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Babies: Dreaming of a baby/dreaming of being pregnant may be driven by your body’s biological desire to procreate, or it may mean that you want or need to be nurtured yourself. It may also signify a new idea.

Being chased: We tend to remember these dreams because the anxiety we feel during them is extremely vivid. Take a look at what’s chasing you to interpret the dream—because of course whatever it is you’re running away from is really the issue at hand. What is it you don’t want to face in your life? Your dream is telling you to stop running.

Death: As in tarot, these dreams do not portend literal death. You need not be worried that you are ill or that someone you love is in danger. Instead, they signal that you are at the start or in the middle of a big change —an ending of one thing and a new beginning of another.

Falling: Normally, falling indicates anxiety that comes after success. Once you’ve achieved what you wanted, how will you maintain it?

Flying: This is almost invariably a euphoric dream, and it often occurs once we’ve finally made a decision we’ve been putting off or when we’re feeling particularly confident that we can achieve our goals.

Nudity: We’ve all suffered from the “forgot your clothes” dream. This generally unpleasant dream signifies how vulnerable you are feeling. You may want to consider baring yourself regardless of your fear. Get it over with and really put your true self out there for the world to see.

People: Just about everyone dreams about other people, but the important thing to note is that each of the “characters” in our dreams represents some aspect of ourselves.

Sex: Along with just being good fun, sex dreams indicate that you have reached a new level of understanding and incorporated the intuitive with the conscious.

Test you didn’t study for: These dreams aren’t actually an argument against the stressors of the Common Core. Instead, they indicate that you are examining yourself, looking at past mistakes.

Out of control vehicle: You know that dream—the one where the brakes don’t work or the steering wheel won’t turn? It’s telling you that you’re trying too hard to control something that you simply don’t have control over. Relax the white-knuckle grip and let the road take you where it will.

Water: Water is generally thought to speak specifically to the state of the unconscious. If you’re dreaming of a stormy sea, you may be experiencing some emotional turbulence. But if you’re dreaming of a cool, clear stream, you are more likely experiencing mental clarity.

Sun: As the center of our solar system, the Sun is essentially the center of our universe. It provides us with light, life, and represents our ego, our health, and our pride. The Sun is an authority, usually the authority we have over ourselves and others. The Sun makes its journey through the zodiac once per year, spending about a month with each sign.

Moon: The Moon also provides light, but it is a mysterious light, and so the Moon represents our intuition, our deepest feelings, and our private lives. The Moon is connected to our familial history, our roots—and our ability to connect with our emotions. The Moon takes only twenty-eight days to travel through the zodiac, spending two to three days with each sign.

Mercury: Mercury is an excellent communicator, but mainly in the realm of rational thought. Mercury revolves around research, learning, decision making, and the sharing of information. When Mercury goes retrograde (meaning when it appears to be moving backward across the night sky— though mind you, that’s just an optical illusion caused by the differences in the speed of its orbit with respect to Earth’s), it scrambles its ability to disseminate that information, causing all kinds of confusion. If Mercury is in retrograde, definitely hold off signing any important contracts or making any big decisions. It also wreaks particular havoc with the technology of communication, so expect your iPhone to crap out on you. Since Mercury is so close to the Sun, its journey across the zodiac is very similar in length and time.

Venus: As you might expect, Venus represents love, beauty, and pleasure. Venus is alluring and receptive, but not aggressive. Venus can be a little manipulative, but only in a short-term, hedonistic way; thinking about consequences and making careful plans are not Venus’ way. But when Venus retrogrades, then that’s a time to reassess and think about whom or what we truly value. Venus generally takes about ten to twelve months to travel across the zodiac, spending a few weeks with each sign.

Mars: Mars is a force of nature. Its energy is aggressive, energetic, competitive, and brave. Mars governs war, of course, but war in all forms, including sports, arguments, and any kind of conflict. When Mars goes retrograde, though, it’s time to retreat and regroup. Mars takes approximately two years to circle the zodiac, spending six or seven weeks with each sign.

Jupiter: Jupiter is a planet of vision, faith, optimism, and wisdom. As our largest gas giant, it casts a powerful shadow of good fortune—because of this, Jupiter is sometimes known as the Great Benefactor. Jupiter encourages us to seek out the new—externally, through travel, but also inwardly, as we learn something we hadn’t considered before and feel confident to explore. When Jupiter is in retrograde, that forward expansion turns inward; you may find yourself planning and re-planning without actually getting started. Jupiter takes twelve years to travel the zodiac, and it sits with each sign for a full year.

Saturn: Called the Great Teacher, Saturn is a planet of ambition and productivity, but also of caution and responsibility. Saturn is not a dreamer; instead it forces us to confront reality, bringing maturity and the values of patience, consideration, structure, and sacrifice. When this planet is in retrograde, we have the opportunity to go back and revisit things we might have wanted to do differently, to consider other ways of doing things. Saturn takes twenty-nine years to go across the zodiac and stays in each sign for two and a half years.

Uranus: If Saturn teaches us to be responsible and think things through, Uranus helps us learn to love the unexpected. It rules the future and all new technology. Anything innovative, idiosyncratic, or experimental falls under Uranus’ umbrella. And Uranus encourages us to think as far outside the box as possible—maybe even breaking the box. When Uranus is in retrograde, you may experience a shift inside yourself, where a change that you had been resisting suddenly becomes more appealing—even necessary. Uranus takes eighty-four years to circle the zodiac and stays with a sign for seven of those years—making those seven years very creative, indeed.

Neptune: Lovely Neptune is the planet of inspiration. Like the Moon, it governs intuition, dreams, the subconscious, and the magical. But Neptune goes deeper than the Moon does, making us purer, more refined. It urges us to be more than we are, to not accept Saturn’s reality, but instead strive for greatness. When Neptune is in retrograde, however, reality comes knocking, and you might receive a wake-up call. It’s a great time to make decisions about what is really important to you. Neptune circles the zodiac over the course of 146 years, staying with each sign for fourteen years.

Pluto: Not yet demoted from full planetary status in astrology, Pluto rules transformation, rebirth, and metamorphosis. Pluto reigns over all that is unseen or buried, including secrets, the unconscious workings of society, and planning. Pluto can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes helping you to hide, and other times revealing all. When it is in retrograde, Pluto asks you to look inward, particularly at the parts of yourself you may not like so much. Is it time to transform? Pluto takes 246 years to travel around the zodiac. Its eccentric orbit makes its stay with each sign uneven—sometimes it visits for eleven years, sometimes for thirty-two.

Purification: Take a cleansing bath, perhaps with some betony, cinquefoil, or hyssop floating in it. Dress however feels right to you—if a long, medieval gown gets you in the right frame of mine, go for it! But remember that a t-shirt and jeans can be just as witchy; it all depends on how you envision yourself, as a witch. Meditate to clear your mind, as well as your body.

Creating a ritual space: A pentagram is one of these, and so is a salt circle. If you don’t want to create a physical circle, you can create a psychic one by walking in a circle with a vervain smudge wand or by surrounding a space with clear quartz. If you can perform your spell out of doors, that’s great—if not, open a window so that the air can flow freely.

Protection: Drawing and releasing power can invite some negative attention. Protect yourself against spirits or other harmful energies with mandrake, holly, hawthorn, garlic, or betony. You can either drink a tea before you cast the spell or simply have some nearby as part of your ritual space.

Invocation: If you choose to, you can invoke the powers of someone or something, like Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, or simply Spirit or the Universe. You can do this through dance, chanting, or simply with a spoken or silent prayer.

Casting You can recite a special phrase or simply state what it is you want to happen. Words only have as much power as you give them, but sometimes speaking a ritualistic phrase helps you feel more powerful, in the same way that dressing appropriately does—and therefore you are more powerful. Utilize whatever you can to enhance the power of your spell. If you’re doing a love spell, make your circle or pentagram out of rose quartz and burn myrtle in a smudge stick. Or simply hold tight to a gris-gris as you recite. Many spells end with the phrase “so mote it be,” which translates, essentially, to “so it shall be” or “so must it be.” The phrase originated with the Freemasons, but has come to be used frequently within the Wiccan community.

Giving thanks: If you asked for assistance from the Divine, be sure to give thanks. You can leave an offering or just bow your head in gratitude— whatever feels right to you.

Closing the circle: It is important to finish your spells, and closing the circle indicates that the spell is complete. If your circle was a psychic one, take your vervain smudge wand and walk in the opposite direction. If you used candles to create a pentagram, blow them out, giving thanks with each one. If you used stones, collect them one by one, again giving thanks.

Hi! For me personally, I would make sure not to talk about love potions/spells in a positive light. These things are, for most of us, considered not only a breech of privacy for the individual’s wants, but a blatant disregard for free will altogether (as you’re directly influencing their emotions in such a way that takes away their choice). All in all, I would try to keep your song on one singular track. If you talk about rule of three (or karma), ensure things such as black magic take on negative connotations, as these two beliefs more often than not go together. 

How to make a tincture

Making a tincture involves steeping the herb or root in alcohol, extracting its oils, minerals, alkaloids, and glycosides so that it is in its purest form. You can use vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar instead, particularly in tinctures intended for children, but they aren’t quite as effective at pulling out the good stuff. You’ll need strong alcohol, at least 80 proof. Everclear works well, as does vodka or brandy. You’ll also need a pint jar to fill with the herb or plant you want—any of the herbs listed above will work here. 

Chop the herb up a bit or bash it around with a mortar and pestle to help it break down. You’ll want the jar to be full, but not pack your herbs in too tightly. Then fill the jar completely with the alcohol. (If you’re using dried herbs or roots, you need only put in enough to reach halfway, and then add the alcohol up to the top.)

Seal the jar tightly. Label and date it, and let it rest in a cool, dark place.

For the first week, shake it once a day, then let it rest for five more weeks. At the end of the resting period, use a layer of muslin or cheesecloth held tightly over the jar to strain out the liquid. Decant the tincture into one of those small, dark glass bottles, preferably one with a dropper, and keep it stored away from direct sunlight. It should last for five to ten years.

How to make herbal oil

It’s more trouble than it’s worth to make your own essential oils. A true essential oil is extracted by boiling the herb in question and skimming the oil off the top—that’s a task best left to the professionals. But you can make your own herbal oil. It may not be quite as distilled, but it can still be effective, and it’s a great way to preserve herbs for use long into the winter. The nice thing about creating your own oils is that you can use any combination of herbs that you desire. You might mix calendula, catnip, lemon balm, marshmallow, mullein, plantain leaf, and yarrow for an oil that is particularly effective for skin care, or lavender, vervain, lemon balm, and yarrow for a soothing oil to rub on the temples. Chop or bruise your chosen herbs and place them in a jar. Fill the jar with the carrier oil of your choice (olive or almond oil works well), covering the herbs by one inch, and leaving one inch of space at the top. Close the jar tightly, and allow it to sit in as much sunshine as possible for a month. Strain the oil through a cheesecloth on an as-needed basis, leaving the rest to continue steeping.

How to make a poultice

A poultice is a soft, moist mass of herbs, cloth, and other ingredients, and it’s an excellent tool for treating topical infirmities. A hot poultice is excellent for drawing out infection, as with bee stings or draining abscesses, while a cold poultice will help reduce inflammation. Gather the herbs you want to use, either fresh or dried. If they’re fresh, you may want to mash the herbs up in a mortar and pestle (the traditional way) or blitz them through a food processor (the modern way). Even if you’re planning on making a cold poultice, add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to your herbs to awaken them, before letting them cool. You can add medicinal clay powder, Epsom salts, or baking soda and combine with water until the mixture becomes a thick paste. For ailments like congestion or insect bites, you can place the poultice directly on the skin, making sure, of course, that it isn’t too hot. To treat a burn or something that could easily become infected, place a clean cotton cloth between the skin and the poultice.

Common herbs and their uses

Ashwagandha: The name translates to “smell of horse.” This herb is hard to find fresh, but powders, pills, teas, and extracts are available. Benefits: Increases energy, boosts the immune system, antiinflammatory, reduces anxiety. Suggested use: Stir ¼-½ tsp. powder into warm milk and honey before bed. Concerns: May increase thyroid hormone levels and lower blood sugar.

Black cohosh: This member of the buttercup family could be grown in a garden. Dried roots, capsules, teas, and extracts are also available. Benefits: Relieves menstrual cramps and arthritic pain. Eases symptoms of menopause. Suggested use: Drink as a tea or mix with honey as a syrup. Concerns: May cause upset stomach, so consider taking with food.

Calendula: Also known as marigold, this herb could be grown in a garden, but is also available as teas, oils, and creams. Useful for dyeing and food coloring as well. Benefits: Helps heal cuts. Good for diaper rash or other skin irritations. Calms an upset stomach. Suggested use: Steep petals in just below boiling water for ten minutes, then drink as a tea. Add dried flowers to coconut, almond, or olive oil as a salve. Concerns: None known.

Catnip: It’s not just for cats! Catnip is easily grown and also available as a capsule, tea, extract, and essential oil. It is also handy as an insect repellent. Benefits: Anti-inflammatory. Good for insomnia, upset stomach, menstrual cramps, headache, and treating the common cold. Suggested uses: Steep for tea, sprinkle essential oil into the bath or rub it on the temples, use in cooking (it’s a member of the mint family, so its flavor is better than some). Concerns: None known.

Cranberry: Easily obtained fresh or frozen and also available in pill form, this herb is a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin E. Benefits: Most frequently used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. Also shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, slow tumor progression in cancer, and help prevent gum disease. Suggested uses: Because they’re so tart, cranberries often come with a lot of sugar. Try to buy reduced-sugar dried cranberries and stay away from most cranberry juices. If you can manage it, drink the unsweetened juice to relieve a UTI, and certainly try making your own cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Concerns: None known.

Dittany: This is one of those herbs with a long history. It is also known as “burning bush.” Easily grown, it is hard to find in dried or tea form. Benefits: Antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. Good for the skin and the intestines, and is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water for tea, but use sparingly. Use as an antibacterial balm or poultice. Concerns: If you’ve put some on your skin, stay out of the sun, as it can increase the risk of sunburn.

Elderberry: This herb has been used to battle a flu epidemic in Panama as recently as 1995. It can be grown, but is also available as a pill or an extract. For your personal garden, look specifically for Sambucus nigra, as other elderberry varieties can be toxic. Benefits: Boosts the immune system, treats sinus infections, lowers blood sugar, acts as a diuretic and a laxative, good for skin health and allergies. Suggested uses: They’re delicious! Can be made into a syrup, jams, or jellies—even wine. Concerns: Don’t pick and use wild elderberry unless you’re absolutely certain the plant is Sambucus nigra. Always cook the berries to remove any toxicity.

Feverfew: This is another herb with a long history. Easily grown and available dried, it is most frequently found in capsule form. Benefits: For centuries, it was used to relieve fever, to assist with childbirth, and for fertility. Now it is most frequently used to prevent migraines. It can also help with tinnitus, nausea, dizziness, asthma, and allergies. Suggested uses: It doesn’t taste good, so not recommended even as a tea. Instead, make a tincture or purchase capsules. Concerns: If you do drink it, feverfew can cause irritation in the mouth. If taken in large quantities on a regular basis, stopping can cause withdrawal symptoms, so use only as needed. May cause the uterus to contract, so don’t take while pregnant.

Horse chestnut: This is not the kind of chestnut you’d want to roast on a fire, but it is still useful. It is not recommended for personal processing, as the seed contains esculin, a poisonous substance. Purchase an extract or pill instead. Benefits: Shown to be extremely effective against varicose veins. Also good for hemorrhoids and frostbite. Suggested uses: 300 milligrams of horse chestnut seed extract twice daily. Concerns: Don’t consume raw horse chestnut seeds, bark, or leaves.

Lemon Balm: This member of the mint family has a distinct lemony scent. It is also known as “melissa.” It is easily grown, but also available in tea, extract, and essential oil forms. Benefits: Calms anxiety, encourages restful sleep. Good for the skin, improves mood and mental clarity. Suggested uses: Steep fresh or dried to make tea, use in cooking, use to flavor honey or vinegar, use in a hot bath. Concerns: None known.

Marshmallow: Sadly, these are not the things we put in hot chocolate. The root is available dried, as well as in powder, extract, capsule, and tea form. Benefits: Aids with dry cough, represses inflammation in the lining of the stomach, good for chilblains and sunburn. Suggested uses: Drink as a tea, add to a base oil for a salve. Concerns: May cause low blood sugar.

Milk thistle: This herb is easily grown, as it’s pretty much a weed. It’s available as an extract, pill, or tea. Benefits: Milk thistle can protect your liver from toxins—say, for instance, alcohol. It can even be used to treat cirrhosis and jaundice and helps with environmental toxin damage. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water or make a tincture. Not recommended for use in cooking. Concerns: May cause diarrhea.

Mullein: This is the clear quartz of herbal healing. It is easily found and grown and available both dried and in capsule form. Benefits: Known particularly for respiratory relief, including cough, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia, it’s also good for earache, fever, sore throat, migraine, and to heal the skin. Suggested uses: Apply a tincture to relieve ear infection, drink as a tea, use as a salve to heal wounds and bruises. Concerns: None known.

Plantain leaf: Pretty hip these days, as herbal remedies go, plantain leaf is easily grown and available dried or in capsule form. Benefits: Great for the skin, particularly in relieving insect bites, poison ivy, and sunburn. Lowers cholesterol, helps clear up bladder infections, relieves constipation or diarrhea. Suggested uses: Make poultice with clay and water or make a salve with a base oil. Infuse vinegar to spray on the skin to provide pain relief. Drink as a tea. Concerns: None known.

Rue: This herb is also known as “herb of grace.” Easily grown, it is also available dried, in capsule form, or as an essential oil. Benefits: Used to promote menstruation, it provides a sense of calm and well-being and is good for relieving gas, mucus, and arthritis. Suggested uses: As an oil or poultice it can relieve croup or chest congestion. Drink as a tea to ease anxiety. Concerns: This one is serious—it can cause a miscarriage. Use in small amounts, regardless of whether or not you’re pregnant.

Valerian: This is an attractive addition to any garden, with a pleasing scent, but it is the root which holds the good stuff and that does not smell good. Easily grown, this herb is also available in tea, capsule, and extract forms. Benefits: Valerian is very effective against insomnia. It also calms anxiety and depression, and helps with ADHD and headache. Suggested uses: Drink a tea made from the leaves for a mild sedative, or steep the roots for something stronger. Add a tincture to a bath for a gentler, child-friendly alternative. Concerns: None known, but obviously don’t operate heavy machinery.

Vervain: Usually blue vervain is used, but other types seem to work just as well. Easily grown, vervain is also available dried or as an extract. Benefits: Helps with anxiety and sleeplessness. Also provides pain relief, eases tense muscles, and promotes an overall sense of wellbeing. Suggested uses: Steep in hot water as a tea. Not recommended in cooking, though it smells nice, so add a little to a bath. Concerns: May cause nausea.

Yarrow: This member of the sunflower family is easily grown—and quite lovely— and available dried or as an essential oil. Benefits: Relieves fever, as well as cold and flu symptoms. Relieves cramps, provides a sense of calm and relaxation, and aids in restful sleep. Suppresses the urge to urinate (say, during a UTI). Use topically for a rash or small cuts. Suggested uses: Drink as a tea in the evening to induce sleepiness or relieve cold and flu symptoms, or make into a salve for external use. Concerns: None known.

Reds; hearts and blood circulation

Dark red: Usually indicates someone who is centered and grounded, with a strong sense of self-preservation.

Muddy red: Indicates anger.

Bright red: Passionate, competitive, sensual, and energetic.

Pink: Artistic and loving. If this is not the person’s usual aural color, it may have turned pink because they have recently fallen in love or are feeling love more profoundly at that moment. It may also indicate that the person possesses psychic abilities.

Muddy pink: Indicates deceit and emotional immaturity—which is frequently the cause of deceit.

Oranges; healthy and full of vitality - reproductive system

Red orange: Indicates confidence.

Yellow orange: This person is creative, intelligent, and a perfectionist.

Muddy Orange: This person is feeling laziness or a lack of ambition. They may also be emotionally clogged and unable move forward.

Yellow; optimistic and full of life. Or liver/spleen malfunction. Either or. 

Pastel yellow: Optimism and spiritual awareness. 

Bright yellow: Struggle for personal power. 

Muddy yellow: Indicative of fatigue, from trying to do too much all at once.

Green; health of the heart/lungs. Someone with a green aura wants to help the world however they can. Think teachers and healers.

Yellow green: Excellent communicator.

Bright green: Natural healer. 

Muddy green: Jealousy, insecurity. This person has trouble taking responsibility for their actions.

Blue; state of the thyroid. Someone who is calm, compassionate, sensitive, and intuitive.

Turquoise: Powerful healer, particularly in the realm of emotional and mental health. 

Light blue: Truthful and peaceful. 

Bright blue: A spiritual intuitive. May be able to read other’s thoughts or futures. 

Muddy blue: Deceitful, though not out of malice, but instead out of fear.

Purple; something may be wrong with the nervous system. Often people who are deeply spiritual and posses extraordinary gifts.

Indigo: A daydreamer, but in the best possible way. This person can make the world the way they wish it to be.

Violet: Psychically powerful and wise.

Lavender: Imaginative and creative.

Muddy violet: This person’s psychic gifts are being blocked by some internal force.

Misc Colors

Silver: Abundance, either spiritually or monetarily. 

Grey: Filled with fear to the point of physical suffering.

Gold: Someone in direct communication with the Divine. 

Black: This individual is pulling all energy towards themselves, sort of like a black hole. They are psychically or physically wounded, and attempting to (inefficiently) heal themselves in some way. 

White: Newness and purity. Children, celestial beings, and the enlightened.