Incense Correspondences for Love and Happiness

Today I’m sharing some magickal incense correspondences for love and happiness.

It’s important to remember that magickal associations are forged through the connections we make with our magickal tools and materials. In other words, they are relationships, and so your correspondences may look quite different to mine.

Of course there are those magickal connections that have been used for thousands of years by multiple practitioners - it’s OK to use those, too!

What plants do you associate with love and happiness? Do they appear on this list?

Gravestone Symbolism & Magick

I think gravestones are beautiful. Many of the graves on our cemetery date back to the mid 1800s and many of them are very similar. What does differ is the symbols you can find on them.

Unsurprisingly, the Victorians had their own language for symbols. People weren’t generally cremated back then, and many people were illiterate, so symbols were an important way to communicate thoughts, feelings and information.

This is fascinating when you consider that symbolism is used a lot in Witchcraft. We may carve an image on a candle, use one in our magickal writings, or draw one onto a petition before burning it. Whilst it’s always good to create our own magickal correspondences, you could consider using gravestone symbolism in your magick. These time-worn symbols have been used by many people over hundreds of years.

Scholars still debate the various meanings and interpretations of cemetery symbols, and they may differ from country to country (and even region to region), but here are ten common gravestone symbols and their suggested meanings:

Angels - Messengers between God and man

Bat wings - Death, misfortune

Bone - Death

Candle - Life

Heart - Romantic love

Key - Knowledge, entrance to Heaven

Lamp - Knowledge, spiritual immortality

Oak leaf - Strength, stability, endurance

Phoenix - Resurrection

Winged Death’s Head - Mortal remains of the deceased

Embracing the New Year

Though many people consider Samhain to be the beginning of the witch’s year; the start of the calendar year is also a good time for reflection, setting intentions and starting new projects.

It is a great time to start afresh; and actually, to do some shadow work.

We all deserve to find peace and joy in our lives.

Sometimes that starts with the decision to be happy.

Let’s consider the opportunities a new calendar year brings, and start the year off with some magick - make a positive statement below and know that it will be affirmed when other people like, share, tag, read the post and comment - keeping your positive statement spinning.

I’ll go first. “This year I will be healthy.”

What do you want to usher in? What changes are you going to make this year? Do you allow yourself to be happy?

Six Common Crystals for Wealth

Today we're checking out six common crystals for wealth. I love crystals; they're so pretty! Here are six common crystals that can be used in your wealth spells and rituals:

Citrine
Malachite
Pyrite
Amazonite
Peridot
Jade

What crystals do you like to use for wealth spells? I think malachite is my favourite from this list. 

It’s important to remember that magickal associations are forged through the connections we make with our magickal tools and materials. In other words, they are relationships, and so your correspondences may look quite different to mine. 

NEXT - Simple Magick: 45 Colour Correspondences for Crystals 
NEXT - Simple Magick: Candle Replacements 
NEXT - Resin Magick: 8 Resins & Their Magickal Correspondences

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Today my husband and I visited Sheela na gig to speak to her about the coming year.

We reminded her that she is not forgotten, wished her a Happy New Year; and whispered to her the things we want to achieve this year. We asked her for her love and support.

We left her an offering each. She already had gifts bestowed upon her; including evergreens and coins.

A good start to the year. Wishing you all a fabulous 2024.

Love and blessings, 
Wren

Dress by: Ancient Earth Clothing

NEXT - Tarot Method: Wren's Year Ahead Spread 
NEXT - Review: A Spell in the Wild: A Year (and Six Centuries) of Magic by Alice Tarbuck 
NEXT - Higher Transmissions: Tarot Reading Review

Gratitude

I have been thinking about the things I am grateful for. Though (through no fault of my own) I’m not in the best of health right now, there are so many reasons to be cheerful.

I can study.

I have beautiful surroundings.

I have a home.

I have friends, and make friends, wherever I go.

I have my path.

I have someone to share life with.

I have family.

I have Witchcraft.

I’d love to hear what makes you happy and what you are grateful for. Do you have any big plans for 2024?

NEXT - Gratitude Jar

NEXT - Review: Wild Once by Vivianne Crowley

Six Ways to Embrace the New Year

Let's look at six fabulous ways to embrace the New Year! Though many people consider Samhain to be the beginning of the witch’s year; the start of the calendar year is also a good time for reflection, setting intentions and starting new projects.

It is a great time to start afresh; and actually, to do some shadow work.

We all deserve to find peace and joy in our lives.

Sometimes that starts with the decision to be happy.

Let’s consider the opportunities a new calendar year brings, and start the year off with some magick - make a positive statement below and know that it will be affirmed when other people like, share, tag, read the post and comment - keeping your positive statement spinning.

I’ll go first. “This year I will be healthy.”

What do you want to usher in? What changes are you going to make this year? Do you allow yourself to be happy? 

NEXT - Happy New Year!
NEXT - Personal Magick: Happy New Year 2020 
NEXT - Six Common Crystals for Wealth

Samhain Events

Here are just some of the Samhain events to be found around the UK in the coming days. Don't forget to look up local Moots for meetings and events. Information on these can generally be found via a Google search, Facebook pages, The Pagan Federation etc. 

Check out the Helpful Links page of this website for more information on Pagan and Witchcraft organisations. 

Bristol
Bridge Farm - 31st October
1900-2200hrs
Samhain Fire Ritual & Ecstatic Dance

Glastonbury
Chalice Well - 31st October
1600-1800hrs
Floating candles for the Ancestors in the Vesica Pool 

Keswick
Whinlatter Forest - 1st November
1900hrs
Fire & Cacao Ceremony

London
Natural History Museum - 31st October 
1845-2230hrs
Halloween Party

Luton
The Barn, Woodside - 5th November
0900-1300hrs
Samhain Celebration Ceremony

Middlesbrough
Dorman's Club - 30th October 
1700-2100hrs 
Wolf & Witch Night Market 

Papworth Everard
The Wild Edges - 29th October
1930-2100hrs
Sacred Samhain Gathering

Suffolk
Woodbridge Community Hall - 4th November
1030-1600hrs
Samhain Market

Have a wonderful Samhain, however you may celebrate. 

Higher Transmissions - Tarot Reading Review

A few weeks ago I had a reading from Alastair from Higher Transmissions. @highertransmissions

As an intuitive person and witch, I don’t invest in tarot readings from others very often; but sometimes you need to seek the objective guidance and insight of someone who is not you!

I knew straight away that Alastair should be that person, and I feel really honoured that he read for me. As in all things, I went into the reading open minded; but as I expected (and from what I knew of his work) I wasn’t disappointed. Blown away, more like.

Alastair will help you get straight to the heart of the matter; providing gentle, truthful and supportive advice that will help you move forwards. He will help you recognise and ask the pertinent questions, and help you reflect on (and extract) the answers to these questions, which are so often found deep within ourselves; astounding you with his deeply spiritual connection to the universe, which aids him in his work.

If you are looking for an experienced, insightful, intuitive, attentive, inspirational, kind ~ and most importantly, patient ~ tarot reader who has an incredible outlook on life, look no further.

I recommend Alastair to everyone, but most specifically to those who work or play in the Witchcraft or spiritual world. He is the mystic, witch, and tarot reader’s tarot reader.

Alastair offers all sorts of services as a spiritual advisor: courses, workshops, EFT tapping, intuitive card readings and more. Please check out his page! @highertransmissions 

Thank you, Al.

Three Card Tarot

Here are some simple 3-card tarot suggestions:

Past / Present / Future

Current situation / Obstacle / Advice  

You / The other person / The relationship

You / Your current path / The outcome 

Your strength / Your weakness / Your superpower

Do you use any 3-card spreads? Feel free to share!

Wortcunning

On The Potwell Inn’s blog, wortcunning is brilliantly described as “the deep knowledge of plants needed to produce a leechdom, or medicinal formula.”

One of my favourite plant books of all time is Vickery’s Folk Flora by Roy Vickery; a full A-Z of British and Irish plants, their folklore and uses.

It combines material gathered since the early 1970s, and features a beautiful array of hand-sketches and colour photographs.

It gives the binomial name for each plant, plus full lists of regional variations. The really fun bit is the folklore associated with each plant; I’ve particularly enjoyed the information on Broad Beans which are grown abundantly in my region, and feature heavily in local lore.

Do you have a favourite herb/plant book? I’d love to hear!

Simple Magick: Power Flow for August

Each month of the year has a different energy and focus.

August is all about enjoying the sun and the vitality of good health. Enjoying friendships and relationships. Reaping and harvesting the fruits of your labour, and just rewards - whether good or bad.

What do you associate August with?

Remember that magickal associations are forged through the connections we make with our magickal tools/relationships- your correspondences may look quite different to mine.

NEXT - Intention: I Call Back My Power
NEXT - Lughnasadh Blessings: Welcoming The Harvest 

Intention: I Call Back My Power

In this moment, I call back my energy and power from all people, places, realms, entities, dimensions and situations that have been draining me; intentionally or otherwise. I call back my energy and power; and stand firm. Safe, sovereign, balanced, calm and protected. And so it is.

NEXT - Winter - A Time For Rest & Regeneration
NEXT - Review: Witch Charms by Quirky Cinnamon 
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Hecate On The Hell Staircase 

Simple Magick: The Shadow

The Shadow is the psychological term for everything we can’t (or perhaps won’t) see in ourselves. You can no more get rid of this inner shadow than you can avoid casting an outer shadow into the sunlight, but you can work on it.

It is hard to see one’s own Shadow; because it is comes naturally to want to deny anything unflattering or difficult.

Whilst avoiding this side of our being we actually stunt our opportunity for growth and development; and in expending energy avoiding our true selves, we often miss the positive attributes of our personality.

Exploring The Shadow can lead to greater authenticity, which in turn leads to greater happiness, fulfilment, and creativity.

I have been doing a lot of work on my Shadow over the years. I am learning to love every part of myself, as I stumble through each situation and experience. I know my flaws, and I know they make me innately human. Whilst I don’t always get it right I AM trying my best; which means I am free to live my life and be happy.

Do you do any shadow work?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Friday 13th
NEXT - Intention: I Call Back My Power
NEXT - Simple Magick: Make a Protective Rowan Necklace

Lughnasadh Blessings: Welcoming the Harvest

Wishing you all a beautiful Lughnasadh tomorrow, however you may celebrate it.

I find this Sabbat incredibly bittersweet. We are well beyond the Summer Solstice now and we are heading towards the darker part of the year. I’m not looking forward to the damp and cold, which start in September in our old stone house. It means there are only two seasons here; winter and summer, and summer has (nearly) gone all too quickly. I’m actually quite nervous of what’s to come as last winter was so difficult.

What are you doing to celebrate this turn of the Wheel?

What is the harvest you gather this year?

I am proud of my ability to keep going, even though this year has been very challenging and the challenges are not over yet. 

However you celebrate I hope it’s a good one. Love and blessings,

Wren. X

NEXT - Journaling: Harvest Reflections for Lughnasadh

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Lughnasadh

Fabulous Folklore: The Major Oak

The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, is one of our oldest trees.

It stands near the village of Edwinstowe and has been present during the age of the Vikings, the Battle of Hastings and over 50 monarchs, which is just incredible.

It is propped up by girders and planks, which sparked an interesting conversation between me and my friend: should this incredible tree be supported in this way, or should we let nature take its course?

What do you think?

Have you been to see the Major Oak? Maybe you have made friends with another very old tree? I’d love to hear your tree stories!

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wing Maze
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Yew
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Rats Castle
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Broadbean

Fabulous Folklore: Foxgloves

I absolutely ADORE foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), especially when I see them in the wild. They are one of those really fascinating plants with lots of interesting folklore.

One of the best things about foxgloves is the HUGE amount of local and regional names given to them. In this way they remind me of another magickal thing: wood lice ~ aka cheesy bugs / chiggy wig / granther giggles / grammer zow!

Foxgloves are also known as goblin gloves, witches’ gloves, dead men’s bells, fox fingers, flopdock, cowflop, bunny rabbits, fairy petticoats and fairyweed. 

Have you heard of these names? In what country and region are you in? What do YOU call them?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Tulip Piskies
NEXT - A History: Midsummer Day (24th June)
NEXT - Natural Remedies: 6 Ways With Lavender Essential Oil
NEXT - Simple Magick: Power Flow for August

Fabulous Folklore: The Broadbean

Cultivated in the Middle East for over 8000 years and grown in gardens since about 1200, the broad bean or fava bean (now we’re all thinking of THAT film) are grown abundantly in my part of the Midlands.

They are a species of vetch and have the most beautiful, delicate, sweet scent that carries on the wind. There is nothing like it, although the scent of the lilac comes close. It’s no surprise that their scent is considered an aphrodisiac, it is simply beautiful.

Whilst not particularly tasty (not to me, anyway!) they are high in L-dopa, which the body converts to dopamine.

They have a lot of folklore and superstition surrounding them. They often appeared in old wortcunning recipes and spells to cure warts. Usually this involved rubbing the inside of the broadbean pod on skin, and throwing it over a shoulder or burying it. Preferably by moonlight. The belief was that by the time the pod was rotted the wart would be gone.

It is believed that the beans in Jack & The Beanstalk were fava beans. Jack, a poor Cornish country boy, trades the family cow for some magic beans which, when planted, grow into an enormous beanstalk ladder that reaches into the sky. Jack climbs the ladder to find himself in front of a giant. I sometimes wonder if the feel-good dopamine is reflected in this story by the magical appearance of the beans and the beautiful ladder reaching up into the heavens.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wolfsbane
NEXT - Winter Aconite Magick: Herbal Lore
NEXT - Sticky Willy Magick: An Abundance of Folk Names

Simple Magick: Birthday Cake Candles

Birthday cake candles! One of the best magickal tools around (imho).

They are:

Small

Perfect for spells, they’re quick to burn down. This means you’re not waiting around for ages to see your spell through to completion. Great for magick in a hurry/emergency.

Cheap

Much cheaper than dedicated spell candles. Some say they haven’t been made with magick in mind, but I disagree - what else is a birthday wish?! Can you truly say those mass-produced spell candles are?

Accessible

Find them at the supermarket. Easy and convenient. Say no more!

Colourful

You can find every colour online. Black, metallics, and even brown if you look hard enough.

Under the Radar

Kept in the kitchen drawer, the witch still firmly in the broom cupboard will remain there.

Versatile

The perfect tool for numerology spells (use as many as you need), to create a sigil, and in spells associated with to happiness and innocence, to name but a few.

Do you use birthday cake candles? I’d love to hear!

NEXT - Simple Magick: Candle Replacements
NEXT - Simple Magick: Birthday Rituals
NEXT - Simple Magick: Kitchen Candle Magick

Witchy Quotes: Hermann Hesse - Wandering

“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.“

~ Hermann Hesse 

NEXT - Witchy Quotes: Rae Beth - Hedgewitch
NEXT - The Woodland Trust's 2022 Tree of the Year
NEXT - Personal Magick: Talking to the Trees