Spring Cleansing: Transforming Your Practice This Spring

Many witches and magic-folk are inspired by the seasons—some because their practice dictates it and others simply because they enjoy moving in step with the natural world. With each change of the seasons, witches and other members of the magical community can harness the energy of spring for personal renewal, transformation, rebirth and cleansing. This energy lends itself perfectly to cleaning up and cleansing up our magical practices, supplies, and spaces. Just as we clear mundane spaces of dust and clutter during spring cleaning, our magical lives can also benefit from a thorough spiritual refresh during the spring season.

Rites & RitualsJohannaMarch 8, 2024spring, spring divination, spring magic, cleansing rituals, cleansing

Sowing & Reaping: A Tarot Spread for Spring

With the arrival of spring, practitioners may adapt their magical rituals and spells to align with these strong themes of growth, transformation, and new beginnings. As the earth awakens, so too does the magic within each of us, and divination becomes a powerful tool for uncovering the opportunities ahead and navigating the path to personal growth and fulfillment. A spring Tarot reading offers insights into the fresh beginnings, new challenges, and the potential for personal development that this season brings, providing a mirror to reflect the magical essence of springtime.

DivinationJohannaMarch 1, 2024tarot spreads, tarot spread, tarot, divination, spring divination, spring, new beginnings

Out With the Old: Spells for Breaking Habits, Changing Fortunes, and Cutting Ties

Heading into this new year, there’s plenty each of us would love to leave behind. These out with the old spells hep us do just that – casting out negativity, bad luck, unhappiness, and bad influences – while also ensuring that we invite good fortune and positivity to take the place of the bad we want to rid ourselves of. Here you’ll find easy spells for breaking bad habits, severing ties with people and situations, cleansing ourselves of the past, drawing success and monetary fortune our way, and attracting all sorts of goodness in the year ahead.

New Year, New Magical Me: Advancing Your Craft in the New Year

As practitioners of magic, we know that learning never truly stops. With each new year we move through, the magical realm beckons us to explore uncharted territories and deepen our connection to the mystical arts. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner looking to expand your horizons or a novice ready to advance, the exploration of advanced practices can offer profound experiences and new insights that deepen our understanding of magic and strengthen our relationship with the spiritual/magical energies in our lives.

Holidays & Traditions, Rites & Rituals, Study & PracticeThomasinJanuary 5, 2024advanced witchcraft

In With the New: Unlocking the New Year With Tarot

With the passing of each new year, many people turn to divination to see what the coming year has in store for them. The Gregorian New Year has only just occurred, and, while some of you may still be recovering from New Year festivities, now is the perfect time to look toward the year to come. Instead of focusing on resolutions and pressuring ourselves needlessly, these tarot spreads are instead intended to reflect on the year now behind us and the year to come ahead of us. In this piece, you’ll find six spread in total, each easily customizable to meet your unique needs – two versions of an Out With the Old, In With the New spread, a 12-Month Tarot Spread, two versions of a 6-Month Tarot Spread, and the Wheel of the Year Spread, each offering a glimpse into the year to come in their own special way.

DivinationKeziahJanuary 3, 2024tarot spreads, tarot spread, new year, new year's, new years tarot reading

Intent & Intentions in the New Year: A Beginner's Guide to Setting Intentions for a Fresh Start

Once again, we stand on the threshold of a shiny new year. For many people, this is the time to take stock of the lives we’ve built for ourselves and assess the areas that need change, to make plans to become a new-and-improved version of ourselves by the next New Year. In the context of holiday traditions, we refer to this as making resolutions; but, when working with energies and magical forces, we might refer to it as setting intentions.

Divining in Darkness: Methods of Divination Perfect for Winter

Winter. The word evokes a sense of chill, of cold, crisp air, and of dark, long, quiet nights. Darkness is often seen as a symbol of confusion or unfamiliarity, of uncertainty, of not knowing the way forward, but darkness can, indeed, be a powerful ally in the art of divination. Darkness can be the backdrop for some of the oldest and most varied forms of divination still known to us, and it can also be a tool itself, a key player in our divinatory practices. Two such realms of divination that rely on darkness in their own ways will be explored in this piece, two schools of divination that are perfect to welcome into our winter practices and traditions.

DivinationKeziahDecember 13, 2023divination, winter, winter divination, pyromancy, fire, libanomancy, scrying

Winter Protection Magic: Herbs, Amulets, and Easy Spells to Protect Yourself and Your Home

While the winter days are darker, slower, quieter, colder, we also find they are a time to gather with friends and family, to enjoy the warmth of company and the cheer of the winter season. It’s a season known both for being a season of joy and togetherness, as well as being a season of isolation and spiritual vulnerability. As opposing as these reputations are, one thing they share in common is the increased need for protective magic.

Protective magic for the winter season doesn’t have to be complicated. Indeed, you’ll often find it’s much the opposite. There are many simple methods of magical protection that we can put to work this winter season, and some of them are things we already do without even knowing. In this piece, we’ll explore winter herbs and ingredients one can use in their winter protection magic, as well as a few easy ways to protect yourself and your space during this winter season. Let’s get started.

the Winter Ones: Folkloric Figures of Winter, Yule, and Christmas

Yule has many customs and traditions, and those practices differ from region to region. One of my favorite aspects of Yule is the amount of figures associated with the festival – folk figures unique to the regions from which they hail. For many people, if you ask them about figures they associate with the Yule season, you’ll hear Father Christmas, Krampus, and maybe even a nod or two to Hans Trapp, but there are so many more Yule figures out there! In this post, we’ll meet a variety of these folk figures, and we’ll learn a bit about their Yule tales. It’s my hope that readers of this blog may find a new way of incorporating beliefs or customs of their ancestors or of their homelands (for our readers who are members of diasporic populations), and that, in doing so, their winter holidays may be even just a bit brighter for it. Now, shall we dive in? Who to meet first…

Into the Underworld: Psychopomps and Deities of Death

Death. The prospect of death – the word alone – has stirred fear and discomfort amongst the vast majority of people since mankind first came to understand mortality. Death isn’t simply death, but a time when something meets its end, when a light is dimmed, when a door has closed. Death, whether literal or figurative, plays a role in many magical practices and customs, including (though not limited to) divination, spirit work (in its many forms), ritual work, and spell crafting. It is no surprise then that, as death plays so significant a role in magical practice, there are countless folkloric, religious, and mythological deities, spirits, and figures that are associated with (or represent) death, figures that are often also associated with magic in some form or another. This post will explore some of the many deities, spirits, and figures of death, their roles in the crafts of many magical practitioners, and how death deities and figures are incorporated in different practices associated with spirit work.

Folklore, Misc., Spirituality & FaithKeziahDecember 1, 2023pagan gods, deities, death, death deities, psychopomps, spiritwork, spirit work

Trust the Trees: Dendromancy & Autumn Leaves in Divination

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumn is in full bloom, so to speak, and Winter is right around the corner. The leaves have not only turned from greens to fiery oranges, golden yellows, and rusty reds, but, in many areas, they’ve already been falling to the ground for a number of weeks now. Some take to raking up the fallen leaves and disposing of them – don’t! Not only are you doing your yard and the environment a great disservice by ridding the land of fallen leaves, but you’re robbing yourself of an opportunity to partake in seasonal divinatory fun! Yes, fallen leaves can be a useful tool for divination, and the bare branches they leave behind can also be read for omens. In this post, we’ll take a look at dendromancy and a few methods of divination that make use of the autumn leaves.

DivinationKeziahNovember 29, 2023dendromancy, divination, autumn, autumn magic

Horn of Plenty, and Other Autumn Tarot Spreads

Tarot as a means of divination has long been used to aid those seeking guidance and is ideal for those who question how they move forward, how they can let go of the past, and what may await them further up the road. In this piece, you’ll find three spreads that are perfect to incorporate into your autumn readings – the Horn of Plenty (for those thinking about or hoping to start a new project or endeavor), the Witch’s Tree (for those looking to grow or change in their practice, or those questioning where their magical journey should be focused), and the Starburst (for those who are leaning into change). Though these spreads use up to eight cards, beginners need not be intimidated. You can customize your spread, cutting down on the number of cards pulled to shorten your reading and get down to the meat of the matter. Feel free to alter your spreads to meet your needs.

DivinationKeziahNovember 24, 2023tarot, tarot spread, tarot spreads, divination, cartomancy, autumn

Unwelcome Mat: A Spell for Home Protection

There are many ways to ward off negativity and magically protect our spaces. And the down-to-earth nature of cottage magic allows practitioners to make use of commonplace household items as powerful magical supplies. This can be a practical and accessible approach for many practitioners, it allows individuals to practice their craft even when they may have limited access to specialized tools or might prefer a more discreet form of magic. With a little time and ritual, everyday items can be repurposed for magical uses, imbued with intent and purpose that makes them just as powerful as more formal tools and supplies.

Connecting with the House Wights: Using Tarot to Connect with Your Household Spirits

Practitioners of cottage magic possess a deep connection to their homes and the land around it. Although some may think of this as a connection to the beams and bricks that make up the house itself, many cottage witches also seek to build a connection with the rich spiritual energies that reside in their homes. For those who acknowledge the spirit realm and seek to walk in step with it, household spirits can be a source of peace and comfort as well as powerful magical allies.

The Spirits of the House: Honoring Your Household's Spirits

When we discuss the link between spirits and witchcraft, we often focus on the practitioner’s connection with spirits of nature or the spirits of the dead. While it is certainly true that we should celebrate our connection to these spiritual forces, there are many other types of spirits that are deserving of our attention. During the autumn months, when the cooler weather entices us into the warmth of our homes, it is also fitting for us to take time to connect with the household spirits that reside with us in our homes.

Autumn Kitchen Witchery: Cozy Kitchen Magic for Your Hearth & Home

Kitchen witchery is a magical practice that focuses on infusing one’s everyday cooking and kitchen preparation with intention, energy, and symbolism. It is a form of witchcraft that recognizes the power of the kitchen as a magical space, where ordinary culinary ingredients can become tools for spellwork. Practitioners of Kitchen witchery use herbs, spices, and ingredients as magical components, incorporating intention and ritual into their recipes to manifest specific desires or blessings. By cooking with mindfulness and imbuing their dishes with magical energy, kitchen witches can create a powerful connection between the physical and the mystical, making each meal a delicious and enchanting experience.

A Cottage Witch's Altar: Creating a Sacred Space for the Hearth & Home

Practitioners who work to connect with these household energies can foster and honor their bond with their home and its spirits in many ways. One simple and meaningful way to cultivate this connection is to create a Cottage Witch’s Altar or a Hearth Altar, a shrine that honors the spirit of the home and all of the energies within it. This kind of altar not only brings harmony and warmth into the home but also provides a place where you can connect with your practice daily.

Plant Allies for Winter Ailments: Herbal Teas for Colds & Sniffles

The first chill of the coming winter season can bring a special kind of magic and coziness to our lives. However, it also tends to usher in a season of sniffles, coughs, and colds. Many practitioners of magic believe in utilizing the power of herbal allies to help safeguard our health and help speed recovery when we end up taking ill. Alongside appropriate medical care and sound judgment, herbal remedies can help ease discomfort and put us back on our feet as quickly as possible.

Cottage Magic for Protection: Make the Home a Safe & Sacred Space

For many practitioners of magic, the home is seen as a sacred space. Whether it’s an apartment in the inner city, a house in the suburbs, or a cottage at the edge of the woods, a practitioner’s home is a place where they can practice their magical and spiritual craft, find solace, and create positive energy. One specific magical path that honors the spiritual significance of the home is the practice of cottage magic. Cottage magic or cottage witchery is a branch of magic that focuses on the magic within your own home. It can be a powerful tool for promoting positivity and protection in your living space.

the Dumb Supper: A Divination Rite

While the Dumb Supper has come to be more commonly known today as a ritual used to honor the dead and our ancestors, its origins are said to lie in a divination rite used to foretell one’s future spouse, and in some rural regions of the United States (particularly within the Appalachian, Southern, and Ozark regions), the use of the term Dumb Supper is still mostly used when speaking of the divinatory practice. Believed to have been brought Stateside by immigrants from the British Isles, the Dumb Supper was practiced in the United States at liminal points in the year, with the hope of revealing the identity of one’s future spouse or beloved.