Deep Relationships Tarot Spread

GUIDED VISUALIZATIONS OF THE TAROT - FREE AUDIO

1. The Fool 
2. The Magician 
3. The High Priestess 
4. The Empress 
5. The Emperor 
6. The Hierophant 
7. The Lovers 
8. The Chariot 
9. Strength 
10. The Hermit 
11. The Wheel of Fortune 
12. Justice 
13. The Hanged Man 
14. Death 
15. Temperance
16. The Devil
17. The Tower
18. The Star
19. The Moon
20. The Sun
21. Judgement
22. The World

Stay in touch with your deck and its needs with this spread!

Birthday Spread

distractions:

distractions:

• learn to see your aura
• palmistry(really cool blog in general)
• dream interpretation
• lucid dreaming
• numerology
• numerology-life path number calculator
• online tarot readings
• divination by tea leaves
• runes(also cool site to buy things)
• list of psychic abilities and forms of prophesy

New Moon Tarot Spread

New Moon Tarot Spread

1. Where you stand
You, now, and the energy around you,
2. Something to leave behind
You won’t be needing this any more.
3. Something to receive
Look for the opportunity to accept this gift from outside yourself – another person, the Universe…
4. Something to learn
The past lunar month (or year) has taught you this.
5. Something to give
Offer this to the world as you go.
6. Your hopes and dreams
The spirit in which you are stepping forward into the next phase.
7. Your secret special skill

Self-care Spread

This spread is for those moments when you feel lousy, but can’t figure out why or what to do.
My Problem - The reason you’re feeling this way.
What to do now - Things you should consider doing while you feel bad.
What to do later - Steps you can take to prevent feeling this way in the future.
What I need to hear - The insight you need to get through this.
What I should avoid - Pretty much what it says on the tin.

Self Esteem Check In by intuitive-witch

Self Esteem Check In by intuitive-witch

If you’re anything like me, you probably struggle from time to time with loving yourself. I use this spread when I need a little insight into why I’m so down on myself, and as a little pick-me-up so I can appreciate my better qualities! As a small note, this spread can be used with both tarot and oracle cards! As usual, this spread should not be used in place of professional help if needed.
1. Overall: How is your self esteem, generally speaking? What are the major highlights, concerns, issues, etc? You may wish to refer back to this card throughout the spread as a clarifier if needed.
2. Low Points: This card represents the part of yourself that you may be struggling with. What parts do you find difficult to accept and love? Try to focus on being a little more patient and loving toward yourself in these areas.
3. High Points: This card represents that part of yourself that you are truly proud of! What are you great at? What have you accomplished? Take some time to celebrate your stand out qualities.
4. Influences: This card represents the external and internal factors at play in your self esteem. This card may be especially important if you’re struggling with your self esteem as it can point you toward where those negative thoughts are coming from.
5. Advice: No matter where you are with your self esteem right now, this card will send you off with some advice on how to improve your relationship with you! Do you need patience? Do you need to make some changes? Listen to the message this card has for you.

And, never forget, you’re truly amazing! - xo

How The Cards Can Help You

How The Cards Can Help You

As someone who loves to give and receive card readings, I’ve been wanting to put together a list of how they can be helpful… to anyone. I hope this demystifies cartomancy a bit.
While it’s possible to work with tarot cards and other forms of cartomancy as part of your spiritual practice, it’s also okay not to - the cards will serve their purpose regardless. You can benefit from a card reading whether you’re spiritually inclined or not because:

• A card reading doesn’t have to be predictive! Many readers discuss the future to provide inspiration and a sense of direction, not certainty, about it. Or to bring up strategies on how to best achieve your goals.

• The cards can help you find solutions to present and future challenges. A deck is, in essence, a catalog of human experiences such as finding balance, putting in effort, accepting change, etc. A reading can reveal options you haven’t considered yet.

• Receiving a card reading boosts your inner clarity. How? Well, life is one big risk and, sometimes, one big mess. Luckily, the cards reflect our experiences through their images and themes. Receiving a reading allows us to gain some distance from the events in our lives, as if reading a comic book about them, so we can collect our thoughts much better.

• Their artwork is inspiring. Above is my favorite Sun, from the Tarocco Neoclassico Italiano. Just looking at this card makes me feel cheerful. Through their art and language, the cards can also inspire visualization practices and good old daydreaming.

• A card reading allows you to vent a bit and to discuss your hopes. It’s a safe space, too! This means you can express your challenges and dreams to your card reader, and even to your own cards. They will try to help you do your best. To me, this connection is one of the most beautiful aspects of our practice.

In sum, card readings are what you and your reader make of them. ♥

Rahdue’s Wheel

Rahdue’s Wheel, a 78-card spread.
Holy poot….

You Deplete Me

It’s time for Sunday Spreads! Feel like you or a friend are in a toxic relationship? Try the You Deplete Me Spread! Remember, this can apply to all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones.

A spread that reveals your innermost faults, how you are affected, and how to pull through.

A spread that reveals your innermost faults, how you are affected, and how to pull through.
1. The darkest aspect of my self
2. The area of my life that is most affected
3. What is my inner demon
4. How do I understand/accept/heal
5. How can I overcome this
6. Possible outcome

∆ TWIN PEAKS TAROT ∆

∆ TWIN PEAKS TAROT ∆

TAKE A PEAK AT PART II
TAKE A PEAK AT PART III

TAKE A PEAK AT THE CUPS AND COINS
TAKE A PEAK AT THE SWORDS AND WANDS
Direct visual inspiration drawn from the Rider Waite Tarot deck. At present, the plan is to recreate all of the Major Arcana…and then maybe move into the Minor Arcana.
PRINTS AVAILABLE

SWEET SMELLS OF YULE

2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
a handful of pine needles
1 -2 pieces of orange or lemon rind
2 cups water

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer all day if you wish. Add water as needed. Refrigerate to reuse.

DIY Natural Ink Made from Flower Petals (by thesheerstories)

~For those of you interested in making your own inks! You can use different flowers depending on their properties too. I have lists of flower meanings here and here. Although I don’t know much about making ink, so I have no idea if some of those flowers are good or bad for making ink. Just experiment with it and find out I guess.

Use flowers with specific magical associations to add some magic to a handwritten work, or add a little extra power to a spell.

DIY Salt Dough Cookie Custom Cookie Stamps Recipe and Tutorial

DIY Salt Dough Cookie Custom Cookie Stamps Recipe and Tutorial from Alphamom here. Elaborate cookie stamps are so expensive and these are so easy a child could do it. The dough recipe has 3 ingredients that you already probably have - water, salt and flour. I also like this tutorial because these are food friendly stamps - unlike polymer clay stamps. First seen at Dollar Store Crafts here.

House Guardian

House Guardian
House Guardians help keep wayward negative energies from accumulating too quickly or from “sticking” from day to day activities. They do not, however, stop massive amounts of it from being brought in.
Materials:
River stone that catches your eye and “feels right” (can be a land stone, any color but preferably you have a stock of these things you have picked up and can pick the one that your guard symbol can stand out on)
pen or brush (I prefer a short quill as you can see from the photo)
Black ink (Normally I have some ink I’ve made from fire ash but I haven’t had the chance to restock yet, so India Ink it is!)
Process:
Your House Guardian is going to essentially be your security guard, so treat it accordingly.
As you pick out your stone, feel its energy. If it seems to resonate with a particular frequency that you associate with masculine or feminine, or if the stone outright says it refuses to be referred to in such a manner, give it that dignity. Most stones are neutral in that regard but “identifying” a stone in such a way only helps in naming and building a relationship. Every stone is different.
This process can take a long time, so don’t expect to get it done in a half hour. With this particular stone pictured above, I have been working at building a connection for a few months (and asked permission for it to be a part of this post). Over this time it has let me know what to call it, how to treat it, and what “face” it was comfortable with displaying. Sometimes a stone won’t tolerate a face but a symbol, sigil, glyph, sometimes a word in a certain language, sometimes even random squiggles or nothing at all. The stone will let you know.
The important thing to remember is that stones are OLD. They’re made up of millions of tiny dust particles that have traveled on the wind and water, been buried and compressed under immeasurable amounts of pressure, melted and “frozen” throughout the life-age of the Earth. They are parts of a larger whole broken off and slowly eroding away again to start that cycle anew. Essentialy they are the Earth’s “blood.” They’ve been through so much more than any of us can imagine and carry with them a steadfast stubbornness that has allowed their spirits to persist for so long.
Being labeled and used as a House Guardian is hardly a lasting moment for them, but aside from that… and like a security guard they might divulge a few old war stories or open up about the state of things in the Hidden World. Just keep in mind as well that what they may share is not often comprehensible by humans….and is said VERY slowly.
When you’ve given it a face (literally or metaphorically) you’ve also more than likely been given suggestions on where your House Guardian would prefer to be stationed, now that it knows what you want out of the relationship as well.
Be it on a windowsill, in a forgotten corner of your home, buried in a flowerpot or in the yard somewhere, even in a purse or messenger bag (should they be a rolling stone ^w^).
At this point the “process” is little more than suggestions as each stone reacts differently to different people and different situations it is asked to guard within and against. Listen to your chosen stone and come to a compromise that works for you both and don’t be afraid to chose another stone if the one you are currently working with just isn’t working out (generally if it’s been a year you know for sure the stone does not want to be a House Guardian).

Herbal Sleep & Dream Pillows

Herbal Sleep & Dream Pillows
Combine any of the following herbs into a lovely sleep sachet, or sew them into a pillow for yourself, or as gifts for others.
PS: Trying sewing sigils into your dream pillows for extra help.

• Catnip: Relaxing, helps bring deep sleep.
• Chamomile: Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away.
• Hops: Relaxing and brings peacefulness.
• Lavender: Soothing, relaxing and eases headaches.
• Lemon Balm: Relieves stress, anxious and nervous feelings, insomnia, stress, and headaches.
• Rose petals: Brings warmth and love.
• Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.
• Sweet Marjoram: Calms restlessness and nervousness.
• Catnip: Relaxing, helps bring deep sleep.
• Chamomile: Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away.
• Cloves: Brings warmth and an exotic feeling to dreams, add only 2-4 per pillow.
• Hops: Relaxing and brings peacefulness.
• Lavender: Soothing, relaxing and eases headaches.
• Lemon Verbena: Uplifting, used to add “lightness” to dream blends.
• Mugwort: Greatly enhances lucid dreaming and helps with remembering of dreams.
• Peppermint or Spearmint: Enhances clarity and vividness in dreams.
• Rose petals: Brings warmth and love, may be used to evoke romantic dreams.
• Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.

YULE POMANDER MAGIC

Pomanders, in their various forms, have been used to add delightful scents to people’s lives since the middle ages. The word “pomander” actually comes from a French phrase, pomme d’ambre, which translates to “apple of amber.” Originally filled with perfumes, early pomanders were wooden, metal or porcelain balls that were either placed around a room or carried on one’s person. These early pomanders included various herbs, spices, and even ambergris that were ground up into a fine powder and placed in a ball or even a pouch. There are paintings of Queen Elizabeth I holding her pomander ball.

Today, people use pomanders primarily as a room freshener or decorative item. They can be placed in drawers to keep clothing smelling nice, left in decorative bowls to freshen a room, or even used in aromatherapy.

When the Yule season rolls around, why not make fresh pomanders to decorate your home? Add some colored ribbon, and you can hang them from your holiday tree, or give them away as handmade gifts!

You’ll need:

• An orange
• Whole cloves
• Ribbon
• Small pins

Wrap the orange in ribbon - usually a quick cross design is simple and easy. You can use the pins to hold the ribbon on place. Use the cloves to stud the skin of the orange in any design you like — you can do them in rows, spirals, or even a pentacle on either side! Be sure that the cloves don’t touch one another. If they do, as the orange dries, you may notice cloves falling out. Try to include a lot of cloves, whichever pattern you choose to use - less empty space is better as the orange dries out.

Some people like to roll their studded pomander in a blend of spices. To do this, mix equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg, or your other favorite scents into a bowl, and roll the orange in the mix until it’s completely coated.

The orange will last longer if you “cure” it, or dry it out. To do this quickly, you can place it in the oven at a low temperature (around 150 degrees) for an hour or two - the bonus to this is that it makes your house smell spectacular.

If you’ve got a little more time, you can place your clove-studded orange in a paper bag, and let it sit in a cool, dry place for four to six weeks. Be sure to check your orange periodically to make sure it hasn’t begun to mold - if it does, it mean that cool dry place has moisture in it, and you’ll need to throw your orange away.

A cured pomander will last a very long time. Once it’s done drying out, add decorative ribbon so you can hang it up for all to see - you may want to use decorative pins to hold the ribbon in place. If you make a bunch of pomanders, place them in a bowl where they’ll look pretty through the Yule holiday season.

The orange is associated, like many fruits, with abundance, fertility and prosperity. As you’re making pomanders with oranges, you can incorporate them into magical practice. As you poke the cloves through the skin, focus your intent on bringing abundance your way.

How to make Incense Cones

How to make Incense Cones

DIY Nature-friendly Biodegradable Offering Stones

DIY Nature-friendly Biodegradable Offering Stones
Create your own plant or deity offering stones that are not only biodegradable, but do not contain salt or any other ingredients that will stunt future growth.
Personalize these stones with different plants or fruits for specific deities, and magical associations. Or even just engrave them with sigils for your intent.

Candle Votive DIY

Candle Votive DIY

Simple, but beautiful.

Try this with cinnamon sticks for yule

Homemade Rose Water

Homemade Rose Water

not only does rose water smell amazing, it is also great to use in your beauty routine. it is a hydrating & effective face toner and makes skin dewy & soft. it has a pretty expensive price tag, so making it yourself can help save you some money. you could just boil rose petals with water then strain and use that, but this way yields a more pure & potent product. 

1. its preferable to use roses from a garden, but if you can’t, be sure to spray them with distilled white vinegar and let them soak in water. rinse thoroughly. crush & bruise petals to release some of their oils & scent. you can also use dried rose petals if you’d like.
2. place a heavy heat safe bowl inside a pot. put the rose petals in the pot around the bowl & cover petals with distilled or filtered water. the water should come halfway up the sides of the bowl. don’t get any water inside the bowl, just around it.
3. take the pot’s lid and flip it upside down- then place it on top of pot. turn stove to medium-high heat and cook petals a few minutes till they dull in color like shown in the picture.
4. turn the stove to medium-low heat. take ice cubes and place on top of the upside down lid. (the rose water rises to the top of the pot and leaves condensation on the inside-out lid. the ice cools the lid down so the condensation drips into the bowl in the pot, creating your pure rose water.)
5. as the ice melts, use a ladle to remove the melted water so it doesn’t spill over. then keep adding more ice. repeat the process a few times- this will take around 30 minutes.
6. when done, remove bowl from pot and allow to cool. the water that has collected in the bowl is your rose water. store in a tightly covered glass jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or freeze. optional- add in some drops of lavender oil & witch hazel. 

take a cotton ball and rub on face & neck after you wash your face or whenever it needs a boost. it helps cleanse impurities, close pores and really does make your skin glow. it’s nice in the summer especially. you can also add some to your hair conditioner, body wash or lotion. 

How to Make a Solid Perfume Locket

How to Make a Solid Perfume Locket

from Rosalee de la Forêt at Learning Herbs

Creating botanical perfumes has been growing in popularity amongst grassroots herbalists in the past several years.

Well-crafted botanical perfumes have a complex scent that shifts while you wear them. You’ll find that the high notes of the blend come through first and then more sustaining scents emerge as you wear the perfume. I also love that these blends are one of a kind. You’ll find that even if you use the same recipe the scent will shift subtly because of the volatile nature of the aromatic essential oils.

KITCHEN AND COTTAGE WITCHCRAFT IDEAS

Use lemon juice to write sigils everywhere. Doorposts, doors, walls, cabinets, books, book pages, work desks…

The “ink” is invisible, so the possibilities are endless. What’s more, lemon juice is generally safe on most surfaces (aside from brass-plated items, which it damages) and smells nice too.

Bonus points: lemons are associated with cleansing and purification; which can add an extra little boost to your sigils, wards, etc.

GINGERBREAD POPPETS

Gingerbread poppets are a great yuletide twist on homemade spell poppets.

This spell is best directed at clearing your head of people who have wronged or mistreated you. It is a great way to bring in the new year fresh from negativity of others and effectively removing the conflict of those people from your life.

Following your favorite gingerbread recipe, you will focus on removing the power negative people have in your life. Because of the ingredients of gingerbread it is perfect for this spell.

• Cloves are great for gossip protection and spell breaking
• Cinnamon is effective in promoting healing and peace

Before putting the cookies in the oven, make a sigil or other representation of an individual who has wronged you this year who you need to break free from.

Once they are done baking, you will eat the gingerbread poppet(s).

When you eat these poppets, consider the power this person had over you and now your power of this representation of them. Visualize the power of their words and their influence over you dissipating as you eat the cookie. You are now in control.

Best eaten alone in quiet with a cup of tea or in the company of close friends.

Maple Bourbon Pumpkin Butter

Maple Bourbon Pumpkin Butter

COOKING FOR YULE

Angelfire Yule Recipes

Akasha’s Yule Recipes

Recipes for a Pagan Soul, Yule

Winter Solstice/Yule Recipes

Yule/Midwinter’s Eve Recipes

Yule Chocolate Log

DailyWicca Yule Recipes

Winter Sabbat Recipes Part 1

Yule Recipes Part 2

Seasonal Pagan Recipes

Raven and Crone Yule Food Recipes

Imbolc

Other Names: Candlemas, Oimealg, Imbolg, Brigantia, Lupercus, Disting, Lupercalia.

Date: February 2, or when the sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius.

Meaning of the Word: Imbolc means “in milk”.

Primary Focus: New growth, end of winter, rituals of purification, offerings to deity, candle rituals.

Age of Holiday: Unknown.

Popular Mythos: Pouring milk on the ground, associated with the goddess Brigit; laying the Cailleach to rest; Lupercus (wolf god in Italian witchcraft)

Astrological Sign: 15 degrees Aquarius.

Planetary Ruler: Saturn (classical astrology), Uranus (modern astrology).

In Celtic legend, the months from Hallowmas to Candlemas (called the “months of the little sun”) were ruled by the Cailleach or, as she is sometimes called, the Cailleach Bheur, a Scottish female deity that begins winter by washing her plaid in a whirlpool. The Cailleach is not a lady to tangle with, as she is depicted as a wild had with a venomous temper who hurries about with a magick wand in her hand, switching the grass and blasting vegetation to unite the forces of sun, dew, and rain. Her rages are the spring storms. At Imbolc she leaves by raising the tempests in her wake. Bried, or Brigit, on the other hand, is a far more sensible goddess of healing, poetry; and the forging of fire, extends her blessings on this day and it is to her that most generic and traditional Wiccan groups pay homage.

Imbolc Invocation

Coronet of candles, each flame a golden jewel
Saturn Lord withdraws his cloak
yet retains his rule.
Lambs bleat season’s greetings
spring’s essence on theri breath
the sun pays homage to the sky
in Aquarius.
The Lord and the Lady dance the waltz
within the magick round
to banish all that isn’t pure
and prime the sacred ground.
The Cailleach swirls her tempest skirts
to raise the season’s storms
that which lies within her wake
will surely be reborn.
The time has come for tilling
to arrange for harvest’s gain
the right amount of seed and skill
of wind and sacred rain
are needed to perform the task
of planning for my future
I conjure such by Breid’s bright word
and nothing will refute her.
The cat that leaps is not 
the cat that lands upon the stair
I conjure things that others think
appear from thinnest air
yet superimposition reigns
my choice a pattern set.

(INSERT WHAT YOU WISH FOR HERE)

My power grows, the light ignites
desires manifest! 

Magickal Ideas for your Imbolc Sabbat Ritual

. Add a circle of white candles to the altar setup, each one representing a goal you would like to achieve in the coming year. Empower, then light during ritual.

. Banish winter by burning paper snowflakes.

. Empower ice to banish negativity. As the ice melts, the negativity will drain away. Pour water off your property.

. Plant seeds to be cared for indoors, or buy an indoor plant and make friends!

. Bless your pet and give him or her a safe amulet for his or her collar, or place in a protected area on the cage (for smaller animals)

. Purify the house with a house blessing ritual incorporated into the sabbat, or do one separately. 

. In ritual, offer milk to the gods, then pour outdoors on the ground, or leave in a bowl for the animals.

. Do a visionquest/meditation on the wolf totem.

. Imbolc is a fire festival falling in the fixed astrological air sign of Aquarius. The magick that you do during this time period will have long-lasting consequences. Uranus and Saturn (modern and classical planetary rulers, respectively) bring the ability to make sudden changes, reach for rewards, and learn how to interact with authority figures.

SPICED WINTER TEA

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• 5 tea bags of green, black, or ginger tea
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• Honey to taste

Process:

Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat. Add tea bags. Cover and let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add orange and lemon juices to tea mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Re-warm before continuing.) Using slotted spoon, remove whole spices. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Simple Imbolc Cleansing Chant

Simple Imbolc Cleansing Chant

Light a few candles and prepare some Sage. Hold the burning Sage in your hands for a few minutes while you meditate. Breathe in the smoke and imagine it clearing out your body; imagine the black tar dissolving away out of your veins, the pores of your spirit, out of your mind’s gears, out from between your chakras, etc..

Once calm and focused chant:

Like a flower pushing through the snow,May I push through the stress, negativity, and doubt;May my hard work enable me to grow into the person I want to be.

Wave the Sage around your body to make sure you’re clean inside and out.

Snuff everything out.