A Petition Ritual for the New Year (Spell Saturday #39)

Here’s an complex yet simple ritual for New Year’s. It might requires a few different things but can be used to petition the elements and the world to bring your desires to fruition in the new year.

 

a-petition-ritual-for-new-years-eve-by-this-crooked-crown

 

What you’ll need: 

  • A new white candle
  • Clear drinking water
  • A fire or a second lit candle
  • A bit of your hair
  • Seven coins

 

On a clear night, go outside and create a fire. If you cannot create a fire, you may light a candle from a fireplace, match, or a lighter.

Set up the glass of water, fire source, and white candle in front of you in any manner you’d like. You can create a circle around you or a line in front of you. Whatever you prefer. Dig a hole in the ground and leave it open.

Kneel in the darkness with fire and take a deep breath. Feel free to close your eyes. Clear your mind as much as possible. Focus on letting go of all the negative things of the past and the things you don’t want to take with you moving forward. Take another deep breath and when you’re ready, open your eyes.

Light the candle with your fire source, drink a bit of the water, rub the soil from the hole you’ve dug in your hand, and take another deep breath.

Place the coin inside or under the candle. Put a second coin on the ground, pour a little water over it, and place your water glass over it. Put a third coin in the hole you’ve dug and toss a pinch of soil on it. Toss a fourth coin into the air and let it fall wherever it likes. Repeat the process with a strand of your air. Keep any remaining hair for a later part of the spell.

Now make your petitions for new year. Ask for prosperity, health, happiness, or love. Ask whatever you like. Be as specific or as vague as possible. Be as formal or casual as you’d like. You don’t have to speak aloud, you can just think clearly in your mind. Just say what you need to say and express you hopes for the future. Now demand for your petitions to happen. Tell the world that these things will happen for you.

Once satisfied, toss whatever remaining hair you have with you into the candle. If it goes out, let it. Don’t relight it.

 

 

Toss the fifth coin behind you, to pay off any regrets and past debts. Don’t look back at it. Toss the sixth coin in front of you to pay for your future. Pocket the seventh and last coin and carry it for good luck for the year.

Douse your candle and place the remnants in your fire source. If that’s not possible, bury both your fire source and the candle where the fire source was and in a separate hole from the previously dug hole. Pour out the water into the earth and fill in any dug holes. Leave the area without looking at or walking towards the area you threw your past coin in.

 

Candle Smoke

 

Notes:

  • This spell was designed for New Year’s. The chill from the cold January night is part of the spell’s sacrifice. that being said, if it’s too cold, snowing, or raining where you live, wait to do this spell until you can stand going outside. Don’t injure yourself to do this spell. Be safe and healthy.
  • This spell was created with a campfire, fire pit, or fireplace in mind. Since that’s not always feasible for everyone, you can substitute it for other fire sources light the stove, matches, or lighters.
  • You don’t need to collect fresh hair for this spell. Just save a clipping from a recent haircut or pull some from your hairbrush. If you don’t have hair on your head, you can use hair fro other areas of your body like your arm, leg, or pubic area. You can use fingernails too, if the hair option doesn’t work for you.
  • Burning hair smells absolutely terrible. Endure it as best you can.
  • If you manage to keep your good luck coin throughout the year, use that coin in next year’s spell as the “past” coin.
  • Tip: to make your good luck coin stand out in your wallet or pocket, you can coat it thinly in wax or create a paper envelope for it.

Happy casting and happy new year!

 

Scrying Spell For Inspiration (Spell Saturday #32)

Sometimes the muses are just not playing and you need to get something on paper or under that horrid little blinking line in a word document. Instead of staring blankly at the screen and then surfing the web, try this spell instead.

This is one of those spells that requires a lot of thinking to prepare but once set up it’ll be simple to repeat whenever you need it. It’s a handy scrying spell too which is always fun.

ssfi

What you’ll need:

  • Quartz crystal
  • A scent you want to dedicate purely to inspiration and creative pursuits

Experiment until you find the right scent or scent combination to inspire you. You can use a candle, incense, aromatherapy, etc. Whatever you have, start it up and let the scent fill your work space.

Pass your crystal it over the scent source such as over an aromatherapy device, oil burner, candle, or incense.

Dedicate the crystal to your creative pursuits by saying the following:

In the depths of my heart and mind lies bright sparks, burning embers, and tamed passions

In the depths of your heart I will see what reflects in mine

In you I will see how to unlock my creativity.

Look into the heart of the crystal and let what comes to mind happen. Don’t fight it or force it. Just let the thoughts flow.

Every time you want to create something, fill your work space with that scent and look into the crystal’s heart.

Notes:

  • You can swap out the quartz crystal for any kind of stone with a crystalline shape or a reflective surface. Bonus if the stone is know for inspiration, creativity, opening the mind, or inciting passions.
  • Finding the stone as a pendant can make your life so much easier. Just wear as a necklace and you’ll have the stone inspiring your very heart.
  • You can use any kind of scent. It’s up to you. Don’t forget that you can combine scents to create a unique atmosphere. Just write down what you’re creating so you can replicate it later. I like to use a warm citrus spice with cool minty undertones and sandalwood for myself.

A Spell For Courage & Wonders (Spell Saturday #33)

I was recently rereading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland On A Ship Of Her Own Making* by Catherynne M. Valente. Besides adoring A-through-L, I remembered how lovely the story is. If you haven’t read it, you might want to as it tells a pretty fantastic fairy tale. It’s especially beautifully if you pair it with S.J.Tucker’s album Wonders* which you can buy or listen to, for free over on her bandcamp site*. Tucker often writes songs about Valente’s work and Valente’s all for it. I adore when artists do collaborations like this, don’t you?

All of that being said, you don’t need to know the story at all to cast this spell! This spell is give you courage and create new experiences for you. It’s best used when you’re about to embark on an adventure like going off to college, starting a new job, or traveling.

WARNING: This spell involves blood.

Make sure to read the spell the whole way through, especially the notes. This isn’t a tricky spell so much as an exacting or intricately subtle spell.

asfcaw

What you’ll need:

  • Your blood
  • A portable light
  • Your shoes
  • Your name

Flip your shoes over so you see the soles of your shoes. When you’re ready and have the blood available, turn on your light source and put it in front of you but within arms reach.

Press the blood to the sole of the shoe and say,

“By my blood and name

I am not afraid

By my blood and name 

I am ready

By my blood and name

I am brave, strong, and true

By my blood and name

I will have wonders too

What’s before me may be hard and I may have to fight

But I am ready

What’s before me will bring wonder and joy

By my blood and name.”

Turn off the portable light with a deliberate move. Let the blood dry on the shoes and treat your wound.

Candle Smoke

Notes:

  • If you do not have a safe method of getting blood, please either wait until you’re bleeding from something such as a cut to cast this spell or skip it entirely. Your blood is essential to this spell so don’t use an alternative. It’s all or nothing, as I’ve written it. Just please be safe!
  • Portable lights can be anything from a flashlight, flashlight app on your phone, lantern, candle, LED light. It just needs to be something that stays light and is portable.
  • The shoes should, ideally, be the ones you’ll wear for the specific circumstances you’re casting like for (like a job or vacation). If you’re not going somewhere new, just pick the pair of shoes you wear the most. If you’re fast, you may be able to get more than one pair of shoes.
  • It’s probably a good idea to wash the shoes before you cast this spell, if possible. Or at least wash the soles.
  • Your True Name is your full, complete name. This could be the name you’re known by legally or it may be your magical name. It’s a name you call yourself in your head. The one that fits your soul.

Happy casting!


 

*Indicates outside links such as Amazon

Grace Under Fire Charm (Spell Saturday #31)

Want to be able to keep your cool when you’re facing deadlines or a hardass boss? This charm’s for you.

You’ll need:

  • Gladiolus petals
  • Jasmine petals
  • Pink rose petals
  • Magnolia petals
  • Snapdragon petals
  • Betony
  • Sage
  • Valerian
  • Ginger
  • Allspice

Dry all the ingredients well and place them in a silk or satin bag, preferably of yellow or cream. Carry this with you.

gufc

Notes:

  • Silk or satin is nice but you can use a silky cheap synthetic material instead.
  • Don’t eat this recipe.

Does this seem familiar? Here’s a potion version of it!

Binding Bad Habits (Spell Saturday #27)

We’ve all got bad habits, right? I bite my nails when I’m nervous or idle. It’s one of those things that I hate so much and yet can’t stop myself. This spell is designed to help stop those bad habits.

This can be used on yourself or on someone else. I only caution that you make yourself aware that bad habits often have deeper root causes and binding the bad habit can lead to other negative behaviors. Just a heads up.

The beauty of this spell is that it’s knot magic! I love knot magic and it’s so easily customized to your needs. You can use this spell while making a friendship bracelet, tie a few simple knots in a piece of string, tying your shoes, or even braiding your hair. For the purposes of writing, I’m using a single piece of string but if you’re doing something else then you say each thing while crossing the strands and repeat the entire spell as a chant.

 

You’ll need:

  • String

Measure out your string accordingly and say the following,

I bind my body

Tie a knot

I do not [bad habit]

Tie a knot

I am not [bad habit]

Tie a knot

I will not [bad habit]

Tie a knot

My will is strong

Tie a knot

I endure and surpass all impulses to [bad habit]

Tie a knot

I am strong enough.

Tie the piece of string around your wrist as a reminder. Touch the string when you catch yourself doing the bad habit or desiring to do so. Repeat the spell when the string becomes damaged or needs replacing.

bbh

That’s it! Happy casting!

Begin Again [Spell Saturday #28]

Sometimes, we just need to hit the refresh button on our lives. This spell won’t do precisely that but it’s pretty close. It’ll help you make a fresh, new start.

stba

What you’ll need: 

  • Flower, flowering plant, or petals from a flower
  • Water
  • Piece of quartz crystal
  • Candle

First, make sure you’ve cleansed your home, car, work, and self. For this, perhaps a light personal cleansing followed by cleansing whatever spaces and stuff you need to cleanse, followed by a deeper cleansing might be ideal. This spell should be done immediately after your self cleansing.

Light the candle and put the flower, candle, and water in front of you.

Hold the quartz crystal in your hand and just sit with it, meshing your energy with yours. If you’re into programming stones, you’ll want to program it to hold the energy you’re about to give it. (More on programming stones in the notes.)

When you’re comfortable and ready, say the following,

“I am beginning again.”

Blow your breath across the quartz.

“I breathe newness, energy, and light.”

Pass the quartz through or over the fire.

“I have fire, passion, and glory at my side.”

Touch the quartz to the petals of the flower.

“I am blooming, growing, achieving. I am beautiful even in the worst storms.”

Dunk the quartz in the water and pull it back out.

“I have healed, I have surpassed, I will never be broken.”

Now hold the quartz to your heart and say,

“I have begun again and will live my life as I wish, happy, and free.”

Carry the stone with you and/or keep it by your bedside. Hold it when things get rough or you’re beginning to fall into old habits.

Notes:

  • You can use any candle color here. I prefer white but yellow, red, or blue might be appropriate too.
  • Any flowering plant will work, especially if they’re your favorite flower. Roses are a good choice.
  • I like to use purified water for this spell.
  • This might be a great choice for a spell to cast on a quartz crystal piece of jewelry.
  • If you’re into programming your crystals, your crystal should be programmed to give you energy, light, and remind you of the spell you’re casting. It should serve as a gentle reminder of the life you want to live and the promise you’ve made to yourself to start again.

Happy casting!

Spell to Study Harder (Spell Saturday #25)

We all have times when our concentration splits or we simple do not want to put in the time needed for studying or work. It happens to all of us.

This spell encourages you to buckle down and concentrate on what needs to get done.

stsh

What you’ll need:

  • Scents that inspire or energize you (see below)
  • Yellow candle or LED light

Get a yellow candle or LED light. Ideally the scent should be something that isn’t comforting. It should be something invigorating. For me, that’s usually a spicy or citrus scents but it’s up to you. If you can’t find a yellow candle that has the right scent or you’re using an LED light, you’ll want to pick up either incense or aromatherapy oils that’ll work for you.

Holding the candle or LED light in your hand, close your eyes and take deep, even breaths. Empty your mind and push away any intrusive thoughts. Once you’re as calm as possible and have your mind as blank as possible, say the following,

With this light

I inspire my mind

With this light

My intelligence shines

With this light

My focus narrows

With this light

I will strive

Keep the candle or LED light on or near your desk so it’s in your peripheral vision while you work.

Every time you light the candle or turn on the LED light, you should find that you’re ready to work harder. If the candle or LED burns out, simply repeat the spell on the replacement candle or light.

Notes:

  • As mentioned above, I prefer spicy or bright scents for this spell. Citrus often works very well. But some people prefer the smell of mowed grass and meadow flowers or other scents given their personal preferences or personal associations. It’s entirely up to you.
  • You can use a white candle or LED light in a pinch but it does work better with the yellow color I’ve found.
  • You can skip the scents, if you like, but the spell works better with it.
  • I highly recommend combining this with some white noise. I use mynoise.net daily and rotate out my sound schemes based on my mood, the weather, and what I want to accomplish.

Happy casting!

Be Brave (Spell Saturday #24)

Sometimes, you just need to be brave. Gathering your courage to go and do A Thing can be hard. (Although, it’s usually gathering motivation that’s harder but shh).

Here’s a spell for when you need to stop being a wimp and Do The Thing.

 

Take a deep breath. Hold your hands about a foot apart from one another in front of you and say,

“Fire around me, burning bright, passionate and true,

Water beside me, flowing free, understanding and calm,

Earth under me, steadying strong, patient and grounding

Air above me, pushing past, darting and knowing”

Now imagine the energies of all four elements to be in between your hands. If you’re god an energy manipulation, you can pull energy from the elements around you.

Take a deep breath once again. Condense the energy and move your hands closer together. Press your hands and energy into your chest. Say,

“Become with me

Grant me your courage and strength

To get me through this day.”

Now breathe out and go about your day.

Note:

  • Doing this in front of a mirror sometimes helps.
  • Doing this in front of an altar can be helpful but it isn’t required. There’s usually enough elements in the area that you don’t need to.
  • Bathrooms are great places to cast this spell. There’s water and fire (lights or electricity or even candles) on hand. Kitchens are also good places.
  • You can adapt the spell to your elemental system

Happy casting!

Personal Party Boost Spell (Spell Saturday #23)

Ever have some sort of event you need to go to but you’re not exactly thrilled about going there? Whether it’s your least favorite cousin’s wedding or an out of town conference, sometimes you need to help boost your own personal enjoyment of event.

This spell’s purpose is to invite good, enjoyable things to happen to you personally. What happens specifically, isn’t detailed in the spell so be prepared. Maybe you’ll find someone to chat about a new book with, make a new friend, or hook up with someone amazing. You may find a great little coffee place to escape to or have someone say something that gives you a revelation. There’s a lot of room for possibility with this spell.

However, it’s a tricky spell that requires some forethought. There’s some specific conditions that need to be met in order to get the spell to work properly and mismanagement will break the spell entirely.

Time limit

The spell’s length is designed to last from the time you arrive at the event to the time you leave. If you’re in the habit of thinking that the trip to the event is part of the event itself, then you can extend the time until you leave and come back to your house. You can leave your house and come back multiple times if you need to pop in to grab something but you shouldn’t rest at your home as it’ll break the spell. Note I say “rest” and not “sleep”. Collapsing into you bed in exhaustion and then scurrying out the door again doesn’t count in this case. Essentially, the spell operates on the same atmosphere created by the event. So if you go home and veg out for a few hours in front of the TV to catch a break, you’ll interrupt the atmosphere of the event and thus the spell. If you’re relaxing at a hotel or out with friends, it doesn’t count, even if those specific things aren’t related entirely to the event itself.

Atmosphere

Another thing about this spell is that it largely feeds on the high emotions that surrounds major events. Even the most somber events will have a lot of emotions running. That’s the aforementioned atmosphere and that’s why the spell ends when the event ends. It runs out of juice, so to speak. The kind of emotions and energy isn’t important to the spell – it’s about the amount of energy and emotions. So the more chaotic and hectic the event is, the better the spell will work.

Repeated castings

While this spell can be cast multiple times (such as in the event of the spell breaking) it tends to muddle the event with fragmented spells and knots of energy. That might not make sense if you’re not sensitive to energy itself but, simply put, it leaves a residue that clutters up the space, magically speaking. The energy can be removed via cleansing or untangling but that’s an extra step and you may not have access to all the areas affected. So it’s best to cast this once and be done with it.

2013-08-10 11.06.23

Spell combination clashing

Combinations with this spell can be tricky. If you don’t watch the wording and purposes of the spells, they can clash in a rather spectacular fashion. That might be entertaining if you have nothing to be concerned about but magically priming an event so it falls to pieces when something goes wrong (and something always goes wrong) isn’t exactly a nice thing to do.

Make sure to watch what kind of spells you combine. Glamours work very well with this spell so you can use them freely. Beauty and confidence spells work beautifully with this spell. Protection spells, such as guarantees overall safety or anti-fire spells, tend to be OK. Clashes begin to occur when you focus on details like spells to boost overall happiness. Even anti-anxiety spells tend to get clash.

A good rule of thumb is remember that the spell works on the atmosphere of the event so if your spell effects the atmosphere, such as a boost to happiness or a general “this event will not make me anxious”, it will disrupt and clash with this spell.

That isn’t to say you should avoid all other spells. A piece of enchanted jewelry will reduce clashing because it’s a contained item spell. Sigils are hit and miss – sometimes they’ll clash and cause this spell to fail and sometimes they won’t.

I’ve specifically tested this with anti-anxiety spells. I think the clashing with the anti-anxiety and this spell comes from a the general blanket calm that comes with the anti-anxiety spells. If you have something very specific, such as a trigger or  squick, you can probably cast an anti-anxiety spell against that specific thing and be OK (unless, of course, the event is about that thing such as going to a baby shower when you have tokophobia.) Outside of that, items such as the previously mentioned enchanted jewelry might be a better way to go.

Blanket spell only

A blanket spell is a spell you cast without tying it to an object or yourself. Like pulling a blanket over a bed, the spell is cast over the entire space, event, or time. Blanket spells fade away over time. Most spells you run into are blanket spells.

Don’t use this spell on the event badge, if your event uses one. Event badges are great for dropping multiple spells on, especially if you don’t want to go through the trouble of enchanting jewelry or clothing but this spell doesn’t work well when tied to an object. It’s like the spell’s always primed to go and only works in bursts. Better to cast this spell as a blanket spell rather than tie it to an object.

Doesn’t effect the event itself

This spell is purposely designed so it doesn’t effect the event itself. You’re not casting it to make sure your party or wedding is a sure success. You’re casting it to make sure that you have a good time at the event.

I discovered that casting spells to boost happiness on objects, such as an arch of balloons or something, rather than a blanket spell doesn’t clash with this spell and still allows an overall effect to the event.

It’s a fussy spell, perhaps, but it can be great when you know that you’re going to need some personal entertainment at a boring event.

You’ll need:

  • An invitation to the event. Even printing out a calendar with the event on it will work.
  • Drawing powder or sugar
  • A good mood
  • A small mirror or reflective surface
  • All of the shoes you’ll be wearing

Get yourself into a good or at least ambivalent mood. You should be in a good enough mood so you don’t think less than friendly things about the event. You might not be happy about going to this event so make sure that you’re in a mood where your feelings about the event are at least neutral.

Place the invitation against the back of the mirror, so the writing or picture would be facing you if the mirror wasn’t in the way.

Sprinkle the drawing powder over your reflection in the mirror, smile and think of good, happy things when doing this. You don’t have to think of anything specific. Even remembering the cuteness of a puppy works. You just need to be truly content and happy for that moment.

Now put the mirror down and look at the invitation and say,

 

Joy comes to my side

Happiness is my companion

Luck heralds my coming

[Event name]

I join you

And bring my own sunshine

Now sprinkle some of the drawing powder inside your shoes (even flip flops or sandals) and you’re good to go!

Tips:

  • Drawing powder is often simply just powdered sugar. My own secret recipe is a bit different but essentially, it’s a powder that’s entirely purpose is to draw stuff to you.
  • You do not have to keep the drawing powder in the shoes. I typically sprinkle the powder inside the shoes then wipe the shoes clean with a paper towel a little while later. You can do it immediately or wait until you’re ready to go. It’s up to you.
  • If you want to make sure that you have certain things happen, then you’ll need to collect a pile of “good things”. For example, if you want to find a good book, have good food, or a good place to sleep, you’ll need representations of those things from your own home. So buy a cupcake, grab your favorite pillow, and snag a good book to use as representations. If you’re aiming for friendship or love, you’ll want an object that makes you think of friends or love such as rose petals or pulling up your text messages on your cellphone. Pass the invitation over the pile of good things and sprinkle with drawing sugar. This should be done before you do the mirror step.
  • I always, always bring a travel grimoire with me when traveling or attend these kinds of events. The travel grimoire can vary in size but it will have “emergency spells” such as anti-anxiety, healing, protection, etc. It’ll have information and references I might want to have (names of spirits to summon or color combinations, what-have you), and lists of 10 common herbs to use for specific purposes. This means that this little book gives me exactly what I need for reference no matter where I am. The spells are all designed to work without much set up, if any, so they can be cast on the go. Bonus tip: Even the most staunch anti-technology practitioners would benefit from keeping a short file on their cellphones for these kinds of events.
  • Ask another practitioner if they can see any conflicts with the spells you want to use. They might not use the same kind of paradigm or magic but they can still offer a different perspective.
  • Divination is completely unaffected by this spell.
  • Enchanted jewelry and clothing are witchy-essentials for events as far as I’m concerned. Enchanting stuff allows you to run spells without worrying overmuch about clashing and, more importantly, since it’s a completed spell, it doesn’t drain you. Plus you can set up the spells in advance which is huge when there’s a million things to do.
  • For goodness’ sake, enchant your suitcases and important items like cellphone and jewelry with anti-theft, return/find me!, and “notice me!” spells. It’ll help keep your cellphone in hand, your jewelry in your possession, and your suitcase from disappearing when encountering the void known as airports.

Happy casting!

Charm for Victory [Spell Saturday #20]

Sometimes you just need to win. Whether you’re at a sporting event or a court case or it’s just trivia night at the local bar or a big exam is coming up, victory is sometimes necessary. This will help.

You’ll need:

  • Bay laurel
  • Ginger
  • Chamomile
  • Protea
  • Oak leaves
  • Betony
  • Cinquefoil (Five Finger Grass)
  • Clover
  • Sturdy Green or gold bag

Collect your herbal ingredients and grind them into a powder. As you grind them, put a lot of energy and effort into it, more so then usual. Work up a sweat. When you’re happy with it, place all of the ingredients inside a sturdy green or gold bag. Carry with you when you need victory.

Notes:

  • The easiest material to make the bag out of it felt. Leather, wool, canvas, or dense cotton also works.

Happy casting!