Anyone who grows a garden has struggled with pests and thieves. It could be squirrels digging up your plants, birds plucking your berries, rabbits nibbling on the cabbage, deer grazing on your flowers, neighbors stealing your dear pumpkins, or spirits eating the essence of the peppers. (Is that last one a problem for other people or just me?)
This spell is is best used for growing rows of plants in the ground, but it can be used even in a small pot.
What you’ll need:
A scarecrow vessel (see below)
Soil from the plants you’re protecting (see below)
Juniper leaf
Garlic clove
Onion
Rose petals
Rose thorns
Rosemary
Water (see notes)
First, make or buy a scarecrow. Ideally, the scarecrow would be made of juniper, but it can be anything. It doesn’t even have to be a scarecrow. It could be a garden statue or pinwheel, but scarecrows (and similar) do help keep pets away in a mundane fashion.
Next, make a potion. In a large jar, bowl, pot, or cauldron, fill it up halfway with water. Put the juniper leaves, garlic, onion, rose petals, rose thorns, and rosemary in it. As you put them in, think or say out loud what you want to protect and what you want to protect it from.
Cover the jar and let it sit for twenty-four hours. It may be best to put it outside in the garden if you can. It may not smell great.
Alternatively, you can heat the water if you want and put the juniper leaves, garlic, onion, rose, and rosemary in it. Remember to enchant the water as you work. Let it sit and steep for an hour.
When the potion is done, strain out the ingredients and save the water. You can toss the used ingredients in your compost pile or bury them outside of your garden space.
Next go to each corner of your garden plot and collect a bit of soil. If you’re using a round plot or a pot, just take a bit of soil from the edge of the circle.
Once you have the soil, rub it over the scarecrow. Then wash the soil away with half of the potion. Use only the half of the remaining half, sprinkle a bit in the places you took the soil from.
Now place the scarecrow where you want it to go and use the last of the potion to sprinkle over it. Tell the scarecrow that you want it to protect the garden.
Notes:
The water can be any kind. Water from whatever source you water your plants from is good. Water purified by the sun or the moon (sun or moon water) or holy or sacred water is also great.
Witches and plants go hand in hand. (Generally, of course. I’m not the boss of your craft, but, you know, it’s generally a thing.)
But gardening is expensive. So expensive. You wouldn’t think nature, the thing we live on, in, around, and with would be difficult to acquire, but it is. You can easily drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year on gardening – just indoor gardening. Never mind external gardens.
And witchy plants? SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. Either you need to safely wildcraft them (and some of those plants shouldn’t be removed from their environment if you aren’t 1000% sure you can handle them, because the plants need all the propagation opportunities possible) or you buy those plants. Buying seeds can be a few bucks here and a few bucks there, but there’s always a good chance that your plant won’t grow. Then you’re out a few bucks and all you have is a jar of failed dirt. Buying live plants is a better middle ground, but plants do experience trauma so you still have a risk of them dying.
Aside from the expense of the actual plants, you may need to purchase soil, soil additives (because soil is not the same everywhere and some plants are unhappy without certain soil), pots and planters, plant trays and moving wheeled platforms for larger pots, plant food, and possibly plant lights or a water system. That’s for indoor plants. Outdoors? That’s a whole different expensive level.
So, here’s some witchy truths and tips for indoor gardens.
True Facts
You will fail. Plants will die. You may feel like a murderer. It happens to us all.
Google plant care for your plant. It may just save your plant’s life.
Ask fellow gardeners and witches for advice. This is something all of us do in regards to plants so many are quite happy to talk about it.
It’s better to have one healthy plant than six unhealthy plants.
Plants do not always smell good. Some plants smell like ass and others will smell like death, piss, or onions. The prize may outweigh the cost, but not always.
You will have bugs. Even indoors, there will be bugs.
Sometimes the organic or better quality stuff isn’t best. Think before you buy stuff for your garden. You organic soil may sprout mushrooms that kill your plants (true story) and you may find that a clear vase of water with a handful of rocks is better for a plant than a specific growing pot. Trial and error helps here, but don’t sink a ton of money on something without trying to more common stuff first.
Many, many, many plants are invasive. Mugwort, mullein, chamomile, and mint are common invasive plants used in witchcraft. I recommend googling before purchasing or at least googling before planting in the ground for all plants. Some plants spread like crazy and will destroy your garden if giving the chance.
Annual means that it grows for less than two years and will need to be replaced, most lasting a single season. Perennial means it comes back again and again. Some perennials self-sow so you may get a perennial plant to come back, just not the same plant as before.
Keep an eye on how warm your plants can get. Too much heat will kill them, but so will too much cold. It may be best to put a plant on a table near a window than in a cold window sill, even if the window gets better light.
Not all plants are pet-friendly. Google may tell you if a plant is toxic to animals, but a better bet is to just keep them out of a pet’s range.
Plants do weird shit. Expect to be surprised.
Where to get your plants
Grow from seeds
Get a cutting or live plant from a friend
Grow them from kitchen scraps
Buy a live plant at a store or nursery (online or local)
Wildcraft one (so long as the population of said plant is super stable)
Check the clearance section of a store or nursery
I’ll be honest. I normally search the clearance section of stores first for plants to rescue. Normally these are plants that are growing weirdly, need transplanting desperately, or simply look unhealthy. And they may be all of that! But they’re usually really cheap so I tend to rescue them first and foremost.
I can, have, and do grow plants from seeds. I usually keep my plant purchases to a minimum from seeds, merely because I don’t have space to give lots of plants a head-start indoors. (Most of my growing space is a single large window where all the indoor plants live during the cooler months). I normally harvest seeds from foods I’ve consumed (like avocado or lemons), but I also buy seeds from Baker’s Creek (rareseeds.com). They sell heirloom vegetables seeds as well as flower and herb seeds.
My favorite (and cheapest) suggestion is to grow plants from fruits and vegetables you already have purchased. I’ve gotten ginger, scallions (green onions), potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, garlic, and pineapples from kitchen scraps. Root vegetables and plants with bases like celery are easier to re-grow, in my opinion. A quick google search of ‘food you can re-grow from kitchen scraps’ will yield good results.
Some of my best plants I get from nurseries. Yup, they’re more expensive (but not much more, to be honest, then home improvement stores), but they’re way happier plants. And you can get some beautiful selections you might not get elsewhere. Plus, you’re supporting a local small business, which is always a good thing to do. Two years ago, my household scored black petunias (actually a very dark purple) at a nursery whereas we had never seen them before. My preferred nursery is owned and operated by a single woman and conveniently is a few houses down from my preferred farmer’s market. I just have to remember to grab some bug spray before going and I’m a happy witch.
I rarely get plants in other ways. I sometimes will transplant a wild plant to save it from becoming someone’s lawn clippings (like I did with my bittersweet nightshade) and I’ve gotten plants from other people, but largely, I acquire my plants in the above ways right now.
Planting and grow your plants
Following your plant’s care recommendations, provided by google, is best. Seriously. Each plant will require a learning curve.
My favorite pots for growing are a large clear glass jar and some cheap clay pots. I do have plastic ones, but I tend to only use them for very, very large plants. Ceramic pots are great too and I use them often. I skip concrete planters – they’re very heavy and I’ve had them crack in the New England cold winters. Who knew? Most of the time though, you’ll find a lot of my water-based plants growing in recycled olive or jam jars. I love the eclectic look of the different pots and jars, but if you like things more streamline and uniform, pick something that’s netural and available widely in a variety of sizes.
You can also use a double pot system. Plant your plant in something that might not be pretty, but you can place inside something that is pretty. I do this with plants that haven’t outgrown the pots they come in. Grow pots are cheap plastic and aren’t great, but sometimes moving a plant isn’t the best idea. I often just leave plants alone until they need some attention. I’ve done best at keeping things alive when I work in this manner.
I use decent but not stellar soil for my indoor plants (and I skip the organic stuff after a mushroom episode). I use dollar stone china plates for the bottom of my planters when I can’t find a real one to fit. Driveway gravel is great for draining rocks for the bottom of my planters, but it can be a bit sharp for some delicate rooted plants.. I dig using my hands and end up with dirt everywhere. I water as needed (unless the plants are liars) and feed them as often as I dare.
Working outdoors is a whole different game. There I have shovels, trowels, work gloves, clippers, shears, scissors, ladders, and every other thing under the sun. I use decent soil to bolster the land as needed or dive for gardening tomes to help balance the PH in the soil. I use mulch and large brim hats and consider the merits of growing compost and curse my yard’s poor dirt.
How I set up my pots generally follows like this:
I pick a pot about slightly less than twice the size of the pot the plant currently is in. If it’s a seed, then I use a very small pot about six inches tall and three inches wide. If the plant is very root bound (as in the roots are all tangled together inside the pot), I’ll upgrade to a larger pot.
I put a small layer of driveway gravel at the bottom of the pot. This is so the water doesn’t sit on the roots or soak the soil too much. If your pot has holes at the bottom (and you have a plant liner tray) then you can skip this step, but I generally always use the gravel. The gravel is somewhat pointy so be aware that it may damage very tender roots, so handle with care. I add more gravel if I’m planting something that needs drier soil, like a succulent or cactus. Some water plants are anchored by gravel and use smaller rocks for additional root assistance.
Then I put a little soil in, just enough to cover the rocks (or more if the plant is short but deep roots or it’s a seed)
I pull the plant out of the pot it’s already in, shaking some of the soil from the roots. If the plant is a seed, just plop it in the soil and plant according to recommendations. If it’s very root bound, you may end up spending several minutes loosening up the soil between the roots so the plant can have more room to grow. Be careful not to break the roots or any stems when handling the plant. Be gentle.
Then I pad the sides of the plant with soil, layering on more and more until the roots are completely covered and the plant is well secured.
Sometimes I add rocks at the top, but that’s largely depending on how much I want or need to protect the plant from soil erosion by water.
Then I drizzle water on the plant until the soil is wet. Finally, the plant can be placed happily in where I want it to go. I’ll add watering and feeding times to my calendar, as suggested by plant growing guides, and call it a day.
Planting Outside
I won’t cover planting outside right now, because it’s a super large topic and the advice will vary depending on soil type, weather, climate, sun/shade ratios, wind, what’s already growing, wildlife, and how much time you have to devote to it all.
My general advice for outdoor gardeners is to do a soil test, then you’ll have a general idea how much work you’ll need to do to adjust to plants. That being said, it may be easier for you to simply grow in containers than in the ground, especially if there’s a lot of trees, roots, shade, or something buried in the ground, like a septic tank.
Take photos and notes of the areas you want to grow in for at least a week at various times of the day. I just leave a little notebook in the window closest to that area and take notes and a photo every time I walk by. This will help you determine how much sun, wind, and shade that area gets at various times of the day. It also may tell you what wildlife is nearby.
Armed with that information, you can start planning a garden. Again, this is a huge topic, but I typically suggest raised beds, because they’re just so much easier to take care of and work with.
Now, if you have specific plants you want to grow in a specific area, then do a test. I plant my desired plant in a container and place it in a spot where I’d like to plant it in the ground in the future. It helps determine whether or not the plant will survive there. There’s no guarantee even if all this is done. Some plants just don’t do well in certain soils. You’ll have to risk failure to succeed.
You’ll also want to keep in mind how much a plant will grow and how invasive it’ll be. Mint, for example, grows easily in containers, but shouldn’t be planted in the ground or it’ll take over the whole yard. Ground cover can be useful, but sometimes it’s impossible to get rid of later and becomes a nightmare. Do your research before you plant something with a reputation of being invasive in this manner.
Adding some magic
Magic can be added to any part of the routine.
When selecting plants, I seek out the ones that are calling for help or seem to want me specifically. I listen to what the plant wants and that’s how I get many of my plants to do well. This is an animist’s point of view, of course, but I find that it really works well.
You can plant by the phases of the moon and some people do really well with it. I have a theory that if you have a lot of water on the property, planting by the moon works better, but I don’t have near enough data to really propose this seriously right now.
Water can be enchanted with the power of the sun or moon. You can also used infused water, like a tea or water from making pasta to water plants with. This will largely depend on the plant itself. For example, I use nothing but clear, clean filtered or purified water for my indoor bamboo. If I use anything else at all, it dies rapidly and it very difficult to save. Google will, yet again, be your friend.
What you fertilize your plants with can also be enchanted. Rose, according to some gardeners, like calcium so planting a hank of your hair alongside your roses is good for them. I’ve tried eggshells, but I didn’t notice any changes with my rose bush, but I think that’s largely due to the location rather than the plant itself. Once you figure out what weird things you can fertilize your plants with, the magical connections should come quickly after that.
Of course, you can additionally enchant the soil you plant in with enchanted water, carefully made compost, or enchanted draining rocks with sigils painted on them in environmentally friendly paint.
Pots are probably the easiest to enchant. You can draw or paint with environmentally safe paint on the outside and inside of the plant to encourage grow and health in the plant. This can be as simple as a sigil or written word or as complicated as an intricate painting. The choice is yours.
Placing decorations inside the pot is also useful. This can be done by placing a tiny statue in the pot with the plant in a manner where the plant won’t be crowded. I’m plotting to turn the soil around my palm plant into a tiny fairy cottage, lacing each item I acquire or make with spells for prosperity, abundance, and household happiness and health.
There are many other ways to enchant your gardening too. Garden tools can be enchanted for strength and to be rust-proof. Gloves can be enchanting to keep the hands safe. Support for plants can be soaked in enchanted water.
Don’t forget that you can simply verbalize spells by talking to your plants. There’s some research to support that plants like being talked to nicely and sweetly and that backs up my experience nicely. (The only plant I ever struggle with is a climbing rose I’ve named Diva and she’s the most prickly thing I’ve ever met. She gets me every time, no matter what I’m doing.) I like to hum or sing-song to my plants as I work on them, if I’m not just straight-out having a one-sided conversation with them. I get some strange looks, especially from my brother, but I don’t mind.
Here’s a health spell intended to encourage continued long health or increase long bouts of healthiness. If you suffer from chronic illness, this spell may increase the period of time where the illness is less impactful on your life, such as a period of less pain or more time between depressive bouts.
It’s not intended to replace actual medical care. As always, seek out a physician or health care provider if you’re feeling unwell, in addition to any spell work you may cast.
What you’ll need:
Peach
Sharp knife or carving instrument
Pen and paper
Rosemary infused oil (optional)
First, find a fresh peach. As perfect as a peach as you can get. Clean it and then eat the peach as is – whole. (So don’t cut it into slices). Set aside the kernel.
Clean the kernel, leaving it to dry fully. This may take several weeks or even months. You may be able to speed it up by drying it out in a dehydrator or on a low heat in the oven for a long time. The choice is yours.
Once the kernel is fully dry, take a pencil and trace the outline of the kernel on a piece of paper with a pencil. Do it a few times so you have many different peach pit shapes to work on. On the paper, write your full name or initials in the kernel’s shape. Depending on the size of your name and/or the size of the kernel, this may take a few tries to get it just right. You’ll also want to practice drawing the infinity sign ∞ (an 8 laying on it’s side).
Once you think you’ve gotten the writing down, take a sharp knife and carve your name or full initials onto one side of the kernel. You’ll need a lot of patience and a steady hand. On the other side, carve the infinity sign.
Optionally, lightly rub some rosemary infused oil (such as olive oil) over the peach pit when done carving. Pat dry then set aside to let dry completely. This isn’t necessary, but it’s an added bonus.
Carry this peach pit with you or place it by, above, or under your bed.
May your year be filled with glorious growth, spectacular successes, brilliant energies, great loves, few losses, and overflowing abundance!
Welcome to 2020! It’s great to be in a new year where you can give yourself a calendar-centric new page to your life.
As you can see above, my blessing for the year. Below, I’ll do a little introduction of myself (for new readers and old), a discussion of 2020’s goal and keywords, and then tackle my resolution. Not interested? That’s cool. Scroll to the end of this post for a spell to give your new year’s resolution a magical punch.
Introduction
Me: I’m Samantha, also known as This Crooked Crown. You can call me Samantha, Sam, Crown, or any variation of that. Pronouns are she/her/hers or they/their/them. I’m a professional witch, tarot card reader, seer, spirit walker, and writer. I’m a published author with my novel Spirit Walker and I’ve been practicing witchcraft for twenty five years this year. I started when I was nine!
My magical practice: I am a non-traditional secular polytheist animist witch. My witchcraft is largely folk magic, drawing from folklore, superstitions, and Anglo-Saxon and New England coastline traditions. Spirits are my forte, especially the non-human kinds, but I’ve been a seer for as long as I can remember.
Where I’m from: I hail from Rhode Island in the New England East Coast of the USA and live in a quirky house between two crossroads and alongside a nicknamed The Crossroads House. I live with my mother, my uncle, my brother The Necromancer, my 12 year old Siamese cat named Kiki, and a 14 year old grumpy box turtle named Tama.
Fun facts & details: I’m a Gemini Sun, Gemini Moon, and Tiger. I’m aligned with water first and foremost. I’m a hermit, a major introvert, and have a few chronic and mental illnesses that are often debilitating. I love water, the ocean, reading, libraries, learning, writing, folklore, stories, and curling up in something soft and warm. Autumn is my favorite time of year, but I live for summers where I can swim and be on the water every day. I will always stop to pet any cat willing to approach me.
What I do & where to find me:Etsy, Storenvy, patreon, tumblr, instagram, twitter, pinterest, facebook, and here, of course. I blog about witchcraft and magic. I sell my books, spells, readings, and crafted witchy goods, plus I also teach witchcraft lessons. I try to be open-minded, willing to help, and approachable to all.
That’s me! How many of you older readers learned something new?
2020’s Goal & Keywords
It is beyond weird to type the year “2020”. When I was a kid, I never would have imagined that I’d reach such an age. It seemed so far away! So Jetsons. But then again, I’m terrible when it comes to numbers and time is something that makes sense to other people, not me. I kind of exist in a “time is irrelevant” sort of lifestyle. Which is very liberating and very confusing at the same time. I have to have a calendar notification for things like putting out the trash, so maybe this is just a side effect of working from home? Who knows!
This year’s goal is growth.
Let’s grow and change as people. Let’s grow our minds, our hearts, our spirits. Let’s grow compassion for ourselves and others. Let’s grow positive changes for the future. Let’s grow opportunities for ourselves. Let’s grow abundance and wealth and power. Let’s look back in a year and go ‘we got somewhere’.
2020’s keywords are Sanctuary and Luck.
This year, there should be a major focus on making somewhere in your life a sanctuary. Your home, your bedroom, the local library, your office at work, your favorite coffee shop, the beach. Make that place yours, as much as you’re able. Own it. Take responsibility for it.
If it’s a public space, like the beach or library, join community groups or clean the beach drives to make it the best it can be. If it’s a space you share with others, like the office or a coffee shop, make it yours by greeting people, talking to those who work there, setting up your table or desk just so. If a coffee shop is your place, maybe invest in a travel mug, so you can mentally align with the whole “I am here so often, I even have my own mug for here”. If it’s work, deck out your space as much as possible, with things that make you feel warm and safe and secure enough to do your job 100% every day.
At home should be your sanctuary, but it might not be for a variety of reasons. If possible, make sure your place reflects who you are exactly. You’re a person who changes each and every day so your home will change too! Maybe the paint on the walls isn’t working for you. Maybe it’s time to take down those band posters since you’re not really into them anymore. Maybe you got that leather couch because you have dogs, but you never sit in them because the couches are so cold to the touch. Invest in those warm blankets and throw pillows. Put a new color on the walls. Change the curtains or make a quilt. This place should reflect you, as much as you’re able to make it reflect you. It should feel like home.
Sanctuary is more than just “I am safe in this place”. It should also be a feeling of security. Secure enough to be yourself. Secure enough to be happy. Secure enough to be and fill the space. Banish that unwanted shit from your life. It’s time to let it go.
Some things are outside of your direct control. Money, for example, has a way of making people feel very insecure. If this is you, then maybe this year is the year to try and make yourself more secure financially. Start a savings account or talk to your college loans and see if they’re willing to smaller payments so you can have more financial breathing space.
Family and friends too, has a way of making people feel insecure. Some families and friends just aren’t good and some people are just plain toxic for you. We all have them. This may be the time to finally go through your contact lists and delete some people. Unfriend that obnoxious aunt on facebook and block uncle bigotry from your lift. Chances are you can live without contact them and any news they or you need to share can probably be passed through other members of the family. Dump the friend who only comes around when they need something. You’re not a doormat. Don’t make things difficult on yourself just because etiquette or peer pressures says you should. You should be able to cultivate a space space – a sanctuary – in your own personal network of people.
You may also want to take this year to make somewhere safe for someone else. There’s lot of hatred right now in the world. A lot of fear. Let’s make this year the year of open hearts and minds. A place where religion, gender, skin color, race, and sexual orientation is accepted and normalized. It’s not an easy road, but it’s one that needs to be walked.
Luck is also a keyword this year. To me, this screams that you just need to turn your magic all the way the fuck up. Just be that witch 100% of the time.
You don’t need to have a reason to cast a luck spell. Make it so when you wash your face, you’re washing away the bad luck. Brush your hair chanting good luck is coming your way. Cast luck spells for all the endeavors. Job interview? Luck spell. Date? Luck spell. Party? Luck spell. Going for a walk? Luck spell. Luck isn’t always about hitting the lottery. It can be lucky to find a pretty stone on a walk or catch up with an old friend at the grocery store.
More than that, it’s also a good time to consider doing spells to achieve your goals or at least a clear direction for what you want. Not all of us have big, splashy dreams. Some people feel lost because they don’t know what they want. When that happens, it can feel like everything you do has no purpose or isn’t going to lead you anywhere worthwhile. If you feel this way, then it may be time to do a spell to find your own way or a new dream or goal. Or get a divination reading. Or at least make some sort of goal, like exercising once a week or read five books a year. Those goals may seem tiny or insignificant compared to a goal of publishing a novel or getting a PhD or buying a house, but it’s still a goal. It can still be accomplished. And it may lead to a milestone goal, such as buying a house. When one is lost, even those small goals can be HUGE accomplishments. Take pride in the things you accomplish, no matter how small. Even teeny, tiny steps forward are still steps forward.
My 2020 Resolution: Finish It!
The goal of 2020 is growth and my resolution is similar. I want 2020 to be the year of growth, but I also want it to be the year of finishing stuff. I have so much in the works right now. SO MUCH. I have five finished books in various stages of editing or are just straight-up finished and sitting, forgotten on a virtual shelf. FIVE. I’m also working on an oracle deck, revamping my witchcraft courses, and more behind the scenes stuff.
This year is going to be the year that shit will be finished. That the projects already started are going to be finished. A lot of times, I start things and never finish them because of fear. Fear of imperfect. Fear of not including all the things that need to be said. Fear or mistakes or failure. ADHD, OCD, and anxiety play a lot into this, but mostly, it’s just the fear of not being good enough. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I can routinely push past that (after some procrastination, so it’s a work in progress thing).
BTW, that’s my suggestion for overcoming things. Spite and understanding in equal measures. Like, I understand why I leave things hanging and I also want to drop-kick that fear in the face. How dare it stop me? I’m going to prove that fear and myself wrong by… doing exactly what I need to do to spite it. My brain’s a fun place sometimes.
So year’s goals are all about growing and becoming, but it’s also about finishing and achieving. It’s going somewhere, it’s doing something, it’s getting shit done, but finishing what I’ve started.
I imagine some of you are in the same boat, so I invite you to join me on this little adventure. Let’s arm ourselves with a shield of spite and a sword of determination. Let’s wield the magics of getting shit done and I’ve got this. Let’s shout our war-cry of “fuck this shit!” Let’s defeat the hoards of haters and journey through the lands of self-doubt and fear, following the road paved with good intentions, to defeat the final boss known as the dreaded To Do List.
(Everything sounds more epic when you make it an adventure. Try it next time you go grocery shopping or to the gym. It can be a wild ride and shake up even the worst days. It’s like trying to say ‘bubbles’ in an angry voice. Impossible to stay in a bad mood and yet weirdly satisfying.)
The Spell
Okay, if you skipped to the end, hi! If you read the whole post, then wow and thanks for reading my rambling! Either way, here’s your spell.
New Year’s Resolution Self-Dedication Spell
This spell’s intended goal is to turn your regular ol’ new year’s resolution into a magical dedication to yourself. A magical promise. Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients:
An item you touch every single day (your phone, hair brush, keys, the fridge)
Citrus (an orange, for example)
Your new year’s resolution written on paper
Water
Write down your new year’s resolution on a slip of paper.
Fill a jar or cup with water. Ideally, it should be solar water (water infused with a full day of sunshine), but it can be moon water or even just regular tap water.
Zest the orange into the water. If you have no idea what zesting is, I’ll explain. Essentially, you take your orange (or whatever citrus you’re using) and you take a knife or vegetable peeler, and you peel a sliver of the rind or skin of the citrus fruit. It doesn’t need to be a big or deep sliver. You’re aiming for the peel rather than the fruit or the membrane around the fruit (the white stuff in an orange), but if you get some of the fruit or membrane, that’s ok. I’d add seven pieces of zest to the water, but you can do as much or as little as you’d like. Alternatively, you can use a citrus extract, a citrus essence, or a citrus essential oil.
Now add the paper with your resolution into the water. Allow to sit, at least twenty minutes (for the year 2020). If you’re using this spell at any other time, I’d recommend seven hours, for luck. But you can leave it for any period of time that feels magically important to you.
While you wait, it’s time to consider a magical symbol. You can make a sigil from the new year’s resolution with any method you like. Or you can pick a magical symbol that holds importance to you (like a pentacle, arrow, cross, etc). You can also draw any symbol that represents your resolution, like a graduation cap for graduating college, a dumbbell for the gym, or a book for reading more. You could also just write out your new year’s resolution in words or even abbreviate it. Or you can mix and match the aforementioned ideas to come up with your own little symbol.
You may also want to take this time to lightly cleanse the object you’re enchanting. Not enough of a cleansing to wipe away any previous enchantment, but enough to serve as a refresh or breath of fresh air. I tend to use bell chimes for this, but to each their own. It’s a completely optional step though.
Once the time’s up, using your finger, a paintbrush, or a wand, draw or write your chosen phrase or image onto the surface of the chosen object with the orange water. Take your time and say the resolution aloud as you write or draw.
When done, say the following:
"Enchanted now you are, Bespelled you will be, You'll keep me to my promise Of [your new year's resolution]. With my breath, I seal this spell And set myself my goal. One I will achieve, As long as this spell you hold."
Now take a deep breath and exhale it over the drawn surface.
That’s it! You’re done. Every time you touch the object, you should feel a pull to achieve your resolution. You can add a line to the verse to give yourself a punishment if you don’t achieve your resolution, but I don’t like to punish myself for not doing something, because life happens. You do you though.
You can wipe down the object later or clean it as normal. Just wait at least 20 minutes (in 2020) or at least 7 minutes (any other time) to do so.
Does that spell look great but don’t want to cast it yourself? Contact me and I can cast the spell for you. Details here.
There are thousands of ways to break a curse. But the other day I was thinking about curse breaking with ordinary items. The humble egg is the most common hex breaking tool in your average kitchen. But what about an apple?
Apples are great for love and healing spells. They’re used in binding spells too. And no one can forget the apple curse that trapped Snow White. But breaking a curse with an apple? Absolutely.
I can think of several ways to make this work, the most obvious being simply using the apple as a poppet – which is actually something of a traditional substitute. But we’re going to go a different way with a hex breaking spell today.
This spell is intended to break a hex or curse that you think has been placed on you. With an ingredient as common as an apple, you can easily do this unhexing even if you’re unsure that you’ve been hexed.
Ingredients:
A firm sour apple or crab apple
An onion
A sharp, large knife
Heavy duty cutting board
Skewer or string
Get yourself either a crab apple or a firm, sour apple. Small green apples tend to be more sour, so aim for one of those. You might find the apples you need under “baking apples” rather than “eating apples”. Wash your apple well and dry it off.
Set your cutting board up and make sure your knife is sharp enough to go entirely through the apple with one slice.
Breathe across the apple and rub it over your heart. Take your time with this. As you breathe across the apple, concentrate on breathing out negativity and any spiritual gunk you have. The intent here is to connect yourself to the apple so the curse is passed to the apple.
Once you think you’re ready, cut the onion in half. Then, with the same knife on the same cutting board, chop or slice the apple in half in a single, powerful move.
Rub the onion’s cut side on the apple’s cut side. Then skewer or tie the onion to half of the apple. Essentially, you’re creating two half apple and half onion.
Take the apple-onions, touching only the onion sides, to a crossroads far away from your house, workplace, or anywhere you frequently visit. Leave or bury the apple-onions at the crossroads.
Notes:
The onion here is serving as a binding agent and a purifying agent. If you can’t touch onions, garlic or similar noxious purifiers will work.
Black string is probably best for this, but a wooden skewer or even toothpicks will work.
A simple but effective charm to gain attention. This can be used when you want to be flattered, charm someone at a bar or club, show well at an audition or interview, or stand out in a crowd.
I wouldn’t particularly consider this a kind spell. It gains attention, but it doesn’t necessarily gain good attention. You may gain the attention of someone you’d rather not deal with. You may get yelled at by your parents instead of spend time with them. It gives you attention – it doesn’t say what kind of attention. It’s up to you to use the attention you gain to your advantage.
That being said, it’s good when you want to stand out while at the club, auditions, or interviews.
Ingredients:
Yellow or red candle
Floral fabric
Clover
Apple or apple blossom
Thyme
Jasmine
Oak leaf or acorn
Almond or almond blossom
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
St. John’s wort
Eyebright
Rosemary
Hydrangea
Rose
Peony
Sugar
Rose quartz
Carnelian
Quartz crystal
Citrine
Bloodstone
Goldstone
Fire agate
Aventurine
Garnet
Magnet or magnetic sand
Make a charm bag that closes using the fabric. It can be as large or small as you’d like. A good sized charm bag for this specific charm should fit in the palm of your hand.
Carve into the candle “I shine. I glow. I am like fire.” Use a knife, toothpick, or even just write it with a sharpie.
Gather together at least seven ingredients from the list (excluding the candle and fabric) and spread them before the candle.
Light the candle and say the following:
I shine and glow
I rise above others
Others will see and know me
I am like fire
I draw people like moths to a flame
Blow out the candle. Fill the charm bag with your chosen items and carry it with you when you wish to gain attention.
Notes:
Yellow is a good color choice for this charm. Yellow roses, yellow peonies, yellow fabric, antiqued hydrangeas, and so on. Anything that’s yellow or gold works well.
Sewing’s the best option for creating the fabric bag, as you can using knot magic in your stitches as a boost. But you can glue, staple, or create the charm bag any way you’d like.
You can repeat the spell as often as you like, reusing the candle and stone ingredients again. You’ll need new dried herb though.
If you read the title in Gandalf’s voice, you’re doing it right. You Shall Not Pass! is what I call an “active defensive spell”. It’s a security system. Essentially, it’s a passive, dormant spell that sits an only activates when someone or something happens outside of what you’ve programmed. It’s one of my favorite and most used protection spells ever.
This spell can be cast on any object, but it’s best used for a stationary object, like a doormat, door threshold, or fence. Check the notes for an incomplete list of ideal enchant-able objects for this spell.
Shout out to one of my tumblr followers for the doormat idea and the reminder that this is a spell I haven’t shared yet. I didn’t name you, in case you want anonymity for safety reasons, but if you want full credit, just let me know and I’ll happily add you.
What you’ll need:
An object to enchant
General active defense (spell base):
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Ivy (or any climbing vines or vine plant)
Rose thorns
Rose petals
Rue
Hydrangea
Your finger or toe nails
Your hair or blood
Plant from the property
Salt
Sand
Against thieves, theft or trespassing:
Rosemary
Thistle
Heliotrope
Juniper
Cactus
Against jealousy, envy, or gossip (ie nosy neighbors)
Rue
Pepper
Hydrangea
Heliotrope
Clove
Slippery elm
Against deception or for the truth: (ie, solicitors)
Snapdragon
St. John’s Wort
Calla lily
Against bad luck, negativity, evil, or malevolent spells, witches, spirits, or witchcraft:
Bay laurel
Betony
Cyclamen
Dill
Garlic
Juniper
Patchouli
Rue
Snapdragon
St. John’s Wort
Thyme
Vervain
Yarrow
Chives
Roses
Rosemary
White birch bark
Select ingredients from each list above. You can have as many or as few as you’d like. Try doubling up (like snapdragon or roses). The flowers of petals may be the easiest to procure but try to get the vines or stems of the plants too.
This spell does call for finger/toe nails, blood or hair, and plants from your home. This is totally up to you but the nails are your own strength and magic for the spell. The blood or hair is the “alarm” part of the spell. And the plants from your home are to connect the spell to the location itself. If live in an apartment without plants, maybe grab some dirt or a stone from the property. If that’s not doable, try to get a bit of dust from your home.
Mix the ingredients together and reduce to as fine as a powder as you’re able to get.
If the object to be enchanted is a vertical object, like a door, skip the powdering. Just mix the ingredients together and add 2 cups of hot tap water to the ingredients. Let steep 1 hour and strain. You’ve now got a concoction.
Either way, while you powder or steep your ingredients, stand over the ingredients and think of the people you want “allowed” into your space – friends, loved ones, neighbors, church folks, mail carrier, girl scouts selling cookies, etc. Also think of people you do NOT want, like door to door salesman, thieves, ex-lovers, and so on.
Sprinkle your concoction or powder across the object to be enchanted and say,
None shall pass
this [object] unwanted or unbidden
Trip the trespassers, track the thieves
Ban the disdained, dismiss the shifty
None shall cross my [object]
That I do not want to pass
Sweep or brush the object off, as desired and toss the rest of the ingredients in the garbage or compost. You could bury the remaining ingredients on your property, if you desire.
For the spell to work, you should feel a sudden awareness or conscious thinking about the object when something unwanted it coming near it. That’s the “trigger” to let you know something’s nearby. It doesn’t matter if the spell “alerts” you through this trigger, because the spell will automatically register those you don’t want and go to defend against them.
Notes:
Here’s an incomplete list of objects you can enchant using this spell:
Doors
Door frames
Windows
Windowsills
Porches
Fences
Property lines
Doormats
Windchimes
Mailboxes
Yard decoration like statuary
Yard furniture like chairs or tables
Cars or vehicles
Driveway stakes (like the reflective ones to mark the end of a driveway)
Meeting people when you’re an introvert is hard. Being introverted doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re socially awkward but rather than you have a limited amount of energy to use on social interactions. Even small interactions like answering an email or saying hi to the neighbor as you walk to your door can be tiring. Talking to clerks at the store or going out to run errands in general can be exhausting. When you run out of energy to socialize, you need to recuperate. Alone time, even if you’re not actually alone physically, to rest your mind and nerves.
Or, at least, that’s how it is for me. I’m a hermit and quite happily an introvert.
Anyway, being introverted means that you’re probably not visiting crowded places often so you’re not likely to meet new people as often. This makes it hard, especially as an adult, to make new friends or lovers.
This spell was designed to do two things: 1) gently offer energy and nudge you to meet new people. 2) To bring new people into your routine. This means that you don’t have to break out of your mold quite as much as you normally would to meet new people.
I highly recommend reading the notes as there’s a lot of tips about this spell in there.
What you’ll need:
Your favorite flower or plant
Caffeinated coffee grounds
Granulated honey or granulated sugar
Carnation petals, borage, nettle, rosemary, or yarrow
A largeish paper bag
A small bell on red ribbon
Your shoes
Your keys
First, gather up your flower and ingredients. This spell can be done at any time but a new moon may be the best for a more celestial connection.
Sprinkle the sugar or granulated honey, herbs and/or flowers, and coffee grounds in the paper bag. As you do this, you can say or think of the kind of love you want to experience. Don’t focus on the person. Focus on the feelings you want to feel.
Assemble the bell. If you’re using ribbon to attach it, then string it. If you’re not and plan on attaching it to your keys or bag in some other way, make sure you can do that. Ring the bell once, over the bag, then place it inside the bag and say,
“When the bell chimes and rings,
Love will come near me.
I see them and they see me.”
Next, place the shoes inside the bag. As you do this, say.
“Where I walk,
Love will walk beside me.
I will go where they may go and they will go where I may go. “
If you have any other items you’d like to add, such as a wallet or cellphone, put that in now. These should be items you love and use most often in public. Think carefully before selecting the items and what you say. For example, if you use your wallet in the spell, you may find that you’ll only meet new potential lovers when you’re spending money. If you only use your phone, you may only run into people you know in your contacts list, people you use your phone to contact (which might be a good thing), or you may only meet interesting people when they’re bothering you while you’re using your phone.
Finally, add in your keys, jingling them before you put them in, saying.
“What my keys open is also my heart,
Love will become open to me.
I am brave enough to love them and they are brave enough to love me.”
Close the bag up and shake it. You can shake it as many time as you want, such as a sacred or favorite number. While you do this, think about the kind of love that you want to experience. Remember to think of all facets of the relationship, not just the meeting of your potential new lovers but also any relationship that might take place. Be sure that you include your own power and thoughts in this – you want to be able to say no or choose the lover just as much as they choose you, for example. You want the potential love and attraction to be reciprocated by both of you.
When you’re ready, open the bag up and pull out your items. Start with non-essential items like a wallet, then pull out your keys, shoes, and finally the bell. When you pull the bell out, ring it again, over the items you’ve pulled out.
Clean off your items from the flower, coffee, and sugar. The remaining flowers, coffee, and sugar in the bag can be put in a charm bag or bottle to carry and give you an extra little boost.
Notes:
Some flowers might not be in season for you right now or cannot be purchased at a local florist (or would be too expensive to do so). Try tea stores as they often have dried version of many plants in a mix of tea leaves.
You can pick something that is scented by your favorite flower, if you really can’t find any locally.
If you don’t have a favorite flower or plant. Use meadowsweet, lovage, or majoram. You can use rose petals as a last resort (assuming it isn’t your favorite flower). Also, maybe consider getting a favorite flower? Even the most macho men or anti-nature folks can have a favorite flower!
You can use any sweeter of choice but pick one that is dry. Honey, for example, is actually better for this sort of spell, but it’s a typically a wet ingredient.
Carnations, borage, nettle, yarrow, and rosemary are traditionally used to offer courage. If you have another courage-related plant you’d prefer, use that.
The bell can be any size or shape. It doesn’t have to be on a ribbon. You can just attach it to your keys through your key ring, if you prefer.
The paper bag can be a box or any kind of bag you have but it should be big enough to put your stuff in.
The shoesshould be the ones you use most commonly or are your absolute favorite.
You can use other items as well such as a favorite coat, hand bag, wallet, headphones you always wear, cellphone, etc.
This hex is designed to cause trouble between two people. Why would you do this? There’s lots of reasons; I’m sure you can think of a few. The spell isn’t designed to hurt anyone. It’s merely there to cause trouble between two or more people.
What you’ll need:
A pepper (red preferred, but up to you)
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Salt
Lemon juice
Twine
Knife and spoon
Slips of paper and writing utensil
Your targets’ names
A place to bury the pepper
First, cut your pepper in two and scoop out the seeds. Wash it clean. You don’t want any of the seed left behind. If you’re using more than two names, cut the pepper in quarters.
Write your targets’ names on a slip of paper, one name per a piece of paper. Place the paper on each side of the pepper. Now sprinkle the black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt over the names. As you do this say,
“Your words burn your tongues
Fire banks your friendship
Your relationship turns to dead ash.”
Now place the pieces back together, like a puzzle, so it looks as whole again as possible. Tie the twine around the pepper to keep the pieces together. Take it somewhere and bury it.
Notes:
You can definitely put your own name into this spell. Maybe you want to break up with a lover or friend and don’t know how to do it. This spell should help that along. Remember to be safe though.
Peppers aren’t always safe to handle. Remember to wash your hands so you don’t get any capsicum into your eyes or other sensitive body parts.
You can toss the pepper into the compost or garbage, if you want, but burying is a better choice for this spell.
This spell will not guarantee your safety but it should help provide opportunities to keep you safe. This spell is ideal for situations where you may be evacuated due to weather. Remember to heed safety and rescue instructions when you’re dealing with severe weather conditions. And please, be safe.
What you’ll need:
Nettle
Mugwort
Mullein
Thyme
Chalcedony
Coins
Red bag
Gather all the ingredients together. You only need a pinch of each of the herbs. They can be dried or fresh. This spell is best made up ahead of time, especially if you fear you may need to move quickly or be evacuated.
Once you have everything, lay it out in front of you and prepare the small bag you’ll need to store and carry these items with. Red is used to create energy, protect, and to help you be seen. Draw, cast, or place protective sigils and symbols on the bag. You can even wash the bag in protective or sacred water.
Focus on feeling safe, powerful, and capable. Hold each ingredient in front of you, in turn, and say the following,
Hold the mugwort in front of you, concentrating on it.
“Mugwort, I call upon you to lessen fatigue,
I carry you to protect me
From storms and enemies, at home or away.
Protect me while I travel,
Let me weather the storms around me.”
Place the mugwort in your bag. Pick up the nettle, place it in front of you and say,
“Nettle, I call upon you to calm the storm,
I carry you to give me courage
From fear and pain, brought by others and myself.
Protect me from what will harm me,
Guide me to where I can weather this storm.”
Place the nettle in the bag. Pick up the mullein, hold it in front of you and say,
“Mullein, I call upon you to ease my weariness
I carry you to keep my lungs clear,
From pain and cowardice, allowing my voice to be heard.
Protect me from what will ail me,
Guard my health and body as I weather this storm.”
Place the mullein in the bag. Pick up the thyme, holding it in front of you as you say,
“Thyme, I call upon you protect me
I carry you to strength me
From the depths of my heart and soul, protecting and encouraging.
Protect me from all which will bring misery,
Bring me what I need to survive and thrive.”
Place the thyme in the bag.
Pick up the chalcedony and hold it to your heart. Concentrate on you and your loved ones being safe and healthy through the storms. Place it in the bag. Chalcedony is good for traveling and protecting yourself during political upheaval.
Gather the coins in your hands. Rub the coins between your hands, like you’re lathering soap. The coins are meant to figuratively allow you to pay your way past trouble and malicious spirits. Say or think as you rub your hands.
“These coins pay my way on the road ahead.”
Place the coins in the bag. When and if you feel like you’re being hunted by spirits or bad luck, take out a coin and leave it somewhere. After you place the coin, leave that place and don’t look back.
After everything’s in the bag, close the bag up and keep it on you until fair skies return.
Notes:
If you’re in a pinch, items can be stored in a sock or envelope or even shoved into the pocket of a coat or bag.
Red is used to create energy, protect, and to help you be seen. Blue can be used to protect, if you prefer.
This Crooked Crown 