By Katrina Rasbold
Of course, the operative question is do *I* personally work Naked and have 0rg!e$? or do *Witches* work naked and have 0rg!e$? and how does all of that come together? Spoiler: the answer to one of these questions is “Yes!” Continue reading Ask a Witch: Do You Work Naked and Have 0rg!e$?
By Katrina Rasbold
Kava kava is an interesting plant in that all seeds it produces are sterile. This means that the only way to propagate the plant is through cuttings. It is high needs, so you will not likely be able to grow it in a pot or even in a greenhouse. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Kava Kava
By Katrina Rasbold
Creating a new magical group is exciting, rewarding, and a ton of work. Often, particularly in eclectic work, the group forms spontaneously around a common desire to learn and practice more. Even in the most desirable circumstances, certain decisions must be made. This post takes you through some of the most vital points of forming your own spiritual group. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Forming a Magical Working Group
By Katrina Rasbold
When stones are blue, they are marvelously blue such as lapis lazuli, peacock, sodalite, and celestite. Azurite lives up to its name with deep and beautiful blue facets. Continue reading Stone Magic: Azurite
By Tatiara
Is hexing ever appropriate, or is it simply a misuse of power? With great power comes great responsibility. One important responsibility is self-development. This includes character development. Ultimately a person’s character is revealed by how they exercise the power they possess. Hexing once meant witchery in general, as in the adage, “a witch who can’t hex can’t heal.” Now it implies causing unpleasant, unlucky, or harmful things to happen to people, often as an act of revenge. However, hexing and healing are two sides of the same coin. A healing misapplied could bring evil consequences. A hex for the right reason could be used for good. This is very tricky territory, though. Continue reading The Mystic Witch’s Journey: Feeling Vexed? Before you Hex, Do X
By Katrina Rasbold
It can happen to all of us, although thankfully, not usually to the degree we see in the graphic above. Rituals fail. It is easy to raise one knowing eyebrow and say that it failed because it was intended to fail and all things are exactly as they should be and blah, blah, blah, but there is a huge difference in knowing that rituals sometimes do not go as planned versus understanding why rituals sometimes go in the ditch and how to manage that inevitability. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Ceremonial Interruptus
By Katrina Rasbold
Opal is a popular semi-precious stone and fire opals are especially known for their magical strength. A legend says that after emerging victorious from war, the god Zeus wept tears which turned to beautiful opals when they hit the ground. Continue reading Stone Power: Opals
By Katrina Rasbold
Those of us who are of a particular age remember using witch hazel as a facial astringent back in “the day.” I am sure few of us realized the intense magical influence we were dabbing all over our pretty faces. Intention is everything, but the inherent powers of this plant shine through on their own. I’m sure our parents were pleased with the results it gave to us. (wink) Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Witch Hazel
By Katrina Rasbold
You may have heard the word tossed around, but is the word “warlock” really a male witch? It’s more complicated than some folks would imagine. Continue reading Ask a Witch: Is a Male Witch a Warlock?
By Katrina Rasbold
Shall we talk about my favorite stone? Let’s talk about my favorite stone. I am a huge fan of malachite, both for its beauty and its magical bang. Continue reading Stone Magic: Malachite
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?
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
By Katrina Rasbold
As magical people, we love our stones and crystals and there are a lot of terms that surround that fun and energetic topic. What is a gemstone? What makes one precious or semi-precious? Continue reading Stone Magic: Precious vs Semi-precious Stones
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.
By Lady Saoirse
Bright Blessings,
I write this on Beltane Eve, and my online memories have been showing me photos from years past. For many years, we used to gather at Beltane. We would rent a group campsite or Metro Park shelter and be there from the time the park opened until it closed. We had rituals, potlucks, talks, and for some years we camped. Continue reading Practical Magic with Saoirse: Beltane Memories
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
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
By Katrina Rasbold
What is the difference between “baneful” and “coercive” magic? Continue reading Ask a Witch: Baneful vs Coercive Magic
By Katrina Rasbold
In our circle, we work a strong duality between male and female energies and although we love the traditional celebrations, we always like to put our own spin on things. Beltane is a delicious High Holiday, ribald with innuendo and fun, celebrating the union between the masculine and feminine archetypes. In this blessed time of coming together, we honor the fertilization of the land and revel in the pleasures brought to us by earthly existence. That being the case, we always thought it as a little one-sided to ritualize this sacred day with only a maypole, the representation of male virility, thrusting its mighty prominence up out of the ripened land. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: All Hail The Mayhole
By Tatiara
If you’re like me, then you have felt the intensity of transformation afoot lately. The eclipse energy symbolizing “out with the old, in with the new,” was magical, yet a little harrowing for some of us.
Continue reading The Mystic Witch’s Journey: Lunar Beltane: Love, Gratitude and Transformation