“You see him; you want him; you make a conscious decision to get him…does this violate the “Harm None” creed of the Wiccan Rede? Does this violate your personal ethics? What about the target’s free will? I can hear these questions reverberating through the universe…”
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Witchcraft is all about dealing with issues in life and creating change in those areas through the movement of energy resulting in manifestation in the physical world. Sex is one of those whopping big issues, or it can be if things are not all hunky dory in the bedroom. Whatever the issues might be, whether it’s not enough passion, an overload of sex drive, infidelity, or a desire to catch your prince charming, you can find what you need to cast spells for hot sex, no sex, or only-with-me sex in the world of herbs and green witchcraft.
Fidelity
“Forsaking all others” is not something our culture takes lightly. Even in the 21st century, ancient marriage vows and tradition are serious matters, and cheating is frowned upon. After all, don’t we all want to be special, to be ‘the one and only’? This is probably the most popular topic on which I receive emails asking for magickal help and advice. Following are some of my favorite herbs for dealing with issues of infidelity:
Chili Pepper…If you feel your mate is getting restless and may be plagued with a straying eye, obtain two dried chili peppers, cross them and tie them together. Add these chili peppers to a red flannel bag containing your man’s semen, a slip of paper on which you’ve written the length of his penis, and a photo of the two of you together. Place this charm near your bed, but make sure that it’s well hidden. NOTE: If it’s your little woman with the stray eye, let’s modify this spell for you: substitute menstrual blood for semen (easy enough to get, a used tampon is perfect); and substitute a snip of her pubic hair in lieu of measurements. This should be easy enough to get, as well as enjoyable for both of you. Use your imagination.
Cumin…When cumin is given to your lover, either carried upon his person in some way, or fed to him, it will promote fidelity. I’d vote for feeding it to your target. It’s much easier to make a tasty meal and slip it into the food, than to have your beloved wonder what the hell all those little seeds are in the bottom of his pockets. J
Licorice…(We’re talking the herb here, not the candy, just to keep things straight.) Gnawing on the root will put you in the mood for a little lovin’ with a lot of passion; and to keep all this passion between you and your beloved, use licorice in spells for fidelity.
Magnolia…This is another one of those magickal herbs that are kept in the bedroom, near your bed, to insure fidelity. Hide it in the mattress, in a box beneath your bed, along with a hoard of other innocent items, or in your bedside bureau drawer. Quite frankly, if your lover is use to having flowers and herbs around the house, both live and dried, they really aren’t going to think anything about one more piece of flora.
Nutmeg…Nutmeg is the mother of fidelity herbs. You can feed it to your target, include it in original fidelity spells, add it to mojo bags, voodoo dollies, or trick your partner into carrying it somewhere on their person by sprinkling it in their shoes, hiding it in their pockets, sewing it into a hem, etc. Combine this herb with any other herb you use for fidelity or love spells. This is the jealous “you-are-mine-and-mine-alone” herb.
Rhubarb…Bake your sweetheart a delicious rhubarb pie, adding generous amounts of sugar, including at least three spoonfuls of powdered sugar (Drawing Powder). To make sure your target stays faithful, add a pinch of nutmeg and the ultimate in personal effects– a teaspoonful of red wine that you have taken in your mouth, swished around good, like a mouthwash, and spit into the pie filling. It‘s best to do this while you‘re cooking the pie filling over the fire in a hot pan, heating it– and heating your passions and intentions right along with it.
Scullcap…Ladies, it’s said that if you wear this herb somewhere on your person, you will protect your hubby from the charms of other women. I think I’d add to this magickal endeavor by creating a mojo bag for this purpose. Add skullcap and two whole nutmegs to this bag, along with a photo of you and your husband together and some intimate personal effects, like body fluids, that sort of thing.
Attracting Love, i.e. Catching Prince Charming
Apple…Hold an apple in both hands, imbuing it with your magickal intentions: to bring to you the one you desire. Sleep with this apple for three nights. On the morning of the fourth day, hand this apple to your target, having them take it from your hands. Watch them eat it, making sure that they take at least three bites that are chewed and swallowed. Then ask if you can have a bite, taking it from their hands. Take a bite, chew and swallow, then hand this apple back to them…for the second time, they must take this apple from your hands.
Aster…Grow this plant in your garden with the intention that it shall draw to you your true love.
Beet…Use the juice from a beet as a magickal ink to write out your love spells. Beet juice can also be used as a substitute for blood, particularly in love spells. As with the apple, the story goes that if a man and woman both eat from a single beet, they will be joined together romantically.
Cardamom…Bake your target muffins, to which you’ve added cardamom. Serve them this delectable treat with a hot cup of apple/cinnamon tea, or hot chocolate.
Cinnamon…As with cardamom, the easiest way to use the magick of cinnamon to draw your true love to you is to feed it to them in something that you’ve baked yourself, something that you’ve put your time and energy into, something that you have mixed and blended and created with your own hands. To enhance this energy, serve them, along with the cinnamon, a drink of hot coco or chocolate milk.
Hibiscus…Use the blossoms of the hibiscus to create love sachets and incenses. You can also steep a strong tea for your target, and just before serving it, stick your finger into the tea cup, stirring three times deosil (clockwise).
Mistletoe…This is an all purpose love spell herb. Kiss the one you love beneath a sprig of mistletoe and the love shall last forever, so the old saying goes. To draw your true love to you, sleep with a sprig of mistletoe on the night of a full moon. The next day hide this charm somewhere in your target’s personal space– on the grounds of their property (okay, that’s pretty good); somewhere inside their abode (this is even better). If you can get them to carry it– in their purse, in their pocket, etc., without revealing what it is or what it’s for, you will have hit the jackpot in magickal checkmate.
Strawberry…This delicious delectable morsel shrieks of passion and lust. Eat it with your chosen target. For the best effect, don’t bother baking it into anything or including it any recipes, just go straight for the kill. Eat the berries together. You can also add to the experience by rolling it in melted chocolate. (Chocolate also has properties that magically spice up love and lust– the coco bean– but I suggested this mostly because I love chocolate and the combo is delicious.)
Increasing Sex Drive
The following herbs can be used, magickally speaking, for increasing your libido, or that of your partner.
Celery…ingest both the stalk and the seeds for a burst of passionate energy.
Beans…to cure impotency, carry a mojo bag on your person consisting of dried beans; a personal effect belonging to your mate, the more intimate the better; and an object which will be a phallic symbol, but something that is not an outright image of a penis. It has to be subtle and only suggestive of what it actually represents. This could be a stone with the correct shape, a stick, a small piece of statuary, glass, or any number of things. Look around you, you’ll find something. And the more energy you put into finding this item, the more energy you are putting into this mojo bag.
Ginseng…Ginseng is all about lust and desire. You can carry the root on your person, or you can drink a cup of ginseng tea. Either way, it’s reputed to get your motor going. Carrying the root may have more of a gradual and ongoing effect; drinking the tea may unleash more energy than you were expecting in a sudden burst; and if this is the case, you should make sure your romantic rendezvous is all set and ready to go before you take that cup of tea.
Licorice…ingesting this herb is the best way to utilize it’s potency as a libido booster.
Olive…olives not only increase sexual potency in men, they also increase fertility– just something to keep in mind. Eat it and enjoy.
Patchouli…mix patchouli, chips of Queen Elizabeth root, catnip, and red rose petals together. Make a tea with this mixture and add it to your bath water. Light a red candle during this bath and enjoy a nice long soak. When you’re finished, you can add a bit of this water to a small bottle and carry it in your purse to enhance the lustful and passionate effects, drawing it out. Better yet, bathe with your partner.
Vanilla…eat it, preferably in ice cream, preferably with your partner. Better yet, feed it to each other, in bed.
Decreasing Sex Drive
Remember the old saying, “You can never have too much of a good thing”? Well, actually, yes, you can. Here’s a few herbs and a few things you can do to tone it down, or shut it off.
Black Cohash…add a cup of tea that’s been made with this herb to your bathwater. It’s said that by bathing in this water you will kill any passion that your mate may have for you.
Camphor…This is another one of those herbs that are to be used in a mojo bag for this purpose and hidden somewhere very near the bed. You could add to this bag personal effects belonging to both you and your partner– nail clippings, hair, or more personal items– and a separate photo of both you and your partner. It’s also said that the scent of camphor will dampen the libido. In that case, I’d prepare a lovely little bowl full of camphor for the bedside table, and I’d refresh this when the scent disappears, or on a waning moon.
Lettuce…to squelch the libido of another individual, write their name on a slip of paper and place it beneath a single large lettuce leaf. Place this leaf where it will receive full sunlight and cover it with an inverted clear glass bowl. As it withers and rots in the sun, so shall their sexual potency wither and rot away.
Vervain…according to an old tradition, by drinking a tea of vervain, you will shut down all sexual desire for seven years. (You might want to think on this one, whether you plan on using it on yourself, or another individual.)
Witch Hazel…this will cool passion. This is the perfect herb to use in a mojo bag if you just need to cool things off for a while and give yourself time to think clearly about entering a relationship. Add to the bag a stone of black onyx, black hollyhock petals, black pansies, and a piece of black licorice (the candy, not the herb) that you’ve had in your mouth. Once your mind has cleared…think, think, think.
Hints & Helpful Magickal Tips:
If you’re a male and you think that someone’s been magickally tampering with your sexuality- your desires, your sex drive, and your free will, you can uncross the condition by steeping a whole burdock root in olive oil and anointing your genitals with this oil to restore your personal power and desires.
To break a hex or jinx placed upon your sexual nature boil calamus root in a a quart of whiskey; boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain out the roots, add another pint or two of whiskey to the mixture, and take a teaspoonful once a day to restore your sexual nature to normal. (*note: don’t confuse calamus root with blue flag)
Use the power of dill to manifest successful love spells by steeping the seeds in water for three days and adding it to your bathwater, or your target’s bathwater. To break a love spell, prepare a tea of dill leaf and ginger root. Strain the herbs, and anoint your entire body with this tea. Allow it to dry. This is to be done for nine days, creating a new batch of tea each day.
Increase the speed and intensity of love spells with ginger. Add dried ginger to love potions, powders, and oils. It can be burned with other spell ingredients, or added to foods imbued with magickal intentions.
Add white mustard seed to mojo bags created to attract love, along with red rose petals, a pinch of catnip, and personal effects: preferably an item from your target (hair, fingernail clippings, a button from their clothing, a business card, a name paper, personal body fluids, etc.)
Sampson snake root (Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower) is a versatile herb for love magicks: men who have lost their virility through jinxes or hexing can reinstate their prowess and sexual functionality by making a tea with this herb, or soaking this herb in whiskey for a week and taking a teaspoonful twice a day. This also restores good health that has been stolen through magickal means. A bath of Sampson snake root and Wahoo root bark will also restore male virility. A mojo bag to increase a man’s appeal to women will include Sampson snake root, high john the conqueror root, and bo’ hog root, all of which are dressed with commanding oil.
Queen Elizabeth root is considered the ultimate in love herbs. This herb works it’s magic on men, and it’s used for good luck in all types of love situations, including affairs. To attract a man’s love make a mojo bag containing Queen Elizabeth root, rose buds, lavender, lodestone, spikenard, and any personal effects you are lucky enough to get your hands on, all dressed with commanding oil. If you want your true love to propose marriage to you, add a powdered form of this herb to your bathwater just before meeting with your target. To enhance your feminine power and charms soak a whole root in water for nine days, strain this and add it to your bathwater. There is a powerful magickal concoction that is reputed to give you complete control over a man. This magickal potion includes scrapings of dry skin from your feet, or your toe nail clippings, which you will add to a bottle of water, along with a whole root and your own urine. Let this all soak for nine days before using it. You should use this liquid sparingly, adding it to your target’s food and drink, and by doing so he will develop a very docile nature and remain under your control. (I think I can actually hear a collective ‘ewwww’ from my readers J)
Have fun, and enjoy your magick…as well as the manifestations that result.
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The books below were used as a reference for this essay; however, the information above was taken from my own Book of Shadows, which includes my personal magickal practices and correspondences. This means that I may not have always agreed with some of the correspondences I found in these books and have incorporated my own correspondences for the information above. This does not mean that the correspondences found in these books are inaccurate, just that I’ve discovered different energies through my own practice.
“Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs” by Scott Cunningham
“Hoodoo Herb and Root Magick” by Catherine Yronwode
“Green Magic: The Sacred Connection to Nature” by Ann Moura
“The Green Wiccan Herbal” by Silja
I just received copies of my book (The Gray Witch’s Grimoire), and I’ve added a paypal widget to the home page of my website for those people who have requested an autographed copy. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and your support!
Autographed Copy
$13.95
Mundanely speaking, there isn’t a berry I don’t find delicious, so I’ve included a recipe for each berry in this post. Magickally speaking, there’s much more to these colorful delectable morsels than a muggle would ever guess, so we’re going to take a good look at this side of berries:
Blueberry
Folk Names: Bilberry
Power: Protection
Deities: Dark Lord; Lugh; the Hunter
Magical Uses:
Place some blueberries beneath the doormat to keep undesirables away from your property, or from entering your home. This protects against evil as well.
Make blueberry pies or tarts and eat when under psychic attack; this gets the protection inside you and increases the herb’s effectiveness.
To “bother” an enemy: soak dried blueberry leaves in hot water overnight. Stir in black mustard seed the following morning and throw this concoction across your enemy’s path, where they will step in it.
Blueberry Pie
2/3 to 3/4 cups sugar
¼ all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups blueberries
Pastry for one 2-crust pie/9”
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients; let stand.
Roll out half of the pastry and line a 9 inch pie plate. Spoon filling evenly into crust; dot with butter or margarine. Prepare top crust and cover pie, sealing the edges. Bake 50 minutes or until golden.
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Raspberry
Folk Names: European Raspberry, Red Raspberry
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Powers: Protection, love
Magical Uses:
The brambles (branches) of the raspberry are hung up at doors and windows for protection. This is also done when a death has occurred, so that the spirit won’t re-enter the house once it has left.
Raspberry is served as a love-inducing food, and the leaves are carried by pregnant women to alleviate the pains of pregnancy and childbirth.
Hoodoo mojo, “To Hold a Man”: There are a few ways that this plant can be used to bind a man to you– and you’d better make darn sure you want him before you do this, because once it’s done, you can’t change your mind…1) Make a tincture with raspberry leaves in a quart jar filled with spring water. Pour this tincture over your body while repeatedly reciting the man’s name. 2) It’s said that a man will never want to wander far from his woman or stray from the marital bed if she washes her genitals in raspberry leaf tea, sprinkles periwinkle on his food, and hides a magnolia leaf in the mattress…good luck, Ladies.
Turn about is fair play.
Now it’s the guys’ turn– more hoodoo mojo, “To Hold a Woman”: You have to find a branch of raspberry that has rooted at the tip, and take some of this from the plant without killing the plant. Boil the root in spring water, bathe in it, drink some of it; then serve the rest of it to your wife. It will keep the little woman faithful– if it doesn’t make her sick.**
*see the note below
Raspberry Lime Lemonade
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1/3 cup lime juice
1 cup sugar
6 cups water
1 cup fresh raspberries
Combine lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, and water in a 2 quart pitcher. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the raspberries and chill overnight. Pour over ice, serving it with a lemon or lime slice.
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Strawberry
Folk Names: Poziomki, Tchilek, Jordboer
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Deity: Freya
Powers: Love, Luck
Magical Uses:
Strawberries are served as a love food, and the leaves are carried for luck. Pregnant women may wish to carry a small packet of strawberry leaves to ease their pregnancy pains. This berry can also be used to draw a stray lover back to you, but this spell I can’t post here– it’s a spell that’s included in my book, The Gray Witch’s Grimoire, which will be out in May. All I can say is, it’s a doozy.
Strawberry Love Salad
2 (3 oz.) boxes strawberry jello
1 cup boiling water
2 (10 oz.) boxes frozen strawberries, thawed
1 can crushed pineapple
1 package Dream Whip
Topping:
1 package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Dissolve jello into water. Add the pineapple and strawberries (with the juice). Refrigerate. Make the topping, which includes whipping together the Dream Whip, cream cheese, and sugar. Garnish with nuts.
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Blackberry
Folk Names: Bly, Bramble, Bramble-Kite, Cloudberry, Dewberry, Goutberry,High blackberry, Thimbleberry
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Deity: Brigit
Powers: Healing, Money, Protection
Ritual Uses:
Blackberry was considered to be sacred to some of the old Pagan deities of Europe, and was used in worship. To the present day, blackberry pies are baked on Lughnasadh (August 2) by some of the Wiccans in commemoration of the harvest, seen poetically as the death of the God.
Magickal Uses:
The blackberry leaves are used in spells of wealth, as are the berries themselves, and the vines are protective if grown.
The blackberry plant is also used to heal scalds by dipping nine blackberry leaves in spring water and then laying them against the wound gently, while saying the following chant three times to each leaf (27 times in all):
“Three ladies came from the east,
One with fire and two with frost.
Out with fire, in with frost. “
This is an old invocation to Brigit, the ancient Celtic Goddess of poetry, healing, and smith craft.
Hang onto your hoodoo hats, “To Send Back Evil”: You’ll need a black candle in the shape of a human figure, whether it’s male or female will depend upon your enemy, and most new-age shops carry these candles. Lay this candle on a red cloth, sprinkle it with blackberry leaves and black salt. Wrap it up and tie both ends shut with a black ribbon. Hit this bundle three times with a hammer while shouting out the name of your enemy and exactly what evil-ass energy you want to return to them. Do this for seven days, repeating the exact words each time. On the eighth day, take this bundle to the graveyard, bury it and ask the spirits of the dead to dole out justice…Now this hoodoo magick, I can handle. *imagine evil wicked cackle inserted at this point*
Blackberry Pudding
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup ground almonds
1 1/4 cups water
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/3 cup merlot or other red wine
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/3 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter @ room temp
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh currants
whip cream…for garnish
Place the blackberries in a bowl, and pour the wine over them, mixing gently– gently! The berries will soak up some of the wine; pour the rest off and discard (I can hear you groaning). Using a blender, combine the berries, rice, flour, sugar, salt, spices, and milk until well blended. Pour this mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. once it’s hit a rolling boil, lit boil for two minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in butter, then the vinegar, and then the currants.
Pour this mixture into a large serving bowl, or small individual dessert dishes. Chill and serve with a topping of whip cream.
Credits:
The delicious recipes for this post, or some of them anyway, have come from the following sources. (If you think I hang around the kitchen creating new recipes, think again– and listen, you might be able to hear my husband laughing.)
“From a Witch’s Kitchen: Celebrating Seasonal Magic in Every Meal”
by Beth Brown
“The Wicca Cookbook: Recipes, Ritual, & Lore”
by Jamie Wood & Tara Seefeldt
Both of these are great books, filled with wonderful recipes galore and interesting information. The Wicca Cookbook is actually filled with quite an impressive load of myth and folk-lore. I highly recommend both books.
**Note: I find a lot of this old hoodoo magick interesting and entertaining to read about, but realistically I would be very careful about actually using this type of magick on anyone; not only from an ethical viewpoint as far as magick and the rules of propriety are concerned, but also from the practical mundane aspect of safety. Just because the berries on a plant are edible, that doesn’t mean the entire plant is safe to ingest. Rhubarb is a good example of this– as delicious as the stem is, the leaves are poisonous.
Tarot:
Card of the Day
Eight of Swords
Someone is feeling trapped in a situation they see no resolution to. Does this mean that you give up trying to find the right answer? No. I believe that part of this problem could actually be too much introspection and not enough honest evaluation. Stop thinking of yourself, and start looking at what this situation is doing to the other people involved. Once you become aware of it, your concern for someone else may help you to arrive at the right conclusion faster.
Today’s Correspondences:
Tuesday…planet, Mars; element, Fire; color, orange, herbs– hot (peppers, cloves, cinnamon, etc.), red or orange flowers.
Today’s energies are aggressive, warrior like, in your face, strong and persistent. This doesn’t seem very conducive to Valentine’s Day and romance, does it. But actually this is the day traditionally used for magic and spells connected to marriage. You would think that Venus would have this honor, but it makes sense. Friday/Venus is connected with that first fairy tale/prince charming aspect of love, it’s always gentle, obsessive, slightly insipid, and very fragile. Marriage, on the other hand, takes a lot of work and courage to stay successful. It’s earthy, sometimes messy, often tumultuous, and definitely not for the faint of heart. It often takes a warrior like determination to make it work. Mars is the perfect energy.
The Witch’s Corner:
Updates
Small but powerful. These adorable
poppets are packed with magickal energy,
and they come in a spell bag that includes:
the poppet
3 coffin nails
3 straight pins
1 taper candle
herbs & incense
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Alpaca silver bracelets have been restocked and the enchantments have been updated:
1. To Clear Crossed Conditions
2. Money Mojo
3. Guardian Angel Enchantment
4. Domination Enchantment
5. For Better Business
6. True Love Mojo
7. Keep Evil Spirits at Bay
8. To Trouble Your Enemies
9. Enchantment of Self-Empowerment
10. Good Health Mojo
Click Here
I knew that there was something ‘different’ about me before I was old enough to know that there was a name for it. One of the earliest magickal experiences that I remember took place when I was about four years old, hidden in the cool shade of a grove of trees on a terraced hillside at my grandmother’s farm.
The day was very hot, but beneath the canopy created by the large grove of trees that covered the hillside, it was very cool; and I squatted on one of the wide terraced ‘steps’, beneath a tree that had small round leaves lining it’s branches. I took hold of one of the small new twigs at the base of the tree; and I slid my hand along it’s length, filling my palm with the cool green leaves.
As my head was bent and I was examining these leaves, I heard a noise. I looked to my right, through the fence lining this edge of the grove, into the world of brilliant hot sunshine, to see a large white cow grazing in the field beside me, only a few feet away.
The wind came then, through the tops of the trees. I froze as I listened to it, the roar starting at the opposite end of the grove and working it’s way through the tree tops towards me, till it was directly overhead. I realized that this wind sounded like voices, voices that seemed to come directly from the trees.
It was then that a realization dawned on me, leaving an indelible print so strong that this memory is still starkly vivid to me fifty years later. It was a realization that I was too young to form into words…but I knew.
EDIT:
This blog post is an excerpt from my new book,
“Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way
Other topics covered in this book includes:
How Does Real Magick Work; Forms of Magick; The Mysteries of Magickal Manifestation; Creating Magickal Space; Magickal Supplies; 12 Months of Magick; 7 Days of Magick; Animal Magick; Magick for Love n’ Money; Mojo Magick; Magick Oils, Potions, Powders; Crystal Magick; Candle Magick; Magickal Alphabets & Symbols; Witches’ Bottles; Essential Oils; Kitchen Magick, Good Luck Charms; Questions & Answers; Magickal Substitutions; Terms & Lingo
This isn’t just a blog about Imbolc, though that’s a large part of it. It’s also a blog about religious intolerance, ignorance, and the repercussions of both. As many of you who might know me are aware, my spiritual path has caused almost a complete severance of ties between my husband and his family, by this I mean his parents, some aunts/uncles, and his four siblings. The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back came when one of his aunts, (M.), who has been making an effort to connect, called me the other day to chat and wanted to know what the word “Grimoire” meant in the title of my book. I explained this to her, and we went on with our conversation, mostly about her duties and activities in the Lutheran church– I listened politely. The next evening my husband’s uncle (M.’s brother) called. He said: “M. called me the other night. She sure doesn’t think much of your wife. We can’t understand why you married a witch.”
I have to make a couple points here. I find it slightly unnerving and totally Twilight Zone for someone to call and talk to me as though they actually liked me, even ending the conversation with “Love you”, when in fact they don’t. I also find it a very strange experience to be respected and liked by a certain segment of society, and then to walk into a group of people who not only despise me, but may be suspicious and even afraid of me. It’s mind boggling to say the least, and my mind is so spacey anyway, it doesn’t need any extra boggling.
I thought about this situation, and it seems that there are two problems: 1) a lack of information (knowledge). These people know zilch about paganism in any form. They live in a very small rural community, and anything outside their world that is not understood seems to be threatening to them, so they dismiss it with hostility and an Amish type of ‘shunning’; 2) they are extremely intolerant of anything they view as ‘different’, whether it be spiritual practices, or even very personal things like body adornment, clothes, makeup (“You don’t wear black eyeliner do you?”…ummm, Yes!), and we don’t want to go anywhere near the subjects of body alterations like tattooing or piercing.
Thinking about this situation, I took it upon myself to spread some knowledge, hoping that this might turn on a lightbulb somewhere, open a crack to a doorway of understanding, or at at least invite some tolerance into the picture. I’m being optimistic, I know. But I thought I would begin this adventure by writing up a nice letter on Imbolc and sending it along, just as you would letters or cards for any other major mainstream holiday. Whether this will work or not, I have no idea. Here’s the letter I mailed off. I tried to keep it simple. I didn’t want to overwhelm them with too much information at once, just a tidbit to give them a glimpse:
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Happy Imbolc! If you’re not pagan, you may recognize this holiday as ‘Candlemas’ (February 2), a holiday celebrating the purification of the Virgin Mary, according to Jewish law, and a presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple, also according to Jewish law. However, long before Judaism & Christianity arrived on the scene, pagans in the old world celebrated this day as ‘Imbolc’, a celebration of birth and lactation, as their herds of sheep began to grow with the birth of lambs. The celebration of Imbolc is in honor of the Old Woman of winter who is magickally reborn as the Young Maiden of spring.
This was also a festival to celebrate the Celtic goddess Bride, a goddess of fire/flame, poetry, craftsmanship, and healing. This goddess is invoked when survival is an issue, whether physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual. When the Roman church invaded the British Isles, they discovered that the people’s devotion to Bride was so strong it could not be eradicated. To solve this dilemma, the Roman Catholic Church renamed the Celtic goddess ‘Brighid’ and made her a saint.
The following is a list of corresponding herbs, flowers, animals, feast foods, etc., that are used in the festivals of Imbolc for symbology, as decorations, and for the magick performed at this time:
Herbs: basil, bay, celandine, benzoic
Altar Flowers/Herbs: angelica, myrrh, flowers that are yellow/white/or blue
Feast Foods: bread, cakes, dairy products, seeds
Animals: burrowing animals, ewes, deer, goats, lambs
Incense: jasmine, myrrh, neroli
Rituals/Spells: candle magick, initiation, hearth/home blessings, fertility magick, healing magick, cleansing rituals
Pagans today celebrate the Wheel of the Year, eight sabbats (holidays) which recognize and acknowledge the changing of seasons, the earth, and nature. This celebration of and homage to the natural world, and the practices that accompany this spiritual path, is called “Witchcraft”.
Every religious group, while perhaps a majority somewhere, is also inevitably a minority somewhere else. Thus, religious organizations & individuals should and do show tolerance toward members of other religious denominations.
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty
With “The Gray Witch’s Grimoire” you can empower yourself through ancient mysteries, secret rites, and magickal spells that leave the world of the mundane behind and nurture the wise-woman in us all.
Book Release!
May 25, 2012
US $19.95/UK £11.99
Moon Books
John Hunt Publishing
(Links & purchasing information will be posted
as soon as it is made available.)
After the spell is cast and the magick is set, what do you do with all the left over “stuff”– the candle wax, herbs, ashes, pins, needles, dollies, spell bags, charms, talismans, personal effects, etc. etc.? Is how you dispose of the remnants left from magick spells or rituals important? You bet your sweet cauldron it is. I’m posting this because 1) I’ve just stumbled upon it in my great big ole’ black Book of Shadows; 2) I’ve gotten a few emails filled with questions on this issue; and 3) I think it’s important enough to review for anyone who hasn’t thought about it for a while. I do believe that this information, or at least some of it, might have come from luckymojo.com, but this has been buried in my BOS for so long, I don’t really remember anymore.
Note: One big difference in casting spells in the hoodoo tradition is the belief that the power attributed to certain items, herbs and such, is naturally a part of these things and it is not necessary to consecrate these items to charge them in order to activate the magick. I’m extraordinarily eclectic, and I love charging my spell candles, mojo bags, charms & talismans, jewelry, etc, in the Wiccan tradition, with the four elements– by earth, by air, by fire, by water.
When all is said and done, the last spell candle has burned itself out, and the final “So Mote it Be” has been spoken, here’s what you’re going to do with all the leftover tidbits…
1. If you want to keep something close, bury it in your backyard.
2. If you want to attract something, bury it under the front door step.
3. If you want to destroy its influence, burn it.
4. If you want it to move away and sink, throw it in running water.
5. If you want to disperse it far away from you, throw it to a crossroads.
6. If you want to fix its influence, bury the pieces in a a five spot pattern
7. If you want it to work by means of spirits, bury it in a graveyard.
8. If you want to hide its point of origin, conceal it in a tree.
9. If you want it to work in secret, give it food or drink.
(This is often an ongoing thing, done at regular intervals.)
10. If you want it to work in stealth, hide it in clothing or on objects.
11. If you want its influence to begin or strengthen, throw it to the East.
12. If you want its influence to weaken or end, throw it to the West.
13. Never bury the remains of a negative spell on your own property!
Spell Crafting at work on my back porch table!
I Love, Love, Love this Lady! She is a bundle of earthy magickal energy, and she is the epitome of the Hedgewytch, the Cottage Witch, the Kitchen Witch…the ancient archetype of the village wise-woman.
Natural Magick
the Gray Witch Way
This book is a magickal formularia for the gray witch. The information found here will help you to successfully follow your pagan path, cast your spells, empower yourself, protect those you love, and work your magick…
the gray witch way.
After you purchase this online book through Paypal,
I will email you the link, along with the login
information and the password.
click Here
https://amythystraine.blogspot.com/p/oils-potions-n-powders.html
Hubby and I, along with another couple, are going on a four day road trip next week. In preparation for this, I’ve made magickal mojo bags for protection for our vehicle, along with a stone talisman. I even performed a little ‘Vehicle Blessing’ that I’ve used for years. Yesterday I made a whopping batch of “Fiery Wall of Protection Oil” that I used to anoint the car and will use to lay down a line of protection around the perimeter of our Iowa farm (in-law issues, long story).
I love making potions. I feel like the proverbial cackling old witch bent over my proverbial black cauldron– which I really have, by the way. I love the good smells– and the not so good smells. I’ve found that there are some raucous nasty really foul smelling concoctions that pack a magickal wallop that would set an elephant on it’s arse. People seem to avoid this issue; everyone appears to think that all magickal oils and potions are going to look and smell like they came from Mary Kay or Avon. Well, I’ve got news for you…some of the potions and oils in my bottles I’ve had for years. Many of the bottles, and I’ve got a lot of them, are stocked on open shelves, covered with a nice little layer of old-fashioned dust, and look as though they might start perking at any moment. One of the tricks I use for my own oils– I never use up all of the original formula. When the bottle gets low, say an inch left in it, I create another batch, using the remains of the original oil as the ‘mother’.
There was one lady, somewhere on the internet, who was afraid that after her magic oil got so old, it would become rancid; and as she said, “We don’t want rancid oil!”…Oh, don’t we? The best batch of Mars Astrological Oil that I ever used was between 6-8 years old, discolored, and if you opened the bottle and sniffed, it would make your head spin. This oil would bring out the war hoop in Whistler’s Mother. It wreaked of the element of Fire and every ounce of passion that you would expect with it. From this old bottle of oil, the energy of Mars was peeking over your shoulder, breathing down your neck.
I know, I love all the pretty, inviting, prim and proper lady-like oils and potions myself– nothing like the smell of rosemary or lavender, rose oil, or jasmine. But I’ve also learned to love and appreciate those magickal oils that are there to do a job, not to look pretty or smell pleasing.
As far as I’m concerned, the foul smelling concoctions of witchcraft deserve some accolades and appreciation.
https://amythystraine.blogspot.com/p/oils-potions-n-powders.html
Hi, Everyone!
My September newsletter from The Witch’s Corner has gone live this morning. You’ll find that I’ve changed up the format a bit with the addition of some new sections, including one entitled “Pagan Highlights”. You’ll find information about pagan authors, artists, activists, and other unique individuals that need to be brought into the spotlight so that we can all benefit from their wisdom, their sense of humor, their talent, and their eclectic pagan views. This month features Lunea Weatherstone, Susan Weed, Mickie Mueller, and Witches Rising.
There’s an essay on“Autumnal Holidays” and links to an article on interfaith marriage,“A Christian & A Witch”, learn how this couple handles both interfaith and inter-racial issues in their relationship. We’ll be “Makin’ Magick ‘Round the Kitchen Table” with some “Workplace Mojo”– bosses beware! And “From the Witch’s Kitchen” is a recipe for “Full Moon Biscuits”, it’s easy as pie.
I’ve also edited a photo slideshow called “Nebraska Autumn” with some new pics.
You’ll find updates and news from The Witch’s Corner with links.
The Wykid Wytch Newsletter
September 2011
click Here
I’ve been busy updating my website, particularly the Enchanted Jewelry page– make that ‘pages’ now. Enchanted Jewelry has grown to the point that the main page is very full and some people might find it hard to load on their computer. Don’t worry, the main page is still there, intact, but I’ve added individual pages that carry specific items:
There’s also been another change at my online shops this summer:
I will no longer be selling my merchandise internationally. Thank you to all my international customers for your support and enthusiasm. I’ve shipped items to Europe, Great Britain, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand, and it was always thrilling to know that my creations were going round the world.
I’ve stopped international sales just because, as a small cottage industry, I can’t afford the exhorbitant cost of international postage, and passing this cost on to my customers just didn’t seem fair.
The newest item up is Alpaca Silver Bracelets, enchanted, bedazzled, and loaded with magickal energy, ready to go:
You’ll find an assortment of these bracelets in a variety of colors and a slew of spells & enchantements.
Tuesday Magick
Planet: Mars
Color: orange
Herbs: allspice, basil, blood root, cactus, chili pepper, dragon’s blood,
garlic, ginger, holly, horseradish, mustard, nettle, onion, pepper, pine, radish, snapdragon, thistle, tobacco, wormwood
Stones: bloodstone, garnet, jasper (red), ruby, tourmaline (red
Element: Fire
Energies: defensive magick, regaining lost territory, assertion, resolving disagreement, successfully handling disruption, goals
© The Book of Magick
Amythyst Raine 2011
Today’s Goddess
Minerva
She is the virgin goddess of wisdom, knowledge and commerce. Minvera is the ultimate original feminist, dependent on no one but herself. She never took a mate, but followed her path in the solitary shadows, and it’s in this manner that we often discover ourselves and our full potential. She is a healing goddess, the patroness of doctors and nurses. As an inventor and alchemist, Minerva is attributed with the creation of numbers, muscial instruments, medicines, and machinery.
Today’s Tarot Card
Six of Wands
The six of wands is a card that smacks of victory, the victorious, acclaim, admiration and adulation, achievement, and full-blown in-your-face success. At its best it tells me that the querent has risen to the challenge of meeting goals and ambitions. At its worst—reversed, the six of wands warns me of an expanded ego, pompousness, conceit, and sometimes an obstinate nature. The reversed six of wands shows failure, blocked paths to success, apathy, and a lack of motivation.
Sometimes the character on this card may view himself or herself in any of these positive/negative lights, or this may be how he/she is viewed by others.
When this card pops up in a reading, it may foretell of great potential in a querent and in their life, or a total lack of talent/drive/ambition needed to complete a project-in-progress. The most positive thing about a reversed minor Arcana card is that it can be turned around—it will be totally up to the querent.
© Tarot: A Witch’s Journey
Amythyst Raine 2010
Today’s Spell
Quitting Powder
(Also known as Boss Fix Powder)
This Hoodoo formula could be called “Love Fix Powder”. It allegedly forces someone to quit bothering you and leave you alone, halting unwanted romantic and sexual advances. As a bonus, it may also be used to stop any attempts at placing a hex on you.
1. Blend and powder the following ingredients:
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
powdered newsprint– Preferably from the target’s favorite publication or even a newspaper that has been in their possession
tobacco taken from a cigarette– ideally obtained from that person, but their favorite brand would be a good second choice.
2. Use the resulting powder in any of the following ways:
Sprinkle it where your target is sure to sit on it or step over it.
Sprinkle it to create a boundary of safety for yourself.
Carry it in a mojo bag as a protective talisman.
You’ll find plenty of free spells at my website to fit a wide array of situations and circumstances to meet your needs:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions2.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions3.htm
Coming Soon!
I’ve decided to capture the essence of the Queens found in the tarot, to use their energy to create natural magickal oils that will enhance a variety of areas of life connected to the energy and the elements which are in turn connected to the Queens:
Queen of Pentacle Oil
This Queen is tied to the element of Earth. In her oil you’ll find the musky herb of patchouli, as well as other herbs grounded to this element. Use a touch of Queen of Pentacle Oil on a green candle, a dab on your paper money or your debit card, or carry a stone of aventurine annointed with her oil to enhance the energy for wealth and prosperity.
The Pentacles Queen: She’s solid and grounded, down to earth and strong. It’s this Queen people seek out for security and assurance, and it’s this energy that you’ll find in her oil.
Queen of Swords Oil
The element of Air touches this Queen, and with it will be herbs that enhance communication and unleash the muses of creativity. Use this Queen’s oil on yellow candles, your favorite pen or paintbrush, a much used journal. Put a dab on a clear quartz crystal and keep it near your computer, enhancing the flow of words and communication in this area.
The Swords Queen: This lady is fluent in speech and quick of wit. She thinks fast on her feet, is immersed in quiet and intense energy that embraces intelligent thought and deductions. Her energy, and her oil, are conducive to no-nonsense practicality and uneffected strength.
Queen of Wands Oil
This fiery Queen is connected to the energy of Fire, and her oil is not for the feint of heart. Use a touch of the Queen of Wands oil when you need no nonsense in-charge energy. This oil also enhances the energy for positive outcomes in business and financial ventures. Place a dab of this oil on contracts you’re going to sign, or a pen you’re going to use to sign a business contract.
The Wands Queen: Passion is her center. It’s what drives ambition and the need to succeed. This is a ‘hot’ oil in more ways than one. Passions are unleashed with the Queen of Fire, and that is the unabashed energy found in her oil.
Queen of Cups Oil
The essence of this Queen and her element, water, is one that inspires dreams, visions, and psychic awareness. You will want to use a touch of this Queen’s oils on blue candles to enhance psychic awareness and sharpen clairvoyant, clairsentient, and clairaudio gifts. Put a dab of Queen of Cups oil on a lace handkerchief and place it beneath your pillow to inspire prophetic dreams.
The Cups Queen: This is a gentle Queen, the Queen who hangs on the edge of mystic dreams and surreal insight. Her energy is soft and dreamy, ethereal, and magickal. It’s her persona and mystique you’ll seek to reveal magickal secrets, entities, and energies.
Watch for these magickal oils at my website:
The Witch’s Corner
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/wytchywares.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/oilspotionspowders.htm
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| This picture slideshow customized with Smilebox |
Another Summer Solstice is almost upon us. This is a quiet holiday at our house. When my son was a little boy, he used to like to stay up through the ‘witching hour’ and watch for fairies. He’d get comfy in his pj’s and robe; I’d gather up a lawn chair and place it beneath the large apple tree in our yard; and I’d prepare a special candle, placing it in a cauldron along with some herbs to offer the fairies. It was his time to sit quietly outside in the dark and watch for fairies, the only light being that of the candle.
Most of the time, these evenings were uneventful, but one Mid-Summer’s Eve, my son’s patience was rewarded.
From across the lawn, he saw what he said looked like three very small blue lights dancing along the top of the fence. Eventually these three tiny lights dropped from the fence to the lawn beneath, where they bounced around in the grass for several seconds, and then they disappeared. My son came back to the house breathless and wide-eyed to tell me what he had seen.
The next morning, we went out to investigate the grass where the lights had been. Overnight, three mushrooms had popped up to create a perfectly formed triangle in this area, and the grass in the middle of this formation was whithered and yellowed.
I can’t tell you with 100% accuracy whether what my son saw were fairies or not, but that really doesn’t matter. All that really matters is that one little boy had a very magickal and memorable night.
At my website, you’ll find more information on Pagan holidays, including rituals and videoes. I have this link set to take you directly to “Wheel Of the Year”:
On Mid-Summer’s Eve, 1980, my step-grandfather died after enduring a long and tortorous bout with throat cancer. I’ve always thought that perhaps, when people pass on this magickal date, the fairies that are about will help these souls cross into the Summerland.
Following are correspondences for the month of June, including correspondences and other information for the pagan holiday of Litha. This information is an excerpt from my books, “The Gray Witch’s Grimoire” & “The Book of Magick”, and is copyrighted material.
© The Gray Witch’s Grimoire/The Book of Magick
Amythyst Raine 2011
June
Named for: “Juno”, chief Roman goddess and female counterpart
of Jupiter
Anglo-Saxon: Sere-monap
Birthstone: pearl, alexandrite, moonstone
Flower: rose
June Moon Magick:
Mead Moon
Herbs: almond, dill, lily, lemongrass, clover
Stones: citrine herkimer, alexandrite,
blue lace agate
Scents: lily of the valley, lavender
Colors: orange, yellow-green
Trees: oak
Deities: Isis, Green Man, Cerridwen
Elements: Air/Water
Astrological Influences for June
Gemini: ruled by Mercury, projective/masculine, mutable/air
Cancer: ruled by the Moon, receptive/feminine, cardinal/water
Pagan Holiday
Summer Solstice/Litha
June 21
This is the longest period of daylight in the year, a time of magick, fairies, and the immortalized Mid-Summer’s Eve. Fairy contact is generally easier to achieve on this day, for those of you who are brave enough to invoke the mischievous little folk, that is. But don’t be surprised if soon after you can’t find your favorite earrings, or the car keys, or any other shiny inviting objects you may have left laying around.
This is a popular month for weddings, though few in the Christianized world realize why…The Druid’s celebrated the Summer Solstice as the ‘marriage between heaven & earth’, and thus the popular belief that June is a ‘lucky’ month for marriage ceremonies.
There will be Pagan spirit gatherings all around the world at this time, the most famous and the most notable at Stone Henge, where large groups of people will light bonfires and stay up all night in order to welcome the dawn.
Herbs:
fennel, lavender, chamomile, cinquefoil, mugwort, thyme
Altar Flowers/Herbs:
larkspur, rose, wisteria, St. Johns Wort
Feast Foods:
apples, citrus, fruits, ale, mead, honey cakes
Animals:
butterflies, frogs, toads, wrens
Incense:
ylang ylang, thyme, rose, sandalwood, chamomile
Rituals/Spells:
all night fairy vigils, candle magick, dream work, familiar blessings, herb gathering, self-dedication, sun magick
Crafting Your Magick:
Fairy magic will be powerful and their presence could herald both the mystical and the mischievous. Work on magic now that clarifies communication and highlights the element of Air. Use magic of the wee folk to tap into the fairy realms. Magic now is all about movement– movement of ideas, creations, people, and places. This is the perfect time to cast spells of transformation, spells to increase/decrease, to banish/manifest. Think about where it is you want to be, either from a mental or physical perspective, and cast the magic needed to move you along to this destination.
The solar plexus is the chakras to focus on. Learn to assert yourself, or to tone down an overbearing attitude. And which energy applies to you? If you don’t know, I’ll bet the people around you do.
Magickal Connections 
