Strawberry Magick: 20 Fruity Correspondences

Apart from their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, strawberries are commonly used in magick for their association with abundance, fertility, love and luck.

They have been used as a love food and in love spells for centuries. The leaves have been carried in sachets and charms for luck, and pregnant women can carry them to prevent and ease pains. 

Strawberry infused water can be used to create potions or for rituals baths. Infuse strawberries under the moon to create strawberry moon water! 

Strawberry Magickal Associations: 

Abundance

Attraction 

Beauty 

Commitment 

Dedication
Desire

Faithfulness 

Fertility 

Fruitfulness 

Glamour spells

Healing
Health

The Heart 

Joy 

Kindness 

Love 

Loyalty 

Luck 

Success 

Sweetening

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

Have you ever used strawberries in magick? If so, what do you use them for? 

NEXT - Wild Garlic Magick: 7 Bear-Related Correspondences
NEXT - Summer Solstice Blessings
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NEXT - Simple Magick: Power Flow For August

Fabulous Folklore: Hag Stones

Hag, holey, witch, fairy, dobbie or adder stones are protective charms used in folk magic. Hung in windows or doorways, in barns and on boats, they were believed to protect against the evil eye, witches, evil spirits, and negative energy, whose magic would be rendered useless when the hole was peered through. It was believed they could wars off curses, sickness and theft. In my part of the world ‘witch stones’ were hung in dairies. Witches could stop cows from producing milk, or prevent cream from turning into butter.

It was believed that other worlds and invisible spirits could be seen through the hole, and they were hung in bedrooms to prevent nightmares. Worn around the neck they protect the wearer from harm.

The holes are formed from the boring of a mollusk called a “piddock”, by water, or by smaller stones grinding against the surface.

I found this stone in the cemetery, so I’m really chuffed with it! Do you have any witch stones? If so, where did you find them?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: White Horses

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Arthur £23 Notes

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wolfsbane

Witch Charms by Quirky Cinnamon

Meet Juniper! This amazing besom charm was made by my friend Cassia of @quirkycinnamon.

An incredible artist from São Paulo, Brazil, and living in my sleepy little town in England; Cassia creates amazing witchy items from the heart. She sculpted Juniper’s face from scratch and says that these creations take on a life of their own when she’s creating them.

She is absolutely beautiful, Cassia. I will treasure her forever and she will take pride of place in our home - thank you so much!

I highly recommend checking out Cassia’s page and creations.

Fabulous Folklore: Wishing Trees

Wishing Trees are found all over Great Britain and have a history that goes back hundreds of years. The idea is you hammer in a coin into the tree and this offering will help cure illness and disease.

Unfortunately it has become a bit of a trend and is damaging woodlands all across the country. People visiting woodlands for the day are hammering coins to make wishes and leave their mark.

This tree is in the woods beside Golitha Falls in Cornwall. Coins weren’t just left in this stump, but also across an entire trunk that had fallen. I know some people will think it doesn’t matter because it’s “just” a stump, but chemicals from the coins leak into the environment, and sadly people are hammering coins into trees that are still very much alive. It’s time we stopped this practice!

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲, 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.” ~ 𝐉.𝐑.𝐑. 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐧

If you’d like to leave an “offering” donate to woodland charities instead, our beautiful trees need all the help they can get.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Phallus Worship

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Yule Evergreens

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Yule Tree

Fabulous Folklore: The Celtic Cross

The Celtic cross is known as a symbol of Irish heritage. It is a form of cross that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. It’s not clear exactly where the first crosses originated, but the wave of cross building in Ireland came to an end in about 1200 AD. Most of the examples in Britain were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. They gained popularity in the 19th Century, the name “Celtic cross” coming from that time.

These crosses are usually intricately carved, often with Bible stories and knot work, and a variety feature inscriptions in ogham. Some historians have suggested that the shape of these crosses may have mirrored trees, which the Celts revered, and that the symbol of Christianity was linked with the Sun Cross to appeal to early Pagans. Some assert that placing the cross on top of the circle represents Christ’s supremacy over the Pagan sun.

No one really knows why these huge stones were erected, by they’re typically located by important monasteries, and are popular for funerary monuments. This cross is situated in Duloe village, Cornwall.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Doniert's Stone

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

Fabulous Folklore: Phallus Worship

This sculpture of a toadstool shaped in the form of genitalia is an exhibit at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic; which used to be displayed in the window in Cecil Williamson’s day.

I can’t remember what the purpose of this exact artefact was, but phallic worship has been present around the world since the beginning of time. Phallic symbols have been found by archaeological expeditions all over the world.

One of the oldest phallic representations is the Hohle phallus, a 28,000 year old siltstone piece which was discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany. As well as being used as a representation for genitalia, this artefact is also believed to have been used for knapping flints - a very practical dual purpose!

The phallus represents fertility, procreation and potential. Worship of the reproductive powers of nature is common in many cultures, and is often symbolised by this organ. In some cultures it was a protective symbol, and helped to avert the evil eye. In Bhutan, for example, wooden phalluses, with white ribbons emerging from the tip, deter evil spirits when hung from the doorways of houses.

Phalluses play a big part (excusing the pun!) in classical antiquity. They appear a lot in ancient Greek, Roman and Indian mythology; usually in relation to fertility.

Do you use a phallic symbol in your practice? Have you seen any good examples of phallic worship on your travels? 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Storm Callers

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Wicker Man

Fabulous Folklore: Horseshoe Magick

Horseshoes have good luck status in England as Blacksmiths and Farriers are considered to be natural magicians. Horseshoes are displayed in a “U” shape, with the points upwards, so that the luck should not run out. It is considered very bad luck to have them pointing downwards.

Traditionally, only Smiths and Farriers may display a horseshoe downwards. Blacksmiths would have an upside-down horseshoe hung over their forge doors; their magical power pouring from the horseshoe on to the forge itself.

There is one other exception to this rule, though.

In my county we only display horseshoes downwards. It is found on houses, and above doorways. It is also upside-down on our county flag.

The people here believe that the Devil can’t make a home in the horseshoe this way up, and upside-down horseshoes bring good luck to us, much in the same way that upward horseshoes bring luck to the rest of the country.

We also have a tradition where any reigning monarch or peer of the realm who visits the county for the first time should present a horseshoe to the Lord of the Manor. This custom is over 500 years old and still continues today. There are now over 200 upside-down horseshoes on display at Oakham Castle, the oldest said to have been given by Edward IV in around 1470.

Valerie Worth, in the Crone’s Book of Words, gives a horseshoe spell to cure a headache. You hold an end in each hand and press the centre of the horseshoe against your forehead and say:

“Good metal loosed,

From horse’s hoof,

Draw from my brain, 

These nails of pain,

Cast them away,

Keep them away.”

Horseshoe traditions have also become popular for weddings. A bride carrying a horseshoe will bring good luck to both the occasion and the marriage. Sometimes this is a small symbol, made of silver, or porcelain hidden in the bouquet or carried alongside it. My grandmother carried several decorative horseshoes alongside her bouquet.

Do you have a horseshoe protecting your home? Which way up is it? Have you seen horseshoes at a wedding, or carried one yourself?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Horse Brasses

Fabulous Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland Leechcraft

Whilst there are many parts of Leicestershire folklore that are also found in other parts of the country; some recorded folklore is specific to Leicestershire and the immediate district. Some of my favourite Leicestershire folklore is the wonderful, and often bizarre, leechcraft: healing or medical “cures.”

Rub a wart three times with the rind of stolen bacon. Nail the rind up on some outside wall, and, as it dries up, the wart will dry up also.

Charm against drunkenness: “Take the lungs of an hog; roast it; whosoever eateth thereof fasting shall not be drunk that day, how liberally soever hee takes his drinks.”

Swallowing shot will remedy “raisin’ o’ the loights” (heart-burn).

Get a black snail, rub it on the wart, then stick it on a thorn until it dies.

To cure whooping cough seat the patient on a donkey, with his face towards its tail. Give him a roast mouse to eat. He must not know what he's eating.

The Churchyard Mould Cure for rheumatism: bury the patient in the earth for two to three hours, naked, his face only uncovered. Repeat daily until the rheumatism is cured.

To cure a wart travel to an ash tree with some fresh pins. Stick a pin through the bark, and then into the wart until it produces pain. Take it out and stick it into the tree. Use a different pin for each wart. The warts will disappear in about six weeks.

Charming for whooping-cough and fits: the operator, generally an old woman, draws a circle round the sufferer’s face nine times with her fore-finger, pausing each time at the centre of the forehead and the chin, her lips moving silently during the performance. (It is believed the words of the charm were probably transmitted from mother to daughter as a treasure to be secretly guarded, and may now be irrecoverably lost).

When stung with a nettle find a dock leaf and beat the sting with the leaves, repeating the words "in dock, out nettle " — a word with every blow.

Sources: 

Leicestershire Legends, Folklore & Dialect 

County Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Horses

Fabulous Folklore: The Land and People

This month @witch.with.me are hosting a challenge based on #regionalwitchcraft and they get started this week with the prompt “Land and People”, two things that are deeply interwoven here.

I’m a “Raddleman” which means I’m an inhabitant of the smallest county in England - Rutland - which is nestled between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Our agricultural landscape boasts hills and valleys, sacred wells, a Sheela na gig, a labyrinth, a Norman castle, a Bede house, and lots of churches built on old, sacred ground. We are a beautiful county, steeped in the rich history, folklore and traditions of the surrounding area, much of which has made its way into our magick.

Aside from smiths and farriers, we are the only people that may display a horseshoe pointing downwards to bring us luck, for fear that the Devil will make its home in the hollow when displayed the other way round. Apparently we need to keep an eye on the Devil as he’s always hard at work putting temptation in the way of the people! We nail horseshoes with nine nails over the stable door, and keep one in the fire at all times. A horse-shoe nailed on a door renders the evil power of a witch that may enter of non-effect, and many local houses display them.

Our local produce, broad beans, also feature a lot in our folklore, especially remedies - “take the pod of a broad bean, rub it on a wart, and then bury it or throw it over the shoulder without looking back”, and you can spot someone from Leicestershire as the beans will (apparently!) rattle in their belly.

If you drop a knife, a male visitor will come to the house. If you drop a spoon, a female visitor will come. If one person begins to pour out the tea, and another takes charge of the tea-pot to finish, there will be a birth in the family within twelve months.

We have loads of legends, many of them ghost stories. The spectral lady of Braunston, Swift Nick, Nicodemus, the Black Annis, the Witch of Edmondthorpe Hall, a magic hedge that bows when you walk past it, and a bogeyman. All yet to be shared with you. 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Knockers of Cornwall

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Arthur £23 Note 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Doniert Stone - The King's Cross

Fabulous Folklore: Oak Galls

Galls are defined as a growth on a plant that are caused by another organism. In the case of the Oak marble gall (pictured) found on pedunculate oaks, they are caused by a tiny wasp, Andricus kollari, which measures about 1.5mm long.

Around May or June a sexual female lays her eggs in the developing buds of an oak tree, usually in an immature or unhealthy specimen. Chemicals from the adult and the developing wasps cause the formation of the gall.

Oak apple galls are caused by Biorhiza polliza, and oak knopper galls are caused by Andricus quercuscalicis; two other types of wasp, producing two other types of gall.

Until the early twentieth century, oak galls were used in the production of ink. The Book of Magical Charms, a handwritten manuscript written in England in the seventeenth century, containing numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing toothache, was written in oak gall ink.

Oak galls could also be used for divination. Three galls were dropped into a basin of water to see if a child was bewitched. If they floated, the child wasn’t enchanted, but if they sank, the child was.

They were also used to predict the weather. If a maggot was found inside on St. Michaelmas Day (29th September) the weather ahead would be pleasant. If a spider was found, ruined crops, if a wasp was found, moderate weather, and if nothing was found serious disease would occur all year.

Oaks are associated with my home town. I’m going to buddy these galls with some peridot to make a necklace or bracelet.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Oak Apple Day

Spell: Orange Charm for Courage

One of the easiest ways to work with the energies of the Earth is by using herbs. I love this spell from Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason.

Orange Charm for Courage Spell

Ingredients:

6 inch square of orange cloth

Red thread or ribbon

Dried thyme, basil, and a few black peppercorns

Sweet orange essential oil

Method: 

Lay out the cloth, sprinkle the herbs on it and say;

“The strength of the bull, the daring of the boar,

Grant me courage, now and more,

Grant me bravery in my life each day,

To follow my path and have my say.”

Tie the sachet up, and keep it near you. Place beneath your pillow when you sleep.

Every full moon replace the herbs and oil. When the sachet has served its purpose untie the knot and dispose of responsibly.

NEXT - Spell: Graveminding Ritual
NEXT - Word Magick: Courage - What Does It Mean?
NEXT - Simple Magick: Protecting the Integrity of Your Spells on Social Media

Simple Magick: Horse Brasses

Horse brasses - correctly known as “pressed brass harness decorations” - became popular in the 1850s.

They are brass plaques used for identifying and decorating harness gear; especially for cart, parade, and Shire horses.

It is unknown if horse brasses had a deliberate magical intent originally, as no English tradition of metal charms on horses exists previously, however it is likely that horse brasses replaced charms of other materials, as horses were seen as particularly liable to the attention and effects of malign forces, and anything eye-catching and shiny can protect against witchcraft and the evil eye.

Many English brasses depict lucky and fortuitous symbols such as the sun, crescent moon, star, horseshoe, sun cross, and wheel; and dogs, lions, and serpents are common, too.

Horse brasses are commonly used as apotropaic charms to protect homes. Apotropaic charms offer a shield of protection whilst repelling negative energies, magic, and forces. Horse brasses have been found up Welsh chimneys, and were used to protect carts on the streets of early 20th century London. They have been used as protective pendants on necklaces, and as altar decorations.

This horse brass features the upside-down horseshoe, which is my county’s symbol, along with the acorn. It other English counties it is considered bad luck to be hung this way, but in Rutland it is very lucky, and is found on houses and above doorways. The people of Rutland believe that the Devil can’t make a home in the horseshoe this way up.

Do you use apotropaic charms? Do you have horse brasses in your home?

NEXT - Simple Magick: 9 Types of Divination With Water
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: White Horses 

Sacred Symbols: The Om

Today I thought I’d talk about a symbol that is not witchy, but has always held deep meaning and significance to me.

The Om, or Aum. 🕉

It is considered to be the first sound, and is a spiritual symbol in eastern religions and spirituality. The meaning and connotations of the Om vary within and across traditions; broadly speaking it is a syllable that is chanted within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

It has been associated with concepts of "cosmic sound" or "affirmation to something divine".

Other descriptions include "the sacred sound, the Yes!, the Vedas, the Udgitha (song of the universe), the infinite, the all encompassing, the whole world, the truth, the ultimate reality, the finest essence, the cause of the Universe, the essence of life, the Brahman (reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge), the Atman (soul, self within), and the vehicle of deepest knowledge, and Self-knowledge".

In super basic terms, Om is all encompassing, the essence of ultimate reality, and unifies everything in the universe. It is imperishable, and that it is all states of time, past, present, future, as well as transcending time itself.

The Om sound is a short ‘seed' mantra, and is considered a tool for meditation, empowering one to know the divine within. The vibrations that Om creates are believed to energize the chakras, especially the third eye and crown chakras, which help us connect with our Divine selves.

The Om symbol represents the sound in a visual form.

Do you have a symbol, word, prayer, device, mantra, or some other vehicle for spirituality that is not connected to witchcraft, but still holds deep significance for you?

NEXT: Sacred Symbols: Elhaz of The Elder Futhark
NEXT - Simple Magick: The Threefold Law 
NEXT - Simple Magick: Baphomet Explained 

Fabulous Folklore: All Hail the Blackberry!

One of the best things about the arrival of autumn is blackberries! I’m always overtaken with an urge to create from the hedgerows at this time of year, it must be survival instinct to prepare for winter.

The Bramble (Muin) rules over the 10th lunar month in the Celtic Ogham - 2nd-29th September. (Some sources replace Muin with Vine.)

I love Blackberry, she is very direct, and firm in her demand for respect. And it’s not just her brambles! I got stung by intertwining nettles when picking these.

Bramble is used in healing, money, and divination magic - use leaf, thorn, and twig in mojo bags and charms. Bramble is also very good for prosperity magic in relation to wellbeing - for food, shelter, and creative endeavours related to financial success.

There is an abundance of Bramble stories and lore. Some say that as Blackberries ripen, their colour represents aspects of the Triple Goddess: first green (Maiden), then red (Mother), and then black (Crone).

Some say Brambles offer protection against vampires. Planted near the home the vampire will be distracted, obsessively counting the berries and forgetting what he is about!

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Blackberry

NEXT - Recipe; Faery Berry Jam

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Yew

Simple Magick: Thorns

Thorns are protective; they are a defence against predators, and can cut, pierce and draw blood, which gives them powerful energy. Thorn magic is special because it allows for vulnerability whilst establishing a protective boundary. For example, they are useful to those who wish to be available and vulnerable in love again after heartache.

Thorns can be useful in spellworkings to protect, heal, and hex; placing a thorn in a tincture can increase its strength and potency. Long thorns (eg Blackthorn) can be used in place of pins in poppets, which can also be used for healing, love and friendship.

Use thorns with ink to write magical text, carry as a charm, or use to pierce negative ‘bubbles’. There are many plants that possess strong thorn energy: Hawthorn, Rose, Bramble, Blackthorn and Gooseberry to name but a few. 

NEXT - Simple Magick: 11 Ways To Cleanse A Space 

Rowan Magick: The Witch's Tree

The Rowan has long been praised in folklore for its magical properties. A necklace from the berries is said to protect the wearer from harm. Whilst it’s often referred to as a Mountain Ash it’s not actually an Ash at all, and is a member of the Rose family instead.

Typically, September is the month to gather and use Rowan berries ~ I know, I know, I’m a tad late this year ~ and consequently my berries are a bit fat!

The Rowan’s wood and berries are used in a lot of folk-magic, and this beautiful tree is believed to have come from the Faerie realm.
Its berries are used for wine and potions to increase second sight, for healing, and for staying strong whilst fasting. The blossom end of the berry has a natural pentagram, adding to its protective properties.

Today I made a Protective Rowanberry Necklace, choosing to thread some brown wooden beads in between each berry to make it my own.
You can also make protective charms from Rowan twigs and red thread to hang in your car, office or over the doors in your house.

“Rowan twigs and strings of red,
Deflect all gossip, harm and dread”