The concept behind clickbait is not nearly as new as the web itself, however. Magazines, newspapers, book titles, TV news programs, and other forms of media have been over-hyping headlines and titles for quite a while now at this point.

You may be wondering why I am beginning a book review post with a brief overview of clickbait. The reason lies in the fact that I generally approach books with certain phrasing in their titles with a generous pinch of salt.

“Secret History” of just about anything is one such term that I try to view with an open mind, keenly aware all the while that it may be used as a marketing tool.

Note, I said “tool”, not ploy. In many cases, I do not believe there is genuinely ill intent on the part of either the author or the publisher.

Rather, knowing the psychology of marketing, they realize that certain keywords will draw readers in and make them more apt to purchase an item.

After all, who doesn’t want secret knowledge on just about any topic – let alone one they likely already have an interest in?

The irony is that, even if the proverbial tea was spilled for the first time publicly on a given subject, once it is out there in print (or another media) form, the secret element largely vanishes.

For much of human history, and certainly in many respects to this day (despite what social media might have you believe), witchcraft was frequently done in secret – whether by choice or necessity.

And that fact alone makes the inclusion of the word “secret” in the title of the book we will be exploring here more apt than if it were present in relation to a fair number of other topics.

Released in 2020, Witchcraft: A Secret History by Michael Streeter takes a captivating look at the origins and dynamic, often turbulent history of witchcraft from ancient times straight on to the 21st century.

Book Specs

Name: Witchcraft: A Secret History

Author: Michael Streeter

Page count: 256

Publisher: White Lion Publishing (an imprint of Quatro)

Binding: Hardcover (this book is also available in paperback)

No secrets, but plenty of interesting facts and viewpoints

Like many of us, some of the first books pertaining to the craft that I cut my witchling teeth on focused primarily on the history of witchcraft.

As a budding Pagan witch living in a modest-sized town during the 1990s, there wasn’t a ton of literature to be had on witchery and Paganism at either my school’s library or our town’s public library.

Unsurprisingly, of the two, the public library offered up moderately more titles. I read every single one from both sources and anything else I could my hands on that even faintly pertained to witchcraft and/or Paganism.

In the ensuing decades, I have read scores of books on a huge range of witchery, occult, Paganism, astrology, tarot, and other related topics – including plenty that focus on the history of witchcraft.

I’m always game to give a new (or new to me) title on this subject a shot. When I spied Witchcraft: A Secret History on sale in 2020 for an absurdly low price, I leapt at the chance to add this particular look at the history of witchcraft to my own personal library.

This book was penned by a British writer and TV researcher named Michael Streeter who has over thirty years of experience working in newspaper journalism (he is a former editor, for example, of the Scottish Daily Express newspaper) and who has extensively researched and written about a wide range of subjects, including the occult.

I do not know – and make zero assumptions about – if Mr. Streeter is a witch, Pagan, or otherwise occult inclined individual or if this is simply an area of study that tickles his fancy.

As you might guess based on the title, this is not a “how-to” book pertaining to witchery, spellwork, or the like.

Witchcraft: A Secret History is, as its name implies, a history of witchcraft. However, various topics such as the sabbats, certain types of witches tools and attire, covens, and other elements that pertain to how some 21^st witches and Wiccans practice their craft are touched on in this book as well.

This book is divided into three sections, each of which houses a few chapters. They are as follows:

The Ancient World

-The Dawn of Witchcraft

-Powerful Goddesses, Powerful Witches

-Magic and the Birth of Christianity

-European and Northern Witchcraft

-The Wheel of the Year

The Medieval World

-The Rise of Christianity

-The Burning Times

-Witches Tools

-New World, Old Horrors

-Salem: A Town Possessed

-The Magic Circle and Pentagram

The Modern World

-The Survival of Witchcraft

-The Birth of Wicca

-Covens

-Wicca Goes West

-Witchcraft Now and in the Future

-What Witches Believe

Each of these chapters is further broken down into multiple subsections, meaning that the space devoted to a given topic is rarely vast, yet as a collective whole, the body of information presented is well structured and provides readers with a generalized look at the history of witchcraft.

Across the span of Witchcraft: A Secret History, the author delves deep into a wide range of topics. Myth and lore, known history and contemporary witchcraft all find their way into this hardcover book’s pages.

Perhaps hoping to tap into the long-standing connection that exists both in the popular imagination and in real life between Halloween/Samhain and witches, this book features just two colours of ink throughout: black and orange.

The wealth of historical images that Witchcraft: A Secret History houses are rendered in orange, black, and the white paper of the pages themselves. (Both the front and back cover of this book share this same colour palette.)

This approach creates a visually captivating, exciting array of images that draw you and hold your attention as they do so.

And while I enjoyed and was not put off by this two-colour approach, at times I felt it might have highlighted the seriousness of the important historical topics at hand had the images appeared either solely in black in white or in full-colour illustrations.

There is, naturally, a finite amount of information that one can pack into 256 pages. I knew going into Witchcraft: A Secret History that this was not likely to be the most detailed or extensive book that I’ve ever read on the history of witchcraft.

However, Streeter took full advantage of the space allotted to him and wasted no time in presenting us with an engaging summation of the history of witchcraft, as well as touching on topics such as “What is Witchcraft?” (which as he notes, is not an easy question to answer), “Folk Magic”,  (the) “Mother Goddess”, and many other areas pertaining to the craft.

This book explores the fact that witchcraft – both as that word was intended in times past and in the present day – has been with humanity for a very long time.

Throughout Witchcraft: A Secret History, we rub shoulders with a wide range of historical and mythical features. From the Witch of Endor to Circes, the ancient Druids to key figures in the development of Wicca and, by extension, modern witchcraft in general, such as Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, and Raymond Buckland.

Beyond the scope of names and dates of the sort one would expect to find in a history book, Streeter presents a fair and empathetic look at the prejudices, persecution, misunderstandings, and wholly unjustified reputation that witchcraft has often been subjected to over the centuries.

Along the way, the author also highlights how certain early deities and mythological figures (for example, the Sumerian Lilitu who is believed to be the prototype for the Hebrew Lilith) have managed to not only survive, but take on new forms over the years, including in terms of the roles that they currently play in the lives of some modern-day witches/Wiccans/Pagans.

As is often the case with books pertaining to the history of witchcraft, this title focuses primarily on how this subject relates to Europe and North America.

If you are seeking a broader global look at the history and origins of witchcraft/sorcery/magick from other parts of the world (such as Africa, for example) you will need to look elsewhere to find it.

While I wouldn’t say that Streeter goes out of his way to make this point, it is important to keep in mind when engaging with anything relating to its history that witchcraft, as it is practiced today by many, is not a directly continuous act that has been carried out in the exact same way since the dawn of civilization.

The manner in which some modern witches around the globe practice witchery and what this act means to them may not always be the same as that of our forewitches.

Many individuals whom we, through the lens of the 21st century, label as witches may not have identified as such in their own time.

They might have been healers, midwives, shamans, cunning folk, herbalists, or other designated individuals, but, again, may not have described or viewed themselves as witches in the way that we generally use and understand that word today.

The concept of yesteryear individuals merrily marching en mass under the banner of witchery is at best a highly romanticized version of the past and at worst, a great disservice to the people and their beliefs that helped to lay the path to modern-day witchery.

Not to mention an affront to those who were accused, often falsely, of practising witchcraft as it was negatively perceived at the time through a highly religious lens.

How Witchcraft: A Secret History by Michael Streeter rates with me

As I suspected going into it, Witchcraft: A Secret History is not chock-a-block with secrets that have been hidden for countless years. No lids – be they of caldrons or otherwise – are blown off in this book.

Those who have been studying the history of witchcraft for a while may find that they’re familiar with much, if not all, of what is covered throughout its pages.

This is not to say that it can’t still make for an engaging read, simply that it is a book which is, in my opinion, especially well suited to those who are just starting to delve into learning about witchcraft and its history.

Indeed, I couldn’t help but think while reading Witchcraft: A Secret History how my vastly younger self would have lapped up every word in this book with wide-eyed gusto and enthusiasm.

While I’m far from jaded and actually tend to enjoy reading different peoples’ takes on subjects that I am already quite familiar with, objectively, there wasn’t a lot in this book that was new to me.

For some people – especially those who are just starting out as witches/Wiccans or beginning to research the history of witchcraft for whatever reason – each page may be filled with information that is sparklingly new to them.

Though heavy subject matter is covered at times (as it should be in a book of this nature), overall, I found Witcraft: A Secret History to be a breezy read that I got through in no time at all.

The tone was lively and this history book flows nicely, leading one straight into the development of 20^th and 21st-century witchery and Wicca.

Those looking for a more in-depth and/or academic overview of the history of witchcraft will likely either wish to search elsewhere or – and this is my personal recommendation – include Witchcraft: A Secret History as one of multiple books you read on the subject.

In particular, if you are seeking a deeper dive into the history of witchcraft and/or magick, I would suggest checking out the following titles (amongst others):

–A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult by DK

–A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker

–History of Witchcraft by Jeffery B. Russell and Brooks Alexander

–Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden

–Obeah, Race and Racism: Caribbean Witchcraft in the English Imagination by Eugenia O’Neal

–The Occult, Witchcraft and Magic: An Illustrated History by Christopher Dell

–The Oxford Illustrated History of Witcraft and Magic by Owen Davies

–The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach

–The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present by Ronald Hutton (Hutton’s books in general as a terrific source of information pertaining to the history of witchery and Paganism, including Druidism)

–Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History edited by Alan Charles Kors and Edward Peters

One point in particular that immediately struck me as a bit strange for a history book is the lack of academic citations, a bibliography, or even a further or suggested reading section at the end which might have given readers an idea of where the author sourced the information in this book from.

We can only speculate as to whether this was an unintentional oversight or a purposeful decision on the part of the author or their publisher. Either way, I felt that a lack of sources and/or bibliography weakened the accuracy with which that some readers may view the information presented in Witchcraft: A Secret History.

Nevertheless, with its undeniably attractive cover, promise of secret knowledge, and general overview of the history of witchcraft, this book has appeal for sure.

It is not my all-time favourite book on the history of witchcraft, but I enjoyed it all the same and appreciate the natural flow of how this Witchcraft: A Secret History is presented. Just as I did the mix of the author’s own take on certain subjects woven throughout his presentation of the historical facts and lore contained in this book.

Is the title a bit clickbait-y? (Or would that be “readbait-y”?) You betcha!

Chances are many readers will understand as much going into this book, though, and won’t be wildly disappointed when they get to the end and are not in possession of some highly classified witchcraft intel.

If you’re looking for a light overview of the history of witchcraft or a beginner book on the subject, you may want to pick this title up for yourself or to give as a gift.

Those who are well versed on the subject may still find this to be a pleasant read, however, you are unlikely to be blown away by this particular book.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give Witchcraft: A Secret History book 3 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Have you read Witchcraft: A Secret History? What is your favourite book on the history of witchcraft?

The post Book Review: Witchcraft: A Secret History by Michael Streeter appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

This is not the first time I have been queried on this point (or similar variants of it) – nor, I’m sure, will it be the last.

The wording of this question always catches my eye. The person is not directly asking me why I am a witch, but rather why I would willingly associate with a word that, more often than not in their eyes, holds strongly negative or even “evil” connotations.

Ask ten, three hundred, or five thousand witches this same question and chances are you will receive nearly as many different replies as to why they have decided to call themselves witches.

I cannot, and would not, speak for anyone else on this matter. I can only reply as to why I proudly choose to call myself a witch.

Why I call myself a witch

I call myself a witch because as a very young child, before I even fully understood in a spiritual or real-world context what that word and the practice of witchcraft entailed, a voice deep in the furthest reaches of my being told me that I was a witch.

Witchcraft came as naturally to me as drawing air, but it was a path that I made darn sure I was willing to take on the full complexities of and in doing so, to face the potential backlash, persecution, intolerance, ostracization, and even hatred that the label of witch and the act of witchcraft can carry with them.

I call myself a witch because I entered this world with a soul so old it feels as though it was already well-aged when the Big Bang occurred.

In the word witch I seek and see, find and cherish the past, the present, and the future.

I call myself a witch because I am willing, able and honoured to stand up for those impacted by the staggering hardship and trauma, crime and oppression that has been perpetuated over the course of human history – the Burning Times wholly included.

I call myself a witch because it elevates my autonomy. It gives me strength and power, the ability to stand as tall and proud as the lightest oak and to remain true to my innermost beliefs at all times.

I call myself a witch because I have devoted myself and my life, my spirit and soul, heart, body and mind to the study of witchcraft, magick, and Paganism.

I did not don the word “witch” on a whim, to follow a trend or because (as much as I do madly adore it) I’m a huge fan of Halloween.

I read hundreds of books on scores of religions and spiritual belief systems from around the world before I even dared to considered describing myself a witch to others. I have read far more since and each one has helped in its own way to add credence to my choice to become a witch.

I call myself a witch because I believe that there is a spirit or soul in everything – animals, rocks, plants, locations, etc – the world over.

This concept, animism, is a core tenant of my existence, how I engage with others, and why I would only knowingly hurt another living being as a last resort means of necessitated self-defence.

It is why I’ve heard the trees sing to each other, felt Gaia’s pulse beat in tandem with mine as I lay on the verdant grass of a warm June evening, drawn the moon and sun both down and experienced their life forces mingle with my own.

I call myself a witch because I am an empath. The feelings, concerns, stresses, joys, and (sometimes) even thoughts of others are something that I feel and understand as deeply. Perhaps, at times, even more so than my own.

I call myself a witch because I am a perpetual knowledge seeker. For the entirety of my life, I have been madly in love with learning. With following the path of understanding, with the fact that learning one thing can open up a pandora’s box of questions, all of which hold the potential to learn more and in doing so, to potentially grow further as a human being.

I am an impassioned believer in science and reason, but I also know, in my heart of hearts, that there is infinitely more at work in the universe that we do not (yet) know, fully understand, or even conceptualize than what humans presently place under these ever-expanding and shifting headers.

I call myself a witch because I honour nature and do everything that I realistically can to help, heal, nurture and support the planet and all living things that inhabit our world.

I call myself a witch because living in harmony with the Wheel of the Year brings me profound happiness, closeness to the universe, and strengthens my bonds to the ancestors.

As a child, I often questioned why there were not more holidays, especially ones that marked the start of each season. In discovering, as I grew older and began studying Paganism, that humankind had been honouring these points in the year since time immemorial and that some people still continue to do so, I felt a piece of my innermost self click immediately into place.

I call myself a witch because of the profound degree of comfort and acceptance coupled with the immense lack of fear that I have regarding death. I have traversed the veil, I work with my ancestors on a regular basis, I am more at home in a quiet cemetery than almost any public place that the living hang out in.

Death is a state I understand and appreciate. It ends much, but starts much as well. In death, our essential energy is transferred to another form. It does not vanish. Nothing is truly lost in the universe. It just materializes differently with each new iteration.

I call myself a witch because I know that I have the ability to manifest and help to create the outcomes that I desire in my life. I can face any situation and find ways to ensure that, if so desired, it is bolstered, bettered, assisted, protected, or otherwise aided or empowered by the actions that I take and changes set into motion via the witchcraft that I create.

I call myself a witch because I do not depend on others to save me or support me. I am strong and far from helpless. I am a woman, a human, who knows her worth and has learned, through no shortage of challenges and pain, to never let anyone diminish my validity.

I call myself a witch because doing so is right for me and my existence. In the process, I give space and respect to all those who opt to take on this word themselves, too – just as I do those who are not witches.

I have no agenda, no dogma, no disdain for or fear of others whose spiritual path differs from my own. I do not believe that there is “one true path” or religion that has a monopoly over all other spiritual journeys.

I call myself a witch because I can sense and feel things that go deeper than logic can explain. I converse and actively work with spirit allies, my ancestors, deities, the fae (who first presented themselves to me when I was a young child of just two or three), and creatures both of this world and outside of it.

These beings, energies and essences are not foreign or (usually!) frightening to me. They are as much a part of my world as the living humans and animals that I engage with every day.

I call myself a witch because I am proud to not fit into conventional moulds, but instead to march to the beat of my own drum. I have no desire to conform or go with the flock. I am the wolf howling at the moon in the hills overlooking the sheep farm below. I am free as a flowing river, ancient as the earth it traverses, and able to bend and flow as needed just as nimbly as the Nile.

I call myself a witch because incorporating and weaving magick, connection to the ancestors and nature into countless areas of my existence comes as easily and intrinsically as breathing in and out.

I call myself a witch because in my darkest hours, when I literally had nothing to my name, when I was abused or bullied or hurt, when chronic illness became (and remained) a huge part of my daily existence, when my depression took me to places so dark blackholes looked like the face of the sun by comparison, I reached deep down inside myself and using the strength of every last speck of stardust that aligned to create me, I dug in my heels, refused to give up, and never once lowered myself to the level of those who perpetrated these cruel acts against me.

I call myself a witch because, personally, it would be unfathomable for me to ever lord my beliefs over others, to see those who thought or believed differently as sinners simply because of those differences, or to feel that I had a mission to save their souls. We each save, if we so choose, our own souls, in the ways and manners that work best for our unique life paths.

I call myself a witch because I ascribe to no religion. I am a wild spirit, a free thinker, an impassioned believer in a great many things, but I am not – and have never been at any point in my life – religious.

I call myself a witch because my craft is so not driven by aesthetics or vanity. It is not a power trip or way for me to feel superior. It is honest and raw, refined and real. A continual learning process and source of joy, hope, introspection, growth, love, peace and pleasure.

I call myself a witch because I am as certain as anyone could ever be that I have lived past lives. The memories I possess from some of them are as vivid and real as many from this lifetime. I think/believe that a good many – if not all – humans live multiple lives across the universe.

I call myself a witch, because I embrace the duality and interconnectedness of light and dark, that each one exists because of the other and that these two polarities are to be found in every person, every bit as much as they are in the realm of nature and the cosmos.

I call myself a witch because I am the master and keeper of my own mind, body and spirit. This is not up for debate. Autonomy and independence are indescribably important to me and I will fight for them, if need be, with every ounce of energy I possess.

I call myself a witch because I was born a healer, a comforter, a nurturer. I do not want anyone, any animal, any being, or our planet to suffer or feel pain – and when they do, I feel drawn to help and comfort, support and bolster them to the best of my witchy abilities.

I call myself a witch because my intuition guides me to do so. I have an indescribably close bond + profound reverence for my intuition, which you can bet your bottom dollar, I follow and heed.  

I call myself a witch because I am 100% responsible for my actions, my choices in life, my inner happiness, my sense of self-worth, my ability to be do the right thing in every possible situation, and to own my mistakes when they occur.

I call myself a witch because I am willing to stand behind this title and what it means both broadly, and in the realm of my own life, in the 21^st century. I see and experience incredible beauty, meaning, conviction, strength, hope, history, sovereignty, independence, reliance, creativity, humility and power alike in the world witch.

I call myself a witch because there is nothing else I want to be called more. Nothing that feels truer, more right, more natural, or more aligned with every molecule in my being, each breath I draw.

I call myself a witch because I am a witch

The reasons above are by no means the only ones that explain why I call myself a witch. Others exist at present and I’m certain more will blossom into being the longer that I’m a witch. And this, unto itself, is yet another reason why I call myself a witch.

As you may have surmised, the very reasons why I call myself a witch are one in the same with why I am a witch.

Most anybody can be a witch, if they truly want to be one. This word and its domain are not beyond the grasp of those who are willing to embrace, live, and honour it.

I do not feel that being a witch makes me inherently special and I certainly am not a witch to garner attention, flaunt my witchiness around, or tell anyone else how to explicitly be a witch themselves.

Questioning why you are a witch is important

Granted most of us probably don’t want to be asked why we are a witch or why we call ourselves a witch around the clock, but this question doesn’t have to inherently get your guard up unless there is just cause for such.

Some people will ask with an agenda – possibly to try to proselytize, mock, shame, belittle or otherwise insult you – others will be genuinely curious (perhaps they themselves are having witchy stirrings and want to learn more).

In most settings, you do not need to respond in detail and can simply say that you would prefer not to answer that question. The call is yours. As always, I urge you to use your intuition and best judgement.

Beyond being asked why we call ourselves witches by other people, I feel that it is very important that we examine this question on a personal level, exploring and defining why we choose to apply the label of “witch” to ourselves.

Your answers are apt to be highly personalized. They may share points in common with my own and those of others, or they might be substantially different.

The fact that we are able to set forth our own personal definition of what being a witch means and why we call ourselves witches is, unto itself, another reason why I am a witch.

The beautiful, liberating autonomy and freedom to follow a spiritual path that makes sense to, and works well for, us on our own terms is a fantastic and hugely empowering thing.

You might think that this post was penned because the aforementioned woman’s question upset, hurt or bothered me. It did none of those things.

What it did do, was give me the lovely opportunity to stop and once again reflect on what being a witch means to me, why I place this title upon myself, and how profoundly grateful I am to be a witch.

And for that – much like her question itself – I sincerely thank her.

In closing, I would like to leave you with these supportive reminders, from one witch to another.

Do not be afraid to call yourself a witch. Privately, publicly or both, the choice is yours. However, if you do use this word, stand behind it with pride and passion.

Do not let anyone – EVER! – tell you that you’re not a witch if, in fact, you are one.

Don’t feel you have to justify being a witch to anyone other than yourself.

Do embrace your unique, wonderful witchiness.

Do continue to grow, evolve and strengthen your knowledge + abilities as a witch

Do witch on your own terms.

Do know and understand why you are a witch and what being one means to, and for, you.

The post Why I call myself a witch appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

What a radically different place the planet was when the inaugural edition of this quarterly link love blog post appeared.

Most of us were already aware that a massive worldwide threat was upon us, but we had little idea just how severe and far reaching the pandemic’s impact would be. Just as we were only starting to get an inkling of the ways in which it would impact both our own individual lives and society as a collective whole.

One year on, while the vaccine is starting to have a positive impact in terms of seeing a decrease in global case numbers, the pandemic is certainly not over yet and it remains anyone’s guess as to when that incredible day will come.

Of course, even when it does, the trauma and lasting impact of the pandemic will still be felt through many facets of society – and in the lives of many, if not most, of us who were able to make it through this immensely challenging time.

Events like this do not happen in a vacuum and do not fade with the sunrise on the first day after they’ve officially ended.

They are felt and remembered for years, decades, lifetimes, multiple generations.

When the time comes, we will need to collectively band together and support one another with healing, grief and trauma processing, and life rebuilding.

Will everyone pitch in or even acknowledge as much? Sadly, naturally, no.

Yet just as a good many of us have done our best to help out our fellow humans in the past year or so by taking measures such as self-isolating, social distancing, wearing masks, sticking to our bubbles, and so forth, likewise, I tend to think, we will collectively help one another to move ahead in a post-Covid-19 world.

Time of great difficulty are often likened to winter. An apt and understandable comparison, given the inherent harshness of the year’s coldest, darkest, and often most unforgiving chapter.

As this presence of this post denotes, the literal season of winter has, in the Northern Hemisphere, drawn to a close once more.

Sure, some areas still have snow and ice, and sporting bare feet or arms this early on might be jumping the gun a tad, but thanks to the Spring Equinox on Saturday, winter is officially over.

This winter was long, both literally and figurative. It began in our area back in mid-October and hasn’t entirely given up the ghost yet. When all is said and done, its duration will span somewhere in the realm of half a year.

I’m grateful that generally, speaking I really enjoy winter. It (like autumn) appeals to my introverted soul and is often the season in which I am most productive, my mind feels the sharpest, and I can revel in the serene, even sacred coziness of the snowy months.

Spring is usually very short-lived around these parts. Going from temps well below freezing to ones in the 30s Celsius within a matter of weeks is almost par for the course around our neck of the Western Canadian woods.

As a result, in some respects, I feel like spring is the season I’m least acquainted with. Yet that is not to say, of course, that we don’t experience spring (we do) or that I don’t know and love this regenerative, beautiful chapter of the year (I definitely do!).

Simply that its brevity is usually a given and that, much as with autumn, we must strive as best we can to celebrate, honour, and delight in these mild, life renewing days for the brief span that they are upon us.

Right here and now, let’s keep on celebrating spring’s rebirth while we also take a gander at some of the witchy, crafting, and otherwise interesting/inspiring links from around the web that caught my eye over the course of this latest winter.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–Black Pagan Community Leaders: A wonderful post that highlights some of today’s most engaging, informative, and inspiring Black Pagan voices.

–Dice Magic: Using Dice for Spellcraft and Divination: By far one of the most common elements of countless games the world over, the humble dice can also be used in a magickal/spiritual context as well.

If you’re keen to weave working, or divining (astragalomancy), with dice into your practice, be sure to check out Sidney Eileen’s detailed and highly engaging recent post on the subject.

–Eight Ways to Stay Witchy (and Sane) When Sick With Covid-19: While I hope to the stars above that none of you will need to avail of the advice detailed in this personal account of one magickal soul’s recent battle with Covid-19, if you do experience the virus as well, you may find this page to be of both comfort and help.

–40 Self Love Affirmations That Feel Like a Deep Breath: This supportive, beautiful list is a must-read for everyone and anyone who engages in the vital act of self-love (which, ideally, should be all of us!)

–How to Make a Floral Wreath for Ostara: The YouTube channel Magical Crafting is one of my all-time favourites on this platform. Not only are the creator’s projects witchy/Pagan, beautiful, and easy to follow along with if you want to replicate them yourself, but her soothing voice and skillfully presented videos make this channel a true must-watch in my books.

While Ostara is now underway, this wreath project might be one to bookmark for next year’s Spring Equinox or you may wish to make it now and enjoy it straight on until summer, connecting with the revitalizing energy and beauty of Ostara all season long.

–Walking the Path of Infertility and 5 Spiritual Tools to Help: Infertility is something that impacts millions around the world and as such is, of course, far from unknown amongst Pagans and witches.

Yet despite the prevalence of infertility coupled with the heartbreak, stress, challenges, and, sometimes, miracles that transpire daily for many souls, this topic is discussed surprisingly little in our community.

All the more reason then why this supportive post is a much-needed and welcome spiritually focused look a subject and experience that touches untold numbers of lives (my own included).

–Witch, You Vex Me: Jason Mankey injects his telltale wit and insight into this look at various elements of the modern Pagan/witchy world that routinely cause him to sharply raise an eyebrow – and, I would venture to say, likely let out an exasperated sigh every now and then, too.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–DIY Crescent Moon Ring (Holder) Dish: Elegant, easy to make, and super handy to boot, this lovely DIY ring holder is so pretty, you might want to make a second one to use simply as home décor.

–DIY Dollar Store Beehives: Like many of us, I’m a creative soul on a tight budget. I mean really, really, you-might-not-actually-belief-me-if-I-told-you-just-how-tight budget.

Which is all the more reason then why I adore dollar store craft projects. It is incredible + inspiring what some folks can dream up with inexpensive items and a serious dose of imagination.

One of the most charming dollar store DIYs to cross my path lately is this cuter-than-cute dollar store beehive project.

It would be perfect as part of your seasonal décor, left out all year, included on an altar, used as a centrepiece, or to give as a bee-utiful gift.

–Furever Friends Home Décor Shaker Project: My lovely friend – and uber-talented crafter – Jennifer Snyder recently posted a tutorial for this pawsatively adorable pet themed home décor shaker project which is just too sweet and inspiring not share here.

–How to Make Your Own DIY Twisted Candles: Get the lux, cooler-than-cool look of twisted candles sans the often steep ticket price of store-bought versions with this helpful how-to post from Genevieve at Blue Augustine.

–How to Sew Mesh Produce Bags: A welcome alternative to the sea of plastic bags that call many produce departments home, these lightweight DIY mesh bags are an awesome way to reduce waste and carry your fresh fruit and veggies home in something that you can reuse time and time again.

–Layout Featuring Paper Pleating Tutorial: Over on the Graphic 45 blog, this elegantly pretty project recently caught my eye.

I adore pleating, but haven’t seen it used on scrapbook pages all that often in recent years (back in the late 90s/early 2000s it was a bit more common, including on some of Anna Griffin’s projects).

I’m all in favour of changing that and hope this lovely pleated page will inspire you to incorporate more of this classic folding (or scoring) technique into some of your papercrafting makes as well.

–Make a DIY Witch Hat in Any Size: Costume, home décor, sacred space adornment, Halloween decoration, or legit daily headwear, if so inclined. There is no shortage of uses for, and reasons to wear, a witch hat!

This helpful sewing tutorial guides you through how to make an iconic pointed witch’s hat with relatively few supplies and tools, and which is not so advanced to beyond the skills of many beginner level sewers.

What’s Shaking in My Life and On My Radar

Much as the stirrings of spring are busily getting underway, so too am I beginning the behind-the-scenes work on creating my recently announced ASMR YouTube channel.

It is my aim, all things willing, to have my first ASMR content up at some point this spring. With each step I take that brings this important dream of mine closer to reality, the more my heart sings with joy.

As for the season that just was, however, in many respects, things were (in relation to the current state of the world) life as usual.

We had a lengthy, snowy winter, which saw its coldest snap in February, care of an arctic front that stuck around for over two weeks.

March arrived gently, but eagerly at the same time. A mix of ongoing winter weather interspersed with milder temperatures and some of the first rain we’d seen since last fall.

Each holiday – be it national or Pagan – that came and went with the winter weeks was spent at home. Low-key, meaningful occurrences steeped in tradition, hope, and happiness.

I am grateful for the presence of Ostara this week. It is such a sweet, happy, beautiful sabbat. (If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out my recent post: 35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Decor Ideas for the Spring Equinox.)

Then, next up on the Wheel of the Year, we will embrace the warmth, passion, and ancient soul of Beltane as May begins, before winding our way to Litha (the Summer Solstice) about seven weeks beyond that point.

I’m really looking forward to embracing spring, continuing to prepare for the launch of my ASMR channel, working to grow my recently launched #MakeHalloween365 crafting community hashtag, and sharing lots of fun, inspiring new content here with all of you throughout the next three months.

For the moment though, let’s take a gander at a few things that caught my eye online during the toque-and-mitts season that just was.

–DIY Infused Vinegar Fabric Softener: I have extremely sensitive skin and have long needed to avoid most commercially prepared laundry products. Thankfully, there are a couple of store-bought detergents that my skin can presently handle. However, for things like dryer sheets or fabric softener, homemade versions using natural, chemical-free ingredients are usually my go-to choice.

This lovely, super easy DIY vinegar fabric softener calls for vinegar and the scent inclusion ingredient(s) of your choosing, and is a far sight kinder to one’s skin and pocketbook alike than most mass produced options on the market.

–15 Things You Could Do Instead of Comparing Yourself to Others: The pitfalls, stresses, and anxieties of comparing oneself to others are hard to avoid. And, for many of us, have become all the more so since the meteoric rise of social media.

I am not immune to falling under the potentially negative siren’s call of comparison myself. In fact, I was doing so more than my usual amount (in recent years) as 2021 got underway, which made the timing of this post crossing my path especially welcome.

I hope that it will help you as well if you’ve also been sizing yourself up against others a bit too much lately or have a tendency to do so in general.

–Historic (US) Mansions Left to Wrack and Ruin: In the Fall 2020 edition of this post series, I shared about an extraordinary historical American home that had sat largely untouched for decades and was delighted to see by your comments that I was far from alone in being utterly captivated by this story.

While most are not quite the (relatively) intact time capsules that particular home is, the large, beautiful houses highlighted in this post are instantly captivating as well and sure to appeal to many of my fellow fans of abandoned properties.

–Listen to Forests Around the World: This tranquil website allows you to listen to uploaded recordings that were made in various forests around the globe at the click of a mouse.

Whether you do so for relaxation, fun, or just sheer curiosity, if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself instantly hooked on this creative way to connect with parts of the planet that you might otherwise never hear sounds from.

–Scientists Recreate Voice of 3,000 Year Old Mummy: While in the field of archeological research the act and art of recreating the faces of the deceased has been well established for quite some time now, bringing voices of the past into the 21^st century is a rather new undertaking.

Recently, scientists have done just that with an identified mummy who was laid to rest three millennia ago and while we can’t know for certain that it’s an exact duplication of the deceased actual vocal notes, the concept behind this emerging field is one that may develop further and someday be common practise.

–The C. 1910 Photographs of Christina Broom: These gripping Edwardian images capture a vivid, earnest sense of the suffragette era they document, as seen quite literally through the lens of a woman of that period. A time that had one foot in the past, and the other striding boldly towards the unstoppable future.

Lean into the natural optimism of spring

It is impossible to know if, in another year’s time, the world will still be held tightly in the merciless grips of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Like virtually all of us, I hope with every fibre of my being that this global nightmare will be over by then.

Yet, as the past year has driven home time and time again, we simply to do not know how long or how far-reaching this pandemic may prove to be.

Spring is the season of renewal and rebirth. It has an ingrained lightness and joie de vivre imbued in its DNA.

As spring 2021 enters our lives, I am opting to focus on those kinds of positives, instead of worrying unduly on what may or may not lie ahead for the world in another year.

I am deeply mindful of these things, but am choosing not to let the great unknown that is the future rob me of whatever positives I can experience in the present moment (and I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same).

Much like last year, this spring will be both similar and different from the others throughout my lifetime.

As things sit now, we don’t have any travel plans, family birthdays and other special events are likely to be observed sans gathering together, we will continue to limit exposure to the external world, and are certainly not hanging our masks up anytime soon.

Yet, at the same time, there will be a bevy of gorgeous blooms, the earthy, uplifting scents of a world bouncing back to life, and the comforting familiarity of sunshine to delight in throughout the next three months.

Spring is a hopeful time of the year. One that has a powerful, welcome ability to lift our spirits and keep the flames of our own internal hopes – whatever they may be – burning brightly.

Not, come to think of it, unlike that aforementioned sunshine, which helps to banish winter’s chill, grow gardens, and let – sooner or later – those aforementioned bare toes and arms feel the fresh air on our skin again (sans the risk of frostbite!).

Whatever this spring holds in store for us as individuals and as a planet, we will bravely face it head on.

And with a sizable amount of luck, and a great many vaccines given out, maybe, just maybe, come next spring the pandemic will be over. Here’s to hoping!!!

From the bottom of my heart, dear friends, I wish you each a safe, beautiful, sweet, sunny, and tremendously blessed spring.  

The post Winter 2021 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

As of yesterday, the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the season that was is no more. Some rejoice as summer’s fiery wrath retreats, others bemoan the end of such heat and all it entails, and others still are relatively ambivalent about the matter.

However you slice it, summer has drawn to an (official) end.

This was a season, much like the year as a whole, that I doubt many of us will soon forget. And while a mere three months have elapsed since the Spring 2020 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me, it’s safe to say that it feels as though significantly more time has transpired.

This summer wasn’t what I had in mine on many fronts. Nor was it for a good many of us.

Yet, even with some curveballs, challenges, unplanned hiatuses from the good ol’ interwebs, and enough heat to melt the ice rings of Saturn, I loved this summer.

Not a little, not a bit, not even a decent amount, but with a passion that matched the warmth that often drained me so intensely.

It wasn’t a perfect season, nor an easy one. No vacations transpired, (sadly) it wasn’t spent with loved ones due to continued self-isolating and social distancing, and my birthday, back in July, was the least eventful in a decade or more, yet this summer stole my heart.

I spent a lot of time outside, when possible, either in our backyard or on nature walks in secluded local areas. Under hazy summer sunrises and stunning skies full of the kind of twinkling stars one would never see in areas with greater degrees of light pollution, alongside lofty evergreens and breathtaking fields of golden hay, I walked.

And walked, and walked some more.

As walking has long been, effectively, the only form of exercise my health readily permits me to partake in (and even then, there are times when such is not possible) and I’m no stranger to clocking many a KM in a single day. Yet there was something different about the pavement and dirt paths alike that I pounded this summer.

In a world where so much has changed rapidly, where the future feels less certain, and which has altered so much of our usual existence, walking was (and is) familiar.

It is also, relatively speaking, one of the safer activities a person can publicly engage in these days, especially if you opt for quiet areas where few others tend to tread.

Walking sooths me powerfully. It has always felt like a way for me to show my health that it doesn’t always have the upper hand on my daily existence. It aligns beautifully with my spirituality, it gives me plenty of awesome bonding time with our darling dog, and it is just plain fun.

As I do each year, I will walk as late into the autumn as the weather permits. Once the inches/feet of snow that are inevitably come calling again, my walking generally switches from outdoors to indoors care of our treadmill. And while I actually really enjoy treadmilling, with each rotation of the belt, I know I’ll be daydreaming of spring’s bare ground.

But perhaps I’m getting a touch ahead of myself.

There are two whole seasons to go between then and now, and the one that is wrapping up as we speak will be delved into here today in the third edition in this quarterly blog post series.

So many things have caught my eye, inspired, informed and entertained me throughout the summer of 2020.

Indeed, it is hard to narrow the list down to a wee handful. Yet, for the sake of time and space, that I must.

Thus, I present you with the Summer 2020 of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

May the entries it houses resonate with you as well – and as always, if you have a (non-spam/commercial) link that’s recently caught your own eye and which you’d like to share in the comments below, please feel free to do so.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

-As the season’s shift and we embrace the extraordinary beauty of autumn upon the natural landscape, now is an especially wonderful time to follow the helpful suggestions on How to Work With the Plant Allies in Your Neighborhood housed in this lovely post.

-Carving pumpkins can be oodles of fun. It’s a hugely beloved tradition with longstanding European roots that were carried over to the new world by immigrants in centuries past.

Bringing a carving tool to a pumpkin’s flesh can also be a magickal, symbolic and/or highly spiritually charged act as well – as can the designs we scope out of the gourd’s flesh.

I can think of few more Pagan/witchery images better suited to emblazing into a pumpkin than the sacred pentagram. If you’re keen to do just that this fall (or anytime, for that matter), be sure to visit Deborah’s tutorial on How to Carve a Pentagram Pumpkin.

-In recent years, in some corners of the Pagan/witchery sphere, we’ve seen a bit of step back from the ultra structured craft that dominated the earlier decades of contemporary Wicca/witchcraft.

There is something wonderful, I believe, about structure and tradition though and while it is not for everyone, plenty of us enjoy and actively connect with these aspects of our own spiritual journey.

Whether you fall into that camp or not (and, of course, it should go without saying, but I will do so all the same, one take on this subject is not better or more “witchy” than the other), I recommend giving Astrea’s Hardwired For Tradition: Some People Are Better At Traditions Than Others a read.

-Salts of many varieties are an ingredient that I – like many of us – reach for often both in the kitchen and in my spiritual workings (and of course, as a culinarily inclinded witch, the two overlap a good deal).

When the distinct nip of autumn returns and we head towards Samhain, black salt comes to the fore all the more in my workings.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own black salt or learn more about this powerful ingredient, swing by Otherworldly Oracle and read Witches Black Salt Recipe + What is Witches Black Salt Used For?

-There are certain things, I’ve long come to notice, that are commonly horded lovingly collected by many a witchy soul. Bottles and jars, with their limitless uses, are two such items.

If you’ve been looking for a fast, stylish way to beautify some of the glass containers you’ve amassed, this charming tutorial that shows you how to make DIY Herbs and Spices Apothecary Jars may be just the ticket!

-Two things that most of us are open as we go about our lives are harmony (aka, balance/serenity) and good luck. In the face of everything that we’ve both personally and collectively experienced this year, these two factors are welcome all the more.

If you’re looking for ways to try to increase one or both of these areas in your life, this post on how to make Good Luck and Harmony Water from renowned Pagan author/blogger/witch Silver Raven Wolf is apt to appeal to you.

-You know that feeling on Christmas morning after all the gifts have been opened and you’re now left staring at a sea of tattered paper and discarded bows strew around the room? Or what about after a party when the last guest has departed and you look upon more dishes than Bed, Bath and Beyond houses, wondering where they all came from and how you’ll find the energy to tackle them?

Now, what about when a spell – especially a really great spell that you jived with big time – is complete and you need to get rid of some or all of the materials that you used for it?

Ask any witch whose been witching for a while and chances are, they’ve found themselves in this spot. Not quite sure what to do, when to do it, or where to dispose of the remnants of one’s magickal workings.

Fear not, Rachel Patterson (whose stellar book, Witchcraft Into The Wilds, I reviewed here earlier this year) has got you covered care of her handy post, Ending and Disposing of Spells.

One read of this entry and, hopefully, you’ll feel a lot less potential uncertainty or stress the next time you wrap up a magickal working.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

-For all intents, I’m not a sewer. It’s an artform that I hugely admire and wish to high heaven that I had a natural knack for, but I’m old enough to recognize where my strengths lay and to make peace with those areas that I’m unlikely to ever excel at.

That said, A) one can always improve their skills by actively learning and practicing more, and B) both sewers and many other crafters alike are likely to find some terrific project inspiration care of the List of Fabric Manufacturer’s Free Project Pages that Julie from The Crafty Quilter has thoughtfully compiled for all of us.

-I enjoy heat embossing as much as the next person and have long turned to the classic paper crafting technique for a wide range of projects. Sometimes though, it can be fun and refreshing to shake things up and create similar looks with products other than actual embossing powder itself.

One of the best, quickest, and most effective alternatives that I’ve seen to date is this very cool look at how to create Faux Heat Embossing With Duct Tape.

After you’ve read this post, don’t be surprised if your SO comes asking where all the duct tape in the house has suddenly vanished to!

-If you’re a face mask wearer, you may have found yourself wishing that the ones you’ve been sporting were roomier (but still effective, of course!).

Fear not, there’s a handy homemade way to make that possible via Helen’s easy, excellent Breathable DIY Face Mask Tutorial.

-The longer the pandemic rages on, the longer many of us are going without normal human activities like embracing or otherwise touching other people (save perhaps from those who share our home/immediate circle).

I know that I certainly am (what I wouldn’t give to safely hug my nearest and dearest again!) and as such, the interesting ideas put forth in the post Is Craft Booming in Covid Because We’re Starved for Touch? really struck a chord with me as both a crafter and a human, point-blank.

-In this day and age of tech, plastic, and a continual bombardment of what is supposed to be the latest and greatest children’s toys around, it can be downright refreshing to step away from the modern toybox and return to the simple joys of something like paper toys.

Case in point, this great post starring Twelve Easy Paper Toys to Print, Cut and Assemble.

While the use of a printer does add a modern element to the process, the end result is decidedly yesteryear in its classic charm and appeal, while being no less at home in today’s world, where non-tech toy options are more important than ever.

-There is just something about buttons – or items that depict them – that steals my heart away time after time. Like many a crafter, I have a beloved button stash (filled with a mix of modern and vintage offerings) and frequently work with this versatile embellishment.

You can imagine then, the plethora of beats that my heart skipped when I saw this tremendously lovely – and very creative – All the Buttons Quilt Tutorial that the uber-talented Heidi from Fabric Mutt created and shared on her blog a few weeks ago.

If I ever get the quilting bug, this is going straight to the top of my “top make” pile.

-Under the header of “cutest handmade masks around” belongs these head-turningly adorable Halloween Crochet Face Masks, which are sure to delight youngsters and the young at heart alike.

And while you’re on Sarah’s site, be sure to check out her delectable recipes, including this one for Crock Pot Candy Corn Bark that is perfect for fall’s return.

-When I was a little girl, my mom kept many of her most treasured recipes written out by hand on recipe cards. Though she stored them in a specially designed binder made just for this purpose, the presence of those recipe cards in my early life instilled a connection to, and fondness for, recipes cards in me from an early age that is still going strong today.

Thus, I’m naturally drawn to recipe cards and the books and boxes many folks use to house them.

One of the most charming handmade options I’ve encountered lately is this beautiful Just Roll With It Farmhouse Kitchen Recipe Box, which would make for incredible gift or addition to your own kitchen alike.

What’s shaking in my life and on my radar

Good things, my lovelies, good things aplenty!

This summer might have kicked my behind at times, but it was also thoroughly awesome in certain other respects.

One of which is that this season really, really, helped me to get a better perspective on certain areas of my life.

It also introduced some very beneficial (and, no exaggeration, desperately needed) positive changes to certain aspects of my health + corresponding energy levels, and at the same time helped me to experience summer again in a way that I haven’t in far more years than I care to count.

Tony and I stayed put this summer, refraining from travel due to the pandemic. We’ve been extremely fortunate to remain virus-free and to not have this devastating illness hit any of our loved ones on either side of the Atlantic.

We shared many of the above-mentioned walks together (though plenty were solo adventures with Annie by my side), got to know some of our neighbours better, made many delicious seasonal meals, and were able to tackle a number of tasks/jobs in our lives that were in serious need of being accomplished.

I feel very renewed right now.

I know that this current energy and sense of corresponding positivity is unlikely to last indefinitely. However, while it’s here, I’m revelling in it and giving mighty thanks to the universe for helping to make this state possible.

As usual, the links that I’m sharing in the “Me” section of this post are one seriously mixed bag. If you ask me though, that’s a big part of the reason why lists like this are such fun. You just never know what they may house.

-Avocados have been enjoying a serious moment in recent years (both on toast and otherwise), though they’ve been savoured by many long before Instagram entered the picture.

If you’ve ever cut into an avocado and wished that you could keep it from browning faster than the speed of light, this ultra-simple trick is here to save the day: This Waste-Free Hack Will Keep Your Cut Avocados Ripe Longer.

-Dolly Parton’s beloved hit, Jolene, is one of my favourite country western songs of all time. Its haunting depth, soulful lyrics and captivating melody have helped to turn it into a musical classic at this point.

As much as I adore Dolly’s version, I have to say, I’m also more than a little bit smitten with this very clever take, which sees Jolene’s lyrics tweaked and sung – gorgeously, may I add – in a Bardic Medieval Style.

Trust me, after one listen, thy will likely find thyself playing this gem on repeat from here on out.

(And speaking of content pertaining to that period of time, I rather enjoyed this look at The World of Medieval Dogdom from History Today.)

-It’s safe to say that there are – speaking of music – far more Christmas season tunes than ones aimed at, or especially well suited to, fall time celebrations.

Thankfully, however, a toe-tapping slew of All Hallows’ Eve songs exist and compiling a playlist or otherwise enjoying them is something I do with extra gusto the moment September returns.

If you’re much the same, or just want a great lineup of music to help you celebrate the spookiest chapter of the year, be sure to check of Good Housekeeping’s list of 50 Spooky Halloween Songs You Need to Play at Your Costume Party (or anytime!).

You may also enjoy their fab list of 80 Fun and Creepy Ideas for a Halloween Party to Remember.

-I’m all for curve-hugging attire, but I also appreciate the way less form-fitting attire can look and feel, so I’ve rather been loving the fact that loose-fitting shirts – including classic t-shirts – are having a moment again this year.

How to Wear a Comfy, Giant T-Shirt and Still Look Stylish is just the ticket if you’re also feeling the siren’s call to roomier garb these days.

Plus, bonus points for the mega 1980s and 90s fashion nostalgia that oversized shirts can stir in many of us who were alive during those decades.

-Let’s face it, most of us use at least one social media platform these days. Sharing images is one of the highlights of these digital communities and certainly amongst my favourite elements of SM.

If you’ve been wondering what the current ideal sizes are for SM photos, graphics and the like, look no further than this handy list of Social Media Sizes, which provides image size specs for twenty of the top current social media platforms.

-Unquestionably, one of the most important things to occur in 2020 is the greater awareness of, and expanding social platform for, black lives and the important voices they house.

Long after the sea of black squares that filled our IG streams earlier this year, it is crucial that we listen, learn, educate ourselves, and be allies today, tomorrow, and always.

Hearing about the black experiences that people live daily is an important component of this. I’ve been doing so a good deal lately with several stories in particular standing out for me.

One of which is the engaging and (arguably) rather unique, given the author’s uncommon ancestral combination, I’m Inuk, but I’m Black: Comprehending My Identity as an Inuk Jamaican Woman.

-Yes, summer is winding down, but if there’s one thing you can count on when it comes to the seasons, it’s that they’ll return again next year!

Get a jump start on celebrating Halloween during the sunniest season care of this list of 15 Things You Need for Summerween (all of which can certainly also do festive double duty once fall returns).

Parting is such sweet sorrow

(Because, clearly, we’ve got a Willie S. theme going on in this post. )

So much of the wonder and appeal of the seasons, I firmly believe, is their very brevity. We may love (or loath) certain chapters of the year more than others, but when all is said and done, we are passive witnesses to changes that are beyond our control.

We love them both for what they bring in the moment and for how they make us yearn for their return – or conversely, give mighty thanks that we won’t face them again for about nine more months.

Not since childhood can I remember longing to hold onto summer to such a degree.

Of course, while I don’t wish for any of the negatives it housed (be it for me/us personally or in the world at large) to continue, I would love dearly to have a few more weeks of crystal clear nights as warm as a bathtub, vibrant greenery as far as the eye can see, and the unmatched languid allure of a season that refuses to be rushed.

My heart will pine for summer, my mind will cradle the memories of the vanishing season we just savoured, and my soul will wait with equal parts patience and anticipation for the return of the year’s toastiest chapter.

That said, if heatwaves want to long walk off a short cliff, I seriously won’t mind!

But perhaps I’m being too harsh there though. As tough as this summer’s heat was and as much of a number as it did on me at times, what would summer (in the Western Hemisphere) be without its infamous dog days and the brilliantly bright sunshine they house?

Not quite the same, if you ask me. Not quite the same.

And so, I – like all of us on this side of the equator – will soon part ways with summer. Some will say good riddance, others will join me in wishing we could capture the season as easily as a photograph and hold it in our hands just a little bit longer.

Thankfully, as much as I can wax poetically about summer, I can do so all the more for the season that is upon us: fall time!

Sweet, stunning, glorious, gorgeous autumn!

It’s far from a state secret that fall is my favourite chapter of the year. The one that most aligns with my deepest self and spiritual path, that I pine for all throughout the other 3/4ths of the year, and the season that makes me feel most alive. By a wide mile.

This summer was awesome, enjoyable and happiness-inducing in some respects, but even with that being the case, it can’t hold a pumpkin spice scented candle to fall in my books.

I have one heck of a fun, festive, and full schedule of blog and Instagram posts coming down the pipeline for autumn 2020.

Whether you’re a fellow falloholic like me or not, I hope that you enjoy the content that I have planned and that there will be no shortage of elements – treasured classics and new favourites alike – in the coming season that help to spark joy in your world.

And so, while it is with a heavy heart that I part ways with summer, it is with an elation filled one that I slip into a cozy cardigan, gleefully rewatch Hocus Pocus + It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the umpteenth time, connect all the more with my witchery, and count down the nanoseconds until October 31^st!

Thank you, summer, for all that you were, all that you taught me, and the changes you brought. You will be missed and treasured.

Now, however, it is time to swap our sundresses and shades for tights and scarves and scare up more than a little bit of autumn magick.

Who’s with me?

The post Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me: Summer 2020 Edition appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

If a dark, mysterious, full-on #witchaesthetic worthy cover is your cup of herbal tea, then you’ll likely melt faster than a beeswax candle left in the summer sun for the front of the book at the heart of today’s post: Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magick Spells of Magic Spells and Potions by Anastasia Greywolf.

However, there is a great deal to be said for going beyond even the most visually pleasing of covers and delving into the heart of a book.

That is precisely what I’ll be doing in this review post, which will provide a frank look at a relatively unique addition to the canon of witchcraft and spell books on the market today.

Book specs

Name: Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magick Spells of Magic Spells and Potions

Author: Anastasia Greywolf

Page Count: 246

Publisher: Wellfleet Press

Binding: Hardcover

This is likely not the book you would expect based on the title

If you were to go off the title of this book alone, you might think that it was another offering that presented the reader with an array of magickal spells and portions. Perhaps those of an especially intense or esoteric nature.

You might not guess, however, that while those descriptors are true, the majority of spells contained within this visually pleasing book are anything but modern.

And you may be further surprised by the fact that a substantial portion of them involve wording that evokes or otherwise works with figures in the Abrahamic faiths (i.e., Jesus, The Holy Spirit, God, and various angels – a well as certain demons, too).

You see, dear reader, this book is a compendium of mostly historically sourced spells, potions, incantations, conjurations, symbols and omens (the latter three are housed in the final pages of the book) from various corners of the globe.

By and large, these are not what many of us would consider modern-day magickal workings. There is a fair number of things in this book that may raise some serious eyebrows.

For example, spells that call for extraordinarily hard to obtain ingredients, those that involve living (and dead) animals, others that pertain to corpses, and plenty that do not give a toss about respecting other peoples’ free will.

The spells and other information in this book are arranged by chapters devoted to different types of workings, with examples from various cultures around the world housed in each chapter.

While the author does tell us the culture or ethnic/religious group that the spell is connected to in a broad sense (e.g., Tuscan, Gypsy, Hindu, Gaelic, Native American, Hoodoo, broadly European, American, etc), and that’s certainly appreciated, she does not provide further details as to where – and when – exactly these spells and other workings were primarily in use.

A modest-sized bibliography at the back of the book informs us of the source materials Greywolf used in researching and compiling this book. Many are from the 19^th and early 20^th century, some are older still, others are newer.

The majority are from the Victorian and Edwardian eras and reflect trends in areas such as ethnographic, folkloric, occult, arcane religious and spiritual beliefs, and high magic(k) related research that was enjoying something of a heyday at the time.

The reasons for this are myriad. Interests in areas such as spiritualism, mediumship, the occult, secret societies (both old and, at the time, new – such as the Order of the Golden Dawn – alike), and high/ceremonial magic (e.g., Thelema) flourished during the Victorian era and on into the early 20^th century.

This certainly helps to account in part for why various individuals were keen to research, translate (when applicable), and record information about traditional magical practices from various cultures at that point in history.

Interestingly, “Witcraft” does not cover or even hint at this fact, despite books from this time period being amongst the primary sources for the very spells that it houses.

A fascinating slice of history, not overly applicable to many magickal practitioners today

The spells and workings in this book are not the kinds that many who work with magick use today, particularly those in the Western world.

These are, again, for the most part, older spells, incantations and workings – right down to the often somewhat archaic wording involved with some of them.

For the most part, these are spells from another time.

From eras where the lines the between Abrahamic faiths (chiefly in the case of this book, Christianity and Judaism, including Kabbalistic practices), lingering Pagan beliefs, folklore and folk magic were often less clearcut than we might now assume them to have been, as we gaze at the past from the 21^st century.

As well, it should be noted that this book provides instructions for working with the dead – in addition to spells to call forth various demons – two things that, generally speaking, are not something new witches may want to dive head-first into.

Indeed, these are areas that require a great deal of reverence, caution, safety, common sense, and understanding of what you are undertaking. Points Greywolf herself makes no mention of whatsoever, which I feel is borderline irresponsible at best and downright dangerous at worst.

While some modern witches and Wiccans may wish to try their hand at various spells in this book or to take inspiration from them, I suspect that a fair number of us will read this book for the fascinating slice of the magical past that it presents us with, more than as the guidebook the title may lead us to believe it is.

Witchcraft by Anastasia Greywolf could have been so much more

There was so much raw potential here and while the book does deliver in the sense of replicating and sharing various historically rooted magickal workings, spells, superstitions, and so forth, I would have loved it if instead of just being a collection of straight-up spells (etc), the author presented us with a smaller number of workings, but provided more historical context, research and meaning for each spell and potion that she included.

I will readily grant that in the case of historically sourced magical information, we may not know – or may only have vague ideas or guesses as to why – certain things were done, used, phrased or enacted as they were.

This information may now be lost to the ethers or time, retained in sources other than those used by the author, or perhaps handed down to but a few living souls at this point in time, none of whom may have been involved with the creation of this book.

Yet, as mysterious and sometimes seemingly strange as magical workings from centuries past may be to us nowadays, they are not always a complete mystery.

Even just the author’s own interpretation of why certain things were used/said/done would have been a welcome edition to this book.

Alas, we do not receive that. What we get is a series of various spells and other magickal workings from around the world, many of which call for items that exceedingly few of us would be comfortable using today (if we could even find them in the first place).

These spells, while empowering in some senses to the person carrying them out, rarely, as touched on above, factor in other people’s free will.

And then there’s the evocations and various wordings that utilize elements of Judeo-Christian faiths. While there are certainly modern-day Christian and Jewish witches, it’s fair to say that a good many of us who practice witchery and/or Paganism in the 21^st century aren’t exactly calling upon Jesus or the archangels when we’re working spells.

Whatever our personal beliefs about, and potential connections to various facets of Abrahamic faiths, again, they are not overly common in the workings that a lot of us carry out or in the spiritual paths that we walk.

I understand and do not take issue with the fact that these inclusions are simply part of how the spells and potions were recorded – and potentially carried out back in the day by some individuals.

However, it is usually a tad unexpected, I find, to encounter a veritable array of magical workings in which these kinds of religious figures are interwoven.

And as one reads this book, it is important to remember that witchcraft is a practice. Unto itself, it is not a religion. So hence why it is possible to be an agnostic or atheist witch.

That said, it is also good to keep an open mind and to understand that, like with most spells the world over, you have the ability to reword and alter those presented in this book to align with your own beliefs/practices or to accept them at face value and make a personal decision as to whether or not you’d be down with giving them a go as they presently sit.

This does, of course, open up the pandora’s box that is the heated discussion surrounding things such as cultural and religious appropriation, which depending on your feelings towards these areas, you may interpret to be rife throughout “Witchcraft”.

How Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magick Spells of Magic Spells and Potions rates with me

I’m the first to give just about any book a fair shake. I try to be impartial. I don’t expect everything I read to be written the way it would be if I was the one penning a given book. And I understand that there is unquestionably an important place for yesteryear forms of magick both in the context of history and in today’s world.

It is as good as impossible to know how many people used the spells presented in “Witchcraft” in previous times, what the outcomes were for them, what roles magickal workings like this had in their daily lives, and how deeply they believed in the effectiveness of these spells.

Because they were recorded though, we know that they existed in the mind of at least one person – likely more.

We know that they had a place in their respective cultures, be it privately or publicly. And we know that at one point in time, there was lklia good many other spells and magical workings akin to those in this book for which we have no known recorded history.

And it is through the lens of history that I urge the modern reader to view and interpret the information housed between the aesthetically pleasing covers of Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magic, Spells, and Potions.

As much as I do consider myself to be a traditional witch in certain respects, “Witchcraft” the book has little relevance to my own witchery. The spells and workings it houses are not ones, for the most part, that I’d would ever give serious thought to doing.

For me personally, I just have too many moral and ethical qualms with many of spells, most of which hold no bearing in my current life.

The fact that this book primarily interests me from a historical standpoint, not a practical, hands-on approach way is not a negative unto itself.

However, when combined with the other areas where I felt it fell short, after a serious amount of contemplation as to my rating, I am giving Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magick Spells and Potions by Anastasia Greywolf three stars out of a possible maximum of five.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

There is no denying that the cover of this book – much like the charming monochromatic linocut illustrations by artist Melissa West that are liberally peppered through its pages – is absolutely beautiful.

It is, however, up to each reader to decide just how attractive – or not – the historically rooted spells, conjurings, omens and other information in “Witchcraft” is in their own eyes and through the lens of their own spiritual path.

Have you read Witchcraft by Anastasia Greywolf, and if so, what are your thoughts on this undeniably interesting book?

The post Book review: Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magic Spells and Potions by Anastasia Greywolf appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Lammas, which is also known by such names as Lughnasadh, Lugnasad, Lughnasa, Lúnasa, Lama-fada, Lammas Day, Lammastide, First Harvest, and Loaf Day (though this is a Christian name for Lammas and little-used within the Pagan community), is a Gaelic festival that celebrates and honours the gradual decline of summer and the beginning of the harvest filled autumn months ahead.

In particular, this sabbat emphasizes the importance and rich cultural significance of the grain harvest. It is also a time to give thanks, to allow the vibrant golden sunlight of August to help illuminate our lives and futures, and to delight in the nature centred gifts of both summer and early fall.

As with each of the Pagan sabbats, Lammas has many different associations, from various gods and goddesses to many delicious foods, assorted seasonal colours to luminous bonfires.

Signs and elements of the harvest season are a terrific way to deepen your connection to Lammas/Lughnasadh.

Some of the most common and well suited of these include the following (note, this is not an exhaustive list of all the various Lammas correspondences):

• Sheaves of wheat
• Oats, barley, and rye
• Corn dolls
• Ears of corn (including gorgeously multi-hued Indian corn)
• Cornhusks
• Bales of straw and hay
• Straw braids
• Baskets
• Heather
• Sage
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Cinnamon
• Saffron
• Yarrow
• Goldenrod
• Meadowsweet
• Sunflowers
• Acorns
• Leaves that are in season
• Grapevines
• Apples
• Pears
• Plums
• Blackberries
• Honey and honeycomb
• Loaves of bread and similar baked goods (I cannot overstate, though, how much these foods can be purely symbolic or, if desired, made from whatever ingredients are right for you, if you do or cannot eat wheat and/or any other grains)
• Beeswax candles
• Harvest related hand tools such as sickles
• The metal iron (and various yellow/orange/gold coloured metals, such as brass, bronze, gold, and copper)
• The sun
• Sun and harvest coloured crystals and stones such as carnelian, sunstone, agate, peridot, citrine, jasper, amber, desert rose, and pyrite
• The god Lugh (from whose name the word Lughnasadh is derived)
• Numerous different animals

It is the latter of these meaningful spiritually and magickally connected correspondences that we are going to explore in this post.

When is Lammas/Lughnasadh celebrated?

As with each of the eight neo-Pagan sabbats that some witches, Wiccans and Pagans choose to observe, the precise date for Lammas/Lughnasadh is somewhat flexible and open to personal interpretation.

Broadly speaking, in the Western Hemisphere, Lammas is generally observed between July 31st and August 7^th.

August 1^st and August 2^nd are two of the most common days on which many people choose to observe Lammas/Lughnasadh.

You can opt to celebrate Lammas for a single day, two days, or for as many days as feels right to you and your practice each year.

Technically speaking, Lammas “officially” falls annually on the date that is precisely halfway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Fall Equinox (Mabon).

Why it’s important to celebrate and honour the animals of Lammas

Each sabbat brings certain animals to the fore in various ways. It may be their mating or birthing season, the time when they’re most active, or even when (especially historically) they were slaughtered.

Depending on your personal beliefs, this last point may not come into direct play in your own Lammas celebrations.

It is not a central part of this post and the information provided herein applies every bit as much to meat-eaters as it does to vegans, vegetarians, and others who forgo consuming animal products.

Channelling, calling upon, honouring, celebrating, and learning more about the animals that are associated with Lughnasadh is a poignant way to deepen your connection both with this sabbat and with nature itself.

You may find that you feel particularly drawn to one or more animals and/or their archetypal energy. Lean into that connection and try to incorporate the energy, symbolism, or other aspects of said creature into your Lammas workings.

The following fifteen animals are ones that have longstanding historic ties to this chapter of the year, and in some instances, directly with Lammas itself.

By acknowledging and celebrating the animal kingdom at Lammas, we involve that natural world in our practice all the more.

Please note: While any one of these fifteen critters could be a person’s own spiritual animal guide/ally (aka, totem animal or power animal), this post does not directly focus on that aspect of working with animal energies or archetypes.

15 animal correspondences to work with at Lammas

Bats: While highly associated with Halloween/Samhain and the month of October, summertime is often one of the easiest times to spot or hear these beautiful winged creatures. Many bats hibernate for the winter, but they’re often out in full force during the sunniest months of the year, when their food sources are typically most abundant.

Historically, part of the reason that bats were associated with the harvest season is because they were attracted to the bonfires and burn piles that were part and parcel with late summer and fall time. To this day, these classic activities still attract bugs and the bats that happily feed on them in various parts of the world.

Many is the warm summer night when I’ve spotted or heard the telltale sound of bats overhead, including those who fly over and hunt in crop-rich fields of local farms.

For those who love to start their autumn celebrations with the return of Lammas, bats can be a perfect animal to work with as bridge and transitionary energy between summer and fall time.

Magickal correspondences for bats: Across the globe, bats have long been closely associated with many beliefs, religions, legends and folklore. So much so, that it’s likely a whole book could be penned on the subject. Many modern witches feel a strong connection to this nocturnal creature and may opt to work with bat energies/imagery throughout the year or just during the harvest season.

Bats symbolize intuition a wide range of thing, some of which include messages from your subconscious mind, psychic abilities and visions, past lives, being highly sensitive/empathic, transition, rebirth, change, new beginnings, powerful omens, astral travel, shape-shifting, illusion, dreams, visions, journeying, darkness, the night, moon magick, invisibility, rising above challenges, vampires, death, grief, darkness, letting go of fear, and freedom.

Bears: Equal parts cute, strong, and furious, bears are one of the most powerful and highly revered animals of the forest. While they’re famous for hibernating through the snowy winter months, bears also well known for being active, feasting on available food sources such as fish and berries, and being more likely to be encountered during the summer and early fall.

Bears help to remind us of the importance of thinking ahead and preparing for the darkness and challenges that come with the colder half of the year.

Magickal correspondences for bears: A widely respected and beloved animal, bears and bear energy/bear spirits have held an importance place in many cultures since time immemorial.

Today, some of the spiritual correspondences and associations that are most closely connected with bears include courage, strength, fortitude, confidence, fearlessness, standing up for yourself or others, leadership, stability, grounding, solitude, fertility, Gaia, the environment, family ties, healing, serenity, rest, regeneration, planning ahead, resourcefulness, shamanism, the harvest (including ties to the goddesses Diana and Artemis), and the need to tackle fears and issues head on.

Bees: While a sizable percentage of the world’s food production is now done on a commercial scale and the hand of humankind has (for better or worse, depending on your viewpoint) shaped the way we grow, harvest, and even eat the earth’s bounty, the collective agricultural process would not be fully possible without the help of this incredibly industrious little creature.

The ways in which bees are vital to the earth are myriad. These hardworking little creatures put in overtime during the summer months as they gather pollen and produce the delicious honey enjoyed by many the world over.

Honey is amongst the foods most often associated with, and feasted upon, during the Lammas season. It’s vibrant golden colour symbols the sun and warmth of late summer, it’s sweetness stands for the goodness and bounty of life at this time of the year, and honey’s nourishing qualities remind us of us restorative and revitalizing qualities of summer months. Both for ourselves and the earth in general.

If you do not, or cannot for whatever reason, eat real honey, be sure to check out the vegan honey section of the Dairy Alternatives for Imbolc post that I shared here earlier this year. It may provide you just the handy honey alternative you’ve been looking for.

Magickal correspondences for bees: Tiny though they are, honeybees have a sizable list of spiritual associations and correspondence, which, as with many other entries on this list, are often rooted far back in the annals of history.

Bees can be a powerful representation and reminder of everyday blessings and miracles, of the cyclical nature of the seasons, teamwork, community, ambition, determination, hard work, tenacity, time management, accomplishment, energy, the sun and sunlight, good news, love, sweetness, protection, support, personal relationships, stick-to-itness, pollinating new ideas or goals, both life and death, traditions, enjoying the fruits of your labours, insight, and intuition.

Calves (and cattle in general): Many calves are born in the spring or early summer, which means that Lammas often sees them experiencing their first August and harvest season.

Calves and cows have long been an important food and material source, as well as a key player at many an agricultural and country fair the world over.

In some cultures, including the ancient Celts, cattle were (and still are in various parts of the world) a strong social indicator of an individual or family’s wealth and standing in the community.

Throughout time, cattle have been used primarily as a source of milk and meat, wealth, and as a trading or bartering commodity.

This has often meant that the act of slaughtering a cow – which may have been done prior to winter – for consumption was truly a special event that was generally reserved for highly important times of the year.

As well, historically, if calves were old enough, they frequently weaned around the time of Lammas, which deepened their connection to the later weeks of the summer and early autumn all the more.

Magickal correspondences for calves: Most of the spiritual associations and correspondences for calves are those shared with adult cows, however a few such as honouring one’s inner child and being young at heart may resonate all the more though the energy/spirit of calves.

Like cows, the symbolism of calves includes such things as thoughtfulness, abundance, patience, achieving your goals, happiness, positive attitudes, serenity, good luck, wealth, agriculture, effective management of resources, family and community ties, fertility, parenting, stability, strength, and living life to the full.

Hedgehogs: In the 21^st century, it can be easy to think of hedgehogs as pets first and foremost. However, long before they were brought into our homes – and to this day in various parts of the world – hedgehogs roamed wild and free.

Hedgehogs – a member of the shrew family – are predominately nocturnal creatures. This point, much as with bats, lends them a natural association with the coming darkness of autumn.

Adorable, spikey little hedgehogs are often spotted in nature during the summer and fall, and many a gorgeous photo has been captured over the years of them atop or interspersed amongst vibrant fall foliage that has tumbled to the forest or even backyard floor.

Interestingly, like bees, hedgehogs are linked to the hunting goddess Artemis, and thus, by extension may represent the hunting season itself (which, for some hunters, transpires in the late summer on into the fall).

This might go without saying, but of course, one does not need or want to hunt to feel a strong tie with hedgehog energy. Not in the slightest!

Magickal correspondences for hedgehogs: Small though they may be, hedgehogs are another example of a pint sized critter with abundant and widespread cultural significance.

They were written about by no less famous names as Pliny and Plutarch, held strong ties to the Mother Goddess, Ishtar, of the Sumerians, and have been included in the folklore, superstitions, beliefs, and even magickal workings of various cultures around the globe.

Spiritually, hedgehogs are closely associated with curiosity, intelligence, perception, intuition, stability, strength, gentleness, defense, protection, marching to the beat of your own drum, ignoring naysayers, the need for personal space, self-care, embracing your natural gifts and talents, not taking things too personally, exploration, weather patterns, weather magick, gardening, nature, and resourcefulness.

Horses: As with many other animals, both domesticated and wild, horses commonly give birth to their young in the spring or early summer. This alone helps to ensure horses a place on a list of Lammas animals, but it far from the only reason why they appear here.

Horses were, and sometimes still are, often invaluable to the agricultural process. They helped to pull machinery, transport goods to market, were shown at agricultural fairs, and much more.

Traditionally, in Ireland, Lughnasadh was celebrated with games of skill and prowess, including horse races. This point ties horses to the First Harvest all the more.

Genetic research shows that horses were domesticated about 6,000 years ago in areas that are today comprised of the Ukraine, plus parts of Kazakhstan and Russia.

However, early cave art dating back to 25,000+ years depicts wild horses and clearly indicates the significance that these majestic animals already had – be it as a food source, spiritually, aesthetically, or otherwise – for our ancestors.

As humanity began shifting towards communal living and an agrarian lifestyle, and arguably all the more so once horses began to be domesticated, the importance of this mighty powerhouse of an animal only deepened across many cultures.

Magickal correspondences for horses: These days, as a collective whole, humanity no longer relies on horses to the extent that it once did. Thankfully though, these incredible creatures are still beloved by many and it’s safe to say that horses continue to hold an esteemed place in today’s high tech, automobile filled world.

Scores of magickal and spiritual correspondences, symbolism, and associations are linked to horses. Some of the key ones of which include such things as awareness, stability, strength, clairvoyance, endurance, freedom, hope, travel, agility, bravery, friendship, close bonds and ties, family, astral travel, freedom, new opportunities, life, protection and guardianship, stamina, warnings, cooperation, farming, history, ancestry, balance, athleticism, freedom, and being free-spirited.  

As a fascinating side note regarding horses and the season of Lammas, the month of August derives its name from the Roman August Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. Caesar’s family is known to have been involved heavily with horsemanship. And, as a whole, the Roman people held the horse in high esteem, linking it closely with Mars, their god of war.

Also linking horses to this time of the year, is the Celtic zodiac, for which the horse is the animal symbol most closely associated with the period of July 8^th to August 4^th.

After which, the salmon – which we’ll dive into (pun intended) later in this post is in the Celtic zodiac spotlight from August 5^th until September 1^st.

Lions: Lions may not be an everyday sight or physical presence for many of us and they are not as involved with or connected to the harvest season as, say cows and horses. However, the fact that the lion is the animal symbol for the Leo zodiac sign – which encompasses the date range for Lammas – ensures it a place on this list.

Lions are incredibly strong, resilient, brave, skilled, incredible animals. They have long been revered and worshiped by various cultures, from ancient Egyptians to the Chinese, and remain a popular symbol throughout society to this day.

Magickal correspondences for lions: With their golden manes and fur, lions look as though they could have been painted with the very colours of the grain harvest season itself.

Lions have a rich and varied list of spiritual associations and correspondences, amongst which one finds such attributes and connections as divination, spiritual alignment, fire, the sun, extroversion, power, bravery, justice, dignity, strength, self-confidence, patience and timing, protection, teamwork, leadership, charisma, regality, survival, letting your inner voice self shine and your voice be heard, manifestation, confidence, independence, creativity, and, unquestionably, loyalty.

Mice: It’s fair to say that mice might not be the first animal everyone would want to see – at least not in their own homes (save for pet mice, of course!). Yet the fact that this cute little critter falls under the header of vermin doesn’t mean it isn’t a wonderful, valuable, and relevant animal.

Mice are all of those things and more. They are a hugely important part of the ecosystem and animal food chain worldwide.

Though farmers are rarely happy about this point, mice love to nibble on the offerings in ripe fields and grain stores. They, like all animals, are just doing what comes instinctually to them and filling up on as much food as they can before the lean months of winter return.

While a fear of mice is understandable, it might help to know that these sweet little creatures are intelligent, friendly, happy, and hardworking. Not to mention, IMO, downright adorable.

My husband and I often spot mice when taking evening walks in our (corn farm filled) neighbourhood. Far from fearing them, we delight in watching these darling rodents skittering around in the moonlight.

Magickal correspondences for mice: Frequently, mice are on the go. Their sense of productivity and stamina are but two of the attributes, correspondences, and associations linked to the humble mouse.

Additional symbolism and meanings connected to mice include thinking outside of the box, thriftiness, heling others, endurance, creativity, attention to detail, shyness, introversion, discovery, quietness, modesty, cleanliness, awareness, serenity, resourcefulness, grounding, teaching, quietness, cleanliness, stealth, home life, and a connection to the god Apollo.

Pigs: One of the first animals to have been domesticated, pigs have lived alongside humans since approximately 8500 BCE, and are now believed based on mitochondrial DNA studies to have been present in parts of Europe since at least 4500 BCE.

As such, pigs are closely woven to the food and agricultural landscapes of humanity.

Some groups of people have long eschewed the consumption of pork products (often on religious or ethical grounds). Yet, for many others, the pig has been an extremely valuable food source throughout history and remains one of the most popular dietary sources of meat to this day.

Traditionally, and again still to this day in some parts of the world, pigs that were to be consumed were generally slaughtered during the fall. The meat they provided was then generally promptly preserved (smoking, drying, brining, salting, freezing, etc) and consumed until fresh meat was readily and realistically obtainable again in the coming year.

Magickal correspondences for pigs: An interesting array of attributes and correspondences are linked to pigs. Some traits reflect their real-life characters, others are more symbolic.

Pigs are associated with such areas as intelligence, tenacity, ambition, fertility, a hearty or rugged disposition, laziness, farm life, traditions, good luck, success, opportunity, prosperity, renewal, regeneration, contentment, fertility, family, close bonds, as an omen of positive things to come, happiness, and allowing yourself to kick back and enjoy life.

Ravens: Much like bears, horses, snakes and some of the other entries in this post, ravens have long been held in high esteem and connected to the deities and spiritual beliefs of many different cultures (including Odin from the Norse pantheon, who is believed to have two loyal ravens, Huginn and Muninn – whose names mean “thought” and “memory” – that traverse the world to bring important information back to him).

In the case of Lughnasadh, one reason why ravens come into play is because of the connection between the god Lugh – from whose name, as touched on above, the word Lughnasadh itself derives – and these intelligent birds.

The Goddess Morrigan (aka, The Morrigan) is another deity from Northern Europe who is closely associated with Ravens, and who it makes a lot of sense to connect with/honour/reflect upon as we gradually begin our descent into the darker half of the year.

Magickal correspondences for ravens: The symbolism and connections that ravens hold are legion.

Some of the many associations that are tied to ravens include loyalty (ravens themselves often mate for life), fidelity, courage, knowledge, wisdom, introspection, privacy, divination, sexuality, cronehood, ancestry, magic/magick, playfulness, creativity, darkness, renewal, traversing the veil, changes in consciousness, messages and omens, awareness, warnings, synchronicity, the dark moon, death and the afterlife, mysteries, introspection, rebirth, self-awareness and self-reflection, transformation, secrets, shape-shifting, travel, new paths, hope, integrity, eloquence, remembrance, communication, determination, fall and winter (many ravens mate in or around January), fields ready for the harvest, forests, and forging.

Roosters: Another bird that is connected to the sabbat of Lammas is the rooster. These charismatic and boisterous birds are a centuries-old symbol of farm life and agriculture. Their telltale call has woken countless souls up over the course of time – whether they wanted this feathered alarm clock to do so or not.

Come the harvest season, rising early and putting in long days was often a must to help ensure that the crops were brought in on time and ample food stored and/or readied to be traded and sold for other necessary foodstuffs in preparation for the lengthy winter months ahead.

Chickens and roosters were amongst the earliest domesticated animals. They have long been a staple food source for many cultures, and have also been used in spiritual, religious and ceremonial contexts (including, in some instances, as sacrificial animals) for many thousands of years.

Fascinatingly, new research indicates that in Ancient Britain, chickens (as well as hares) may have been highly revered spiritually before they were used as food sources (or perhaps, I cannot help but wonder, in tandem with such).

Another point that links Lammas time to roosters is the colour palette shared between the two. Reds, oranges, caramel browns, dusty whites, and flaxen yellows are all hues that we begin to see a greater degree of in the shifting seasons come to this point in the summer.

Few areas are decked out in full-on fall time finery quite yet, but many are laced in stunning golds, straws, orangey reds, sun-bleached creams, and other shades that speak to the gradual shift towards autumn time.

Magickal correspondences for roosters: Many of the symbolisms and associations for chickens hold true for roosters as well.

That said, roosters are not without their own specific spiritual and historical correspondences, amongst which you find such things as divination, protection, safety, alertness, warnings, awareness, boldness, realizations, personal growth and development, discovery, fertility, watchfulness, farming, hearth and home, speaking up, patience, getting the root of issues or concerns, becoming or staying grounded, community, being social, determination, balance, nourishment (be it in terms of food, spiritual or emotional well-being, etc), enthusiasm, optimism, rebirth, sacrifice, potential, and the sun/solar energy.

. Salmon: In the Canadian province where I live, British Columbia, a truly awe-inspiring event transpires care of the extraordinary salmon runs that happen once every four years.

Though I have not yet witnessed one in person myself, I know others who have and the reverence with which they speak of these marvels of nature has more than helped me to add witnessing a fall time salmon run to my proverbial bucket list.

In general, throughout the western hemisphere, salmon are frequently associated with summer and fall time.

It is during these sun-kissed months that salmon are often plentiful, fishing is abundant, and various animals, including bears, are loading up on delicious salmon to help see them through the lean winter months that lay ahead.

Salmon are powerful, determined animals who help to remind us of how important it is to work, and even fight, for those areas of our lives that matter most to our survival and well-being, as well as our inner sense of happiness and contentment.

Magickal correspondences for salmon: Strong, feisty, and incredibly driven, salmon hold deep spiritual connections for various cultures around the world (including many indigenous and First Nations Peoples).

They are really are an inspiring fish and one with many different associated spiritual, magickal, and meaningful correspondences.

These include connections such as perseverance, determination, steadfastness, staying the course, being goal-oriented, intuition, hope, self-confidence, strength, travel, change, overcoming barriers, being highly sensitive/empathic, insight, psychic abilities, spiritually, traditions, ancestry and genealogy, family, creativity, art, courage, hard work, passion, knowledge, instinct, transformation, and returning to one’s roots.

Snakes: If ever there was a warmth-loving animal, snakes are it! Sure, both cats and lizards are renowned for basking in the sunlight, too, but snakes and summer just seem to go hand-in-hand.

Granted, the fact that I’ve often lived in areas where snakes – be they harmless garters, hefty rubber boas (the most northerly of all boas), or dangerous rattlesnakes – reside may play a part in why I personally link snakes with summer and early fall.

Yet, my own associations aside, snakes and this chapter of the year are a truly ancient combo and one that warrants connecting with come Lammas season.

Snakes are resourceful, clever, patient, territorial, and beautiful. Their importance to the spirituality and beliefs of countless cultures throughout time is legendary.

Like many animals, snakes will try to bulk up for the chilly winter months. Though they do not technically go into full-blown hibernation, in colder climates, most wild snakes will enter a similar state of being, which is called brumation.

This process differs from the hibernation that some mammals experience in various ways One is that, periodically, some snakes will wake and seek out water and food to help sustain them throughout the chilliest chapter of the year. The fact that snakes are using less energy means that they are able to go for longer stretches than usual between feedings when in a state of brumation.

It is interesting to reflect on, and compare, some of the things that we may do less (or, conversely more) of during the icy months to help us survive and thrive.

At Lammas, think upon this subject and look for ways that you can realistically help to ensure that you have a smoother, more enjoyable and well-prepared autumn, winter, and early spring this time around.

Magickal correspondences for snakes: Scores upon scores of spiritual, magickal, mythical, and otherwise meaningful associations and correspondences (not to mention ties to various deities) have been ascribed to snakes for countless generations.

From the past and the present alike, some of the most powerful symbolism and correspondences for snakes include transformation, regeneration, rebirth, new beginnings, transmutation, secrecy, self-defence, balance, acceptance, dreaming, fluidity, serenity, divination, wisdom, creativity, the arts, both life and death, order, health, healing, medicine, fertility, protection, good luck, bonds and connections, cycles, sexuality, passion, warmth, temperament, witchcraft, folk magick, and standing your ground.

Squirrels: Much like chipmunks, squirrels have a tendency to appear more often during the later weeks of summer and into the early fall, as they quite literally “squirrel” away (so hence the term) caches of food for the approaching winter months.

Sweet and playful, shy and yet also inquisitive at times, squirrels are one of the smaller critters on this list of Lughnasadh animals, but don’t let their diminutive stature fool you.

Spiritually, squirrels are powerhouses of meaning, connection, animal energy, and inspiring resourcefulness alike.

Magickal correspondences for squirrels: These adorable little creatures are here to remind us to have fun and savour life – which includes the beauty and blessings of the early harvest season.

Spiritually, historically, and magickally, there are numerous correspondences for squirrels, amongst which one finds alertness, preparation, resourcefulness, manifestation, socializing, planning, goals, an omen of good luck or a windfall, success, acceptance, awareness, gathering, comfort, home life, grounding, Mother Earth/Gaia, balance, kindness and benevolence, being active, contentment, sweetness, happiness, having a zeal for life, and the foliage, nuts, seeds, and produce of the harvest season.

Stages (and deer in general): Last, but certainly not least on this list of Lammas animal correspondences, we come to the powerful and incredibly majestic stag.

Deer in general share a connection with summer and fall. Those who’ve given birth to young often have fawns with them at this time of the year and it is not uncommon to spot mothers and babies or juveniles together.

Our backyard encompasses (and backs onto an even larger) swath of woodland. Deer – at times as many as ten or more at once – are a near-daily occurrence on our property. Their presence is comforting, meaningful, and extraordinarily beautiful.

I have a strong, far-reaching spiritual connection with deer and have worked this caring, sweet, strong and special creature as one of my primary animal allies/guides for many years now.

I am far from alone in having formed a spiritual connection with deer. This mainstay of many a forest, and in more recent times, some urban settings as well, has been revered, worshiped, and celebrated by scores of cultures across the ages.

Come the tail end of summer and straight on into the fall, it is not uncommon to spot deer, including stags with their breathtaking racks of antlers. If you’re extra lucky, you might even see one surrounded by the radiant foliage of autumn.

Stags are strong, independent, and commanding. Amongst many things, stags can help to remind us of how much we’ve (hopefully) grown and developed at this point in the year, to engage with the wild world beyond our front door, and that standing tall and having self-confidence can often take us far in life.

Magickal correspondences for stags: Not surprisingly, stags share many of the same associations with deer. Swirled into the mix, however, are a few things that are all the more the domain of bucks and stags.

Some of the strongest spiritual and magickal associations for deer and bucks include guidance, watchfulness, courage, strength, fertility, wisdom, creativity, kindness to ourselves and others, serenity, children, family ties, innocence, being sweet-natured, leadership, confidence, stamina, compassion, generosity, grace, having a sharp eye and seeing what others may miss, safety, comfort, alertness, regrowth, spirituality, vision, clarity, honesty, and standing up for your principles/beliefs, as well as what is right and just.

Ways to work with animal correspondences at Lammas

There are scores of ways to involve animals in your Lammas celebrations. The following are some of the many different ideas on this front that may resonate with you.

Let your intuition, what you have available or can make, and the spirit of the sabbat guide you in how you opt to work with animals during Lughnasadh.

-Take or print (royalty-free/public domain/purchased stock) photos of the animals you’re working with this Lammas. Put them up around your altar, home, use one as your screensaver or home screen image, create a craft project with them, use them in spell work, etc..

-Call upon the spirit/energy of your chosen animal(s) when working spells or performing certain rituals throughout the Lammas season.

-Create a piece of art or a craft project of any you desire that features the animal(s) of your choosing.

-Place figurines, toys, or carved or sculpted animals on your altar or elsewhere in your home.

-Create sigils from either the name or shape of the animal.

-Work with a deity that is associated with the Lammas animal of your choosing.

-Paint rocks, shells, pieces of found wood or other ethically sourced natural surfaces to depict the animal you wish. Charge this/these creation in the radiant light of the Lammas sunshine, to imbue them all the more with the energy of the year’s first harvest season sabbat.

-Talk/pray to the spirit or energy of a given animal. You can also reflect on/call upon them when meditating.

-Wear a piece of jewelry or clothing that depicts one of the animals that you’re focusing on throughout Lammas. Cleanse and bless it before wearing. Pay attention to how you feel and any impressions or powerful/sudden thoughts or feelings you get while wearing it.  

-If you are personally comfortable working with actual animal products and can ethically source body parts (hair, fur, feathers, bones, shed skin, etc) from the animal of your choosing, the sky is the limit as to the variety of magical applications you can use these kinds of items for them.

If you prefer not to use actual animal products, you could make or buy faux versions or visual representations of them, such as clay, wood, paper, or ceramic iterations.

While artificial animal body parts may not retain the same energy and life essence as those obtained from actual animals, the symbolism, intention and general representation will generally all hold true and remain valuable, potent components in your magickal workings.

-Cook, bake or decorate Lammas foods, such as breads or cookies, in the shape of your desired animal.

-Create a journal, BOS, or grimoire entry about the Lammas animal(s) that resonate with you most this year. Discuss why they strike a chord with you and take note of any ways that you work with or honour these animals during the Lammas season.

-Reflect on what a given animal’s telltale strengths and weaknesses are and how they may be presenting to you as a message, confirmation or awakening to some aspect of your own life at present.

-If you have (or wish to make) a tarot or oracle card that depicts the animal you’re focusing on, place it in a spot where you’ll connect with it often, such as your altar or a nightstand.

Doing so will help you to reflect on and connect with the energy of the animal all the more, while also potentially helping you to grow closer in your relationship with this particular creature and what it may trying to impart to you.

-Donate to a charity or rescue organization that works with the animal of your choosing.

-Volunteer your time to work with animals of any sort in some helpful capacity.

-Should it be possible and safe to do so, view a Lammas animal in the wild or in an enclosed setting, such as a petting zoo or animal sanctuary. If you are able to, again, safely, touch, feed, ride, etc that animal during Lammas season, all the more wonderful! But if not, just being in the general physical vicinity of that animal can have awesome personal and spiritual effects.

-Keep an eye out for any animals – be they included in this post or not – that appear to you immediately before and during the Lammas season.

While some animal sightings and encounters are run-of-the-mill, others hold deeper personal meaning and significance.

If you feel that animal has presented itself to you in person, while meditating, hedgeriding, or in a dream and has a message or deeper meaning that it is trying to convey, ask the spirit energy of that animal to clarify what it is saying, research associated meanings of that animal in books or online. Or, alternatively, assign your own personally relevant meaning to the presence of this animal in your life right now.

-Take note of the number of times that a given animal presents itself to you in any form (real life, dreams, brought up by others to you in conversation, repeated spotted in the media or books, etc) and consider if that number itself holds as significance.

If you feel that it does, apply numerological or angel number meanings to the number of times that you saw that particular animal. Sometimes the number of sightings itself matters just as much as the animal who helped to deliver it to you.

-Thank the animals, both the living ones that exist in the world and the spirit/energy of said creatures, for their part in your Lughnasadh activities and your life in general.

And do keep in mind that while this post is focused on Lammas, you can certainly apply the suggestions above the whole year through when working spiritually/magickally with animals.

May you have a bright, blessed Lammas season!

Lammas ushers in the beginning of the harvest season and in turn, of fall itself. While the calendar tells us that we still have more than six weeks left to go until the Autumn Equinox returns, deep in the earth, nature is stirring and preparing to glide from one season to the next.

One of the loveliest ways to celebrate Lughnasadh, or any sabbat for that matter, is by connecting with the animals that are especially associated with, or most common, during this chapter of the year.

This act is an ancient one, as animals have played roles both practical and spiritual in the lives of humans for untold millennia.

Before the advent of mechanized farming methods, the harvest was done by human and animal power. It was – and often still is – hard, labour intensive work that was vital to help ensure the well-being and survival our species.

As well, some of the animals discussed in this post provided meat, fur, feathers or other organic materials that were invaluable in the lives of those who came before us.

Today, making animals a part of our Lammas happenings is both fun and meaningful. It reminds us of those who came before, while also helping to ground us to the present, including the state of the ecological sphere, our own spiritual journey, and the members of the animal kingdom that cross our paths or which we opt to purposely focus on.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a radiant, meaningful, and deeply blessed Lammas season, sweet friends.

Now, over to you: What animals do you most associate with Lammas? Would you be interested in seeing this post idea become a series, with separate entries for different animals that correspond with each of the eight sabbats?

The post 15 Wonderful Animal Correspondences to Connect to and Work With at Lammas appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

There may be berries aplenty, lush and juicy watermelon, perhaps citrus or tropical fruits, and, I’d venture to guess, at least a couple of stone fruits.

From the alluring dark blush of cherries to the nearly criminally delicious taste of a perfectly sun-ripened peach, summertime is awash with stone fruits in many parts of the world.

Those areas where stone fruits do not grow locally often import them in during the summer months – if not year-round. And many of us have access to various types of stone fruits in either fresh, frozen, juice, syrup, tinned, canned or otherwise preserved form regardless of the season.

During the sizzling hot days of summer, stone fruits are one of nature’s most delectably appealing culinary treasures.

Not only are they highly nutritious, relatively low in calories, and bursting with various vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins A and C), they’re magickal powerhouses as well!

I’ve spent what collectively amounts to a large chunk of my life living in different parts of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

This arid, lake-filled corner of Western Canada is famous the world over for its fruit growing climate, which orchardists, farmers, and vintners have been availing of for well over a century now.

A wide array of fresh produce – and some truly spectacular wines – are grown and produced in this part of the world, with few being more beloved or abundant than the area’s stone fruits.

My childhood summers weren’t just chock-a-block with eating stone fruits, I also picked my fair share, helped my mom and paternal grandma can enough peaches and assorted stone fruit jams to feed a small army, and learned to appreciate both the culinary – and as I grew older – magickal properties of these wonderful fruits.

Depending on where you live in the world stone fruit season can start as early as May. In other spots, the growing season kicks off in June, July or even August, just depending on the particular type(s) of fruit at hand and the local climate.

In our area, June tends to start the season, which can run as far into the year as September.

It’s currently mid-July and multiple varieties of locally grown stone fruit are now readily available. Thus, today seemed like a great time to shine the witchy spotlight on these summertime staple fruits.

We’re going to be doing so by taking a look at 25 magickal ways to use summertime stone fruits in your witchcraft.

But first…

What are stone fruits?

No fruit produces an actual stone in the sense of a rock or pebble. In this instance, the word “stone” refers to the pit that grows inside of a piece of fruit.

Some of the most common stone fruits – and the ones that this post is going to focus on – are cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and stone fruit hybrids such as plumcots, apriums, peacharines, and peacotums (each of which is created by successfully crossing two or more different stone fruits together).

These are not the only stone fruits out there, however. Others such as dates, mangos, lychees, and green almonds all fall under this header.

However, for the sake of this post, we’re going to focus on the stone fruits that are most associated with summer in North America and various other parts of the world.

And while not at the heart of this post either (seasonally applicable as they are), you might be fascinated to know that raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries are technically stone fruits, too.

They are classified as such because they are comprised of clusters of jewel-like drupelets, each of which has a tiny stone (seed/pit) inside of it. Pretty cool, no?

How to use stone fruits in witchcraft

As with a lot of different types of foods, the clear blue summer sky is the limit when it comes to ways to use stone fruits in your witchcraft.

Whether you intend to eat or work with the food magickally (or both), remember to properly wash and dry your stone fruit before using it.

You may wish to utilize a charged water when cleaning your stone fruit – just make sure it’s safe for human consumption if you plan to eat the fruit yourself or serve it others.

Look through your fruit and remove any that are clearly rotten, have been chomped on by wee critters, or which are oozing juices.

If stone fruits require ripening, do so in a warm, but not excessively hot, location, such as a kitchen table or counter. If they are already ripe and you wish to prolong their life a little bit, store them in the fridge or a very cool spot, such as a cold cellar.

When working with stone fruits – or food of any kind – try to be thankful for the edible blessing that is in your hands. You may wish to give thanks aloud or in your heart or mind, perhaps even saying a prayer of thanksgiving for this summertime bounty.

Stone fruits can be used magickally on their own or combined to create all manner of delicious dishes and magickal spells and workings.

Select fruits with harmonious or complementary properties or whose energies resonate with you and your intended purposes.

When preparing your stone fruit, mindfully think about the purpose it will be used for, the desired outcome you’re seeking to manifest, and what spiritual allies or forces, if applicable, you will be calling upon to aid you in your magickal workings.

I find stone fruit magick to be especially effective when carried out in direct summer sunlight (though have also found, that cherries have a fondness for the night and apricots delight in the early morning hours).

This is certainly not essential though. Just an additional way to imbue your workings with summertime energy and correspondence, if and when such is possible.

While this is also not mandatory, you may wish to have a designated cutting board and knife, and possibly a vegetable peeler, too, that you use specifically for food that you’ll be using in a witchy capacity.

By only using these kitchen tools for magickal workings, you will direct and concentrate your own personal energy, as well as that of the foods that come in contact with them, into these items.

Think of this concept a bit like the way a cast-iron skillet that has been expertly seasoned and maintained is able to perform at its best each time, so long as the person using it knows what they’re doing and takes care to maintain the integrity of that skillet.

Magickal properties of summer stone fruits

The following is a list of some of the magickal properties and correspondences that are ascribed to the most common types of summertime stone fruits.

They will apply regardless of if a given fruit is eaten/used in its fresh, frozen, canned, etc form. That said, if you’re able to procure fresh stone fruit when it is in season, all the better and more charged with the energy of the present growing season it will be.

–Apricots: Warmth, soothing anxiety, hopefulness, peace, sunshine, healing, positive health, well-being, longevity, beauty, elegance, love, positivity, carefreeness, beauty, travel, relaxation, wisdom, learning, morning and afternoon, and sunshine.

–Cherries: Divination, love, sex, fertility, youth, sweetness, femininity, emotions, water, air, spirituality, blood, friendship, dreams, beauty, healing, relationships,

In addition, black cherries are particularly tied to repelling negativity, banishing, protection, strength, masculinity, dark moon magick, death and the afterlife.

And sour cherries are beneficial when you wish to focus on riding negativity or gossip, hexes, ending relationships, and aligning order or fairness (balancing sweet and sour).

–Nectarines: Stability, strength, love, warmth, sweetness, hope, moving and new homes, heightening psychic abilities, sunshine, positivity, memories, dreams, and nurturing.

–Peaches: Joy, sweetness, fun, creativity, wisdom, femininity, fertility, longevity, protection, warding, banishing, finding missing or lost items, banishing, motivation, personal expression, ancestry, summer, afternoon and early evening.

(New World Witchery has a wonderfully informative post packed with peach folklore, which you may also enjoy.)

–Plums: Dreams, sleep, love, lust, prosperity, transition, resilience, beauty, writing, art, regality, grace, sophistication, dusk and evening.

–Hybrids, such as pluouts/plumcots and apriums, will generally embody the magickal properties of each fruit that contributed to their genetic makeup. The higher the percentage of a given fruit in the hybrid, the more it stands to channel the properties and correspondences of that fruit.

25 magickal uses for stone fruits

Stone fruits are one of summer’s greatest and most versatile offerings.

They’re an excellent way to inject kitchen and cottage witchery into your sunny weather workings, but are equally open to a wide array of magickal purposes.

Without further ado, here are twenty-five wonderful ways to use stone fruits in your witchcraft.

1. Create a jam spell by making homemade jam (canned, fresh, or freezer) with the stone fruit or fruits of your choice. Mindfully stir your intentions into the jam, set them with the gelling action of the jam, and use the end product for sweetness, abundance, positivity, and a wide range of other magickal purposes.

2. Whip up a magickal fruit salad, sunny sangria, or another dish that includes two or more stone fruits. Enjoy it in the summer sun, indoors or out, eating mindfully and allowing each bite to deliver both physical and spiritual nourishment to your body this season.

3. Use dried flowers, leaves, stems, pits, and (ethically sourced) bark from trees in spells, spell and mojo bags, spell bottles, potpourri mixes, elixirs, offerings, altar decorations, and so forth.

4. Place leaves (or the fruits themselves, though they may attract unwanted insect and animal visitors) around your property for protection, calling on the spirits of the trees they came from to help guard your home.

5. (Carefully!) carve sigils, runes signs, planetary or astrological signs, or other magickal symbols into pits and stones. This is generally best (and more easily) done when the pit or stone has been allowed to dry out first.

6. Work with a wand made from the wood of one of these trees (handmade or made by a source that you trust).

7. Essential oils in the flavours and scents of these fruits can be utilized in a plethora of different ways. Use them as is, as part of spell jars or pillows, to anoint candles, to draw signs and sigils on suitable materials, to aid in sleep and relaxation, as part of ritual baths and showers, and worn on the body, to name but a few possible uses.

8. Use cherry juice in place of blood (and cheery flesh instead of meat or animal flesh) in rituals, spells, offerings and other magickal workings where blood (or meat) may be called for or needed.

This is an ideal substation for those who follow vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diets or who may otherwise prefer not to work with animal products in their witchcraft.

9. Make besoms or other types/sizes of brooms with small branches from stone fruit trees. Bless and concrete your besom or broom with juice from the type of fruit that the tree(s) you sourced your branches from produces.

If you can gather the branches and fruit on a sabbat, such as Beltane, Litha or Lammas, or under the light of a full moon, it may be all the more magickally charged, but this is by no means essential to create a highly effective besom or broom.

You can also extend this DIY witchy tool making method to other types of fruits, nuts, olives, and some very woody herbs that grow on trees or bushes with suitable branches.

It is wise to ask for and receive permission (your own inner voice will usually let you know what the answer is) from the tree before taking anything from a plant/tree/flower/similar, give direct thanks to the plant, and leave an offering or say a blessing aloud for its health and longevity.

10. Cast worries away by focusing one concern per stone or pit and flinging it away from your body into a running body of water (ensure that doing so will not hurt the natural ecosystem of the river or creek you’re working with).

11. Research if the deity(ies) you currently work with have any known connections to stone fruits or the months when they’re most commonly in season. If so, consider leaving an offering of this fruit or otherwise including it in some of the workings you do with this deity.

Cherries, for example, are linked to such gods and goddesses as Artemis, Mars, Herne, (the) Morrigan, Thor, Vertumnus, and Pan. Whereas peaches are connected to such deities as Hathor, Freya, Venus, and Aphrodite, to name but a few.

12. Peach sticks have a longstanding tradition, particularly in traditional American folk magick, of being used as dowsing rods. If dowsing appeals to you and you have access to a peach tree from which a suitable branch can safely be removed, why not give it a go and see where a bit of peach wood dowsing leads you?

13. Split a suitable sized stone fruit partially open, carefully remove the pit, and place a written spell or intention inside of it. Close the fruit over the paper and bury the fruit, thus allow the mighty earth below to help bring your desired outcome into being. This type of stone fruit working lends itself especially nicely to spells pertaining to success, prosperity and the desire to have something blossom abundantly in your life.

14. Gather stone fruit by hand yourself. Research local stone fruit growers in your area and see if any of them allow the public to come and pick their own fruit.

Alternatively, harvest fruit from your own garden, or with permission, from a neighbour, friend, or relative’s yard. Or, if you’re extra lucky and have edible varieties of stone fruit growing wild in your area, forge some when it is in season.

By directly picking, handling, and bringing home the fruit yourself, you are preserving even more of the source-to-working (or simply eating) energy and magick that is inherent in the fruit tree itself.

15. Work with cherries in your spells or other magickal purposes on Fridays. The last day before the weekend is connected with Venus, as are cherries, so you get double the energy and connection one of earth’s nearest planetary neighbours.

16. Dried peach pits can be carved and/or drilled to create a hole and then strung on a cord, chain, or suitable jump ring and used a protective amulet if you’re in need of some extra safety when it comes to your well being, health, or state of mind.

You could also create several such peach pits and make a belt or sash, a pair of anklets, earrings, hair accessories (glue them to a barrette or place one pit on the each end of a pair or hair sticks, for example), or embellishments for a hand drum.

17. Stone fruits have long been associated with love, lust, passion, and sex, and therefore are considered to have aphrodisiacal properties. One has only to look at the sloping curves and mounds of a ripe peach, nectarine or plum to see why this is the case!

If you’re in need of some extra oomph or wish to spice things up in this area of your life, work with stone fruit spells and enjoy a hearty helping of them with your special someone to help get your own juices flowing all the more. (Always bearing in mind the importance of not interfering with another person’s free will.)

18. Use stone fruit juice – darker varieties such as cherries tend to work best, though peaches and other paler hued fruits can be used as well – to dye fabric for use in magickal applications, such as spell and amulet bags, spell pillows and sachets, altar clothes (how fabulous would a stone fruit dyed altar cloth be for Litha or Lammas?), to line forging or gardening baskets, to make tarot or oracle deck bags, for sabbat table linens, or any other suitable purpose you think of.

You’ll most likely want to ensure the colourfastness of your hand dyed fabric by setting it with a natural fixative, such as a vinegar or salt fixative.

Once dried, and colourfastness has been established, use your naturally dyed fabric for the purposes mentioned above or scores of others, from poppet making to sewing magick.

19. Utilize stone fruit tree wood or leaves in summertime bonfires, particularly those held on sabbats and esbats. If you can’t obtain suitably dry stone fruit tree wood or branches, use leaves instead. If leaves aren’t possible, consider adding a few pieces of the actual fruit or fruit peels to your summertime blaze.

20. Use stone fruit to help you connect with the Elements during the summer months. While many stone fruits are primarily associated with water and earth, they are also directly linked to the air (in which they grow, that blows through their leaves, etc) and fire via the roasty-toasty summer sunshine that facilitates their growth and ripening.

21. Cherry wood is said to have many wonderful properties and magickal uses. These include such things as helping one to focus and stabilize, deepening intuition, helping with (or being used in) divination, working with the animal kingdom, unifying couples or groups, for protection and shielding, and when working with the planet Venus.

As well, cherry wood magickal tools such as wands (or can be handmade), altar tables and tarot card boxes are available for sale from various online and offline sources.

22. Obtain enough of one or more types of stone fruits to use some fresh as part of a spell and then to make homemade fruit leather with the remaining fruit.

Charge the fruit leather with the intention and desired outcome of the spell and eat it a piece of it on a regular (e.g., daily or weekly) basis to help strengthen and manifest your working.

23. Utilize summertime stone fruits in colour magick. The beautiful hues of peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines and stone fruit hybrids makes them ideal food sources to use in color magick workings. The leaves, bark, branches, and blossoms (both fresh and dried) of stone fruit trees can be used in colour magick as well.

24. On Litha or Lammas, make pancakes to represent the glowing, life-giving and harvest facilitating sunshine of summer. Top them with the stone fruit, jam, preserved or fresh stone fruit of your choice.

Pancakes are also excellent representations for the full moon at esbats and can be used in the same way for these special, highly spiritually charged days as well.

25. Use cherry juice to write magickal spells. Cherry juice use can be used instead of dragon’s blood ink, actual blood (as discussed above), and most dark inks.

Cherry juice starts off paler than many actual red and black inks, fades to an even lighter shade over time, and may not be as archivally long-lasting as some other inks.

However, it is a wonderful material to utilize in written spells, incantations, journal entries, and when writing love letters where a red or brown ink, or an ink derived straight from nature, is the order of the day.

Turn to cherry juice ink for love, sex, fertility, stamina, strength, divination, grief, healing, death, and afterlife related spellwork in particular.

Stone fruits for kitchen witchery and much more!

The magickal uses for peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines, plums and the like are abundant. I find these fruits to be wonderfully enjoyable to work with. Most tend to have a sunny disposition and energy, borne of the season that helped bring them to maturity.

In addition to the many possible ways to use stone fruits that we just discussed, you may wish to gather a small amount of dirt from around the base of stone fruit trees.

Use this earth in spells and other workings involving dirt for which the magickal properties of the tree(s) that grew in the soil you collected would be beneficial to your desired outcome.

Likewise – though it may take some patience – gathering dew or rainwater from the leaves of fruit trees is also a great form of charmed/magickally imbued water. A quicker approach is to place a bucket or other waterproof receptacle under the branches of a stone fruit tree and gather the water that runs through the leaves.

You can also utilize stone fruit scented products such as candles and incense – all the better if they contain at least a small amount of some portion (for example, the juice or dried fruit) of the actual fruit itself, not merely a synthetic version.

And, if you’re looking for a longer-lasting version of stone fruits to use as part of your magickal workings, consider those rendered in everything from crochet to ceramic, crystal to beadwork. These kinds of fruit shaped items can be awesome additions to altars, sabbat table décor, as a stand-in for the real deal in some types of spells and rituals, and many other uses.

If you have a chance to work some stone fruit magick this summer, I highly encourage you to give it go and hope that the results you achieve will be as sweet and wonderful as the taste of these delectable warm weather treats themselves.

The post 25 magickal ways to use summertime stone fruits appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Specifically, when Tyler Durden (played by Edward Norton) says to Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) that she met him at “a very strange time in my life.

Initially, this line swirled around in my head in relation to mine and my husband’s lives, which have been quite interesting as of late to say the least! (In no small part because Tony, my husband, has been dealing with some serious medical issues that have required multiple surgeries throughout February and March.)

However, with unsettling rapidity, it became clear that these iconic closing words were suddenly applying to the world at large as well.

Things are truly strange across the globe at the moment. Newly generated uncertainty, fear, and very real medical issues have injected themselves into each of our lives to varying degrees.

Without the slightest whisper of a pun intended, things are deadly serious right now the world over and we must all do whatever can to stay as safe and healthy as realistically possible.

While, at the time of writing, Canada is not yet in official lockdown (isolation), early on last week Tony and I put ourselves on voluntary lockdown.

Between the fact that he’s recovering from surgery and I’m immunocompromised due to some of my chronic illnesses, we simply cannot play fast and loose with our lives (none of us can!).

However, as much as we could discuss this Coronavirus situation at great length, that is not the primary purpose of today’s post.

No, right here and now, a few days after the Spring Equinox, as the lingering elements of one season gradually wrap up and the second chapter of the Wheel of the Year begins, I’m launching the first edition of a new reoccurring post series on Witchcrafted Life.

Winter 2020 edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, & Me

Going forward with this series, I will aim, when possible, for each entry to appear slightly before the next season begins. As the idea just came to me, however, that isn’t possible this time around.

So just what is “Magick, Crafty Makes, & Me”, you may be asking.

Great question! It is a new quarterly blog post series here that will feature three different areas of discussion:

-Magick: This section will look at some of the most engaging, interesting, or just plain cool online content that I’ve come across in recent months pertaining to witchery, magick, Paganism and related topics.

 Please note: I realize that not all Pagans are witches or otherwise magick workers and vice versa, of course, but hope that one can look upon the general spirit of this word in this context, more than if each link itself specifically deals with the subject of magick.

-Crafty Makes: This section will feature will likewise feature some fab online content, however, it will pertain to paper crafting and the occasional link to a different type of crafty or artistic project as well.

-Me: Last, but not least, this area will be a brief overview of some of what’s been shaking in my own life recently, plus a handful of links that have struck a chord with me personally (but which may not be strong fits for either of the above categories).

Chances are that many of the links I feature in this series will be fresh ones that were released in the last few months. Sometimes, though, I will include older interesting content that I’ve only just recently discovered (and think you’re apt to likewise enjoy or find informative as well).

So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the inaugural edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, & Me.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

-An ever-increasing number of us are dealing with a slew of very real, complex and sometimes challenging thoughts and feelings regarding the health of our planet. We Need to Talk About Ecological Grief addresses some of the topics pertaining to this area and is sure to provide both a sense of not being alone in your concerns and plenty of food for thought at the same time.

-Crafty folks and fans of time-honoured arts everywhere, who also have an interest in magickal topics are sure to delight in the post Button, Scissor and Needle Magick from the frequently updated website, Otherworldly Oracle. (I also adore their recent look at the Magick and Beauty of Facial Wrinkles)

-From one of my all-time favourite websites (point blank – not just pertaining to spiritual matters) comes this lovely piece detailing 17 Signs that You’re an Old Soul.

As a soul born so old, I teeter on calling myself an ancient soul, posts like this resonate deeply with me, just as I’m sure they will for many other aged souls and those who are close to such individuals.

-Not, perhaps, since the horrors and challenges of WW2 has the planet so collectively been in need of the comforting powers of a good cuppa. And for those of us who are of the witchy persuasion, each cup of tea can be a way to inject and connect with magick all the more in our daily lives. Thus Willow’s terrific infographic look at Tea Magic: Types of Tea and Their Magical Uses is all the more welcome and beneficial during these highly challenging times.

-S. Elizabeth, a contributing writer at Haute Macabe (and author of the blog These Unquiet Things) has just announced the release of her new book, The Art of the Occult, and it sounds like it is going to be every sublime thing you’d imagine based on its immediately engaging subject matter.

–The Magic is Gone: a captivating book review by Peter Marshall of Sir Keith Thomas’s serious tome of a 1970s classic, Religion and the Decline of Magic.

In this review, the author specifically focuses on the question “were humanist free-thinkers the engineers of magic’s decline?” and will quickly has you pondering the same question.  

-There are countless ways to help usher in, honour and continue to celebrate spring both during and long after the start of the season. One traditional and very charming approach is laid out in Folkloric Dolls: Bulgarian Martenitsa Welcoming Spring.

-Witchcraft and magick need not be overly complex or time-consuming practices in many instances – especially when it comes to everyday witchcraft. The Witch’s Guide has a lovely recent post detailing Simple Ways to Add Magick to Your Morning Routine, which helps to remind us all just how easy and wonderful it is to start our days off on a magickal note.

–Your Witchcraft Practice is Valid is the post that witches far and wide, old and new to the craft alike need to hear, take to heart, and help promote the message of.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

-Crafters of every sort who work with stamps are apt to enjoy this wonderful post on how to make your own DIY Vintage Foam Stamps care of Diana at Dreams Factory. (While there, she has a terrific post on How to Make Avocado Dye for Paper that you’ll want to check out as well.)

-Fellow Canadian scrapbooker Tracy McLennon has curled Rinea Foil Paper to look like spirals of gift wrapping ribbon and the results are downright jaw-dropping!

-Speaking of foiled things, foil has made major waves in the paper crafting world over the past few years, as an ever-increasing number of companies offer products for both hot and non-heat related foiling.

If you’re looking to learn more about this beautiful paper crafting technique, be sure to dive headfirst into Scrapbook.com’s in-depth article on the subject: Crafting with Foil: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need.

-If you’re itching for a rustic, super easy to make décor craft that works as splendidly for various holidays as it does the rest of the year, may I suggest KariAnne’s beautiful DIY Wood Bead Garland with Heart project.

-I’m head-over-heels in love with Heather Nichols’s Quick & Easy Witches Shoe Shaped Halloween Tags over on YouTube (coordinating blog post here). For all my fellow Pagan paper crafters, these are bound to appeal to you not only for October, but the whole year through.

-Looking for a thoroughly darling spring paper crafting project? May I suggest this charming Paper Flower Filled Spring Rainboot project from Michelle Zerull that was posted on the Echo Park blog.

-On the hunt for an eye-catchingly unique card making project this spring? If so, this step-by-step photo tutorial post on How to Make String Art Cards might be right up your alley (you could also use this string weaving technique for tags, scrapbook pages, junk journals, mini albums, and other types of paper crafting projects, too).

-This elegantly gorgeous Easter Centerpiece project that Vera Shelemekh shared on the Graphic 45 blog works marvellously for Easter, naturally, but could easily be adapted for Ostara, Beltane, or countless other occasions (fall time holidays included).

What’s shaking in my life and on my radar

While this month (and year) has seen its fair share of challenges to say the least, it also housed a positive date for us as well. My husband and I observe the day that we first met, back in 2004, with as much gusto as we do our wedding anniversary.

To differentiate between the two anniversaries, we call the March date that we met our “loveiversary” and celebrated this year’s with a low-key, at home observance.

As I’ve already discussed some of what’s been going down in our lives earlier in this post, I’m going to hop right into sharing a few links on various topics that have struck a chord with me as of late.

-A fascinating story that details the little known war effort contributions made by Canadian Inuit people during WW2, which highlighting the war effort work of Qapik Attagutsiak, who at 99 years old, is the last living Inuit contributor to this important cause: Front Line Hero.

-As serious as everything that’s happening at present is, sometimes it can help to embrace the lighter and/or more creative side of dark times. On that front, I especially enjoyed Jessie Gaynor’s The First Lines of Ten Classic Novels Rewritten for Social Distancing.

-Few people get straight to the heart of the matter, regardless of the subject, like Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. He brings that same no-nonsense pragmatism and insight to his brief two-minute-long YouTube video (shared here above): An Astronaut’s Guide to Self-Isolation.

-It’s going to take a whole lot of willpower not to live off of Rhian’s swoon-worthily delicious looking Gluten-Free Vegan Hot Cross Bun Loaf from Ostara straight on to Litha (heck, who are we kidding, all year long!).

–Original Catfluencer: How a Victorian Artist’s Feline Fixation Gave Us the Internet Cat. The 19^th century + cats, need I say more?

-There is NEVER an appropriate time to belittle, bully or otherwise be unkind to someone about any element of their appearance, but during the midst of a global pandemic, it all the more inappropriate and out of line, as Renee Engeln PhD, discusses in Stop Body Shaming During the Outbreak.

-While various parts (our street included!) of the world are still carpeted in plenty of lingering snow, many others are experiencing the beauty and warmth of early spring already. If, like me, you’re an avid fan of witnessing seasonal blooms spring to life, you may enjoy this (serenely beautiful illustration filled) post that explores why Not All Cherry Blossoms Are The Same.

If you’d like to stay abreast of what’s transpiring in my life, be sure to follow me on Instagram. I generally post there multiple times a week, regularly covering the types of topics that this post series focuses on (witchery, paper crafting, and what’s going on in my daily life), plus plenty of nature shots, seasonal content, history and vintage related images, pics of our precious pup, Annie, outfit photos, and lots more.

Strange times make strong souls

While some of you have known me elsewhere online for anywhere from a few months to many years, if we’re just meeting for the first time here on Witchcrafted Life, which launched on January 1, 2020, then it’s safe to say that the Fight Club line I touched on at the start of this post definitely applies both within and outside of my own life.

These are strange times, no two ways about it. They’re dark as pitch, profoundly uncertain, and going to altar life as we know it on this planet for a very long time to come.

Yet, each challenge we come up against and are able to survive in the face of has the ability to make us stronger, wiser, braver more resilient, and, hopefully, even more compassionate beings.

Seek silver linings, take comfort in the simple joys of life, do anything you safely can to help others (including providing space to listen and support those who are suffering in countless ways right now), remember that you are stronger and more resilient than you may ever fully realize, and hold fast to hope no matter what.

Want to contribute to this fun new post series?

If you run a blog, website, YouTube channel, or podcat pertaining to Paganism/witchery or paper crafting and have a standout story that you think would be a good fit for the next edition of this post series, please don’t hesitate to email me or leave a comment below with the URL to that story or video.

I’m delighted to get the ball rolling on this blog’s first reoccurring post series and look forward to sharing all kinds of inspiring content from across the web here with you via each quarterly edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

The post Winter 2020 edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, & Me appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. Never have been, doubt I ever will be. If the need to resolve or change something in my life is present, I’ll start putting in the effort, leg work, time, intention, and supportive magickal workings to implement that change at any point in the year.

I can see the value in New Year’s resolutions and are not dissing them or saying they don’t hold merit. I firmly believe that they do for some people, but for those of us of a witchy ilk, we know that we have the ability to change, grow and transform our lives within us 24/7.

One of the best ways to help support ourselves, our spiritual paths and our magick all year round is to ensure that we make these things an important focal point of our lives.

Today, I’m going to be sharing twelve effective ways to help you create a more magickally focused year.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the witchiest witch who has ever witched, a complete witchy newcomer, or anywhere in between. We can all continue to add to, finetune, and hone the ways in which we actively and consciously work to foster magick in our lives all year through.

1. Stop comparing yourself to others, both inside and out of the witchy/Pagan community

This is a subject that I’m passionate about. If you follow me on Instagram you may have heard me talk about it in depth there before, as it’s something that becomes all the more crucial to me the older I grow.

You are you, plain and simple. When and why this stopped being not just “enough”, but “good enough” is up for debate.

The fact of the matter is that many of us currently live in a world where we are under more pressure than possibly ever before in human history to “live our best life” 24/7/365 and to make sure that every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet knows about it.

Enough. Seriously, enough.

Free yourself. Let go of impossible standards, of factors that comprise other peoples’ lives not your own, of the sense that you’re failing, when chances are, you are not.

Own who you are. Accept who you are. Love and nurture who you are.

Take that energy, that worry, that thought, that anxiety of comparison and transform it in creating a life and spiritual journey that you yourself adore with all your heart, regardless of if it will ever generate a single social media like.

This can be easier said than done, I know, and may not occur overnight. However, you owe it to yourself to start now. Literally right now. Just think about the progress you may be able to make come this time next year.

2. Eat well. Really well.

As adults, we’re usually free to eat whatever our budget, health and taste buds permit. There are pros and cons to this, and in the latter camp is the fact that it can be dangerously easy to eat food that barely warrants being called as much.

You’ve likely heard the classic adage before that our bodies are temples. They truly are, but moreover, they are machines and like any machine that we want to have function at the best level that it possibly can, we need to take care and treat our bodies with love and respect.

One of the best and most effective ways to do this is to eat as well as we can on a regular basis.

The better you eat, the healthier you stand to be, the more energy you are apt to have, and – depending on your own personal diet – the more you may be able to help the planet in the process.

Aim to eat clean, whole, healthy, nutritious foods as frequently as possible. Build (or further cement) loving, mindful relationships with your food. Try to eat on the run as little as you realistically can. Turn off the TV, set the table and eat your meal mindfully. Create and partake of food with those you care about.

Weave kitchen and cottage witchery in your meals. Grow, if possible, some of your own food. Learn about the magickal properties of what you’re putting into your body. Share some of your food as offerings to the deities, ancestors, spirits, fae, etc that you work with; use food as part of your sabbat activities, stop eating anything that makes you feel poorly.

3. Tie up loose ends and ditch clutter

You know that mountain of junk mail and old bills on the dining room table or kitchen island? What about those spells you started on your altar, didn’t get immediate results with and just sort of let peter out over time? How about the closet cleanout you’ve been promising yourself you’d do ever since you read Marie Kondo’s book?

Yep, that, all that and so much more weighs on us in ways both subtle and more perceivable.

Anything that steals joy, impacts your mental, emotional, physical or spiritual well being, causes you undo stress, and takes away from time and/or mental focus that doesn’t have to be a part of your life needs to go.

Trust me, you’ll be surprised how much having a clutter-free dining table impacts your happiness levels and how renewed you will feel when you can look around your house, your sacred spaces, and your life as a whole and know that you’ve unburdened yourself from things that serve no meaningful purpose any longer.

4. Set limits on the amount of time that you spend online – especially on social media

Our time is one of the most precious, sacred and limited resources we will ever have. There is no getting a moment back. As soon as it has passed, it becomes part of the collective memory bank of the universe.

This year, why not set daily limits on the amount of time that you spend online, including on social media, which is one of the biggest time sinks of modern life for countless people the world over.

Personally, while the amount of time I spend on the web varies most days, for about two years now, I’ve maintained strict limits on the amount of time I spend on social media (which for me, primarily consists of Instagram and Pinterest) each day.

I set the cap at three hours all total per day, but do not feel that I must “use up” all this time. I also intentionally have 1 – 2 social media free days per week and at least one wholly internet free day each week.

I set my own cap at three hours, because that is just over 1/10^th of the total number of hours we all have in each twenty-four day. I’m presently okay with allocating that much of most of my days to this activity, but I have no desire – or need – to live on social media around the clock.  

My time, just like yours, is invaluable and while I enjoy many aspects of the web and social media, it is vital to me that I spend ample quantities of time focusing on off-line activities as well.

From going outdoors to working at my altar, enjoying time with our dog, reading books, creating craft projects, doing spellwork and rituals, meditating, writing snail mail letters, and much more, it is imperative that the online side of my life never eclipses my offline one (believe me, I’ve been there before and I’ve long vowed to never let it happen again).

Only you know what is good amount of time to spend online and on social media is in the scope of your own life.

You may find that a 2 – 4 hours per day feels right for you and still allows you time to focus on other areas of your life (while continuing to do the things we need to accomplish in our days, such as working, tending to our homes and families, and making time for our spiritual well being).

Or you you might prefer 30 minutes, 5.5 hours, or zero time at all. Social media may be exceedingly commonplace, but it that does not mean that it has to be a part of your life. Not for a moment.

5. Read non-witchy books to foster your witchiness

I’m the first person to delve into a great witchy book and am not, in any way, advocating that you don’t read such titles.

Instead, I encourage you to also read about other subjects that will foster your path, deepen your knowledge, broaden your mind, and provide you with knowledge and/or helpful skills that you can put to work in your spiritual journey.

Nearly any non-fiction book could potentially relate to at least one person’s path, but in general, some topics to consider reading more about are:

-The history and environment of where you live (all the better to know the genius loci in your area by)

-The history of countries that you have ancestral ties to

-Forest bathing

-Forging

-Wildcraft

-Traditional ways of living

-Candle making

-Religions/faiths/spiritualities other than your own

-Cooking and food history

-Astronomy

-The weather

-Earth science subjects

-Animals and insects

-Mycology

-Cemeteries and the broader subject of death in general

-The history of the Burning Times and the persecution of witches in general

-Cunning folk

-Alternative medicine

-How to make your own personal care and/or beauty products

-Herbology

-Substantial living

-Arts and crafts

-Personal growth

-Living mindfully

-Time management

-Paranormal topics

-Philosophy

-Psychology

Reading doesn’t have to mean a physical book either, though many of us do prefer this classic information delivery method.

Audiobooks and ebooks are great options, too, and countless titles abound in both camps.

6. Be grateful and count your blessings

You know the fact that you’re currently alive? Do you happen to know what the astronomical odds of that happening are? (About 1 in 400 trillion.)

Start with the miracle of your existence and then take time on a regular basis to reflect on the blessings in your life and to give thanks for the positives that you are fortunate to have.

I know that this can be tricky at times, especially if your life is in turmoil right now, but that is often when it is even more imperative that we focus on whatever good/positive things are part of our current reality.

Being grateful doesn’t mean that you’re accepting your current lot in life and throwing in the towel.

It means that you acknowledge those rays of light that are still managing to shine through the darkness of this bleak and difficult time.

No matter if things are going well or not for you right now, consider creating an altar or designating part of your existing altar (or other sacred space) specifically to giving thanks, keeping a gratitude journal, or meditating on your blessings.

You might be surprised to realize just how many blessings and reasons to be thankful there are in your life already.

7. Cleanse on a regular basis

While it is a good idea to shower or bathe regularly, in this instance, I’m talking about your home.

Whether we live on our own, with a partner, or ten other people, a certain amount of energy naturally accumulates in a house over the course of time. Some it is good, some of it, well, not so much.

The lingering energy of stress, medical challenges, arguments, heartbreak, bad news, and conversely, yes, even the OTT exhilaration of special events and important milestones can all impact the energy flow and levels of where we reside. As do all of those seemingly mundane things, from cooking to putting the kids to bed, that fill our daily lives.

If you’re not already cleansing your home on a regular basis, consider doing so once a month (or more often as needed – though if you need to do so on a highly frequent basis, you may need to deal with the root issues that are calling for a cleansing in the first place).

You can smudge, use incense (always ensure fire safety when using any lit item), sweep with a broom or besom, use purposely created cleansing sprays, singing bowls or drum beating, salt, charged water, essential oils (ensure you either wipe them away after or use oils that are safe for pets and children, if there’s any risk of little ones coming in contact with the essential oil you’ve used), crystals, or whatever method suits your needs.

Remember after every cleansing to allow the negative/stale energy that you’re riding our house/living space with to escape by opening up a door or window and directing the undesired energy out of that opening (otherwise you stand to have it linger in your home, potentially rendering the cleansing ineffective).

8. Set, and complete, small spiritual-related goals on a regular basis

A lot of times people experience spiritual burnout or begin to feel disconnected from their practice because they think that they need to turn every spell, BOS writing season, sabbat, full moon and visit to their altar into some grand, elaborate production that requires copious amounts of time.

While I believe that it’s important to devote larger swaths of time to spiritual-related workings, when realistically possible, if one feels inclined, I also believe that it is vital to engage with our witchery and/or Paganism on a regular basis.

Look for ways that you can set and keep spiritually focused goals that don’t require heaps of time or larger goals that you can break down into smaller, easier to tackle pieces.

Examples of small, meaningful goals could include things like doing one spell that requires 30 minutes of time or less a week, planting a some herbs in pots on your deck or a window box, spending 15 minutes three times a week outdoors to mindfully connect with nature in your area and grow more familiar with how each season and type of weather looks and behaves where you live, performing a five-minute tarot or oracle reading, scrying for a few minutes, changing up your altar, creating a no-cook or no-bake dish for a sabbat or other spiritually important event, creating a witches jar or bottle, or putting your crystals out to charge.

There is so much positivity, happiness, sense of accomplishment, renewed energy, and mental clarity – not to mention, creativity and inspiration – that can come from setting, carrying out and completing goals.

Honour yourself and your practice by experiencing these wonderful benefits, while focusing on your spiritual journey at the same time.

9. Figure out what actually works for you and ditch the rest

No matter when you began your magickal journey, chances are that along the way, you’ve added things to your repertoire that you thought you needed to do (or be), often because just about every witchcraft or Paganism or Wicca 101 book told you to do/be/practice/believe/buy those things.

Even if you were born into a family of witches/Pagans already (aka, hereditary witchcraft), it’s highly likely that there are still things you picked up from others along the way that don’t actually jive with your own unique spiritual path.

And sometimes, the things that once did the job for us, may no longer serve us in the ways that we want and need them to function in our lives.

This is totally normal and perfectly okay.

When we’re just starting out with something that we enjoy and feel passionate about, it’s practically part and parcel that we throw ourselves (and often our pocketbooks, too) into trying and buying all manner of things relating to that area of interest.

As time goes on though, we may find ourselves doing or holding onto practices, beliefs, and physical items out of habit or the fear that we won’t appear “witchy enough” we don’t do or own certain things.

This, I can wholeheartedly assure you, is not the case. In fact, I would argue that the more you concentrate on those areas of your practice that feel most align with your heart and soul at the present moment, the greater your power, energy, and spirituality stand to be.

So if you’ve been pulling tarot cards and just not feeling it, no matter what you try, or you’ve been meditating like it’s going out of style but feel like you’d rather have a root canal instead, try stepping away from those things and focusing your attention on the areas of your practice that spark joy and which you’ve had success with instead.

10. (If you celebrate them… ) Get to know the sabbats better

While there is no shortage of witches, Pagans, and even a percentage of Wiccans who do not actively observe some or all of the eight sabbats that comprise the Wheel of the Year, plenty of us do.

If that includes you, why not make this the year that you learn even more about the history, traditions, correspondences, changes in nature, foods and other elements that comprise Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule?

Humbly, I consider myself pretty well versed on the sabbats at this point in my life. I’m the first, however, to actively seek out further information, particularly when it comes to the historical roots of these days that are a sacred and integral part of the lives of many 21^st century witches and Pagans.

Think about ways to put the knowledge that you acquire to work in your practice, use them to help you connect all the more with the sabbats, and let them support your magickal workings all through the year, not just on these eight highly meaningful points in the year themselves.

If you do not observe the sabbats, consider learning more about, and deepening your connection, with the days that you personally hold as sacred instead (including, if applicable, the key lunar cycle stages).

11. Hone your intentions

Chances are you’ve heard or read that intention is at the heart of most successful magickal workings. I don’t generally disagree with this statement, but I think it is important that we approach intention knowing clearly and concisely what it is that we’re being intentional about in the first place.

Just as a recipe wouldn’t be overly successful if someone told you to just add any six ingredients together in whatever proportions floated your boat, so too do magickal working operate most effectively when we lay out specific perimeters in terms of what we want and how we’re going to help make those things happen.

It is important to be as specific about our intentions as possible. Be mindful of what it is you truly want and need, what steps you’re going to take to try and make those things happen, what you wish to manifest in your life, and how you’ll respond if things do or do not go as you’d hoped or intended.

12. Be kind to yourself and others

If there’s one thing our world is in serious need of as we enter this new decade of human history, it is more kindness. Towards our planet itself, toward one another, towards animals, towards ourselves.

There are many scientifically supported benefits of being kind. I personally think that there are scores of spiritual benefits that stem from kindness as well.

Kindness is a gift that we have the ability to source from a never-ending well inside ourselves.

This doesn’t per se mean that we should spend every second of every day focusing solely on kindness (taking this approach can potentially backfire and cause burnout or even a sense that one is being taken advantage of), but rather that we have it within ourselves to be kind in a multitude of ways all throughout our lives.

Whether one personally believes in the Threefold Law or not, generally speaking, we tend to experience positives in return when we’re kind.

Can doing something nice come back to bite us in the behind? Sometimes, yes. That isn’t fair, but it’s life. Thankfully though, for most of us, such occasions are the exception, not the norm.

Acts of kindness are a vital part of life. I firmly believe that we’ve made it this far as a species and a planet in no small part because of kindness. It is a fundamental building block, part of the glue that holds society together, and just a flat-out lovely thing to give of yourself.

And speaking of yourself, be sure to extend kindness your own way throughout the course of your daily life.

We’re often our own harshest critic and toughest taskmasters. We let our inner monologues say things to us that we’d likely never sit ideally by and take on the chin if someone else said the same words to us.

In many other ways, we can be unwittingly or unintentionally harsh on ourselves, too. Find methods to be kinder to yourself, such as listing at least three things a day that you did which you’re proud of yourself for, engaging in acts of self-care, carving out time to focus on your deepest passions, ensuring that you’re spiritual needs are being looked after, connecting with nature, making your health a priority, and doing things that are just plain fun.

How to stay magickally focused this year (and beyond)

Much like with New Year’s resolutions, which are notorious for starting strong and fizzling out long before the intended goal was reached, it is possible to head into a brand new year with the aim of making it a more magickally focused one and quickly lose steam.

To help prevent this from happening, I encourage you to be realistic. You do not need to do all of the entries on this list, nor do you necessarily need to do more than one of them at a time (though some do have a natural degree of overlap).

Start with the one(s) that speak to you most powerfully or which you’ve already been meaning to incorporate into your spiritual path to a greater degree. Consider approaching some now and others later in the year.

If, as the year progresses, you feel overworked, overwhelmed or like you do not have enough time, scale back, but stay mindful of ways to apply the guiding principles that appealed to you in the first place to your life and magickal workings.

Consider keeping track (journaling, social media posts, book of shadows/grimoire entries, etc) of which approaches you’re currently engaging with and what sorts of results you’re experiencing.

Use these ideas as jumping-off points for other ways that you can continue to make this one of your most meaningful and magically focused years.

And remember, to have fun, be realistic, never stop growing and evolving, and to celebrate each day that you’re blessed to draw air.

Here’s to 2020 and all of the magick it holds in store for each of us!

The post 12 ways to live a more magickally focused year appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

There is something auspicious and wonderful about such a day. It’s too rare, precious and magickally charged not to be utilized and celebrated.

It is also the perfect time to officially begin an exciting new project. In my case, that would be the very blog that you’re reading.

Why I’m launching this blog

On the evening of October 13, 2016, my husband and I lost our home, virtually all of our belongings, my home-based online business (an Etsy vintage shop), and infinitely most heartbreaking, our precious cat, Stella, in arson fire that destroyed the fourplex condo building we were living in at the time.

Losing quite literally everything but the clothes on your back changes a person. A lot.

It also changes your life, your priorities, your mindsets, your hopes, and dreams. 

Certain things remain, however. Ingrained, vital elements of who you are and what you love.

Two of the most important elements of my life before the fire were my spiritual path as a solitary Pagan witch and being a paper crafter.

While I let go of certain areas of my life post-fire and redistributed the degree of priority/importance that I gave to others, these two remained highly meaningful to me.

They are both key parts of my world every day, and now, I hope, they’ll become a part of yours as well.

Who I am and what I’ll be creating

I’m Autumn Zenith (please note: this is my Pagan, and vastly preferred, name) an empathic, old souled witch who resides in the woody wilds of British Columbia, Canada.

Here on Witchcrafted Life, I’ll be sharing my passion for paper crafting, including card making, scrapbooking, tag making, mini albums, home décor, and seasonal/holiday-related projects, as well as periodically delving various other crafting related topics.

I plan to bring you plenty of crafting related how-tos, project shares, journaling ideas, product features, giveaways, and much more.

Some of my paper crafting related posts will pertain to Paganism/witchcraft, others will be more secular.

One absolutely does not need to be a fellow witch or Pagan to enjoy and avail of the paper crafting posts that I’ll be sharing.

On the Paganism front, I plan to cover a wide breadth of subjects. This will likely include, but certainly not be limited to, the following areas:

• Real-world magick
• Handy tips and how-tos pertaining to witchcraft and Paganism
• Original spells
• The Wheel of the Year
• Working with the lunar cycles
• Magickal correspondences
• Kitchen and cottage magick (including Pagan recipes)
• Green witchcraft
• The Elements
• Working with spirit allies and animal spirit guides
• Book of Shadows/grimoire ideas
• Art magick
• DIY ideas for witchy crafts, home decor, sabbat items, etc
• Candle magick
• Budget-friendly witchery
• Tarot and oracle cards
• Divination
• Magickal tools
• Paganism/witchcraft and chronic illness (as well as mental health)
• Self-care
• Ancestor work
• Witchery and Paganism book and product reviews
• Personal empowerment through your spiritual path
• Being an empath

Some of my key goals in creating this blog

• To share my knowledge and passion for both witchcraft + Paganism and paper crafting with others
• To be continually motivated to create and craft, sharing many of my ideas, projects and ideas publicly 
• To create an inclusive, welcoming space that is open to paper crafters from all faiths, spiritual paths, walks of life, and genders, as well as those of all crafting styles and abilities
• To help me become a published Pagan book author
• To bring you fresh, original, informative content on a regular basis (multiple new posts will appear here each month)
• To further deepen my spiritual journey and to help + inspire, encourage and empower you on your own unique path

Witchcrafted Life is a fresh start with old roots

This blog is the new online home for a lifetime of experiences, spiritual happenings, handmade crafts, knowledge to be shared, and memories just waiting to happen.

It will be exciting, it will be magickal, it will be creative.

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to signup on the top of the right-hand sidebar for my newsletter, and connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

You can also contact me directly anytime. I love hearing from, and connecting with, my readers.

The post New Year, New Decade, New Blog appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.