#witchandcat

What is Ostara?

Ostara is a celebration of fertility, transition and balance that takes place on the Vernal Equinox.  Day and night are perfectly balanced, with days getting longer.  

When is Ostara this year?

Tuesday March 20th at 12:15 PM

What are the God and Goddess doing?

The God is in his youth and the Goddess is transitioning from being the mother to being the young maiden once again.  

What’s up with the Hare and the Egg?

The hare and egg are both symbols of the goddess. There is a legend where all the animals of the kingdom were giving gifts to the goddess, and the hare was very poor.  All he had was a single egg to give.  The goddess, seeing that he gave all that he had, made him her special animal.

What colors are associated with this holiday?

Green, yellow and purple.  

What can I do to celebrate the holiday?

This is a magic candle spell for added courage and confidence. It is meant to help give a little boost of confidence to those who need it! :D

What you will need:

One red cinnamon apple candle (or red candle if you can’t find one with cinnamon in it)

Protection Oil - a recipe for this is on my blog :)

Success/Money Oil - I will be uploading a recipe for this in a little while :D

Pen, Pencil or Pin to inscribe on the candle (And a permanent marker if the candle is a 7-day candle or is surrounded by glass)

Intention: “(INSERT NAME, INSERT BIRTHDAY) will have confidence and courage to succeed in all that they wish to do.” (This can be substituted for a more specific intention)

Altar set up for cleansing and consecrating (This could even be a travel altar, just anything you can use to cleanse and consecrate the candle)

Salt

List of Runes for inscribing

Cinnamon

Using your salt, rub the candle over the sink with it to remove all negativity associated with making, shipping and selling of the candle.  Take your permanent marker and write your intention on the back of the candle and “Courage and Confidence” on the front.  Then bring it to your altar.  Bless the salt and the water at your altar.  Light your altar candles (not the cinnamon apple/red one) and light your incense.  Take a moment to center yourself.  Call upon the elements and the Great Spirit/Goddess and God/Universe to protect you as you work.  Cleanse the candle with the elements.  Then consecrate the candle with the success/money oil and the protection oil.  When you are consecrating a candle, always start from the middle and work outwards for banishing, from the top to the middle then from the bottom to the middle for achievement, or move from top to bottom.  Never go back and forth.  Then, take your writing/inscribing instrument and inscribe the runes that you wish to use in a clockwise motion around the top of the candle.  I used Berkana for personal growth, Kenaz for inspiration, Fehu for luck, Sowulo for success, Uruz for courage and strength, and Wunjo for success.  Next, sprinkle some ground cinnamon on the top of the candle, just a little bit though.  Finally, call upon the elements and the Great Spirit/God and Goddess/Universe to hear your intention.  Thank them for listening and recite your intention.  Then light your candle.  Thank the elements and the Great Spirit/Goddess and God/Universe for listening to you and allow them to part.  You should have the candle burn down fully, but f you have to leave your candle for any reason, snuff it out rather than blowing it out.  

Cinnamon is a great spice for almost anything; protection, money, luck, inner peace, love, passion, psychic and clairvoyant activities and more.  It generally comes in two forms, ground and sticks.  I use ground cinnamon in both my money/success oil and my protection oil.  I also put cinnamon sticks over the doorways to my room and my front door as a protection from negativity and baddies.  :D If you are using ground cinnamon or cinnamon essential oils, be cautious if you have kitties as kitties can can have a toxic or allergic reaction if they are exposed to large amounts of it (my cat decides cinnamon sticks are fun things to chew and play with, so I keep them high above away from her!)  Some business owners pour ground cinnamon around their front doorway as it attracts luck and money to the business.

I couldn’t find a place that has a definite definition between the two, so here is my take one what each one is! :D Hope this helps my lovelies! <3

Intention - an intention is your reason for prayer, meditation, or your spell. Let’s say your spell is for someone to attract more friends. You would write an intention like “(INSERT NAME) will have more friends…” (making it more specific of course). It’s kinda like a strong desire, more so than a wish but not as hard a command. An intention is willing something to be.  

Not everyone can afford to buy expensive witchy items, especially if you are new to the craft and are just starting out.  Here are some helpful hacks that I’ve found when I had started out! :D

Candles and Incense - Probably not surprising to anyone, but I LOVE candle magic! There is usually a wide selection of candles in the dollar store or thrift store that you can pick from! The most important aspect is that they are undamaged and unused.  I will sometimes buy the used candles just because they look or smell pretty and not to actually use them in magic :) Usually at the dollar store they will have white, red or blue seven day candles which can be used for a variety of different spells that you want to have them last longer for (like protection candles).  Also, the dollar store will usually have incense in the same section as the candles.  They usually aren’t the greatest quality, but they get the job done! :D

Spices and Salt - I have been able to find almost all the very basic dried herbs I’ve needed for my spells at the dollar store.  This includes cinnamon (ground and sticks), basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, chili powder, cayenne, bay leaves, and more! Also, basic iodized salt is only fifty cents for a whole tub at my local dollar store.  Make sure all herbs are unopened and fresh (or at least as fresh as dried herbs can be).  

Book of Shadows or Grimoire - Just starting out and don’t have the money to buy a fancy book? Or maybe you get intimidated to write in fancy books and you don’t know where to start? Well my friend, you can start out with a simple and cheap notebook or binder with loose leaf paper in it for only a dollar! Some people really do fabulous things with their grimoires and BOS, but if you are just starting out and need a place to start out, a plain ole composition notebook may be just what you are looking for!

Cauldron - This one may be a bit of a stretch, but I was actually able to find my cauldron at a local Goodwill! Well, it’s actually a french soup bowl that looks like a cauldron, but when you have to be thrifty anything safe to use as a cauldron will do! I use mine mostly just to hold ashes as I sage or burn cinnamon, but if I ever needed to heat it up I could.  

Sand - You may be asking, why sand? I personally use sand in my cauldron to use to put out sage and burn cinnamon as I work.  The sand serves so extinguish the sage once I’ve finished using it.  I was able to find a bag of black sand (yay for aesthetics!) at my local dollar store.  

Various Craft Items - This depends widely depending on what store you are in, but a lot of dollar stores have craft items and sections that are wonderful for whatever crafty need you have! One idea that I had that I have yet to follow through with is getting some flat glass stones and drawing runes on them.  The opportunities are endless!

Playing Cards - This one is for those who want to learn how to read the tarot, but can’t afford to buy a deck or can’t own a deck in the residence where they live currently.  This is a great little hack with only one draw back.  In tarot decks there is an extra set that is called the Major Arcana that are for clarity of the reading.  You can still learn how to read tarot cards without these, but if you buy two sets, you can write the Major Arcana and the extra set and be all set! If you only want to buy one set to avoid suspicion from others, that’s fine too! There are lists on the internet about what the cards mean when they are translated from the tarot to the regular playing cards.  Here are two links:

How to Read Tarot with Playing Cards

List of Meanings for Playing Card Tarot

Jars- Something nifty I’ve found is that in most thrift shops and dollar stores they will have smaller jars and mason jar type things just perfect for putting potions, essences, oils, herb mixes and other stuff in! Usually they are pretty cheap too!

Hello my lovelies! <3 Today I’m going to be writing about casting circles.  Casting circles is on of the best ways to protect yourself or your group when meditating, casting spells, doing rituals, or cleansing or consecrating tools.  The size of the circle will depend on if there is only a solitary worker or if there is a large group working.  

In terms of physically making the circle, you can make it with rocks, seashells, or really anything.  The circle doesn’t have to be physical, you could just make it out of the four cardinal points (North, East, South and West).  When you are a beginner, it is usually helpful to make the circle physically, so you know you exactly where the boundaries of the circle are.  

There are two big reasons on why you should make your circle. Firstly, for protection against baddies like energy suckers or even demons.   The circle creates a boundary, almost like a large sphere that keeps you safe from anything that may come through.  The other reason is that it keeps your positive energy inside.  Keeping your energy inside makes it so your energy goes towards your spell, meditation, etc., rather than just flowing out everywhere.  

What I’m going to share with you is simply my method that I do my circle casting.  It is different for everyone, but this is just a simple way to begin before you go off and begin to flourish yours.  Hope you enjoy my lovelies! :D <3

Step 1: Start with a flat clean open space where you can practice without being disturbed.  This can be indoors or outdoors.  If you have large furniture or a wall that you cannot move, that’s okay.  As long as the four cardinal directions can be marked at the circumference, the circle can go through these things.  If your space is not clean, vacuum or sweep it.  These actions not only clean your circle, but can also help get rid of negative energies.  

Step 2: Mark the circumference of your circle.  Some people use chalk on concrete, some use lines in sand, and other people use scarves. I have a tile floor that doesn’t take chalk too well, so I usually make a tape outline with artists tape.  Artists tape is less sticky than regular tape so it come off nicely if i need to cut a door in the circle (I’ll talk about what this is in a little bit).  

Step 3: Find the four cardinal directions and mark them on the circumference of your circle.  You can mark the directions with four different colored rocks, four different colored candles, or things that correspond to the directions element.  The directions and their elements are: North - Earth, East - Air, South - Fire, and West - Water.  The color correspondence for each element are Green for Earth, Yellow for Air, Red for Fire and Blue for Water.  

Step 4: Gather everything you are going to need for your ritual, spell work or meditation and place them into the circle.  You should make sure you have everything before you cast the circle.  

Step 5: Take a deep breath and center yourself.  This is where we are actually going to begin casting the circle.  Take your wand, or your finger, and face east.  Going clockwise, walk with your wand or finger outstretched to create the circumference of the circle.  As you walk, begin to envision a bright white light coming from your circle.  Breath and begin, “Here I create a circle, for protection and to work, a place of positive, in a world that is not a world, in a space that is not a space, outside and inside all the positive realms” Return to the center of your circle.  

Step 6: Bless your salt and your water.  Take three pinches of salt and add it to your water.  Stir with you finger, wand athame counter clockwise three times.  Stand and face East.  Walk inside the circumference of the circle, going clockwise, and sprinkle your blessed salt and water combination.  Say “Elements of water and earth, please bless and cleanse this circle.  Please bear witness and protect me during my work” Envision both the waves of the ocean and the warm soil of the ground.  Once you have gone around fully once, return to the center of your circle.  

Step 7: Light your incense.  Pick it up and walk clockwise the inner circumference of your circle.  With your hand or a feather, push the incense smoke outwards of your circle.  Say “Elements of air and fire, please bless and cleanse this circle.  Please bear witness and protect me during my work” Envision both the strong winds of air and crackling of fire.  Once you have gone fully around once, return to the center of your circle.  

Step 8: Standing in the center of the circle, it is time to call the elements and the Great Spirit/God and Goddess/Universe.  Keep your wand or you finger outstretched in front of you.  Face East, imagine the strong winds again.  Say “Element and Spirits of Air, please I call upon you”.  Face South, imagine the warmth and crackling of fire again.  Say “Element and Spirits of Fire, please I call upon you”. Face West, imagine the strong waves and spray of the ocean again.  Say “Element and Spirits of Water, please I call upon you”. Face North, imagine the feeling of soil and the texture of rocks again.  Say “Element and Spirits of Earth, please I call upon you”. Stay facing North and say “Great Spirit/God and Goddess/Universe please I call upon you.  Please bear witness and protect me during my work.”.  When this is done, envisioning the white light still shining about you, say “Thank you to the elements, spirits, and Great Spirit/God and Goddess/Universe.  The circle has been cast.  Thank you to all who protect me/us and bear witness to my/our work.  

Step 9: Now you can begin your spell, meditation, ritual or other work.  

Step 10: Let’s say you are halfway through a spell and OH NO!!!! YOU FORGOT YOUR KEY INGREDIENT ON YOUR KITCHEN COUNTER!!! Now assuming your circle isn’t on the kitchen counter, you must go and retrieve it.  Taking your want or your finger, trace along the circumference of the circle just enough to get out.  If you made your circle like I did with the tape, you may gently lift up a section of the tape to get out. Once you step out, immediately close you circle reversing what you have just done to get out.  Go and retrieve what you forgot, open the circle just enough to get in, and close it immediately behind you.  BE CAREFUL, EVERY TIME YOU OPEN THE CIRCLE YOU ARE MAKING IT WEAKER. THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GATHER EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CLEANSING AND CREATING THE CIRCLE.  

Step 11: After you have finished your work, it is time to close the circle.  To do this, start facing West.  Hold up your wand or finger and say “Thank you element and spirit of water for protecting me and bearing witness to my work.  You were here and I thank you.  Hail and farewell”.  Turn to the South and say “Thank you element and spirits of fire for protecting me and bearing witness to my work.  You were here and I thank you.  Hail and farewell”.  Turn to the East and say “Thank you element and spirits of air for protecting me and bearing witness to my work.  You were here and I thank you.  Hail and farewell”. Turn to the North and say “Thank you element and spirits of earth for protecting me and bearing witness to my work.  You were here and I thank you.  Hail and farewell”. Keeping North say “Thank you Great Spirit/God and Goddess/Universe for protecting me and bearing witness to my work.  You were here and I thank you.  Hail and farewell.” Then take a moment then say, “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you all for coming and protecting me and bearing witness to my work.” Taking your wand/finger outstretched to the north, begin to walk the inner circumference of the circle.  Say “The circle is open, but never broken.  The love of the elements, spirits, and Great Spirit/Goddess and God/Universe is/are forever in my heart and forever in my thanks.  Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.”  

That is my way of casting a circle and closing a circle.  I hope it helps you guys.  If the words that you are supposed to say don’t resonate with you, thats okay.  You can change them, what is most important is that they come from the heart.