Let Get Witchy with Pink and Purple

Hello! And welcome to today’s A-Z Challenge blog… All Things Witchy.

My three areas of personal focus in witchy things are herbs/plants, the lunar cycle, and colors so I knew I was going to blog about it. The only problem was under what letter??? Of course, the logic mind would have done ‘c’ but I wanted to talk about crystals. Then I thought about including it in the energy post but I wanted those to be separate.

So I decided it have for ‘p’ makes sense right 😊??? I mean pink and purple are colors. I am going to blog about them.

I’m sure most people will agree that color effects their mood. It can impact the energy and mood of those around it.

You can use specific colors in many different ways to channel a specific kind of energy:

• Wear them as clothing
• Wear them as jewelry (our favorite!)
• Eat different colored foods
• Paint the walls of your home
• Create art focused around specific colors, and more!

The sky is the limit, really. In my books, my witches all use colors (depending on the witch if it’s for good or bad. I write some nasty witches as well as good ones)

The power of color is everywhere!

Let’s take a look at what a few mean.

Let’s start with Black. Some of the properties of the color may surprise you, it often gets a bad rap because of the entire black for funeral thing. Black is the color of banishing, protection, grounding, and safety. Feel like your sense of safety has been shaken in the craziness of the world recently? Wear and work with black to reestablish boundaries, protect your energy, banish negative energy, and ground down into more security and safety. 

Have a speech to make? A presentation? Blue is your color. Blue is associated with forgiveness, harmony, astral projection, and the throat chakra. Use it to open your throat chakra (your center of communication and boundary setting) to help you find and use your voice. You can also use it to create more harmony in your life, work with the astral realm if you’re into that sort of thing, and cultivate forgiveness of yourself and of others.

Brown is great for blessing your home and working with the earth. If you’re feeling disconnected from nature, if you’re moving into a new space, or you’re feeling stuck in your head with a lot of anxious thoughts, wear and work with brown! 

Want a promotion at work? Wear a copper bracelet, not only is it stylish but copper is associated with money, success, and career growth— think of the coins in the tarot in the most traditional sense of the world. Use copper candles to call more money and career opportunities into your life. 

The color gold is, of course, associated with the energy of the sun. Because of this, it’s also associated with sacred masculine energy, health, and good fortune. It doesn’t have to the expensive gold but the color. Try painting a clay pot gold and plant some rosemary to connect with the more active or yang side of yourself and cultivate good health and great tasting food!

Green is associated with abundance, attraction, manifestation, growth, and plant magic. Use it to connect with the earth, to manifest your desires, and to facilitate your own personal growth. 

Want to open your third eye chakra, connect with your intuition, and develop your psychic abilities? Work with indigo. This color is great to help you with divination, meditation, and connecting with your own psychic abilities. 

Besides being color of raw energy and joy Orange is associated with your sacral chakra, the center of your creativity, passion, and sexuality.

Besides starting with the letter of the day pink is the color of nurturing, emotional healing, and harmony. Use pink in your personal space to create more Libra-style bliss in your life.

I write with purple pens in my journals. Purple associated with wisdom, spiritual power, independence, and understanding. Use purple to connect with your own wisdom and spiritual power, and to open greater realms of understanding within yourself. If you are struggling with a situation in your life, try writing about it in purple pen.

Red is the color of passion, sexuality, courage, and the fire element. Work with red when you want to channel the energy of fire, such as when you’re working on a new creative project, when you’re with your romantic partner, or when you need an extra dose of bravery and confidence. Red is always present in my writing area. I have different red crystals in my pen cup. I have red carnations by my computer. To name just a few.

Silver is another color at is dominate in my home. It is the color of dreams, meditation, and the moon. Use silver to tune in to the phase of the moon (I use a silver pen in moon journal – I have a thing for pens- hahaha),  Having silver by your bed can help you receive messages in your dreams, and quiet your mind for a more peaceful sleep.

White is associated with truth, aura balancing, peace, and cleansing. You can wear and use white in your home to balance your aura, cleanse your chakras and your energy field, and cultivate more peace in your life. 

Yellow is the color of inspiration, pleasure, happiness, and the element of air. Wear and work with yellow when you need to get inspired, when you want to bring more pleasure and joy into your life, and when you want to manifest travel.

Thanks for stopping by! I’m doing a Tarot Card and Oracle reading giveaway this time. If you are interested, drop me a comment of your favorite letter.

I also have both of Lunar journals for this cycle available for free down load

Oracle Decks

Hello everyone! Welcome to the A-Z challenge.

We are on the letter ‘O’.

Oracle vs Tarot

Let’s start with the difference between an oracle deck and a tarot deck. Tarot cards come as a traditionally structured deck. There are a few more rules when it comes to Tarot than there are with Oracle cards. Oracle cards are really free-flowing – and they can feature almost any kind of content. With Tarot cards, there are usually around 78 cards. Some decks like to stand out and be a bit different. You might end up with 80 cards or 44 cards, but for the most part, it’s 78 cards. With Oracle cards, on the other hand, there is no set number of cards. You can have a deck with 12 cards, 100 cards, or anything in between. This is very important if you are just ‘starting’ in card reading. You need to a bit of research to make sure you find an Oracle deck that is ‘reflective’ for your life, your beliefs, and what you want to use the deck for.

While the theme of this deck is steampuck, the cards remain true to traditional Tarot.

Tarot cards have a traditional structure to the deck and common meanings. Most decks are Rider-Waite derivatives, and they share common themes across those different decks. The images and the pictures might be completely different, but often the messaging behind that card is very similar. So with Tarot cards, there is a common theme that runs through most cards, whereas Oracle decks have no common theme between them.

For example…

This Oracle deck is focused on Spirit animals – My first post as on this subject.

Can You Use Both?

I see Oracle cards as the main meal and Tarot cards as the ingredients. You wouldn’t have more than one main meal (it’s very filling), but you could certainly have lots of ingredients.

For me personally, Oracle cards hold a lot of ‘big’ energy. They give insight into the greater sense of what is going on, but Tarot cards can provide more detailed interpretations.

I like to think of Tarot cards as the pages inside a book. When you’re doing a reading with Tarot cards, it’s like a storybook, and each of those cards is like a page in that storybook. With the Oracle cards, on the other hand, it’s more like the whole book or a chapter of the book.

Is One Better Than The Other?

No – ultimately it’s up to the reader to choose what feels right. I tend to us Oracle decks more than Tarot but that’s me. Oracle cards tend to provide me with more direction in my personal journey.

I’ll be using the Beyond Lemuria deck, for the free Oracle reading I will be doing. After The Animal Spirit deck, this is my favorite. While I personally find the Animal Spirit deck relates to me, the Beyond Lemuria deck tends to be useful in intuitive readings.

More Tarot info…

If you want information on all the cards of the tarot check out http://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com/. She’s telling the story of the tarot deck. It’s amazing!

Moon Journals

I have a Crescent Moon journal for free download…

Crescent Moon Journal

If you didn’t download my free New Moon Journal – it’s still available and it’s not too late to set intentions

If you are interested a chance to win either a free Tarot or Oracle reading, drop me a comment.

Thanks for stopping by!

Witchy Things

Hi everyone! So today is the letter ‘N’ in the A – Z challenge. And I’m going to be honest…. I really just don’t have anything.

There are things witchy that start with the letter “N” but I’m just not comfortable talking about them for a couple reasons. I thought about doing “New Moon” but I really covered that under “I” with intention setting. My personal focus is using nature magic – herbs, crystals, and flowers – all of which I’ve cover, click on the link if you missed it.

So today’s short blog is going to be an introduction for my next give away – a card reading. I’ll be giving two away… an oracle reading and a tarot reading. I talk about the difference tomorrow for ‘o’ – Oracle :-0)

So your time wasn’t a total waste… here’s the meaning to the nine card in tarot.

This is the deck I’ll be using for the free reading. Now remember the ‘full’ reading of a card will be shifted by the feel I have when reading it to an individual. Your ‘vibe’ will pull more of one thing or less of another.

Nine of Cups

This card is all about hospitality. And is also referred to as the wish or dream card. Depending on cards accompanying and the vibe of the read.

Nine of Sword

The ‘drama queen’ card. It symbolizes a crisis that a person is having. The waning moon in the window will also play into the reading

Nine of Wands

A warning of sorts to be guard. It could also be telling the person they are handling a hard situation with courage.

Nine of Pentacles

A card of happiness and joy. Goodness is surrounding you

And now for the winner of the coloring book….

Steph W won!

If you are interested in being entered for a free tarot or oracle reading (I’ll pick 2 winners), drop me a comment.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow when I’ll be talking about oracle decks 🙂

Moon Magic

Welcome! Brew yourself a cup of tea or coffee or whatever you favorite beverage is we are going to talk about moon magic today. As part of the A-Z Challenge with the theme All Things Witchy it was hard to decide what letter to use to talk about the moon.

There are sooooo many things associated with the moon magic. I decide to use the letter ‘m’ but really I’m going to talk about the waxing phases (I have something else I really want to blog about for ‘w’).

The Moon has 8 phases. Each are associated with either yin or yang energy.

New Moon – Intention setting. Removing of negative energy. The shifting from yin energy to yang.

Crescent Moon – Personal growth, building on your intentions, creating something, Yang energy.

1st Quarter Moon – Attract NEW things to you and your life

Gibbous Moon – Remember your intentions and focus your intentions to bring something specific your way

Full Moon – All energy (yin and yang are balanced). Make a big push towards something big.

Disseminating Moon – Time of cleansing and decluttering. Yin energy.

3rd Quarter – Identify obstacles blocking your intentions and remove them

Balsamic Moon – Release things/people who no longer bring positive energy into your life

Waxing Moon

We were just in the new moon phase and are starting the waxing phases.

The waxing moon phases tend to be more yang in nature while the waning moon phases are more yin. Yin energy tends to be more passive and feminine in nature while yang energy is more active and masculine. It is important to learn to balance these energies and not become too consumed by either the active or passive energy. Another way to look at the yin and yang phases is to consider them as “doing” versus “being” phases. In our crazy modern society, it can be really hard to practice “being”. Those with big goals and dreams for manifesting tend to be “doers” and often find it difficult to settle down and just be. Even those that are super “yang” must learn to harness their “yin”.

During yang phases, do things to just relax! This doesn’t necessarily mean sit down and binge-watch an entire season of your favorite show. Be present and recognize the feelings that you are having during your downtime. This isn’t about zoning out and being “dead” to the world, but about taking action in a more passive way. Actively feel what’s happening in your body and be present. For many of us, it can be difficult to really settle into the yang phases as we feel like we must constantly be achieving something or chasing a dream.

Maybe a goal can be to learn to relax into the yin so that we are better prepared and ready for the yang phases?

Crescent Moon

The Crescent Moon is the first yang phase of the moon cycle. During this phase, we begin to see the first sliver of light on the moon and can welcome it back into the sky. You may begin to see the earliest stages of your intention come into being during this time or may become clear on exactly what you desire and what it will take to bring it to life. When we come off of the New Moon, it can be extremely tempting to jump right into taking action and begin actively working towards bringing our intentions to life. In our fast-paced society, there seems to be a constant need for us to get where we’re going.

Rather than fall into this predictable pattern, step back and allow yourself to really savor this yang moon phase. This is the time to really ground yourself in your intention and sit with it for a bit. Let the feeling behind the intention sink in and root itself in your body. Go for a gentle walk, spend some quiet time in nature, or create a sacred space for yourself indoors and let the feeling of your intention radiate throughout your body. When our intentions are exactly right for us, we may start to see them developing right away.

To help you relax during this yang phase, I’m giving away this coloring book. Today is the last day to drop me a comment for a chance to win (tomorrow starts a new give away and I’ll announce the winner).

Journaling is another great way to relax. If you are still working on your lunar intentions, I have a free download journal that might help you find clarity.

Download

Thanks for stopping by!

Lenormand Cards

Hello everyone to all things witchy as part of the A-Z Challenge.

Today is the letter “L” so let’s talk Lenormand cards.

You first question might be…

What are Lenormand Cards?

Lenormand is an amazing cartomancy tool that is a little bit Tarot, a little bit playing card, and a whole lot of fun! Developed in the late 1800s and associated with a famous fortune teller, Mlle. Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand, this form of divination has survived the test of time and new card decks are being created all the time. With roots in actual playing cards, some Lenormand decks feature playing card numbers and symbols. Typically, you will see the queens, kings, jacks, and numbers six through ten, along with aces. A Lenormand card deck is much smaller than a Tarot deck and consists of 36 cards, with some authors adding a few bonus cards. Lenormand cards are in some ways easier to read than Tarot and in others, more difficult. Lenormand cards are more to the point and have fewer layers of meaning than Tarot cards. However, Lenormand card scan be read in pairs and there are many, many, many combinations. I do not recommend trying to memorize them all! Learn by doing and learn as you go, just like with Tarot!

Using Lenormand Cards

The cards can be pulled and read together or placed in a spread. You can do this as simply as pulling two cards and reading them together, or choosing a spread, pulling cards, and reading them as you would a Tarot spread. Additionally, you can use all of the cards together in a Grand Tableau reading! More to come on that later. Make sure that you have a super clear question in mind when you are doing your reading. The cards will provide a literal response, remember, Lenormand cards get right to the point! Unlike Tarot cards, it is wise to choose one meaning for each of your Lenormand cards and stick to it. So, while different authors and experts may recommend a meaning for a card. Choose YOUR meaning and stick with it!

I bet you were waiting for me to get to this… JOURNALING! (If you missed ‘J’ for journaling and are interested here’s the link to that post). To really get to know your cards, pull two in the morning and journal on them! What do they mean to YOU? At the end of the day, check back with your journal and see how those cards and your predicted meanings manifested throughout the day for you. Just like with Tarot, you can choose a Significator card for your readings. With Lenormand there are fewer choices. Typically, if you identify as a woman, you will choose the “Woman” card. And, for those identifying as “men”, you would choose the “Man” card, or which ever one you feel best suits you. Some decks today also include a “Person” card for non-binary folk. What makes Lenormand totally different from Tarot is that the images in Lenormand don’t matter nearly as much as those in Tarot, and, some would argue they really don’t matter at all. That’s what makes it really easy to start practicing Lenormand. You can use a deck of playing cards, a Lenormand deck, or even write the names of the cards on index cards to get started.

If you are interested in tarot journals Zazzle is running a 25% off sale (I’m not affiliate and will make nothing from this link or anything). I do love their covers but the paper weight doesn’t work for me. I tend to glue, use markers, and such in my journals so I need heavier paper but if you are a pen or color pencil journal keeper they would be great. They are do offer spiral which a must for me. Anyway if you are interested here’s the link…

LOVE this cover! Zazzle

If you are interested in the card meanings of a Lenormand deck this is a great article – https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/lenormand-cards

I’m doing a give away for this fun coloring book…

If you are interested just drop me a comment saying ‘hi’. See you tomorrow 🙂

What is a kitchen witch???

Welcome to the letter ‘k’ of the A-Z Challenge

If this is your first day my theme is All Things Witchy every day I blog about ‘something’ witchy related like herbs, journals, flowers, intention setting, and enegry if you want to scroll back through the alphabeth.

Today, it’s all about kitchen witchery. And I how could NOT include the ABC’s of a Kitchen Witch? 🙂 The buy link for this poster is in the caption.

ABC’s Of A Kitchen Witch

A Kitchen Witch is a someone who focuses their magical practice on the home and hearth and uses things commonly found in the kitchen. Kitchen Witchery may be an expression of religious faith; a Kitchen Witch may focus their spirituality on ancestor spirits or hearth Gods or Goddesses, or it may simply be a creative outgrowth of a secular Witch’s homemaking activities – or anything in between. A Kitchen Witch may be a member of any religion or no religion at all.

I’m the most at peace in the kitchen. I love to cook for my family, friends, and neighbors. I’m the head of the meal train for several different organizations that deliver meals to family in crisis. If I’m stressed or any need to calm myself, I head to the kitchen. If I’m going someplace that I know I’m going to encounter negative waves, I bring a cooking magazine or scroll through cooking YouTube videos.

A Kitchen Witch may use ritual in his or her magical working, but Kitchen Witchery often involves the use of environmental energies, such as those from essential oils, herbs, foods, and everyday objects. These are then infused with the witch’s own personal energy toward her intent. Kitchen Witches are practical beings and do not tend to be overly strict about ingredients, willing to improvise where needed. People ask me for recipes all the time and I can’t because I always add my own ‘touches’ and never write down what they. This also leads to my dishes never tasting the same.

It’s all about the herbs!!!!

Cooking

Kitchen Witches tend to be excellent, or at least passionate cooks who delight in experimenting with new flavors and recipes. A Kitchen Witch may infuse magic into his or her cooking by selecting ingredients based upon their properties, often referring to alchemical correspondences or working strictly by intuition. A Kitchen Witch may also use special chants while cooking, stirring and kneading in order to infuse his or her intention or energy into the final product.

House Cleaning & Laundry

No, I’m going to tell you I have a magic vaccum and broom that sweep on it’s own – girl can wish 🙂

Kitchen Witches may incorporate their magical practice into all aspects of housekeeping, including laundry and general cleaning. This may involve scenting laundry with herbs chosen to draw desired energies to the wearer or to the home. This can be done by adding essential oil to water sprayed onto place mats on the table or tossing a bag of dried herbs into the dryer, among other methods. I also boil moon water with oranges to clean the air during the looooonnnnggg cold winter months.

The home may be infused with herbal energy by creating cleaning products and washes using herbs with desirable properties. 

The Kitchen Witch Doll

A Kitchen Witch Doll is a tradition that originated in Eastern Europe. The doll or poppet is a somewhat stereotypical crone, often overweight with a ridiculously large nose riding on a broom, though variations do exist. The broom may be replaced by a wooden spoon, a whisk or some other kitchen implement. The appearance of the witch varies as well. Sometimes she is quite sexy.

It is considered good luck for both the giver and the receiver of a Kitchen Witch Doll when it is given away as a gift. Her presence in the kitchen is said to bring good luck and to prevent kitchen disasters, such as burnt food and pots boiling over as well as to inspire creativity in the cook. She also protects the household from negative energies that may be directed at them by other people.

Some human Kitchen Witches find the doll to be somewhat offensive, but others think she is cute. I’m in the isn’t she cute group. This is similar to the one I have and the link to the Esty store I purchased mine is in caption

Angel Knit Gifts

Books

On the more expensive side, I use both of these books all the time. As I mentioned above, I rarely follow the recipes exactly but use them as a base.

Amazon

Amazon

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget I’m giving away this coloring book this week to randomly selected person from the comments. So say ‘hi’ for a chance to win.

Have you set your intentions for the Aries New Moon? Aren’t sure how your sun sign will be work with the Aries New Moon? Download my free Aries New Moon Journal that has prompts that go with each sign of the zodica.

New Moon Journal

Thanks for stopping by!

Journal Time

Welcome! As part of A-Z Challenge, I’m doing a month of all things witchy.

Today’s post goes hand and hand with yesterday’s – Intentions and using the new moon to set them ( ). I love journaling in all forms. It was really hard to pick one type of journal for this post but I especially love the power of script journaling – scripting to manifest my ideal day. Taking the time first thing the morning to call in my ideal day. This has enabled me to see my vision for my career, my relationships, and my personal growth. It has removed the foggy glasses that cause to stumble through the day drifting from one shiny object to another.

If you’re feeling slightly off kilter or lost in which direction to turn next, this exercise can be a complete game-changer. But first let’s take a look at script journaling is.

WHAT IS SCRIPTING?

Scripting is a technique used in manifestation  or calling in the postives for your day. The flow in which you want to see things happen for the day. Unlike intentions which are longer term – at least to the full moon but usually for the entire lunar cycle.

When done on a regular basis, it’s designed to help program both your conscious and subconscious mind by focusing on what it is you really want from the day and sets the mind set of how you will feel when these things arrive. For example…

“Today’s meeting for Charlie will be productive. We will discuss the opitions available to him and decide on the ones that will best meet his needs. I will remain positive and calm. I will not let frustration derail me. I will remember that everyone is there to help Charlie and just because their opinion doesn’t match mine it doesn’t mean that they don’t care or don’t want is best…”

This is from my scripting journal a couple of weeks ago. It was a little more detailed on what I wanted for an outcome but for Charlie’s privacy I deleted those. I also included the name of one person that I struggled to get on the same page with. That she and I would reach a place of like mindness.

It was the best behavior meeting I’ve ever had for Charlie! Did I get everything I wanted for him? No, but a lot of good things did happen and most important, I remained positive and upbeat. I didn’t let the waves of frustration or anger consume me.

Can Scripting Help You Manifest Your Dreams?

Personally, I notice such a shift in attracting things into my life when I take the time to write them down and be specific about what I would like.

When you start to write in a relaxed, freehand way, your subconscious mind starts to push things to the forefront of your brain such as answers to questions you didn’t realise you knew, things you didn’t realise you wanted, or emotions you thought you’d forgotten about.

It also allows you to become clearer about what you really want from the day. When I first started to script, I would notice myself writing things I thought I should write, but when that happened, I made myself stopped.

When I script on a morning, I feel my vibrations raise almost instantly. Storytelling is a love of mine (sort of important when you are an author – just saying :-p) regardless, so being able to write the story of my own day and see what is actually possible puts me on such a natural high.

SO HOW DO I SCRIPT MY IDEAL DAY?

Personally, I do a general overview of my day highlighting event that I know that are going to happen (the meeting for Charlie). I know some people like to start from the second they wake up. As with any journaling practice, you need to make it your own.Think about the bed you wake up in, who you wake up next to, if anybody. What sounds can you hear? Is it still and quiet in the English countryside, or do you hear the busy streets of New York? What time is it? What does your bedroom look like?

What I would recommend, however, is taking the time each morning or each night to sit and write. Write about the positive things that are going to happen. The way you are going to handle an upcoming stressful situation. The outcome of project you are working on. Have a meeting that you have to do a presentation at? Script it…

“Everyone attending today’s meeting will be open minded to my ideas. They will engage with them and see their merit. I will be open to any suggestions. I will not allow feelings of frustration creep in. I will not begin to doubt my self. I done an amazing job preparing for this meeting. I am more than capable of this task…“

You get the idea.

And writing about it in script journaling

Where Should I Script?

I have a seperate journal I use for scripting. I have several journals that I use for different things. I have a lunar journal, a tarot/oracle reading journal, my personal reflection journal, a reading journal, you get the idea – I have a lot of journals.

Do you need a seperate journal? Nope! What I do believe is that scripting needs to be done seperately from the other uses of your journals.

Why?

You need to be careful to not let the scripting become of your daily reflection. It needs to be positive not…

“I know Jeff will hate everything I present. He always does. Last I time I did a presentation, he went on and on about…“

This is NOT what you want in your scripting. You can and should write about Jeff’s positive attitude towards your presentation. Write how you will remain calm and self assured and engage Jeff in a positive conversation.

If you have any questions on script journaling or any other type of journal, ask! I love journaling!!!!

If you would like to try intention journaling check out my Aries New Moon Journal (it’s a free download).

https://www.susanschmock.com/?page_id=108

If you don’t have any questions but want to be entered in the drawing for this coloring book that I’m giving away next Wednesday, just say ‘hi’ in the comments 😉

Intention Setting With the New Moon

Hello and welcome everyone. It’s the letter ‘I’ on the A-Z Challenge.

It would be impossible to do an A-Z blog on All Things Witchy and not write about the moon and intentions.

April 12, is a new moon. The moon and it’s phases play a big role in the witchy world and they all start with the new moon. Each moon phase has it own meaning and purpose which I’ll cover for the letter ‘M’.

For today’s blog, let’s talk about the new moon. Creating rituals around the moon cycles is a powerful way to connect with our hearts and the universe on a regular basis. New moon rituals range from simple, elaborate, to everything in between. The most important aspect of your new moon ritual is that you connect with it and set aside time to engage with your practice each month. You will be amazed by the energy that comes from hitting the reset button with each new moon and how much you can manifest in such shorts period of time. So even if you aren’t interested in rituals (which can reflect any spiritual belief because it’s the practice of setting time aside for yourself and reconnecting).

A New Beginning

New moons represent the beginning of a cycle. In farming traditions, the new moon is the time when the soil is most fertile and wet. Many farmers and gardeners plants seeds on the new moon as the moon’s lunar gravity pulls water up. The new moon is considered a growth phase and is an ideal time to plant seeds in our gardens as well as our hearts for the future. The new moon is an invitation to start fresh, call in intentions, and set the tone for the next cycle.

 With each new moon I like to start with a reflection of where I am on MY path.

If something I am working on hasn’t materialized yet I reflect on it. Does it remain my main focus going into this lunar cycle? Or do I focus on another side of the dream?

Setting Intentions

As with any ‘goal’ setting process, it’s good to reflect and change up the process you are using to reach it if what you are doing isn’t working. Now a word of warning to those of you who like me chase all shiny things, this isn’t permission to change your path every month. It’s time to reflect on the way you are traveling that path. Are you traveling too slow? Are you letting fear and uncertainty weigh down feet making the journey harder? Or are you speeding down the path so fast you are missing all the flowers along the way?

I do believe that your reflections and your new moon intentions should be written on paper which is why I create a new moon journal every month. I’m offering this month’s for free here. It offers journal prompts for intention setting that relate to your sun sign to spark thought reflection.

Enter this lunar cycle with a clear direction and harness the enegry of Aries

You are Amazing

Giving yourself permission to seek what you want is a very powerful practice. Combine asking for what you want with the clean slate of the new moon and you have a potent recipe for creating the vision you most desire. The new moon offers an energizing (especially this month’s new moon in Aries – a high energy fire sign) and exciting time to recalibrate your energy for the upcoming cycle and bring an upgraded level of consciousness to the dreams you long to make a reality.

This is a time to dig deep into your heart and listen to what it is telling you. Often we find ourselves caught up in what we think we should want, what others want for us, or there is an ambivalent attitude about really going after our dreams.

Even if feel that a new moon practice/ritual isn’t for you – which is fine – I encourage you set time aside at some point this week and reflect. Write affirmations. Refocus on the dream you are working towards. AND love yourself!

Aries New Moon

The card is from the Moonlogy Oracle Deck by Yasmin Boland

Aries call us to take action! Move forward. Make this the best lunar cycle possible.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow for the letter ‘J’. And if you are interested in being enetered in the drawing for this coloring book drop me a comment 🙂

Herb Time

Hello everyone, welcome to A – Z Challenge where my theme is all things witchy.

Today’s topic is probably on the something used by everyone – herbs. I mean everyone uses them. To flavor food. To add a zing to a drink. Many of the herbs I talk about today you may have in your kitchen already. I’ve included non-magical uses because I’m a foodie at heart 🙂

At the very bottom of the post, I’ve include a brief how=to on smudging and different herb smudges for those interested.

Let’s start with my favorite… for cooking and for witchy things….

SAGE

Magical Properties: Stemming from European traditions, sage is said to ward off evil, and it is often used in traditional cleansing ceremonies when dried and smudged. It is associated with wisdom and good luck. Sage builds emotional strength and can help to heal grief.

Non-Magical Properties: It has a sweet and savory aroma that makes it a popular culinary herb used in autumn dishes such as roast turkey, sausage stuffing, and pumpkin soup.

How to Use in Magic: Sage is often burned for cleansing ceremonies. Burning sage is meant to purify the space of bad energy or spirits. Some examples of when sage should be burned include after a death in the family, when you move into a new home, after a negative presence in your home, or during the changing of seasons. I have sage wreaths hanging in my kitchen and entry year around.

VERVAIN

Magical Properties: Vervain has both purification ability and protective properties. It is used for cleansing personal spaces such as your bedroom or any place that has few ‘vistors.’ It is also a protective herb. Roman soldiers would carry vervain into battle. Dried vervain can be added to small vials and worn as charms.

Non-Magical Properties: If you want to use it cooking as well, make sure you buy lemon vervain. Lemon vervain is wonderful on fish really type of seafood and chicken. It also adds a nice lemon tone to a cup of tea.

How to Use in Magic: Burning or drying vervain is the most common.

MINT

Magical Properties: Mint is meant to draw wealth, lure love, keep out evil, and enhance overall wellbeing. Mint is just a great all all round. Herb.

Non-Magical Properties: Like sage, mint is useful herb for adding flavor to beverages and desserts.

How to Use in Magic: Drinking mint tea can bring you good luck and protection throughout the day. Sometimes the herb will be placed under a pillow to induce a vision of the future in dreams and to protect against attacks of evil magic, nightmares, and evil spirits of the night. Keep it dry and near your workspace to promote prosperity and financial success. Mint is also kept over a sickbed to drive off negative energy during sickness.

LAVENDER

Magical Properties: Lavender is known to ward off evil spirits, promote a long life of peace, and used for purification.

Non-Magical Properties: Lavender tea has many benefits. It helps with anxiety, stress, insomnia, exhaustion, digestion, nervousness, and more. While I don’t personally like it in my food, I many who love a lavendar cookie with their tea.

How to Use in Magic: The plant can be burned to promote sleep and rest, and the ashes are placed around the home to bring peace and harmony and purify the space. The flowers are also placed under pillows or made into a tea to heal depression and induce peaceful sleeping. Dried lavender is also hung outside the house to ward off evil spirits.

ROSEMARY

Magical Properties: This herb’s magic properties are used for love spells, protection, and as an aphrodisiac.

Non-Magical Properties: Rosemary is deliciously paired with chicken, lamb, vegetables, or potatoes. My favorite is rosemary infused olive oil… it’s like dipping bread into magic 🙂

How to Use in Magic: Burn rosemary to purify a room. It can also be used a bath or tea can help with removing anxiety. Like lavender, rosemary is placed under the pillow to promote peaceful sleeping and ward off evil spirits and nightmares.

There are sooo many good book out there on herbs and their many uses. If you are wondering about a certain herb and it’s magical properties drop me a comment. Or if you would to use a herb with a purpose in mind, let me know and I’ll share what I know or point you to a reliable resource.

All comments will enter you into the drawing for this coloring book.

Smudging

Smudging uses handheld bundles of dried herbs and flowers, which are then bound in twine and burned. The smoke is said to help purify the air and invite good energy into the home. It’s also a great way to put those herbs leftover from the summer growing season to use.

Ingredients

• Roughly 15 sprigs of fresh herbs
• scissors
• twine

Instructions

1. Start by trimming your flowers and herbs to size. Secure a long piece of twine around the base of your herb bundle and continue wrapping it until you reach the top. You want to make sure to wrap the twine as tightly as you can so that it stays bound when the flowers dry and shrink.
2. When you reach the top, tie your twine securely and trim the excess. Trim off any herbs that happen to be sticking out of the bundle.
3. Set your smudge stick aside and allow it to dry for at least two weeks.
4. To use, light your dried smudging stick with a lighter or match.
5. Starting at the Eastern most room of your home, circle around the room clockwise, wafting the smoke as you go.
6. Continue moving in a clockwise direction through the rest of your home, purifying each room similarly.
7. Finally, extinguish the smoke under either running water and set it aside to dry. You can reuse the same smudge stick until there is nothing left to burn.

Thanks for stopping by!

Good Luck!

Welcome to the letter ‘g’ on the A – Z Challenge!

There are so many different kinds good lucks some are commonly recognized like the four leaf clover, a horse shoe or a key (if you aren’t famaliar with the properties of the key check out my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/authortasarlaromaney/posts/2157964517672543). Today, I’m going to talk about the Cornicelli.

This is a common charm; you will see thousands of “cornicelli” of every shape and size. Often the meaning of this talisman is often overlooked or unknown.

A traditional cornicelli

The use of cornicelli for good health goes back over many centuries.

This symbol was used by ancient people as the bringer of good fortune as well as fertility. The bull’s horns are a symbol of male strength and virility. The red coral often used to make the charm is sacred to Venus, goddess of love, and silver is sacred to Luna, the goddess of the moon. The red color and phallic shape are also related to the male fertility god Priapus.

It is often adapted to a hollow horn-shaped phial where you can add herbs to enhance good luck and prosperity. In addition to being worn as a talisman or charm, the cornicelli are often hung from the rearview mirrors of trucks and cars. This is a modern take on the old custom of protecting draft horses with the cornicelli. Likewise, the symbol can also be found hung in doorways to protect homes and businesses.

What is your ‘favorite’ good luck charm?

The winner of the witchy journal is Holly Jahangiri :-). Holly send me an email tasarlaromaney@gmail.com with your addy so I can send it out.

This week’s give away – is this coloring book.

If you would like a chance to win, drop me a comment of your favorite good luck charm and let me know if you would like a brief history and what the good luck properties.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow for the letter ‘h’.