My Grimoire So Far...

This is probably the witch advice you didn’t ask for, but I’ve found it’s much easier to remember to do general periodic maintenance that’s otherwise easily forgotten or put off when tied to milestones such as solstices, equinox, new, or full moons. 

For example: Stow your winter blankets or clothes on the Vernal Equinox and take them out again on the Autumnal Equinox. Replace your air and water filters on solstices and equinoxes (every 90 days). Begin new 30-day challenges or do reset/cleaning of your living space on the new moon (every month). 

Living cyclically breaks life down into manageable little blocks of time and helps us live in the moment by paying attention to the ebb and flow of the Earth.

Khaire 💫💀🖤

Small things you can do for Yule 🌲✨

Decorate your Altar with Pine cones, Holly leaves and Pine leaves 🌲

Wear winter colours of dark greens, Black, Grey and Maroon.

Grown indoor plants during the winter🌱

Cleanse your space with Musky incense and candles and be fresh for the colder months ahead ✨

Use various nuts in cooking for any correspondenses in your kitchen Witchcraft

Cook veg stews (or meat) with herbs to keep you warm ✨

Put birdhouses in your garden to keep the birds warm and feed them seed 🐦

Do some winter inspired make up looks and outfits with your glamour spells ❄️✨

Lammas

Here’s a brief overview of the holiday Lammas. [LAH-mahs] Some people use the name Lughnasadh. [LOO-nah-sah] They are both names for the same holiday–the celebration of the first harvest–, however they are not necessarily interchangeable. 

Lughnasadh is the Gaelic name for this occasion. It celebrates the waning of the sun god Lugh as the summer gives way to fall. The year’s crop is ready for harvesting. Lammas is the modern name. It has minimal connection to the Gaelic sun God, so if you don’t believe in the God, you would use the term Lammas. Both terms recognize the power of the sun God infusing his blessings into the first year’s harvest, however Lughnasadh credits a Gaelic God while Lammas credits a more general sun God. Lughnasadh is the more traditional name, so you can choose to use that term if you want without having any affiliation to Lugh. 

Lammas is celebrated on August 1st (Northern hemisphere) or February 1st (Southern hemisphere). 

Spellwork

Lammas is a time of giving thanks, so be sure to leave offerings to your deities. It’s custom to use something from your harvest (if you harvested anything) as your offering. Spells involving blessings or guidance are going to fare well during this day. 

Correspondences 

Symbols: Sunflower, Wheat, Baskets, Creative Tools (pen, paintbrush, microphone)

Colors: Deep green, orange, burgundy deep reds

Herbs: Vervain, Sunflower, Rosemary

Food/Drink: Grain, Honey, Nuts, Berries, Beer, Cider

Incense: Frankincense, Rosemary

Crystals: Tiger’s Eye, Obsidian

Ways to Celebrate!

Use this holiday to celebrate the things in life granted to you. Share your talents with others. Go for a walk in nature. Have a feast. 

hi! im always trying to learn more about tarot, but i keep coming across the same entry level tips and lessons. do you have any advice for more advanced or intermediate tarot readers?

Advanced Tarot Techniques

You come across tips for beginners because tips are generally for beginners. External sources, such as books and websites, are mostly meant for readers who are in the early stages of their journey. They are training wheels.

The moment you consider yourself intermediate, your growth should mainly be internal. That is, as you read for yourself, you discover new ways of how the cards manifest. And as others approach you with questions you have never been asked before, you develop new ways of seeking answers. That is how you mature as a reader.

Here are methods and findings I uncovered for myself back when I was intermediate and further enhanced once I was advanced:

How to Predict Your Sex Life

How to Predict Timing

How to Foretell the Whole Year Ahead

How to Predict Sports Matches

Extreme Card Meanings

How to Use Oracle Cards with Tarot

How to Use the Cards for Vengeance

Tried and Tested Reversal Meanings

How to Read the Cards as Advice

How to Speak to the Dead

The Major and Minor Arcana Twins

How to Uncover Your Past Life

How to Really Answer Yes or No Questions

Literal Card Meanings

Polar Opposite Cards

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Suit

How to Make a Difficult Choice

How to Uncover Hidden Health Issues

Meanings for Sex

How to Determine Physical Appearance

How to See Someone’s True Intentions

How to Use the Cards for Mind Control

How to Discover Your Life Purpose

Knowing If Someone Will Ever Get Married

Ideal Spread for Fortunetelling

How to Predict How Long You Will Live

Why Self Readings May Fail

How to Read the Cards as Someone’s Feelings

How to Use Lenormand with Tarot

The Greco-Roman Gods in Tarot

How to Identify Your Soulmate

HOUSE TO HOME

-a hearthwitch spell to make your house or apartment feel cozy, happy and loving, like a real home

1. Fill a bowl with water and bless it, focusing on the intent of your spell.

2. Add pink salt to encourage friendship and love in your family and friends whenever they enter your walls.

3. Add Oregano to instill health and wellness for all who live here.

4. Add Thyme to create feelings of closeness, coziness and happiness, ie. home.

5. Add rosemary for cleansing and protection.

6. Stir the bowl with your finger three times and chant

“With company or all alone

Make this house a loving home”

7. Dip your broom into the bowl and flick the water in each corner of every room in the house. At every corner, say the incantation again.

8. When finished, thank your tools and dispose of the water.

I made this spell after moving into my new husbands’s apartment. It had never truly been a home before. More of a place to eat and sleep when my husband wasn’t busy working. And after moving all my things in and cleaning, I just still wasn’t feeling. It felt odd and cold. Not like a home at all. So I wrote this spell and performed it, and the dynamics of our apartment instantly changed. It feels warm now. Warm and happy and cozy, and my husband and I look forward to when we get to spend time there together.

Pagan Pages: Baby Witchery 101

Starting out, witchcraft can seem overwhelming due to the vast amount of information out there. When I first began, I saw all these amazing witches on social media and was shunned by the same ones for asking questions they didn’t want to answer. As a whole, the witch and pagan communities are welcoming and open. However, there are always those few that feel the need to spread hate instead of information for those witches that are just starting out. Witchcraft is just that, a craft. While my craft may not be exactly the same as yours, it does not make either one “better” than the other. For those searching for information, I will list things I believe will help anyone starting out and looking for guidance.

Firstly, decide what kind of practitioner you want to be. I’m not referring to your “title” so much as figuring out which areas appease most to you. For myself, divination practices came naturally due to being a conduit, but the options are endless. Perhaps you love the beach, or cooking, or feel the pull of different dimensions and spirits. Your craft is meant to fit you, so explore the areas that call to you the most.

Secondly, read and read some more. In my opinion, knowledge is power. The better informed you are, the better you can adapt your craft to fit you. I recommend any book by Scott Cunningham or Arin Murphy-Hiscock for beginners. Their books are packed full of easy to comprehend information. They are good books to see what resonates with you.

Most importantly, DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. Just as with any other craft, it can take time to build up all the tools that you need/want. Get what you can, when you can, and the rest will come with time. You are your most important tool. Your intention and state of mind shape your reality, and witchcraft is nothing more than harnessing the abilities that lay dormant within you. Your tools simply amplify your intentions.

Lastly, welcome to the family. You will never be alone again because you are now part of an ancient, tight-knit community. We make mistakes and we learn together. Additionally, La Morte XIII understands how difficult and overwhelming it can be, so reach out anytime on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Tumblr. Let us know if you have a specific question or would like us to do a post pertaining to a topic you are learning.

Blessings to you all, SoloVVitch

Photography by: @solovvitch Pagan Pages by: @solovvitch

FOLLOW @lamortexiii

Tarot in Spells

this is a list of magical associations for every tarot card, they can be added into spells to amplify your intentions and strengthen your manifestations

Wands are connected with the Fire element and is centered around movement, direction, energy, passion

Swords deal with thinking, communication, perception, and issues dealing with truth, connected to the air element

Cups are connected with water, and the full spectrum of emotions. every emotion imaginable is covered in the cup’s suit.

Pentacles are connected with Earth and are symbolic of manifestation, rewards,  material wealth and material abundance.

The Fool creates new beginnings and can be paired with other cards. ex: the fool + the lovers for new romance, the fool + pentacles for new opportunities, etc.

The Magician increases your power and capability on all levels, willpower, emotional security, balance within yourself, etc.

The High Priestess increases your psychic abilities, mediumship abilities, and intuition

The Empress will help you with creativity and creative endeavors

The Emperor establishes order, structure, and command

The Hierophant can be used in a lot of ways, my favorites are 1. Pairing it with the fool to attract a new mentor, 2. Using it to summon a spirit guide or ascended master

The Lovers help invoke and attract love, partnership, mutual relationships, and passion

The Chariot is amazing for success, and triumph. I always use this in success spells for exams, tests, and projects. The Chariot will help the best possible outcome for a situation to arise

Strength will help you master your emotions

The Hermit is good for rituals and meditations based going within and gaining a better understanding of your own self, and life purpose.

The Wheel of Fortune can be used for luck, change, and getting a desired situation moving

Justice is great for truth, legal matters, and justice 

The Hanged Man buys you time for a situation you aren’t ready to face, delays events

The Death card works well for ending situations, closing doors, gaining closure, and new beginnings

Temperance will restore balance and serenity to any situation

The Tower is best used for hexing and cursing, brings misfortune, unhappiness and chaos

The Star card is good for when you are casting spells focused on gaining something, The Star card is centered around healing, openness, and hope

The Moon helps develops intuitive abilities and can be used to send bad dreams

The Sun is used in spells for summoning happiness, success, and health

Judgement will help clear confusion and help you with understanding your life mission similar to the Hermit in that aspect

The World invokes wholeness and completion

Page of Wands: works with communication, messages, action, and passion

Page of Cups: boosts creativity, taps into your spiritual nature to bring out new creativity

Page of Swords: amplifies ingenuity and creativity, helps deliver messages from one person to another, can be used to attract someone’s attention to yourself

Page of Pentacles: good for grounding and centering spell work

Knight of Wands: speeds up any workings involving passion, love, and creativity

Knight of Cups: speeds up workings dealing with emotions, psychic development, inner strength

Knight of Swords: speeds up workings involving communication, balance, and thinking

Knight of Pentacles: speeds up workings dealing with manifesting abundance, material wealth, prosperity, and creativity

King of Wands: associated with leadership, command, can help you gain authority

King of Cups: associated with personal feelings, can help you resolve personal conflicts and inner turmoil

King of Swords: aids in strengthening your communication and speaking skills

King of Pentacles: invokes luxury, great card for business success

Queen of Wands: establishes a sense of self security and sufficiency

Queen of Cups: develops your psychic abilities, also helps with understanding/controlling your emotions

Queen of Swords: helps you develop stronger focus

Queen of Pentacles: abundance, creativity, fertility

Aces: used for new beginnings based on the energy represented in that suit

Two of Wands: positive progress in any situation whether it be romance, health, career, etc.

Three of Wands: business prosperity

Four of Wands: strengthens any type of relationship

Five of Wands: used in hexes and curses to invoke conflict, and arguments

Six of Wands: manifests recognition, success,

Seven of Wands: use this card when you’re in a tough situation, it will help you succeed and come out of it stronger

Eight of Wands: directs energy and intentions towards a specific goal or purpose, helps to speed up workings 

Nine of Wands: use this card when you come face to face with a difficult task, this card will keep you brave and strong

Ten of Wands: can either be used to achieve something great, or it can be used in a hex or curse to manifest burdens

Two of Cups: union, strengthens romantic relationships

Three of Cups: strengthens a friendship

Four of Cups: dissatisfaction with surroundings

Five of Cups: causes despair and sadness

Six of Cups: lifts your mood when you’re feeling down

Seven of Cups: illusions and deceptions

Eight of Cups: used to help you move on from the past

Nine of Cups: make a wish and use this card’s power to grant your wish, invokes happiness 

Ten of Cups: brings happiness to relationships of all kinds, friends, family, romantic, etc.

Two of Swords: used in curses and hexes to cause someone to have a limiting mindset

Three of Swords: heartbreak and emotional strife

Four of Swords: used in healing spells, sleeping aid

Five of Swords: manifests conflict, and failed success

Six of Swords: this card will aid you when you face a difficult change, helps you to move on and move forward

Seven of Swords: causes betrayal

Eight of Swords: powerful energy that causes isolation

Nine of Swords: sends nightmares and anxieties 

Ten of Swords: defeat and betrayal

Two of Pentacles: brings balance

Three of Pentacles: strengthens business connections

Four of Pentacles: manifests financial stability

Five of Pentacles: financial problem

Six of Pentacles: prosperity

Seven of Pentacles: material abundance

Eight of Pentacles: if you’ve worked hard this card ensures you that your efforts will be rewarded

Nine of Pentacles: success, luxury, accomplishment

Ten of Pentacles: success, wealth

Negative aspects of the cards can be used for hexing and cursing

vegetarian summer pesto ravioli

- ✨🍝🌿🌼

what you’ll need;

[ basil pesto ravioli ]

• 3 oz cooked cheese ravioli

stability, love

• 2 c fresh basil

happiness, healing, friendship, love, protection

• 1/2 c sunflower oil**

abundance, love, healing, energy

• 3 garlic cloves

protection, healing, strength, purification

• 1/3 c sliced almonds

love, healing, compassion, grounding

• 1/2 c parmesan cheese

love, comfort

• salt & pepper to taste

protection

[ steps ]

• blend pesto ingredients together until smooth & creamy then toss together with cooked ravioli, garnish with more cheese if you’d like and it’s ready to serve

**olive oil charged up in the sun is a great substitution for sunflower oil if you don’t have access to any during lockdown

- 🍝🌿

[ rosemary mashed potatoes ]

• 12-15 halved mini red potatoes

summer fire, energy, stability, grounding

• 1/4 tsp rosemary

strength, protection, mental clarity

• 1 tbs butter

love

• an amount of milk?

i personally don’t have any strong associations for milk, so..

• 1 tbs sour cream

joy, friendship, love

• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

protection, purification, strength

• salt & pepper to taste

protection

[ steps ]

• making mashed potatoes for one is always awkward for me, sorry for the odd proportions; boil up your halved potatoes with your rosemary for something like 10-15 min or until you can stab the potato with a toothpick/fork, strain and mash together with your butter and add small amounts of milk at a time till it’s just creamy enough, then add in your sour cream, garlic powder & salt/pepper

- 🍝🤍

Baking a brioche on a stormy afternoon. A slow living approach.

We had a stormy day last week. The weather was gloomy and it was really windy. I decided to bake a Brioche. Bread making is such a great activity to slow down, and brioche are such a decadent treat. 

Making brioche was really hard for me the first couple of times, and I wish I watched videos on how to make it. 

 Brioche makes wonderful food for any celebrations of the pagan year! You can adapt the recipe to your need and add the flavours and herbs. They are perfect for you feasts are they are the embodiment of the little luxuries, the little extra we enjoy on a celebration day! At the end, I give you some ideas to adapt the recipe to each of the sabbats!

Prep time: 40 min

Rest time: 1h30

Proving time in the fridge: a whole night

Cooking time: 25 to 30 min

Material needed:

A standing mixer with a hook or a hand mixer with hooks. If you don’t have any of those, you can mix by hand but it is going to get really messy and it is much longer.

Ingredients

2tsp dry yeast

4tbsp milk

1tbsp suger

250g plain flour

30g sugar

125g butter at room temperature

3+1 eggs at room temperature

1tbsp Cointreau or Rhum

Recipe

Activate the yeast by mixing 2 tsp of dry yeast with 4tbsp of luke warm milk and a tbsp of sugar. Mix well and let it rest for at least 15min. The yeast is activated when there is a fluffy foam on the top of the milk.

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and butter together until crumbly.

In a small bowl beat 3 eggs with a tbsp of Cointreau or Rhum.

Add the beaten eggs and the yeast to the crumbly dough.

Start mixing with the robot for at least 5 min. The dough is ready when it is smooth, silky and sticky (don’t worry about that)

First proving:

Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rest in a warm place. Near a radiator is really good or in the oven at minimal heat (no more than 30°C / 86°F). Let it rise for about 1h30 or when the volume has doubled. If there is a wind draft, the dough will never rise.

Second proving:

Once the first rising is done, punch the dough to remove the gaz accumulated. At this point the dough is really sticky and that’s normal, don’t be tempted to add more flour. Cover the bowl again and let it rest a full night in the fridge. The dough will rise a bit again.

The day after:

Pre heat the oven at 180°C/350°F

Sprinkle flour on your worktop and start rolling the dough in a large cylinder. Cut it in 3 equal parts.

Roll each part in a long sausage, then braid them together.

Beat one egg and spread it on the braided brioche with a brush. It will make the crust gold and shiny

Bake 25 to 30min at 180°C/350°F

A few important tips:

This dough has a lot of butter that make is very sticky. That’s why the nigh in the fridge is very important. It makes the dough hard enough to be manipulated. Try to work quickly so the dough stays cold.

If you don’t have room temperature butter, shred the butter with a cheese grater it will do just fine.

No alcohol? No problem! Try to perfume the brioche with vanilla or orange zest!

Sabbaths celebrations ideas:

Mabon - 20th-22nd September - Add some sliced apples to the dough before the first proving time

Samhain - 31st October - Add a tsp of pumpkin spices to the flour.

Yule - 20th-22nd December - Add orange zest and orange juice to the mix instead of the Cointreau

Imbolc - 1st February - Don’t change the recipe it is perfect for this celebration day!

Ostara - 20th-22nd March - CHOCOLATE! Add chocolate chips to the batter before mixing everything together

Beltane - 1st May - Use 30g of honey instead of sugar

Litha - 20th-22nd June - Again, you can use honey and also add oranges. Maybe brush a bit of orange marmalade when it is straight out of the oven

Lughnasadh - 31st July - Add Strawberries / Raspberries / Blueberries to the mix before the first proving time

Yule-Mothers Night Blót

I put this ritual together from various sources-I can’t claim all the wording myself only the final form of the ritual. This was used for my kindreds the first Mother’s night. Because of our eclectic group, we chose not to only focus on Frigg, and instead included many mothers. As offerings, each of the members that wished to partake creates a Poppet from straw in the shape of a woman, which was burned at the end of the ritual.

Hallowing-

To be done before the arrival of guests- it is not essential that there be witnesses{this was done to cut down on time, during the cold winter}

Godi holds the ceremonial hammer and opens the circle with the traditional blessing:

In the Elhaz position standing facing North the Godi speaks:

Hammer to the North, hold and hallow this holy stead.

Hail Odin and the Northern forces

Godi faces East and speaks:

Hammer to the East, hold and hallow this holy stead.

Hail Freyr and the Eastern forces

Godi faces South and speaks:

Hammer to the South, hold and hallow this holy stead.

Hail Balder and the Southern forces

Godi faces West and speaks:

Hammer to the West, hold and hallow this holy stead.

Hail Thor and the Western forces

Hammer above and Below me Hold and hallow this holy stead

Hail the Aesir and Vanir, the Ancestors and the wights of the land

Sacred Fire

Loki.

Pine-fire.

Through the power of my love for you, I ask that you kindle the flame of this sacred fire.

As you have you have kindled one in me.

As we honor this evening our mothers, I ask for the comfort of the hearth for my kin.

May they know your gifts, as the gods have done

***

{godi speaks}

Welcome, to the Wolves of the North Mother’s night Blót. I hope the evening finds you well and warm. Tonight, the longest night of the year, we come together in this circle to praise the many mothers in our lives.

Motherhood is a sacred charge, AVAILABLE, to every woman.

Whether conceived through coitus, or artificial insemination.

Through natural birth, or C-Section.

Born of the blood, or adopted.

How a woman becomes a mother varies, but what never changes is her love and her place as a guardian and teacher of the next generation. Like Skuld of the Norns and all mother Frigg, every mother is a safeguard of the future. Let us honor them.

Invocation

The Godi faces the altar, holding high with both hands a horn of mead and recites:

I call to the Mothers of the Aesir!

Frigg, Sif, Sigyn and Nana

To the Vanir!

Freyja and Nerthus

To the Jötnar

Laufey, Jörd, Jarnsaxa, And Rán

To the Disir-Ancestors of our families-living and passed on

Be with us this winter solstice

Mothers of our people! You are manifest in the promise of the sleeping seeds and waiting buds; you give life to forest, field, and family!

We praise you and seek your blessing on us and call for your protection in our time of need.

Ancient Disir of our families we call upon you this night as we give praise and sing of your deeds. Watch over us on the longest night of the year as we wait for the lady Sol to warm us once again.

Meditation

{insert name/Gothi} will now lead us in a mediation; hold your poppet and reflect on your Disir, your ancestors and ancient mothers. Reflect on your living mothers and most of all your respect and love for them and theirs for you.

Hailing

We will now commence with a Sumbel, a little different than usual. In the first round I invite each of you to hail a goddess, Round two you may hail one of your Disir and on the third round a living mother of your family. At any point you may offer your poppet to whomever you would And As You cast it to the fire, reflect, feel their love for you. And give it in return. If you wish to pass on a round simply pass the horn to the person next to you.

Gythas example - Hail to Laufey, also called Nal, the Needle and weary Mother of Loki.

*poppet is offered to the fire*

Closing

Spirits of the nine realms we thank you for your presence here in this circle. We ask for your blessing and while you depart to your noble realm we bid you hail and farewell. I hereby release any Spirits that may have been imprisoned by this ceremony. Depart now in peace to your abodes and habitations. The blót is now ended, let the merriment begin.