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Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Elemental Magic: Putting it All Together


We have finally reached the end of the Elemental Magic Series. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed this series as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I think this has been one of my most comprehensive and helpful series apart from the one I did 2 years ago on hedge riding. After the success of those two series, I have no idea what to write about next! So, if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments below. But I digress...

If you have read through the entire series and completed the tasks I've given you for each element, you now have a journal full of elemental information, from how to Sun moves around your home to your experiences connecting with Earth through the process of Earthing. You've opened your Third Eye and peered into what could be. If anything, you survived a global pandemic, hopefully using the elements to help you manage this crisis. So now what? What should you do with all this information?

While at first these tasks may have seemed disjointed, they are anything but. You have just unknowingly built the foundations of a local, magical practice. You have connected with each of the elements as they appear where you live. You know the rivers and streams and lakes where you can obtain healing waters, enter the Otherworld, and wash away unwanted energies. You know the spirits of the land around you that will aid you in raising energy for spells and have felt the grounding energies of the soil beneath your feet or hands so that you can root yourself in this reality prior to spell work or after hedge riding. You know where the Sun cast his strongest rays so you can cleanse and charge your magical objects. These are the same locations where the Moon will show herself, allowing you to cleanse and charge by the gentle moonlight. You know how the wind blows so that you may send messages and wishes to the Universe. And finally, you know yourself, your purpose, your soul's journey. You now have the tools you need to use the elements in your magical practice as they pertain to you, as they present themselves to you. 

Furthermore, you built a strong relationship with these elements, allowing you to call on them in whatever capacity you need them and they will come. Use the tools I have given you to strengthen your future spells and develop your relationship with the elements further. Return to your notes often and add to them as you grow as a witch. Spend the next year adding the elements thoughtfully to your practice, harnessing their unique abilities to bring about the change you wish to impart on the world.

I sincerely hope that this series has benefited you in your practice. Until next time, I wish you all the best on your journey.



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Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Hedge Riding and Hedgecraft 101: Resources for the Aspiring Hedgewitch

hedgewitch, hedge witch, hedgecraft, hedge riding, witchcraft, witch, astral travel, seidhr, shaman, shamanism

Hedge riding is a form of astral travel in which the rider first reaches an altered state of consciousness before traveling to the Otherworld. Unlike meditation, guided meditation, or pathwalking, the rider loses control of the vision and the beings they interact with and therefore does not determine what will or will not happen during the journey. The only control the rider has is over themselves. Furthermore, hedge riding differs from astral projection in that it takes place outside of our realm in the Otherworld, while astral projection occurs within our plane of existence.

There are much confusion and misinformation floating around about hedgewitches and the practice of hedge riding. I have created this page to help dispel some of these misconceptions and link those interested in the practice to some valuable information and resources. It should be noted that under no circumstances should hedge riding be taken lightly. The act of reaching an altered state of consciousness alone can be dangerous, not to mention the spirits you encounter in the Otherworld. Should you wish to learn how to hedge ride, do so with caution, and always remember to protect yourself.

From Flying the Hedge

What is a Hedgewitch?
Hedgewitch vs Kitchen Witch
Meditation, Pathwalking, and Hedge Riding: Making Sense of it All
Meditation, Astral Project, and Hedge Riding: What's the Difference?
What is Hedge Riding?
Realms of the Otherworld
Focusing the Mind: Getting Ready to Ride
Preparation + Hedge Riding Sachet
Hedge Riding Etiquette: Do's and Don't's of Interacting with Spirits
Hedge Riding Safety Tips: Staying Safe Outside Our Realm
How to Hedge Ride + Flying Ointments
Seeking Your Animal Guides + My Animal Guides
Questioning Spirits: Is This Spirit My Guide?
Developing a Relationship With Your Spirit Companions
After You Hedge Ride: Coming Back to Earth
Setting Up Your Astral Garden/Office
Sigils for Hedge Riding
5 Crystals for Hedge Riding 
My Hedge Riding Experiences
How Do I Know If My Journeys Are Real?
Hedge Riding Tea to Aid in Reaching an Altered State of Consciousness


Books

Hedge Witchcraft by Harmonia Saille
Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille
Witches, Midwives, and Nurses by B. Ehrenreich and  D. English
The Book of Hedge Druidry by Joanna van der Hoeven
The Witch's Book of Spirits by Devin Hunter
Hedge-Rider: Witches and the Underworld by Eric De Vries
To Fly By Night: Craft of the Hedgewitch edited by Veronica Cummer
Cunning-Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic
Elves, Witches, and Gods: Spinning Old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day by Cat Heath

This post is not officially archived under "Resources" which includes tons of books, blogs, shops, podcasts, apps, and more. 



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Friday, December 25, 2020

December Cold Moon Worksheet

full moon, esbat, ritual, witchcraft, moon magic

December's Cold Moon is justly named for the weather this time of year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Also known as the Hoar Frost Moon, Long Night Moon, and Big Winter Moon, December's Full Moon is a time of reflection, introspection, and self-discovery. Because it is the last Full Moon of the year, this is the perfect time to reevaluate your goals and set new ones for the coming year. This is also a time to share your blessings with others and give to those in need. Use this Full Moon to plan for the coming year, reflect on what you would like to change, and set new goals.

This month's Full Moon worksheet contains the usuals of my past Full Moon worksheets, including a to release and cleanse section, a box for your intuition, and an oracle or tarot spread. Unlike past worksheets, however, this one can be used every December, as it is based on the correspondences of the moon itself and not other astrological events. The tarot spread for this month features 5 cards to help you set goals for the future.

full moon, esbat, ritual, witchcraft, moon magic

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY


Looking for more free worksheets? Why not get your free copy of my spell/ritual worksheet to write your best spells and rituals yet?


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Thursday, December 24, 2020

Elemental Magic: Tools of Spirit

spirit magic, witchcraft, spirit witch, spirit tools, elemental magic

In today's post, I will discuss some of the few tools associated with Spirit and how you can use them in your practice. Many of these tools were hinted at or discussed when I introduced you to some of the folklore surrounding Spirit. However, this post is more of a correspondences type list that you can use to quickly plan spells. There are not types of Spirit in this post, as I didn't want to discuss actual spirits themselves as that is not what this element is about. For your pleasure, I have also included a free 3-page printable for your Grimoire or Book of Shadows. Enjoy!


Besom: The besom or broom is the quintessential symbol of the witch, especially the hedgewitch, as witches were said to fly by night to the Sabbath. The besom can be used during hedge riding and astral projection, for protection, or to symbolize hearth and home.

Circle: Circles are amongst many of the symbols of Spirits. Use circles in your spells and rituals for protection, raising energy, trapping energy, or encompassing a spell. Circles can also be used to symbolize beginning at the end or what goes around comes around.

Clear Quartz: Clear quartz is an amplifier of magic and can replace just about any crystal in a spell or ritual. Use quartz to strengthen the components of a spell, connect to the spirit world, or amplify your energy during spell work. Clear quartz can also be charged for protection and worn or carried on your person.

Cord: Cords are used to tie or link things together. They are perfect for creating Witch's ladders, love spells, and even binding spells. Often times during a handfasting, individuals have their hands tied together to symbolize their union aka tieing the knot. Cords, both physically and astrally, can be cut to sever the bond between two things, especially between people. 

Familiar: The familiar is a spirit that can take the form of an animal to aid a witch in their magical workings. The vast majority of pets are not familiars (I hate to burst you bubble!). Instead, you are more likely to find familiars in the Otherworld nowadays, much like an animal guide. Familiars can help you cast spells, sever cords, perform shadow work, soul search, mend past traumas, keep an eye on loved ones and enemies, and even aid in cursing and hexing. 

Infinity Symbol: Spirit is infinite, a part of the neverending cycle of birth and rebirth. Use the infinity sign in your magic to have a spell never end. To break the spell, simply break the infinite sign.

Helix: The helix, especially the double helix, represents the instructions for life. All living things contain genetic material in the form of DNA and RNA. Both of these nucleic acids have a helical shape, thus represent the fundamental piece of life itself. Use images of the helix in your magical workings to represent perseverance, change, and everlasting life as our DNA is passed down to our children and grandchildren, ensuring we "live" forever.

Major Arcana in Tarot: Each of the major arcana in tarot is associated with the element Spirit. However, each card represents something different and therefore has different magical associations. For example, Justice can be used in spells to bring about justice and fairness while the Tower can be used to bring about sudden change, upheaval, spiritual awakenings, personal transformation, or general chaos. 

Meteorite: A meteorite is a fragment of rock that originated in space before falling to Earth. As such, they have the capability to channel the energy of the Universe into your magical workings. Use meteorites to clarify your purpose, divine the future, seek inner visions, awaken your Spirit, and even communicate with beings beyond our realm.

Rainbows: Rainbows should up in an earlier elemental post as well, but Spirit is often defined as a rainbow of color, so I felt the need to include rainbows here as well. Rainbows are formed by light passing through a prism, usually water droplets when found naturally. Rainbows have an array of magical symbolism, including hope and joy, and are thought to act as a bridge between our world and that of the Otherworld. Use rainbows to connect with the Otherworld, communicate with the dead, inspire hope, and bring about joy. To read more about rainbow magic, check out A Witch's Guide to Rainbow Magick and Working With Rainbows by Autumn Zenith at Witchcrafed Life.

Spiral: The spiral is the eternal sign of creativity and organization within the universe. The spiral is the symbol of spiritual development, being deeply associated with shamanism, mysticism, magic, and ritual art and dance. The spiral represents the progression to a higher level of consciousness, transcendence if you will. Use the spiral in your magical workings to represent this path of transcendence, rebirth, growth, evolution, release, creativity, or the cosmic dance.

Stang: The stang is a pronged wooden staff commonly used by practitioners of traditional witchcraft, especially hedgecraft and Seidhr. The stang can be naturally forked, or a fork can be created with antlers or other forked objects. The stang can be used to divine water, direct energy, represent masculine energies, or aid in travel to the Otherworld. In some traditions, the stang is used much like the broom or besom for witch's flight.

Wheel: The wheel, much like the circle, represents the everlasting dance of birth and death. Usually viewed as an eight-spoked wheel, we see this imagery appear in the Wheel of the Year. Use the wheel in spell work to represent the endless cycle of life and death, add endlessness to your spell, or have your spell last at least one turning or more of the wheel. If you wish to break the spell before the time is up, simply break the wheel.

World Tree: The World Tree, also known as Yggdrasil, is the tree that connects each of the realms together, including our own with that of the Otherworld. The World Tree is often used by hedgewitches, Seidhr, and other shamanistic practitioners to travel through the different realms and can aid in spirit flight. In Norse mythology, Odin was said to have hung from the World Tree to learn the secrets of the runes. Much like Odin, the World Tree can be used for astral travel and the seeking of knowledge, especially those that pertain to the magical arts. World Tree imagery can also be used in spells to represent longevity, immortality, strength, protection, and steadfastness.  

And there you have it. A complete list of the tools of Spirit! Below is a free 3-page printable for your Grimoire or Book of Shadows.




Interest in the rest of the series? Here's what's to come!

Elemental Magic Series


Looking for more information on the elements? Check out my posts on the topic:




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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Elemental Magic: Connecting With Spirit Ritual

spirit magic, witchcraft, spirit witch, spirit ritual, spirit altar, elemental magic


Now that we have covered Spirit folklore and correspondences, it's time to dive a little deeper into the element Spirit! Today I share a ritual to help you connect with Spirit more intimately so that you may fully ascend into your new self and prepare for the upcoming year. There are several tasks in this post and I encourage you to perform each of them with fidelity. Before we get started, however, I'd like to discuss what I put together for the first Spirit task presented last week.


The first task for Spirit was to journal about your experiences over the past year. Obviously, this is a very personal experience and for that reason, I am not going to delve too much into my own journal entry. We all went through a lot this year and the changes that occurred were often difficult to work through. At the beginning of the year, I was put on anti-anxiety medication which I later had to stop taking because I could no longer afford the monthly appointments and prescription. I went through a breakup and later met someone new. I lost my grandmother and missed her funeral because I was unable to board a plane safely. My other grandmother was hospitalized with COVID, has lost the use of her legs, and is still battling for her life in the hospital, alone and out of reach of family. I returned to work as a teacher in person amid increasing COVID cases in my state and watched as coworkers and students gradually disappeared from the school. 

On a brighter note, the antianxiety medication helped me tremendously and despite not taking it for 3 months, I have not had any anxiety attacks. I wrote two articles that were published in Witchology Magazine earlier in the year, wrote articles published in the Book of Spells Wicca Witches' Planner for 2021, and submitted my book to a publisher for review. I maintained the blog and continued to grow my little corner of the world. Water helped me get over the last of my divorce, work through my depression and anxiety, and heal the traumas of losing everything as a child and young adult. Earth helped me ground during the height of the lockdown and find comfort in my home, family, and friends despite being apart. Fire helped me burn bridges that no longer served me and get involved in the BLM movement in ways I hadn't been able to before. It inspired me to reflect on my own practice and reignited my passion for inclusive and intersectional witchcraft. Air helped me release any last regrets and sent my dreams for the future into the Universe to manifest later. Spirit is helping me transition to the next chapter of my life, which I look forward to with gusto. I watched myself go from a hotheaded, stubborn witch, to a more understanding, patient one. I found a part of myself I had been looking for for so long; a part I knew was there but had gone missing in the depths of the tragedy and traumas of my past. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow and to share this growth with all of my readers. I hope you too have grown, despite the trials and tribulations 2020 has sent our way.



Connecting with Spirit often proves more difficult than the other elements, but for most witches, this should be easier than it is for others who are less in tune with the world around them. One of the easiest ways to do this is through tarot by finding your soul card. If you shy away from tarot, you can do something similar with runes, but instead of using 1-22, use 1-24 since there are 24 runes.

Ingredients:
Directions:
Begin by creating sacred space in whatever way you feel most comfortable with. This may include cleansing the area and casting a circle, or simply picking a spot and declaring it scared. Once you have established sacred space, draw your soul card or rune. Even if you have reflected on this card/rune before, do so again. In your journal or BOS write down everything you can about this soul card/rune. What does it mean? Do you feel this is your soul's true purpose? Why or why not? How has this purpose affected your life? Have you forgotten your purpose? What can you do to get back on the right track? Is there anything standing in your way? Does living your purpose come easy to you? Why or why not? 

Once you have exhausted everything you possibly can about the card/rune, place the quartz on top of it or next to it and close your eyes. Open your heart and mind to receive any messages from the Universe and Spirit. These messages can take many forms from flashes of images, feelings, smells, or voices. Quiet your mind and listen. If you are struggling to open to receive messages, hold the card/rune in your dominant hand and the quartz in your non-dominant hand. Your dominant hand is your sending hand, so by holding the card or rune in this hand, you are sending it out into the universe, asking what it means. With your non-dominant hand you are receiving the messages from the Universe. The quartz will amplify any messages. Write everything down. Reflect on the messages you have received and what you can do moving forward to live a more authentic, spiritual life.

When you are finished, take a deep breath, with your eyes closed and breathe out slowly. Relax your body as much as you can. Draw a circle in front of you and imagine it entering into your body through your Third Eye. Feel it fill you up and open any blockages you may still have. 


Once you have established a connection with Spirit through the ritual above, you need to continue to nurture it so it may grow and one of the best ways to do that is with an altar dedicated just to Spirit.

Plan to have your altar dedicated to Spirit for the next couple of weeks, to the New Year if you can, or at least through the last couple of posts in the Spirit series. How you set up your altar is completely up to you, but I encourage you to place at least one candle on your altar as well as other symbols associated with Spirit. Below are some ideas of items to include:
  • your soul card or rune
  • representation of the World Tree
  • clear quartz, amethyst, opal, or pearls, especially if put into a spiral
  • resurrection fern, oak, or lotus
  • circles, spirals, infinity symbols, or globes
  • images of angels, ghosts, spirits, doves, and otherworldly beings
  • white, silver, black, or purple altar cloth
Once you have set up your altar, spend about 15 minutes a day lightly meditating about Spirit and the ritual experience you had. Enter into a light meditation each time, focusing on your inner self, that spark of life within you. Work with your soul card or rune a little more each day, reflecting on your progress to realign with your goal or maintain it. Draw a circle in the air with your finger or a magical tool and visualize it entering into your body through your Third Eye, the area most deeply associated with the Spirit or soul.

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And there you have it! Let me know how things went in the comments below.

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