Category Archives: Magical Powders
Come to me Love Spell
With tomorrow being Valentines Day a lot of people are looking for love spells and quick romances. While these spells can be effective, they can also end up in dangerous and destructive relationships. To prevent that it is best to work a spell that is about attracting love in general.
If you really desire a relationship than it is important to work towards attracting a specific type of person rather than an individual. So for example rather than addressing Jill from reception or Phil from across the street your spell would adress the type of person you are attracted to. You would include things like hobbies and interests (example enjoys role playing game or being out doors) as well as quality and personality traits (an example being likes being around children, strong heart, passionate about their interests etc). This allows you to be open to the universe rather than drilled into a specific person who may not be a good fit for you.
This spell here is geared towards attracting the right person to you. The items used in the spell not only attract love but also open and enhance sexual desires and friendship.
Come to Me Love Spell
Materials:
Red Candle
Red Pen
Paper
Witches Red Salt
Red Rose Petals (Love)
Catnip (happiness and Joy)
Lavender (Peace, love, romance)
Passion Flower (Friendship, Passion)
Cinnamon (sweeten the universe and that type of person to you)
Spice Up Desires Oil (aromatherapy oils or ritual oils work well here)
Censor
Sharp Object to ensrcribe the candle
Charcoal
Censor/incense burner
Red Ribbon, chord or string
Spell:
Take the pen and on the paper write out all the qualities of the type of person that you are attracted to. Be sure to include things like hobbies and interests you would like to share as well as personality traits (cares for others, emphatic, etc). These are the things that you are looking for in your partner for your relationship.
Take the knife or sharp object and inscribe love, relationship, passion, friendship, and joy
Light the charcoal
While the charcoal is starting take the Rose petals, Catnip, Lavender, Cinnamon, and Passion Flower.
Combine them in your mortar and pestle. Grind them into a fine powder.
As you grind the herbal mixture together visualize yourself surrounded by love. See yourself in a red and pink light. See that light extending out to the universe bringing love to yourself and others.
Sprinkle half of the herbal mixture of the censor (this is your incense) this will burn and send the love energy gathered into the universe
Next add a drop of the Spice up desires Oil to the burning incense.
Add three drops of the oil to the candle. Take the oil and run it on the candle from the bottom to the top. You want love to grow.
Next take a portion of the remaining herbs and add them to the candle. Again apply them from the bottom of the candle to the top of the candle.
Now light the Candle
Take the petition paper and sprinkle the Red salt over the petation papewr
Next fold the petition paper towards yourself. As you fold the petition paper towards you begin to chant:
“Love flowing like a fresh stream
Bring me a partner to be a team
Bring a lover that is new
One who to me will be true
A love that is alive
A love that will thrive”
Turn the paper 180 degrees towards you. Once again sprinkle the Red salt and recite the above chant. Continue to turn the paper packet and fold it. Before you fold the paper each time sprinkle the red salt and then fold the paper in half towards you.. Repeat the process until you can no longer fold the petition paper.
Grab the Green ribbon or chord. Start to wrap the chord around the folded pack towards you.
When you have wrapped the paper five times tie a knot. As you tie the knot state:
“I seal in love”
After you tie the knot turn the packet 180 degrees towards you and again wrap the chord. Repeat with the knot after five wraps. Continue this process five more times.
Once you have completed the process take packet over to the candle.
Pick up the candle and drip a little bit of wax over the packet.
Bring the packet over to the incense and pass it through the smoke.
When the candle and incense are done burning bury them on your property at the base of a tree. You can also bury them at a cross roads sending the energy out into the universe.
Carry the packet with you until love manifests in your life.
Once your love has manifested burn the packet outside and sprinkle the ashes into the wind and around the tree or at the cross roads where the candle and incense remains were buried. This will finish sealing in the magic.
If you are looking for the supplies to perform this spell you can find them:
Mystic Echoes Red Witches Salt
Red Love candle
Spice Up Desires Oil
herbs and curios for spells
Items used in the spell
Magical Powder Recipe: Bring Me Love or Love Draw
This powder recipe here is one of the two powders that we made at Pagan Unity day in myIntroduction to working with Incenses and Powders. All of the ingredients will have links to where you can buy them in the amounts given.
Materials
Materials:
1/2 ounce Rose Petals
1 ounce Dragons Blood
Half ounce cinnamon
half ounce Catnip
One ounce Nutmeg
Mixing Bowl
Wand
How to
Step 1: Gather your materials in your work space
Step 2: Ask the herbs to bless your work and guide you in your work
Step 3: Take the Dragons blood and pour it into the mixing bowl
Step 4: Place your wand over the Dragons blood and ask them plant for its blessings of lust and desire as well as to protect your love and your passion that no harm may come to you and them in the relationship
Step 5: Add the Rose petals
Step 6: As before ask the Rose petals to grant you romantic love but also that the thorns harm any who would come between the two of you
Step 7: Take your wand and direct those emotions into the blend as you stir it with your wand.
Step 8: Add the Nutmeg to the blend
Step 9: As you blend the Nutmeg into the blend ask the spirits for a healthy relationship and to be in a relationship where fidelity is honored
Step 10: Finally add the Cinnamon
Step 11: As you mix the cinnamon into the mixture ask for there to be lust and desire in the relationship and that you have the power within to protect them and yourself if needed.
Step 12: Add the Catnip
Step 13: As you add the catnip ask the spirit for loyalty, friendship and love. Relationships need to have a strong base of friendship and love before romantic lust and desire can really be the focus
Step 14: With you hands mix the mixture longer focusing on blending the energetic forces of the plants. Repeat the need for protection,romance,strength,courage,power and lust over and over. Once you have felt the power build up and the chant is running rather fast force the energy raised through your hands into the mixture
Step 15: Hold the bowl to the heavens and thank the spirits of the plants. Place a small sprinkle of the mixture on the earth and thank the earth mother, and the green realms for helping you in the ritual.
Step 16: Place mixture in a storage container until ready to be used.
Uses
This is a powder. It can be used as a spell by itself, in spells, and as an incense. Let your magical imagination guide you on working with this powder.
Magical Powder Recipe: Protect My love
Protect My love
This powder recipe here is one of the two powders that we made at Pagan Unity day in myIntroduction to working with Incenses and Powders. All of the ingredients will have links to where you can buy them in the amounts given.
Materials
Materials:
1/2 ounce Rose Petals
1 ounce Dragons Blood
Half ounce cinnamon
1 oz Plantain
Mixing Bowl
Wand
How to
Step 1: Gather your materials in your work space
Step 2: Ask the herbs to bless your work and guide you in your work
Step 3: Take the Dragons blood and pour it into the mixing bowl
Step 4: Place your wand over the Dragons blood and ask them plant for its blessings of lust and desire as well as to protect your love and your passion that no harm may come to you and them in the relationship
Step 5: Add the Rose petals
Step 6: As before ask the Rose petals to grant you romantic love but also that the thorns harm any who would come between the two of you
Step 7: Take your wand and direct those emotions into the blend as you stir it with your wand.
Step 8: Add the Plantain to the blend.
Step 9: As you blend the Plantain into the mix as for courage to protect your loved ones and strength to do what must be done
Step 10: Finally add the Cinnamon
Step 11: As you mix the cinnamon into the mixture ask for there to be lust and desire in the relationship and that you have the power within to protect them and yourself if needed.
Step 12: With you hands mix the mixture longer focusing on blending the energetic forces of the plants. Repeat the need for protection,romance,strength,courage,power and lust over and over. Once you have felt the power build up and the chant is running rather fast force the energy raised through your hands into the mixture
Step 13: Hold the bowl to the heavens and thank the spirits of the plants. Place a small sprinkle of the mixture on the earth and thank the earth mother, and the green realms for helping you in the ritual.
Step 14: Place mixture in a storage container until ready to be used.
Uses
This mixture can be used in any form of love spell or protection spell. Its actually best in a spell where you are protecting a loved one a friend, a family member, romantic partner, etc. All of these are ways you can work with this blend.
Starting with Powdered Incense and Magical Powders
Starting to work with Magical Incense and Powders
An introduction to Powdered Incense and Magical Powders
Who I am and Why I do this
My name is Loona Wynds. I have been a practicing with for many years. I started as a teenager. At the time the only incense that was available to me for my spell work was the commercial large brands I could find at the local music store. Which for me at the time was great. Once and a while I was get a chance to go to a Hippy shop where I could buy Frankincense sticks, Myrrh, and my favorite Dragons Blood. These worked fine for a 13 year old who was just starting out on her journey in witchcraft but after working with them for 5 years things changed.
Most of the commercial incense (not Nag Champa) use synthetic scents. These are chemicals whose scents mimic natural scents from herbs and resins, and for some people these are fine. However my fiance can not breathe with those types of scents burning. Not wanting to stop my ritual work and my spell work I started to get supplies to craft and make my own powdered natural incense.
This was 10 years ago. I would only make some incense as I needed it now. I would store the rest for future use. This for me just meant more trips to the Leapin Lizards, the local metaphysical store for new herbs and resins for different blends. Making incense for me made me feel at my witchiest.
I was in control of all the energy in the blend. I was the one who was able to blend, mix, and shape the energetic forces of the incense to do as I willed. I got into a trance and I could really feel that the incense was in fact a spell in the making. The grinding of the resins and flowers or roots together put the physical energy of my desire into the work which lead to manifestation. This was how I started to understand the real essence of herbal magic.
I’m going to be honest right here and right now. I never once used a recipe for my incenses. I never once had a book top guide me in the steps. My only resources were the herbal packets themselves which had properties and uses on the back and Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Herbs. I was purely using my intuition, my inner knowing as the old conjureers call it. So all of my blends were unique. They were never the same twice, and at the time I didn’t bother to record what I was doing as they were all experiments of the spiritual science of magical herbalism and spiritual aromatherapy.
3 years ago My fiance noticed that though I was trying really hard I was simply not able to find a job. I applied everywhere and I even had a few interviews. Nothing was working. One of my dreams has always been to have my own Metaphysical shop where I could sell supplies to people on their spiritual journeys and help them grow as a witch or pagan or what ever they identified as.
We had been told that because of me history I may be able to get a grant through the Small Business Development center. I talked to my worker helping me find work and we decided to try to go this route. After doing a test market of my tinctures, incenses, and some basic herbs I was able to prove that this was a dream that would work. And now with their help I have come to be able to make and sell the incenses and powders that I do.
Why work with powdered incense?
The most original form of incense is pure herbal incense. The witches, priests, shamans, and magic workers would dry plants and herbs and throw them on the fire for an effect during ritual. Over time they created different herbal combinations for different rituals and workings. From there they developed working with small batches for an individual working rather than a full community ritual. These small batches are how witches continue to work.
By working with the loose herbal and resin form of incense you can control the power of the essence more effectively. You are also able to communicate with the spirits of the plants. While they have been dried and harvested the dried plants are like the bone of a person. They still contain aspects of the plants spirit and essence. When we make powdered incenses for spell and ritual work it is this essence that we are tapping into. It is this part of the plants spirit we are working with.
While most incense stick may have some traces of essential oils in the blends you are not dealing with a pure plant essence. You are simply dealing with the chemical concoctions. To get a connection with the natural essence of the plant you want to work with dried plants that you either gather yourself (the best option) or buy from a reputable supplier. Otherwise you may not even be talking to or working with the plant spirit.
In essence witches work with the spirits of the plants they work with. Using powdered incense that you make yourself is one of the best ways that you can start working with the plant spirits. You can feel them, speak to them, and get a sense for their energetic properties. Over time the more you work with the plants the more they will teach you about them and working with them. I worked with marigold for years in spell work and incense before it revealed its uses in money,finance, and succsess work. Prior to that most of my work had been with the healing attributes and the psychic development attributes and its still one of my main go to for those works.
What are Magical Powders?
Magical powders are not as common in witchcraft as they are in Hoodoo and other folklore and folk magic tradition. Powders are a very effective way to work magic without being seen or known. Powders are effective because they work in silence and in the shadows without much fuss or muss. You are simply sprinkling a mixture around an area or on an object and letting the powder do the work.
In magical powders it really is the spirit of the plants that are doing the work. While incense send the words and prayers up to Gods and spirits other than the plant spirits, powders are direct to the earth. Its just the plants, your intent, and mother earth that makes things work. In magical powders you are really relying on the inner conjure power of the plants and of their spirits. They will work for you if you are respectful to them.
Not all magical powders are plant matter though. Several powders like Red brick dust, and grave yard dirt are not based on plant matter but on the organic matter of them. They are still full of power because of the spirits in them. The spirit of the place is an important aspect of gathering these powders.
Grave yard dirt is gathered at the cemetery and used in rituals depending on the grave it came from. This dirt can contain plant matter but in essence instead of the plants you are working with the spirit from the grave where you took the dirt from while. This is why it s important to do research on the grave you take the dirt from and give them an offering. It is also for this reason that most people will gather graveyard dirt from the cemeteries of their ancestors or beloved dead.
Powders like Hotfoot and black salt are often made with herbs as well as other items. In these powders it is still the plant spirits that are working for you, but it is also your intention in the work. Your desire and knowing that the work will be done that makes it work. The herbs are what boost the intent for the powder and it is sprinkling them onto the earth or object that makes it work.
Why you should make your own
Making your own incense and powders is one of the best things you can do in magic and witchcraft. I say this because it allows you to really control the power and the intent in the product. No one else but you really knows what type of healing you need done or what your money issues are. By making your own you can really be the magic and be the power behind the working.
It is important to remember that intent is everything in magic and witchcraft. When you start to make your own blends you get to put your emotional state and your intent into the product from the very beginning. You are asking the spirits of the plants to aid you in this work and lend their power to your working. By stating this while you blend and grind the power gets transferred and the energy mixes very well.
While you can use products that have been pre-charged and made by others you will not have as much control over the energy in the product. They will not have your emotional connection to the spell or working you are trying to do. The creator of the incense or powder can ask the spirits of the plants to charge the creation for a specific purpose and it will work, just not as effective. They will put their own emotional charge into the work as their blessing but without your own inner emotional force it is missing and aspect to be as effective as it can be.
You are the magic. It is your will that directs magic. This is why even when buying stuff from a store you will need to spend your own emotional energy as you do the work. You will have to make sure that all of your energy gets into the working so that the spirits know your desire and can work for your intent. This is why in the end I prefer to make all my own products. It has my partnership with the plant spirits starting from the moment I choose the herbs.
Tools of the Trade
There are several different tools involved in making incense and powders. You have the Mortar and Pestle, the scale, a mixing bowl, wand, yourself, bags and or containers, and of course the herbs,resins, and essential oils that you wish to work with. Each of these tools plays a central part in creating your own unique blends of incenses and powders.
The most important tool is the Mortar and Pestal. Right now I do not have any in stock but my friend does at his shop: Mortar and Pestle. The mortar and Pestle is how you actually grind and blend the herbs in the incense and powder making. You choose the herbs, weigh the amounts out and grind them. Some people grind them one at a time and then place everything in a mixing bowl for a final blending with hands or a wand. Other people will blend and grind them all within the Mortar and Pestle. My advice is to start with one herb at a time. Once you get a feel for the power it takes to grind the herbs in this fashion you can add more herbs to the blend at a time.
Mortar and Pestal Via Phoenix Rising Apothecary
The next tool you need are baggies or some sort of storage container. Once you have made your incense any that you do not burn in a spell or ritual (and a little of homemade magic goes along ways) you will want to be able to store it. This is the reason I keep most pickle, salsa, and jelly jars. I can us it for storage of incense, powders, and other blends. You never know when you will want to do a particular ritual again so it is important to know you can use the same blend again.
You also want to have some sort of paper to record what you did. This way you will know what you made and be able to make it again if it work perfectly. If something did not work well (and not every blend works out perfectly the first time) you want to look at what you did so you can try and tweak the recipe and make changes. This is also a good way to track any manifestations from the work.
A mixing bowl is great if you only have a small mortar and pestle and need more space to blend your herbal mixture. In this you can fold and mix and blend the herbs ground or not to your hearts content. I typically do a mixture of using a wand or using my hands. The wands are great at blasting a direct force of energy into the mixture while my hands do a subtle constant exchange through my personal touch.
One of the reasons I like to use my hands is that I get a direct personal connection with the herbs that I am working with. As I dig into the herbs I can feel them mix and I can feel the energy as they blend. I can feel the plants talking together about the purpose and mingling to the best of their abilities. It also lets me connect with the first witch, the earth mother as all plants are small representatives of the Earth mother.
Unless you are following a specific recipe you really dont need a scale or measuring devices. If you are following your intuition you can just work with what feels right. In Mystic Echoes because of the large amount of product I create in a single sitting I weigh the ingredients out by the ounce. For your own personal use if you want to keep accurate records tablespoons or teaspoons are all you are going to need.
Finally you need to have the herbs. Your herbs, resins, and essential oils are the most important part of the process. With out the herbs, essential oils, and resins you will not have any sort of incense and powder. These are what make your blend your own. There are hundreds of herbs out there many with similar properties. It is your personal choice of the herbs you work with and in what amounts that will make your incense blends really your own.
Choosing the Herbs and essences
The herbs are what make up your powder and your incense.So it is important to choose the right herbs for the right blend. In two follow up posts I am going to give recipes for a protect your love powder and a love incense. For now we will cover resources and how to choose the herb to work with for your unique products.
There are many uses for many different herbs on the market. One of my favorites Dragonsblood (which is a resin) can be used for protection, but also love, lust, money, exorcism, and power. Its also an offering specific to Dragon spirits. Another herb Angelica root has Angelic Work, Protection, Hex Removal,Exorcisms, Health, Meditation, and Divination as associations. Every herb on the market has properties that make them versatile in spell work and in ritual work.
So how do you choose? One of the things I do is I look up a few recipes in the various book resources I have. I then write down the recipies that appeal to me. After having 3 or 4 different recipes I see what is common in them and what is different. I write down all the herbs that are mentioned and go from there. This is where my intuition and working with the spirit comes into play. This is where I let the spirit of the plants guide me.
Once I have a few guides to look at I see what the herbs themselves have to tell me. More often than not the blend I end up with is different than the one that I had intended to use. I can see a lust recipe and start working with the herbs I thought might be good and half way through the creation I get a message from an herb “hey your supposed to use me” or a sensation that another plant would work better in the blend. So I put aside the herb I was going to use and grab the one that told me to work with it.
For those who are new to working with incenses and powders my advice is to actually follow a recipe unless something tells you very strongly to use something else. In this case many of the books that have recipes and associations with herbs and oils will have replacements or herbs that can be used interchangeably.
This is where many people can start to panic. They might not have the exotic herbs like Dragons Blood or Angelica root. But they have something like Basil and black pepper in their kitchen cabinet. Often times I get asked can I use the same herbs I use in cooking for magic? And my response is very much yes! Cinnamon is a good example here. Cinnamon has properties of money, luck, love, lust, protection, and prosperity. Black pepper has protection, removal, and magical offense properties. Your kitchen cabinet has many magical options for you.
This is my point here. Use what you have on hand. In the ancient times the witches and priests only had what they could gather locally in the woods or that they could grow in their gardens. If its something you have in your home I guarantee you can use it in incense or powders. By doing this you are also well on your way to learning about kitchen witchcraft as well. I will cover kitchen witchcraft herbs and kitchen witchcraft spells in another post but for now I’ll make the point clear again. Use what you have on hand.
Working with powders and Loose Herbal Incense
Working with loose herbal incense does require a few additional tools. You need to have charcoal discs and a censor to burn the charcoal disc in.
Censors and charcoal can be bought from me here:
Medium censors via Mystic Echoes & Charcoal discs via Mystic Echoes
Lighting the charcoal can be done with any lighter but I personally recommend these aim & flames: 
The reason I suggest you use those longer lighters is that the charcoal discs spark when they are being lit. It is these sparks across the disc that actually start it burning. Once it has been sparking you will see a red ring around the charcoal. Using tongs place it in the censor and sprinkle the incense on the disc as needed for the spell or ritual. Now your incense is being used in a spell or formal ritual work.
Powdered incense or loose herbal incense can be used in more than just formal rituals. You can use them as powders sprinkling them in packets, satchets, or around properties. They can also be used as incense by being burned for offerings to spirits and the Gods. In rituals they provide atmosphere and make the place feel and seem sacred.
The best way I have found to work with powdered and loose herbal incsnes is both as a powder and as an incense. When yuo burn the incense your intent is carried by the smoke to the spirits of the air and to the universe via your prayer and charge into the incense when you light it. Adding it to packets or rubbing the powder on candles will continue the effect and allow another way for the energy of the incense to work.
All of the powdered incenses found at Mystic Echoes:Loose herbal incense & magical Powders by Mystic Echoes can be used as a powder or as an incense. They are very versatile.
Powdered incense has one final beneficial use. There are some incense blends like the Happiness Blend and the Stress Relief blends which can be used as aromatherapy. By buring certain scents a person can heal and change their emotional state. This is one of the benefits of powdered and herbal incense. Variations of the Healing Incense would be burned during many healing ritual baths and they would be one of the best aspects of the bath-the soothing scent and caress of the spirits of the plants aiding me in my healing work.
Powders are best used in spells. You can use them to bless a work place by making a blessing powder. The only way they can really effectivly be used in rituals is when they are made in the rituals. For example at Maine Pagan Unity Day after making a love and protect my love incense and powder in my workshop I had some left that I went outside and sprinkled on the ground as a thank you. It was part of the ritual of friendship in the making of the blends and sprinkling it was a thank you and a spreading of the blessings.
You can use them in many different types of spells. In candle magic you roll a candle in the powder as part of dressing the candles. In packets you feed the packets with the powder to keep them going and you can also add them to the packets in the process of making the packet. You can sprinkle them around the house for protection or removal depending on the powder. There are some who even use them in freezing spells and jar spells. In essence you could use them in any spell work you can imagine. With all magic the only limit to their use is your imagination.
Resources
Today I am going to end this blog post with a few books and resources on herbal magic and associations. These are books that I go to every time for my workings.
Papa Jim’s Herbal Magic workbook by Papa Jim
Herb Magic for Beginners By Ellen Dugan
Mama D’s Herbal by Dru Ann Welch
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Backwoods Shamanism by Ray Hess (small but valuable correspondences section)
Magical Herbalism by Scott Cuningham
Kitchen Witchery by Marilyn F. Daniel
Magical Aromatherapy By Scott Cunningham
The complete book of Incense Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham
Hoodoo Herb & Root Magic by Catherine Yronwode
Review: The complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews
The complete book of Incense, Oils, & Brews is a wonderful guide to working with these practices. Like many of his other texts the author Scott Cunningham created a very useful and effective resource for working many different types of magical spells and rituals. This text works great in companion with his Aromatherapy book and his two Herbal Magic books-Herbal Magic and his Magical Herbal encyclopedia or it can be used effectively on its own as its own resource. The text provides a comprehensive list of tools you will need as well as instructions on how to make the different items found within the book.
This book is broken up into three different sections. Each section addresses a specific aspect of working with and creating incenses, oils, soaps and more. This organization makes the book ideal as a reference guide for making these powerful spiritual and magical aids. By having the three sections a beginner to incense and oil work will be able to get the most out of it while an experienced crafter will also be able to find just what they are looking for and nothing else.
The first section deals with magic basics, proportions, empowering the creations, ingredients and creating your own recipes. This is the foundational portion of the book. Here the author goes into the very basics of what you need to know in order to make the most out of thi reference guide.
The first chapter here is on magic basics. While many people interested in this text probably have a basic understanding of the practices and concepts associated with magical practice this chapter is a nice refresher. For those new to magic the information here is very basic and a great introduction for some one who wants to have practical applications right away. The chapter covers ethics, power, working for yourself and working for others. It also covers the basic magical tools that you may need in your journey within this text.
The second chapter is very brief. This chapter was included because people asked for specific proportions to the ingredients in individual recipes from an earlier edition of this book. This chapter says to use them as guidelines but also to trust your intuition and personal judgement. The importance of keeping a record of your work is stressed here as well.
The third chapter focuses on empowering your creation. After you make an incense or an oil they need to be charged for use. This chapter gives you a small ritual way to empower these new objects as well as explains why additional power is needed for the incenses, oils, and brews to be effective.
The fourth chapter is a chapter on the ingredients that you will find in some of the recipes. Here the author mentions how we can obtain the items for various recipes. The chapter also gives information about uncommon terms and ingredients that might be found within magical oils and incenses. The explanation here provides an easy guide to the ingredients listed later on in the book.
The last chapter in the first section is all about creating your own recipes. As some one who makes their own incense blends this is a chapter I refer to often to check my process. Here the author explains that you can use what you have to make things work. The guide includes thinking about the form of what you are going to make and then herbs and other associations. There is even a sample incense process given to illustrate the process involved.
The second section makes up the bulk of the book. This is where you have the recipes for the incenses, oils, brews, and other items contained in this book. This is the real reference section here. This section provides beginners with step by step recipes to work with from the beginning and allows experiences crafters and practitioners to find inspiration for their own work. The types of items covered allows every one to find something they can work with.
The section starts off with incenses. Working with incenses is one of the most common herbal and magical or spiritual practices and it covers many cultures so it makes a great starting base. In the first section of this chapter the author talks about the two different types of incenses and the benefits and issues of working with either one. He gives a step by step guide on how to make the different types of incenses. Then he starts the recipe selection. One of the key parts of this section is how the book notes which incenses shouldn’t be inhaled and or that contain dangerous ingredient so you may want to look up a substitute.
After the incenses Cunningham discusses making oils. In this section the author talks about how you can make oils and also which oils work well on their own for different purposes. The first part of this chapter is the how to and the second section covers the recipes and guides on making the oils.
After oils the author covers in this order Ointments, Inks, Tinctures, Herb Baths, Bath salts, Brews and potions, Soaps, Herbal satchels, Powders, and miscellaneous. Each section contains as the previous sections did how to make the items and why they are being used. The recipes cover many different needs allowing for a wide variety of practices and magical tools.
The last section deals with different ways you can make substitutions in your work allowing for a person to work with what is available rather than needing to get a lot of expensive new herbs and items. The author includes planetary substitutes, herbs & basic ingredients,elemental, and need based. This section allows a person to be able to make anything they want and need based on what they have in their home and maximize them to the fullest extent.
Review: A Witches World of Magick
The book A witches World of Magick is full of magical practices and concepts from around the world. For this reason the book is aptly titled. Through out the book the reader is exposed to magical cultures from the Meso-American cultures (like the Incas and the Aztecs) to Jewish Folklore, to Hindu Vedas. This book covers global magical practices.
The author of this book did a lot of research into the different folk magic practices and traditions around the world in the creation of this book. The authors dedication to providing a diverse selection of folk magic and folk lore on each topic covered is clear by the wonderful footnotes and credits given throughout the book.
This book is not your basic how to book on witchcraft or magic. If you are looking for a how to write a spell or how magic works book than this book is not for you. This book is focused on and for those in the intermediate area of study. This book is designed to provide experienced practitioners new ways of practicing magic and looking at magical concepts from folk magic practices around the world.
A witches world of Magick is an informative guide to folk magic around the world. By the end of each chapter the reader has covered several different approaches to magical techniques in folk magic traditions that they may have never heard of or explored otherwise. Each chapter while they cover specific magical concepts and techniques covers the magical concepts and techniques from different perspectives in different cultures. In doing this the author provides many different views of magic and different ways to look at magic.
There are ten chapters in this book. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of magical concept or practice. With the common thread or practice for the chapter defined, the author in each chapter provides the reader with a ton of different sets of folklore and folk magic.
The book opens by mentioning how universal the concept of magic is and how wide the varieties of magical practices there are. With in the first chapter it is clear that the book does take a global approach to the practices and magical workings. While the title of the book is “A witches world of magic” not all of the traditions and practices that are discussed are considered witchcraft. The book really only touches on witchcraft at the end of each chapter, providing witches with questions to think about for their magical practices as well as concepts for how the folk magic discussions can be applied into an individuals witchcraft today.
To further illustrate that the book is not a book for beginners the first chapter in the book covers working magic with out the use of tools. The chapter is titled No-Tools Body magic. Its clear right away that the author is showing advanced magical techniques covering the practices of the evil eye, through speech and voice alone, to gestures and movement of the body to make magic effective.
The second chapter covers potion or mixing magic. Once again the author provides a few unusual ways of thinking about potion making and mixing ingredients to make a spell work. From gypsy love potions to a tale about two Polynesian wizards the author covers both conventional and unconventional forms of mixing magic and potions. Again the author ends the chapter with concepts for the practicing witch to ask themselves to further their new magical practices and concepts.
The third chapter discusses container magic. The chapter does not mention Jar spells as found in Hoodoo and other forms of magic but rather other types of containment spells. The concept of talismans and amulets as a container for magical energy is addressed her, but is addressed in a manner related to folk magic concepts. Once again various cultures from Egypt to Nigeria and even the PowWow tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch magical practices related to containing forces and power are discussed in that chapter.
The fourth chapter is all about knot magic and binding magic. The spells covered here include a well known folk charm by sailors to create wind while at seas. Other knot magic and binding spells cover love and protection. From Gypsy magic to the sacred knots of the girdle worn by Zoroastrrians binding and knot based folk magic can be found in that chapter.
The fifth chapter is all about puncture magic. Yes the concept of voodoo dolls or dolls punctured to create a magical effect is covered here. However the dolls are only one of many different magical practices discussed here in this chapter. Not all piercing magic is baneful or curse like. The chapter covers a few examples of healing magic through punctures.
The sixth chapter is all about identification. In magic it is important to have a clear target or concept in mind when working a spell. If you are doing a distance healing for someone its important to know their name or have some way to connect the energetic forces to them. This chapter covers many different ways that a person can identify the target of their spell. From actual names to using body parts the folk magic in this chapter shows how identification of the target is essential.
The seventh chapter is actually related to the previous chapter. This chapter covers decoy magic. Here the magical practices include the well known witches jar, as well as using rocks or stones to distract a spirit. From using masks and loud noises to making an actual representation of the original target as a decoy, decoy and distraction magic is covered here.
The eighth chapter is about curse breaking. The author is clear in the beginning of the chapter that the two most common forms of magic practiced are those of healing magic and those of protection and curse breaking. The various mentioned include using parts of the body (hair, spit, etc) of the curser to remove the curse, destroying the artifacts, and sending back curses. From a modern American curse (the curse of the Bambino) to the Evil eye methods of curse breaking come in as many different forms as there are cultures in the world.
The ninth chapter is about masks and mimic magic. In shamanic cultures shape shifting is often involved in getting to know an animal spirit and to work with the animal spirit. This is just one form of mimic and mask magic involved. Other techniques include jumping high in the fields to show how the crops should grow. The idea is that by showing the fields how to grow they will and that by becoming the animal or spirit, that animal or spirit will manifest there and lend its power to the working at hand.
The final chapter discusses and mentions group magic and ritual. Group magic and ritual was common once but not so any more. From the ancient rituals of those who follow Dionysus to mentions of our modern day Pagan Pride day celebrations, the author covers why group magic is essential and why it should be considered a practice.
By the end of the book the author has given multiple cultural practices that a witch can integrate into their own practices and take inspiration from. The goal of this book is to inspire the witch to look at folklore and folk magic and find new ways of adding to their magical practices. This book is just what the intermediate witch needs to take their magic to the next level using only folklore and traditional practices.
Review: The Conjure workbook by Mama Starr
The Conjure Workbook Volume 1: Working the Root is an excellent tome on Southern Conjure work. When I picked up this tome I knew that it was going to be full of Christian mysticism and biblical references. That is what Hoodoo and conjure is. The Southern Hoodoo and conjure traditions are a mixture of folk beliefs from pre-slave days in Africa and the various Christian faiths in the south. This was how the slaves were able to hold on to a bit of their previous culture and identity.
If those who are looking to learn about Hoodoo and conjure work are expecting information to come from a pagan perspective and are looking at this work they will be disappointed. Mama Starr is very clear about her roots and the roots of Southern Conjure which are in Christian belief systems of the south. While she does say that you can be of any belief system and still work the spells and rituals she provides, unless you respect the Bible and understand that it is filled with lore, spells, and practices you will not get anything out of this book.
The author begins the book by discussing the work of ancestors. Here the author begins explaining one of the core concepts and beliefs across Conjure/Hoodoo/Rootwork traditions. There is an overall belief in an existence of an afterlife and that our ancestors will be there to answer us. The author starts by describing how they help us and work with us and finally ends with setting up an altar to venerate and pray to your ancestors.
I mentioned the importance of respect for the Bible as a sacred text and as a book of power as that is the second topic discussed in the book. As I said early on the author is clear in that this book is a southern conjure book which is going to have referenced to the Bible in there. Most of the references are in the Old Testament but they are still Bible references.
After working with the ancestors is covered, crafting altars and work spaces is discussed, and the Bible is mentioned as an important source the Author gets into the spirits and beings that are often worked with in her practice of Hoodoo. Prior to reading this book I was aware of the work with the archangels and the saints. Here I learned of new spirits and beings also associated with Conjure as well as how we can even work with the prophets in the bible.
Each being mentioned came with several different prayers and ways that you can work with them. These early workings are here to give you an idea about the powers each spirit has. These workings also introduce you to the concepts of repeating works, and how actual effort is put into the work. The author makes it clear that these things are repeated several times for effectiveness.
As the book continues the author mentions and focuses on another core belief in rootworking traditions. That belief and practice is one of divination. Starr provides many different ways of working divination including a very traditional practice of reading the bones. While the actual practice of bone reading is not discussed, the author does include its history of use. The author included a photo of her own bone set.
As the book continues the author continues an easy to follow step by step instruction on workings. The author also continues her straight talk. The author is very serious about their work and their tradition. Throughout the book the author mentions how some of these works are dangerous and are not to be simply played with. She does this not to discourage people from doing these works, but to encourage people to take the work seriously.
The author does speak only of their own tradition and practices. While the author does give you all the information you need to create your own Hoodoo/Conjure practice she does encourage you to find an actual teacher to learn more complex works. As an example the author explains why some packet spells written by other authors aren’t as effective as they could be because of folding the paper of the packet in a different manner than she was taught with an explanation of why the other method may actually backfire.
This book is filled with practical information. With the authors attitude, explanations, and the step by step processes in the book the tome The Conjure Workbook volume 1: Working the Root provides everything you need to know in order to effective start working your own spells and rituals. By working the spells in the book you develop understanding of associations and correspondences which can be useful in creating your own effective spells.
Pagan Blog Project: C is for Crafting Protection Salt
Witchcraft is a craft and a practice. As a witch I spend a lot of time crafting different incenses for rituals and for spells. I also spend time crafting spells and rituals. There are many different types of items that can be crafted and built. Today we are going to talk about an item I call protection salt.
Protection salt is in some ways related to Black Salt. The idea behind protection salt is that it will protect your house and home as well as defend your home. Protection salt works both to keep spirits and negative forces away but it also works to cause harm to those spirits and forces that would wish you harm.
Protection salt is really easy to craft and it is very effective. There are very few items used in the recipe and it takes little to no time to craft the items yourself. It takes little to no time and is one of the most effective items I have crafted in recent history.
Materials:
Blender/grinder
Bottle or container
Sea salt 9 table spoons
Dragons blood 3 table spoons
Nettle leaf 3 table spoons
White sage 3 table spoons
Dragon Fire protection tincture 1 1/2 table spoons
Wand or athame to stir
Process:
Measure out the sea salt. Put the sea salt in the grinder
Measure out the Nettle leaf. Add it to the grinder. Mix with your wand or athame
Add the white sage and mix with your wand or athame.
Add the last dry herb (the dragons blood) and mix with the wand or the athame.
Cover the grinder/blender and mix them into a fine powder.
Stir the mixture with your wand or athame.
Call upon the arch angel Michel and the dragons of protection to fill the salt with their power.
Direct Michel power and the dragons power into the salt mixture. Blend with your athame or wand.
Finally add in the Dragons Fire tincture. Feel even more Dragon energy and sacred protection energy filling the blender.
Once more blend the mixture.
As it blends focus on protection and defense of your home, office, or even car. See the mixture radiating both protective and defensive energy.
Bottle the mixture in a bottle or container and label it.
Use:
Sprinkle the mixture on all the windowsills and under all the doors in your home. Sprinkle the mixture on the floors in every room, on your porch, on your steps, and in your drive way. This seals the protection around the building and within the building.
The tinctures addition to the mixture allows the salt to stick better to the windowsills, doors and steps.
Items mentioned:
Available: https://www.etsy.com/listing/161383786/dragon-fire-protection-tincture?ref=shop_home_feat_2
Available: https://www.etsy.com/listing/163604756/powdered-dragons-blood-resin?ref=shop_home_active_11
Available: https://www.etsy.com/listing/161392601/white-sage?
Good luck on crafting your own Protection Salt. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I will more than gladly help you understand why I used the items I used and how they work as a combination,
RootWork:Using the Folk Magick of the Black America for Love, Money, and Success
Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money, and Success is a very short and concise book. The author clearly wanted to provide a short and easy to read introduction to the practice of Hoodoo. The author wanted to provide a book where the individuals reading could come away feeling at least on a surface level familiar with the topic of Hoodoo and what Hoodoo was.
The short book covers history, the practice, and provides some simple spells and recipes that a novice could use to start their practice. The book is divided up into three parts. Each of the sections of the book provided insightful information but could have been more in depth.
The first part of the book covers the basics which includes the history and some of the basic cultural influences that have made Hoodoo what it is today. This section also defines what Hoodoo is and how it is different from the religion and spirituality of Voodoo. The section also does a basic introduction into the beliefs behind Hoodoo or Rootwork into why this system works. With any folk magic tradition it is essential to understand the culture and the history of the culture the magic system comes from. Without these understandings the practical aspects of the system become useless and one will never really understand what the system has to provide.
The first chapter in the book covers what Hoodoo is as a practice. This is probably one of the most essential chapters in this book. Here the author illustrates why Hoodoo is actually a different system than voodoo. It is also here that we begin to understand the role that Hoodoo played within the slave communities during the years that the slave trade existed. The author also barely covers how the practice managed to survive and adapt. This is also where we see how important herbs played in the roles of the lives of the African Americans historically.
The second chapter covers the history of Hoodoo. Here we see why the practice basically disappeared thanks to regulations in the US regarding slaves and congregations. This chapter also explains why there are various regional differences in southern and central America as well as within the Caribbean Islands that you will not find in the United States tradition of Hoodoo. This is due to the culture of those regions and how easily the slaves were able to adapt their native practices to that of the practices of the slave owners. The author’s main point in these illustrations is that Hoodoo arose out of the slave trade and it is important that we never forget that Hoodoo was and is the connection African Americans have to their native ancestral tribal practices.
Here the author explains that Hollywood has bee one of the biggest contributors to the misunderstanding of hoodoo as a magical practice rather than a religious practice. It is thanks to Hollywood that Hoodoo is seen as an evil practice rather than a rich system of healing spells and life work. While it is true they had spells and practices to harm others and defend the family, Hoodoo originated as a healing system as the slaves could not afford traditional medical care.
The author also illustrates within the chapter the reasons that a person may practice Hoodoo. Given the origins of the tradition and the terrible history of slavery it is a solid question. The authors answers are simple. The author provides 5 simple reasons that any one of African descent may want to practice or learn Hoodoo. The two reasons I found most inspiring are to connect to your ancestors log dead and for spiritual and personal growth and empowerment.
The third chapter and final portion of part one is about how Hoodoo works. Before going into the basic techniques and practices of Hoodoo one should have a basic understanding of the beliefs associated with this tradition. The six commonly held beliefs of Hoodoo Rootworkers forms the basis of how the tradition works. A perfect way to end the first part of the book.
The second part of the book provides some insight as to what the practice of Hoodoo may entail. This section of the book is aptly titled “Elements of Rootwork”. This section of the book is not meant to be a practicum or how to. This is a section that talks about the practices you will find in the how to section. A few of the techniques and practices have some exercises on how to perform that particular practice or use that skill. Overall the segment of the book was designed to introduce you to the basic skills and practices you may find a Hoodoo or a Rootworker engaging in.
The fourth chapter in this book starts off the elements section. For those who are familiar with European systems of magic you may be surprised to find a chapter on the elements and how the elemental forces of earth, air, fire, and water, are used in Hoodoo. This chapter covers how each element has a specific type of magical act that may be used as well as the properties of that element. The concepts here are new and useful to those coming from a European background looking for other ways they can work with the elemental forces of magic.
The fifth chapter in the book covers talismans and charms. Out of all the practices associated with Hoodoo the practices of talismans and charms is probably the most thought of and common one. Here the author goes into some of the traditional Hoodoo charms and talismans that many people are not familiar with covering the use of herbs as talismans by themselves as well as covering the use of human and animal parts. There is also a section on how to most effectively place the talisman or charm for its effect called “laying a trick”.
The sixth chapter in this book covers spirits of the dead. The chapter begins by discussing the types of spirits of the dead that one can experience and meet. The book then goes on to how to honor them and provides a few different examples on how one can communicate with them.
The last chapter in this section covers the various forms of divination that a Hoodoo practitioner may engage in. There are many different methods of divination. The author here explains why divination is engaged in prior to spell and ritual work. The majority of this chapter covers how to perform divination using simple day to day playing cards.
The final section of the book is the one that I was most eagerly interested as a reader which was the selection of spells and recipes to try. The final section of this book is what brings the book from an informative book about the history, practices, and tradition into a practical handbook.
The eighth chapter of this book focuses on what one needs to know before one can actually practice or use the spells and rituals outlined in the following chapters. This very short chapter is essential as it provides a few guidelines to using the spells effectively.
The remaining three chapters are made up of spells and rituals that are written in a step by step manner making them easy to use. Each of the spells contains a list of materials that are required followed by a list of actions and steps to take. Some of the spells have ingredients or actions mentioned earlier in the elemental magic section, but when combined the spells provide useful tools for creating a basic practice.
To end the author provides a selection of providers for spell and ritual supplies. Combined with the spells earlier and the techniques outlined throughout the book this final touch creates a useful handbook for any one to use. Together with the spells the providers and the authors make Hoodoo accessible in the 21st century to a wider selection of people than ever before.
Witchcraft-A craft and a Practice
Today there is more of a trend in witchcraft towards making all of witchcraft religious. This is simply not the case. Witchcraft is a practice and a craft. The world craft is in the word witchcraft which implies that there is a skill and a practice to witchcraft.
While there are many ways that witchcraft can be a part of a religion like Wicca, Witchcraft is not a religion. It is a craft and a practice. It has a philosophy and a spiritual background but in the end witchcraft is a practice and a craft.
There are no actual specific rites or beliefs held and practiced by all witches. Which is why witchcraft is not a religion. There are no united beliefs and practices among witches aside from the belief in magic and the practice of magical arts and even that can be debated as a non issue as many witches don’t believe in magic-they know it exists and work with it.
Every witch is different and has their own practice. Some witches will practice more intense ceremonial magic with elaborate altars and spirit invocations while another will practice more simple folk magic and remedies. Some witches will work shamanic rites while any other witch may practice meditative rites and do everything in their mind.
While the belief in spiritual powers is common not all witches will work with all of them. Witches have the power to contact and summon spirits who work with them as their aid and partners.
There are religious practices of witchcraft but that does not make witchcraft a religion. For myself nature worship or a nature based spirituality would be my religion while witchcraft is my practice. The Gods and spirits I worship are deities and spirits associated with witchcraft so I consider my religion a witchcraft religion.
Being a witch does not mean you practice a religion like Wicca. Being a witch merely means you practice some form of witchcraft. Invocations to Gods and spirits are not required in spells nor rituals. Being a witch is simply working with the forces of nature and the universe to create changes in this world.
~Loona Wynd~ )0(
Pagan Buisness Network
Mystic Echoes 