New Moon Depression Banishment Spell

 

Thursday was the New Moon and while many witches believe you shouldn't perform magic on the New Moon, I disagree. The New Moon is a wonderful time to cast potent magic, especially banishment and wish spells. The New Moon symbolizes new beginnings so this is a great time to get rid of the old and bring in the new. This spell is focuses on banishing depression. As many of you may be aware, I suffer from severe depression, which is usually why I will post often one week, and not at all the next. I am taking active steps to get better, including setting up an appointment with a counselor, and this spell is just one of those active steps. I am tried of feeling this way. Enough is enough.

What You Will Need
     Black Candle with holder
     Charcoal
     Lavender Flowers
     Matches/Lighter
     Black Tourmaline

Directions

1. Begin by lighting the charcoal. Allow the charcoal to burn until grey. Add lavender flowers to charcoal. My charcoal looks like a vulva...Ha!
2. Once lavender is lit, light the black candle.
3. Close your eyes and repeat as many times as needed (I said this about 10 times):
   
   
   "Mother Moon on this night,
   While candle burns flame of white;
   Help me banish this pain I feel,
   As it holds no appeal.
   
   This Feeling of despair
   Leaves me feeling less than fair.
   Help me emerge from this hole,
   And release the black upon my soul.
   
   With this candle I cast the darkness out,
   And with lavender light is sought.
   I no longer need this to hold me back,
   And continue to push me off track.
   
   Mother Moon of this night,
   Please help me to be alright.
   Please stand with me,
   And by my will, so mote it be."
   
   
4. After you feel you have repeated the mantra enough, hold the black tourmaline and envision yourself letting go of the darkness surrounding your heart and soul and visualize it being replaced by the light of peace and joy. Imagine yourself bathing in a pool of cool water and the past washing away.
5. After you are finished your visualization, take a bath. Again envision your depression washing down the drain, leaving you renewed. Feel free to add bath salts or lavender to enhance the experience.
6. Allow the candle to burn out on its own and dispose of the wax away from your home.

While this spell alone will not cure depression, it can definitely change your mindset and release many of the negative feelings that are weighting you down. It is important to recognize that magic cannot fix all problems. Seeking medical help is extremely important. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone now. Call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255 for those in the United States. Don't feel like calling? They have an instant messenger option available as well. You are NOT alone in this. 

Blessed be, 

May Flower Moon Ritual 2017

Today I would like to share my May Flower Moon ritual with you (very late I know). This is the first full moon ritual I have conducted in quiet some time. Things have not been going so well in my personal life, and I felt the need to perform a ritual to help soothe my nerves, reaffirm my goals, and bring my heart the strength it needs to continue. The May Flower Moon is a time for self reflection, self assessment, healing, and rebirth. This is a perfect time to relax and reaffirm goals or set new ones.

Prior to performing this ritual I took a bath using the bath salts and rose hip seed body scrub from my May Moon Box. The act of bathing prior to a ritual washes away the mundane and prepares you mentally for the ritual ahead. It is basically a way to reset from the day and let anything that is bothering you wash down the drain with the bath water. Light a couple candles, close your eyes, relax, and reflect on what your goals are for the ritual ahead.

Flower Moon Ritual

1. Light your altar candles and cinnamon incense. If you ritually cast circles and call quarters do so at this time. If you want, turn on some music that does not contain words. Singing is distracting, especially during meditation and hedge riding.
2. Say, "Mother Moon, I invite you to aid me in my ritual to release the past and inhibitions. Help me reaffirm my goals of [INSERT GOALS HERE]." I picked health, fitness, and financial success.
3. On a piece of paper, write your fears, inhibitions, and any barriers on a piece of paper.
4. Burn the paper and say, "With this flame I release my fears and inhibitions. My stress leaves with this smoke. Mother Moon bless this release. By my will, so mote it be."
5. Meditate on goals. Envision yourself being successful in all that you do.
6. Create a goal sachet. (See post for details).
7. When you are finished, thank Mother Moon for aiding in your ritual and spells. If you cast a circle, break the circle now and close the ritual in any way you see fit. Dispose of ashes outside the home. Burying in a graveyard or placing at a cross roads are good places, but simply releasing them into the wind works as well.

I am a pretty relaxed witch. I like things to be short and simple and that is what I did with this one. Rituals can be as simple of complicated as you make them. Do what works for you. Feel free to adapt this ritual in anyway you see fit. Make it your own!

I hope everything had a wonderful full moon. Did you perform a ritual?

Goal Affirmation Sachet

During my Flower Moon full moon ritual, I put together a goal affirmation sachet that I would like to share with you today. The Flower Moon is a time of blossoming and renewal. If you are looking to encourage self-growth or seeking a new career, this is the moon to seek assistance and guidance. This wonderful little sachet is easy to make, takes very little time and prep, and can easily be incorporated into your Flower Moon ritual.

What You Will Need: (be sure everything is cleansed and charged)

• sachet (I used one left over from my Moon Box subscription)
• tiger's eye for strength to complete goals or another crystal aligned with  your goal(s)
• cinnamon to draw money
• lavender for peace and love
• rosemary to bind the spell
• green paper
• pen/pencil

Begin by assembling your items. On the green paper write your goals. As you do, say your goals aloud and reaffirm they are ones you wish to set. Once your goals are set, begin adding the items to the sachet while saying:

"With this tiger's eye, I ask for strength and focus to complete my goals.

With this cinnamon, I draw money to me.

With this lavender, I ask for relaxation and protection.

I place my goals in this sachet and ask Mother Moon to bless it.

I bind this spell with rosemary so my goals may manifest with love.

As I will it, so mote it be."

As you assemble these items envision the sachet filling with golden light and your goals manifesting. You can carry your sachet with you, or place in an area where you need assistance to complete these goals. For example, if you are looking at increasing money, place it in your office or place of work. Looking to change your eating habits, place it in the kitchen. And that's it! I told you it was simple! Many of the items can easily be substituted to suit your affirmation/goal needs. My sachet focused on physical and mental health and money, so I picked herbs, colors, and crystals that aligned with these goals. For example, if you are looking at increasing self-love, you may want to use red or pink paper instead of green and roses instead of cinnamon.

What do you use sachets for?

May Moon Box Review

I was so excited to receive my Moon Box by Gaia Collective a couple of weeks ago. I am really enjoying this subscription box, much more than the Box of Shadows subscription. This month's box centered around the Flower Moon.

Upon opening the box I was once again greeted by an envelope asking me to find a quiet spot to open the box. I really like this message because it encourages mindfulness. Half the time when I open mail I simply rip it open, briefly see what is inside and move on. This little note forces me to slow down and enjoy the process. Inside the envelope were three cards: directions, moon oracle card, and crystal cheat sheet. The directions includes not only how to use the products, but where they came from, what the ingredients are, and how to use the items in your full moon ritual. I really like the step-by-step guidance and explanation of each item. It makes the items more meaningful, especially when they come from small pagan businesses. The Flower Moon Oracle card explained this full moon is a time of blossoming, whether in your personal life or career. It is a time to reaffirm goals and set intentions for the future. The artwork is stunning and the information informative. The only issue with this month's oracle card is it says April at the bottom instead of May. I had to double check my calendar to make sure I wasn't an entire month off. Haha! Other than that, this is a card I will hang on to.

 

 

Underneath the card was a small bag of Tropical Bath Soak by Malachite + Elephant. As you can see from the picture I used this product on the night of the full moon. I took gorgeous pictures of everything in this box the day I received it, but accidentally deleted them thinking I had already sent them to my computer. Boy was I wrong! These bath salts smell earthy and calming (scented with vetiver and lavender) and contains bentonite clay which is wonderful for the skin. I should have added the entire package to the bath, but half was enough for me to smell the aroma and have a relaxing soothing bath. As I soaked I felt the day wash away. The aroma helped clear my head and allowed me to focus on the ritual ahead.

To go along with the bath salts was a rose hip see body scrub by From Molly With Love. The scent is subtle but luxurious. I think this was my favorite item in this month's box beside the tea. I love the smell of roses, especially in regards to beauty products. As you use it, the sugar slow dissolves, learning the oils behind to soothe the exfoliated skin. Using this with the bath salts left my skin refreshed and moisturized.

Next was the crystals. This month's box contained red calcite from Mexico, Mangano calcite from Peru, and black tourmaline from Brazil. These crystals are gorgeous and were vibrating with strong energy. As per instructions, I meditated on each crystal. I first focused on the red calcite. It was cool to the touch, but as I meditated the crystal became warm around my thumb only. It glowed orange and made me feel alter and full of energy. This is the perfect crystal for strength, vitality, and stamina. Next was the Mangano calcite. It spoke of self love and calmness. As I meditated my guide, Fox, laid beside me, letting me know I am never alone and very loved. This will be a great crystal for when I doubt my own self worth. The black tourmaline, however, spoke the strongest to me, and I have been carrying it with me to help ground my emotions. While it is commonly used for banishing, it spoke more of power and protection to me. As I held this crystal I watched Fox nip at the heels of Fear and Doubt as they ran away. Things have been less than savory at home and despite the turmoil and the prospect of loneliness, the tourmaline has allowed me to feel more in control.

Next I opened the essential oil and tea. I love that each month comes with a tea specifically blended for the full moon. I am a huge tea drinking and this one was wonderful. I did not drink it the night of my full moon, but later in the week to help calm my nerves. This tea, handcrafted by Fruits of the Roots, contained passion flower, rooibos, hawthorn, holy basil, cinnamon, burdock, and peppermint. The cinnamon was predominant, with the other flavors being subtle. The essential oil, blended by Cottage Traditions was a mix of blood orange, lavender, sweet marjoram, hyssop, black spruce, and peppermint. It is a unique and empowering combination, reminding me of Yule instead of the Flower Moon. However, I understand the connection with growth and personal revolution.

Finally, the day before the full moon, Gaia Collective sends out a guided meditation. I forgot to mention this in my last review as I forgot to listen to it prior to reviewing. This months was wonderful, focusing on inner self. These meditations can easily be incorporated into any ritual or used whenever the time feels right. This personal touch is not something found in many subscription boxes, thus setting it apart from many others.

Overall another WONDERFUL box. I cannot wait to see what next month has in store for me! With next month's review, I will give a complete break down of the pros and cons of this subscription box, but let's just say, I don't have much to say against this subscription!

Mastering Your Grimoire: Using Colors, Aromas, and Time

We have come to the conclusion of the Mastering Your Grimoire series. At this point you should be well on your way to creating a comprehensive grimoire, but how can you add a little extra magic to your book? That's the topic of today's post. You can use colors, aromas, and time to infuse magic into the pages themselves along with unique inks, drawings, photographs, and pressed flowers.

Studies show that colors have a profound affect on our behaviors and emotions, so it should come as no surprise that colors hold magical properties. Color is often used to empower magic and add a symbolic, visual dimension to it. When transferring information into your book, be sure to take color into consideration to infuse the pages with magic. Think about the color of the paper, ink, drawings or photographs, and pressed flowers or herbs you are including on certain pages. Completing your page on Samhain? You may want to use black, orange, purple, and green. Writing a banishment spell? Use black. Describing dream work? Use blue or purple. For a full list of color correspondences, please refer to my post Correspondences: Colors. Remember, your personal experience with a color is more important than the correspondences listed in the table. If you associate blue with love, use blue for pages covering love magic and spells.

Like colors, aromas also have an effect on our behaviors and emotions. Everyone knows certain smells bring us back to different points in our lives. You can use essential oils to create paper, inks, and paint and perfumes to scent your pages to symbolically accent different sections and pages of your grimoire. I do not suggest adding essential oils directly to the pages. You will leave an oil spot which will damage several pages. Below is a very brief list of correspondences for different essential oils. Remember, if you have a different impression of an aroma, go with your gut.

Cedar: courage, strength, purification
Chamomile: peace, tranquility, healing
Frankincense: spirituality, blessing
Geranium: balance, symmetry, harmony
Ginger: power, love, prosperity,
Jasmine: socialization, birth, purification, creativity
Lavender: peace, sleep, lifting despair, healing, love
Mint: prosperity
Myrrh: protection, meditation, purification, spirituality, understanding
Orange Bergamot: soothing anxiety
Pine: energy, happiness, healing, magic, prosperity, protection
Rose: love, beauty, harmony
Rosemary: healing, memory, love, invoke deity, protection
Sage: psychic, astral travel, purification, memory, prosperity, wisdom
Sandalwood: spirituality, psychic, calm, healing, protection
Vanilla: passion, energy, happiness, luck
Ylang Ylang: peace, love, marriage, sex

Ancient witches often used timing in their spell work to amplify their magic. Today, many witches still work on this same belief system, believing the position of the moon, sun, planets, stars, and the Earth influences all life on Earth. Mercury retrograde is an excellent example of this. I don't suggest working on your grimoire during this time, as Mercury retrograde hinders communication in all forms, written and verbal. However, I do suggest using the phases of the moon, the cycle of our Mother Earth, and the days of week to enhance your work on your grimoire. Below is a short list of different times you can work on certain aspects of your book.

September: emphasizes spirituality, especially in regards to development. This is a great time to work on your grimoire and expand your spiritual understanding.
December: emphasizes knowledge and understanding. Set out to improve your understanding of your own spirituality.
Moon in Libra: create a balanced book
Moon in Capricorn: allows you to truthfully see and express yourself and your spirituality
Moon in Sagittarius: goal oriented so if you need a kick in the butt to work on your book, this is the time.
Wednesday: creativity
Thursday: communication
Sunday: reading, researching, and reflecting

For a complete list of how the moon phases affect magic, please refer to my posts A Hedgewitch's Guide to Moon Magic Part 1 and Part 2: Monthly Magical Moons. For days of the week, read Magical Correspondences: Days of the Week. Wondering what time of day to work on your book? Read Magic All Day Long: What Time of Day Should I Perform Magic? These lists are fairly comprehensive and should give you a good idea of which to work on your grimoire and which sections you should be working on at which times.

Colors, aromas, and the time when you work on different aspects of your grimoire can greatly increase the magic within the book and solidify your connection with your book. I strongly encourage you to take these aspects into considering as your continue to work on your grimoire. Now get out there and make sometime beautiful!

I would love to see your work if you are comfortable sharing. Post pictures in the comments below, on Facebook, or on Instagram using #masteringyourgrimoire.

Now get cracking creating a unique grimoire while growing your own spirituality.

Mastering Your Grimoire Series Posts:

Introduction
Mapping Your Magical Path
Picking Your Book 
Decorating Your Book 
Picking Your Space

Organizing Your Grimoire

 Writing Your Dedication

My Book Dedication 

Book Blessing

My Book Blessing

Researching

Using Colors, Aromas, and Time