(Rheum spp.) Planet: Venus Element: Earth Energies: Love, protection Magical uses: Rhubarb is native to China, where it is still used in medicinal herbalism. All parts of the plant are poisonous save ...
(Raphanus sativus) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection Lore: Wild radishes, eaten before breakfast, were once thought to protect the diner from being flogged and to enable one to overcome ...
Planet: Moon Element: Earth Energies: Psychic awareness Lore: Pharaohs in ancient Egypt ate mushrooms, but the common people did not. Romans believed that mushrooms provided strength to the body. Mush...
(Capsicum spp.) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection Lore: From archaeological evidence found in Mexican caves, chili peppers seem to have first been cultivated 9,000 years ago. The Aztecs ...
(Brassica spp.) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Protection Magical uses: Broccoli is a fine addition to protective diets. Season with basil, garlic, and mustard seed for increased power
Secale spp.) Planet: Venus Element: Earth Energies: Love Magical uses: The familiar taste and smell of rye bread comes from the caraway seeds used in its creation, not from the rye. Rye, however, is a...
(Oryza sativa) Planet: Sun Element: Air Energies: Money, Sex, Fertility, Protection Lore: Rice is to Asia what corn is to the Americas. It has been laboriously cultivated and eaten in the East for tho...
Here are 13 easy to find ingredients A Kitchen Witch should always have on hand for everyday use, general use, and of course Magickal use. Sometimes knowing where to start is the hardest part. Discove...
Just stop and think about the Magickal properties of cooking…The Goddess and God energy that is in your kitchen…Well..if you haven’t given it a thought let me see if I can change your perspective abou...
Salvia Rosmarinus, commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was ...
Beef: basil, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, thyme, savory Lamb: marjoram, mint, rosemary, savory Pork: basil, chives, elder, rosemary, sage Poultry: parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, savory F...
Anise* Planet: Mercury/Jupiter Element: Air Main magickal uses: Contacting other planes, divination, love, passion, preventing nightmares, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purifica...
This ancient Celtic festival lives on in the United States and in other countries as Halloween, a degraded version of both the earlier Pagan holiday as well as the later Christian variant—All Hallow’s...
Imbolc is an old festival connected with the coming of spring and the growing warmth of the sun. In some areas of Europe, this day marked the emergence of a few brave plants from beneath the snow. As ...
Altar Cloth Amulets, Talismans, Jewelry Athame’ or sharp Knife Baskets Beads Bells (brass or glass?) Book of Shadows Bowls, Platters, Pitcher Candles and Holders Capes and/or Robes Cauldron Censor or ...
In general: Greens are linked with fairies in Scotland and Ireland. This may be one reason why green has long been thought to be an unlucky colour. Additionally, greens were once rarely found at weddi...
(Daucus carota) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Sex Magical uses: Carrots have been consumed since the days of ancient Greece to induce the desire for sexual contact. Prepared and eaten with the ...
Bread, the basic product of grain, was offered to the deities. Ishtar, Shamash, and Marduk were each given thirty loaves a day in Sumer. Ra, Amon, Ptah, and Nekhbet received their share in Egypt. Dem...
(Lens culinaris) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Peace Lore: In 1085 B.C.E., Egyptians traded lentils for the prized cedars of Lebanon. During Graeco-Roman times, the Egyptians offered lentils t...
The summer solstice is an ancient time of magic. Great fires were lit on hilltops in honour of the zenith of the sun’s strength. Fresh fruits (which are increasingly available as autumn nears) are fin...
The Ritual of Eating is a simple practice. We put food into our mouths, then chew and swallow it. Because of food’s importance, it has been linked with politics, social structures, legal systems, hea...
Planet: Various Element: Various Energies: Various Magical uses: Generally, all sprouts are fine for promoting psychic awareness. Here’s a list of some specific sprouts and their energies: Alfalfa (Ve...
Planet: Venus Seaweed salad in bowl, Japanese cuisine Element: Water Energies: Physical energy Lore: After they’d arrived in what is now known as Mexico, the Spaniards observed the Aztecs eating what ...
(Alliurn spp.) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection, physical strength Lore: Leeks are steeped in myth and folklore. In twelfth-century Persia they were worn over the left ear to prevent in...
Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Protection Lore: Legend has it that Brussel sprouts were created from wild forms of cabbage growing in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar relied on cabbage to prevent or to ...
Humans have eaten bread for at least 8,000 years. We have made it round, oblong, square, and triangular; flat as a pancake or fat as a loaf. Bread has been twisted into a symbol of the winter solstice...
The blender and food processor of earlier times, the mortar and pestle are still used by some cooks to crush or to grind herbs and nuts. Prehistoric mortars have been found among the archaeological re...
Mabon marks the second harvest. The bounty of nature is dwindling. Earth begins to pull her fertility from the land. Humans and wild animals alike scramble to gather as much food as possible in prepar...
Ostara, the spring solstice, marks the astronomical start of spring. This was a time of joyous celebration, for the killing months of winter were over. Plants sprang from the ground in ways that seeme...
(Spinacea oleracea) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: In the United States, spinach is remembered as the favorite food of a popular cartoon character, upon whom it magically bestowe...
(Lactuca sativa) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Peace, money, celibacy Lore: Lettuce was sacred to the god Min in ancient Egypt. Min, whose graphic depictions as a phallic god were deemed obsce...
(Anthriscus cerefolium) Planet: Mercury Element: Air Energies: Weight Loss Lore: Folk magicians once boiled chervil with pennyroyal. The resulting brewwas thought to cause its drinker to see double. T...
(Phaseolus spp.) Planet: Mercury Element: Air Energies: Money, sex Lore: Beans were a major part of the diets of many Mesoamerican cultures,including the Maya and the Aztecs. They’re still an importan...
Plates were probably used before bowls. The first plates were flat pieces of wood or stiff leaves, which came in handy for holding and slightly cooling cooked food prior to eating. Plates are ruled by...
When preparing foods for specific magical purposes, cook with purpose and care. Keep your goal in mind. Know that the food contains the energies that you require.— Always stir clockwise. The clockwise...
Planet: Sun Element: Fire Energies: Spirituality, protection Lore: Tortillas are a standard Mexican food. They are still made in the same way as they were during Aztec times. Round, containing sacred ...
1/4 watermelon, diced into bite-sized chunks 1/2 cucumber 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (I like to leave the feta in rather large chunks: personal preference) 1 lime 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I be...
Though they are commonly found in Western tables today, forks were once used solely for noneating purposes such as spearing fish, working with hay, and digging. The first fork was probably a forked st...
Many witches are strict vegetarians. They shun meat, poultry, and fish; some even avoid eggs and milk products. They often believe that spiritual advancement and magical ability can only be obtained w...
(Helianthus annuus) Planet: Sun Element: Fire Energies: Protection, success Lore: Sunflowers were viewed as symbols of the sun by the ancient Incas of Peru. Gold crowns inspired by this flower were re...
Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Weight loss Lore: Seaweed (more correctly, sea vegetables) are surprisingly nutritious foods that are rarely found in Western diets, except as processed food addi...
(Allium cepa) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection, weight loss Lore: The great city of Chicago was named for the local Indians’ word for the wild onions growing in the area—chicago. Accord...
Brassica spp.) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Protection Magical uses: Eat fresh or cooked cauliflower as part of a protection diet. To increase its effectiveness, cook cauliflower with dill, m...
Planet: Venus Element: Earth Lore: Wheat has long played a part in the human diet. After rice, it’s the second-most commonly used grain for human food, and was first cultivated during the Neolithic ag...
(Pucium miliacaeum) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: In ancient China, grains of millet were used as a unit of measure: ten millet grains placed end to end constituted one inch, on...
This ancient Celtic festival lives on in the United States and in other countries as Halloween, a degraded version of both the earlier Pagan holiday as well as the later Christian variant—All Hallow’s...
Pantries were once common to every home. Today, most of us fill cupboards with staples and canned foods. The pantry is ruled by the element of earth and the moon; because it is a container that houses...
Another rationale for vegetarianism seems to be that meat is a poison. It’s true that much of the meat eaten today in the United States is injected with growth hormones and is too fatty for sustaining...
Lughnasadh is the first harvest—the promise of spring’s planting realized. Sometimes known as the Feast of Bread, Lughnasadh is a time for kneading, baking, slicing, and eating this basic food. Lughna...
(Lycopersicon spp.) Element: Water Energies: Health, money, love, protection Lore: Known as zictomatl by the Aztecs,the tomato is an ancient food. When it was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth c...
(Olea europaea) Planet: Sun Element: Air Energies: Spirituality, health, peace, sex Lore: The olive was sacred to Aten in ancient Egypt. Olive oil, which was in great demand in the ancient world, actu...
(Cucumus sativus) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Peace, healing Lore: Fresh cucumbers were once placed under swooning women’s noses (remember swooning?). The odor was supposed to rouse them fro...
(Beta vulgaris) Planet: Saturn Element: Earth Energies: Love, beauty Lore: Beets have been eaten for centuries by persons wishing to lengthen their life spans. Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of ...
(Fagopyrum esculentum) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: Buckwheat pancakes are common enough in the United States, but few seem to know the magical history behind buckwheat itself....
Altar Cloth Amulets, Talismans, Jewelry Athame’ or sharp Knife Baskets Beads Bells (brass or glass?) Book of Shadows Bowls, Platters, Pitcher Candles and Holders Capes and/or Robes Cauldron Censor or ...
Many cultures celebrate the New Year, but not always on the same date. Japanese and Chinese New Year festivals, for example, fall on different days each year (according to our calendar). The pre-Chris...
About prayer: if you don’t subscribe to any particular religion, and haven’t been in the habit of praying before meals, there’s no reason for you to begin to do so. Prior to eating, simply attune with...
Planet: Mercury Element: Fire Energies: Sex, peace, psychic awareness, weight loss Lore: Roman women ate celery to increase their sexual appetites. Magical uses: This plant’s aphrodisiac powers have l...
(Glycine max) Planet: Moon Element: Earth Energies: Protections, psychic awareness, spirituality Lore: We know soy in two forms: soy sauce and tofu. While soy sauce has always enjoyed popularity in th...
Incense Magick has formed a central part of religious and magical ceremonies for thousands of years in lands as far apart as India and North America. It has been used for purification purposes, to inv...
Incense, like music, speaks without words to the conscious mind. It stirs the emotions as it brings back memories of things, events, places, and people long since forgotten. Because of its evocative n...
THE FOLLOWING IS THE GENERAL FORMULA FOR MAKING INCENSE POWDERS • Mix all of the ingredients together. • Place the mixture into a glass storage jar until ready to use. • When ready to use, place a sma...
Most of these use frankincense or copal as the resin component. Frankincense is an excellent all-purpose resin that possesses energies related to healing, purification, blessing, meditation, serenity,...
No matter what the colour or meaning, finding feathers is a true blessing and a sign of love from your Angels. Want to know more about your angels and spirit guides? A reading with one of our gifted a...
Allspice Allspice is used in spells for money, strength and action. Apple Blossom Use apple blossom for love, fertility, optimism, inner beauty and youthfulness. It is particularly good in rituals con...
Six is the number of Venus in her morning star aspect of love. You can use this incense ritual for attracting love, for deepening a relationship, consummating it or strengthening it during a difficult...
Incense Magick has formed a central part of religious and magical ceremonies for thousands of years in lands as far apart as India and North America. It has been used for purification purposes, to inv...
Incense is associated with the element of Air, and, in some traditions, Fire. Smouldering incense is often placed before images of the deities on an altar or a shrine. Many Witches feel that incense i...
This is a very simple ritual that can be performed any time, anywhere. You can use it daily, or whenever you feel the need for it. The ritual grows more powerful as it is repeated. It draws positive e...
Imbolc is one of the four Greater Sabbats of the witch’s calendar, a cross-quarter fire festival that falls between “Yule” – the Winter Solstice, and “Ostara” – the Spring Equinox. Imbolc is celebrate...
Imbolc of old was traditionally a time of purification, both physically and mentally. After the dark winter months when the home was shutdown to guard against the cold, it was a welcome relief for man...
In the mythology of the Sabbats, Imbolc marks the recovery of the Goddess as she sleeps on after the birth of the Sun God. Although he is still young his light purifies the earth and his growing power...
Fire is one of the most important aspects of this celebration, for it was also a day dedicated to the pagan Goddess Brighid (also known as, Bríde, Bridget, Brigit or Brìd). Brighid is a triple aspect ...
In Western Europe, Imbolc was time to start preparing the fields for the first plantings, and to bless the crop seeds saved and stored from the last harvest. It was also a time to consecrate and bless...
Imbolc is all about new beginnings. On the eve of Imbolc all the home fires would have been put out, cleaned out and re-lit symbolic of the returning light of the Sun. In keeping with this symbolism, ...
After the rise of Christianity in Britain, the custom of lighting candles at Imbolc was taken up by the Roman Catholic Church and renamed Candlemas. On the eve of Candlemas, candles would be lit all a...
The use of candles in a Festival of Light never died out however and has returned to pagan practice. Today in contemporary witchcraft, one of the main features of many traditional covens is the initia...
Imbolc then is the time to spring clean both your mental and physical abilities, to take stock of your life and make a fresh start. By planning ahead and planting new seeds (ideas) for the future, who...
The making a Brighid’s crosses was a tradition started in Ireland to honour one of pagan Ireland’s most important Goddesses Brighid. Brighid who is associated with fire, healing and holy wells, is cel...
By February, most of us are tired of the cold, snowy season. Imbolc reminds us that spring is coming soon, and that we only have a few more weeks of winter to go. The sun gets a little brighter, the e...
Imbolc is an old festival connected with the coming of spring and the growing warmth of the sun. In some areas of Europe, this day marked the emergence of a few brave plants from beneath the snow. As ...
Imbolc is a gentle festival, where we honor the first signs of spring after a long winter. It has long been dedicated to the goddess Brighid who has associations with fire and water. Allow this time o...
Use this spell to stop or impede an adversary or irritating person who will not take no for an answer. Items needed: One small opaque container, a bottle of Tabasco sauce, and a picture of or handwrit...
Given that water is symbolic of potential, swift movement, and the ability to nurture, it only stands to reason that ice be given symbolic jurisdiction as well. Water flows, promotes growth, responds ...
ALLERGIES Herbs used:Blessed Thistle, Scullcap, Goldenseal, Cayenne, Marshmallow, Lobelia, Burdock.Other uses: Colds, Hay Fever, Upper respiratory infections ANEMIA Herbs used:Red Beet, Yellow Dock, L...
As we enter the colder season of the year, chances are many of us will get a cold or the flu. Luckily there are many inexpensive herbs that can help prevent or soothe the symptoms. They raise immunity...
These deities may be invoked in rituals involving not only change but also good fortune. Oya Oya is the African goddess, also known as Yoruba, who rules the winds and so controls the winds ofchange. S...
There are so many ways that our immune systems can be overwhelmed … it’s in our air, our water, our food, our workplace, our stress. This blend of organic and wild herbs is not only helpful but comfor...
You can make this fragrant tea with herbs from your garden or dried herbs that you buy. Seven Flower Tea cools you down on a warm summer’s day, helping to keep you calm and soothe your digestion.1 qua...
Ingredients 3 pounds of blackberries3 pounds of sugar1 gallon of boiling water Method Wash berries, put in large bowl and pour over them the boiling water. Stir well, then cover the bowl and leave for...
Ingredients 2 quarts of dandelion flowers3 pounds sugar1-ounce yeast1 lemon1 orange1 gallon boiling water Method Pick the dandelions on a sunny day. Pick just the heads until you have two-quart jugs f...
Ingredients For The Starter:1/2 Ounce Yeast2 Teaspoons SugarTo Feed The “Plant”:7 Teaspoons Ground Ginger7 Teaspoons SugarTo Flavour:1 1/2 Pounds SugarJuice Of 2 Lemons Method Mix starter ingredients ...
The brewing of magickal potions is a traditional skill of witches. Images of the cackling witches in Macbeth might come to mind, with their bubbling cauldron and horrible potion ingredients, or one ma...
Such a ritual can be used to encourage creativity and growth of all kinds. It may be performed either alone or in a group, with everyone present joining in the chants. Use as many kinds of wood as pos...
Candle colours: Dark green, silver and red Symbols: Fresh greenery, especially hawthorn; any flowers that are native to your region, placed in baskets; dew gathered on May morning (girls should bathe ...
This Celtic festival of summer is also called Bel-fire, the festival of Belenus, the Celtic god of light. Time: Sunset 30 April-sunset 2 May (31 October-2 November in the southern hemisphere) Focus: T...
This is another traditional time when the veils between the worlds are thin, and we can encounter beings from the Otherworld easily as we slip between the worlds. It is traditionally a time to honour ...
Conceive a new project, grasp that idea, and get on with it.
We still observe May Day, a contemporary version of an ancient European Pagan religious celebration. In earlier times, Beltane was connected with the dairy, and so ice cream, yoghurt, cheese, custard,...
Dress your home and/or altar with greenery – especially with hawthorn, rowan and birch branches. Ask permission from the tree before you take anything.
You will need a bottle of brandy and at least one cup of hawthorn flowers, plus a little sugar to taste. Mix the ingredients together and leave them away from direct light, for at least two wee...
This is the perfect time to go out and celebrate a tree. Especially a hawthorn, rowan or birch – but the tree spirit will welcome your attention whichever kind of tree it is. Sit with it, talk to it, ...
Birch is considered, by many to be a feminine tree. The Deities related to Birch are mainly that of love and the Goddess of fertility. The Birch is among one of the first trees&nbs...
A Rowan tree is one for protection and healing. Branches of Rowan have been placed as protection over the doorways of homes and barns at Beltane to ...
Even if you are already well versed in Astrology, I encourage you to read this chapter carefully as there are specific nuances and perspectives that relate to its use in Magick that are not part of st...
The following paragraphs are starting points to contemplate what the Planets represent. In fact, an entire book could be written on any of the Planets, and indeed, such books are common in the literat...
The Aspects in a chart show how the Planets are interacting with each other. Traditionally, some Aspects are referred to as harmonious and some as inharmonious, although you shouldn’t equate those ter...
The scientific method can be thought of as the set of techniques for the investigation of phenomena, the acquisition of knowledge, the creation and testing of theories, the sharing of those results, a...