Magickandcoffee - ℳ𝒶𝓎♡︎

May 2024 witch guide

Full moon: May 23rd

New moon: May 7th

Sabbats: Beltane-May1st

May Flower Moon

Known as: Bright Moon, Budding Moon, Dyad Moon, Egg Laying Moon, Frog Moon, Hare Moon, Leaf Budding Moon, Merry Moon, Moon of the Shedding Ponies, Planting Moon, Sproutkale, Thrimilcmonath & Winnemanoth

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Taurus & Gemini

Nature spirits: Elves & Faeries

Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Bast, Cernunnos, Diana, Frigga, Flora, Horned God, Kali, Maia, Pan, Priapus & Venus

Animals: Cat, leopard & lynx

Birds: Dove, Swallow & Swan

Trees: Hawthorne & rowan

Herbs: Cinnamon, dittany of Crete, Elder, mint, mugwort & thyme

Flowers: Foxglove, lily of the valley & rose

Scents: Rose & sandalwood

Stones: Amber, Apache tear, carnelian, emerald, garnet, malachite, rose quartz, ruby, tourmaline & tsavorite

Colors: Brown, green, orange, pink & yellow

Energy:  Abundance, creative energy, faerie & spirit contact, fertility, intuition, love, marriage, material gains, money, propagation, prosperity, real-estate dealings, relationships & tenacity

May’s Flower Moon name should be no surprise; flowers spring forth across North America in abundance this month!

• “Flower Moon” has been attributed to Algonquin peoples, as confirmed by Christina Ruddy of The Algonquin Way Cultural Centre in Pikwakanagan, Ontario.

May’s Moon was also referred to as the “Month of Flowers” by Jonathan Carver in his 1798 publication, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America: 1766, 1767, 1768 (pp. 250-252), as a likely Dakota name. Carver stayed with the Naudowessie (Dakota) over a period of time; his expedition covered the Great Lakes region, including the Wisconsin and Minnesota areas.

Beltane

Known as: Beltaine, May day, Roodmas & Cethsamhain

Season: Spring

Symbols: Eggs, faeries, fire, flowers & maypoles

Colors: Blue, dark yellow, green, light pink, orange, red, white yellow & rainbow spectrum

Oils/Incense: Frankincense, lilac, passion flower, rose, tuberose & vanilla

Animals: Bee, cattle, goat & rabbit

Mythical: Faeries

Stones: Bloodstone, emerald, lapis lazuli, orange carnelian, rose quartz & sapphire

Food: Beltane cakes, cherries, dairy foods, farls, green herbal salads, honey, meade, nuts, oat cakes, oats, strawberries & sweets

Herbs/Plants: Almond, ash tree, birch, bramble, cinquefoil, damiana, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, meadowsweet, mushroom, rosemary, saffron, satyrion root, St.John's wort & woodruff

Flowers: Angelica, bluebell, daisy, hibiscus, honeysuckle, lilac, marigold, primrose, rose, rose hips & yellow cowslips

Trees: Ash, cedar, elder, fir, hawthorn, juniper, linden, mesquite, oak, pine, poplar, rowan & willow

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Areil, Artemis, Cybele, Danu, Diana, Dôn, Eiru, Elen, Eostre, Fand, Flidais, Flora, Freya, Frigga, Maia, Niwalen, Rhea, Rhiannon, Var, Venus & Xochiquetzal

Gods: Baal, Bacchnalia, Balder, Belanos, Belenus, Beli, Beltene, Cernunnos, Cupid, Faunus, Freyr, Grannus, The Green Man, Lares, Lugh, Manawyddan, Odin, Pan, Puck & Taranis

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Agriculture, creativity, fertility, lust, marriage, the otherworld/Underworld, pleasure, psychic ability, purification, sensuality, sex/uality, visions, warmth & youth

Spellwork: Birth, Earth magick, healing, health & pregnancy

Activities:

• Create a daisy chain or floral decorations

• Decorate & dance around a Maypole

• Set up an outdoor altar & leave offerings to faeries

• Prepare a ritual bath with fresh flowers

• Light a bonfire or candles & dance around them

• Set aside time for self care

• Gather flowers & use them to decorate your home or altar

• Prepare a feast to celebrate with friends/family

• Make flower crowns

• Bake bannocks, oat cakes or cookies

• Hang wreaths decorated with ribbons & flowers

• Plant flowers in your garden

• Start a wish book/box/journal

• Go on a walk & gice thanks to nature⁸

• Cast fertility or a bunch spells

• Fill small baskets of flowers & small goodies, then leave them on your friends/neighbors doorstep as a gesture of goodwill & friendship

Beltane is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology. Also known as Cétshamhain ('first of summer'), it marked the beginning of summer & was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect cattle, people & crops, and to encourage growth. (Today, Witches who observe the Wheel of the Year celebrate Beltane as the height of Spring.)

Special bonfires were kindled, whose flames, smoke & ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around or between bonfires & sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires would be doused & then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire.

These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of the food and drink would be offered to the aos sí. Doors, windows, byres and livestock would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire.

In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush: typically a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers, ribbons, bright shells & rushlights. Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty & maintain youthfulness.

• The aos sí (often referred to as spirits or fairies) were thought to be especially active at Beltane. Like Samhain, which lies directly opposite from Beltane on the Wheel of the Year, this was seen as a time when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest. At Samhain the veil between the worlds of the living & the dead is thin enough that we can connect & convene with our beloved dead, here at Beltane it’s the veil between the human world, and the world of faeries & nature spirits that has grown thin. Offerings would be left at the ancient faerie forts, the wells and in other sacred places in an effort to appease these nature spirits to ensure a successful growing season.

Some believe this is when The Goddess is now the Mother & the God is seen as the Green Man or the wild stag. It celebrates the symbolic union, mating or marriage of the Goddess & God & heralds in the coming summer months. It represents life rather than Samhain on the opposite side of the Wheel of the Year.

Other Celebrations:

• Rosealia- May 23rd

Rosalia or Rosaria was a festival of roses celebrated on various dates, primarily in May, but scattered through mid-July. The observance is sometimes called a rosatio ("rose-adornment") or the dies rosationis, "day of rose-adornment," & could be celebrated also with violets. As a commemoration of the dead, the rosatio developed from the custom of placing flowers at burial sites. It was among the extensive private religious practices by means of which the Romans cared for their dead, reflecting the value placed on tradition (mos maiorum, "the way of the ancestors"), family lineage & memorials ranging from simple inscriptions to grand public works. Several dates on the Roman calendar were set aside as public holidays or memorial days devoted to the dead.

Roses had funerary significance in Greece, but were particularly associated with death & entombment among the Romans. In Greece, roses appear on funerary steles  & in epitaphs most often of girls. Flowers were traditional symbols of rejuvenation, rebirth &memory, with the red & purple of roses & violets felt to evoke the color of blood as a form of propitiation

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

🛡 Warding 🛡

Disclaimer: This is all based on my research, path, opinion & experiences! Intro: I really was holding out on doing this post because it’s such a big, important topic to cover and I really don’t want to mess it up or get anything wrong. This post needs to be done though, people have asked if I have such a post and an anon suggested it. So finally, here it is.  - What Is Warding? Warding is a type of magick, it is the act of creating an energetic barrier around you, your home, an object, ect. They can be temporary or permanent, although typically they are cast with the long term in mind. They can banish or turn away whatever you choose. Warding is an excellent skill to have because it can keep you, and even others safe and with practice you can do it anytime with just about whatever you have on hand.  When Should I Ward? Whenever you want an energetic barrier around you, most people consistently ward their home, themselves or their place of practice. Some people even ward their space every time they prepare for a spell. It should be done consistently in any area you want protected, but exactly where and how often is entirely up to the practitioner.  What Should I Do Before? Cleanse, a ward is a barrier of energy and in the same way that it keeps things out it also keeps things in. You don’t want to trap anything inside of it. Cleanse yourself before you ward yourself. Cleanse your space before you ward your space!  Tips Before You Ward- Phrasing Keep the phrasing in mind! You don’t want to keep anything out that you want in, or let something in that you want out. If you’re chanting or using sigils ect keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out both in your methods and in your mind. Covering everything Make sure to cover everything, a ward is useless if there’s a weakness in it or if the ceiling & floor aren’t probably covered. Be super thorough!  Layering Your Wards One small little wimpy barrier? Ha, the spirits say as they scramble into your home to wreak havoc! You need to layer your wards, don’t just use one method one time, there’s no such thing as too much warding.  What Are Some Ways That I Can Ward? Now we’ll get right down to the methods you can use to ward yourself and your space! Remember that warding is important and needs to be effective, don’t try anything that you don’t have experience with for warding. At first, focus on the stuff you know. If you like sigils, use sigils at first and slowly work your way into using other more complex methods or methods that solely rely on your abilities. Circle Casting You cast a circle by summoning the four elements to protect & energize what is in the circle.  - Here’s my post about circles & how to cast them  Chanting/Speaking Come up with a protective chant you can use to ward your space. This chant could be someone else’s or your own as long as you feel it’s effective. Speak it aloud and visualize a layer of energy protecting your space.  Incense Burn a protective incense in the space you’d like to ward and visualize a barrier protecting your space. Athame Draw out the line of your ward with your athame, visualize the wall appearing, covering everything with a thick layer of energy.  Spraying Spray a mix of blessed/magickal waters and or herbs with protective properties in the space you want to ward.  Sigils Create a sigil using your favorite method with the intent to “ward” or “protect/protection.” Then charge and activate it as a layer of protection! Here’s my post on sigils if you’re interested in that: - Sigil Post Jar Spells You could mix up a jar spell for warding, set it in your house and forget it as a layer of warding.  - My protective jar spell post Anointment Anoint the doorways of your space, you could also anoint the ceiling, floor, walls, corners, honestly go for it.  Salt Sprinkle salt all around the edge of your home or space. Make sure to sprinkle salt on the INSIDE of your harm as salt can harm plants & wildlife if used outside. If you’d like to make a barrier on the outside of your home, you can use dried & crushed eggshells in place of salt. - Post on how to make eggshell powder here -  Hag stones Hag stones are stones with holes in them that have been corroded into the stone because of rushing water. It is believed rushing water is protective & cleansing so if you wear a stone that sat in it long enough to have parts corroded away, that the stone will maintain and keep those properties with it. It’s a great way to personally ward yourself, and an excuse to go out in nature.  They look like this! 

Energy Manipulation If you’ve got a knack for manipulating energy, you can create a barrier through work and visualization that surrounds yourself or your space. This isn’t recommended for beginners though! Links: - Horse Warding Charm By @anothersusurrus - House Warding Spritz Mixture By @seleneblackwell Both of these are great if you’re looking for specific spells, types of magick, correspondences, sigils, ect! - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 1 By @auricwitch - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 2 By @auricwitch Personal Wards Also remember not just to ward your space but yourself, if you layer your home with wards, what happens when you leave? Exactly. Keep yourself safe too! Circle casting & hag stones are great methods I mentioned above that are good for personal warding.  Can I Ward Specific Things And Not Others? Absolutely! I mentioned this in the phrasing section of this post, keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out when you’re warding. I like words like “negative” or “harmful” or “with ill intent” because they don’t necessarily keep out the Fae or positive/neutral spirits but it does keep out anything that wants to harm you in general. Just think about it ahead of time, find wording or a phrase you like and keep that in mind as you ward.  What If I Live With People? If you’re out of the broom closet, explain to your family/roommates what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and make sure they’re cool with it and are aware of what’s going on. If you’re not out of the broom closet, you may have to resort to only warding yourself/your room, & that’s okay!  I hope this helps someone or teaches them something new! Enjoy! Have a lovely day 💖

Simple Chicken Soup Recipe for a Kitchen Witch on a Budget

Because I love food and I'm also cheap. This is basically just my regular easy chicken soup recipe but with the magical associations included. It'll feed you for days.

The Long (But Tastier) Way

What You'll Need:

One of those discount whole chickens from the grocery store (my boyfriend calls it a "used chicken")

Whatever veggies in your kitchen are starting to look sad and need to be used before they go bad (I recommend having carrots and celery in that mix tho)

Some extra celery/carrots for the final product (can come from the Sads if you need... pick the healthiest-looking parts.)

Pasta of your choice (I like penne)

A stockpot and strainer (another big pot should work too, but stockpots are best for holding everything/making the most at once.)

Salt, pepper, preferably dill as well + whatever other seasonings you want.

What to Do:

Take your used chicken, strip all of the meat from it, and put the meat aside. Put the carcass in the pot.

Add all of your sad vegetables to the pot. No need to be fancy with it, no need to peel anything. Shop an old onion into 4ths and add it skins and all. Leaves can stay on any celery. Chuck in some garlic, why not. I've added an old sweet potato before. Leeks. Rosemary. Whatever. Go be free.

Add some salt + pepper, cover the entire thing with water, bring it to a boil and then immediately turn the heat to low. Cover it most of the way.

Go do something else. Forget about it for at least four hours. If you want, you can occasionally go up to it and skim any foam off. Everything is steeping and blending, so the longer it goes the better it gets. (Remember the water will cook down though, so don't leave it forever.)

Cook your pasta al dente and set it aside at some point.

Once you're ready, strain the broth into another vessel and discard your sad broth vegetables. Thank them for their service.

Put the broth back in the empty stockpot and bring to a boil. Chop your happy vegetables to whatever size you want to eat them at. Add any vegetables like chopped carrots that need to cook longer than other veggies. After a few minutes add the rest. Once everything is at a good level of This Won't Feel Weird to Eat, put it on way low again!

Add everything else. That means salt, pepper, dill (I like dill. Add too much dill.) seasoning powders, chicken meat, and cooked pasta. Steep it for a little so the broth flavor can soak in, but you don't have to do it for as long as before.

EAT IT! You have soup now! Yay! Eat a bowl now and save the rest for later. It'll last you a while. (Pasta will get bigger/softer over time but that's fine, it's still good.)

Faster Broth

Boil some water. Add chicken bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, dill/whatever seasonings, and a tiny splash of oil. The oil helps it look/feel more authentic without needing to steep the chicken carcass.

For even faster broth, you can even use boxed chicken stock and skip the bouillon. I find chicken broth tastes kinda different and gross, but it'll work in a pinch and you might not mind it as much as me.

Magical Associations

Naturally, whatever unique vegetables you add will have their own correspondences, so I'll just list the recommended base ingredients:

Chicken: Lasting love, household harmony, abundance, luck, prosperity and general well-being

Celery: Lust, mental/psychic abilities, clear-headedness/focus (especially for decision making)

Carrot: Lust again, abundance, creativity and psychic awareness

Dill: Luck, money/employment, protection, knowledge and decision making.

Chicken Soup Itself: Health and vitality is the big one (probably obviously.) It's basically folk penicillin. I think it also carries associations with love (especially familial) and household harmony for exactly this reason. Based on the other associations, I could also see it being good for helping make important decisions with a sound mind.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Witchy beginner plant:

Lavender

⬇💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜⬇

Lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to India.

Scientific name: Lavandula

Family: Lamiaceae

Kingdom: Plantae

Order: Lamiales

Tribe: Ocimeae

Subfamily: Nepetoideae

Harvesting:

in the spring or early summer gives the plant enough time to possibly produce more flowers for a second cutting. The best time of day to harvest lavender is in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the heat of the sun draws out too much of the fragrant essential oils.

Care:

Lavender is drought-tolerant, which means mature plants don't need to be watered all the time like your other garden plants. Too much water can leave them susceptible to root rot and fungal disease. Young, newly planted lavender does need regular watering until established (either by irrigation or adequate rainfall). The soil should be Light: Lavender needs full sun and well-drained soil to grow best. In hot summer climates, afternoon shade may help them thrive. Soil: Lavender grows best in low to moderately-fertile soils, so don't amend the soil with organic matter before planting. Lavender performs best in neutral to slightly alkaline soils.

Spiritual meaning:

Lavender flowers represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness.

It is Is Clearing + Cleansing for the Mind, Body + Spirit

In dreams:

To dream of lavender flowers represents appreciation for honesty that allows you to feel completely carefree or neutral. Feelings about family life or safety that allows you to accept yourself the way you are. Appreciation of being completely insulted from danger or worries.

Planet connections:

Mercury

Zodiac connections:

Virgo ♍

Gemini ♊

Cancer ♋

Health benefits:

May Help Improve Sleep.

Could Help Treat Skin Blemishes.

May Offer a Natural Remedy for Pain.

Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.

Could Relieve Asthma Symptoms.

Lessens Menopausal Hot Flashes.

Help Combat Fungus Growth.

Potentially Promotes Hair Growth.

lavenders contain vitamins A, C and E.” Antioxidants also protect the body from free-radical damage, linked to disease and ageing.

Myths about lavender:

Cleopatra used its fragrance in her grand seductions. It’s even claimed the asp that killed her hid among her lavender bushes.

When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Evil, they took lavender with them. 

In many cultures it was believed that wearing lavender would attract love.

Lavender was thought to keep away evil spirits and sickness in the Victorian era.

Finding blue lavender was seen as lucky!

It most European countries it was believed that royal fae wore the scent of lavender.

The Romans believed the god Saturn wore lavender.

Lavender was also thought to be the scent of the god Lofn.

Lavender facts:

When sex work was made illegal, lavender was worn by sex workers and planted in front of working houses so their clients would know where to go.

Lavender has also been a sign of the LGBT+! Wearing lavender was a hidden sign that you were LGBT+ that's why the LGBT+ was originally called the lavender society.

Gods associated with lavender:

Apollo

Lofn

Saturn

Jesus

Solomon

Hekate

Basically all fae

Quan Yin

Kybele

Diana

Ra

Circe

Lavender in witchcraft:

Lavender is mostly used for

Healing

Cleansing

Love

Forgiveness

Banishing

Spirit work

Purifying

Fae magick

Joy

Opening the third eye

Divination

🍃Best witchy herb for beginners🍃

🌱MINT🌱

Mint in general!

Any kind of mint!

Cause you can't kill it!

{ its basically impossible to kill! It's just a super resilient plant!}

It comes back yearly!

Easy in foraging cause mint no matter what type will always smell in someway or another like mint.

Mint can be found basically everywhere and easily plucked from the ground and put into your own garden.

Mentha is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae. The exact distinction between species is unclear; it is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species' ranges overlap. Many hybrids and cultivars are known.

Scientific name: Mentha

Family: Lamiaceae

Kingdom: Plantae

Order: Lamiales

Tribe: Mentheae

Mints planet connection: Mercury

Element: fire + air

Magical properties:

Healing

Protection

Wealth

Attraction for good spirits

Cleansing

Banishes negative energies

Prosperity

Helps in lucid dreaming

Opens of the throat chakra

Prophetic dreams

Divination

Medical uses:

Rich in Nutrients. ...

Can improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Helps Relieve Indigestion.

Thought to Improve Brain Function.

Decreases Breastfeeding Pain.

Helps stop mouth infections

Subjectively Improves Cold Symptoms.

Mask Bad Breath.

Helps in digestion

Sooths a sick stomach

calms stress and anxiety

promoting restful sleep

Protecting against skin aging

Reducing high blood sugar 

Helps with menstrual pains

Mint is rich in:

Vitamin A

Vitamin K

Calcium

Witchcraft: 50 things you can do in your daily practice

Allow yourself to slowly wake up in the morning, so that you are able to ease into your waking State and are able to reflect on your dreaming state.

Ground, and center, so that your energy comes back to itself, and you are more grounded in the moment.

Playing with your energy by making energy balls and moving energy around your body.

Any form of meditation. Guided, or otherwise. Just something to get you into an altered state of consciousness.

Lighting a candle for a specific purpose, or intention, so that its energy can be sent in that direction.

Perceiving, or visiting the astral through astral projection, or astral travel.

Praying, and thanking your ancestors.

Perform Shadow work to examine your shadow.

Creating sigils.

Casting spell, and ritual for an intention that you have.

Choose specific clothes to wear for that day that have colors connected to specific metaphysical properties you wish to bring into your life that day.

Charge or bless your food, and drink before consuming them.

Eat, and drink mindful.

check the phases of the moon and the other positions of the planets.

Go for a walk outside, and taken the fresh air, as you do so try to feel your connection to the earth.

Set up or maintain your altar, or altars.

Go look for things to collect in order to use later in your practice.

Write your knowledge down in a journal, book of shadows, or grimoire, or start one.

Do daily divination on how the day is going to go, or on a specific thing that is  on your mind.

Study, and research things having to do with occultism, esotericism, mysticism, spirituality, or religion, along with anything else that could be brought into your practice.

Charge the crystals that you own, so that they will be working at their highest potential.

Cleanse your living space through the burning of herbs, or some other form of cleansing method.

Cleaning up your living space physically, so that the energy can flow through your space better and you will feel more comfortable in that space.

Set up or maintain protective magick on your living space by reshielding your space and recharging your wards.

Creating an astral Temple, or maintaining your already existing astral Temple.

Check up on and water your plants.

Memorize chants, and say chants throughout the day.

Acknowledge the moon’s presence when you see it.

Creating sigils in your outdoor using stones that you find outside.

Think over, and examine your beliefs, religion, and practice.

Worship, honor, and/or work with your deities.

Take a magickal, or cleansing bath, or shower.

Send a friend positive energy.

Send an enemy negative energy.

Listen to music that is connected to your spiritual practice.

Communicate, or work with your spirit guides, or spirit companions.

Read books or listen to audiobooks having to do with your practice.

Study your holy books, or the holy books of other religions.

Search for videos or blogs that maybe helpful in advancing your understanding of your practice.

Charge, and energize your energy centers so that your energy flows more smoothly through your body.

Go outside, and stargaze try to identify constellations, and look up into the universe.

Drink different forms of tea, or herbal tisanes.

Look for signs throughout your daily life.

Examine your natal chart.

Create a staff, or wand out of fallen branches you find around your living space.

Communicate and work with other magical practitioners that you know.

Visit a place that is religious, spiritual, or some other form of liminal space.

Place items underneath your pillow so that they can enchant your sleep state.

Meditate before sleep so that you can ease into your sleep state easier.

Set your intention of what you would like to dream about before going to sleep.

Daily reminder that:

Chakras aren't what you think they are, they come from Hinduism, not Wicca or New Age, and you should learn about their actual meanings.

There are so many different ways people believe magic and witchcraft works. There isn't one correct answer.

There are so many open paths that there is no excuse to practice ones that are closed to you.

Witch is a gender neutral term.

It's okay to have doubts, it's normal and 100% valid.

The Craft, 1996