However, as those who follow me on social media (by which, let’s be frank, I mean Instagram ) may have noticed, I’ve scare been online so far this month.

July saw an unplanned hiatus (of about 1.5 weeks) at one point from the good ol’ interwebs as well. Neither was intended and both have left me reeling to catch up.

I accept that, for the sake of my time/energy/well-being/mental health, I won’t be able to do so to the degree that I might fully like. I know that I will have to simply cut my losses, so to speak, and pick up afresh again on some digital fronts.

That’s okay. It’s happens to even the best of us sometimes.

This summer has been an interesting one for sure – not least because of the extraordinary issues, from the pandemic to matters of racial and societal equality that are presently at the fore in our world.

Closer to home, we’ve been slogging our way through a heatwave which really knocked the wind out of our sails there for a while. The temps are slatted to skyrocket again in the coming week, but I suspect that they won’t stay this roasty-toasty for too much longer.

I was quite drained by the heat (we don’t have central air/AC in our house and the internal temps can climb above 45C at times). As a result, my productivity in various areas, including online, came to a bit of a screeching halt for a little while.

This is not the first time over the years that I’ve experienced the heat hampering my output during the dog days of summer.

Indeed, with the last blog that I ran prior to this site, I used to say sometimes, only half-joking, that if I could, I would pen a year’s worth of blog content during the winter months.

Then, as now, that isn’t feasible or realistic for me. Nor would I want to write everything out that far in advance. You just never know what views or opinions might change, what you’ll learn that could benefit a post, what photos you may take, and so forth that will help enrich a post in the moment.

So far this blog has been the one out of the various websites I’ve run over the years that has seen the least amount of “far in advance” content written for it.

Many entries are created mere hours or days before they go live, though some are certainly written further ahead than that. The perpetual Girl Guide in me does greatly enjoy being prepared, after all.

My energy isn’t at full capacity again yet, but it’s inching back and I highly suspect that autumn’s glorious return will help it to perk up all the more.

Recent weeks have seen me and my husband burning the midnight oil in regards to a number of different areas of our lives, from the mundane to the dream fuelled, that need our attention.

The time and focus required for these things is also a sizable part of the reason why I’ve not been online lately as much as I usually am.

Another reason is that this year I’ve been dealing with some of my chronic health issues being anything but happy (I won’t go into much detail about such things here today though, fear not ).

At the same time, I’ve been working hard to try to a promise that I made to myself last year when I turned 35 regarding continuing to find ways to ideally improve some of my medical issues further. Particularly those that severely impact my gastrointestinal system.

As a whole, I am on a continual mission to improve my health, and by extension quality of life, in ever greater and more impactful ways.

This journey began nearly as soon as my health feel to pieces eighteen years ago, and has been at the fore of my life ever since.

Now in my mid-thirties and having wholeheartedly embraced the archetypal “Mother” age of the Maiden/Mother/Crone trifecta that some witches and Pagans choose to identify with, I see with deeper clarity the need to try my darnedest to do everything I can to make the coming years of my life the best and healthiest that they can possibly be.

This is a tall order, no two ways about it. Let me assure you that I’m wildly realistic. One doesn’t battle multiple severe chronic illnesses for quite literally half of their life without becoming passionately entwined with the power that reality holds over our lives.

In particular, I’ve very recently made further medically driven changes to my diet. By and large, I’m pleased with the results that I’ve seen thus far.

I am finding, though, that rather surprisingly, these changes, while helping some aspects of my health, have caused one of my most serious (non-GI based) chronic medical conditions to currently flare-up fairly intensely.

This is not something I saw coming. I’m now actively working to find measures to help temper its present furry, as I believe in my heart of hearts that these new dietary changes stand to be extremely beneficial for my health as a whole in the long run.

When possible, we have continued to take nature walks in secluded, low foot traffic areas this season. The stifling heat has often meant doing so late at night or at the break of dawn.

Both suit this night owl witch to a tee, and I’ve delighted in the breathtaking beauty of summer’s bountifully lush, life-filled landscape to a degree that I can honestly say I don’t think I have since I was a child.

As I have continued to focus on my health and wellness heavily this year, certain ideas and prospects have sprung to life in relation to these areas that, even just a few short months ago, I would never have guessed I’d now be thinking about.

I feel like I’m in a state of possibility. At the same time though, again, my feet are firmly planted in reality and I know that some of the ideas I’m entertaining may simply not be feasible at this point in my life.

Just as I know that not everything I’m doing to try and further improve my health and life may pan out.

That might not be ideal, but it’s the honest truth, and an important aspect of existence that we’re all well served by accepting. Not everything we imagine, try, or dream about is going to unfold favourably – if at all.

Hopefully, though, along the way, we continue to learn and grow, and to find a deeper sense of certainty about what it is we want out of life.

I often find that the time between Lammas and Samhain is one of new beginnings. As well as parting ways with the old, and being brutally honest with myself about where my life (and health, for that matter) are at, what I want out of the coming year, and what elements of my world need to change or be revamped.

I know that I’m not alone in this respect and that, with the more lighthearted days of spring and early summer starting to gradually wind down, many of you may be experiencing similar thoughts or otherwise seeking to part any clouds of uncertainty that you may be living with these days.

To that end, allow me to present you with a lovely, easy and, I personally find, very effective spell that you can use when you’re in need of some clarity about the future.

Cloud Divination Spell for Clarity About the Future

This spell taps into the ancient method of divination called aeromancy, which involves using cues and signs from the sky, clouds, atmospheric conditions, and cosmological happenings to help provide needed information in the here and now.

As well as that of nephelomancy, which puts the focus particularly on reading and intercepting clouds through aerial focused scrying.

For this spell, it’s clouds we’re after, so – especially when summertime is still underway – you may need to wait for an overcast day to perform this working.

Plenty of sunny days house clouds, too, of course. Particularly, I find during the hours of early morning and as dusk settles for the evening.

What you’ll need to do for this clarity spell

-A safe space outdoors where you can stand, sit, or lay down and gaze up at the clouds (be sure to wear sunglasses, if the weather calls for it) or a suitable window through which to do so.

-If needed, a chair, towel, blanket or other comfy surface to sit or lay on while outside.

-A coin or other similar object with two distinctly different images or colours on each side. (You could always paint a small, flat rock ahead of time to use for this purpose, if so desired.)

How to perform this spell for clarity about the future

Go – or look – outside and gaze up at the clouds. As you to so, clear your mind as best as you realistically can. (I like to turn off my phone beforehand, so that I’m less apt to be interrupted by the many pings and notifications that tend to fill our 21^st century world these days.)

Breath in and out mindfully, center your energy, and if you wish, ground yourself.

This is not a formal or overly intense spell, so I do not personally cast a circle, use ritual tools, call the quarters, or (generally) evoke spirit allies or deities when performing it.

If you want to do any or all or those things, by all means, have at it. One of the most vital aspects of effective spellwork is that we personalize and work within the ways that feel most true to our own spiritual paths.

When your mind is clear, your breathing aligned with your energy, and the sky overhead peppered with clouds, you’re ready to begin.

Focus intently on two different aspects of something important in future that you’re unsure about.

For example, two you might wish to think about two different career paths you’re debating, two suitors you’re interested in, two towns you’re considering moving to, or two very opposite directions that you could take your life as you head forward from today.

Look at your coin or other two-sided object and assign one possible choice to one side of the coin and the other option to the opposite side.

Without looking at it as you do so, rotate the coin (or stone, etc) in your hands multiple times until you’re certain you do no know which side is pointing towards skywards.

At this stage, do not look at the coin/object again. Keep it concealed in your hands. We’ll return to it shortly.

With those two possible options in mind, gaze up at the sky and really study what you see. You do not have to rush yourself here. Please, take your time, and allow images in the clouds to appear organically to you.

Also be aware of any inner messages (institution), environmental cues or signs, colours in the sky/clouds, energies you feel, or thoughts that leap out at you that you may receive while doing this working. Sometimes they’ll tell you just as much, if not more so, than the clouds themselves.

Does anything you see trigger a pull towards one of the two options you’re contemplating? For example, if you debating whether to move to either Maine or Texas, seeing a cloud that looks like a cactus or a head of cattle might indicate that Texas is where your heart most desires to go.

If after a few minutes of sky gazing, nothing leaps out at you, that’s okay. Take stock of how you’re feeling and what images or thoughts might have appeared in your mind as you were scrying the sky.

Listen to your heart. What is it telling you? Often, though not always, we already know deep down inside what we want or need to do.

As one option begins to stand out to you more than the others, take your eyes from the clouds and look down at the coin or two-sided object in your hands.

Does the side that’s now facing you align with the choice you are leaning towards? In my experience, more often than not, the two do indeed jive.

If they don’t, however, please do not worry. It may mean that you truly are not sure yet, that there are so many possible options at hand that a clear answer won’t be forthcoming unto you narrow them down further, or perhaps that the universe is trying to guide you down another path entirely.

Should there be three or more possible options available to you, you can repeat this process multiple times on the same day (or different days), pairing them off in twos, until you’ve reached the point of a final selection.

Clarity, I’ve long found, cannot be rushed or faked. It is often within us already and methods such as mindful cloud scrying and allowing the universe to help guide your decision via the coin/object can be powerful aids in bringing our innermost desires to the foreground of our minds.

This spell can be performed at any point in the year where clouds are available and you’re in need of clarity about a certain aspect of your future.

I particularly enjoy carrying it out during the summer and early fall, when some of the biggest, most creatively shaped clouds are apt to fill the sky.

If you’re keen to try additional magickal workings on this area, I recommend that you check out the relevant guest post, Ostara Candle Spell for Clarity and Renewal, that I shared in 2019 over at the Witch of Lupine Hollow.

Ready and rearing to go for the future!

As I began this post by saying, it might not have been the one I had initially planned for the midway point in August. However, is the one that feels most aligned with my present life and that automatically ensured its appearance here today.

I’m going to do my absolute best, health and other circumstances permitting, to be online more again from this coming week onward. Generally speaking, I am not the type to just go MIA and try hard to avoid doing so whenever possible.

And while there can certainly be perks to taking breathers from the web (no two ways about it!), I vastly prefer to take intentional and typically announced internet breaks rather than having them crop up organically.

When they do occur, I remind myself to try not to stress too much and to just pick up again like usual when doing so is possible. Easier said than done though, I know.!

Thankfully though, the web isn’t going anywhere, and neither, I sincerely hope, am I.

With any luck, my life will be long and the measures I take, coupled with the clarity that I cultivate, now will help to ensure a brighter, healthier, and more fulfilled tomorrow. However that may look both for myself and the world at large.

Now over to you

Are there areas of your life that currently need some clarification? Have you ever used the clouds for magickal/spiritual purposes?

The post Mid-August Life Update and a Spell for Clarity About the Future appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

While many of us are presently in self-isolation or, if that is not possible, engaging in vital social distancing and limiting time spent in public places as much as possible, the seasons are still, thankfully, proceeding along as usual.

One of the most iconic natural phenomena associated with springtime is the majestic rainbow.

Rainbows occur when the right set of circumstances involving reflection, refraction and dispersion of light take place within droplets of water in the atmosphere. When this happens, a gorgeous spectrum of different shades of arcing light can suddenly span a portion of the sky for a little while (the longest known duration that a rainbow has lasted is just under nine hours).

While we might not be able to conjure up rainbows overhead at will and rainbows are certainly more common in some parts of the world than others, we can all avail of rainbow magick regardless of where we live or if there’s presently a stunning bow of multiple colours smiling down upon us.

This spring, perhaps more than ever in many of our lives, we need all the light we can get coupled with the positivity and beauty inherent in rainbows.

With that in mind (and rainbow loving child of the 1980s that I am) I’ve put together an in-depth guide to rainbow magick to help make this spring a bit brighter and hopefully more positive for all of us.

What is rainbow magick?

Rainbows are as real as an apple, a sunflower, or your beloved pet cat and yet unlike these things, it is not possible to physically hold an actual rainbow in your hands.

This means that the magick we work with rainbows is generally symbolic, correspondence based, or that it involves materials (such as water, magickal tools, crystals, or food) that we’ve charged in the presence of a rainbow.

Of course, one can use a physical item that is designed in the shape (and/or colours) of a rainbow as a stand-in for the real deal, too.

And many a witch, Pagan, and other spiritually driven soul has one or more items, works of art, photographs, or candles depicting a rainbow or the colours of one in their home.

Rainbow magick is magick that involves either actual rainbows, items charged or gathered in the presence of real rainbows, colours that appear in a classic red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo/violet order (aka, Roy G Biv, an acronym many of us learned during our schooldays to help us memorize the colours in a prismatic rainbow), working with deities or other entities with ties to rainbows, items or foods (I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to Rainbow Foods, if you’re looking for rainbow food recipes and ideas), or any other type of rainbow related capacity as it pertains to your witchy workings.

Naturally, those who are familiar with the chakra energy system of the body are likely aware that it utilizes a rainbow-like system of colours.

You can engage with chakra colours either individually or as a collective whole in ways akin to working with other forms of rainbows, especially when performing healing, cleansing, energy balancing, or negativity banishing spells, reiki, and so forth.

What is a rainbow witch?

You may have heard or read the term “rainbow witch” before, but weren’t quite sure what it meant.

Broadly speaking, a rainbow witch is someone whose practice is quite eclectic and who embraces the joys, magick, properties, importance, inspiration and beauty of all manner of colours, including their connection to healing and nature.

Anyone can be a rainbow witch, if they desire, and can in turn define what being a rainbow witch means on their own terms.

For more on what a rainbow witch is, I highly recommend this lovely post by Nixie Vale – Are You a Rainbow Witch?

Are there different types of rainbows?

Absolutely! While most of us have seen – or at least familiar – with the usual multi-coloured arching rainbows (which are officially known as primary rainbows) that can occur either during or after a rain shower or rainstorm, there are various other kinds of rainbows as well.

The following describes some of the other types of rainbows that have been identified over the course of human history.

-Double or multiple rainbows: As their name implies, double or multiple rainbows are instances when two or more rainbows appear in the sky at the same time. They are formed by a double reflection of sunlight inside of raindrops and are between 130 and 127 degrees in width. Generally, there will be a primary rainbow and secondary rainbow (and, if applicable, a third or even an extremely rare fourth rainbow).

Fascinatingly, there is a word for the area of blank sky, so to speak, between the rainbows. This is known as Alexander’s band in honour of a 2^nd century AD Peripatetic philosopher called Alexander of Aphrodisias who was the first known person to describe this band.

-Twinned rainbows: Not to be confused with double rainbows (described above), this rare form of rainbow occurs when two rainbows form from a single base point, splitting partway along the arc. On even rarer occurrences, rainbows have been known to split into three branches, each sharing the same spectrum and order of colours (just as with twinned rainbows).

-Monochrome rainbows: While we generally think of rainbows as housing several different colours, it is possible for a rainbow to occur in just one colour.

This happens when sunlight is travelling the farthest away through the atmosphere at either sunrise or sunset and generally results in a solidly red rainbow which makes for a rare and very striking sight to behold (especially since the red tends to temporarily colour the sky immediately surrounding it quite red, purply-red, or peachy red coloured as well).

-Pastel rainbows, aka, supernumerary rainbows: Another relatively uncommon form of rainbow, supernumerary rainbows take place as an extra band within a primary rainbow (known as the stacker rainbow) or as an additional rainbow right outside of the first.

This form of rainbow is most commonly associated with fog and fogbows. The further away a supernumerary rainbow is from the stacker rainbow, the fainter and paler it appears, which generally results in bands of colours that are less vivid and pronounced than those of the primary rainbow.

-Reflected rainbows: These lovely rainbows appear on the surface of bodies of water that are present below the horizon (sunlight is deflected by rainbows before reflecting off of a body of water). If the conditions are right, a reflected rainbow can appear in something as small as a puddle or birdbath right on up to part of the surface area of a lake, sea or ocean.

-Full circle rainbows: When one calls to mind a rainbow, the classic semi-circle arc shape is one of this weather phenomenon’s most iconic elements. But did you know that under the right conditions, a rainbow can appear as a full circle?

In fact, almost any rainbow can, in theory, be a circular rainbow. However, when viewed from lower vantage points, such as the ground or most forms of housing, the majority of rainbows will appear as arcs, not circles.

If you happen to spot a rainbow when you’re atop a lofty mountain or building or high up in the air, such as in an airplane, then you might just be lucky enough to spot a full circle rainbow (which, occasionally, can appear in twin rainbow form as well).

-Rainbow wheels: While this name might make you think of those fun, noisy and very colourful clip-on beads we put in the spokes of our bike tires as kids, rainbow wheels are in fact a form of rainbow that occurs when dense rain showers or dark clouds create shadows over part(s) of a rainbow, causing lines of light to reach out to the arc of a primary rainbow, which in turn can give the appearance of a wagon wheel-like shape in the sky.

Incredibly, if the clouds are moving fast enough in the sky at the moment, rainbow wheels can even appear to rotate – giving even more credence to their name.

-Fog rainbows, aka, fogbows: As you might guess from their name, fogbows are rainbows that are caused when sunlight passes through fog and the moisture droplets in said fog diffract the sunlight.

Fogbow tend to form over bodies of water or those with thin fog, and the colours they house are typically red, blue and (especially) white, as opposed to the broader spectrum of various other types of rainbows.

-Cloud rainbows: Whereas most other types of atmospheric rainbows occur when light comes in contact with water drops in the air, cloud rainbows occur when light strikes water droplets that are presently forming clouds.

Cloud rainbows tend to be quite broad and may have less of a stereotypical arcing rainbow shape. There’s something very gentle, mysterious and beautiful about cloudbows, which while more common over bodies of water, can be seen occasionally over land as well.

-Moonbows: By far one of the most enchantingly beautiful forms of rainbow, moonbows are rainbows that take place in much the same way as daytime (solar) rainbows, however in this instance, it is moon, not sun, light that is responsible for their appearance.

Moonbows are also known as moon rainbows, lunar rainbows, and white rainbows. They may be fainter than their daytime counterparts and are certainly a considerably rarer sight. Much as with solar rainbows, lunar rainbows have piqued human interest for countless generations, with recorded descriptions of nighttime rainbows stretching back to Aristotle’s c. 350 BCE work, Meteorology.

If you’re keen to try and spot a moonbow of your own (and you really should – they’re an extremely beautiful and spiritually charged experience), you may have better luck if you do so when the moon is not blocked by clouds, the moon is low in the sky (42 degrees or lower), the moon is at – or very nearly at – its fullest stage, and there are water droplets (rain, mist, fog, or spray – such as that from powerful waterfalls) in the air opposite the glowing moon. As well, it helps matters if the sky is very dark during the later hours of night, such as two to three hours prior to the sun rising.

-Snow rainbows (aka, snowbows, snow bows, icebow, parhelions, halos, or sun dogs): While only rain or other forms of spherical water droplets can cause true rainbows, similar forms of arcing or circular light (generally white or pale yellow in colour) can occur as a result of light striking the intricately shaped surfaces of snowflakes or ice crystals (see this newspaper article for photos of super rare ice rainbows).

In addition to the above mentioned form of rainbows, it is possible to observe rainbow-like occurrences on surfaces such as dew slicked spiderwebs (known as spiderweb rainbows), in various sprays and streams of water (think fountains, geysers, water garden hoses and sprinklers, waves at the beach, and the spray from a waterfall), as well as other similar types of optical phenomena such as cloud iridescence in which some of the clouds overhead take on a colour pattern similar to that of the hues seen in soap bubbles, mother-of-pearl, or oil slicks.

All rainbows have an intensely ethereal quality to them and rainbow magick can be carried out in the presence of, or when thinking about (or meditating on, etc) any type of rainbow that resonates with you or that fits the magickal working that you’re engaging in.

I encourage you to keep this list of different types of rainbows in mind, bookmark, or pin this post on Pinterest so that you can refer back to it later, if you’re keen to utilize the properties of a particular type of rainbow in your spellwork, rituals, sabbat celebrations, self-generated guided meditations, or other witchy workings.

Religious, spiritual, and cultural connections to rainbows

Rainbows have been admired, awed over, and believed to have magickal or spiritual abilities or connections to the Divine since time immemorial.

Some faiths and cultures see rainbows as a bridge between the worlds of heaven and earth or life and death, and most people, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, find beauty and personal meaning in the sighting of a rainbow overhead. Be it as a sign of positivity or good luck, a blessing, or a comforting message of brighter days ahead.

It would take a very lengthy blog post (if not a whole book) to delve into the huge range of such connections that have existed across various cultures for thousands upon thousands of years, and doing so is beyond the scope of this post.

That said, as rainbows are such inherently magickal happenings with great significance to many cultures and faiths, I would like to share a few examples of the importance rainbows have played in various religions, spiritualities, and cultures over the years (including some of the gods and goddesses that are associated with rainbows).

-In ancient Greek mythology, the rainbow is viewed to be a pathway created by the goddess Iris between heaven and earth.

-Chinese mythology has a beautiful tale that says that a rainbow is a split in the sky which has been patched or sealed by the goddess Nuwa using five different coloured rocks or stones.

-The flood narrative of the Christian bible which sees a rainbow used to represent God’s promise to never again destroy the earth with a cataclysmic flood.

-Babylonian mythology also tells of a megaflood and how the goddess Ishtar was rather cross with the god who had caused such an epic catastrophe. To get back at him, Ishtar placed a rainbow in the sky to prevent the god from partaking of offerings left for him down on earth.  

-To the Norse, a burning rainbow bridged known as the Bifrost connects earth (Midgard) with Asgard, the home of the gods. Only the gods and those are who were slain in battled were permitted to use Bifrost.

-Armenian mythology speaks of the god Tir’s belt being a rainbow (Tir is especially associated with the sun and knowledge).

-Many Native American cultures have rainbow related myths and spiritual connections. The Navajo, for example, saw rainbows as a multi-coloured serpent that young braves chased after as part of a highly meaningful and important coming-of-age initiation right.

-Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology included a weather god named Quzah, for whom rainbows were seen to be his (hunting) bow. This reference remains in legacy to the present day by way of the Arabic word for rainbow, qaws Quzah.

-In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the rainbow snake is the Creator in the Dreaming, an ever-lasting time period that began with the creation of the world and which has no end.

-The shamans of Siberia’s Buryat people believe that they can ascend to the sky-spirit world via rainbows.

What are rainbows associated with?

Rainbows have long been associated with a wide number of things at a broader cultural level, as well as on a deeply personal level for many individuals.

These include, but are not limited to gay pride, racial equality and race-related rights, inclusivity, acceptance, spirituality, health, healing, optimism, good luck, promises, Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day, luck, hope, peace, springtime, Ostara, Beltane, rain, the sun, unicorns, faeries, the magickal arts in general, creativity and artistry, endurance, serenity, happiness, personal message from Spirit/the divine/the universe, childhood and youth, auras, ascension, liminal spaces, transcending the earthly realm, and immortality.

To say nothing of the myriad brands (including Apple) who have used rainbows or rainbow colours as part of their logos and company branding over the years.

As well, arcs themselves are commonly associated with such things as openings, bridges, paths, portals, gateways, other realms (including of consciousness), femininity, fertility, crescent moons, and unions of various sorts.

The shape of the boline – a knife that often has a white handle and a curved blade and which is used by some Wiccans, witches and those of similar spiritual paths – also lends itself well to rainbow related symbolism and workings (such as harvesting herbs, drawing or writing in the dirt or sand, or cutting cords).

What does seeing a rainbow mean?

The honest answer to this question is that seeing a rainbow is going to mean different things to different people.

Many of us have positive personal memories with rainbows which help to imbue those we see nowadays with a pleasant or happy sense of nostalgia.

While seeing a rainbow is generally an auspicious, positive event that some feel is a personal blessing, not all rainbows necessarily carry intensely deep meanings or messages for those who view them.

That said, they certain can and some of the more common messages or signs that a rainbow may be presenting you with include the following:

-Brighter, better and/or luckier days lay ahead for you.

–You are not alone. Spiritual allies, angels, or other types of guardian spirits or beings are with you and are watching over, protecting, guiding or otherwise helping you.

-Validation or confirmation that you are on the right path for your present life.

–A departed loved ones (human or animal) is letting you know that they’ve crossed over and are doing well/are at peace on the other side or that they have another (generally positive) message that they want you to know.

-It’s time for you to take a leap of faith and begin a new project, goal, or other area of your life that you may have been putting off.

-You are loved and are an important part of the earth who is here right now in this point in time because there is one or more meaningful reasons for you to be.

-It’s time to finally make a concrete choice about two or more things that you’ve been contemplating.

-Honour what your heart is telling you to do.

–Opening ourselves up to light, love, positivity, compassion, healing, and/or new beginnings.

-Make sure to stop and take note of the incredible beauty and blessings that surround us on this planet.

-Do not become so busy or stressed that life loses its sense of wonder, magic, and possibility.

-Something positive is likely coming your way.

-Passing through a rainbow (such as driving or swimming, if a rainbow is reflected on the water’s surface) may increase spiritual awareness, personal energy, and one’s sense of connection to the divine.

-Savour the present moment. Rainbows are fleeting, incredibly beautiful and highly meaningful events. They capture our attention and justifiably ask of us to slow down or briefly stop what we’re doing entirely and live in the moment. Take this important reminder with you after a rainbow has passed and remember to do the same throughout your daily life, even when a rainbow is nowhere to be seen overhead.

Rainbows encourage us to see and understand things as being diverse, multi-faceted and often far more complex than “just” being black and white.

They can represent the whole or the sum of all parts, are a universal phenomenon, and are generally viewed in a positive light and are believed to present us with optimistic or otherwise helpful messages and meanings.

Ideas for how to work rainbow magick

The sky – fittingly – is the limit when it comes to ways in which you can work with rainbows in magickal and spiritual capacities.

The following is a selection of ways that you can connect with rainbows, use rainbows in your magickal practice, and make them a year-round part of your witchy life.

-Gather rainwater during a rainbow to use for a wide range of magickal purposes. Store as you would most other magically related or magickally charged waters, labelling your rainbow water accordingly.

-Few things lend themselves better to colour magick than rainbows. Colour magick is a broad, highly fascinating topics that can easily fill many a post or book (Raymond Buckland’s Color Magick: Unleash Your Inner Powers is a great place to start if you’re looking for a detailed book on this topic).  

What colours or colours jump out at you or are most visible in the next rainbow that you see? Could these colours be a sign?

Consider working with that colour, or those particular colours, in the near future and applying them to situations that are relevant to your current life.

For example, if you saw green most dominantly, it may mean that you should focus on new beginnings, earth magick, money magick, herbology, gardening, or healthy eating. Whereas red or pink could pertain to matters of the heart, power, strength, survival, sexuality, fertility, or passion, to name but a few possible connections.

-Use makeup, face paint or another similar skin safe product to draw a rainbow or other design in rainbow colours on your body as an added measure of personal strength, protection, positivity, hope, or any other reason that you desire. You can do so in conjunction with other rainbow workings or as a standalone activity (which is especially well suited to Ostara, Beltane, and Litha).

-Wear or make jewelry or another accessory or item of clothing in a rainbow colourway or which depicts a rainbow. If possible, charge this item either with rainwater or dew gathered during a rainbow or when an actual rainbow is in sight.

By doing so, you are embedding some of the essential energy of that rainbow into your lovely piece of jewelry, which you can then wear anytime you wish to connect with, or strength a magickal working pertaining to, rainbows, their meanings or correspondences.

-For instant, on the spot magick, consider working a quick spell or other magickal act that can be done with little forewarning when a rainbow is present. If you’re able to safely to do outdoors, all the better, but doing so inside is highly effective as well – especially if you’re able to see the rainbow (such as through a window or skylight) while working your spell.

The presence of rainbows can be a terrific time to set intentions, say or sing chants or prayers, give thanks, connect with faeries, receive messages or signs from spiritual guides and angels, do releasing or banishing work, make promises to yourself or others, and to focus on matters pertaining to your aura, personal energy, or chakras.

-Work candle magick with a single candle in rainbow or chakra colours (such as these lovely rainbow taper candles), or an array of different induvial candles in the classic rainbow palette. Here’s a fantastic rainbow candle magick spell from Madame Pamita that you may enjoy.

If possible (though such is by no means essential), bless or concrete your candle with rainbow water, herbs or flower petals picked during a rainbow (either fresh or dried, depending on what you have to hand), or magickal essential oils that you’ve either charged during a rainbow or which you’ve focused rainbow inspired energy into.

And if you’re looking for an especially cool candle to use when working with rainbow candle magick, consider giving Rainbow Color Drip Candles a try.

-Much like candles, crystals come in a huge array of different colours and are a beautiful, tangible way to weave colour magick into your spellwork, altars, rituals, offerings, and other magickal activities.

A handful of crystals are somewhat rainbow-looking in terms of their colours (be they naturally occurring, artificially enhanced, or straight up manmade), such as rainbow quartz, angel aura quartz, opals, bismuth, labradorite, and fluorite.

These crystals are gorgeous and can be a fabulous way to channel the energy and correspondences of rainbows, but you can certainly use other crystals in conjunction with rainbows as well.

For example, why not try making crystal grids, crystal spell bags, crystal spell jars, crystal jewelry or charms, crystal displays on an altar, or crystal placement around your home with various crystals that collectively team up to form the colours of a rainbow?

-Make set of runes in rainbow colours or on stones, pieces of wood, shells, etc that you’ve painted in the colours of a rainbow. If possible, charge your handmade runes in the line of sight of a rainbow or bless/concrete them with rainbow water.

-Incorporate rainbow imagery into your sabbat celebrations and related spells or rituals, in particular those of the spring and summer months (Ostara, Beltane, Litha and Lammas) during which rainbows are most frequently seen.

You can also use rainbows anytime and in connection with any sabbat or other sacred day (handfastings very much included) that your heart desires.

-Create an altar set up in a rainbow colour palette or designate a portion of an existing altar to honour rainbows. Work with this sacred spot in your home anytime you need to tap into the deep meaning and spiritual guidance that rainbows can offer.

-Draw, paint, sew, stitch, bead, or otherwise create a craft project in rainbow colours or which depicts a rainbow. Think a rainbow poppet, rainbow dream sachet, rainbow wand, rainbow painted chalice or offering bowl, rainbow wreath, rainbow floral arrangement or a centrepiece in rainbow colours, rainbow dream catcher, set of garden or herb pot markers in rainbow colours, rainbow robe or cloak, rainbow soap, rainbow bath salts, or handmade rainbow candles.

-Do a rainbow tarot spread. This can take on many forms, from an arc-shaped spread to one pertaining to LGBTQ+ related readings (such as this wonderful rainbow tarot spread from Interrobang Tarot) to using a deck that includes rainbow imagery.

In some tarot decks, the Temperance and Ten of Cups cards depict rainbows, though other tarot and oracle card decks may include rainbow images in their own specific imagery on any number of different cards.

-Create a positive affirmation pertaining to rainbows. For example, you could make a point of looking at yourself in the mirror each morning and saying something along the lines of, “I am bright, I am special, I am strong, I am beautiful, and I am capable of incredible things”.

-Rainbows aren’t just in the sky! Sure, that may be one of their favourite places to reside, but don’t forget to pay attention to if the universe, Spirit, your spiritual allies, or other positive forces are trying to deliver a message or sign to you via rainbows in other forms.

Have you been seeing rainbows on things everywhere you go all of a sudden? Hearing one or more songs that star the word rainbow, such as that beloved classic, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, She’s a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones, Pocket Full of Rainbows by Elvis Presley, or Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves?

Are you dreaming or thinking about rainbows frequently as of latte?

If so, consider the possibility that a rainbow message or sign is trying to make its way through to you. Ask yourself what that could be, how you can proactively avail of the blessing of that insight from the universe, and how you can support its benefits for your life through your witchy workings.

-Photograph a rainbow, print and display that image on your altar or elsewhere in your home (or office) as a reminder of the beauty, wonder, blessings, abundance, hope, and positivity that both exist in the world at large and which you can help to bring into being in your daily life. Or for any other reason that rainbows hold personal significance for you.

-Tap into the energy that comes from a rainbow. Rainbows generally appear as the calm following a storm and may indicate that you’re entering (or are now able to create or manifest) such a state in your own life.

If you’re been going through an especially difficult or challenging time, this might feel like the gift from above that it truly is and may just be an important turning point towards brighter days ahead in your life.

Rainbow are magickal!

No two ways about it, rainbows are seriously magickal. There’s a reason they’re commonly used in conjunction with fantasy stories, to convey positivity, and as a link between this world and others beyond our mortal realm.

Like many people, I’ve had times when rainbows appeared in my life precisely when I needed the comfort, reassurance, support, or sense of joy they brought my way.

No other stands out more for me than the rainbow that appeared exactly six months to the date after the destructive arson house fire we experienced in October 2016.

It was so vivid that my husband and I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road to observe and bask in its meaningful beauty. I was moved to tears and knew that, as incredibly difficult as the past few months had been, brighter days and a return to feeling happier were coming our way again.

Seeing a rainbow never fails to spark a deep sense of wonder in me. They are mesmerizing and meaningful, relatively rare and highly poignant.

This spring and for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, I encourage you to consider working with rainbow magick.

You might also find that placing images the depict rainbows or items that feature rainbows on them on your altar or elsewhere in your home helps you to feel more at peace, connected to the divine, and optimistic during these highly challenging times – just as various forms of rainbow magick themselves can as well.

And the next time you see a rainbow, why not enact that long-practiced ritual all its own and make a wish from deep within your heart that you hope will soon come true for yourself or a loved.

Doing so is a lovely act – and who knows, with enough intention and, for added oomph, some corresponding rainbow magick, your wish might just come true!

The post A witch’s guide to rainbow magick and working with rainbows appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Famous the world over for its snow, Canada certainly lives up to that reputation in most parts of the country – our wee woodland corner of British Columbia included.

As I pen these words, more than three feet of accumulated flakes are calling our backyard home and there are banks around the neighbourhood that come up to the second-floor windows on some houses.

Yes, it’s winter proper still around these parts and that got me thinking about one of my favourite magickal ingredients to gather when we’re squarely in the season of the Oak King and summer’s radiance seems lightyears away: graveyard snow.

What is graveyard snow?

As its name implies, graveyard snow – or cemetery snow – is snow that has been collected from a burial ground.

In order to do so, you will need to have access to a public graveyard or cemetery, gloves or mittens to keep your hands safe and warm, a waterproof and leakproof receptacle to carry your snow home in (unless you plan to work with it in situ), and possibly a small shovel, spade or other type of scoop to gather the snow with.

If you’re only collecting a small amount of snow or your gloves are waterproof, you may be able to easily put the snow into your bucket, container, etc with your hands.

Depending on the layout of the cemetery you’re visiting, you may be able to gather snow from the ground, the tops of headstones and other types of grave markers, low hanging tree branches, shrubs, statues or monuments, and gates or fences surrounding the cemetery itself.

When is the best time to collect graveyard snow?

This is largely a personal choice and there is no objectively “best” time to collect graveyard snow.

You may wish to do so on a day whose correspondences tie into those of your magickal workings. On a sabbat (such as Yule or Imbolc – or even, depending on when snow starts falling in your area, on Samhain), a particular stage in the moon’s cycle (I’m especially fond of working with cemeteries and materials collected from them during the full and dark moons), or at a time of the day that is conducive to the spell or ritual that you’ll be using the snow for.

When taking anything from nature, be it graveyard snow or otherwise, it is always a lovely and appreciated gesture and sign of respect to leave a small offering. This can be anything from a stone to springs of herbs, leaves you’ve gathered to fresh or naturally dried, preservative-free fruit.

How does graveyard snow differ from graveyard dirt?

Graveyard dirt, a much beloved and fairly commonly used material in the workings of many witches, hoodoo workers, and various other magickal folks is dirt from the ground of a graveyard.

It is employed in myriad types of working, including witches balls and bottles, protection, guarding, strength, luck, prosperity, finality, cursing, and death related spells and rituals, as well as times in the year when the veil is at its thinnest (such as Samhain and Beltane).

Graveyard dirt is believed to be imparted with many important qualities, energies and essences, including those from the departed who were laid to rest in that cemetery.

It is a sacred material and one that should always be gathered with the utmost reverence, respect, and consideration both for those laid to rest in the cemetery and for the natural environment/ecosystem of the cemetery itself.

Graveyard dirt is a fascinating topic unto itself and one I’m that sure I will cover here on Witchcrafed Life in greater depth in the future.

Aside from the rather obvious point that one is snow and one is dirt, graveyard snow differs from graveyard dirt because it is typically charged more with the magickal properties of snow firstly and a fainter – one might say “echo-like” quality of the general surrounding where it fell secondly.

As well, generally speaking, graveyard snow is easier to take without fear of having someone say something unwanted to you while you’re in the process of gathering it up. (Though that possibility is there anytime you’re removing anything from a cemetery.)

Magickal properties of snow

Snow is a wonderfully magickal natural material and one that, in a lot of cases, you may have access to for multiple months in a row if you live in an area that gets quite cold.

A literal form of the Element of Water, snow is ideally suited to workings pertaining to that element and to the elemental beings associated with water called undines.

It is also great for cleansing, purifying, consecrating, freezing or halting (something unwanted or unneeded), rejuvenating, preservation, and banishing work, to name but a few excellent used for it.

Snow itself is already charged to a degree by the fact that it sits outside under the sun and moonlight. You can charge it further, either in its solid or liquid (melted) form by imbuing snow with your intentions and intentionally placing it in the path of the sun or moonlight.

Specifically, you may wish to charge it under a new, full, or dark moon – such as those that occur either on or closest to a sabbat. I adore gathering and charging snow during the Yule and Imbolc seasons, respectively.

If you’ve gathered snow (and/or ice or icicles) that fell during a snowstorm or blizzard, keep in mind that the snow will be charged with the energy, intensity, and strength of storms and storm clouds.

You can keep snow that you’ve gathered in suitable containers (such as glass jars with lids) for quite some time. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for later use throughout the year. I adore using snow gathered at Yule in some of my Litha workings.

Bringing the extreme of one season into that of another in a magickal context is a powerful and meaningful way to honour both, remind ourselves that the Wheel of the Year is ever turning, and to unite the energies of two sabbats that are on opposite ends of the calendar from each other.

The magick of snow is a wonderous thing! Snow helps to create light in the dark heart of winter. It is strong and powerful, yet ethereal and temporary at the same time (save for in extremely cold climate such as at poles and atop certain lofty mountains).

How to use graveyard snow in your magickal workings

You can utilize graveyard snow in most instances of snow magick, but given the energy of where it was collected from and the connection to the other side that anything from a graveyard stands to have, you may wish to use graveyard snow for darker, heavier, or more serious spells, rituals, cleansings, and other purposes.

The following are some ways of using graveyard snow in your magickal workings.

(Note that the snow is generally melted before being used.)

–Anoint yourself with melted snow. Ensure that the snow is clean and free of debris (run into through a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or linen napkin first if needed). Apply it to areas of your body that need rejuvenating, help with healing (do not apply snow to any type of injury or wound that would be harmed by cold or water), cleansing, unblocking, freezing of negative habits (for example, to your fingers if you wanted to “freeze” nail biting in its tracks), or as a general energy field pick-me-up during the sluggish days of winter.

-Apply melted snow as a protective barrier around your doors and windows. Lightly spray or dab melted snow to these areas, asking for protection and safety for your home itself and all who reside within. Ask that anything or anyone who may wish you or your home harm be frozen in their tracks before they reach your threshold.

–Bless your sacred space with melted snow. If you can do so while further snow is falling outside at the same time, this helps to bless both the inside and outside of your sacred space with the strength, energy, protection, and timeless beauty of snow and winter (or summer, if you live south of the equator).

-Build a snowman or other snow figure (for example, that of an animal you connect with on a spiritual level) as a protector of your property. Draw symbols, sigils, or words (or tuck pieces of paper or bark with such things on them) into your figure. Ask that it, and the strength of winter’s fortifying chill, help to guard your home and keep it clear of unwanted visitors or troubles all season long.

-Cleanse your crystals with (clean) melted snow. Those that you associate with darker workings, death, rebirth, protection, winter, Yule, Imbolc, and even snow itself (for example, snowflake obsidian) are all crystals that can benefit in particular from a lovely snow cleansing.  

-Cleanse yourself during a snowfall at a graveyard. If you’re able to visit a cemetery while it’s snowing, consider utilizing that opportunity to allow the snow to cleanse your spirit, bless you with the clarity and strength of winter, and energize your magickal mojo this winter. (Naturally, be safe and always wear weather appropriate clothing when you’re out in the snow).

-Create a snow altar. If you’ve gathered enough snow or are using a mix of graveyard snow and snow on your own property, you can create an outdoor altar. This altar will be temporary and anything placed on it that you wish to preserve needs to be water-safe or waterproof.

-Create a focus charged cleansing spray with snow as the primary component. Add other ingredients that work for your needs, such as herbs, essential oils, salt, mini pinecones or pine needles (for additional winter energy and the magickal properties that these natural materials house), or water-safe crystals or stones.

Use the spray to cleanse your home, the inside of your vehicle, your (water-safe) magickal tools, your candles, stone or crystal runes, or your clothing (again, ensuring it will not be damaged by water).

I like to cleanse my winter boots, coats, scarves and gloves with protection focused melted snow cleansing water to help keep me safe, warm, and guarded against the more dangerous elements of wintertime during the icy cold months.

–Draw sigils in the snow. The choice of sigil(s) is up to you and will relate to your workings, needs, and the fact that most things drawn in (or made out of) snow have an inherently temporary nature to them.

–Include snow in a ritual cleansing, banishing, releasing, or purification bath. While it would take a great deal of melted (and warmed!) snow to fill a bathtub, you can easily add a cup of snow to your bathwater. You may wish to charge and/or bless the snow first, though this is a personal choice.

–Let snow help to melt your troubles away. Gather some snow and focus the intent of something you’d like to clear your mind or life of into the snow. In a calm setting, light some candles and/or incense and concentrate on the bowl of snow, channeling what you’re looking to rid yourself into the snow as it melts. Once the snow has melted, dispose of it outdoors away from your property, if possible.

–Melt snow and use it in a spell jar, bottle or vile. Combine it with other ingredients that are relevant to your magickal needs. For extra charm and beauty, biodegradable glitter, if it is suitable to your spell or other type of working, can be a really lovely addition to these kinds of jars.

–Provide an offering of snow on your altar (indoors or outdoors) or other sacred space that you use for your magickal workings. If you work with deity and are in need of assistance, guidance, strength or support this winter, consider researching gods and goddesses associated with snow and inviting one or more of them to assist you, leaving a snow offering for them in the process.

As the snow was collected from a cemetery, it can make for an especially apropos and respectful offering to place on an ancestor altar or to otherwise offer to your ancestors and/or any other entities, spirits or beings from the other side that you presently work with.

–Save some snow to use when you plant your spring garden. If you’re a gardener or otherwise grow fresh herbs, flowers, tomatoes, etc, consider storing some melted snow to use as a blessing and strengthening helper of winter on its successor season, spring, when you plant the seeds of your garden for this year.

-Water scry with melted snow. Scrying in its multitude forms is one of my personal favourite forms of divination. Water scrying, especially when it applies to studying and discerning meaning in the ripples and movement of water is technically called hydromancy.

It is a wonderfully accessible form of divination that only needs a suitable bowl or chalice, water (melted snow in this case), and the focused thought and attention of the person doing the scrying.

Use melted snow to scry during the winter months, particularly during the sabbats, esbats, and anytime you feel a sense of clarity is strongly needed in your life. Consider making note (such as in your magickal journal or Book of Shadows) of what presents or reveals itself to use during your scrying season.

Important note: while none of the magickal uses for snow listed above involve ingesting snow, if you opt to eat or drink snow, ensure that you gather pristinely clean snow and that, for safety sake, you boil it first.

If, even after boiling and cooling, the snow tastes off, chemically, or otherwise strange in any way, immediately stop consuming it. Your health and safety must always come first when working magick.

The versatility of graveyard snow

Much like snow in general, graveyard snow is a multi-purpose, wonderful magickal ingredient. If you have access to both snow and graveyard, it is well worth seeking out and utilizing.

You might even want to gather some from atop graves themselves and other portions of snow from different parts of the graveyard, separating the two and using the former in workings that pertain more to death, banishing, protection, spirit work, psychic abilities, hedge riding, astral projection, dreams, and ancestor work.

Whereas burial in a graveyard is generally quite long-lasting for most bodies, snow is a temporary visitor in our lives each year. The potent combination of these two factors and the energy that each brings to the table makes graveyard snow a stellar choice for witches and magickal workers of all sorts who are fortunate to have access to it.

The post How to Use Graveyard Snow in your Magickal Workings appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.