Mini Land Spirit Shrine

On Purple Dead Nettle

My new plant-love of this Spring season is the unassuming (and yet striking beautiful) Lamium purpureum, aka Purple Dead Nettle.   This wild forageable is considered a “weed” in many yards and gardens and yet has great medicinal, edible, and magical properties.  What more is there to love? I first noticed purple dead nettle after seeing it on a Youtube channel - it turns out, it was growing in my neighborhood all along and I had been oblivious! Purple Dead Nettles (Also sometimes called Purple Archangel) is found around the world.  In warmer areas, it is a annual Winter weed that provides much needed ground cover - here in Southern New England it is a early Spring flower that blooms for about six weeks starting in mid April.   It is highly distinguishable by its square stem (proving its membership to the mint family) and distinct red/purple leaves.  It can grow up to 8-10 inches tall but generally prefers to stick close to the ground. It is a super food - all parts of the plant are edible though its leaves are fuzzy so it can be a strange experience to eat it on its own.  It can be added to salads, used as an edible garnish, made into pesto, or added as a green to smoothies.   It’s flavor is green and reminiscent of grass or clover. Medicinally, it is an astringent, diaphoretic, and purgative.   It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.  It’s leaves can be made into a salve or applied directly for on-the-go wound care.   Consumption slows the production of histamines so it has a claim to fame as a plant used to treat seasonal allergies.   It can be dried and drunk as a tea but can have a laxative effect if consumed in quantity.   It is also listed as unsafe for pregnant and breast feeding humans. On of the best quality of this wonder-plant, in my opinion, is that it is one of the earliest bee friendly flowers that blooms in the colder climates.  Bees and other native pollinators seem to prefer Purple Dead Nettle to other plants.  Yet another reason not the mow this lovely plant down and let it thrive!

Magically it is associated with happiness and cheerfulness and considered useful for grounding when combined with yarrow.   Like all hearty plants that will grow “anywhere” it also has an association with strength and resiliency.  For magical purposes, dead nettle is most often dried and turned into an incense blend or tea (see the above mentioned warning about drinking too much of it.) Last but not least, I wanted to share a fun fact.  The Latin name for Purple Dead Nettle (lamium purpurium) means “diminutive purple monster” - a nickname given to the plant that spread out of control.   Laugh all you want but be careful where you plant it if you don’t want a yard FULL of dead nettle.  But for real - who wouldn’t want a yard full of dead nettle?  Certainly not me… Like my work?  Please consider supporting me by Buying Me of Ko-Fi.

Witch tip:

Winter season is upon us, which means that these types of candle holders in the shape of a tiny house will be sold as Christmas decoration again. These are amazing as home wards, to bring warmth and joy to the home, and for protection spells!

- Paint protective symbols on them or in them - charge the tealight you put in there with protection magic or magic for a happy home - choose tealights (or make them) with scents that you associate with protection or cozyness/happiness - lay a wreath around it as a symbol of your protective ward, for example a small wreath made of rosemary, or a plain metal (iron) one - you could even lay a circle of salt around it - charge the candle to become your hearth, the basis of all magics to be worked for the home - also good for working with hearth deities such as Hestia - also can be used as a house for a servitor created to protect the home - paint it in happy colours to attract joy and happiness to your home - instead of a candle, fill it with herbs, crystals, and other symbols to attract magic into your home (sort of like an open spelljar or an altar) - use it as a focus when working with the "spirit" or "soul" of your home - charge it specifically to eliminate strife and negativity within the home during the holidays

The possibilities are endless!

forever my fave piece of cake ever. perfect carrot cake w the perfect amount of walnuts, heavenly spiced with cinnamon and cardomom & topped with the perfect cream cheese frosting, edible flowers and lime zest. i love her

Ancestor Veneration

In the occult discords I frequent I periodically see questions from new practitioners who want to start spirit work and have been directed to start with their ancestors, but they’re in a bind because like many young folk today they don’t have such a great relationship with their family. For their own reasons they don’t know their family history and either feel disconnected from previous generations or don’t want to connect to their bloodline. Over the years my personal ancestor veneration has taken shape in a way that I think might be helpful or of interest to people who want to strike up a relationship with their ancestors, but don’t have a great one with their living or recently deceased family.

Types of ancestors:

Beloved Dead: These are my known/recently deceased spirits, people I have known in life who have passed on. Not always technically ancestors, because these spirits aren’t aren’t necessarily related to me, or in my direct line of descent. The only requirement is that I knew them in life, as well as in death.

Ancestors: My actual forebearers, the people I’m directly descended from. I know many of their names because my family tree is very well researched, but I never met them in life. This also includes the ancestors whose names I don’t know but are still in that familial line, those spirits I refer to as “unnamed ancestors” or “unnamed forbearers”.

Cultural Ancestors: This by far the largest category, because there is no upper limit to the number of sub categories I can squeeze in there, none of which rely on actual blood ties. It has my ethno-cultural ancestors, the Irish people who came before me, the Italian people who came before me, the Norwegian people who came before me… etc. But it also has the ancestors of the things I choose to identify my self as: The disabled people who have come before me, the witches who have come before me, the Sailors, the Dancers, the Musicians, the Storytellers, etc. Everyone in this category connects me to some kind of cultural history that exists outside of my bloodline.

Who To Call On and When?

For me calling on my ancestors is a lot like calling on a deity. I petion them/ dedicate my actions to them, when I’m doing something that’s in their realm of influence. For instance: Say I’m cooking a traditional Italian meal, I would call on my Italian cultural ancestors, and they would get some of the meal as an offering in repayment. I would also probably call on the individual spirit of my grandmother, one of my beloved dead, since she was the one who taught me Italian cooking, and it’s quite likely her recipe I’m using.

I also have specific days set aside for my most frequently called upon groups Christmas Eve was always big with the Italian side of the family, and I still celebrate it the traditional way, so that’s become a day for my Italian cultural ancestors. St Patricks Day is for my Irish cultural ancestors. St. Lucia Day is for my Norwegian ancestors. I’ve set aside Talk Like a Pirate Day to venerate all of the sailors, fishermen, and wayfinders who have gone before me, and

Why Approach Ancestor Work/Worship/Veneration like this?

I feel like this approach gives me, and perhaps others, the most flexibility and the most options to approach ancestor work on terms that work for me. Have a great relationship with the family you’ve interacted with, but uncomfortable with the actions of your ancestors a few generations back? Interact only with your Beloved Dead and your Cultural Ancestors. Want nothing to do with your biological family, but still want to do ancestor work? Create a spiritual found family by working only with Cultural Ancestors. This way of thinking about those who loved what we love before us could be applied to any interest or personal identity that a person holds dear. However you choose to define yourself you can can use to draw a connection to people who also defined themselves that way in the past.

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Hearth Magic

Lately I have been very fascinated with fire cooking, and the potential for spellwork using the fire, pan and food itself. The advantage here is the consumption of the spell; you can put people under your control, empower them, weaken them, heal them, by having them literally put the magic inside them and carry it around with them so you dont have to snoop around hunting for taglocks for malefic curses or have the disadvantage of somebody needing to carry a protective charm on them which they may be likely to lose.

I was heavily inspired by a post made by @/qedavathegrey detailing the practical similarities between witchery and cooking. I cook frequently over a fire so I was wondering if I could lay a trick over bread or pastries using fire. So anyway:

First you need to know how to cook over a fire. I dont fuck with charcoal briquettes! And a lot of potency from the spell can come from the type of wood you use. For example:

Apple or sugar maple wood for love workings

Mulberry wood for spells intended to make others obey you

Cedar wood for ancestor work

Oak wood for jovian and abundance work

Pine wood for protection and empowerment/healing anxiety

And so on. In these types of spells I would use fires from materials that are as natural as possible. In some places "living fire" or fire that you started by rubbing two sticks together is very powerful in spellwork. I don't know about you but I am absolutely not able to start a fire by doing that, so if you cannot start the fire like so I would at least breath on it to stoke the fire. While making the fire you can also raise a lot of energy -- it's a pain in the ass so making a fire while pissed off can't hurt for a curse.

Also if you don't have a bunch of different types of firewood at your disposal, you can also add things to the existing fire to help it power the spell. For example, herbs, objects and things such as written psalms, sigils, tarot cards and playing cards can be thrown in. One possible method for herbs close with water could be to gather the herbs, wet them, and put them into tinfoil with holes poked in it so that it is constantly steaming as the fire is burning. (this also keeps bugs away. :) Around the area that you are starting the fire, you could also draw a circle in the dirt for extra protection during the spell. The whole idea is to enchant the fire so that whatever you cook with it will also be tricked.

When you're actually cooking the food, it takes a little while to adjust to using a fire so i would give it a few tries. I always use my cast iron cauldron, and you ALWAYS cook over the coals unless you're like boiling water or something. Don't fall for the cute little larpy pictures of people cooking over the high flames! You'll end up with half of your food burnt to shit, half of it ice cold and ALL of your pan completely black and charred.

Also you don't really want the coals to touch the bottom. Because it will burn. It just gets way too hot. My cauldron has little legs to keep it high up but if yours doesn't you'll want to suspend it from a chain or prop it up between 3 rocks, maybe a little metal grill.

If you're cooking soup or frying something you just need coals on the bottom, but if you're making bread or cake you'll want to actually preheat the cauldron like it's an oven, and shovel coals on the lid too. My bread keeps getting burnt on the bottom so maybe put more coals on the top. Bread holds up pretty well to cooking over a fire actually, in my opinion because it's wild and temperamental just like that fire.

And, once you're done cooking, if you laid a malefic curse over the food you can also save the salt used to clean the cast iron for future curses. :)

Anyway here are a few possibilities!

Blessing/Protection Strawberry Pie (for safety and ease at sea)

Start a fire from pine wood. Into the fire, put herbs St John's Wort, Angelica root, Hawthorn, Blackberry thorns etc you favorite combination of empowerment and luck herbs with "fuck off" herbs. To tailor it for protection at sea i will also be adding psalm 64 and swallow feathers.

It's for one person so we'd be making a mini tart, let's say strawberry rhubarb because of strawberries being sweet and lucky. You could also use blackberry for its protection. Or any medley of berries. Into the tart you can also slip some powdered/tinctured st johns wort, chamomile, etc lucky or soothing EDIBLE herbs. maybe not too much to change the flavor? but funny tasting witch tarts seem to be part of the charm LOL

So to cook a small tart you'll need a small pie tin, and you'd need to preheat the oven itself to about 350 fahrenheit. Maybe lift it off the bottom so it won't burn. You can blind bake the pie crust if you want. Its small so i would put the pie crust in with the filling, brush with egg and sprinkle some sugar, and cook for 15 minutes.

When it's done, you can whisper psalm 64 over it or what corresponds with your intention, and whoever eats it will be protected.

Otnovo --

Good Old Fashioned Love Spell Bread

This one is folksy and not a hundred percent ethical but it's just for educational purposes and I'm not your mom so. Make a fire from apple wood or maple wood. To this fire add sunflower petals, apple peels, orange peels, rose petals and ferns.

In the bread, if you can, mash in a (whole, fresh) mole heart in the liquid, maybe make it a beer bread to mask the meat flavor, or maybe make it stuffed bread and mix the mole heart with spiced pork or chicken, it's all up to you! If you don't have mole meat just lying around you can add coriander to the bread and similar love herbs and spices (take care that it doesnt taste like shit)

Preheat the oven by shoveling coals underneath but mostly on the lid and let it be for 15 minutes. It should be about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the bread in, cook it for 20 minutes, and give to the person you are interested in.

Those two were examples so let me know how they work if you do them, obviously this method heavily depends on what you have accessible to you so just use what you got! Happy spellwork :)

A charm to enchant your waters, candles, incenses, temporary tools, etc etc.

It's really important to remember this is my own version inspired by Traditional Witchcraft. What is presented here is not a "universal" belief about how magic works, and it is influenced by my experiences and UPG/SPG.

The purpose of this charm is to elevate mundane/inert objects, including commercially harvested/mined plants and stones, so that they become filled with power and magically effective.

This is a basic and simple spell which can be adapted to a wide variety of uses. However, it lacks the power and permanence of a formal consecration.

I recommend performing this charm right before you use whatever it is you're enchanting. So, right before drinking the tea, right before using your broom to sweep out energies, etc.

I use a charm similar to this one to prepare spellcasting materials, such as enchanting salt and candles before using them in a spell.

This charm has like two steps and takes about fifteen seconds to do in the moment, but this post runs a little long because I explain the theory along the way.

Materials:

Whatever it is to be enchanted

A traditional symbol of spiritual power, ideally one simple enough that you can draw it in the air with your finger or picture it in your mind

A very short little incantation (you will be writing it)

A traditional symbol of spiritual power, eh?

"Traditional" as in you didn't make it up - so, not your own sigils.

This is based on my belief about how this charm and magical symbols work.

If you use a really old and powerful magical symbol - like a five-pointed star or the Christian cross - you're tapping into the power of the symbol itself.

If you use a sigil that you created and charged with your own energy, you're going to be drawing on your own power to use this charm. Which of course, totally fine - it's just that it's more draining.

("What if my sigil is designed to channel external power?" you still have to spend your energy to maintain the sigil, like having to repair a bucket you use to carry water)

Whatever symbol you use definitely matters. If you use one of the elemental triangles, it's going to impart elemental energy into the charm. If you use Brigid's Cross, it's going to impart her energy into the charm. If you want to impart your own energy on purpose, you can use your own signature :)

It's worth putting thought into what energies you want to impart. You can keep a collection of symbols handy to impart special kinds of energy if you want, or use something universal like the pentagram for everything.

A very short little incantation

This can be anything. I enjoy somewhat standardizing mine, it just helps me get into the groove. You usually want your incantation to do 3 things:

Acknowledge the power behind the symbol you're using.

State that you need the power provided by the symbol and that you want this power to go into the object you're enchanting.

Clearly state what you want the outcome to be.

Here are a couple of examples. Materials in [brackets] indicate that word should be swapped out depending on what you're actually charming. You can be plain or poetic, whatever works:

By the power of Christ, I charm this [candle] to purify. Through Him this room will be cleansed.

Five elements fill you one by one, 'till this [salt] shines like the sun. Hear this task assigned to thee: help my spell and make it well. As my will, so shall it be.

I empower this [incense] to dispel unwanted spirits through the powers of the Sun and Moon.

You do not need to speak it aloud. Just reading it or going over it in your mind will suffice.

Focus and willpower?

Eh. If you've got focus and willpower to spare, feel free to spend them on this. But you don't really need them.

If you're using symbols of actual spiritual power and clearly directing them unto a goal, it should work. Powers don't need your belief in order to be powerful. Energies can still move when you're not focused on them.

If your incantation includes directions that clearly indicates you are A) calling on magical power, B) that the power needs to go into the object, and C) what the power should do for you, then that's all you need.

Staying in the present moment is really helpful, but you don't need to really burn the lamp oil on this, you know?

Putting it all together:

Using your finger, draw the spiritual symbol over the thing you want to charm. Alternatively:

Draw it on a piece of paper and hold the paper nearby

Picture the symbol in your mind

Speak, think, or sign your very short little incantation. Make sure you are clearly indicating that you are using the symbol for its power, that you want the power to go into the object, and that all this is being done so that the object aligns to your stated intent.

That's it :)

Wee bit of troubleshooting

Magical symbols are like the crystalized form of the powers they represent. The charm has power because the symbol you employ radiates with power. It is then up to you to direct it and instruct it according to your needs.

If you're not having success, try changing the symbol you use.

If the symbol is one representing a specific deity or being, ensure you've got at least a neutral relationship with them. If you skipped out on an oath to a god and you're avoiding them, using their symbol is probably not a great idea.

If you are new to magic, spending more willpower and focus will likely be of assistance to you.

Cleansing Your Space Without Smoke

1.)  CLEANSING AIR SPRAY

  Your first and most simple way to cleanse without smoke would be to make a salt water solution (Fresh Salt Water from a Beach is a big Plus! Or reuse that snow/ Rain Water)

Simply mix the salt to your water until it dissolves fully.

Essential Oils are completely optional, Make your solution your own this is nearly a “base” Recipe but also very effective on its own.

Spray all around your Home, Altar, Car, Body to clear the congested energy.

   2.) STEAM CLEANSING AND FLOOR WASH

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ OPTION ONE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Boil water, And Add herbs that work with the intention of your cleanse.

Sage- Clears ALL energys

Sweet Grass- Think “Sweet” promotes love

Rosemary- Love, Cleansing, Protection, Money  Your all purpose herb

Cinnamon: Protection, Love

Lavender: Peace, Tranquility, Happiness

Cloves: Exorcizing, Banishing negativity

Rue: Exorcizing, Expelling, Hex Breaking

Chamomile: Keeping, And Promoting peace, Happiness

Basil: Luck

Angelica Root: Protection against Malevolent spirits

(Research different herbs, Mix and Match to make YOUR Perfect blend)

Boil all of of your herbs together, Until you get a rich, Dark Color. Use this time to “add” Your intentions and energy’s into your mixture. Make your magic Happen! Take the pot and “Smudge” with the steam. All nooks, All cranny’s, All corners, All Rooms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Now here is your “Second Option“  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ONCE THE MIXTURE HAS REACHED ROOM TEMPERATURE use your decoction as a Floor Wash. You can add any detergents, Or Fragrances at this time

Clean all your floors, Base boards, Window Sills, What ever feels right, Although I would always start with the Floor.

(You may want to dilute in clean water, As some herbal mixes can stain)

This gives your Home Cleansing some extra OOMPH

You can dispose of your mixture Naturally, Outside, Or down the drain, Its up to you. This is an eco friendly solution.

Connection is not a feeling.

With some of the responses I've been getting on my post about connecting with nature, I realized I needed to write about this.

Folks have got to understand that connection is not a feeling. "I feel such a deep connection with-" nope, that's not connection you're feeling; that's fascination.

Whether it's nature, or a culture, or anything at all, connection isn't transcendent. It's something you build with actual physical effort. It's a relationship.

Let's say there's a stray cat outside, and I want to have a connection with it. So I go inside my house and meditate on the cat, visualizing myself sending out rays of love to the cat. I look at pictures of cats on the Internet. I collect cat memorabilia and pray to cat goddesses. But when I go outside and try to pet the stray cat, it runs away.

This is because I never built a genuine connection, or relationship, with this cat. I'm a parasocial admirer, at best. To the cat, I'm a weird stranger.

But let's say I put cat food outside, and I stay out there while the cat eats, and slowly get closer to the cat as it becomes more comfortable with my presence. Finally, I give the cat light touches, and it gradually learns that I am safe. And we become friends.

Now I have a connection with the cat, because we have a relationship. I feed the cat, the cat eats my food, and we're in each others' social networks.

"But what if I can't build relationships like this?"

It's okay if this is impossible for you right now. You're not going to be a Bad Pagan or a Bad Witch because you can't do something that is literally impossible at the moment.

But, if a connection is something you want to have, at some point? Get studying. You want a connection with nature at some point? Okay, then start studying ecology. Learn about the rain cycle. Learn about environmental damage. Find materials about the plants and animals in your area.

What about a culture? Okay, go learn about its history, go learn what kinds of problems its people are currently facing, and work on perceiving them as real, complex people instead of whatever stereotype you have in your mind right now.

And above all, remember: that's not a mystical connection you're feeling, that's fascination.

cosmic friends earrings by AbovearthAU

I'm having trouble understanding correspondences- what makes a plant associated with Jupiter, for example? Is there any reading you'd suggest for a better understanding of these things? Thank you

Oh, I am like the literal worst witch to ask on something like this -- because I'm not a materialist when it comes to correspondences. I'm not of the opinion that particular materials have inherent associations.

Now, a lot of people don't agree with me on this though -- so you might want to ask other people.

I personally believe that materials have correspondences because the witch using them in their magic give them that meaning... well, I'm more of an animist so I think we convince the materials they have that meaning, but close enough.

Now things like herbs often get correspondences because they're literal chemicals acting with physical properties, but in my experience a lot of correspondence lists (like, say, candle colors) are unsourced, unexplained things likely pulled out of someones ass thirty to forty years ago and repeated without questioning by the witches who came after.

So yeah. "Things only mean things because we tell them to mean things" is where I come down in the debate. But believe me, it is very much a debate in the community.