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DIY: Brews and Potions

wwhomeopath

Witches standing over an open fire while stirring up potions in a cauldron is one of the many romanticized views of witchcraft. Today, witches brew many things for love, luck, health, wealth, and etc. Potions are a widely regarded instrument for witches. Potions are simply liquid spells that can be taken internally or applied externally to the body. Teas, enchanted perfumes, tinctures, and washes are the many forms these spells can come in. Some are used for healing, others are used in ritual or magickal work. 


Kitchen Herbs and Common plants for Brews

Back in the day, homemade teas and salves were the only medicine available. Using these things today is still very popular and a holistic approach to health that treats the mind, body, and soul together. What you use does not have to be expensive, it can come from your back yard or your home. Many of what you already have you can use to make tinctures, teas, and decoctions. Also, syrups, tonics, waters, and vinegars. If you work with the herbs you have at home already on hand, you will be able to create your own remedy with a distinct local flavor. 


The Power Behind the Plants

It is believed that many spiritual forces animate the world; called animism. When working with a plant or crystal, or performing a spell or ritual at a specific place, witches work with the spirits behind those plants or crystals, and call upon the spirit of that location to help them in their work. There is a special partnership and alliance between the witch and spirit, manifesting in forms of animals (familiars) or in the form of other plants, crystals, and locations. Over time, working with these spirits on various projects will deepen the relationship and the witch will gain information on magical associations, properties, and lore. These things often come through dreams, inspirations, or visions. The spirit will gain energy, attention, and physical shelter as animals or plants or crystals carried as a talisman. 


Teas and Decoctions for Health

Using teas and decoctions (herb-and-water remedies in the form of conceited potions that your drink) is a very easy homeopathic way to get started. They are made with dried or fresh herbs, roots, or flowers infused in hot water. Cold infusions is used for tinctures, where the herbal properties are absorbed and released into liquids over time. 

Decoction Method

  • For plants woody and seedy such as root and bark, use this method
  • Once the plant parts are boiled, place on a low heat and set to simmer for 15-20 minutes
  • After simmered, cool them and strain them, pressing the herbs through a cheesecloth or strainer
  • Ready to drink

Tea Method

  • For flowers, leaves, fruits, and/or stems of plans, use this method
  • Start steeping the herbs in the water before it reaches full boil 
  • Once the water begins to steam or boil, remove it from heat
  • Steam for no more than 5-10 minutes
  • While hot, strain into a container
  • Drink right away or follow the cold tea method

Cold Tea Method

  • Following all the preparations of the tea method, after straining, pour into a container and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Herbs for Teas and Decoctions

If using a tea ball, only use a pinch of each plant or spice. If using an infusion pot, or something similar, use approximately ¼ teaspoon of each ingredient. If you use root, seeds, or bark, use the decoction method. If you use flowers, leaves, fruits, or stems, use the tea method. If you use a combination of plant matter, use the decoction methods but then drink it iced following the cold tea method. 

  • Angelica Root: Soothes colds and flu, reduces phlegm and fever; expectorant (do NOT use if you are diabetic) 
  • Basil: Eases headaches, indigestion, muscle spasms, insomnia, earaches; reduces stress and tension, improves skin 
  • Blackberry (leaves or roots): Reduces diarrhea (note: blackberry roots are used as decoction, while blackberry leaves are used for tea)
  • Catnip: Soothes teething pain, colic, diarrhea, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on lithium or sedatives) 
  • Calendula (marigold): Reduces fevers and diarrhea; soothes indigestion, gastrointestinal gramps, flu; antiseptic (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on sedatives) 
  • Cayenne Pepper: Soothes coughs, colds, arthritis, nerve pain, fever, flu; expectorant (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting and with theophylline) 
  • Camomile: Reduces insomnia, anxiety, stress, fever, arthritis, indigestion; aids with sleep and pain relief (may decrease effectiveness of birth-control pills and some cancer medications, and may increase the effects of warfarin; discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking medications for your liver) 
  • Cinnamon Bark: Soothes sore throats and coughs, anti-inflammatory (avoid taking with diabetes medications) 
  • Dandelion Root: Detoxifying, aids digestion, relieves constipation, laxative (avoid if on antibiotics, lithium, or water pills) 
  • Dandelion Leaf: Mild diuretic, potassium rich (discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking medications for your liver) 
  • Elderberry Berry: Wards off colds and flu
  • Elderberry Flower: Reduces fever (avoid taking with medications that decrease the immune system) 
  • Garlic (for syrups): Antiseptic, eases atherosclerosis, rheumatism, ear infections, urinary tract infections; supports healthy cholesterol; helps lower blood pressure; boosts immune system; expectorant; reduces risks of colon, rectal, and prostate cancers (do NOT take with isoniazid or medications used for HIV/AIDS, or with medications used to slow blood-clotting) 
  • Ginger: Eases morning sickness, nausea, colic, indigestion, diarrhea, fever, sore throats (avoid taking with medications that slow blood-clotting) 
  • Ginkgo: Relieves anxiety, vertigo, tinnitus; improves circulation, helps concentration; helps vision and premenstrual syndrome (avoid taking with ibuprofen or with medications that slow blood clotting; numerous medications have interactions with ginkgo; discuss usage with your health care practitioner before taking) 
  • Ginseng: Aphrodisiac, mild stimulant, boosts the immune system (do not take with medications that slow blood-clotting, and avoid taking with diabetes medications or with MAO inhibitors) 
  • Goldenrod: Relieves gout and cramps
  • Lavender: Relieves anxiety, headaches, tension, stress, indigestion, irritable bowl syndrome; antibacterial; antiseptic; disinfectant (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on sedatives) 
  • Lemon Balm: Relieves anxiety, cold sores, colic, insomnia restlessness, indigestion; boosts memory (may cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives) 
  • Nettle: Relieves hay fever and arthritis; diuretic (avoid taking with diabetes medications, medications for high blood pressure, sedatives, medications that slow blood clotting, and lithium) 
  • Onion (for syrups): Helps lower systolic blood pressure, relieves colds, antiseptic (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting) 
  • Parsley: Helps with iron deficiency, anemia, fatigue; diuretic (do NOT take with medications that slow blood clotting or with diuretics) 
  • Peppermint: Relieves nausea, anxiety, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, colic, diarrhea, fever, coughs, colds; anesthetic (avoid if you have acid-reflux disease; avoid taking with cyclosporine; discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver) 
  • Pine Needles: Expectorant; antiseptic; relieves coughs, colds, fever, congestion
  • Rosemary: Improves focus, memory, concentration, blood pressure, circulation; antiseptic, antidepressant; eases indigestion
  • Thyme: Antibacterial, antiseptic, eases coughs and colds, expectorant (do NOT take with medications that slow blood-clotting) 

Tea and Decoction Health Blends 

The amounts listed here are for dried herbs, flowers, and spices. Dried ingredients are preferred for teas. If you wish to use fresh ingredients for decoctions, and they are available, double the amount. 

  • Anxiety Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon chamomile
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon balm
  • Cold Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon elderberry flower
    • ¼ teaspoon thyme 
  • Mood Booster
    • ¼ teaspoon lavender 
    • ¼ teaspoon catnip
    • ¼ teaspoon rosemary
  • Gastrointestinal Cramp Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon basil
    • ¼ teaspoon calendula (marigold)
    • ¼ teaspoon goldenrod 
  • Arthritis/Joint Pain
    • ¼ teaspoon goldenrod
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
    • (Note: after the tea cools, apply it by rubbing the liquid into the affected area)
  • Diarrhea Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon blackberry root
    • ¼ teaspoon catnip
  • Circulation
    • ¼ teaspoon ginkgo leaf
    • ¼ teaspoon ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon rosemary 
  • Energizing Tea
    • ¼ teaspoon ginseng
    • ¼ teaspoon peppermint 
  • Indigestion Relief
    • ½ teaspoon ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon balm
    • ¼ teaspoon peppermint 
  • Expectorant
    • ¼ teaspoon pine needles
    • ¼ teaspoon nettle leaf
    • ¼ teaspoon angelica root
  • Sleepy Time
    • ½ teaspoon chamomile
    • ¼ teaspoon catnip
    • ¼ teaspoon lavender 
  • Fatigue Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon ginseng 
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon balm
  • Fever Break
    • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
    • ¼ teaspoon angelica root 
  • Flu Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon calendula (marigold)
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon balm
  • Headache Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon basil
    • ¼ teaspoon thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon lavender 
  • Immune-System Booster 
    • ½ teaspoon dried elderberries 
    • ¼ teaspoon nettle 
    • ¼ teaspoon calendula (marigold) 
  • Sore Throat Relief
    • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon ginger
    • (Note: add honey after steeped) 
  • Stress Relief
    • ¼ teaspoon basil
    • ¼ teaspoon chamomile
    • ¼  teaspoon lavender 
    • ¼ teaspoon peppermint 
  • Cleansing 
    • ¼ teaspoon dandelion leaf
    • 1/8 teaspoon goldenrod 
    • 1/8 teaspoon parsley 

Herbs for Magickal Teas

Follow these steps to empower your tea:

  1. As you steep the potion, envision yourself covered in either a blue or green light (whichever color represents healing to you)
  2. As you drink the potion, visualize a blue or green light coming from the liquid. 
  3. Once you drink , the light will start radiating from within throughout your whole body and then out into the world around you
  4. See it reach heaven (as above) and into the earth (so below), extending your will and desire into the universe
  5. if you are the kind of person who likes affirmations and chants, try saying: “Herbs grown naturally, health and wellness come to me” (Robbins & Bedell, 2017) 
  • Angelica Root: Angel work, protection, hex removal, exorcisms, health, meditation, divination (do NOT use if you are diabetic) 
  • Basil: Loves exorcisms, wealth, astral travel, rituals for the dead, house blessings, ancestral work, calling on and working with dragon spirits, calling draconic or dragon spirit–based energy into your spell, protection, attracting money
  • Blackberry: Healing, money, protection, exorcism
  • Catnip: Love, beauty, happiness, calling on the energy of cats, working with cat spirits, used as an offering for cat spirits, breaking spells, fertility, psychic powers (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on lithium or sedatives) 
  • Calendula (marigold): Money, prosperity, health, psychic development, protection, prophetic dreams, legal matters, psychic powers, healing (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on sedatives)
  • Cayenne Pepper: Fidelity, hex breaking, protection, removal of blocks and negative energy, overcoming obstacles, fire, strength, passion (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting an with theophylline) 
  • Camomile: Protection, luck, money, sleep, peace, purification (may decrease effectiveness of birth-control pills and some cancer medications, and may increase the effects of warfarin; discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking medications for your liver) 
  • Cinnamon: Sexuality, lust, wealth, money, consecration, purification, love (avoid taking with diabetes medications)
  • Dandelion (both root and leaf): Purification, manifestation of wishes, enrichment, money (avoid if on antibiotics, lithium, or water pills; discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking medications for your liver)
  • Elderberry: Exorcism, protection, healing, prosperity, sleep, protection against witchcraft (avoid taking with medications that decrease immune system) 
  • Ginger: Love, money, success, power, protection (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Ginkgo: Healing, mental clarity, fertility; avoid taking with ibuprofen or with medications that slow blood clotting; numerous medications have interactions with ginkgo, discuss usage with your health care practitioner before taking)
  • Ginseng: Fertility, sexuality, lust, manifestation of wishes, healing, beauty, protection (do NOT take with medications that slow blood clotting; avoid taking with diabetes medications or with MAO inhibitors) 
  • Goldenrod: Money, divination (may cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives)
  • Lavender: Love, protection, purification, happiness, peace, healing, meditation, psychic abilities (may cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives)
  • Lemon Balm: Love, success, healing, cleansing (may cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives)
  • Nettle Leaf: Protection, exorcism, healing, jinx-breaking, lust (avoid taking with sedatives, lithium, or medications for diabetes, for high blood pressure, or that slow blood clotting)
  • Parsley: Healing, fortune, success, lust, protection, purification, ancestor veneration, working with the dead, traveling to the land of the dead, calling upon the energy of death and decay (do NOT take with medications that slow blood clotting or with diuretics)
  • Peppermint: Purification, love, healing, psychic powers, (avoid if you have acid-reflux disease; avoid taking with cyclosporine; discuss usage with your doctor if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver)
  • Pine Needles: Cleansing, drawing the aid of spirits, love, mental focus, protection, lust, exorcism, healing
  • Thyme: Health, healing, sleep, psychic powers, love, purification, courage, good luck (do NOT take with medications that slow blood clotting) 

Magickal Tea Recipes

  • Attract and Protect Money
    • ¼ tsp goldenrod
    • ¼ tsp chamomile
    • ¼ tsp basil
  • Exorcism
    • ¼ tsp angelica root
    • ¼ tsp nettle leaf
    • ¼ tsp elder flower
  • Spirit Aid
    • ¼ tsp parsley
    • ¼ tsp rosemary 
  • Love and Lust
    • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp catnip
    • ¼ tsp ginseng 
  • Cleansing
    • ¼ tsp dandelion
    • ¼ tsp lemon balm
    • ¼ tsp thyme
  • Protection
    • ¼ tsp pine needles
    • ¼ tsp elderberries
    • ¼ tsp blackberry leaf
  • Divination
    • ¼ tsp goldenrod
    • ¼ tsp peppermint
  • Psychic Development
    • ¼ tsp calendula (marigold) 
    • ¼ tsp ginkgo leaf
    • ¼ tsp lavender 

Tinctures and Tonics for Health 

A tincture is a traditional herb infusion made with an alcohol base. A tonic usually uses either vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar as the base. The alcohol used in tinctures must be at least 100 proof, or 50%, alcohol, which is why most vodkas and gins are used. Tinctures can also be made with vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar for those with alcohol issues, although less potent and yet still effective. 

Crafting Tinctures and Tonics

Tools needed:

  1. Two mason jars
  2. Cheesecloth
  3. The herbs/plants/spices
  4. Measuring cups
  5. An herb grinder
  6. Alcohol/vegetable glycerin/apple cider vinegar 
  7. Tool to measure the dosage such as droppers for infant medication

Steps for recipe creation:

When preparing a tincture, the rule of thumb is you want a 1:4 ratio of herb to alcohol. If your herbs start to float, your ratio is good. Allow them to settle, and add a little more alcohol until the mixture is fully saturated. 

  1. Prepare the ingredients
  2. Fill the mason jar with the herbs/plants/spices
  3. Add the alcohol or alcohol substitute  (If using apple cider vinegar as your base, you will need to take the additional step of laying wax paper on top of the jar lid)
  4. Keep in a cool, dark place for a month (some may require refrigeration, and that will be noted) 
  5. Shake twice daily 
  6. After 1 month, strain the herbal matter from the liquid into the second jar using a cheesecloth (squeeze the cheesecloth to get out as much of the liquid as you can)
  7. After straining, fill the remainder of the jar with distilled water–this dilutes the alcohol, allowing you to ingest it directly
  8. Ready for use 

Herbs and Plants for Health Tinctures and Tonics 

Many of these will not taste good, but will work:

  • Alfalfa: Energy booster, laxative, cleanser (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting or suppress the immune system and with birth-control pills) 
  • Allspice: Stimulant; eases indigestion, colds, coughs; reduces hives and swelling (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Aloe Vera Juice (liquid): Soothes the skin, antiseptic (external use only)
  • Angelica (fruit or seeds): Eases indigestion, gas, gout; balances nervous system (do NOT use if you are diabetic)
  • Bay Leaf: Eases indigestion, coughs, colds, fevers (do NOT take with any narcotics or sedatives) 
  • Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): Antiseptic, eases symptoms of urinary tract infections (do NOT use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have stomach irritation or kidney disease; avoid taking with lithium) 
  • Bergamot: Soothes colds, fevers, coughs, nausea, indigestion, menstrual cramps (avoid taking with photosensitizing medications) 
  • Black-Eyed Susan: Soothes swelling, back pain, earaches; immune booster
  • Black Peppercorn: Anti-fungal, heals ulcers, relieves arthritis
  • Burdock Root: Detoxifying, soothes colds and skin issues (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Cedar (freshly dried leafy twigs): Soothes gout, naturally antiviral, boosts immune system (may cause drowsiness, avoid if on sedatives)
  • Clover (red): Soothes coughs, colds, bronchitis (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting and with tamoxifen; may decrease effectiveness of birth control pulls and medications that are changed by the liver)
  • Cloves: Soothes nausea and indigestion; antiseptic, expectorant (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Comfrey Leaf: Ease arthritis, rheumatism, coughs, colds, diarrhea, asthma; antibacterial (do NOT take with medications that can harm the liver)
  • Coriander Seeds: Aids in digestion; aphrodisiac; boosts immune system
  • Cramp Bark: Eases arthritis, rheumatism, menstrual cramps
  • Echinacea: Eases colds, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, boosts immune system (interacts with various medications, discuss usage with your health care practitioner before taking)
  • Garlic: Antiseptic; eases atherosclerosis, rheumatism, ear infections, symptoms of urinary tract infections; supports healthy cholesterol; helps lower blood pressure; boosts immune system; expectorant; reduces risks of colon, rectal, and prostate cancers (do NOT take with isoniazid, medication used for HIV/AIDS, or medications used to slow blood-clotting) 
  • Goldenseal (roots and leaves): Aids digestion; eases colds, hay fever, menstrual cramps (avoid taking with medications that are changed by the liver)
  • Horseradish: Antiseptic; antibacterial; expectorant; soothes flu, colds, coughs, symptoms of urinary tract infections; diuretic; appetite stimulant (avoid taking with thyroid medications)
  • Hyssop: Soothes colds, fevers, sore throats, asthma, rheumatism, indigestion; expectorant
  • Lemon: Boosts immune system, helps prevent kidney stones, eases indigestion and constipation, relieves toothaches
  • Lemongrass: Supports healthy cholesterol; antibacterial; detoxifies; relieves constipation, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, coughs, colds, fevers, anxiety, stress, fatigue; boosts immune system
  • Mugwort: Eases menstrual cramps, stomach cramps, fevers, colds (do NOT take if pregnant) 
  • Mullein: Relieves asthma, coughs, colds, diarrhea, hemorrhoids; expectorant; diuretic
  • Nutmeg: Stimulates digestive system; relieves diarrhea, nausea, anxiety (avoid taking with medications that are changed by the liver) 
  • Orange: Lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol, relieves arthritis and anxiety, stabilizes mood, boosts immune system; laxative (do NOT take with celiprolol, ivermectin, or pravastatin) 
  • Onion: Helps lower systolic blood pressure, eases colds; antiseptic (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Skullcap: Eases headaches, stress, menstrual tension, insomnia, anxiety, sedative
  • Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory, reduces cholesterol (avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)
  • Valerian Root: Eases insomnia (do NOT take with alcohol, sedatives, or anti anxiety medications) 
  • Witch Hazel Bark: Relieves pain, diarrhea, colds, fevers, ulcers, colitis; antiseptic
  • Wormwood: Eases indigestion and stomach disorders; aphrodisiac (avoid taking with anticonvulsant medications)
  • Yarrow: Antiseptic, relieves pain, hay fever, colds, fevers, menstrual cramps (do NOT take with medications that slow blood clotting, avoid taking with lithium or sedatives)
  • Yellow Dock: Laxative; reduces anemia, relieves fatigue, aids digestive system (do NOT take with digoxin, diuretic medications, or medications that slow blood clotting)

For tincture recipes, there are many books and sites that can be used for reference. 


Magickal Tinctures

When making a tincture for use magickally and spiritually, shake the tincture two times a day to direct your energy into the jar and activate the magick within the herbs. 

Tincture-Charging Spell

Materials: 

  1. 1 green candle (herb spirits) 
  2. 1 white candle (spirit and magick)
  3. 1 candle to charge the tincture (color depends on spell)
  4. 1 mixing bowl 
  5. Herbs and alcohol for the tincture (or alcohol substitute) 
  6. 2 Mason jars
  7. Cheese cloth 

Ritual:

  1. Place the three candles in a triangle on your altar or workspace. The white candle should be the top of the triangle (facing away from you to direct the energy out into the universe). The green and other candle form the base
  2. Place the bowl at the center of the altar, and place your containers of herbs and alcohol on the floor
  3. Light the white candle while stating: “For the power of spirit”
  4. Light the green candle while stating: “For the herbal spirits”
  5. Light the colored candle for your need, and state your need 
  6. Place an herb in the bowl, state a thank-you blessing to the herb, and explain why you are using that herb. Repeat for each herb, and as you add each herb, stir the mixture of herbs clockwise for increasing or bringing something to you and counterclockwise if you are trying to remove or decrease something in your life
  7. Once you have mixed all the herbs in the bowl, hold your hands over the mixture and state your intent
  8. Visualize a light coming out of your hands for that need (red for love and passion or power; green for money, success, growth and fertility; blue for healing; yellow for success; etc)
  9. Pour the mixture into one of the mason jars and add the alcohol (do this at a safe distance form the lit candles)
  10. Place the lid on the jar
  11. Remove the mixing bowl from the alter and put the mason jar with the tincture blend in its place, in the center of your candles. Keep the mason jar there until the candles have finished burning
  12. Shake the tincture, focusing your mental, emotional, and physical energy into the jar. As you shake, chant: “I can upon the powers green, Release the powers unseen. Herbs awakened on this day, Blessings in this tincture stay.” 
  13. Shake the jar twice daily for one month, each time visualizing the need behind the tincture
  14. Once the month has passed, strain the mixture into the second jar using the cheesecloth. 
  15. Now the tincture is ready to be used in magickal work

Herbs for Magickal Tinctures

For magickal uses, the following herbs, spices, and plants are only for external use in tincture blends:

  • Angelica Leaf: Angel work, protection, removing hexes, exorcism, health, meditation, divination 
  • Alfalfa: Money attraction (drawing money to you), prosperity, protection
  • Allspice: Money, luck, healing
  • Aloe Vera: Protection, peace in the afterlife, prosperity, success, love
  • Bay Leaf: Protection, purification, enhancing psychic powers, strength
  • Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): Victory, protection, money, power, strength
  • Bergamot: Money, clarity
  • Black-Eyed Susan: Cleansing, releasing, grounding, integration, mediumship, connecting with the dead
  • Black Peppercorn: Protection, exorcism 
  • Burdock Root: Protection, uncrossing (removing hexes or curses)
  • Cedar: Healing, purification, money, protection
  • Clover: Protection, money, fidelity, love, exorcism, success
  • Cloves: Enhancing psychic powers, astral travel, protection, exorcism, love
  • Comfrey Leaf: Money, safe travel, protection
  • Coriander Seeds: Love, health, healing, lust, fidelity
  • Cramp Bark: Protection, luck
  • Echinacea: Strengthening spells, offerings to spirits
  • Garlic: Protection, exorcism, lust, antitheft
  • Goldenseal: Healing, money
  • Horseradish: Purification, exorcism
  • Hyssop: Purification, protection, cleansing
  • Lemon: Purification, love, friendship, justice
  • Lemongrass: Repelling snakes, lust, enhancing psychic powers
  • Mugwort: Strength, psychic powers, protection, prophetic dreams, astral projection
  • Mullein: Courage, protection, love, divination, exorcism
  • Nutmeg: Gambling luck, money, fidelity, prosperity, luck
  • Orange: Love, divination, luck, money
  • Saint John’s Wort: Health, protection, strength, love, divination, happiness
  • Skullcap: Love, fidelity, peace
  • Turmeric: Purification
  • Valerian Root: Purification, cleansing, peace, love, protection, breaking hexes and curses 
  • Wormwood: Summoning spirits, working with the dead, enhancing psychic power, protection, love, prophesizing, breaking hexes and curses
  • Witch Hazel: Protection, chasteness (less likely to give into temptation and sexual desire)
  • Yarrow: Psychic development, courage, love, exorcism, protection
  • Yellow Dock: Money attraction, customer attraction, love attraction 

Source

Robbins, Shawn, and Bedell, Charity. The Good Witch’s Guide. New York: Sterling Ethos, 2017. Print.

Source: wwhomeopath
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Energy Work Masterpost

thesigilwitch

General:

Visualization:

Charging / Enchanting:

Energy Manipulation / Exercises:

Shielding / Warding:

Grounding:

Centering:

Thoughtforms:

Source: thesigilwitch
trustinawitch
thechamomilewitch:
“ Crystal Shapes and Correspondences Tumbled - Even, gentle energy.
Raw - Strong, sporadic energy .
Sphere - Even energy, can be used as a window to the past and future.
Square - Grounding, meditating.
Pyramid - Manifestation,...
thechamomilewitch

Crystal Shapes and Correspondences

Tumbled - Even, gentle energy.

Raw - Strong, sporadic energy .

Sphere - Even energy, can be used as a window to the past and future.

Square - Grounding, meditating.

Pyramid - Manifestation, focused energy, removes blockages.  Artificially shaped pyramids enhance and focus the inherent properties of the original Crystal used.

Cluster - Charges and cleanses other crystals, purifies, fosters protection, cooperation, purification, harmony, friendship and intimacy.

Geode - Grounding, healing. Can hold and amplify energy within themselves, diffusing the energy softly. Wonderful for protection, spiritual growth, breaking addictions and overindulgent personalities.

Abundance -  Fosters prosperity and well-being, success, good fortune and all good things in life

Egg - Healing, fertility, balance. Used in reflexology, zone-therapy, acupressure, shiatsu and aura reading.

Point - Concentrated and direct energy. Used in healing layouts.

Generator - Amplifies and charges. Fosters wisdom, focus, magical power and the wisdom to use the crystal in a proper manner.

Twin - Balance.  According to Judy Hall, this Crystal can be programmed to attract a soul partner – a “Twin Flame”.

Double Terminated - Transforms negative energy into positive. Great at breaking old patterns like overcoming addictions. Placed on the third eye chakra they help activate our natural telepathy.

Palm - Grounding, stress reduction when rubbed (worry stone)

Isis - Feminine energy.  For men, the Isis crystal will help to become more in tune with their feminine side and to become more aware of the aspects in women that they find troubling. Women can work with the Isis crystal to help them regain some of that power and energy that society has taken away from them.

Drusy - Charging, relaxation, harmony.  Encourage ideas or thought forms ready to spring forth and grow.

X Crystal -  Ability to bring female/male energies into harmony, and can be used when a well-balanced decision is needed.

Y Crystal - Balance female/male energies and are good tools for developing natural intuition and telepathy.

Source: thechamomilewitch
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edwardcollectsurns asked:

what are good recipes for samhain? i'm thinking of hosting a feast for my friends that night, and i'd also like to practice whatever dishes i want to make. any suggestions?

breelandwalker answered:

Tasty savory fall foods make up the bulk of my Samhain cooking, and a lot of it includes apples, potatoes, pumpkins, and wine. I’m planning two simple suppers this year, one for the living and one for the dead.

The Dead Supper is always the same - local apples, salt, and wine. The apples and salt sit on small plates with cups of wine in the center of the table. Small candles are lit at sundown and the supper lasts until the candles have burned down. During that time, spirits are welcome to visit my home and partake of the meal, provided they leave when the candles are out and do no harm to any in the staying or the going.

For the living, I’m planning a nice supper of stuffed roast chicken, apple-potato dressing, colcannon, salad, and cranberry-pumpkin cake. The chicken is rubbed with butter and a blend of garlic, onion, paprika, salt and pepper, then stuffed with cornbread stuffing and diced apples, with half an apple capping the opening. Set the bird in a roasting pan on a bed of cubed tart apples and red russet potatoes, and cooked in the oven as you’d cook any roasting fowl - 350F, 20min per pound. The apples and potatoes break down during the cooking and become a nice sweet-and-savory dressing for the chicken.

Colcannon is an Irish dressing made with mashed potatoes and cabbage, or kale or seaweed, depending on where you’re from. The version of the recipe that I use also calls for crumbled bacon. I use more red russet potatoes to make the mash, adding butter and sour cream to make it smooth. Chopped boiled green cabbage is then added at about a 2:1 ratio (2 parts potato, 1 part cabbage). Bacon is added to taste and everything is mixed together into a gorgeous mess of savory goodness. Some folks also season with chopped chives when serving.

The cranberry-pumpkin cake comes out of a box, largely because otherwise I’m hopeless at baking. It’s actually a mix for pumpkin bread, but if you add a can of pureed pumpkin to the mix, it turns into a heavy moist cake. I throw in a good cup of dried cranberries for extra sweetness and bake the whole thing in a buttered bundt pan. The finished cake is topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and powdered sugar. You can add chopped walnuts to the cake as well, but I tend to leave them out in case of allergies.

The salad is nothing special. It’s just greens in a bowl with some dressing, because my northern ancestors would have a fit if I served a holiday meal without a vegetable. I may swap out the salad for corn, I haven’t decided yet.

Happy cooking! :)

dreamingdreamwitch

I love this! But what do you do after the supper for the dead with their food???

breelandwalker

The salt is disposed of, the wine is consumed, and the apples are thoroughly washed and set out at a local farm for woodland critters to eat. :)

Source: breelandwalker
trustinawitch

Healing Spell

herbwicc

Two people I care about very much were in a very bad car accident, the healing process is very slow and painful and expensive… This is a spell to help for a speedy, healthy recovery after an accident or illness, to keep them safe and healthy for the future, and to promote peace to help them get passed this horrible event emotionally. 

Tools: 
- Altar dish or bowl 
- Pink candle for love and care 
- Pink Salt for cleansing, healing, love and care 
- Queen of Pentacles to channel maternal care, love, support, compassion, nurturing, security, practicality 

Herbs: 
- Bay Leaf: healing, protection
- Chamomile: Peace, love, healing 
- Cilantro: health, love, peace, protection
- Cloves: banishing negative forces 
- Cramp Bark: healing, female energy (maternal energy for care and nurturing)
- Lemon Balm: healing, peace
- Lavender: relief from pain, discomfort, and anxiety 
- Rosemary: protection, feeling youthful 
- Sage: long life, peace 

Crystals: 
- Amethyst: healing, soothing, peace 
- Citrine: happiness, positivity 
- Rose Quartz: love, care 
- Black Tourmaline: protection 

How To: 

Step 1: 

Place the dish in the center of the altar, fill the base with pink salt to start with a cleansed base and to promote healing, love, and care. Make a small round space in the center and use melted wax to stick the pink candle in the space. 


Like so: 

Step 2: 

Place the herbs around the candle, over the salt. Focus on your intent as you spread the herbs in a circle around the candle. Once that’s done, place the crystals over the herbs. Then place the Queen of Pentacles tarot card under the dish/bowl as a way of charging the spell. 


Light the candle for as long as you would like each night. Every time you light it, imagine the person being their usual happy, healthy, bright personality, loving self. I want them to be ok very badly… 
Also huge thank you to @starlesswitchybird for their Inspired Healing post, which was a huge inspiration for this one. I hope you don’t mind the changes to it. 

Source: herbwicc
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pagan-aeshryver:
“ Tips for Organizing Your Grimoire For Traditional Notebook Grimoires • Incorporate a table of contents in the front or end of the book
• Create a vocabulary section at the end of the book
• Section out parts of the book for...
pagan-aeshryver

Tips for Organizing Your Grimoire

For Traditional Notebook Grimoires

  • Incorporate a table of contents in the front or end of the book
  • Create a vocabulary section at the end of the book
  • Section out parts of the book for specific topics and add organizing tabs (like dividers but just the tab part instead of the entire 11/8.5 ones. You can get these at any office supply-selling store OR you can create some of your own and either glue or staple them on!)
  • Make an introductory page to announce the change of sections
  • Don’t rule out including pictures!
  • For stuff within the same section,  change pen colors between topics in the section (Preferably with the color corresponding with the topic)

For Electronic Grimoires

  • A folder for magick and folders within it for different sections
  • Different font colors to correspond with the topic
  • Include pictures!!
  • Include a header that describes the date included as well as the general topic
  • I recommend the program evernote that creates notebooks and notes within those notebooks
  • If it’s too much to write out, include a link for more information
  • An entire folder for each section that’s vocabulary and a master one in the magick folder
Source: witchofapollo
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🌟Tips for Witches With a Tight Budget🌟

songsparrowwitch

These are some tips that can help you save money so that witchcraft won’t break your budget and so that witchcraft can help you gain money instead!

Originally posted by paprika

🌟 Use socks, coffee filters, paper towels, plastic bags, or napkins as sachets and tie them up with a hair tie or a rubber band when you use them! These items are either cheap or already in your home, so you do not have to splurge on cloth sachets. Be careful if you decide to put liquids in these materials as they can leak out in some of them!
🌟 Use birthday candles in spells or purchase cheap candles at Walmart or Dollar Tree! Birthday candles are usually on hand or very cheap and come in many colors. Stores like Walmart and the Dollar Tree also have cheap candles, usually tealights, that are around a dollar.
🌟 If you can’t afford crystals, rocks can work or you can try to find them in nature. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll find crystals in nature, but here is a post that can help you identify and find crystals. You can also use rocks. They may not have the same correspondences as your preferred crystals, but rocks can be great for grounding and strength and they can also vary in color. Hag stones can also be found in nature!
🌟 You can use sticks, rocks, and plants as wands! These things can be found in nature, so no need to break your wallet over a fancy wand. Practice what kind of natural material is best equipped for you when you channel and direct energy through it and there’s your wand!
🌟 Use hand soap instead of herbs or other expensive ingredients! Hand soaps come in a variety of scents and instead of splurging on expensive ingredients for a spell, you can try to find a hand soap that can replace them. For example, I can’t spend extra on coconut butter, so I bought a hand soap that has coconut butter in it for a dollar. I not only get hand soap, but also a handy spell ingredient, too!
🌟 Take daily tasks and make them magical! Enchant your cooking, cleaning, and working. A few simple words can go a long way when enchanting your daily activities. For instance, I usually bless my food for good health before microwaving and eating it!
🌟 Remember that spells don’t require a lot of materials and energy! A few words, sigils, drawing, singing, or imagining a spell is enough to cast it. Drawing a sigil on my arm for productivity is enough for me to get started on some homework.
🌟 An altar doesn’t have to be fancy! You can use a pizza pan, a plate, a piece of wood, a cardboard box, or even a section of your floor as a space for an altar. Items on an altar can include a regular cup, some salt, blessed water, or whatever you want to add and can afford! All of these items are free, already on hand, or can be found at the Dollar Tree so you don’t have to break your wallet!
🌟 Leave a sigil or charm for prosperity in your purse or wallet! Make sure to close or add loopholes to it so that it does not come from a negative place. This can attract some extra money to your pocket! 
🌟 Enchant your most used items to make them last longer or to prevent damage! Clothes, shoes, kitchen appliances, and the laundry basket really could use a sigil or some type of enchantment so that they will not break on you when you really cannot afford to fix or replace them.

Source: songsparrowwitch
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dawn-aeris

Herbs Associated with Dream Magick:
Anise, ash, cedar, jasmine, lemon verbena, mimosa, onion, peppermint, rose, tobacco.

Herbs of love:
Adam and Eve, apple, basil, cardamom, catnip, cherry, coltsfoot, coriander, daffodil, daisy, damiana, devil’s bit, gardenia, gentian, geranium, hibiscus, High John the Conqueror, hyacinth, jasmine, juniper, lady’s mantle, lavender,lemon verbena, linden, lovage, love seed, maidenhair, fern, mandrake, meadowsweet, moonwort, myrtle, oleander, orchid, pansy, peach, peppermint, plumeria, poppy, raspberry,rose, rosemary, rue, skullcap, spearmint, strawberry, thyme, tomato, trillium, tulip, valerian, vanilla, Venus flytrap, vervain, vetivert, violet, willow, witch grass, wormwood, yarrow.

Herbs for conjuring spirits:
Althea, anise, balsam tree, bamboo, catnip, dandelion, elder, gardenia, mint, pipsissewa, sandalwood, sweetgrass, thistle, tobacco, willow, wormwood.

Herbs for banishing spirits:
Agrimony, angelica, arbutus, asafetida, avens, bean, birch, boneset, buckthorn, clove, clover, cumin, devil’s bit, dragons blood, elder, fern, fleabane, frankincense, fumitory, garlic, heliotrope, horehound, horseradish, juniper, leek, lilac, mallow, mint, mistletoe, mullein, myrrh, nettle, onion, peach, peony, pepper, pine, rosemary, rue, sage, sandalwood, sloe, snapdragon, tamarisk, thistle, witchgrass, yarrow.

Source: Gerina Dunwich, Herbal Enchantments, Folklore and Divination

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Curses vs. Hexes: What’s the Difference?

themori-witch

If you were to look up the definition of both of the words on a search engine (hello, Google!) they are defined as follows:

  1. Curse: (aside from meaning vulgar words) is “casting the evil eye or an evil spell upon someone.”
  2. Hex: to curse someone.

Oh, dear sweet Google, you have tried your best but in this instance, every witch will tell you that you are wrong.

The general consensus is that ultimately, curses are worse than hexes; the target tends to suffer more at the hands of a curse than they do at the hands of a hex. 

Curses:

  1. Usually more serious than hexes.
  2. Can live on through generations if that is what the caster intended.
  3. Tend to be long-term in nature.
  4. Usually, curses are borne of anger; of hatred and even a need for justice.
  5. They can usually be reversed or undone; reversals can be done by the caster, and undoings may be done by the caster, target or a third party.

Hexes:

  1. Often cast as a “one-off” piece of magick.
  2. Their effects are apparent very quickly, but they are not long-term - seen sometimes as an instantaneous form of malevolent magick.
  3. Hexes are borne of revenge and/or annoyance, and they usually cause irritation and subsequent annoyance to the target - hexes are a way for the caster make their target feel what they have been made to feel for a short time.
  4. Due to their nature, hexes are usually over and done with quickly and do not require a reversal or undoing.

Both of these forms of magick, are forms of malevolent magick that is used for many reasons.
Some people curse their abusers, or people who have hurt them and some people hex their ex-partners, or someone who has brushed them up the wrong way. Like all magick, what you do is circumstantial and no one can tell you whether you should or should not perform magick of this kind (I am pro-curse and hex, but not everyone is).


Common Cursing & Hexing Components:

Taglocks:

  1. Bodily fluids (blood, spit, semen, menstrual blood, tears, urine, etc.)
  2. Fingernails.
  3. Hair.
  4. Photographs.
  5. Personal possessions.
  6. Poppets.
  7. Usernames/nicknames/names.

Herbs/Plants:

  1. Cayenne Pepper
  2. Chilli
  3. Lemon
  4. Black Pepper
  5. Thistle
  6. Thorns
  7. Poppies
  8. Mold

Other items:

  1. Nails (rusted for potency)
  2. Razor blades
  3. String/yarn/chord
  4. Cemetery Dirt
  5. War Water
  6. Needles
  7. Bones
  8. Vinegar
  9. Mirror (broken or whole)
  10. Broken glass
  11. Dead Wasps

You’ll notice that I’ve bunched the common ingredients for curses and hexes in one list - that is because these two are simply lesser and greater forms of the same kind of magick, so you must bear in mind what your intent is when you choose your spell/ritual ingredients.

Do you want to frustrate, annoy and irritate your target? Do you want to bring them bad luck? Do you want to bring them untold misery? Consider this carefully.

themori-witch

Check the notes, darklings and darlings. There’s some valuable additions.

Source: themori-witch
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Subtly connecting to the gods

hellenic--witch

Aphrodite: simple “I love yous” at the end of phone calls 

Apollo: memorizing a poem and making playlists 

Ares: mindless bantering with a friend 

Artemis: reminding little girls that they can do anything a boy can do

Athena: rereading a book and noticing things that you never noticed the first time

Demeter: worrying about what seems small

Dionysus: taking a moment to actually taste your drink 

Hades: mourning a loss

Hephaestus: finally building that shelf  

Hera: going out on anniversaries 

Hermes: stealing your sister’s shirt 

Hestia: making a house a home 

Persephone: taking a moment to look for the beautiful in a dull situation

Poseidon: swimming on a sunny day

Zeus: driving through storms

Source: hellenic--witch