Imbolc is considered the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is recognized from February 1 – 2 and is also known as, Imbolg, Brigid’s Day, Oimelc or Candlemas. It’s a time to celebrate the recovery of the Goddess Brigid (It's pronounced “Breej,” or in some parts of Ireland, closer to “Breeds.”). Brigid is the daughter of Dagda and is one of the most well-known Goddesses in Irish Lore. Brigid is a Goddess that is usually celebrated and honored during Imbolc. She is a Goddess of the hearth, home, and inspiration. A protector of women and children and she is also associated with midwifery. The Goddess Brigid is well-connected to fire and encompasses all things to do with poetry, healing, and blacksmithing.
Imbolc is the first Fire Festival in the dark half of the wheel. This is a festival where we begin to see light and life returning to the earth. The Earth is being reborn with new life!
Herbs have been used for medicine, healing, rituals, and magick for centuries. The one thing to remember is herbs are living things. They each have their own unique energy vibration and should be treated with respect. When working with herbs I always recommend thanking the plant spirit for their aid.
There are literally thousands of plants and herbs out there to work with. Don’t get overwhelm! Let’s start with the top 12 herbs that every witch should have in their arsenal of tools.
Knowing the magickal properties will help you decide which herbs to choose from for your magickal purposes.
Jar spells are incredibly handy and can be used for many intentions. Once you learn the basics you can use a jar spell for just about any magical goal. Jar spells are also known as container spells or bottle magick. A spell is sealed inside a jar or container; this is extremely popular in many traditions of folk magick.
The idea of a jar spell or bottle spell is it keeps the magick (intention) concentrated and prevents the spell from disbursing before it has had time to manifest into reality. The other nice thing about jar spells is that they are portable and can be discreet if they are tiny! You can take them just about anywhere! Be creative with your jars, paint them, add sigils, charms, herbs, liquid, honey, etc – the possibilities are endless.
Remember to think of things that give off the type of energy you are desiring to raise or attract. Use items that have personal meaning and use items that are associated with your particular intent.
We know, 2020 was, to say the least, "challenging"...
Reclaim a bit of magic for the divine witches in your life with gifts and goodies to help them reach their full, magical potential. If you’re terrible at picking out the right gifts for the holidays, you might be surprised at how easy it is to find something thoughtful and a little playful too. We are here to help you pick out the perfect witchy goodness gifts for the goddess in your life, look no further! These magical items are all witch-approved, you might find something for everyone in this list and maybe even give yourself a little treat while you’re at it. Get ready yo step into the Winter Solstice spirit with the perfect presents!
In our roundup of gifts, we’ve picked some witchy-goodies to fit your budget. Whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer under $5, a practical gift under $12, or an elaborate gift under $50 feel free to treat yourself with this witchy gift guide for some magick infused picks. We’ve even picked out the top 5 nest favorites to make your gift-giving a breeze this year!
Immune Boosting Magick– Right in Your Kitchen!
As we all know by now, the world has been literally plagued with the dreaded Covid-19 virus. Some parts of the world are entering into the winter wonderland phase of the season! With that change in season also comes flu concerns. Combining those things with the already troubling Corona Virus pandemic has me looking into my herbal cabinet!
So, what can we as witches do to help prevent illness from settling in or even shortening the length of time of those who are currently already sick?
Let us turn to our kitchens and cauldrons!
What is kitchen witchery? This is a person who performs beautiful culinary magick right in the heart of the home, the kitchen! A Kitchen Witch is sometimes referred to as a Cottage Witch.
So many magickal things can happen right in our kitchens! Go into your kitchen right now and have a gander at the mundane and then think MAGICK! There are so many magickal, witchy tools hidden away in there and most are very easily accessible to us today. Do you have a wooden spoon? Make it your wand! A Cauldron? If you have an actual cooking cauldron, sweet! But do not fret if you do not have one, just pull out a Dutch oven, a pot, pan, or baking sheet. A wine glass could be your sacred chalice. Spices? Just about every spice & herb is filled with a magickal correspondence!
Welcome to our collective favourite season, witchy folk! Perhaps that’s a generalization, but the Autumnal vibes are an absolute mood in the spiritual community, and for so many reasons. This season we have two Sabbats to celebrate; the first of those is Mabon, otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox, and the hemispherical counterpart to Ostara, in which we celebrate the Spring Equinox.
Not only is Autumn the season of flavoured lattes and pumpkins, it is the season of the colours of the Earth – oranges and reds and browns, greens and glorious yellows. We have beautiful harvest vegetables and burgeoning berries; a veritable feast of offerings from our beautiful Mother Earth to celebrate.
For Mabon, we focus on the beginning of the end of the harvest season and the descent into wintery darkness. Spiritually, we are reaching the closing-down portion of the year – as the days get shorter and the evenings are longer, we assess the outcomes of our labour (physical, financial, emotional, spiritual) across the past twelve months. Summer is celebration, and Autumn is when we reap what we’ve sown. So, as we draw towards the end of this summertime haze and commence the darkening and hibernation periods, we’re beginning to wind down business and take stock of what we’ve achieved.
Seasonal altars are a great way to focus our attentions and intentions towards that for which we are grateful, and the things that we want to manifest in our lives. Not only does the season dictate our physical activities, it also directs our spiritual lives, and the altar is the witch’s way of centring that energy.
With so much to love and celebrate about Autumn, let’s take a look at some traditional (and not-so-traditional) items to feature on our altars during this time.