Starry Solstice

Imbolc Tea

A tea I make regularly for Imbolc evening, but I also make it when I want something soothing!

1 cup warm milk (oat milk is an excellent choice for the vegan magick practitioner!)

2 tablespoons honey (sub. agave)

1 ½ teaspoons lavender

Join me in The February Tarot to start a journey on building a relationship with yourself and the difficult process of Self Love. This process will be one that will be addressing our wounds, opening our hearts, focusing on healing, and working through forgiveness. Each day has a prompt to pull one card and journal on it. In homage to the feminism of Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”. This self care to building self love exercise is one that is for community healing and radical action for yourself and your being. It’s not going to be pretty all the time, it’s not going to be easy, but my loves, it will be worth it.

This exercise is going to begin on the difficult end and gradually build to a more gentle analysis of the self. The hard work needs to be done first to find the beauty.

Day 1: Open up to yourself, how are you starting this journey?

Day 2: Today we are looking at your inner child. Is it being cared for?

Day 3: Let’s open up on some pain. Is there some that you are holding?

Day 4: What is something that you need to release? In any relation to yourself what is something you are holding that is hurting.

Day 5: Be honest with yourself, where are some of your faults, how can you improve?

Day 6: Are you holding anger? Where is it placed? Is it time to release it?

Day 7: Are you holding on to fear? Is it holding you back in your journey?

Day 8: What in your life is draining your energy? Is it serving you?

Day 9: What mistakes have you made? Are you learning from them or ignoring the lessons?

Day 10: How are you limiting yourself in your relationship with yourself?

Day 11: Where do you feel you are letting yourself down in life?

Day 12: What are some thoughts on yourself that you need to release?

Day 13: How are you feeding your spirit?

Day 14: Healing happens in community, where do you need to ask for support from others?

Day 15: How are you prioritizing your needs? Where can you add more care to yourself?

Day 16: We looked at our wounds, now let’s look at our healing, how can we add some healing energy?

Day 17: What are some of your hopes in life? How can you move towards them?

Day 18: Where are some boundaries you need to add in your life? Boundaries are a reflection on self worth. You are worth being comfortable.

Day 19: Where in life can you be kinder?

Day 20: Where in life can you give yourself patience?

Day 21: Look into yourself for your strengths. Embrace them.

Day 22: What in life is bringing you joy? How can you add more to yourself?

Day 23: Where do you need to forgive yourself?

Day 24: What if you only had yourself? Is your relationship with yourself improving?

Day 25: Where in yourself can you show graditute?

Day 26: How are you working in your journey to your future self? Is it moving positively? Can you change something?

Day 27: Opening your heart, how is your relationship with self love? It doesn’t need to be perfect, it’s now an easy task, but is it improving?

Day 28: Reflect on this cycle, Are there any places you need to go deeper in your self relationship?

As always, this is an exercise not a challenge. These prompts are meant to challenge yourself in addressing the difficult process of working towards self love. This work is worth it, it’s going to be difficult, but it is going to be worth it. Be kind to yourself during this process but also be honest.

To growth, to healing, to self love,

(pronounced ee-molc, also called Candlemas)

What Is Imbolc? ❄️️➡️️🌷

Imbolc is celebrated roughly when winter begins to turn to spring. Traditionally it also marked the successful survival of the harsh winter months and the beginning of the agricultural season. The returning sun is welcomed and the Celtic goddess Brigid is honored.

Traditional Lore/Activities 🕯️

Each candle within a household should be lit, if only for a moment, to honor the sun’s return.

If there is still snow on the ground one should draw an image of the sun in it.

Foods Associated with Imbolc 🥐

Sour cream and other dairy dishes.

Spicy foods.

Spiced wine.

Raisins.

Foods containing peppers, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic, and chives.

Modern Activities 🎨

Cooking/Baking

Lamb Stew - from @liberumbrarum

Sour Cream and Honey Cake - from @liberumbrarum

Imbolc Ritual Cake - from @phynxrizng

Milk Tea for Imbolc - from @queerkitchenwitch

Bread and Butter Pudding - from @althara

Imbolc Desserts - from @phynxrizng

Self Care

Imbolc Bath - from @magickmomma16

Crafts

Candle making.

Weave traditional Brigid’s Crosses.

Plan what herbs/flowers you want to grow during the upcoming spring and summer.

Burn your Yule greens to help winter on its way.

Colors and Altar Decor 🌸

White

Pink

Red

Yellow

Amethyst

Bloodstone

Garnet

Ruby

Onyx

Turquoise

Green Candles

Brigid’s Crosses

Potted Bulbs

An Anvil or Hammer

Poetry

Intent: To relieve heartache, heartbreak, loneliness, grief, and other emotional pains. Ingredients:

Red Roses

Cloves

Cinnamon

Witch Hazel

Orange Peel

Cherry Bark (or blossoms)

Coriander

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle (or spice grinder)

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

Just a collection of witchy things that give off a gentle, loving energy without being focused on self love or romantic love specifically <3

It’s the little things:

Gentle little witch things to do

Witchy blessings

I AM… spells

Witch’s morning routine

Glamours:

Glow like the moon

Shine like the sun

To radiate a loving aura

Spells:

To attract kindness

Soft shores bath spell

Quartz wellness bath

Here comes the sun

My love soothes you pet spell

Dandelion wish spell

Restful sleep and sweet dreams

Rose water spells

Room healing spell

Ease the pain

Tarot spreads:

Good morning!

Reduce anxiety 

The new you

Let go and grow

Sigils:

Shimmer and shine

Radical softness

To promote peaceful feelings

Inner peace

I will make it through this

✨🍑 Fruit Magic 🍑✨

a list of fruit associations for food spells and kitchen witchcraft ✨

🍑 apple | death, love, friendship

🍑 aprocot | love, calmness, relaxation

🍑 avocado | love, beauty, glamours

🍑 banana | fertility, prosperity, potency

🍑 cherry | love, divination

🍑 coconut | protection, cleansing, purification

🍑 fig | love, divination, fertility

🍑 grapes | wisdom, power, fertility

🍑 guava | cleansing, love, romance

🍑 kiwi | health, happiness, vitality, longevity

🍑 lemon | love, purification, fidelity, curses

🍑 lime | protection, healing, purification, love

🍑 mango | harmony, protection, balance

🍑 orange | luck, wealth, divination

🍑 papaya | hex breaking, curse breaking, protection

🍑 passion fruit | calmness, friendship, harmony

🍑 peach | love, fertility, wisdom

🍑 pear | love, sex

🍑 pomegranate | death, honor, divination

🍑 pineapple | luck, money, chastity

🍑 plum | healing, peace, love

🍑 tangerine | energy, strength

☕ TEAS ☕ 

🔹 Chamomile (helps combat insomnia, a common symptom of depression) 🔹 Green (contains an amino acid known as theanine which is known to fight depression) 🔹 St John’s Wort (contains compounds known as hypericin and hyperforin, which may affect activity of the brain’s serotonin system)   🔹 Lemon Balm (works as a mild sedative and can ease anxiety and depression) 🔹 Ginger Root (helps to increase important neurotransmitters than can regulate your mood) 🔹 Lavender (research shows that lavender can help combat depression, and has been said to rival antidepressants) 🔹 Peppermint (the menthol in peppermint leaves helps calm mood and aides sleep)

💎 CRYSTALS 💎 

🔹 Smoky Quartz (helps elevate moods, overcome negative emotions, and relieves depression)  🔹 Rose Quartz (is a known healer and can help replace negative feelings with love and compassion) 🔹 Amethyst (combats stress and releases a relaxed energy) 🔹 Citrine (emits a sunny, optimistic energy which can aide in combating depression and anxiety) 🔹 Angel Aura Quartz (is known to help with mental illness, and it’s energy can help process emotional disturbances, grief, or trauma)

🕯️ INCENSE 🕯️

🔹 Lavender (reduces stress physically and mentally, and promotes deep sleep) 🔹 Jasmine (helps with alertness, evokes an uplifting energy, and is believed to ease symptoms of depression) 🔹 Ylang Ylang (has a calming affect that elevates mood and is known to help with physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and depression) 🔹 Lemongrass (promotes emotional balance, and uplifts emotional weight) 🔹 Sandalwood (encourages calmness, serenity, and feelings of well being)

🔮 SPELLWORK 🔮

🔹 Daily Ritual To Ease Depression 🔹 Encourage Positivity Spell 🔹 Self Care Sachet! 🔹 Inner Peace Sigil 🔹 A Charm To Dispel A State Of Melancholy 🔹 Body, Mind, And Soul Purifying Spell 🔹 Motivation Charm Bag 🔹 I Am Free From Negative Energies Sigil 🔹 Bathe Me The Fuck Better Bath Spell 🔹 De-Stress, Self-Love Sugar Scrub 🔹 Insomnia Sigil 🔹 Depression Bottle Charm And Ritual 🔹 Icarus’s Self Love Powder 🔹 Soft Skin, Soft Soul Bath Ritual 🔹 Candle Spell To Help Combat Depression 🔹 Quiet Mind Sachet 🔹 Be At Peace Spell 🔹 Feel A Little Better Bath Spell 🔹 To The Sun Spell Jar

💙 TIPS 💙

Anxiety Bag 🌙

☆Most of you wanted an anxiety jar so here it is. I will be doing more so your requests will be fulfilled. I couldn’t find a jar but that’s not a problem at all, instead we will make an anxiety bag.

☆ Sometimes we can all feel anxious while performing or saying a speech in front of the class. I definitely experienced that and this bag always helped me feel better. So here is how to do it.

You need: 🌼 Chamomile for calmness and peace 🥐 Cinnamon for happiness 🍚 Salt for protection 🌿 Lavender for relaxation 💎 Quartz for stress reduction 🏺 Bag/jar

( 🌰 You can also add acorns, but I couldn’t find any. Acorns help you build up spiritual strength )

☆ Mix all of that up and if you want, add a sigil.

☆ Take the bag with you where ever you go especially to places where you know you’re gonna feel anxious.

POSTS BY ME ARE ITALICIZED!

This is by no means completed, up-to-date, or the only way you can view or perceive witchcraft. These are just some posts, found on my blog, put together in a list for easier access.

This is also being updated as I go through my archives, and whats on the list as of [May 26th, 2018] is from January 2017. This list will be updated as often and as quick as I can possibly manage.

This isn’t really as organized as I would like it, but I broke it down into categories and alphabetical order such as:

Moon Shit:

2017 Lunar Calendar 

Lunar Phases

Magick Of The Moon Phases

Moon Magic 

Moon Phase Runes

Herb Shit:

5 Herbs Every Witch Should Have In Their Garden

Anti-Anxiety Herbs

Big Witchy Guide On Herbs And Flowers

Gardens  Of The Witches

Herbs For Hexing

Herbs For Protection

Indoor Plants For The Space Conscious Witch

Sacred Herbs Of The Gods 

Top 10 Magical Herbs

Crystal Shit:

Crystals Every Witch Should Have

Gems For Depression

Taking Care Of Your Crystals

Emoji Spells Shit:

Easy Sleep

Spells Shit:

4 Free Spells

A Method To Cleanse And Ward After Unsavory People Leave

Anti-Anxiety Charm

Anti-Anxiety Jar

Bad Luck

Banishing Nightmares

Bath For Sunburns

Belladonna’s Spell Page

Dreams and Nightmare Protection

Elemental Ideas

Forest With Me

Glamour Enchanted Jewelry

Hail The Glow Cloud

Increasing Emotional Tolerance

Lavender Self Love Jar

Love Enhancer

Love / Protection 

Memory Aid

New Year Purification Bath

Recharging 

Ritual For Positive Thoughts 

Ritual Of Gratitude

Self Love And Healing Jar

Seven Useful Powder Spells For Every Occasion

Sew Closed Your Heart

Simple Protection 

Simplicity

Sleep Spells And Sigils

Steps To Strengthen A Romantic Relationship

Stop Nightmares

Ward Types and Components

Advice Shit:

26 Activities To Help Your Mind, Body, And Soul

A Collection Of Witch Tips

A Long List Of Ways To Spiritually Protect Yourself

Aura / Energy Colors & Meanings

Basics Of Kitchen And Cottage Witchcraft

Beginner Witchcraft 

Being A Witch

Blood Magic

Candle Uses & Meanings

Cosmic Witch Masterpost

Daily Witchcraft

Earth Element Correspondents 

Enchanting Items

Fire Safety

Hearthandhold Reading List 

Imbolc

Incense Uses

Jarring Tips

Knot, Thread, and Cord Magic

Low Energy Tips

My Advice For Baby Witches 

Rose Water Is My Religion

Salt & Witchcraft

School / Work Grounding

Spell Books

So You Want To Talk To Spirits?

There Comes A Time When You Need To Stop Researching And Just Practice 

Tips For Writing Incantations 

Types Of Witches

Understanding Concepts In Witchcraft

Urban Witch 101: House and Home

Violets Witchcraft Masterpost

Water Magic

Witch Resources

Witchling Endeavors

Witchy Tips

Recipe Shit:

Anti-Nightmare Pouch

Black Salt

Calming Sugar Scrub

Charming Lip Balm

Cleansing And Calming Salt

DIY Gemstone Necklace

Drawing Out A Latent Talent Pouch

Milkshake Magic

Moon Spell Cakes

Moon Water

Peaceful Sleep Sachet

Potion For Sleep

Rose Water

Smoothie Potions 

Soothing Dreams Sachet

Daily Witch Tip Shit:

One

Drip three drops of olive oil on the surface of water in a bowl.

Observe the drops. If the drops remain distinct from each other, there is no evil eye. If they run together, there is. 

Dispose of the oil and water.

Remove the evil eye accordingly.

Ostara begins tomorrow, and could possibly be one of my FAVORITE holidays. In traditional Wicca, Ostara celebrates the union between the Lord and the Maiden Goddess. It is a time of love, youthfulness, union, partnerships, and conception. Personally, I enjoy focusing Ostara more on the Maiden Goddess and witchcraft that revolves around self-care, love, and beauty.

Outside of traditional Wicca, Ostara should be a focus on self-love, sharing love, and beauty. Focus on making yourself feel beautiful, inside and out. Focus on sharing love with everyone you care about.

Here’s a pretty simple list of ideas for how to celebrate Ostara without any big, huge rituals:

Wear pastels or florals or lace to celebrate spring and youthfulness

Buy yourself some seeds and start planting if the weather permits

Go bird watching/listening

Do your makeup or dress up even if you have nowhere to go

Spa day. Treat yo’self, witches.

Do some spring cleaning and get rid of the clutters of winter

Bubble baths are honestly holy af, bonus points if you throw in some magic

Spend a day in the sun, if the weather permits

Buy a bouquet of flowers

Dance under the stars

Get a beauty/glamor spell going for you

Share some love with your partners, share some love with your friends, share some love with your family, share some love with your pets, share some love with your people, share some love with your plants. SHARE. SOME. LOVE.

Do something nice for someone else. Plan a service project or something. Be as beautiful inside as you are out.

Spend a few minutes writing a personal, individual message to the people you care about. Let them know how much you love them.

MAKE. YOURSELF. FEEL. BEAUTIFUL. Whether that be throwing on a puffy dress, going all out on your makeup, not wearing any makeup at all, etc. Do whatever makes you feel beautiful (without tearing anyone else down).

This is the best time to improve on your relationships, improve on your self-confidence, and to come back to life after the dead of winter. Take some time for yourself and for your loved ones.

🍃 A list of fruits, veggies, and herbs with their various uses in brujeria and/or hoodoo that I haven’t seen in other correspondence lists. This will be updated as time goes on! 

🍃 Avocado: Love and beauty. Ruled by Venus, it enhances sexuality in sexual spells. It can also be used for good luck spells, especially when gambling.

🌸 Apricot: Ruled by Venus. Protects against false friends. Attracts Love.

🍃 Bamboo: Protection, luck, curse breaking.

🌸 Cactus: Absorbs negative energies, protection, chastity.

🍃 Carrot: Ruled by Mars, brings love, fertility, lust, and power.

🌸 Chillis: Hex breaking, used in “shut your mouth” spells, used in banishing people, fidelity, love

🍃 Citronella: Cleansing. Eliminates obstacles when it comes to business, money, and sales.

🌸 Cilantro/Coriander: Ruled by Mars. Lust and love, health, healing.

🍃 Cocoa: Love, power, fertility

🌸 Coconut: Fertility, fidelity, good luck. Used as well for protection, prosperity and protective rituals. Leave a coconut in the home to absorb negative energies, and leave it at a 4 way crossroad.

🍃 Corn: Ruled by Venus. Protection, luck, divination, fertility. 

🌸 Eucalyptus: Against sadness and protects against negative spirits. Healing and protection.

🍃 Fig: Used to attract good luck, increase money. Fertility, love and divination.

🌸 Lemon: A powerful cleanser of negative vibrations. Used in love charms and friendship spells.

🍃 Lime:  Healing, love, protection.

🌸 Mango: Love, romance, fertility, 

🍃 Majoram: Protects against negative energies. Associated with Venus, helps women find a husband when hidden around the home. Love, happiness, health and money.

🌸 Oats: Protection, prosperity, vitality and strength

🍃 Orange Blossom: Love, marriage. High vibrational.

🌸 Sweet Orange: Attracts desired people and marriage.

🍃 Bitter Orange: Repels unwanted love

🌸 Oranges in general are good for divination, happiness, luck and money.

🍃 Papaya: Love, protection

🌸 Parsley: For love and sex rituals. Attracts money. Protection, purification.

🍃 Pineapple: Luck and abundance, chastity, money

🌸 Plantain: Hidden in the home, they protect against unwanted visitors. Happiness, gets rid of bad moods.

🍃 Potato: Image magick, healing

🌸 Tamarind: Prosperity, very good for protection as well.

🍃 Tangerine: Improves social relationships. 

🌸 Tumeric: Protection, eliminates bad visions

🍃 Rice: Fertility, good fortune. Protection.

🌸 White pepper: Eliminates obstacles. Protects from enemies. Speeds up workings.

🍃 Black pepper: Rejects attacks from enemies. Speeds up workings.

BEKKATHYST WINTER 2018 GIVEAWAY

~This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Tumblr.~

Please read thoroughly before entering!

Hello lovely Tumblr folk! It’s that time again- I have a giveaway for you all. Last year ended great, so I thought we should start this year great! So I’m giving you the chance to win this large collection of items.

All these items came from my shop.

What you get:

$50 credit that can be applied to anything in my shop.

amethyst & calcite cluster 

labradorite palm stone

tumbled quartz 

fluorite bunny

rainbow moonstone necklace (handmade by me!) 

other tumbled stones

selenite wand

quartz wand 

obsidian sphere 

lapis lazuli sphere

labradorite heart 

selenite tower 

tiger’s eye cow carving 

giant druzy heart

amethyst hedgehog 

rainbow moonstone nuggets

chunks of labradorite 

This has a retail value of $215 in addition to the $50 shop credit!

Rules:

You must be 16 or older. (If under 18 you MUST have parent’s permission)

You don’t have to live in the US to join!

You must be following me, so you can get updates if anything about the giveaway changes.

Please check out my shop and if you’re interested, you can sign up for my email newsletter here. (Totally not necessary or required, it’s just an option!)

DO NOT tag this post as giveaway. That will risk the notes getting messed up, and this will be ruined for everyone.

Reblog this post to enter. Likes count, too. No giveaway or spam blogs. If you reblog on a side blog, let me know in the tags what the name of your blog is that you’re following me with.

Please don’t spam people with reblogs- limit 2 reblogs per day. Last time I had angry people messaging me because people were spamming it a bunch :s 

Each entry will be assigned a number and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

The giveaway ends Wednesday, February 28th at 6 pm Pacific time.

The winner will be messaged and must respond with their full name and address within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

Since a lot of people seemed to enjoy my Morning Routine for a Busy Witch, I’ve decided to write out my nighttime routine. Again, this post is only for ideas, and there’s no need to do this every night.

Tea is my absolute go-to for nighttime calm. 

Herbal teas that don’t have caffeine, but can still calm you, include: chamomile, lavender, rose, valerian (do not take while already on a sedative), lemon balm, spearmint, sage, licorice root, rooibos, and blackberry leaves. 

A lot of these herbs, such as chamomile, will also help you digest if you drink the tea after dinner.

Green teas do have a bit of caffeine, but can be very calming. I’ll often drink sencha at night.

Light a scented candle. Any floral scent, like the ones listed above, will help you relax before bed.

Baths and showers will not only relax your muscles, but also calm your mind. I personally refuse to bed with wet hair, so I usually take a bath with some scented candles lit and low light.

This has been said a million times before, but baths and showers make great cleansing rituals. Imagine scrubbing off your biggest worries and watching them swirl down the drain along with the soap bubbles.

When you rub on lotion, draw some sigils or runes on your skin before rubbing them in.

If you have a cleansing spray or air freshener, now is the time to use it. What better way to end the day than cleansing your house and having the air feel fresh?

If possible, go outside and sit with the moon for five minutes. I don’t know what it is about moonlight–it just heals the mind.

I struggle to do this myself, but in the best case scenario, it’d be great to wash your dishes before going to bed. It is so nice to wake up to a clean kitchen. Picking up clothes off the floor and throwing them into a hamper also greatly improves your morning. When your space is less cluttered, your mind is less cluttered.

Give a tiny offering before going to bed. It can be something you can leave overnight, such as water, salt, or herbs. It’s low-effort, spiritually attuning, and helps you feel satisfied with your day before bed. 

I don’t personally do this, but I know a lot of people will meditate or stretch before bed. I find that grounding exercises also relax me before bed.

This is a personal routine of mine: I use a lavender salve I made and rub it on the bottom of my feet before bed. The lavender helps calm the body, and according to reflexology, your feet are connected to the rest of your body. Not to mention your feet get sore after a long day! Rubbing the salve on your feet will help you sleep. 

You can do the same thing with lotion, preferably lavender scented.

I used to rub on hand cream before bed, and that helped me relax as well.

You can give your face a steam bath by boiling some water and adding a drop of essential oil into it, then bathing yourself in the steam. I’m wary of adding essential oil to my cooking pot because not all of them are edible, so I usually transfer the boiling water to another bowl and then add the essential oil. Still works like a charm.

When you get in bed, read something. Even like two minutes of reading will help calm you and (hopefully) make you drowsy. Unless you’re SUPER into the book. Then don’t read at night. Read something boring, like your homework.

Placing one of these crystals under your pillow may help you sleep: amethyst, labradorite, jade, black tourmaline, clear or rose quartz, selenite, or hematite.

Some people will place bags of pine, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus, or other calming herbs beneath their pillow. If you do this, be extra careful with how you bag them! My cousin ended up getting pine needles all over her bed because they weren’t secure. Use a ziploc bag or envelope to contain the herbs.

1. Your tarot reader has worked hard probably for years now on their art of tarot reading. Everyone likes to know how their service was for you. Give good feedback to help them grow and improve, and to build the relationship between you and the reader for future readings.

2. Some tarot readers ONLY read tarot. That’s how they make money. Maybe they are homebound. Maybe they haven’t found a job yet. Maybe they are in school. TIP! Just like you would your hairdresser, leave them a tip. Even $1 makes a difference, and it shows your loyalty and appreciation.

3. Just like with anyone in customer service, when you show your appreciation, there is a very good chance that your reader will bend over backwards for you and make your experience the best that they can. If you are rude, never leave feedback, never tip, you are going to leave a bitter taste in your reader’s mouth.

4. Don’t ask for free readings. It’s incredibly rude, selfish, and insensitive. If your reader IS giving free readings, sure thing. But if they are not currently offering them and are only advertising paid readings, SUPPORT THEM. By asking for free readings you are implying, “Your readings are not worth my money”. Most readers around tumblr don’t ask a lot for their readings. Do what you can to support them and help them grow. 

5. Say thank you. Its not that hard, really. Just show your appreciation. Some of your readers work full-time and do this as a hobby, or for practice. They may have had a really long day. Just say, “thank you”.