Stalker Cards – What to Do When You Keep Pulling the Same Cards Again and Again

Ever pull the same card again and again? No matter what deck you use, that card finds you and haunts you. It shows up unannounced, unwanted, and uninvited. It ruins the party and sometimes even other people’s readings. It is the worst.

Mine stalker card has been the Eight of Wands. It’s been the Eight of Wands for years. Why? Well, I’ve got a few ideas, but largely because I’m not doing what the card wants me to do. Because I don’t want to do what it wants me to do and I don’t take orders from fancy paper.

OK, maybe that’s a bit aggressive, but the facts are this: sometimes you’re being told in a reading to do something that you have no interest in doing. You get to say “yes, well, that’s nice, but no thanks.” That’s one of the nice parts of divination. You don’t have to heed the advice given.

But let’s talk about stalker cards and what they really mean.

The general message when this happens is that you need to pay attention to this stalker card. There’s a particular message it’s trying to convey that needs your attention.

Whenever a stalker card appears, you need to figure out what it means and how to do what it says to do (and make it go away). There’s a couple of ways you can do this.

Check lots of different interpretations of that card. Check the card’s symbology. Just research alternative meanings to that card to see if it creates a revelation on what it means.

You can also meditate with the card and see if there’s some message the card need to express that you need to know that comes to you through intuition and meditation.

Use a stalker card spread like this one. Or you can use the one I made up for you below!

Is that still not working? Then you’ve two options:

  1. Draw the card and then a clarifying card. You probably already do this and you’ll have to keep doing it until the message become clear. A nuisance, perhaps, but you do what you have to do.
  2. Draw the card and then ignore it. Use whatever cards you draw next for the rest of the reading. Is this the best policy? Not really, because you might be missing a different meaning for that card, especially if you’re reading for someone else.

Why does this happen?

Generally, it happens because we need to hear the message and we aren’t doing what the message says to do.

But what if it’s suppose to be part of the message?

Then include it. Does it make sense to the rest of the reading? Include it. When this happens for me, I include it in the reading but as an extra card (like a jump card). I don’t count it as a part of the spread I’m using.

Stalker cards are a pain in the butt. Sometimes, they can stalk you for YEARS because you don’t move fast enough for them or because you still haven’t got the message (even though you probably DID get the message, but can’t do anything with the message yet). You can try to resolve the card, but sometimes, you just have to sigh, give the card a good glare, and move on with your day.

Hope that helps folks!

How to Make Moon Water

Bringing things back to basics with a how to make moon water. I know this seems like a pretty obvious thing to some folks, but I often get messages asking me what this ingredient is or what that ingredient does. Ingredients many practitioners consider very basic, like full moon water.

First, let’s cover what full moon water is. Moon water is water that has absorbed the light of a moon. This can be any moon phase at all. Usually though, when people refer to moon water, they’re referring to full moon water.

As you might guess, full moon water is water that has absorbed the light of a full moon. New moon water is water that has absorbed the light (or lack thereof) of the new moon. Waning and waxing moon water can also be used.

Now there are some variations of names here and some additives to take into account. I’ve seen people refer to new moon water as starlight water because without the moon, it’s really water just gaining starlight. it’s also called dark moon water, because the new moon is sometimes called the dark moon.

People also will divide the moon water up further by including and calculating out the astrological and planetary positions. I don’t have much to do with astrology, not my field of expertise, so I tend to mark the data down, but I rarely do anything with it beyond grabbing a jar marked “full moon water”.

There’s also some variation on how to actually make full moon water. what you actually need is water. But the type of water matters to some people. Others add intent to the water. Other people add crystals, herbs, salt, and so on.

Truth be told, adding these things tends to make it no longer just moon water. Adding a crystal in the water really makes it a moon water gem elixir and adding herbs in the water is just a herbal infusion. But if that’s how you want to make your moon water, then go for it! Just know that most spells aren’t referring to anything other than water that has absorbed the moon.

Ready for the recipe?

Ingredients:

  • Water, any kind. Purified, spring, bottled, filtered, or tap.
  • A clear jar with sealing lid
  • A paint marker, any color or label
  • A clear, cloudless night during the full moon

First, make sure your jar and lid are clean.

Next, pour your water into the jar and cap it. You can enchant the water, put some intent in there (such as matching the intents to what the moon phase tends to represent), or you can say nothing at all.

Place the jar in a window or outside where it will be in clear sight of the moon. This should be done after moon rise (so, pretty much as soon as you can see the moon and after the sun has set).

You can leave the jar out there as long as you’d like, but try to take it back inside before sunrise.

Label the jar by writing on the jar with the paint marker or using a pre-made label. The label should at least read “full moon water” (or whatever phase the moon is at), but you might also want to add a location, date, weather, and so on to your label.

Place the jar somewhere dark without sunlight, like a closet or cupboard. use the full moon water in spells, to anoint items for more power, abundance, happiness, to bless something with lunar energy, or to charge an item.

If you’re making any other type of moon water, this above also applies, just do it on a clear night where the moon is in the right phase.

I even made you a little pinterest how to for you all. Easier to reference, for sure. Hope this helps!

Foundation Stone Spell

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This is a spell designed to help protect them home in an active manner. When done, this spell will automatically absorb negative energy without you having to touch a thing. There is some spell maintenance, but otherwise, this spell will work on its own.

The idea behind this spell is the concept of cornerstones within the foundation of a house. Historically, these stones were carefully chosen and often had folkloric or even magical implications. You’ll probably need to dive a bit into gem and crystal lore to find the right stone or stones for you.

There’s two ways to do this spell and both are outlined below. The spell works the nearly the same for both, so pick whichever fits your style best.

Method One – One Stone

Ingredients

  • A stone selected from your property
  • A quiet yet obvious place to put it
  • Purified or blessed water (see notes)

First, select your stone. This should be a fairly large size stone (fist sized) and dug up from your property. You can also use a loose brick or hunk of cement that comes from your house itself.

Wash the stone with purified water and make sure as you do, you think soft, loving thoughts. You can think of how safe you want your home to be, how protected, how prosperous, or how full of love. But the energy you put into that stone should be soft and loving. So instead of thinking “I want to be debt-free” instead focus on “my home is full of abundance”. It may be a good idea to write down these softer thoughts ahead of time, if you aren’t good at thinking on your feet.

Once the stone is washed, carry it throughout the house, like you would a guest you’re showing your home to. Take it to each room and space, announce what that room is, and move on. Go to every space, even the ones you wouldn’t show a guest, like a boiler room, the attic, or garage. Remember to keep those thoughts and energy soft and loving. This stone is a close friend you’re happy to show your home so keep that in mind as you move.

If the stone isn’t dry by the time you finish your tour, let it dry somewhere prominent in your home. The kitchen counter or table is a good choice, but you can select wherever. It should be a relatively busy area, where people in your home pass through the space and live their lives.

After the stone is dry, go ahead and find a nice place for the stone to live. Ideally, this should be a bookshelf or somewhere similar. You can put it somewhere quieter, but I find that if you pass the stone more often and see it, the spell’s maintenance stays on track. It tends to get forgotten otherwise.

To maintain the spell, make sure to dust and wash the stone regularly in purified water. If you do any remodeling or changes in the house (such as changing the purpose of a room or repainting it) take the stone through the walk-through tour again.

Method Two – Many Stones

Ingredients:

  • Four stones of grounding
  • As many stones of protection as you have doors and windows (see notes)
  • As many stones of healing and health as members of your household (include pets)
  • As many stones of love as members of your household (including pets), plus one
  • A stone for prosperity and/or abundance
  • A stone for wealth
  • A stone for peace and harmony
  • Any other stones for purposes you’d like to have in your home

This is going to entirely depend on what stones you’d like best. Folklore for stones, gems, and crystals can vary greatly, so you might not select something that someone else would. Doubling up meanings of your stone selections is also a good idea, so the stones work together harmoniously.

The nice part about this method is that you can add new stones as needed. However, these stones have to work in concert to get the same power as the singular stone method – and it can be a little noisy or confusing when you’re trying to work with all the stones at once.

My tip here is to pick small stones. In fact, I’d recommend getting a small glass vase or something similar and filling the container with the stones. The stones would all be safe in one space, working together, plus they can look rather beautiful in this fashion.

For this spell, I might choose salt, obsidian, or black tourmaline for grounding. Banded agate, malachite, or quartz crystal for protection. I’d probably pick bloodstone, amethyst, and jade for health and healing. For love I might pick rose quartz, moonstone, or pink and/or watermelon. tourmaline. For prosperity and wealth, I’d select peridot, topaz, and aventurine. Aquamarine, sardonyx, selenite for peace and harmony. Other stones might be onyx for defensive reasons or carnelian for courage. Those are just examples. You’ll probably have other choices for your own needs.

Once you’ve collected your stones, purify your stones with water. Here you have to be careful, because some of the stones you have may not react well with water, especially if the water is infused in some way. Spend a little time googling to see what may damage your stones.

Once you’ve cleaned and purified the stones, follow the steps outlined in method one. Here the spell remains the same, just keep all the stones together and work slowly to make sure the energies in the stones get along. Not unlike how you might manage a group of friends at a get-together, really. Once you’ve done your tour with the stones, put them in the same place together.

Spell maintenance is also the same. Clean and dust them as needed, making sure to not forget about the stones themselves.

Notes:

  • Here purified or blessed water is whatever kind of water that feels purified or blessed to you. It can be tap water you’ve dedicated to a deity or it can be water you’ve sought out at a sparkling spring and filtered yourself. It can be moon water or holy water. This is where your particular brand of magic can come into play, so adapt at will.
  • When it comes to selecting the number of protection stones, what you’re doing is selecting stones to protect against particular doorways, pathways, and so on. You can just protect the doorways and skip the windows, you can protect against doors, windows, drains, chimneys, and mirrors. How many or how few you select to protect is up to you. Your house may have two doors and twelve windows, so you might have fourteen stones. If that seems like a lot (and it is) then consider dropping the amount of pathways you’re protecting.

Review: The Witch’s Mirror by Mickie Mueller – 4.5/5

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The Witch’s Mirror: the craft, lore, & magick of the looking glass by Mickie Mueller – 4.5/5

This book is a neat, approachable little technical book written in a conversational tone about magic mirrors. It gives you the basics, runs through different types, gives you DIYs and spells.

The only “eh” thing about the whole book is calling non-pagan religious folks pagan, like Hindu practitioners, who usually prefer to not be called pagan. The inclusion of their mirrors is definitely borderline, if not straight up cultural appropriation. This might be due to the age of the book or it could just be misinformation on the writer’s part. It also doesn’t specifically say “use this mirror for X reasons even though it belongs to this culture”. Instead, the book covers mirrors from all over. So it’s actually inclusive, even if the wording is dated. Because of this potential inclusive/cultural appropriation line, I feel I’m not the person to judge the issue and put this firmly in the hands of the people who are. It’s because of this potential issue that I knocked off half a star.

Anyway, onwards.

I’m a huge fan of scrying. It’s the first type of divination I really enjoyed doing and understood. It’s one of the few that I was able to do with results right off the bat. It’s also one of the most accessible yet flexible types of divination. Many people apparently find scrying difficult. I think this is due to how open minded and fluid of mind you need to be during the scrying session to really get results. Once you practice and practice, you’ll probably get good results too.

Magic mirrors is merely an extension of that. I have a lot of magic mirrors, some for divination purposes and some for other things. Like… a dozen or more of them. (Which is weird to think of because I don’t like mirrors when used on me, just as a magic tool). 

Anyway, I’ve been staring at this book on my book wish list for a while and finally found a copy through my library. And it was worth the wait because it is gold.

The author does a good job at presenting mirror lore in an interesting and even humorous way. Not like laugh out loud funny, but honest and in a casual talking manner. I appreciate that because this is actually a technical book, in my opinion, and so often technical books can be so dry. 

The book has an honest, open conversational tone to it. It was like listening to a friend who has all this knowledge that they just want to share. So you nod over your brunch while they rambled but you’re genuinely interested in their words.

The book also features little bits of text written by popular new age authors on mirrors. This serves as adding new insight and perspective, but also offering new bits of lore you might not otherwise get.

The first chapter is an introduction and history. All interesting and, to my great pleasure, none of it spewing incorrect lore or history (to my knowledge, at least). Yay! 

What I really appreciated is that the author jumps right in. There’s a brief section of what magic mirrors are and the history of them, but it’s all just quick facts laid out to move onto the more interesting stuff. I’m so bored with books that spend countless pages on things most of us (A) already know (B) have, can, and will google (C) is misinformed or spreading misinformation. I totally get WHY those sections in most witchy books exist, but because this book assumes you already know what you’re doing, it doesn’t even pretend to bother with it. That’s… so refreshing. To run into an intermediate book that actually, you know, feels like an intermediate book. Plus, there’s a lot of “this is what these people do, this is what these people do” instead of “hey, this is what these people do, so let’s do that”. IE, there’s cultural folklore covered, but not in an appropriative way.

As someone who studies history and folklore, I actually consider myself reasonably well-versed in mirror based lore. As said, there’s bits of lore displayed and discussed in a way that doesn’t make you read paragraph on paragraph until your eyes want to bleed (so unlike, you know, my reviews. Ha!). I didn’t uncover any new lore in the text, but I can imagine that unless you read a lot of superstition and folklore texts for fun like I do, you probably would find some interesting folklore to enjoy. The conversational wording of it is nice for a change of pace for these sorts of things so sometimes I started to get new ideas that started like this “hm, well, if that’s true then I wonder if it’s related to this bit of lore because of the so-and-so cultural tradition I read about in that super rare academic paper or out-of-print book from the sixties.” Because apparently that’s how I roll.

The second chapter covers mirror magic in pop culture. I’m a fan of pop culture magic so I’m always pleased to see practitioners and writers consider or compare what fiction and pop culture does with magical tools. I almost wish the chapter was longer but some main pop culture is mentioned from Supernatural to Heroes from Harry Potter to Bloody Mary.

I wouldn’t consider this a dialogue on how to use mirrors in pop culture magic, but rather how magic mirrors have been used in the past through media and how that reflects on our crafts.

The third chapter gets into the basics of magic mirrors. While many practitioners like to have symbolism for every aspect of their tools, I don’t. I pick mirrors for magic based on one of two things: does it feel like a mirror or magical object I want to work with or is it the right tool for the project I’m about to do? Shape doesn’t matter to me. I care more about the energy of an object than the shape of it, you know? That being said, it’s actually quite nice to have different shaped mirrors for various purposes, if only to remember the difference between this magic mirror and that magic mirror. 

However, if you do like to have symbolism in everything or you have a favorite shape, then definitely consider a mirror in that shape. It’s good to remember that light reflects off mirror shapes differently. So consider what you plan to do with that mirror. It’s a lot easier to avoid reflections while scrying in a smaller mirror than a larger one.

There is, of course, merit to the convex vs concave mirrors. I’ve owned both types and they have a very different feel to them for me as a magic mirror. They’re just different and I think that’s due to their less passive existence. They reflect things differently than a normal mirror does.

The author gives a very neat break down of mirror washes which is nice because it’s sometimes a confusing topic to read about. The chapter goes on to cover frames and finishes up with an article from a guest writer.

The next chapter has wonderful spells using mirrors or reflective surfaces. There aren’t many spells but they’re definitely useful for modern life. One to chill out, another to put negative thoughts behind you, and a neat little shield spell using reflective sunglasses. They’re the kind of spells I really enjoy – well thought out and useful for the modern witch with modern concerns.

These are spells that make no attempts at being high or mighty or too on trend. You want a spell to give yourself time to adjust to a party’s atmosphere because you’ve anxiety or you’re an introvert? Done. There’s a spell for that. And it’s such a nice, neat, simple little spell that is so helpful and useful. It shows complete understanding that not everyone’s into witchcraft for the serious business and academic pursuits. 

There’s a discussion about where to get mirrors and Hexenspiegel come up. These types of mirrors are enchanted to automatically send back negative energy and so on. I’ve always used my spell based mirrors in a Hexenspiegel style and I see others do too but rarely is the name Hexenspiegel brought up. The same chapter also covers mirrored boxes, mercury glass, oeil de sorcière, Indian torans, and bagua.

I have problems with calling some of these items “witch’s mirrors”. Some of these mirrors come out of cultures that are not pagan. Most Hindu practitioners do not consider themselves pagan. Their ritual or cultural items shouldn’t be considered pagan either.

Chapter six covers how to make your own scrying mirrors. The standard “paint glass black” method is given but with lots of tips and details that are really useful if you’re trying to make a mirror. Like a polymer clay frame or adding felt to the back for protection. There’s also basic instructions on how to use the mirror. Later, there’s instructions for making a Hexenspiegel with mirror-based jewelry. Next the book covers making a mirrored box, DIY faux mercury glass, and even crafting your own oeil de sorcière.

This chapter also covers common purposes like spirit communication and dedicating a mirror to the moon or sun. Creating a negative energy trap too is described. Chapter seven (the next chapter) is referenced a lot so I question whether that chapter should have come first when creating the book.

Chapter seven offers recipes for mirror washes, cleansing liquids, and so on. I have my own recipes for these kinds of washes and they matched up fairly well. The recipes are actually quite good and can be really useful if you’re not very handy when it comes to herbal magic.

The next chapter has more mirror based spells. Return to sender spells, spirit contact and communication, garden orb prosperity spell and more. I’m quite fond of the spells in here. As said above, they’re well thought out and useful to modern people.

A discussion involving the backs of mirrors begins. Handheld mirrors usually have decorative backs but other mirrors don’t. You can change that by add blessings and spell work to the back of the mirror. The author offers some original designs as sigil for magic mirrors.

Chapter nine has meditations using mirrors. It’s actually quite thought provoking, if you’re not used to thinking of self awareness or astral travel. Those are, weirdly, topics I do think about, so this was old news, but definitely good for anyone who wants to use mirrors in these aspects of their practice.

Finally, the book closes with useful appendixes for divination purposes, a glossary, and recommended readings.

Is this the most mind-blowing technical book I’ve read? No. It’s not something you’re going to need to break out the dictionary for and set aside time to study appropriately. You can read it curled up with your favorite warm beverage and fuzzy socks. That’s not a bad thing, just don’t go in expecting to break out the graph paper to sketch out the exact measurements of historical magic mirrors or whatever. It’s not that kind of book. But that’s OK. It’s not claiming to be that kind of book and that’s actually great because that means this book is SUPER approachable.

I don’t normally add technical books to my library unless they’re spell, recipe, or reference books, but this is one that I’ve happily added to my library. 

3 Ways to Magically Reclaim Yourself

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Ever been lost in the sea of yourself? You just feel restless and confused and sad. Hopeless yet desperate to move forward. Hoping to find something that will help you keep your head above water yet finding yourself anchored with no where to go.

It’s a crappy feeling. When you spend several weeks, months, or years with barren fields, so to speak, it’s called a fallow time. This can happen to anyone about anything. It happens to artisans (writer’s block, anyone?). It happens to businesses. It happens to spiritual paths. It just happens. Sometimes you need to let your live be boring and kind of crap so you can sow new seeds for a better future for yourself.

This can be exceptionally difficult however, when you’re dealing with spirituality or magic. How do you know you’ve even going the right way? You don’t and that’s extremely difficult to come to terms with when you just want direction.

So here’s a few ways to reclaim yourself and your path magically.

Find a quiet place that feels like home

This one is pretty simple. If there’s a place that you resonate with entirely, the ocean, the mountains, a park, your kitchen, your bed, then schedule yourself time to be there. You should make that location as ideal as possible and make sure that you aren’t disturbed for several hours.

Setting up the ideal situation may require some planning ahead. You may wish to aim for a day where the beach won’t be too crowded so you can enjoy swimming in the ocean without worrying about a beach ball bouncing off your head. Maybe you feel most happy with a batch of delicious bread baking and soup bubbling on the stove. You might need to wash all your bed linens and pull out some extra comfy ones you don’t normally use for this session. Essentially, what you’re doing is setting up as close to a perfect scenario as possible. You may need to clean up the space before you set up (so clear out the stack of crap that accumulated on your kitchen table), but it depends on what place is your happy place.

Distractions should be entirely limited. This means turn off your phone, computer, TV, and so on. Just turn them off. If you’ve never unplugged before, this can be extremely difficult to do. But try it for at least an hour. You may wish to play some music, and if so, make sure that it’s relatively inconvenient for you to scroll through instagram or facebook chat someone. Place the device out of range, with the notifications on silent, and just sink into the relative quiet.

Once you’ve gotten set up, just exist in that space for the time you’ve set aside. Read a book that feels inspiring to you (maybe it’s a big thinking kind of book or maybe you hauled out your Harry Potter to remind you why you love magic.) Swim in the ocean, lay in the grass and watch the clouds. People watch, read through family recipes, hike through the forests, slowly boat across a lake… you get the idea. Just exist in that space in a way that makes you feel relaxed and happy. Let your mind drift (it will) and soon you’ll find you may start connecting spiritually to the place, remembering why it feels so special to you. Recall what’s magically about that place and you may rediscover what’s magical about you.

Cutting the threads

This is spell work that asks you to have a fairly open space and time to set up the spell.

First, clear a space. If you’re casting the spell in the living room, you may need to put things on top of your coffee table away and move that side table you always trip on anyway out of the way entirely. You’re going to need space to move and you don’t want to be tripping on things when you don’t need to. You’ll want at least a five foot clear space, but I like to have a few feet extra all around for wiggle room.

Next, write out all the things that are holding you back. What things pull on you, weight you down, whispering unwanted things to you? What makes you feel muddy, sour, mundane, and dumb? Write all of that down on slips of paper (post its are perfect for this). Scatter these slips of paper across your casting space. It’s really ideal to place the paper on or near objects that symbolism or remind you of the words on the paper. (So if looking at your exercise bike makes you feel sloppy and guilty for not using it as often, put that piece of paper on the bike).

Get a ball of string. This can be any color you like, so use color symbolism. Tie a loop around your dominant wrist. It doesn’t need to be tight. Gently, go to each place you put the paper and wrap or tie the string around or near it as best you can and move onto the next paper.

I recommend doing this is the order of the things that come to mind. If you really dislike your job, that might be first, but your second item is you feel poorly whenever you see your aunt, then she might be next even if the photo of her with the slip of paper is all the way across the room.

Things will become a jumbled mess. That’s OK. It’s kind of meant to be. Just keep going until you’ve tagged all the pieces of paper. Once you do, gently tie your non-dominant wrist with the string.

Now grab a sharp pair of scissors or a knife and cut the strings that attach you to the items. You might need to make several cuts so that the string drops to the ground. Keep doing this until all the string is cut and CAREFULLY cut the string free of your wrists.

An alternative way to do the spell is to tie the string to your wrist, then to the object or paper, then back to your wrist, but this can become quite tight and painful in larger spaces as you tug the strings across the room with you. I think it kind of works better this way, because it feels more freeing and thus more powerful, but it’s more painful and tends to break at least one random glass thing you forgot you owned.

Either way, take the strings and burn them in a fire-safe vessel and call it a day.

Ask for a journey or trial

You can always as a spirit for advice. Usually people tap their spirit guides for this, but sometimes you need a stranger to give you advice. Other times they just keep telling you what you already know. Ask them again anyway.

If you don’t have a spirit guide or don’t want to use them, you can go find someone who can help. I wrote about spirits who can help, spirits I can personally vouch for as friendly and helpful. I like and visit these spirits often and the space is still considered quite safe for travelers and dreamers (ie, you) to wander through. The spirit ruler in particular is good for requesting a journey or trial, as they tend to be fully aware of just how much is lost between the astral and the physical realms when it comes to memory.

I know you’re thinking. That’s just getting advice. Well, the reason I make the above suggestion is because if you’re going to ask for a trial, you want it to be from someone who will give you a task that will give you the result you want: reclaiming yourself.

The trial may be something classic: “go here and get this item for me and you’ll be rewarded” but the actual reward is discovering yourself. It could be a battle scenario or dedicating yourself to their service. It depends. You don’t have to say yes to the suggested trial or journey. If it sounds sketchy, then don’t do it. But this gives you a chance for you to have an adventure that will help you find you again. Find yourself and your will once more without all the baggage that comes with living.

Those are just some of the ways to magically reclaim yourself. As always, I recommend cleansing yourself (and cleaning your space) when you’re struggling spiritually as sometimes the mere act of cleansing and cleaning can dissolve the spiritual gunk.

Good luck!

New Year Braid Spell

There’s so many spells you can do at the beginning of a new year. So many. Cleansing, healing, protection, wish granting, prosperity, so on, and so on. This spell starts during the new year and goes all year long.

The purpose of this spell is simple. You’re affirming or wishing for something positive or good to happen and letting go of the unwanted things each and every month. It’s a knot spell and a pretty basic one at that, but the power of this spell, the real strength of it, happens at the end of the year.

Ingredients:

  • Three strands of thread or string, any color (see notes)
  • A place to leave the braids all year long, undisturbed
  • A fire with an appropriate fire-proof /burning vessel

At the beginning of the year, start this spell. Then do the spell at the end of each month. At the end of the year, you should have 13 separate braids.

First cut three equal pieces of string or thread. As said, it can be any color, but you should probably aim for the length of each piece of string to be at least from your wrist to your elbow in length. It will mean more braiding, but it helps at the end of the year part of this spell to have the extra length.

Now, pick one string and name it the things you’d like to see continue or grow in your life. Pick another strand and name is something you’d like to let go of or release from your life. The last string should be a wish you’d like to see happen. Braid these three strands together, repeating the names of each string as you cross them.

Example: The first string is to grow your wealth, the second string is to release debts, and the third string is to save enough to visit a relative during the year. Cross the grow your wealth string over the releasing debts string, saying each of these as you cross them. Then cross the saving money string over the new middle string, the grow your wealth string. Repeat this pattern, saying each as you move the string.

When done, knot the top and bottom of the braid, if you haven’t already done so, and put the braid somewhere safe.

Do this near the end of each month, including January. (So you’ll be making two for January, and one for each month of the rest of the year). Each month, start a new braid and you can use the same string names or new ones. (So each braid can have different spells on it). Save each braid in the same spot.

At the end of the year, after you make the final braid of December, braid all of the braids together. You can look up a thirteen strand braid, if you like, but it’s complicated. You want to avoid adding your frustrating to the spell while you’re casting it, so I recommend skip the fancy braid. Instead, you can braid three months together and then braid those groups together until you have one braid. Or you can simply separate the braids into three groups and braid them all together. It’s up to you, just pick something that’s easy enough for you to do.

As you braid the final large braid, you may wish to repeat the wishes and things you’d like to grow. You could even add new things to that final final, if you like.

Once the braid is done, you may not be able to knot the ends of it. That’s OK. Instead, you can take new pieces of string and tie the top and bottom off instead.

Now get your fire going and toss the braid into the flame and say,

“What I wish to grow, will continue to grow.

What I wish to fade, will burn to ash.

What I wish for, this fire will create it true.”

The wishes and things you’d like to grow will be passed on and the things you’ve let go will disperse.

Notes:

  • You can choose any color you’d like for the string. Ideally, one string of each braid should be green (for what you’d like to grow), one should be black, gray, dark blue, or white (for what you’d like released), and one should be silver, gold, or red (for the wish), but it’s not required at all.
  • Practice your braiding before starting the spell, if you aren’t very good at it. The braid’s neatness doesn’t matter much month-to-month, but the final braid can get messy quick if you’re not a skilled hand.
  • Because there’s quite a bit of string involved during the burning part of this spell, make sure that you have a safe space to burn the braid and time to properly monitor the fire.
  • If you find that you wished for something one month and discovered you don’t want that at the end of the year, you can say that as you make the braid at the end of the year.

19 Magical Ways to Make Your 2019 Shine Bright

I think everyone writes lists like this, don’t they? You’ve probably seen a million of them in the last few days alone. Hopefully, this list gets you reaching for your wand and inspires you to magic up a better year for yourself and your loved ones.

  1. Pick a piece of artwork you’d like to embody this year. This can be a classical painting, your own work, a favorite piece from an artist you’re a fan of, or a card from a tarot or oracle deck. You can tuck this image nearby the place you spend a lot of time in (your desk, at your bathroom mirror, on the fridge, by the front door), to remind you what you’re shooting for.
  2. Banish the spiritual funk by combining orange slices, lemon slices, and a few sprigs of rosemary in a pot of water and let simmer. Add new water to the pot every 20-30 minutes to keep the good, uplifting, and cleansing scents going.
  3. Make a magical dedication each and every month or season to something new. These short term goals can be totally mundane or completely magic based. Maybe you just want to complete one online challenge that you really liked to flesh out your magical path or you’re dedicated to eating breakfast everyday. Write this goal each month or season and post them on the fridge or somewhere else prominent that you’ll see. Even a post it on your computer screen will do. As you write out this promise to yourself, say the words, and infuse energy and magic into it. Make that promise, that dedication, important and see what kind of changes you can bring about.
  4. Gift yourself some flowers or a plant. In January, especially in the cooler parts of the world, you don’t see much plant-life. This can be extremely discouraging, even if you’re not fond of plants. Having a bright bit of green or color in a colorless or dull landscape can really brighten your day.
  5. Enchant your phone, keys, remotes, wireless bits and bobs, and assorted other essentials with a “never lose, never break” sort of enchanted. This can be done anyway you’d like – sigils, verbal spell, enchanted water, etc. This is a really “of course I should do this” spell that a lot of people forget to do.
  6. Go through your ingredients. I do this every January and July. I go through my herbs, my stones, my jars, my equipment, my books, and anything else and weed through it all. Some things I give away or donate. Other things I might toss or recycle, like herbs. Equipment like magic spoons or cast iron are thoroughly cleaned and cared for. Glass jars are boiled and dried, their metal tops checked for rust. You get the idea. Weed through your stuff and see what you’ve been holding onto.
  7. Write a list of things you want to happen this year. Be as vague or as specific as you’d like. You can do this with special paper and enchanted ink or you can send an email to yourself. However you’d like to do it. This list is a to do list. It’s a wish list. Write it down and just let your mind wander when writing it. This is a form of automatic writing, just letting your brain spit out what it thinks you need this year. When done, tuck it away. You can go back to look over it at the end of the year or you can simply leave it tucked in the back of a draw.
  8. Charge your crystals and other witchy goodies.
  9. Make a sigil for the new year. Write out your new year’s resolution or wishes for the year and turn that into a sigil to use however you see fit.
  10. Plants some seeds. Literally, get some seeds and plant them. This can be as simple as a pack of sunflower seeds. Each month, plant the seed and make a wish on the seed as you plant it. This gives you new plant friends, but also allows your wish to grow.
  11. Enchant or re-enchant your lotions, sunscreen, make-up, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and other skin and body care goodies. If you haven’t already done this, then it’s a great thing to do. If you have, then take some time to renew the spell.
  12. Create a wish jar. Every time you have a wish, place a slip of paper in the jar. At the end of the year, you can empty out the jar and go through all the wishes you’ve made and see what has come true.
  13. Renew your household and personal protections. The new year makes a really good time to remember to do this.
  14. Cleanse your space. Cleaning it too helps, but remember to cleanse it.
  15. Renew your spells on clothing, jewelry, shoes, and other things you wear. You can also enchant your laundry detergent to do these spells for you and thus renewing the spells with each washing.
  16. Plan to go somewhere magical this year. This could be making a trek somewhere known to be powerful, like Stonehenge. Or it may be hiking up to a local spot where some ghost story happened. Or it could be going on a ghost tour in your own city.
  17. Keep a list of things you felt, dreamed, or intuited. This can be done in your grimoire or in a journal. This practice is also used by psychics and those wishing to increase their psychicism to hone their accuracy.
  18. Make a list of topic books you’d like to read this year. Focus on the things that you’re really interested to read about and things you want to research. You want to know more about Persphone? Then it may be time to brush up on some mythology. You want to get better at tarot card reading, then skim through the very many tarot card books out there. You don’t have to buy these books, your library may be able to loan them to you (in person or digitally) or you can borrow them from a friend.
  19. Make a list of spells you’d like to cast, things to try, or things to make this year. Maybe you want to try a new form of divination or you want to attempt making a potion this year. Or maybe you just really want to make a very pretty altar. Make this list and refer to it every time you want to do something witchy, but you’re not sure what.

Hopefully, some of these ideas inspire or remind you of what you wanted to do this year! Happy 2019!

Welcome to 2019!

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Welcome to 2019! I hope your year is completely fantastic and full of bright blessings. I hope for a waning or even removal of all unwanted things for you. I hope for a brilliant start and a better finish with a good, solid middle. I hope and wish for your story to be amazing this year.

I know I’m not alone in being extremely glad to see the back of 2018. It was, in short, a horrific fucking year for me. And a fallow year on top of that where most ambitions didn’t pan out. In fact, it was only around Halloween where I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Extremely frustrating and I know many others felt the same way.

But it’s over now! Which is the best thing ever and that means that it’s time to get the new year off to a great start.

I have this ritual I do. A friend of mine brought the idea to my attention years and years ago and I’ve since expanded it and made it my own. The idea is this: make the first day of January, the first day of the year, how you want to spent the rest of the year.

I take this even farther. I spend the whole first week, the first seven days of the new year, doing things I want to do for the rest of the year. I also avoid doing things I don’t want to do for the year during those seven days.

The first day of the year (today) is spent largely on things I consider really important to me. So I usually do some reading, writing, work, and things I enjoy. I also add whatever I want or need to do this year to my to do list. Usually that includes typically less fun things like editing, exercise, and so on. Even if I only do it for a few hours, I try to fit it all in. It depends on what I need in my life for the future, but I like to keep it to a handful of things each year.

That does mean that the days before the new year are spent scrambling to make sure that I don’t need to wash dishes, do laundry, or any other onerous tasks during that first day. The prep is worth it, to be honest, because I’ve skipped the prep before and did laundry on the first and the new year had SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY. SO MUCH. Now I take the prep seriously.

Anyway, I do find that how I spend that first day and week reflects strongly with the rest of the year. Years I do very little during that time, the year has little happening. The days I spend focusing on bringing the best of my life forward, the better the year I have.

Speaking of years, what will 2019 be like? I, like every other practitioner, drew some cards to find out.

2019 New Year Reading by This Crooked Crown | thiscrookedcrown.com | Decks featured: Girls Underground: A Story Oracle by Sarah Kate Istra Winter © (left and right top), Witchlings by Paulina Cassidy by © US Games Systems (middle top), Sacred Creators Oracle by Chris-Anne Donnelly © Chris-Anne.com (left bottom), Rebel Deck © Shannon Gomez (right bottom)

What 2019 will be like? She gains a boon + She opens a door

Expect great opportunities and change in the future. 2019 is your chance to make things happen. It’s your chance to take and create opportunities for yourself.

It’s time to stop planning for the future and actually DO something. Action is not only required, but it’s happening. The wheel has started turning and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Any hesitation you have in 2019 will only be stagnation. It will be a pause or halting. No forward progress will occur. Instead, take some chances. Embrace the opportunities set before you. There’s going to be quite a few, including a major boon of some kind. This good thing might be a new job opportunity, new housing becoming available to you, a new lover, or something else that’s really exciting. Once you see this opportunity, seize it. It’s time to set the past aside and give yourself a chance to shine.

What should be encouraged for 2019? Euphoria: Euphoria is a cosmic connection to the magick within and around you.

Fall in love with your magic once again. You have a power inside of you. Your magic, your passion, your life. At some point, that spark full of love for those things waned, like a sky full of stars hidden by dark rain clouds. Those rain clouds have passed.

This is a new year. this is the best time fall back in love with your special brand of magic and passion. Maybe you’ll return to basics, reliving some of those original inspirations that urged you onto the path you once loved. Or maybe you’ll just let the flow take you back to what feels safe, comfortable, and beloved.

Allow yourself to love things. Allow yourself to love people and situations. It’s so easy to become apathetic. It’s so easy to become jaded and worn when the world seems to want to tear you apart. Add more love to your life any way you can, reconnect with your inner magic and inner self, and see what you can accomplish when you motivate yourself with your internal, inner power rather than wage war against the external world.

What will bring success for 2019? The now

This is your wake up call. You’ve been sitting on plans for a while now. You’ve been sleeping and waiting for something to change. This is that change. This is exactly the sign you’ve been looking for. Yes, really, it is.

There will never be enough money, enough time, enough love, enough done that will let you accomplish your goals. That’s the lie about life. It is never done until death comes. So why are you putting off living because some previous goals or thresholds haven’t been met?

This is your chance. This is your time to take a risk. Trust yourself and do it.

What needs to be known for 2019? You got a feeling you just. can’t. shake. + That little voice inside you? Listen to that shit

Your instincts, intuition, and gut feelings are going to be your guides this year. This is all about following that base instinct that says, “do this, run here, fight this, sacrifice this, sleep now, you’ve done enough, rest, rise and seize the day”.

That’s what you need to focus on for 2019. Plans are all well and good, but you need to spend a good chunk of this year just winging it (as safely as possible. I mean, don’t ruin yourself on a whim unless you’ve got some semblance of a backup plan. There’s risk and there’s recklessness. Take the risk, but skip the recklessness.)

Still. This year, 2019, is about closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, and listening to what your heart, spirit, and soul wants. It’s about releasing your held breath and taking the plunge. Try this year. Do something that makes you happy. It’s time to stop punishing yourself and fighting against the tide. Instead, try swimming out to sea. You might find a wondrous adventure there instead.

I hope your 2019 is magnificent!

The Full Moon’s Invitation

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Full Moon's Invitation by This Crooked Crown

 

This is a very adaptable spell. It’s used to increase the things you want more of in your life. So if you want love, you’ll add that component. If you want money, you add that. It’s used for what you want. Unlike the full moon or sun variations of this spell, this one can be used to invite things you do not currently possess into your life.

That being said, this can be a tricky spell to pull off in some people’s home environments. You need complete darkness on a new moon night.

 

Ingredients:

  • Items you want to increase in your life
  • Full Moon Water

Collect together items that represents the things you want in your life. You might have a handful of cash, a picture of a college diploma, a love letter written to a dream lover, or anything else. Think creatively and simply. If you want to travel to Aruba, put in a picture of Aruba. Don’t make things hard for yourself.

Once you have together your items, take them and place them on a table next to a window where no light will shine from outside on it. You can also leave it on the windowsill itself. Be smart about this. don’t leave a wad of cash on your windowsill and expect it to not get stolen if you live on the ground floor and leave the window open. Be as discreet as possible with your items but don’t cover them up.

Place a drop of full moon water on each item then leave them overnight. You can leave the items there until the full moon or you can take the items away immediately. You may wish to avoid spending any money used in this spell until after the full moon.

You can repeat this spell as often as you like.

 

Notes: 

  • If you’re charging water, crystals, or anything else by the new moon’s light, do this in a separate location than this spell.
  • We avoid putting the items in a bag or container so the lack of moonlight can touch them. A good middle ground is a big glass mason jar.

Happy casting!

What Makes a Crossroads a Crossroads?

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What Makes a Crossroads a Crossroads

Have you ever looked at a spell and it says something like “leave the object at a crossroads”? Many, many spells end this way and for good reason. Leaving an item at a crossroads magically and energetically disperses the energy. It’s good when you’re leaving a general offering for spirits. It’s great when you’re trying to cast a non-targeted spell.

Leaving spell work in specific places is usually because you don’t want it around. As said, sometimes it’s for safety’s sake (ie curses or spirits), but other times it’s for things like healing spells.

If you used a rock to remove a disease from somebody while healing them, you don’t want to keep that disease-ridden rock. So put it at a crossroad where it’s away from you.

Some witches leave things at the crossroads so others can pick it up and a curse can be passed that way. And some witches use it to bless those in the same manner.

It’s also commonly used in getting rid of spirits and curses. Capture a spirit and release it in a crossroads far away from your home. Toss the remains of the curse you’ve casted or the dregs of whatever uncrossing spell you’ve done to rid yourself of a curse. Both instances ask you to visit a crossroads far away from you home.

A third usage is an energy reset. This usually is used by a practitioner that does a lot of land-based or local magic or works with a lot of spirits. Sometimes, you just need to cleanse the energy lines and the space.

 

All of those things can be done at a crossroads. But what makes a crossroads a crossroads? What are the unspoken rules about crossroads? And why are there unspoken rules at all?

First, let’s establish what a crossroads is.

It’s an intersection. Or, rather, a crossroad is where two or more streets intersect or cross one another.

Properly, it should be any intersection where four streets meet and none of the roads are a dead end or cul-de-sac. However, train-tracks and roads, bridges, and so are are also crossroads and can be used, even if they are literal streets.

Plus, dead ends and cul-de-sacs can be useful in crossroad including spells – want to stop energy from spreading? Want to make a boundary within your neighborhood? Those kinds of spells could benefit from streets that end abruptly.

Similarly, a corpse road is a road that traditionally refers to the pathways or roads the dead were carried on from the church to the graveyards. Often, corpse roads were separate paths with gateways because of fear that the dead linger on such roads. Now-a-days, any road used to carry the dead from one place to another could be considered a corpse road.

I like to combine the two. My home, the Crossroads House, sits between two crossroads (literally two intersections) and is behind a funeral home. So my crossroads are corpse roads. However, if you don’t work with spirits, perhaps selecting crossroads that are not corpse roads is more beneficial to you. Weigh your choices carefully.

When it comes to symology and magical purposes, crossroads are well-known world-wide. I’ll quote from The Complete Dictionary of Symbols edited by Jack Tressider (pg 128-129):

The unknown – hazard, choice, destiny, supernatural powers. The important attached to intersecting ways in most ancient cultures is remarkable. The fact that they were natural stops for wayfarers only partially accounts for the number of shrines, altars, standing stones, chapels, or Calvaries sited there. In Peru and elsewhere pyramids were sometimes built up over years by travellers adding votive stones as they passed through crossroads. Spirits were thought to haunt them, hence they were sites for divination and sacrifice – and, by extension, places of the execution or burial or people or things of which society wished to be rid. Many African tribes dumped rubbish things there so that any residual harm might be adsorbed. Roman crossroads in the time of Augustus were protected by two lares campitales (tutelary deities of place). Offerings were made to them or to the god Janus and other protective divinities, who could look in all directions, such as Hermes, to whom three-headed statues were placed at Greek crossroads. Hekate, as a death goddess, was a more sinister presence, as was the supreme Toltec god, Tezcatlipoca, who challenged warriors at crossroads. Some version of the Oedipus myth placed his faithful encounters with his unknown father, and the Sphinx at crossroads – an analogy for destiny. Jung saw the crossroads as a maternal symbol of the union of opposites. More often, they seem an image of human fears and hopes at a moment of choice.

That’s a lot of words so I’ll break it down.

Crossroads have and will always be a symbol of choice. In the past (and even today) travel by the roads is pretty much the only way to go. In the past it was safer because other travelers can band together to protect one another. Today, property laws say you can’t trespass making roads pretty much the only way to travel.

Because people traveled on them shrines, altars, and holy places were erected at intersections. Sometimes even notes were left by signs. It was also a great place to meet people coming and going.

It was and is also a place where spirits dwell. Part of that is from the shrines, others is because of the executions. I see crossroads a bit like a spiritual water cooler. Spirits seem to collect there because of all the different energies coming from different directions (and be carried by different people and things).

Additionally, if you believe that energy travels via roads (whether naturally or through people passing on those roads), then crossroads are very magically powerful.

Because of the spiritual symbolism behind them, especially in regards to actual spirits, there’s a lot of unspoken rules about crossroads. Here’s a few of them.

Never use the same route home

This means if you came up the eastern road, you should use the western, southern, or northern route home. Don’t use the eastern. This is because a spirit or energy could follow you home through the circuit you’ve made. Instead, take a different way home, which should spiritually or energetically get them of your trail.

Never respond to voices at the crossroads

Sometimes, you’re at a crossroads and you may here people talking. Logically, this is because crossroads tend to be open spaces and voices travel. However, it may also be spirits or faeries. In any case, don’t respond to the voices you’ve heard. Just go about your business and be on your way.

Do not make deals at the crossroads

This follows the above rule a bit further. If you go to the crossroads and see another person there, then keep on going. Don’t stop to talk with them, don’t stop to do your work, and don’t turn around and go back the way you came. Don’t meet their eyes and, above all, do not make deals. Simply put, there’s a strong belief that if you meet another person at the crossroads, it’s probably going to be a faerie, spirit, demon, or even the Devil, depending on who you ask. It’s Bad News. Skip the drama and don’t even stop.

Never leave items with your address or name at the crossroads

This is not only for spiritual safety, but your physical safety. Someone could simply google you and cause all sorts of problems. Spiritually, offering your real name to spirits, other practitioners, etc is often questionable. Your name is a piece of you. Guard it.

Try to leave environmentally safe items at the crossroads

This isn’t a rule, but it should be. Often times, we leave leftovers of spell work and other things at the crossroads. Typically speaking, it gets cleaned up when the city comes by or neighbors. But animals and the less fortunate also use or consume what they find at the crossroads. So if you’re going to leave an item that is not for consumption (like sugary bread baked with glass for a curse) then bury it at the crossroads. You may need to search for a crossroads that you can discreetly dig at, but it’s worth the trouble to keep animals or people from consuming unsafe things. This is also true for jar spells. Consider, does it really need to be in a glass jar?

 

I use crossroads fairly extensively in my craft, when it calls for it. But I’ve been asked what a crossroad is about a dozen times a year, so it was time to type up my thoughts about it.

Crossroads certainly have their place in magical practices. It has it’s place in folklore. It’s certainly a symbolic feature and we use it often in media to describe being torn or in many places. Remembering this folklore and symbolism is important, but you’ll also want to take into account your own practices to see if crossroads fit your practice.

 

Post includes an original tumblr post.