Category: Folk Magic

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Practical Magic with Saoirse: Somebody Put a Curse on Me! (No, They Didn’t)

By Lady Saoirse

Bright Blessings,

There are a lot of things I love about being a Tarot reader. I get to go spend time with my magical family at the shop where I read, and I get to help people. I remember many times when I was a baby witch that various readers helped me on my path, and I’ll bet they didn’t even know they were helping. To follow their example is a great honor, and I hope that I’m able to help people like Tarot readers have helped me. Continue reading Practical Magic with Saoirse: Somebody Put a Curse on Me! (No, They Didn’t)

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Ask a Witch: What’s With the Flying Ointment & Unbaptized Babies?

By Katrina Rasbold

In this line of work, you do get asked some fascinating questions, like “Do Witches use flying ointment? Did they ever? Is the rendered fat of an unbaptized baby one of the ingredients in flying ointment? Time to break these questions down. Continue reading Ask a Witch: What’s With the Flying Ointment & Unbaptized Babies?

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Herbalism For Your Day: Slippery Elm

By Katrina Rasbold

What we loosely call “herbs” when we talk about magical herbalism is an inclusive label that also includes flowers, roots, barks, and in this case, trees. Where most people think of small green things growing in pretty pots when they talk about herbs, Witches and other magical folks basically mean, “botany” and we are voracious about studying the energy of all parts of pretty much any plant. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Slippery Elm

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Herbalism For Your Day: Buckthorn

By Katrina Rasbold

Buckthorn was one of the first magical herbs I learned about back in the 1980s. I was in Scorpio Herbs (no longer in operation) in Texas and one of the folks working in the shop told me that buckthorn “brings the magic together.” She went on to explain that if you include herbs in your spell work, you should also throw in some buckthorn because it encourages the other herbs to work together more cohesively toward your goal.

Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Buckthorn

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Stone Magic: Bloodstone

By Katrina Rasbold

Christian legend says that bloodstone (heliotrope) got its name because it formed as the blood of Christ dripped onto the green earth during the crucifixion. There is, however, documented use of bloodstone for magical purposes going back over seven thousand years to 5000 BC. Continue reading Stone Magic: Bloodstone

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Herbalism For Your Day: Elecampane

By Katrina Rasbold

Legend says Elecampane (Inula helenium) as named for Helen of Troy and grew in the places where her tears fell. Related to the sunflower, this plant is quite tall, up to sixty inches or so. It has a rigid stem with leaves that are green on the top and white on the bottom. It has vibrant yellow blooms that smell a bit like sweet camphor. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Elecampane

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Stone Magic: Tourmaline

By Katrina Rasbold

Tourmaline is one of the stones, like peacock ore, that seems like it should not exist in nature. Its luminous beauty is one of Earth’s beautiful miracles and to make it even more amazing, its magical attributes are off the charts. Continue reading Stone Magic: Tourmaline

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Witch At The Crossroads: Managing Psychic Attack

By Katrina Rasbold

In last week’s Witch At The Crossroads blog, we talked about symptoms of psychic attack and these may come from intentional malice or inadvertent ill will (like pouting and wallowing in anger). In this post, we discuss how to effectively manage psychic attack once it occurs or we suspect it has occurred. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Managing Psychic Attack

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Stone Magic: Hag Stones

By Katrina Rasbold

Hag stones are stones with naturally occurring holes in or through them, usually composed of a sedimentary stone called chert. Shaped by the tides over hundreds of years, these unique stones have myriad magical uses. Continue reading Stone Magic: Hag Stones

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Witch At The Crossroads: Identifying Psychic Attack

By Katrina Rasbold

In researching for this article, I looked back over a blog post I wrote on Patheos Pagan in 2015 and wow, have my views ever changed! One of the great benefits to blogging and journaling is the opportunity to review and reconisder our position from years before and notice how much we learned in the interim. Back then, I had a more naive perspective on psychic attack and since that time, I have performed literally thousands of cleansings on people suffering from the effects of untreated psychic attacks, plus wrote a book on the subject. Where at that time, I considered true psychic attack to be uncommon, I now know it happens all the time. People are so much more comfortable slinging baneful energy around than I ever imagined back then. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Identifying Psychic Attack

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Ask a Witch: Are Technology and Spellwork in Opposition?

By Katrina Rasbold

Many Witches appreciate the reconstructionist approach to spellwork, feeling it lends authenticity to their practice. Does technology have a place in spellwork or is it in opposition to the flow of energy? Continue reading Ask a Witch: Are Technology and Spellwork in Opposition?

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Stone Magic: Lapis Lazuli

By Katrina Rasbold

This azure blue stone with its occasional gold and green intrusions is a favorite of many, not just for its beautiful appearance, but also for the magical qualities it imbues on the wearer/carrier, including special protective qualities for children. Continue reading Stone Magic: Lapis Lazuli