Sabbath Tip For Wiccans

Fighting Consumerism in Magic

aka, little things to distance your craft from capitalism

Let’s all just admit that buying stuff is fun. That said, there’s a big issue of consumerism within the witchy/pagan scene. As magic work and the pagan “aesthetic” becomes more of a commodity in the mainstream, there’s a mounting attitude of needing All The Items in the highest quality (even if we’re not certain we’ll use them,) and big corporations mass-producing cheap stuff to make a buck off of a growing trend. Here’s some things you can do to help detach your practice from that and support other people in the craft:

Go outside. Check your backyard or local park for local plant life, waters, roots, etc. If your work involves things from nature at all, you can probably find a lot of your supplies… in nature. It takes a little more time, but it’s free and then you’ve gathered stuff yourself! 

Make stuff. This one is pretty straightforward. There may be key items to your practice that you can make yourself instead of buying it! That said, I know sometimes spending money is inevitable so I won’t dwell too much on this… let’s talk more about shopping:

Shop mindfully. The price of a lot of items will skyrocket once it has a pentacle or other symbol engraved on it. For example, little mortars and pestles can be very pricey in witchy shops, but you could probably get a bigger one that’s actually food safe for less at a nice grocery store. Antique stores and international markets are now your new best friends.

Support small businesses! Things are cheaper on Amazon, but the extra money goes to support real people, likely other practitioners. If you can, supporting small, local, independent shopkeepers and crafters does a ton of good. It also helps build and sustain a local community. 

Shop based on need. Don’t get something “just in case” (unless it’s banishing or hex breaking stuff; those are decent to have on hand.) It’s tempting to impulse-buy a ton of niche items and ingredients, but unless you have a reasonable idea what you’re going to use them for in the near future, it’ll probably just create clutter for you to deal with later.

Prioritize effectiveness over aesthetic. Ultimately your practice has to work for you, not just look good. I think making your work aesthetically pleasing to yourself can be an important part of really connecting with what you’re doing, but don’t make that desire burn a hole in your wallet and distract you from what brought you to this path in the first place. Altar envy is a real thing. 

Recycle/Upcycle. Use old clothing fabric for an altar cloth. That old trinket dish makes a great offering dish. Enchant jewelry you already own. That jar of strawberry jelly you just finished off will work just fine for that spell. Things can be re-purposed and made into new things.

Analyze your offerings. Special occasion wine isn’t a special occasion if you do it every time. Not every offering needs to be a grand gesture, regular maintenance is more important generally.

Organize trades. Have any pals that also practice? See if you can help each other! You could trade different goods (that old mini cauldron you bought and never used for that abandoned tarot deck, maybe?) but also services. A protection spell for a luck charm. A reading for a reading. You help them with the laundry and they cook you a meal one day. 

As always, the goal is to foster a local community of individuals doing honest work, and shedding the consumerist mindset society taught us to make us spend more money. Take up the idea that you can do magic completely on your own with what you already around you, and if you do want to spend money, see if you can do it in a way that helps the world a tiny bit.  :) 

To Feed Offering Candles

It's common practice for candles to be lit in offering to various spirits and powers for favor, power, or gain. The seven day glass jar candles which are available in just about every witchcraft store, Botanica, and apothecary are perfect for this purpose, as they are not only self-contained in their jar, but can be refilled and reused if you have the know-how. But that is a post for a different day.

One practice I have really fallen into a routine with is the practice of "feeding" offering candles. While the burning candle itself is already a great offerings, thay offerings can be made more sacred and appropriate. The "feeding" process is very simple, and only requires a candle and an oil.

Take your offering candle and prepare it however you feel is appropriate. For the glass jar candles, this may include anointing them, carving sigils into the top, or speaking specific prayers over them. Here I have a simple white candle.

Light the candle in the name of the figure to whom it will be granted. Allow it to burn for a moment to melt the wax around the wick. Then, grab your oil of choice. I tend towards a blend of Tunisian frankincense and myrrh, but Olive Oil will literally be PERFECTLY fine. I just like these because of the scent that is created.

With the dropper, drop several drops of oil into the wax pool.

If you like, you can reiterate your prayer as needed when feeding.

This process can be used to feed not only the offering candles, but can be used to offer various substances to spirits, even the witch's blood should it be desired, through the medium of the burning flame. As the oil is dropped into the wax, the wick will absorb it until the oil itself is burned off by the flame, completing the offering.

Just to make it clear, there is NOTHING wrong with the just burning these candles, as multiple practices and peooles do across the world. This is just a ritualistic process that helps me focus my offerings a little more, and one that I feel compelled to share.

Hey everyone I havent been too active but heres the first post of a string of them coming.

This is an old antique spice rack thats been in my family for years. On it are all different facts, uses and combinations of herbs, salts and spices! Perfect for kitchen witches. If needed I will type it up for you~

Herbal Hair Rinse for healthy shiny hair and protection using an infused vinegar.

When I was a little girl, my grand mother use to rince my hair with a table spoon of pale cider vinegar diluted in a pitch of water. It made my hair so shiny and strong, I kept this tradition in my adulthood.

Now I have more knowledge in herbalism and witchcraft and I adapted the recipe to be even more effective.

This is a remedy to treat small ailments. Always consult with your GP before. This doesn’t replace any medication!

Herbal Hair Rinse for soothing the scalp, strengthen the hair and protection.

Ingredients:

1L raw organic apple cider vinegar.

½ cup dried chamomile.

½ cup dried lavender.

4 to 5 fresh rosemary sprigs (or ½ cup dried rosemary).

Equipment

1l Mason jar

Plastic lid for the mason jar (you can find some here https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mason+jar+plastic+lid&crid=1JCPADG0E2V6O&sprefix=mason+jar+plastic%2Caps%2C157&ref=nb_sb_ss_organic-diversity_1_17

Muslin cloth to filter the vinegar

Herbalism

Apple cider vinegar for the hair: help remove buildup of hair products, help balance hair’s pH, clean the scalp, boost circulation, condition hair, soothe dry itchy scalp.

Chamomile: Soothes the scalp

Lavender: Increases circulation, promotes hair growth, calms inflammation, soothes scalp irritation

Rosemary: Increase scalp circulation, promotes hair growth, strengthen hairs, fights dandruff

Magical intent

Apple cider vinegar: Purification, protection

Chamomile: Purification

Lavender: Protection, purification

Rosemary: Protection, purification

Recipe:

Add all the dry ingredients in the mason jar

Fill up to the top with raw organic apple cider

Don’t use metal lid as it will be corroded by the vinegar!

Store in a dark cool cupboard for 6 to 8 weeks. You can be tempted to wait less, but the result will be a weaker vinegar.

Shake every couple of days

When ready, strain and compost the herbs.

The concentrated vinegar will store indefinitely but you’ll need to prepare the rinse before each wash.

Don’t use it more than twice a week.

Always label your jar with the date of creation and what’s inside!

Utilisation

Use a 500mL mason jar.

Add 2 table spoons of vinegar, fill up with water to the top.

Take your shower, wash your hair, then use the rince on your wet hair. Don’t rince your hair with water after!

Be careful to your eyes!

Rinse your shower after you’re done to remove any vinegar residue.

The rinse is really diluted, it doesn’t smell really strong. The smell will disappear when the hair will dry.

Also, it requires a long time of infusion so be mindful of the time frame when you are doing your next batch!

Spell Jar Series: Healing

~Cinnamon

~Garlic skin

~Mint

~Rosemary

~Ivy

~Cedar

~Thyme

~Lavender

(The Label got covered in the wax I used…oops)

I charged this jar with lots and lots of green crystals (Jade, Moss Agate, and Green Onyx primarily) with plenty of sunlight and near clean, cool water. I hang this jar on my bed whenever I’m sick or hurt, and often carry it around with me when I’m having bad mental health days as well, but when it’s not on my person for use it’s stored in my first aid kit! I charge it up regularly so it can pass its energy onto all my band-aids, painkillers, antiseptic pastes and other medical supplies. If you want to pair it with a cleansing shower or bath, check out my witchy soaps post!

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

- 🍝🤍

💌Spell Envelopes💌

Y’all this is seriously a game changer!! 

As a college student, I’m super broke and haven’t wanted to buy sachets for spells, but I have a solution! Just use an envelope instead! You can get a whole box for like $3 (or you probs already have some) and they work just like a sachet: you put your herbs, pieces of paper, little crystals, etc. inside.  

You can also decorate them with designs, colors, and sigils that correspond to the spell you’re doing!  The one in this picture is a love spell I made for a friend! Art isn’t your thing? Just use stickers! Washi tape! 

You can carry them around easily and discreetly too.  You could even mail a spell to a friend! And add a layer of enchantment to bless your postal delivery person while they’re carrying the spell :)

✨✨

Addition:  As the lovely @crystal-w0lf added to the comments, you can also bury them for offerings or protection spells!!!

dorm friendly magick for broom-closeted student witches

Got roommates that aren’t into witchcraft/magick? Can’t burn incense in your dorm room? Don’t have time for elaborate rituals between studying for exams and writing papers? I’ve been there. Here are some of my favorite undercover spells and rituals for witches living that college life. 

Journal Magick

Keep a manifestation journal! Find a journal that really speaks to you and makes you feel good every time you open it, whether it’s a bulky leatherbound tome or has a holographic cover and hot pink pages – what matters is that you feel a connection to it. 

Every morning, write down the things you want to manifest in your journal in the present tense, as if they had already happened. [Note: this works better if you are writing the same thing every day for at least a few weeks. Consistent intent is key!] 

For more information on this type of manifestation, just search “scripting” on YouTube and you’ll find approximately 642934 videos on the subject. 

This is a really great technique for closet witches, because no one is going to be suspicious of you writing in a notebook – plus, it’s normal for people to want to keep their journals private.

Work with correspondences just like you would for a normal spell! You can print out photos of herbs, crystals, tarot cards, astrological signs, or moon phases that correspond to your intention and glue them into your journal (or draw them, if you have artistic talent). You could even get an essential oil that matches your intention and dab a drop of it on the page. You’re essentially creating an altar dedicated to your intention, just on paper instead of in a physical altar space.

Tap into the magick of color by writing your intentions with a pen in a corresponding color (green = abundance/wealth, pink = love and friendship, yellow = academic success, etc.).

Tea and Coffee Magick

Tea and coffee are already essentially potions, and no one is going to think twice about a college student drinking a lot of coffee/tea. 

Coffee is associated with grounding and protection, and it adds energy to any spell it is added to. Black tea is associated with protection, courage, and abundance. Green and white tea have their own, slightly different magickal uses. Based on these correspondences, you can use coffee and tea as a base for undercover potions!

For mental clarity and memory retention, brew a mixture of black coffee, lion’s mane, chaga, and ginger. For a caffeine-free alternative, brew an herbal tea with rosemary and peppermint. 

To cleanse negative energy and release stress, brew a mixture of black coffee, Ashwagandha, cinnamon, tulsi or basil, and Eleuthero. This is based on a Four Sigmatic blend, lmao.

For a sneaky prosperity spell, brew a mixture of black coffee, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. Yes, that is essentially pumpkin pie spice, and yes, you can use a pre-mixed pumpkin pie blend instead of buying the individual spices.

I could go on, but you get the idea. You can customize your morning beverage to suit any magickal or spiritual need. 

Most plants have medicinal uses that are the same or similar to their magickal uses. So if anyone asks, tell them you’re adding these extra herbs for their nutritional and/or medicinal value. 

You can also charge your tea or coffee with crystals. Just set a small crystal associated with your intention (amethyst for mental clarity, black tourmaline for protection, citrine for prosperity, etc.) next to the mug for a few minutes, or place it on top of your coffee maker. Be sure to charge both the crystal and the drink with your intention!

Candle Magick

If your dorm lets you have candles then congrats, because candle spells are both super powerful and a super easy way to hide your magick in plain sight.

Find a candle in a scent and color that match your intention. For example, you could use a pink, rose-scented candle for a love spell. 

You can find custom spell candles made by witches for witches on Amazon and Etsy, and these have the added bonus of having been specifically created for magickal use. Some of the businesses I’ve personally had good experiences with are Art of the Root (available on Amazon), Esoteric Arts (available on Etsy), and Crystal Journey (Amazon). 

That being said, I’ve gotten good results with $1.99 scented candles from Walmart, so please don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune on special candles for your spell to be successful.

In a pinch, an unscented white candle can be used for any intention. You can get these at the dollar store, and it’s never a bad idea to have a few on hand.

Oil Magick

Your dorm has a no-open-flames rule, so candles and incense are out of the question. No problem – you can get similar results with essential oils. 

An essential oil literally contains the concentrated essence of a plant. Magickally speaking, this makes them a powerful way to add some oomph to your spells. They’re also commonly used for aromatherapy, so your roommate probably won’t be phased by you diffusing them in your dorm.

You can create custom EO blends the same way you would create an incense blend, by combining different plants based on their correspondences. You can also buy pre-mixed blends online if you’re feeling lazy or if you have a certain blend you know you’re going to use a lot like, say, a focus-enhancing blend for studying.

Another option, and one that’s more traditionally witchy, is to use magickal oils/ritual oils. A magickal oil is an oil that has been created for a specific magickal purpose – it’s like a spell in a bottle. A ritual oil is created for a specific use in magickal ritual. You can find tons of different ways to incorporate these oils into your daily life for some very subtle witchcraft.

You can create your own magickal oils by combining herbs, essential oils, and crystals that match your intention, or you can buy magickal oil blends from witch-owned businesses. Art of the Root has my absolute favorite oils – I have like six different blends, and they’re all ridiculously powerful.

Some ways you can use magickal oils: 1.) wear them as a body oil, 2.) diffuse them like you would an essential oil blend, 3.) use them to anoint and bless objects, like tests or study guides, 4.) add them to spiritual baths, and a million more. [Note: many magickal oils come with real herbs and resins in the bottle. These chunky bits could damage a diffuser, so do keep that in mind.]

Personally, I wear magickal oils on a daily basis in the place of perfume, since most of the ones I own smell really good. As I apply them, I say a small incantation to power them up. For example, if I’m wearing an attraction oil, when I put it on I’ll say something like, “I am powerfully attractive to the people and things that will improve my life.” Which oil I choose to wear depends on the day and the area of my life where I want some extra help. 

Tech Magick

The nice thing about being a witch in the 21st century is that, if all else fails, you can keep your entire magickal practice contained on your laptop and/or phone. And even if you’re not doing 100% of your witchcraft in a virtual space, you can still use your technology as a tool in your practice. 

Pinterest is the ultimate visualization tool. You can create a virtual altar to a deity or spirit guide by dedicating a Pinterest board to them, or create vision boards for the things you want to manifest, or create a brainstorming space to plan your full moon rituals… the possibilities are endless. 

Keep your Book of Shadows and/or manifestation journal in a Word document. If you’re really concerned about privacy, you can even password protect these documents. Another pro of an electronic Book of Shadows is that most word processors have a “search” function that lets you look things up more easily. 

Make a devotional playlist for a deity or spirit guide. Making Spotify playlists for my deities is one of my favorite devotional acts! I’ll put together all of the songs that remind me of that deity, and I can listen to it anytime, anywhere to instantly connect with them. And don’t be afraid to ask your deities what type of music they like – you may be surprised by the answer!

If any other witches have similar tips, feel free to add onto this! This is just stuff that I’ve found works for me, but magick is deeply personal and everyone will do things a little bit differently. 

And not to shove my content in everyone’s faces, but I did just post a spell to enchant your school notebooks on my YouTube channel, so check that out if you’re interested!