Bear Medicine: 5 Bear-Related Correspondences

What do bears mean to you? My Nan had two carved, wooden bears in her home. I was always fascinated by them as a kid, and for me they symbolise:

Family

Leadership

Protection

Strength

Introspection

Intuition

To many cultures the Bear Spirit is the Great Healer; as bears are known to seek out plants ~ in particular Ligusticum porteri, an antibiotic plant known as “bear root” ~ for their own healing; demonstrating the bear’s deep inner knowing and wisdom. With healing comes balance and harmony, so in that sense, bears represent balance and harmony, too. Bears are active day and night, again representing that balance, and connecting bears to both solar and lunar energy.

Bears represent renewal; they leave their dens after sleeping for the winter, refreshed and invigorated after a long rest. For many, this represents awakening the strong force of the unconscious, and the commencement of a journey after a pause.

Bears are fierce protectors that care deeply for their families. They represent maternal love, maternal instinct, and nurturing. Think of the phrase “Mama Bear” and the way mother bears gently look after their cubs, whilst simultaneously being a fierce predator when the need arises.

Whilst I am no Shaman, I have a deep affinity with animals and so it makes sense for me to call on their energy and spirit when I need help. 

Call on Bear when you need strength to stand up to injustice. 

Call on Bear when you need your intuition to lead the way. 

Call on Bear when dealing with matters of family and security. 

Call on Bear when you need some inner courage, or protection.

Chamomile Magick: 9 Protective Correspondences

Chamomile is a fascinating little plant and it has been used for a multitude of ailments by many cultures for centuries. Used in the mummification process, its use has been documented as far back as the ancient Egyptians.

There's Roman chamomile as well as German chamomile. They're from two different plant families, but are used in the same manner, and their essential oils are popular in aromatherapy. Roman chamomile essential oil is often used for sleep issues, for stress, and to calm and soothe the nerves.

Chamomile is masculine in its energy, and is associated with the Sun, and Sun-related gods such as Helios, Apollo and Ra.

Magickal Correspondences for Chamomile: 

Purification

Protection 

Banishing 

Meditation 

Money magick 

Warding off negative energies 

Warding against psychic attack 

Spells relating to sleep 

In incense blends for relaxation

Scott Cunningham says:

"Chamomile is used to attract money and a hand wash of the infusion is sometimes used by gamblers to ensure winnings. It is used in sleep and meditation incenses, and the infusion is also added to the bath to attract love."

How do you use chamomile? What magickal correspondences do you attribute to it?

These little pouches are available in my Witch Starter Kits and Herb Kits, perfect for topping up existing supplies and for new witches at the start of their journey. 

NEXT - Plant Allies: Elderflower
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Bittersweet
NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Lughnasadh

Tarot Books: Sunday Witchstack

It’s Divination Month over at @witch.with.me #witchwithme and this week’s topic is Divination Books. Yesterday I tagged this for @witch.with.books because, Sunday Witchstack! #witchwithbooks

These three books are my current go-tos for Tarot; they are:

Everyday Tarot by Brigit Esselmont @biddytarot

The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need by Skye Alexander

Tarot Made Easy by Nancy Garen

Tonight you’ll find me sitting in my little corner, my “Divination Station”, catching up on these.

Can you recommend a good book on divination, and one on the Tarot? I’d like to invest in some more. 

NEXT - Tarot: Take A Look At My Favourite Deck
NEXT - Review: Queering The Tarot by Cassandra Snow
NEXT - Tarot Method: Chase The Ace 

Tarot: Take A Look At My Favourite Deck

It’s Week Three of Divination Month over at Witch With Me and today’s Mini Challenge prompt is “My Favourite Tarot/Oracle Deck”.

My favourite deck of all time is The DruidCraft Tarot by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. I’ve collected lots of decks over the years but this is my absolute favourite, and the only deck I really love to read with after the Rider Waite Smith. It is described as conveying “the teachings of Druidry and Wicca through the images painted by Will Worthington”. The cards are natural, colourful and relatable. They’re quite large, but I like that about them. The artist painted them using tempera – a method favoured by the Renaissance artists, using ground minerals and egg yolk.

This deck was originally released in 2004, some 17 years ago! Which makes me feel rather old!

What’s your favourite deck? Is it the first deck you made friends with? Do you have a preferred deck for reading? Is it different to your favourite deck? Tell me all about your Tarot preferences. 

NEXT - Tarot: The Divination Station
NEXT - Simple Magick: Storing Tarot Decks
NEXT - Simple Magick: 30 Low-Energy Magickal Activities

Fabulous Folklore: Spring Blossom

One of the best things about this time of year is the blossom!

Blossom is the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus Prunus), and similar; such as the Apple (Malus). At this time of year they are bursting with flowers, and the loud hum of busy bees collecting pollen.

Apple trees have been grown in U.K. for over a thousand years, and they tend to flower later in the Spring; the last week of April through to May. This blossom is from a cherry, and it has been in flower for a week or so now. Cherries can bloom as early as March if it has been warm - which it hasn’t! There are two native species of cherry in the British Isles; bird cherry and wild cherry. I don’t know enough about cherries to know which type this is, but it is from one of my favourite trees on the cemetery, and I look forward to seeing it every Spring.

I found out yesterday that there are loads of cherries in London! April is Sakura (cherry blossom) Month, and you can see them at Kew Gardens, Kyoto Garden, Greenwich Park, St Paul’s Cathedral and Regent’s Park.

In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse. Their delicate beauty and grace, and their short lived existence - they last about two weeks - are a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and to many they represent destiny and karma. They represent Spring, and the cycle of life, death and renewal/rebirth. They tie closely into Buddhist themes of mindfulness, mortality, and living in the present.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: All Hail The Blackberry!

Tarot: The Divination Station

It’s Week Three of Divination Month over at @witch.with.me and yesterday was the first day of a Mini Challenge. Yesterday’s prompt was “My Divination Space/Altar” so I’m sharing the little corner of my home where I like to read my cards, and where I do some of my best thinking.

I jokingly call it The Divination Station, and it is actually in one of the coldest parts of the house. I have to light lots of candles for a little bit of heat, and put a blanket on my lap, but that adds to the ambience and the experience. I love this spot because it’s next to a window, so I can look out across the cemetery, and as it’s in a corner it feels protective and safe, leaving me free to wander into my work.

Do you have a special spot for divination? 

NEXT - Tarot Method: Chase The Ace
NEXT - Tarot Method: Storing Tarot In Drawstring Bags 
NEXT - Simple Magick: How To Use A Crystal Ball

Simple Magick: The Pendulum

It’s Week Two of @witch.with.me ‘s Divination Month and I thought I’d show you guys my pendulum, which I’ve had for about twenty years. If you look closely it’s set in metal which has rusted in that time, which I really wish I could replace ~ any ideas?

I chose a piece of Rose Quartz for my pendulum. It’s such a caring, calming and nurturing stone that I felt it would serve me well; only giving me answers that were necessary and true. I don’t use it on its own very much; I tend to use it in conjunction with my tarot cards when something is unclear and I need clarity.

We have a sort of mutual respect; I only use it when really necessary, and in return it never lets me down. To some, it might be strange having a relationship with an object, but this pendulum of mine is very much an old friend! I think I have been lucky in not having a huge amount of disposable income over my adult life; which means I have only ever really had one of something, and so a deep connection with my tools has developed.

I’ve heard that the general consensus within the spiritual community is that using a wooden pendulum on a thread is the preferred option for receiving the greatest clarity because crystals and metals tend to absorb energies which could cloud or influence information. What do you think?

Do you have a pendulum? How often do you use it? What is it made of?

NEXT - Simple Magick: 10 Easy Witchy Self-Care Activities
NEXT - Tarot Books: Sunday Witchstack
NEXT - Tarot Method: Wren's Year Ahead Spread

Fabulous Folklore: The Magickal Hydrangea

One of the things I love most about spring is that some hydrangeas start to flower, and they will continue to do so right through to the autumn. Ruled by the Moon and Neptune for the whole plant, and Jupiter for the root, the feminine hydrangea ~ or hortensia ~  has many magickal uses.

Hydrangea has great hex-breaking properties. It can strewn around the home, used in spells, carried, and burned. Use it for redirecting curses and psychic attacks, and for protecting against them.

Hydrangea can also be used for spells related to understanding, shielding, devotion, friendship, boundary setting, and as a devotional offering to gods and goddesses. Plant it either side of your front door to help maintain boundaries in your home and life. It is associated with Water, so it can help with matters related to psychic awareness and intuition.

Hydrangeas are one of my favourites, they remind me of the beautiful garden we had at the house we grew up in.

Do you use hydrangea in your practice? Do you grow them?

NEXT - Hydrangea Magick: Correspondences

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Spring Blossom

Witchy Quotes: Anthon St. Maarten

“Dare to dream! If you did not have the capability to make your wildest wishes come true, your mind would not have the capacity to conjure such ideas in the first place. There is no limitation on what you can potentially achieve, except for the limitation you choose to impose on your own imagination. What you believe to be possible will always come to pass - to the extent that you deem it possible. It really is as simple as that.”

~ Anthon St. Maarten 

NEXT - Witchy Quotes: Arin Murphy-Hiscock - The Green Witch
NEXT - Simple Magick: Magickal Beliefs & Attitudes
NEXT - Word Magick: The Season of The Witch

Witchcraft Books: Witch Stack Sunday

A little post from yesterday that I was too tired to share... 

Witch Stack Sunday! #witchwithbooks

I’m having a #selfcaresunday with my #sundaywitchstack:

The Healing Power of Witchcraft by @megrosenbriar

The Spirit of Reiki - Lübeck, Petter, Rand

Spells for Peace of Mind by Cerridwen Greenleaf

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham

I’m going to make some bath salts ahead of my bath tonight, the recipe I’m using is from the Scott Cunningham book:

Flowery Love Bath:

3 parts Epsom salts

2 parts baking soda 

1 part table salt 

3 parts Palmarosa essential oil

2 parts Lavender essential oil 

1 part Rose essential oil 

Optional: pink food colouring

What does your Sunday look like?

NEXT - Witchcraft Books: Herbal Sunday Witchstack 
NEXT - Review: The Healing Power of Witchcraft by Meg Rosenbriar 

Sacred Symbols: Runes

Jumping on the @witch.with.me train for Week two of their Divination Month, and we’re talking runes!

Runes are letters that were used to write Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet.

The three best known runic alphabets are the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, the Elder Futhark and the Younger Futhark, a reduced form of the Elder Futhark.

The word “rune” comes from the Germanic root run- meaning “secret” or “whisper” and can also be found in Baltic languages, meaning “speech”.

In Norse mythology the runes are seen as having a divine origin; the poem Hávamál explains that they came from Odin, as a result of self-sacrifice:

“I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights, wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run.”

I absolutely adore the runes, but my relationship with them is in its infancy. Our resident expert is @marget.inglis_witchcraft - check out her page for lots of information on them.

Do you use runes in your craft?

NEXT - Sacred Symbols: The Witch's Foot
NEXT - Winter Is Still Here
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Storm Callers 

Simple Magick: 10 Easy Witchy Self-Care Activities

It’s been a busy few weeks with the kids, I’ve been working towards getting a shop and Patreon launched, I’m enrolled on a magick course, and I’ve had a virus. Unsurprisingly, my M.E. and other chronic illnesses are now flaring, and I’ve hit a wall. I feel seriously unwell, which means I feel decidedly unmagickal.

It got me thinking about the small, low-energy things we can do when we feel this way. Small, simple things to bring that witchy feeling back, without burning ourselves out further. Whilst they may seem obvious when listed, they often get forgotten. Employing them can help us feel better.

Easy Witchy Self-Care Activities:

Burning Incense 

This always perks me up! My favourite scent burning ~ Patchouli Forest ~ makes me feel magickal again.

Lighting Candles 

A soft, warm glow rather than bright lights soothes frazzled nerves, and creates a magickal atmosphere; conducive to rest and recuperation.

Books

Whether it be folklore tales, a magical fictional story, or even just a quick flick through a favourite witchy book to look at the pictures; a book is sure to lift the spirits.

Bathing 

A ritual bath, or even just a bath or shower with some special smellies, is bound to make you feel much better.

Witchy Clothes 

Even if it’s just to sit on the sofa, wearing something that makes you feel empowered or special in some way can give you a low-energy boost for the rest of the day.

Witchy Films 

My go-to is The Wicker Man ~ the original version of course ~ and is the perfect low-energy activity.

Making a Cup of Tea

I’m not a tea (or a coffee!) drinker, but I imagine a nice witchy brew is a good low-energy activity.

Meditation

I often fall asleep during meditation due to chronic fatigue, but it means I’ve had a rest nonetheless. If you can stay awake during meditation all the better, but if not don’t worry.

Witchy Shopping

Whether you purchase or not, some witchy browsing is a fun, low-energy activity that gets the witchy juices flowing again.

Journaling or adding to a Grimoire 

Adding to your Grimoire is a great use of your time and requires very little energy.

What have I missed from this list? What’s your go-to?

NEXT - Simple Magick: How To Use A Crystal Ball
NEXT - Natural Remedies: Lavender Salve
NEXT - Witchcraft Books: Herbal Sunday Witchstack 

Spell: Cloutie Spell for Justice

A cloutie, or clootie, is a strip of rag or cloth. You may have heard the saying “Ne’er cast a cloot til mey’s oot” which means don’t shed any clothes before May is over (and the Hawthorn has blossomed!) and summer has arrived.

Clouties are usually found at Cloughtie Wells; which are sacred wells and springs, usually with a tree beside them. The pieces of cloth are usually dipped in the holy water and then tied to the tree, as part of a healing rite, with prayers offered to the spirit or goddess of the well.

Cloutie Spell to Obtain Justice

This spell by Ann-Marie Gallagher is designed to be an Imbolc spell to be carried out as part of your Imbolc celebrations, but you could carry it out any time you are in need. It’s not a spell for revenge, but to redress balance when an injustice has occurred.

You will need:

A charcoal disc in a fireproof dish

Matches or lighter 

A teaspoon of Myrrh

One white candle 

One purple candle 

Thirteen strips of white cotton cloth 

A dead branch, propped up

A tree where your spell will remain undisturbed for as long as possible

Instructions:

Light the charcoal disc and sprinkle on the Myrrh.

Light the white candle saying “Brigid is here.”

Light the purple candle saying “And justice will come.”

Speaking your anger, fear or despair at the injustice you wish redressed to each strip of cloth, seal them by passing them separately through the incense smoke.

Hand them loosely on the dead branch and placing your hands on the topmost twig say:

“Brigid, pity this branch

For it is as dead as my enemy’s cause.”

Go out to the tree, and as you tie each cloutie loosely to its lower branches, say:

“May the earth hear me in the roots of this tree,

May the air carry my cry,

May the sun take up my plea,

And the moon decry it,

For with Brigid on my side,

My cause is carried.” 

NEXT - Spell: Personal Spell for a Difficult Situation
NEXT - Imbolc: 40 Correspondences
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Ashwell Sacred Spring

Tarot Method: Chase The Ace

I’m sharing a Tarot method called ‘Chase the Ace’. You can use this with any of the four Tarot suits to represent something in your life. This method of divination shows you where blockages or issues lie, and to how to move forwards.

For example, use the Ace of Pentacles to represent money matters, in particular cash flow. The card below the Ace is what is stopping the cash flowing in, and the card above the Ace is how to get it moving again.

You could use the Ace of Swords to represent what is causing conflict in life. The card below the Ace is what’s causing the issue, the card above the Ace is how to move forwards.

Here are the four Tarot suits and some ideas of what they could represent:

SWORDS - action, movement, mental matters, spiritual matters, communication, issues, conflict, clarity, struggle.

PENTACLES - money matters, the material or external world, career or work concerns, health, physical matters, manifestation, proof, prosperity.

WANDS - ideas, growth, ambition, expansion, passion.

CUPS - emotions, family matters, creativity, love, connections, intuition, healing, desires, experience, Spirit.

You could go a step further and use each suit as a Season; using the card below the Ace to represent things to watch out for, and the card above the Ace as positive things that will happen within that period. 

NEXT - Tarot Method: Wren's Year Ahead Spread
NEXT - Review: Moonology Diary (2021) by Yasmin Boland
NEXT - Simple Magick: Casting A Circle