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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read MoreKitchen 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.
Read MorePractitioners 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.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreWhile 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.
Read MoreAs the leaves change and the air takes on a crisp chill, the magical energy of autumn permeates the air. This time of year is not only visually enchanting but also spiritually potent. During this period, the veil between the worlds is thin, making it an ideal time to focus on spiritual/magical protection and warding off negative energies.
Read MoreAs the month of October unfolds and the daylight hours grow shorter, many witches and other practitioners of magic begin to turn their thoughts to honoring their ancestors. One practice that allows us to express this desire to reconnect with our honored dead is the creation of an ancestral altar or shrine. Creating an altar dedicated to honoring one’s ancestors is a magnificent way to connect with your roots, remember loved ones who have passed, and tap into the themes of death and remembrance associated with the autumn season.
Read More‘Aos sí’ is a term used to encompass a complex and powerful array of figures within Irish pagan theology and Celtic mythology, figures I sometimes refer to as the Otherworld Folk and Otherkin. You’ll hear them more commonly called the Sídhe, fairies/faeries/the fae, the Good Neighbors, the Folk, the Good Folk, daoine sídhe/daoine sìthe. There are no doubt countless terms and names used to mean the aos sí, and just as many theories as to who these figures are, where they come from, and what they do.
Read MoreSamhain is one of the four major festivals within the Gaelic calendar, and easily the most widely known of the lot. The festival marks the end of harvest season, the transition into winter, and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Samhain is a time when the walls between our world and the Otherworld – the realm of spirits of all kinds – are down. During this time, it is easier for the Otherworld folk to walk among us, and easier for the living to see and commune with these spirits. For many, this time of year is when the connection to the spirit world feels stronger than otherwise. Because of this Samhain is considered an auspicious time to practice divination.
Read MoreWhat sort of skills do you think of when you think about improve your magical practice? For most people, the answer to this question is likely a long list of magic-related skills and abilities. We might immediately think of divination, for example, as a skill we wish to improve. Visualization and protective magic may come to mind, along with any number of other skills. What we don’t often consider when we talk about improve our magical practices is how our mundane skills serve our magical lives.
Read MoreIt’s spring in the northern hemisphere, and that means it’s the season of blooming roses everywhere! Or that’s the case ‘round my region. It’s now the perfect time to get out and harvest roses, petals, buds, thorns, and leaves, and to put them to magical use. In this post, you’ll find a collection of spells that anyone can try for themselves.
Read MoreThose of you readers familiar with Scottish Folk Magic and Traditional Scottish Cunning Ways, or perhaps with the history of witch trials in Scotland, will likely have come across the name Isobel Gowdie. For those of you who haven’t, allow me the honor to introduce you. Known as ‘the Queen of Scottish Witches’ and ‘the Witch of Auldearn’, Isobel Gowdie was a woman whose confessions of witchcraft have gifted us perhaps greater insight into Scottish folkloric beliefs and the folk magic practices of her time than any other account accessible to us.
Read MoreThe almighty apple – so commonplace, yet its uses are endless. It has countless magical correlations and applications around the world. The small, too oft unnoticed apple bears significant religious connotation as well – a fruit that has been historically used in invocational offerings to no less than a dozen deities and has gained symbological infamy. From its use in fertility and romance magic to its association with death and immortality, there seems to be very little the apple cannot do.
Read MoreWinter can be lonely and often quite frightening. As we retreat into the shelter of our homes, we find ourselves in closer quarters with the parents, siblings, partners, and other household members that we may have needed a little space from during the rest of the year. When we hunker down, we might hunker down alone, with family that makes us feel less than loved, or even with oppressive spirits and energies. All things which can make the most wonderful time of the year hellacious. We return to our houses, to their spirits, and sometimes to their turmoil. Not every house is a happy one—and even the happiest have their limits. Winter can test those limits.
Read MoreFor practitioners of magic, the home can be an important aspect of both our mundane lives and our magical practices. Ideally, the home is a place in which one feels safe, receptive, and free to be completely themselves (both in regards to personality and practice). As an animist and a cottage witch myself, my home is the shelter that protects me and houses the spirits of property. But it’s also a spirit in and of itself. It is an altar, a tool, and a mentor all at once—and, as such, I’ve dedicated a significant space within my practice to honoring, protecting, and connecting with my home.
Read MorePractitioners of magic and witchcraft often forge special relationships with the animal realm, whether the animals they work with are physical beings, spiritual presences, or representations of. Our affinity for animals—in our homes and in nature—can be a big part of our magical and spiritual identities. But how can we utilize that to empower and improve our magical crafts?
Read MoreJar and bottle spells have been a fixture of magical practice for a long time—from the folk magical customs of Europe, Africa and the Southern United States to their modern prevalence on social media platforms like TikTok. These kinds of spells are great because they are self-contained, discrete, and simple to assemble. There are many different ways to cast any spell, and assembling a spell bottle or jar is no exception.
Read MoreExamples of jar and bottle charms have been found across Britain and the United States. They have been mentioned in Black Books and grimoires found around Europe. Their use in the folk customs of Hoodoo and the conjure of the Black & African diaspora survives as part of a living practice. And, despite being most commonly associated with folk practices and traditional magic, these container spells have grown in popularity among practitioners of various modern practices as well.
Read MoreJust as there are many ways in magical practice in general, there are many ways to study and practice folk magic. And there are a number of reasons why the work of one practitioner may look different from the work of the next. There are logical and valid reasons for these differences in practice—so it is safe to say that there is more than one right way to practice folk magic.
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