Beltane Is Upon Us! Magic, History, and Traditions!

Beltane: (Bealtaine, May Eve, Valpurgis) – April 30th/May 1st

Incense: Lilac, Frankincense

Decorations: Maypole, Flowers, Ribbons, Reves, Floral Decor,

Colours: Green, Pastels

Spells best done: Fertility is the best! But Protection, Divination and fae magic can be done.

The Fire Festival of Beltane:

Beltane derived from the Irish Gaelic “Bealtaine” or the Scottish Gaelic “Bealtuinn”, meaning “Bel-fire”, the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus).

This festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May Day. It officially begins at moonrise on May Day Eve, and marks the beginning of the third quarter or second half of the ancient Celtic year. It is celebrated as an early pastoral festival accompanying the first turning of the herds out to wild pasture. The rituals were held to promote fertility. The cattle were driven between the Belfires to protect them from ills. Contact with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun. In early Celtic times, the druids kindled the Beltane fires with specific incantations. Later the Christian church took over the Beltane observances, a service was held in the church, followed by a procession to the fields or hills, where the priest kindled the fire. The rowan branch is hung over the house fire on May Day to preserve the fire itself from bewitchment (the house fire being symbolic of the luck of the house).

This is a holiday of Union–both between the Goddess and the God and between man and woman. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a time of fertility and harvest, the time for reaping the wealth from the seeds that we have sown. Celebrations include braiding of one’s hair (to honour the union of man and woman and Goddess and God), circling the Maypole for fertility and jumping the Beltane fire for luck. Beltane is one of the Major Sabbats of the Wiccan religion. We celebrate sexuality (something we see as holy and intrinsic to us as holy beings), we celebrate life and the unity which fosters it. The myths of Beltane state that the young God has blossomed into manhood, and the Goddess takes him on as her lover. Together, they learn the secrets of the sexual and the sensual, and through their union, all life begins.

Beltane is the season of maturing life and deep found love. This is the time of vows, handfastings and commitment. The Lord and his Lady, having reached maturity, come together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of their union. This is a time to celebrate the coming together of the masculine and feminine creative energies. Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desired the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms and unite.

The flowers and greenery symbolise the Goddess and the Maypole represents the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion of summer. Another common focal point of the Beltane rituals is the cauldron, which represents the Goddess. The Welsh goddess Creiddylad is connected with Beltane, often called the May Queen, she was a Goddess of summer flowers and love.

May Day

May Day has long been marked with feasts and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal point of old English village rituals. Many people arose at dawn to gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using them to decorate the village Maypoles.

The May Queen (and often King) is chosen from among the young people, and they go singing from door to door throughout the town carrying flowers or the May tree, soliciting donations for merrymaking in return for the “blessing of May”. This is symbolic of bestowing and sharing of the new creative power that is stirring in the world. As the kids go from door to door, the May Bride often sings to the effect that those who give will get of nature’s bounty through the year.

In parts of France, some jilted youth will lie in a field on May Day and pretend to sleep. If any village girl is willing to marry him, she goes and wakes him with a kiss; the pair then goes to the village inn together and lead the dance which announces their engagement. The boy is called “the betrothed of May.”

Spirits and Faeries

 

On certain nights, faeries and spirits roam the world.  Beltane is one time famed for faery rades and the Wild Hunt.  Ghosts and other spirits are also believed to travel freely on this night.  Some practices were aimed at attracting these visitors, most at driving them away. To celebrate the ethereal aspects of Beltane, consider creating a faery garden with plenty of things that sparkle and jingle, and plants beloved by faeries.  The traditional faery color is green, but they adore most bright colors.  Snapdragon, meadowsweet, hawthorn, and foxglove are good altar flowers.

To protect against unwanted entities, see the previous section on purification and protection; but also add that salt, iron, and the making of much noise are traditional for Beltane defenses.  Plan for an indoor observance in this case.

 

Fertility Charms, Potions & Spells for Beltane:

1. Solitary Beltane Ritual:

Preparation

Prior to this rite you should have made ready a wooden wand. This should be a branch from an Oak or Hazel tree. Remember, do not take the wood from a living tree!

The wood can be cut into the rough shape of a phallus in which case it should be of the appropriate size and shape. On the other hand, a simple branch, peeled of its bark, and about 13 inches long and half an inch thick is also acceptable. Place the wand upon your alter within the Circle.

Prepare a dish of earth and place it upon the alter beside the wand.

The Rite

Cast the Circle and invoke the Lady and the Lord. After the invocation, dance and chant to raise power for magical activities and then earth the power into an unlit candle, placed inside the cauldron, at the center of the circle. Chant the following (or make up your own!):

Beltane! I dance with delight on Beltane’s night. All senses freeing, I dance for being. The flower and the flame of love’s own rite shall blossom. Sun embrace Earth, bright.

Light the candle to the Sun. This is the Beltane fire, our modern substitute for the hilltop bonfires of our ancestors. The Bel fire is an invocation to the Sun God to bring blessing and protection for the coming year. This is sacred fire with healing and purifying properties. As you light the candle, be aware of its power and significance. Say:

I light this candle to the Sun. Now take up a dish of earth. Bless it in the name of the Goddess.

Lay your hands upon it and say:

I bless, consecrate, and set apart this earth, in the name of the Triple Goddess. May this be sacred earth, set apart for magic. For earth is of the Goddess, being her sacred body. Remember that the Goddess is not only of the Moon, but of the Earth and of the farthest stars. She is the Triple Goddess of the Circle of Rebirth, the Mother of All Life. Decorate the dish of earth with flowers.

Now, take a wooden wand and oil it with vegetable oil. Bless it in the name of the Lord of the Day, the youthful, ardent one, the Lord of Life, the God of the greenwood. Pass it swiftly through the candle flame, the Bel fire, so that it becomes magically imbued, ‘charged’, with power. Place the wand upon the dish of earth, saying as you hold it there:

As the wand is to the earth, so the male is to the female and the Sun to our blossoming world. Joined, they bring happiness. May the God of Life give ___ {something you want, for example, peace on Earth} May the Goddess bring it forth! Sit quietly for a while, and picture the blossoming of what you have desired in life. The spells and invocations of all of us, all working on themes like these, must eventually bear fruit, because life is on the side of peace. Leave the earth and wand upon the alter.

Walk deosil three times around the circle, then spiral into the center. Go evenly, with grace, meditatively. Sit beside the candle flame, allowing yourself to feel peaceful. Gaze into the flame.

The next part is different depending on whether you are man or woman.

For a Woman: visualize a red rosebud in your womb. Always your womb is the source of your creative power, whether you are pregnant with a child, an idea, a work of art or an intention. Close your eyes and picture the light from the candle streaming into your womb so that the rosebud blooms, unfolds. Hold the image for a while, feeling the silkiness, smelling the scent, the freshness, seeing the color of the fully open rose within you. Feel the strength and power of your own fully blossomed capabilities. Say:

I am woman, strong to conceive and to create, to give birth and to tend. As I am daughter of the Goddess, and blessed by the God, may I ___

{here name what you wish to bring forth in life. For example bring healing to others or write my book whatever matters to you}

Feel the strength and creative force within your womb, the center of your being. See the power being channeled, flowing into the desire you have just voiced. Open your eyes. Always, the rose is within you.

For a Man: Visualize a bright flame. This burns within your sexual center, a point at the base of the stomach, just above the pubic hairline. It is your own male strength and energy which may rise through your body to be released as giving, fertilizing power, in any form, or may be the potency which impregnates, creating a physical child. It is the force which blesses and bestows, a healing and creative energy, like the shining Sun. Visualize also that you are sitting in a garden and that a rose tree is in front of you, the roses in bud. Say:

I am man, and in my passion is beauty, in my warmth is life. As I am son of the Goddess, and blessed by the God, I offer my strength and vitality to ___
{name the area of life, the place, activity, or commitment you choose}

Visualize the light streaming from you to a rose upon the tree causing it to unfold, to blossom. Your flame is lowered by this effort. Much has gone out of you, the flame sinks down. Wait and watch, until a pink light streams from the rose towards your body. At its touch, just above the pubic hairline the flame resurges. It burns higher and stronger than before. Open your eyes. The flame is always within you. (Credit from Mae Beth)

Beltane Charms 

Fertility Charms:

 

-Carry a bagful of hazel nuts to ensure your own fertility.

 

-Other herbs to ensure fertility are basil, hazel, poppy, cucumber, apple, pomegranate, acorns, myrtle, and all other nuts.

 

-Men should carry a piece of mandrake root to ensure their won fertility and sexual prowess, while the jasmine flower does the same for women. The first seven herbs listed above can be added to food and take internally to ensure proper fertility, or they can be introduced into sachets, as can acorns, myrtle and nuts.

 

-Bull Amulet: To increase fertility in women and men, wear a bull shaped amulet, or place on under the bed before making love.

 

-Fish Amulet: An amulet shaped like a pair of fish and made of gold or mother of pearl will increase fertility and virility, bring prosperity and offer you protection from people you hate or who have evil intentions.

 

-Goat Amulet: The symbol of the goat (sacred to Aphrodite and the Horned God) increases fertility when worn or carried as an amulet, and is especially favorable for those born under the sign of Capricorn.

 

-Ram Amulet: An amulet in the shape of a ram will increase fertility in women.

 

-Unicorn Amulet: The unicorn is a ancient symbol of chastity and protection, and it’s fabled born was said to be used in medieval times as an amulet to detect poisons in the food or drinks of kings, queens, pontiffs and popes. To promote fertility or increase sexual magnetism, wear any type of amuletic jewelry shaped like a unicorn.

 

-Goddess Amulet: of course a lot of females in the early pagan years would wear the goddess to ensure protection and to ask to become a mother, as mother earth herself gives and takes life.

 

-Magickal soil; What to do: Relax. Put the pot on the table and take up some dirt. Play with it loosely, so it doesn’t clump. Then visualize your plant growing healthy and full. Visualize this for a few moments. If you can, bring up nurturing emotions. Place the soil in the pot and then get another handful and do the same thing. Do this until it’s at a good height in the pot. Then stick the Seed in and make it all neat and nice. Don’t compact the soil too much if you can help it. Pour some water in and visualize the energy within the earth immediately going to work and feeding energy into the plant. Don’t forget to water your plants! Nuture your plant see it grow as if it was your child. This plant will be your child, so take good care of it.

 

Fertility Spells:

Fertility Gris Gris Bag Spell:

Fill a leather pouch with one each of these stones: amethyst, clear quartz crystal, chrysoprase and aventurine/ Moonstone. Place fresh rosemary or Roses under the bed when trying to conceive, and wear the pouch around your neck each time you try. This will increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Also have a warm bath and use rose oil, or rose petals to help the blood circulation around the body to relax.

 

Once pregnant, keep the pouch until after you deliver to ease your labor pains and help ensure a safe delivery. Before your baby is one month old, give the stones away, particularly to a friend who is pregnant or who is also trying to conceive.

 

Fertility Spell for Both:

Go and find an Apple Tree, try to collect the Sapp from the branches, and rub it into your hands or face. Also collect an apple to share with your partner.

 

You ask a family member or friend who has not long had a baby, if you could have one of their baby’s nappy. After making love with your partner, you attach the nappy to your belly before going to sleep, and you dream of the child you want within your life. You do this until you conceive then rid the nappy once your pregnancy is safe.

 

Take a romantic shower or bath (preferably with your partner) and massage the Apple or Orange scented body cream into your skin, taking care around your tummy and pelvic area where the baby’s life will begin.

 

Imagine that you and your partner’s hands are glowing with a warm golden light, which is filling all this area with life and warmth. Visualize that you are pregnant as you gently place the pearls (fake if need be) around your neck and repeat these beautiful magic words:

 

“PRECIOUS JEWELS OF LUNAR, I OFFER THIS ADORNMENT IN HONOR OF YOUR POWER.  LET FERTILE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH ME. O SO LET IT BE DONE  BLESSED BE”

 

Egg wish spell for fertility:

“On an egg whose shell is brown or pink,

Sign these signs in grass-green ink.

[a simple sun, a male symbol, an encircled equilateral cross, a female sign,

then an upside-down 5-pointed star]

Bury it deep in an earth-filled pot,

Let this stand where the sun is hot;

Sow on its surface seeds of grass,

Water them well while nine weeks pass

Gather the crop, bind it with thread

Let it hang always above your bed

 

Getting Pregnant Spell

You will need the following:

–ace of wands, 10 of cups, the SUN,

–something for a baby you bought specifically for this ritual (a bib, a small blanket…etc…..),

–9 red candles.

Light the candles and lay out the tarot cards one by one.

Visualize yourself finding out your pregnant, staring at a positive pregnancy test. Repeat the following:

With these cards and with this spell- I call upon the good and helpful powers. I desire to start a family – I desire energy and love to continue.

This small item (hold up the baby item) is the token of the commitment we are ready to make. We are ready to love our children – we are ready to teach our children and we are ready to have our children. so it is – so it shall be!

Seal this spell with kisses and hugs followed by the actions necessary to start a family.

Seashells represent fertility. She can create a small seashell altar in her bedroom.

If she wants to add a deity, I’d use the Goddess of Willendorf.

Any round and fertile/pregnant goddess will work, and there are many!

Holed stones are also symbols of fertility.

Have her carry one her person or have her wear one around her neck as a charm.

Placing one by the bed or between the matters is also good. Eat healthy!

Diet plays an extreme part in fertility. Use visualization.

She must be relaxed. Also, studies show that when the man and woman climax together, the woman has a higher chance of conception. Full moons… In tribal times and pre-electricity, women would ovulate around the Full Moon and menstruate around the Dark or New Moon. One way to get yourself onto this cycle is to start paying more attention to the phases of the moon and also going out under the moon for even a minute or two.

 

Magic Fertility Potion:

For Men or Women to overcome infertility, increase sperm count and strengthen the sex drive,

burn one stick of musk incense as an offering to the fertility deity of your choice, and take twenty milligrams of royal jelly every day. –not only does royal jelly possess sexual rejuvenating properties, it is also reputed to increase the size of the male genitals is used often enough. and eat this! Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus. Globe artichokes are under the Dominion of Venus.

 

Fertility and love spell for love – Prior to a love encounter, the body should be rubbed from head to toe with

powdered cinnamon. A small stick of cinnamon should be placed in the mouth before addressing the person desired. Oshun should be invoked during the encounter.

 

Fertility and love spell for Motherhood – A honeydew melon is bought in Oshun’s name. A short letter asking

Oshun for a child is written on a piece of brown paper, which is then placed inside the melon through a narrow slit made on its side. The fruit is then wrapped in a yellow handkerchief and a white candle is burned in Oshun’s name. At the end of five days the melon is brought to the river with twenty-seven cents.

 

Simple Pregnancy Spell:

Repeat to each direction (east, west, etc.)

“To you my child, my body is open,

To you my child, my mind is open.

To you my child, my heart is open.

By Earth, Fire, Wind, and Sea,

Into my arms you will be.”

(Last two lines are said while looking at your cradled arms)

So Mote It Be!

Moon Goddess’ from most cultures

The Moon Goddesses are important in many cultures around the world where they form a central role in mythology. The moon is associated with the divine femine as in many tribal societies the feminine cycles were linked to the phases of the moon. The Moon was important in ancient calendars, helping people to measure time and to determine when the best time was for planting and harvesting crops. This fertility aspect of the lunar Goddess is reflected in large numbers of the entries below.

Many of the lunar Goddesses, like Hecate and Cerridwen are also associated with magic and the intuitive nature of women.

Night Deities are great to do a trio with a moon and star goddess for a triple goddess ritual!

Aega (Greek) – A beautiful moon deity. Her mother Gaia, the ancient earth Goddess, hid her in a cave during a Titan attack on the Olympic deities to prevent her from being taken away.

Aine(Celtic) – Goddess of love, growth, cattle and light. The name of this Celtic Goddess means “bright” as she lights up the dark. Celebrations to this Goddess were held on Midsummer night

Anahita (Persian) – A river Goddess who was also Goddess of Venus and the moon. Her name means “pure” Or immaculate one” as she represented the cleansing and fertilizing flow of the cosmos.

Andromeda (Greek) – Although today she is linked with the stars many scholars believe that Andromeda was a pre-Hellenic moon deity.

Anunit (Babylonian) – Goddess of the moon and battle. She was also associated with the evening star and later became known as Ishtar.

Arianrhod (Celtic) – Goddess of the moon and stars, her name means “silver- wheel” the wheel of the year and the web of fate.

Artemis (Greek) – The Greek Goddess of the hunt, nature and birth. This maiden Goddess is symbolized by the crescent moon.

Arawa (African) – Lunar Goddess of the Suk and Pokot tribes of Kenya and Uganda. Her parents were the creator God Tororut and his consort Seta.

Athenesic (Native North American) – A moon Goddess of several north central Native American tribes,

Auchimalgen (South American) – This moon Goddess was a Deity of divination and a protectress from evil spirits.

Bendis (Greek) – Bendis was the consort of the sun God Sabazius. Her cult flourished in Athens during the fifth century BCE.

Britomartis (Crete) – In addition to her lunar attributes she was also the patron Goddess of Cretan sailors.

Candi (Indian) – The female counterpart to Chandra, ancient Hindu lord of the Moon. The two were said to take turns: one month the Candi would become the moon and the next Chandra fulfill the role.

Cerridwen (Celtic) – This crone, Goddess is most famous for her cauldron of wisdom. She was the mother of the great bard Taliesin, and is deeply linked to the image of the waning moon.

Chang- O (Chinese) – The Chinese Goddess who lived on the moon She is celebrated to this day on full moon night of the 8th lunar month.

Coyolxauhqui (Aztec) – Aztec moon Goddess, her name means “Golden Bells.” She was the daughter of the Earth goddess, Coatlicue and the sister of the Sun god, Huitzilopochtli

Dae-Soon (Korean) – Moon Goddess

Diana (Roman) – Diana was the Goddess of the hunt and wild animals. She later took over from Luna as the Roman Goddess of the moon, responsible for fertility and childbirth.

Gnatoo (Japanese) – One of twelve Buddhist deities called the Jiu No O, adopted from Hindu mythology.

Gwaten (Hindu) – She is derived from the Hindu God Soma, and is portrayed as a woman holding in her right hand, a disk symbolizing the Moon.

Epona (Roman/Celtic) – This horse Goddess was associated with the night and dreams. In western Ireland,legends still abound of hearing the hoof-beats of her horse as she rides west to escape the rays of the rising sun. She was also a Goddess of magic, fertility and feminine power.

Hanwi (Native North American) – Goddess of the Oglala Sioux, she once lived with the sun God Wi. Due to a transgression, she was forced by him to become a creature of the night.

Hecate (Greek) – A crone Moon Goddess, deeply associated with the waning and dark moons. She is depicted as haunting crossroads with her two large hounds, and carrying a torch, symbolic of her great wisdom.

Hina Hine (Polynesian) – This Hawaiian Goddesses name means ‘woman who works the moon’. In her myths it is said that she grew tired of working for her brother and fled to the moon to live in peace.

Hina-Ika (“lady of the fish”) Once again we see the link between the lunar Goddess to the tides.

Huitaco (South American) – This Colombian Goddess was a protectress of women as well as a deity of pleasure and happiness who was always battling with her male counterpart Bochica, a God of hard work and sorrow.

The crescent as a neo-pagan symbol of the Triple Goddess. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ishtar (Babylonian) – Some myths say she is the daughter of the moon, others the mother.

Isis (Egyptian) – This powerful and widely worshipped Goddess was not only a moon deity, but a Goddess of the sun as well.

Ix Chel (Mayan) – A Central American moon Goddess and the lover of the sun. Poisonous snakes were her totem animal. She was also Goddess of childbirth

Izanami (Japanese) – This Goddess controlled the tides, fishing, and all destructive sea phenomena

Jezanna (Central African) – Goddess of the moon and healing.

Juna (Roman)- A Goddess of the new moon . She was worshipped mainly by women as she was the Goddess of marriage, pregnancy and childbirth. Her Greek equivalent was Hera.

Jyotsna (Indian) – A Hindu Goddess of twilight and the autumn moons.

Komorkis (Native North American) – The Blackfoot tribe celebrated her as the Goddess of the moon.

Kuan Yin (Chinese) – A Buddhist Goddess. Modern feminist Pagans believe she far pre-dates Buddhist origins. She was a Goddess of the moon, compassion, and healing,

Lasya (Tibetan) – A Goddess of the moon and beauty who carried a mirror.

Lucina (Roman) – A Goddess of light with both solar and lunar attributes. She was Christianized as St. Lucia, a saint still honored at Yule in many parts of Europe.

Luna (Roman) – An ancient moon Goddess, the namesake for the Latin word luna meaning ‘moon’. Her name also forms the root of the English words ‘lunar’ and ‘lunatic’.

Mama Quilla (Inkan) – As the Goddess of the moon she was the protectress of married women. A large temple to her was erected at the Inkan capitol of Cuzco. She was associated with the metal silver. Eclipses were said to occur when she was eaten and the regurgitated by the Jaguar Woman.

Mawu (African) – She ruled the sky with her twin bother, the sun God Lisa. To her people she symbolized both wisdom and knowledge.

Metzli (Aztec) – In Aztec mythology mother moon leapt into a blazing fire and gave birth to the sun and the sky.

Rhiannon (Celtic) – A Goddess of fertility, the moon, night, and death. Her name means ‘night queen’. She is also known as Rigantona.

Sadarnuna(Sumerian) – Goddess of the new moon

Sarpandit (Sumerian) – Goddess of moonrise. This pregnant Goddess’s name means “silver shining” referring to the reflective quality of the moon.

Sefkhet (Egyptian) – According to some myths this lunar Goddess was the wife of Thoth. She was also the deity of time, the stars, and architecture.

Selene (Greek) – A mother Goddess linked to the full moon. She is widely worshipped by Pagans today,

Sina (Polynesian) – This moon Goddess was the sister of the sun God Maui. She was sometimes called Ina.

Teczistecatl (Aztec) – A Goddess of sex, symbolized by the four phases of the moon: dark, waxing, full, and waning.

Xochhiquetzal (Aztec) – This magical moon Goddess was the deity of flowers, spring, sex, love, and marriage. She was the wife of storm God Tlaloc. She is also the patroness of artisans, prostitutes, pregnant women and birth.

Yemanja (Native South American) – She was the Brazilian Goddess of the oceans symbolized by a waxing crescent moon. Yemanja was also considered to represent the essence of motherhood and a protector of children.

Yolkai Estsan (Native North American) – A Navajo moon deity fashioned from an abalone shell by her sister Yolkai, the Goddess of the sky. She was the Navaho Goddess of the earth and the seasons, and is also known as White Shell Woman.

Zirna (Etruscan)- A Goddess of the waxing moon. She is always depicted with a half-moon hanging from her neck, indicating that she was probably honored at the beginning of the second quarter phase of the moon.

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• Goddess’ and God’s of Night (highpriestessofnyx.wordpress.com)

Herbal Magic For Witches

Druid Temple (Photo credit: Wondering Grubb)

Herbal magic

Herbs have been used by witches for eons, Myrrh was burned on a daily basis by the ancient Egyptians this was done as an offering to the gods, and there were many stories told about people and gods being transformed into trees.

Irish moss, holly, hazel, daffodil, orange, star anise, poppy, violet, wood rose, strawberry, apple, rosemary, moss and cotton are just some of the plants that are considered lucky, these and others will always be part of a witch’s arsenal.

To protect the home have some white heather in your kitchen. Witches also love to use hydrangea flowers in their magic spells, and for protecting the home sprinkle oregano around the outside while chanting, “I am protected”.  Mistletoe can be worn or placed around the home for protection also. The Druids burned elder for blessings and elder was often hanging over people’s doors and windows. The following are plants used by witches;

Ague root; known as, unicorn root

Arisaema; known as, dragon tail

Bistort; known as, dragonwort

Calliandra eriphylla; known as, fairy duster

Calochortus albus; known as, fairy duster

Calypso bulbosa; known as, fairy slipper

Cat tail; fairy woman’s spindle

Ceratopteris spp; known as, water sprite

Cowslip; known as, fairy cup

Daemomorops draco; known as dragon’s blood

Datura; known as, ghost flower

Devil’s bit; known as, unicorn root

Disporum smithii; known as, coast fairy bells

Dracaena spp; known as, dragon’s blood

Elecampane; known as, elf dock

Elm, known as, elven

Epipogium aphyllum; ghost orchid

Eucalyptus papuana; known as, ghost gum

Foxglove; known as, fairy fingers

Juncus effuses, known as, unicorn

Lavender; known as, silver ghost

Molukka bean; known as fairy’s eggs

Moringa ovalifolia; known as, phantom tree

Mohavea confertiflora; known as, ghost flower

Peristeria elata; known as, ghost orchid

Polpompholyx; known as, fairy aprons

Primula malacoides; known as, fairy primrose

Ragwort; known as, fairy’s horses

Rosemary; known as, elf leaf

Toadflax, known as, dragon bushes

Wood sorrel, known as, fairy’s bells

Zephyranthes; known as, fairy’s lily

On Midsummer’s Day, the 24th June the Druids traditionally cut mistletoe as the plants powers were at their most potent on this day. Many witches still follow this tradition, as it is believed that it has healing and divinatory properties. Another plant to be used as this time is Saint John’s wort which is used for healing. Vervain is a multipurpose plant also harvested on Midsummer and used for divination, healing and protection. The plants mentioned can be harvested at other times of the year, but Midsummer is said to be when they are at their most potent. Some witches harvested chicory on Midsummer’s Day to use for invisibility purposes. Wood betony can be placed under the pillow to stop nightmares, or placed in an amulet to be worn for protection.

Many witches gather thirteen times a year when the moon is full, this gathering is called an Esbat this is also a time for them to practice powerful magic, they would each bring an offering with them. Most witches have an herb garden inhabited by fairies and other spirit creatures, and as they spend time tending their garden they often find that they are inspired to make magic.

Botanomancy which is the practice of divination using herbs is an ancient method of magic practiced by witches, they would burn plants and trees and read the message in the ashes.

The Druids held rituals associated with trees and plants, they used vervain and mistletoe for divination, for healing and for protection. Witches of long ago would sprinkle incense on a fire and watch how the incense smoke drifted to give them a yes or no answer to a question, if the smoke emanating from the incense drifts to the right this is yes, if the smoke drifts to the left the answer is no. If the smoke breaks up this means take care of your finances, if the smoke clusters and moves upwards this is a good sign for new enterprise, and financial gain. If the base of the smoke is very thin and wider at the top you are urged to move forward with care and show caution with money. Choose carefully the people you spend time with. If the smoke of the incense breaks in two it means you should slow down and give yourself some time to meditate, you may be taking on too much and are overwhelmed.

In ancient Greece the petals and leaves of roses were used to foretell the future, a rose with a concave shape is for answering a yes or no question, the diviner holds the rose petal and meditates, then press both hands together in a clapping motion. A burst petal is a yes answer and a whole petal is a no answer.

A form of divination that psychic witches use when a couple want to know their fate, is the taking of two acorns on the night of a full moon, the initials of one partner is written on one acorn, and the initials of the other partner is written on the other acorn. The acorns are placed six centimeters apart then placed in a cauldron filled with water, their movements are observed. If they move towards each other the couple will stay together, if they move apart, the couple will not stay together. If the acorns don’t move at all the message given is to ask the question at a later date as their fate is not yet clear.

There is a superstition that requires you to take a root of ribwort and place it beneath a stone, to then leave it overnight, you do this when the moon is full. If there is marriage for you within twelve months, the initials of the one you are to marry will be found on the plant’s root. Another way of divining your marital future is to pick twelve sage leaves during the evening of Halloween, and on the twelfth leaf you will see the face of your future partner. If no face appears, it means you will not be marrying within the next twelve months.

To find out if your lover has been faithful to you, take a bay leaf during the evening a full moon, prick your lover’s name upon the leaf with a pin, when this is done place the leaf under your pillow before you go to sleep. In the morning look to see if the leaf has turned brown, if it has you will know that your lover is faithful to you. If the leaf is the same colour, there is deception around you.

If you sleep with ivy leaves, mistletoe or myrtle under your pillow, and you are unattached,   you will dream of your future partner in marriage. Or on a Saturday night at midnight you can take seven leaves from a holly plant, tie the leaves in a handkerchief, or a piece of square fabric, and place the handkerchief under your pillow before going to sleep, this will also encourage you to dream of your marriage partner to be.

Wizards often divine the weather by counting the berries on a holly tree, if the tree is abundant with berries the weather will not be good and there will be many storms, if there are few, the weather will be mild.

All witches are adept at tea leaf reading and this art has been practiced for hundreds of years. Make a pot of tea and turn the teapot once to the right and twice to the left, you then pour the tea into a teacup, when you have finished drinking the tea, swirl the cup clockwise and tip the cup upside down on a napkin. The leaves are then examined and the shapes deciphered, such as if you see a heart you know that romance is in the air, if two hearts are together there is to be a marriage ceremony. If a dagger shape is seen this means you should take care of your health, the shape of the moon foretells change to very soon take place in the querants life. The shape of the snake is warning you to be careful of who you spend time with there is deception around you, a bird spells a journey to come, a cat represents someone who is not being honest with you, and a dog represents time spent with a close friend. Dots are telling you that there is money to come, a star, or horseshoe is indicative of luck to come your way. If a triangle or a pyramid is seen something utterly wonderful is to take place in your life, these are extremely fortuitous signs, you can expect great success. Many symbols in teacup reading are symbolic, like any form of divination some things that are divined are symbolic and others are actual, how a reading progresses depends on the ability of the psychic reader. Witches sprinkle tealeaves around the house for luck and protection, and if tea is spilled it indicates good luck. Very strong tea suggests that a new friend is on the horizon. If the top is left off the teapot accidentally it suggests a stranger in your midst.

All witches will tell you that it is bad luck for more than one person to pour from a pot of tea, bubbles on top of your teacup means you will have financial luck. If the bubbles are near the side of the cup you can expect romance. There is a tealeaf reading article in Witcheslore that will give you more details on how to do a tealeaf reading. When making a pot of tea a witch will always tell you to stir the tea clockwise, witches often foretold a child or twins and whether a woman would soon find herself pregnant, an adept tealeaf reader is able to give time with a certain degree of accuracy. Never throw you tealeaves away, always tip them into your garden.

A witch uses mugwort for psychic clarity and to help them connect to the astral realms, when making mugwort tea the goddess Bast is called upon to bless the tea.

For centuries witches have been healing with plants, flowers and herbs, such as using foxglove as an astringent and for a sore throat, it can also be carried on the person or sprinkled around the home for protective purposes. Mugwort tea is useful if you wish to have prophetic dreams, it is also an aid in astral travel, if taken before retiring for the night it is a useful gateway to other dimensions. Dandelion tea helps to call the spirits, and is an aid in foretelling the future as it helps heighten psychic abilities. Peppermint tea can be used in healing spells and if sprinkled around the home keeps away evil spirits, it is also useful when casting happiness spells.

For health and wellbeing, carry any of the following, rosemary, vervain, ginseng root, angelica, the blackberry bush was used for healing in the Middle Ages and it was thought that if rubbed onto a person they would be magically cured of whatever ailed them.

If witches wanted to cure an ailment they strung together thirteen garlic cloves, and wore them for thirteen days and nights. A mixture of thyme and essential oil, if rubbed on the chest, is said to help chest inflammation.  Elder twig has been used by witches over the centuries as an antidote for rheumatism and peppermint tea is often used for nausea. To relieve joint pain, witches have healed using tea made from willow bark.

As witches often cast wart on the nose spells they use dried bean rubbed into the rubbed onto the wart, or they chant the following to help the war disappear.

Wart away wart to go

Be gone be gone

Magic mine power strong

Wart be gone by midnight hour

It will be done

It will be done

It will be done

Magic mine power strong

Wart away

Wart be gone

In ancient times plants were used that could not be used in this day and age, such as the poisonous belladonna plant which many sorcerers used to help them connect readily to the astral plane. Witches often used belladonna in their flying ointments and, they also used belladonna to help them have clearer psychic vision. It was often placed above the front door in peoples home and used for protection. As witches work with powerful energies they always have belladonna hanging over their front door for its exceptionally powerful protection properties.

Many of the old sorcerers, magicians and witches used henbane, it produced vivid imagery and helped with psychic visions, many deeply involved in divination practices used henbane. This like belladonna is a poisonous plant, and was used in flying ointments. Witches made enchantments out of henbane and if the witch was particularly powerful, the enchantment was used to make people fall in love.

A witch’s pantry would not be complete without the mandrake plant with its magical properties, it is used in spell casting and in enchantments, it is suitable for love spells and for protection spells, it can help psychic visions and attract love. It is also used for fertility spells, and when used as a love enchantment it heightens desire. Mandrake was added to ointments in ancient times and used to give witches the ability to fly, it was also used to create an invisibility spell. When using the mandrake there is a mental connection with the witch casting the spell, and only the witch casting the spell can uproot the mandrake plant for magical use. The mandrake has historically been used for dark magic.

The highly poisonous hemlock plant brought many sorcerers to their fateful end as they experimented with this toxic plant. Many witches have used hemlock for the purpose of astral projection and divination.

Wolfbane has been used for centuries in an amulet for protection again a vampire, a wolfbane amulet was used by witches when casting a powerful invisibility spell.

Hemp is an ingredient that has been used to enhance psychic powers, for invisibility and for shape shifting, and to rid people of evil spirits.

Sorcerers and witches alike have used angelica root to ward off evil spirits, and it is especially potent if mixed with lavender and placed in a small bag in the home. Buckeye nuts are used as a lucky charm and were carried by those who wished to improve their financial viability. Hang devils pod above your front door if you wish to keep away evil spirits.

For extremely powerful protection, good health and luck, carry an amulet with salep root oil inside, this good luck charm has been prepared by witches and used by gamblers over the centuries.  Witches smear Wolf’s bane inside an amulet and wear is as a protection against those who would use witchcraft against them.

Garlic was used as a protection during childbirth, and if placed under a woman giving birth, it is said to keep both the baby and mother, safe from harm.

If you want to secure the affections of someone, you can bake a loaf of bread with rye in it, the rye seeds will secure the love of the one you present it to, once the object of your affection has eaten it. Another love food is pimento, when put in food and served to an individual, they will then develop romantic feelings for them. Place an onion in an unused pot and chant to it each day at sunset and as each day passes, your intended romantic partner, will be drawn to you and have romantic feelings for you. You may chant the following;

Growing growing your love does grow

Love blossoms your heart for me

I am the one for you

Merlin watches chants for us

I call and you hear me now

We are to be

And so it is

Growing growing your love does grow

You are to give your heart to me

We are to be

Witches often made an aphrodisiac for those who came to them, it contained the fresh roots of an asparagus, boiled in red wine and if a person and their partner drinks the wine, they will have romantic and sensual yearnings towards each other. Witches were often called upon to make powerful love amulets for people. The witch would place beans in a small container chant her magic and then it was then carried by a man or woman and would arouse sensual feelings. It had more power if both partners carried the enchanted beans on their person. If vervain is gathered during a new moon and placed under the pillow before going to sleep it will ensnare the affections of the one you are thinking about, if there is no special person you can focus on love and draw it to you.

If you wish to make an astrological herb garden you can section a planting area into seven sections, the Sun, the Moon, the planets Saturn, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Plant the following in the Sun section, on a Sunday, do it when the moon is full, saffron, angelica, lovage, rosemary, chamomile, lovage. Plant the Moon section on a Monday when the Moon is new, saxifrage, moonwort and purslane. In the Mars area plant on a Tuesday during a half Moon, horseradish, rhubarb, basil, garlic. In your Mercury area, plant on a Wednesday during a new moon, fennel, lavender, parsley, dill and caraway. For your Jupiter section, plant on a Thursday during a new moon, chervil sage, asparagus and borage. For the section dedicated to the planet Venus begin planting on a Friday, when the moon is full, mugwort, strawberry, vervain and violets. On a Saturday during a half Moon you can plant, mullein, Solomon’s seal, comfrey and bistort.

To build a beautiful garden of love and magic, the following herbs can be planted on a night when the Moon is full, daffodil, hibiscus, gentian, geranium, gardenia, coriander, basil, Adam and Eve, catnip, cherry, gentian, love seed, jasmine, lavender, poppy, valerian, vanilla, yarrow, willow, pansy, peppermint, lemon verbena, love seed, maidenhair, strawberry, thyme, hibiscus and hyacinth.

If you want to draw love into your life, place the root of an orchid plant in a jar, add some rose oil and seal the jar recite the following twice;

Venus planet of love let true love be

Love is mine it is to be

Love will be bound for you and me

This special love is meant to be

So it will be

Intense love there is to be

Overwhelming love is to be

Leave the jar out in the night for three weeks then open it, take the orchid root from the jar and place it next to the bed, before going to sleep touch the root and recite twice for three nights in a row, this is said to bring powerful love into your life. Another powerful love enchantment is the burning of wood aloes on a Saturday night during a new moon, you think deeply of lover coming into your life before the next new moon.

A spell for wealth, take three gold coins and wrap them in gold paper, tie with a gold ribbon and place them in the soil beneath a lucky bamboo plant, do this only when the moon is full, maintain the plant with tender loving care to help it become strong and sturdy. Witches often use the hop plant to draw prosperity and good luck, it was hung in the doorway of the kitchen, many people would go to the witch to have the plant enchanted before using it, a witch’s chant will make the plant more powerful. The hop plant has been used by witches for centuries as a healing remedy, hops was mixed with incense and burnt to help heal maladies and to ward off nightmares, it was also used to treat insomnia. Black candle mixed with salt and burned, was used by sorcerers and witches alike to help people who had difficult financial or legal matters, it was said to help things turn in their favour. Before legal matter, or any undertakings to do with money or the law, the burning of dried galangal was practiced by witches.

If you wish to attract spirits to your garden, you can plant the following, thistle, sweet grass, lavender, dandelion and wormwood, mix these with various flowers and plants and each evening go into your garden and chant to the nature spirits. You may think of someone who has passed away and call on them to visit you.

Spirit light spirit bright

May you enter my garden this night

Come hither laugh and sing

I call you to be

Open arms to embrace

Spirit light spirit bright

May you enter my garden this

Let it be

The following will ward off unwanted spirits, you can burn a sage stick, plant holly around your home, hang fennel in the doorways, burn the root of dried ginseng root, you many carry fennel seed on your person, in a tiny bag tied with a black ribbon, you can also hang St. Johns wort over doorways, or carry it in a small bag tied with a black ribbon. To ward off evil spirits place a bag of cinquefoil, tied with a black ribbon, under your pillow, it will keep the bad spirits away and ensure you have a restful night’s sleep.

To keep your home and family safe you can plant a garden of protection with the following, marigold rose, rosemary, thistle, willow, radish, mugwort, lavender, hazel carnation, cactus, basil, clove, aloe vera, bloodroot, mandrake, raspberry, oak, parsley, mint, lily, mulberry, lilac, ivy, juniper, fennel, wolf’s bane and snapdragon.

If you want to break a hex you can’t go past the hydrangea, as it has natural protection properties, it can be placed around the home, carried in a mojo bag or grown in your garden. If you feel you have been hexed or you are having bad luck you can place the hydrangea in a vase and place seven drops of pure lavender essence keep next to your bed, and if you wish you can chant the following on a Friday evening after 8pm.  Chant twice.

I am released

Be gone from here

I am enchanted

I am serenity

You cease to be

Light surrounds

Be gone from here

So be it

A good way to protect yourself from the evil of others is to sprinkle wormwood around your home , this will help deflect any hexes or magic perpetrated by other witches and send the energy back to them. You can also carry for protection, a mojo bag with wormwood anointed by rose essence,

If you wish to create a garden of nature spirits you can plant the following, and as you are planting imagine the fairies, elves, gnomes, and a myriad of other creatures inhabiting it, you can also use this as a wishing garden, when you wish do it when the sky is dark, if you make your wish during the new moon, the energies will be more powerful at this time. Nature spirits love the following, lavender, vervain, petunias, daisies, foxglove, carnations, pansies, primroses, petunias, foxglove, cosmos, hollyhock, yarrow and petunias. Nature spirits also love apple trees, ash, holly, silver birch and blackthorn. As fairies love the water, mainly so they can gaze at their beautiful reflection, you may wish to include a bird bath in your garden, they would also be drawn to a fish pond. You may wish to use statues of fairies, gnomes, elves, pixies and all manner of other magical creatures.

All witches have the following in their garden, bird of paradise, sunflowers, beech, bamboo, dandelion, hazel, sandalwood, violet and buckthorn, witches often make good luck and wish spells for people, as they stand in this area of their garden.

If you wish to ensure a good night’s sleep, place anise seeds in a bag and tie with a white ribbon, place the bag under your pillow, witches have been using anise to help them have pleasant dreams, for centuries.  As a protection, the leaves of an anise plant may be scattered around your bedroom.

For prophetic dreams and to be protected against nightmares, place leaves from an ash tree under your pillow before going to sleep, be sure to write in your dream book as soon as you wake. Or you can include your dream journal in your book of shadow. Two bay leaves under the pillow have long been used to ensure prophetic dreams. Dried buchu leaves mixed with lavender essence, and put in a small bag with a red ribbon and placed next to the bed, will help you to have prophetic dreams.

If you place a root of the bracken tree under your pillow you will wake in the morning with an answer to a problem you have been having. The bracken, when placed around the home and carried, will offer protection from the negativity of others.

Burn cedar incense as a protection against bad dreams, it also helps to strengthen your psychic powers, if you tie a cedar branch to your bed, or place it under the bed, it offers protection from evil forces and hexes.

For prophecies of love, a bag of cinquefoil under your pillow, or under your bed, will create dreams of the man, or woman you are to be with. For prophetic dreams of any nature, place some heliotrope leaves under your pillow before you go to sleep. Holly leaves can be placed under the pillow and they will induce prophetic dreams, remember to write your dreams down as soon as you wake.

For a restful night’s sleep burn some jasmine incense and place some jasmine flowers under your pillow. Lemon verbena placed in a bag and left under your pillow will also ensure a good night’s sleep.

All witches know that by placing a mandrake root next to the bed, you will be protected from harm, and your psyche will be heightened. Marigold placed next to the bed, or under the pillow, helps to induce prophetic dreams, marigold can also be used for protection. Mimosa works to ensure you will have prophetic dreams and will help to strengthen your psychic ability.

Mistletoe has been used for love for centuries, but if you place it beneath your pillow at night it will help keep always nightmares. Mugwort placed under your pillow will be sure to give you a dream filled night, it is quite potent and induces a vivid dream state, write your dreams down in the morning. Prophetic dreams can also be induced by placing peppermint leaves under your pillow, you may also drink peppermint tea, if it is to your liking.

If a rose is placed under the pillow it is said that you will dream of the one who is to be your partner in life. Place St. Johns wort under your pillow and dream of your future partner. Rosemary under your pillow and next to your bed to be protected from any manner of harm.

Within everyone’s home and garden there can be magic and by understanding the workings of herbs and plants your creative juices can flow, be the witch you have always wanted to be and become empowered by your creativity. Take the time to familiarise yourself with herbs and plants and bring a little magic into your life every day. Always take care to understand the properties of herbs and plants before you cook and ingest them.