#cauldron&kettle

The why, the how, and the importance of circling casting in magic

What is Circle casting?

When people talk about casting a circle, they are most often talking about casting a circle of protection. This is something to help keep you protected when you are in your most vulnerable state, for instance during a particularly taxing ritual or spell. I often describe this as a dome of protection, as large as you need it, to keep you safe. It can also work as a way to contain your own magic, to make sure your energy and magic can be focused on the thing you need it to focus on. 

How to cast a circle:

There are plenty of ways to cast a circle, but this is the way I have always done it

Make sure you cleanse yourself and your space. Just think, if you are about to but a dome of protection over you, where your energy can’t get out, and bad energy can’t get in, you want to make sure the energy of the space is right before you start. 

Draw a line. This can be mentally or physically, but draw a line around the space you want to protect. This could be directly around your altar, around the room you are in, or around your whole house. When drawing your line, do some clockwise to attract the energy of protection. 

Speak your intention clearly. When casting your circle, make sure you are clear with what you are protecting from. Are you protecting from all outside energy, or simply negative energy? Are you protecting from fairfolk coming into your circle? Make sure you are thorough with your intention. 

If working with a deity, call upon them. This is an optional step, but for the same reason you would want to be thorough with who you don’t want around, you also want to be thorough about who you do want around. If you are doing some rituals or spells, you may find you want to call upon certain deities or spirit guides, but that is wholly up to you. 

Now, go on with what you were doing. That would be rituals, spells, or well… Living your life. There are many people who simply put up protection circles on their home so they have protection in their home at all times, others only put up circles when they are working on rituals they feel need it (Some believe that having a circle up all the time can be draining for your spiritual health, or can effect some divination readings, since energies aren’t supposed to be able to come into your circle) 

When you are ready, make sure you close your circle. Thank those that helped you in your work, and thank those who respected your circle. When closing your circle, go backwards from the direction you cast, so in our case that is counterclockwise. Make sure to bless those who helped you with their travels.

Why do we cast circles?

A circle is a psychic or physical representation of protection, which is very important when opening yourself up during spells. When we are doing rituals or spells or meditations, it opens us up to receiving energy, but we can’t always control what energy is coming our way, that circle is there to only let through the energy you want to interact with during your work. Now, not all spells or rituals needs a circle cast, but it never hurts to do one if it feels right. This is just an option for you to keep you feeling safe and comfortable, especially when you don’t want to be worried about such things. 

The many ways to use various waters in your craft 

When looking at a spell, you may see it calls for moon water, seawater, rain water, or the like. But what’s the difference? A lot of energy is held in water, and depending on where or how it was collected, it can hold different types of energy. Below, we will discuss different types of water and when or where to use them.  ____________________

Seawater:

Seawater can be used in cleansing or healing spells. Think of the way the tides hit the shores, and wash away anything there. Imagine that when using it in spells, washing away the negative energy. 

Storm water:

Imagine the power and strength storms hold. Stormwater can hold all that same strength. You can use storm water for anything you may need to charge or motivate. I can also be used for baneful magic and curses. 

River water:

Rivers are ever flowing, ever moving. That’s the energy this water brings to spells, use this when trying to move on from something, or trying to break through tough times. It can be used in warding off negative energy, keeping positive energy flowing through your world, or bringing power to tools or spells 

Rain water:

This is similar to storm water, but there are some differences. Storms are wild, strong, unpredictable. Rain, can be gentler, softer. Rainwater can be pretty multipurpose, but is excellent for growth and rebirth spells. Imagine the way the rain helps a seed grow and thrive, except you are the seed! 

Snow water:

Fresh fallen snow. Pure white, untouched. It can be used to purify objects or spaces. But winter is also a dormant time, so snow in a spell can be used to end a journey or spell you believe is complete. It can also be used to “slow” spells, so to speak, if you want it to take it’s time to work. 

Dew water: 

This is a perfect thing to add to any spell or ritual that is trying to commune with the fairfolk, the fresher, the better. It can also be used for any delicate, gentle spells you may have. It can also be used in love and fertility spells. 

Moon water:

Now this one is a little different. Moon water is water that is charged under a specific phase of the moon to invoke the energy of that phase. Most people charge their moon water under the full moon, but it is up to you.  ___________

Now, just like with everything else, there is no reason to need any of these specific waters. Maybe people like to use specific water to invoke certain energies, but that doesn’t mean it’s required by any reason! The most common used of these is full moon water, you will see this used in a lot of spells, and it’s often the easiest water to get your hands on. Stay tuned for resources on how to make, store, and use moon water in the future!

There are so many types of magic and magic users out there! We all carve out our little corner of the craft to fit exactly what we want. Chances are as you start to learn your craft, you will find that you are pulling from more than just one type of magic, and that’s totally okay! These are just quick descriptions, again, to potentially help you find the direction you want to go in, but who knows! Maybe a particular craft will call to you, and you stick to it! 

This is by no means an exhausted list of types of magic or witches there are, but it’s a great jumping off point! 

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I’m just going to put this here. Witch is a gender-neutral term. I’m not here for this “Witch vs Warlock, Woman vs Man thing in the craft. If you prefer being called a witch, cool, if you want to be called a warlock, got it. There is absolutely no reason to categorized magic makers like this. 

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Solitary Witch: 

This is a person who prefers to study and practice alone. They tend to work off of their own intuition and don’t feel the need or want to add other energies into their craft they may be unpredictable

Hereditary Witch:

These are folks that come from a line of magic users. They learned their craft from their elders, probably steeped in tradition and history. 

Traditional Witch:

These folks prefer to play by the rules, keeping strict to the history and pomp and circumstance. These people may be the kind of person who believes you have to apprentice to be a witch. This kind of witch also often overlaps with hereditary witches. 

Divination Witch:

These folks focus on not only manipulating the surrounding energy, but communicating with it, either for themselves or others. This can include things like Tarot, runes, and oracles, but also things like astrology and horoscope. 

 Lunar witch:

Most witches use the moon in their craft, but these folks tend to focus their whole craft around it, often planning around the moon cycle when planning their craft. This can also include things like full moon and new moon rituals, moon water, eclipse rituals and more. If this is something that speaks to you, I recommend looking into deities like Artemis. 

Sea witch:

These witches spend their time around water in general, but more specifically the ocean. They can use things like shells and sea glass alongside their crystals. Often, sea witches get their psychic and mental energy from being in and around the ocean. 

Green Witch:

This is a craft that revolves around nature, herbs and plants. Often these witches overlap with kitchen witchcraft, with mutual use of herbs. Green witches often gardens to tend to, and a knowledge of herbs and foraging. These folks may have not only metaphysical spells, but physical applications like tinctures and salves. 

Kitchen Witch:

Often called hearth witchcraft, (But some might argue they are two distinct crafts) Kitchen witchcraft is a fairly large category of the craft, pulling from green witchcraft, fae witchcraft, as well as lunar magic and divination all wrapped up. These witches tend to have a love for food, helping people, and building community. Sharing their magic with people in meals or sending baked good to a loved one is a simple way to use kitchen magic in your life. 

Fae Witch: 

These are witches that also tend to overlap with green witchery and kitchen witchery, using care for the natural world to get on the good graces of fairfolk. Spending time with nature, leaving offerings for the fae, or showing care and reverence for the wildlife are all ways you could do this. 

City Witch:

While most witches pull their energy from nature, city witches pull their every from the ever-changing living energy of the city. 

Cyber Witch:

This is pretty similar to city witchcraft, with the use of more modern energy and tech in their craft. Maybe instead of lighting candles, they have color changing lights for rituals. Or, maybe they write their grimoire online versus in a book. They often find comfort online in the same way that others may get comfort being in the woods or by the ocean. 

Eclectic Witch:

This is the kind of craft where you take what you like and leave the rest (within reason). In my personal opinion, most witches live in this place. You take a little from this column, a little of that column, and craft the perfect little space for you. 

Chaos Witch:

So… Everything I just said? Throw it out the window. A chaos witch does what they want when they want, on their terms, and their craft represents that. They don’t follow correspondences set forth by others. They do what they think is right, when they think it’s right, and don’t really care what anyone thinks about it. I have always believed a good witch as a little chaos magic in them. 

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This is just a jumping off point! Make sure to always do your own research, and don’t let just one person tell you the right or wrong of the craft. This is a place for you to sit and meditate, decide what may or may not sound good to you, and take the leap into that world. The journey is the best part, after all.

Hey all! I'm really trying to widen my horizons on tumblr, both in a magical sense and in other ways as well

I'm looking for blogs that share:

-Witchcraft education

-Witchy memes

-Leftist content (Witchy or not)

-Cooking

-Maine/New England/Northerncore

-Fishing/Hiking/Foraging/Outdoorsy stuff

The when, where, and why of using moon water

What is moon water?

Moon water is water charged under the moon, often during the new or full moon, to have the energy from that moon phase. 

How do you make it?

Fill your vessel with water (and stones or herbs to be more specific). Put that vessel in a spot that gets some moonlight. This could be a window, on your porch, in your car, etc., after the sun has fully set. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for an hour or overnight, just make sure you retrieve it before the sun comes up. Store in a dark place, out of sunlight. 

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Tips:

-Only make as much as you think you need: Okay, a few things. The water loses its charge the longer it sits. I recommend recharging it once a month (During the next moon cycle). The other side of this is physical. Sitting water isn’t great for you, microbes and stuff can grow it in. It’s just better off to make sure you only make as much as you need at the time. There will always be another full moon, you don’t need a Costco sized bottle of moon water. 

-On the same topic, store under a cloth, or in a dark place. Make sure it’s out of the sunlight when not being used. This is more of a physical worry, like stated above. The sunlight may help things like bacteria, microbes or algae to grow, and that’s just not something you want on your altar. 

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Uses:

Moon water is a great thing to use to cleanse or anoint your tools if that’s something you would like to do. 

Add to potions, drinks or meals to give them a more powerful effect. (You should only be using moon water that was prepared within 24 hours of the meal. I do not condone using moon water that has set for any long period of time before being consumed)

Can be used in place of oils in spells or rituals 

Water your plants with it

Use it as offerings to deities, fairfolk, and/or spirit guides ______________________

Some simple recipes to get you started

Cleansing spray: Take a few sprigs of rosemary and sea salt and put it into a spray bottle of your liking. Add just enough moon water to cover the rosemary. Let it sit for about 72 hours, and then use it to spray down tools, sacred spaces, candles, etc. to bring a cleansing, purifying energy. 

Cleaning spray: Take that same rosemary sprigs and salt, put that in a bottle, and use half moon water and half vinegar. Let this sit for a week or so, and then use it as a multipurpose cleaning spray around the house.

Every witch uses tools in one way or another. Whether you are using a bell to sound cleanse, a candle for flame, or even a broom with the right intention, we are always using tools in our craft. Below, I’m going to discuss some basic tools ideas, some every day items that can be tools of your practice, and some alternatives. 

Basic Altar Tools

Anthame:

A small ritual blade. These are often leather handled and made from bone, stone, or wood instead of metal, since it’s not meant to cut anything physical. Its purpose is to cast or recall spells or circles, as well as cutting emotional ties (among other things.)

Bells:

Bells have so many uses in the craft. They are used in sound cleansing rituals, sending out bad energy with the sound of the bell. Some people also use them to call upon some deities and spirit guides, especially brass bells. You can also attach spells to a bell to charge the spell every time you ring it. 

Book Of Shadows:

This is your map to your craft, so to speak. If you didn’t have anything else, you would have all the important information to practice your craft. This can include things like important dates and correspondences, pages dedicated to your deities, regular spells and rituals, etc. This can be as structured or chaotic as you feel comfortable for you. 

Besom:

This is a small, handheld broom usually made out of straw or twigs. It is used to cleanse away energy from your altar, or used quite literally for debris like herbs and incense ash. 

Candles:

These are a universal tool. They can be used for meditation, divination, color magic, fire magic, and so much more. White candles can be universal, but colored ones can have more specialized energy. 

Cauldron:

A vessel to mix herbs, potions, incense, and more. It’s often made of cast iron, since it’s common to use your cauldron to burn spells inside. These can be any size, from a cast iron bowl that fits in the palm of your hand, to a large, multiple-quart-sized cauldron that could be used for cooking. 

Chalice:

This is a ritual cup. It can be made of glass, wood, stone or bone. Can be used to hold drink rituals, offerings, or simply water for cleansing. 

Divination Tools:

This category is a large one that encompasses a whole umbrella of things. Tarot, Oracle, pendulum, crystal balls, dowsing rods, runes, bones, tea leaves, or even mirrors. These are all tools that help you commune with energies beyond the physical world. 

Flowers/Herbs/etc:

Each of these things can bring different intentions to your altar, depending on the correspondences. You can use dried herbs or flowers in spells or incense, or teas. Fresh herbs or flowers can be used to decorate your altar, the options or endless! 

Incense and holder:

These are a great way to cleanse your space as well as involve the element of air in your work. These also serve to help you get into a meditative state, as well as being used for smoke cleansing

Mortar and Pestle:

These are used to grind herbs, flowers, incense, and whatever you may need for a spell or ritual. There are many options for these on the market, but be advised that if you are going to use it for edible and nonedible herbs, it should be made out of a less porous material so you don’t cross contaminate and make anyone sick. 

Offering Bowls:

These only really matter if you work with deities, or spirits, or fairfolk, etc. This is a small bowl that has one purpose, and that’s to hold the things you are offering to your otherworldly guests. Often a very ornate bowl, in association with the deities whose offerings are inside. 

Stones/Crystals:

Just likes herbs, each stone has difference meanings and purposes to your altar, but can be a great way to add specific energy to your space, or can be used as offerings. 

Pentacles:

This is the 5 pointed star within a circle. Each point represents Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Physic elements, in a circle of protection. Not all witches have them on their altars, but it is a simple, easy form of protection when needed. 

Everyday Objects as Tools:

Compass: 

Sometimes you will see rituals or spells that tell you to call upon “The four corners” or the “four watchtowers”. This is done by calling upon each element through the cardinal directions, so have a simple compass on your altar to help you know where those directions are can be helpful!

Mirror:

Self-love spells, glamour spells, protection, purifying, calling upon the psychic realm can all be done with mirrors, depending on the need. I like to keep a small compact mirror in my altar, so that I can use it when I need, but that it’s fully covered when not in use. 

Broom:

This can be used in the same way a besom is used, and is a great alternative to smoke or sound cleansing. While using the broom to sweep the floor, imagine it dusting away the stagnant, negative energy, most often coupled with an open door or window to give said bad energy a place to go

Pins/needles/hooks:

Potentially some of the most important tools a witch can have, things like pins and needles are both practical and metaphysical. Whether you are mending clothes or bags, or altar clothes, or using them as in place of an anthame or a wand in a ritual, they can be used pretty universally. 

Cords/string/rope:

Rope magic and knot magic is a pretty simple, easy way to get started in the craft, it’s pretty easy to learn, travels well, and is easily hidden if you are not an open witch. Some witches use twine or hemp rope, some use embroidery thread, or you could even use climbing rope, but you never know when you might want it or need it knitting or embroidering in a meditative state is an excellent way to make a wearable or displayable spell! 

Salt:

The most important thing in most kitchens, it can always be one of the most important things to your craft. Used for protection, circle casting, cleansing, and charging, it is one of the most universal tools you can keep in your arsenal

Jars/bottles:

I’ve never met a witch that didn’t have an addiction to jars in some way or another. They can hold herbs and crystals, they can be used for spell jars, made into offering bowls, or in a pinch used as a cauldron or chalice. And bonus points! It’s recycling! 

Alternatives:

No fire? No problem! If you live in a place where you can’t burn candles or incense, there are ways to work around that. Things like ritual candles made for spells, using a candle warmer in place of fire is just as good, as long as the intention is there, that’s all that matters. 

Another way to work around that with incense is to grind up and incense to powder, and use it in place of the ash can be used in spells. For cleansing without smoke, you can sound cleanse with music or bells, or with charged water. 

White is universal. If you are working on a spell or ritual, and it asks for certain colors, say in candles or thread, white is always an acceptable alternative. Many witches simply have a stockpile of white tea lights instead of specialized colors for specific spells. 

A pen and paper can replace a ton of tools! A simple drawing of a flower, drawn sigils, pictures of deities, the list goes on and on. You don’t need big ornate figures and statues on your altar if you don't have the space, or the money, or whatever reason, pictures and drawings can be just as fulfilling.

No space? No problem. Just because you don’t have the space for a big altar on a desk in your house, doesn’t mean you can’t have an altar! There are so many options for shoebox altars, mint tin altars, or even online altars that when used right can be just as good as any other altar. In a later post, I’m going to discuss how to curate a travelling altar, or shoebox altar! 

Just like last week, I discussed times of day and how they can affect the energy of the spell, this week I wanted to discuss how some weather can affect the energy of a spell.

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Lightning storm - cursing, manifestation, protection, as well as adding power to a spell or ritual.

Rainstorm - purification, cleansing, healing, releasing, compassion.

Dense fog - mysticism, glamour spells, shielding, protecting via ‘invisibility’. 

Heavy wind - Astral travel spells, breaking hard habits, asking for knowledge to come to you.

Meteor Showers - Wishes, luck, adding power to spells. 

Eclipses - Banishment spells, destruction of patterns.