards can be used in place of tarot cards and are very common.

There are a lot of virtual apps geared towards witches that are easily hidden.

You can put sigils, tiny crystals, among other things in lockets to hide them but be able to wear them.

Farmer’s almanacs are just as good as the witch geared ones if you add some information to them, and they are more mundane.

Acorn caps make good biodegradable offering cups.

Get into crafts! You can make some really cool witch stuff that can also just be taken as “artsy”.

Taking a few pinches from your parent’s kitchen cabinets is never a bad idea . Unless caught.

Store things in big, boring looking books.

Seashells and rocks with natural holes make great windchime elements.

You can say your bos/grimoire is a dream journal, which are fairly common and not suspicious.

Draw sigils on with lotion or washable marker.

A tea bag in your clothing drawer can help imbue clothing with the attributes of the tea you use.

Draw sigils on the bottom of your shoes.

Make a virtual altar instead of a physical one.

Always remember to clear that browsing history!

Draw small sigils on your nails then cover them with nailpolish.

Pretty much everything at a craft store can be used for witchcraft. Except maybe the older people who shop there.

You can buy really really small jars online and make them traveling spell jars.

You can enchant jewelry to keep spells close to you.

You can make friendship bracelets/lanyards with colors corresponding to your intent.

Enchanting something you wear daily like glasses or shoes with a ward is something that could be done if one doesn’t wear jewelry.

If you’re into sewing/cross-stitching: incorporate secret sigils into the design.

You can grow plant ingredients under the guise of eating healthier.

Buy soap/shampoo etc with scents to match different intents.

Pencil cases are inconspicuous!

You can use birthday candles instead of actual candles.

Obtaining scented candles a covert way of having colored candles… and if you want scentless you can just say you like the aesthetic but not the smell.

Bath salts can have magical intent and be just as effective as a for bath.

Doodling is a great way to cover up sigils in a notebook.

Grow plants. Collect rainwater. Say rainwater is for plants. Cackle to self.

Make a private discord server for taking to deities.

Threads that hang off of clothing or coats are good for thread magic so long as you don’t have to do a ton with them.

Cleaning and cleansing go hand in hand.

Virtual or sketched altar.

Usually the isle that carries Ethnic food carries SUPER cheap herbs.

All astrology is just you getting really into horoscopes.

If you want a more accurate birth chart, ask your parents for your time of birth. Say it’s out of curiosity.

Weird witch stuff lying around? You like the aesthetic from Charmed.

Sigils don’t have to be considered witchcraft. Say they’re like a good luck charm.

Make your own jewelry, beads, gems,threads, color correlation, etc.

Pinterest boards are great for various things. Dedicating things to deities, saving spells, etc.

Stuffed animals as representations of deities.

Thread magic = sewing and crocheting.

Side blogs on Tumblr are similar to pinterest boards!

Sigils on the bottom of hair spray cans for glamours.

Nail Polish = color correlation.

Quote: “My room smells weird so that’s why I’m burning like 100 candles and some incense”. Works every time.

You can make your own tarot cards with inconspicuous symbols and photos on them, say they’re drawings.

Fairy lights in your room because they “look cool”.

Put your bos in something that looks like a school notebook.

Leave offerings outside if safe. Bury them! But don’t bury things that are bad for the enviroment!!!

If you want to use a ouija board, there are quite a few virtual ones.

Any herbs you can get be purely for tea and nothing else.

If someone catches you meditating, tell them it’s for relaxation.

Draw sigils on the top of your ceiling fan. The fan will charge them while on! - Not recommended you do with a permanent marker!

Draw a sigil on the charger base of your electronic devices.

Charge your makeup/hair products/perfume/cologne up with whatever you’d like.

Lemon water makes a great cleansing spray and is usually not suspicious.

Sigils inside your phone case!

Enchant your jewelry or watches.

Draw a sigil with a white crayon on paper.

Put a pouch of herbs in your clothing drawers, if someone finds them, say it’s to decrease bad smells.

Incorporate magic into art.

Study herb pouch and gemstones in your backpack.

Oils and herb pillow for your glasses case to encourage clear vision.

Make your own paper and use flowers/seeds/etc to create a design.

Sticky notes for sigils inside a school locker.

Correlate your clothing to your intent that day.

Sigils on a hair ribbon or enchanted ribbon.

Put your intent into your food and drinks.

Learn to make your own tea.

Keep a penny in your pocket for luck.

Google drive vs physical bos if you’re worried about your parents seeing it

Slowly start buying candles and bam you wont be questioned because they are just candles!

Craft store stars painted with black-light paint placed on your ceiling in constellation arrangements.

Drink fruit infused water/tea.

Carry salt in old film bottles or similar cases to help cleanse your purse or bag.

Salt packets are free at fast food places.

Enchant your bank account/wallet/piggy bank/etc so that it charges your money!

Use travel size medicine bottles to hold random mini witch things: twig, pebbles, sand, salt, etc.

Draw elemental items to encourage their energies around you.

Leave sticky notes with magical symbols on your desk or in your locker to generate positive energy for the next school day overnight.

Terrariums and shadowboxes have always been popular, make it your altar or invitation to the fae.

Fairy gardens have been a thing for a long, long time. They’re not suspicious and very good for attracting the fae!

Enchant counter bowls of fruit or breads so that the food decays slower.

ITS ALL ABOUT INTENT

you can have done all the research you can have planned everything out you can have the best ingredients you can have done the perfect blessing you can know the spell off by heart

BUT IF YOU DON’T HOLD YOUR INTENT IN YOUR MIND’S EYE WHILE CASTING…. well… things are gonna get fucked up 

Local Forest Deities

One subject that I incorporate into my craft are local deities. What are local deities? Local deities are guardians and protectors of specific places such as a specific forest, mountain range, river, or even a specific city. They can come or manifest them in many different forms or none at all. Everything within the entirety of it’s domain is its eyes and ears.

But this post is specifically about local forest deities. If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch them manifested as a huge gorgeous deer, an hawk who’s gaze seems to pierce right through you or maybe even as a huge, seemingly ancient tree that you swear that you can see it breathing.

The forest deity, as the name suggests, watches over the forest and all its inhabitants. The way you treat the forest can be the difference between suffering the fate of a forever lost traveler, who can only seem to walk in circles, and having a safe voyage through to your destination.

If you go out of your way to help protect and conserve the forest, you might just gain the respect of the deity. If you’re particularly devoted and deemed trustworthy, it is possible to have a relationship with them, working together for the forest.

Here are some ways to help gain respect:

Pick up litter

Report poachers (it’s super dangerous to approach them so please don’t)

Organize an event to plant some NATIVE trees*. Do your research. It would be wise to contact your local conservation group

Meditate in the forest. Try to feel the breath and whispers of the forest

If you find a unnaturally injured animal (caught in trap, hit by car, shot and left to die, etc) DO NOT INTERACT WITH THEM but rather call you’re local animal rehabilitation unit**.

*I can not emphasize how it important it is to not plant non-native flora. It can seriously harm the entirety of that ecosystem and can wipe out complete species of fauna/flora there

Self Care: Witch Style

Put a lavender or rose essential oil in your bath. If you don’t have any, put some lotion of those scents in 

Place a rose quartz in your bath

Bless the water to bring comfort and peace of mind

After the bath, put some comforting-scented lotion on you

Light some lavender incense

Brew some chamomile tea

If that’s not available, hot chocolate with milk works!

Put some lavender, mint, or chamomile (a tea packet works!) under your pillow

While showering, envision all your negative energy going down the drain witch each scrub

Cuddle your familiar

Meditate on the positives in life

Sit down next on the ground (preferably next to a tree) and imagine roots going down into the ground from you. Visualize the negative energy going down the roots and into the roots. Imagine better energy coming from the Earth going up your roots and into you

Put a rose quartz and a normal quartz(to amplify the effect) in your pocket!