Basics Of Kitchen And Cottage Witchcraft

🧹 Home Cleansing 🧹

This is one of the most important skill to learn for beginner witches. Practicing magic and witchcraft tends to attract a lot of positive and negative energies, so it is important for you to regularly cleanse your home to reset the space. There are many different ways of cleansing your home using the 4 elements. 

– 

Air cleanse

🌪️ Start by opening your windows and letting some fresh air in.  🌪️ Burn palo santo wood to clear the air and reset energies.  🌪️ In a small cauldron, burn cleansing herbs like rosemary or lavender and walk from room to room to disperse the smoke. 

– 

Water cleanse

💧 Clean your floor using a herbal floor wash (rosemary, sage, bay leaves).  💧 Make a cleansing spray with salt water, rosemary or lavender.  💧 Leave a small dish of Florida water in rooms that need cleansing. 

– 

Fire cleanse

🔥 If possible, let the sunlight in as much as possible.  🔥 Inscribe the word ‘peace’ on a candle and let it burn out.  🔥 Place burnt-looking crystals like smoky quartz and black tourmaline in your entrance as they collect negative energies.

– 

Earth cleanse

🌱 To cleanse your witch tools, place them on the dirt near your houseplants.  🌱 Use your besom (aka broom) to sweep dust and dirt from your home.  🌱 Finish your cleansing at your entrance door by releasing negative energies back to the earth. 

Lammas Resource Masterpost

A collection of categorized posts for your Lammas needs! What is Lammas? [X] Lammas is generally celebrated on August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and February 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. Also called/merged with Lughnasadh.

The Basics:

Celebrate Lammas!

Lammas or Lughnasadh?

Lammas correspondences / more correspondences / even more

The witch at Lammas (history)

A solitary Lughnasadh celebration

Celebrating Lughnasadh in the kitchen and at home

Lammas: easy ways to celebrate / more ways to celebrate / even more

Subtle ways to celebrate

Lammas Crafts:

Leaf envelopes

Corn husk dolls

Lammas Recipes:

Lughnasadh sun tea

Honey lavender bread

Soda bread for Lammas

Lughnasadh bread recipe

No-knead artisan crusty bread

Strengthening magical onion jam

Lammas Spells:

Lammas bread protection spell

Lughnasadh/Lammas ritual

Lammas Tarot Spreads:

Lammas tarot spread (3 card)

The harvest: a Lammas spread (3 card)

Lammas harvest tarot spread (5 card)

Lughnasadh tarot spread (10 card)

Other:

First harvest incense recipe

Lughnasadh oil

Lammas playlist

Invocation to Brigid

Updated January of 2021. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!

Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon / Samhain / Yule / Bedridden ideas

Witch blogs

I’ve been slacking with my craft (mainly because I have a 19 month old and a 2 month old) but I’m looking for more blogs to follow.

Reblog/like if you:

•are a witch that’s a mom

•are a hearth witch

•are a hedge witch

•do tarot readings

•post spells

Grimoire - Magical Topics

Magic/Witchcraft Masterposts: An Leabhar na Draíochta (The Mori Witch’s Book of Magick) Witchcraft 102 Masterpost Gender Magic Rejuvenating Witchcraft witch self care masterpost! Love Magick Masterpost Beauty Magic Masterpost Valentine's Witchery Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost; Part 1 Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost, Part 2 coffee witchcraft Gentle Witchcraft Periods suck. Witchcraft helps. Travel Witchery Housewarming Magic Sick Witchery Witchcraft for the grieving Self-Care Tips Masterpost Energy Work Masterpost Energy Work Masterpost Protection Magick (A Masterpost) Tea Magic Drink Magic Masterpost

Some Types of Magic: Types of Magic Sympathetic Magic Knot, Thread & Cord Magic Sex Magic Witchcraft 101: Binding Magick Witchcraft 101: Uncrossing Hearth Witchery Ideas House Witch’s Chores and Witchy Home Quick Kitchen Witchcraft

Helpful Information: Liminal Spaces in Witchcraft Liminality & Liminal Spaces Consent vs Defending Sovereignty Law of Return Energy Work Terminology Energy Manipulation Guide: Sensing Energy Signs you may have been cursed/hexed Charms - Magic Without Tools Shadow Work 10 Prompts for Shadow Work A Long List of Ways to Spiritually Protect Yourself Localizing Your Practice Witchcraft 101: Veiling What to use when in witchcraft Some things you can keep track of as a witch Tapping Into Your Psychic Senses What are the Claires?

Witchcraft Practice in General: Grounding & Centering CENTERING Visualization Manifesting! Magical Journaling Gentle witch little things Manifest your dreams and desires Reconnecting with your craft Witchy Journal Prompts Become inspired again in your craft Come on, let's go for a walk and talk about Intuition Mindfulness Spiritual Burnout: Tips and Reminders What to do when you fell out with your practice Mundane Magic: Laundry Edition Mundane Magic: Office Edition Mundane Magic: Hand Washing Witchy “Planner” Magical Parenting Meditation: myths vs reality Write your Witchcraft Toxic Positivity Spiritual Bypassing & Why It’s Harmful Toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing in the witch and spiritual communities Racist Stereotypes About Magic witchcraft and the law Traditional Witchcraft is regional witchcraft How to make offerings to the Major Spirits (i.e. Gods), the Animal Familiar or the Household Fairy... with GIFs :)

Various Witchy Tips: Witch Tips for City Witches Magickal and Non-Magickal Tips for Writing Tips for the traveling witch Artsy Witch Ideas/Tips Glamour Witchcraft Tips

My Witchcraft Practice: Mentoring - something for experienced witches to consider Let's talk about ableism Let's talk about witchcraft and emotions The "advanced" witch The Empathic Witch Advice to witches and Pagans who wish to be allies Frequently Asked Questions For The Modern Day Witch Karma, what exactly is it? Meditation tips

The best crystals for... Part 1 🤍

Part 2

Part 3

@lovebyluna on instagram

Purslane (portulaca oleracea)

This plant is generally considered a “weed” even though it is a superfood with many health benefits, and you probably have some growing near your home.

Purslane has some of the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids of any foods on the planet, and also contains vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants.

The entire plant is edible, and has a lemony/peppery taste.

Magickal Properties:

Element: Water

Planet: Moon

Feminine

Correspondence: love, luck, protection, happiness, sleep

Place under pillow/near bed to ward off nightmares

Carry with you to attract luck and love and to protect against evil/negative energy

Grow in your home to bring happiness and protection to it

Culinary Uses:

Add to salad, or eat by itself as a salad

Add to salsa

Add to scrambled eggs or omelets

Purslane pesto

Brew into tea

Sauté in oil of your choice

Happy Foraging!

Mesquite: The Tree of Life of the South West

"I could ask for no better monument over my grave than a good mesquite tree, its roots down deep like those of peace who belong to the soil, its hardy branches, leaves, and fruit holding memories of the soil..." J. Frank Dobie, Texas Writer

Overview

The name mesquite derives from the Hispansized word 'mizquitl'.

There are more than 40 species of mesquite trees found worldwide, at least 90 percent of which grow in Latin America, principally Argentina and Chile. Although mesquite also thrives in other arid regions such as those in Southwest North America, Africa, the Middle East, Tunisia, Algeria, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Burma, Hawaii, West Indies, Russia, Puerto Rico, and Australia.

The tree itself comes in a variety of sizes depending on rain fall. Locations with higher rain fall note mesquite trees ranging from 40-50ft in height with a spread of nearly 40 feet or more. The branches are sparsely covered in thin feathery leaves with 2inch thorns growing at the base of the leaf joints.

This blog will mostly focus on Latin America; specifically in the Southwest Us and Texas.

There are seven varieties that cover one-third of the state of Texas or 56 million of the 167.5 million acres of land from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle, across central and north Texas and into much of west texas. Of all the US states 76 percent of mesquite wood grows in Texas. Mesquite grows in all regions of the state except the deep East Piney Woods.

Out of the seven varieties, the post will mostly reference Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa a.k.a "Honey Mesquite".

Map of the American South West and Latin america showing the range of Mesquite tree growth.

Native Tribes: Resource and Myth

Description reads: Salt River Reservation, Pima Agency Arizona, two Maricopa men(sitting) and Mojave Man in full aboriginal dress. 1880

Mesquite was such an omnipresent and nutritious resource and a central part of life itself that many tribes such as the Walapai, Apache, Papago, and Maricopa honored mesquite within their language and mythology.

Mesquite beans were the food staples for many of the South West Native American tribes. Through out the United states they gathered millions of pounds annually. In cases of food shortages, mesquite beans were often the only food source.

Much of the plant material such as fiber, thorns, sap, and roots were used in the making of many goods. The fibers were used for making of textiles and baskets. The

The creation myth of the Maricopa states that the Maricopa, Pima, and Yavapai -after death of their maker- scattered over the land and gathered mesquite beans. An Apache myth recounts how the sun and moon consulted with one another and formed the mesquite tree then hung beans upon its branches. The death of the Coyote myth of the Pima tells of Mesquite surviving the Great Flood and of how the coyote ate so many beans that they swelled in his stomach.

The Mesquite was an extremely important resource and was used frequently as an amenity of trade between the Apache tribe and the Pima tribe. When food plants failed during time of drought the Pima would travel long expeditions to trade goods with the Apache for beans and bean flour. With it, the Pima made dough and cooked it as round cakes. Certain tribes such as Pima and Opata also fermented bean flour water creating a bean beer called Atole and has a mildly intoxicating quality.

The gum, or sap, of the tree was used as adhesive to mend broken pottery as well as dye clay before the heating process. The gum when mixed with mud was used in several tribes spiritual and courtship rituals.

Both leaves and gum of the Mesquite is known by the tribes to carry healing powers and medicinal properties.

The Yaqui community in particular honor mesquite as one of two plants to have supernatural powers beyond most other plants. However of the two, only Mesquite grows in the sacred territory of the Yaqui and is said to have powers to detect and vanquish witchcraft especially if the wood is cut into a shape of a cross. One Yaqui myth tells of a "talking stick" made from mesquite wood which foretold death to all people baptized as christian.

Anglo-Texan History

Image of Mesquite Texas, 1890 showing piles of mesquite branches and horse drawn wagons containing grain or beans.

Historians believed that the mesquite was orginally limited to extreme South Texas and spread north only after the Civil War when cattle drives became frequent. Cattle would eat mesquite beans when grass was not plentiful.

Early Texas settlers facored the mesquite wood because not only was it plentiful but it also resisted rotting. Before commercial barbed wire came to texas in the 1870s, ranchers built sturdy corrals from mesquite-log picket fences. Travelers also fashioned hubs for wagons, wagon spokes, and small boat ribs from mesquite.

During the civil war, when coffee was scarce, Texans made ersatz coffee from roasted and ground mesquite beans. Honey made from mesquite flowers was especially prized. In the absence of pins, settlers substituted mesquite thorns.

In the 1869 Dr. John E. Park of Sequin patented under the no. 51,407 on December 5 for the use of mesquite bark in tanning leather. In the article from 1870 Texas Almanac, he included information on the superiority of the use of Mesquite in tanning leather. For, mesquite was found to be richest in Tannic Acid (a substance used for tanning) and worked exceptionally faster than previous methods because the acid penetrated the hide faster. Fast enough to seldom lose hide to decomposition. This allowed for tanning to be done in summer months, a process usually done in winter.

Medicinal Uses

*Note: not a replacement for modern day regulated medications and treatments.*

Aztecs made a lotion from ground mesquite leaves to treat sore eyes.

The Yuma tribe treated venereal diseases with an infusion of leaves and sap.

Comanches chewed on leaves to relieve toothaches.

The Yaqui Tribe treated headaches with a poultice made from mashing leaves to a pulp, mixing with water, and binding the mixture to the forehead.

The light-amber gum or sap that oozed from mesauite bark was mixed with water and gargled to treat sore throats, or swallowed to treat diarrhea, aid in digestion, and help wounds heal.

The Yavapai rubbed a mixture of mud and mesquite gum into their hair to simultaneously dye it and treat lice.

Modern Uses

Although ranchers still try to annihilate mesquite due to injury of livestock and cowhands, a dedicated group of texans cant get enough of it. They are mostly artisans who value mesquite for its beauty, the ease with which it can be worked, and the high sheen of finished pieces. Some even prize its irregularities.

Mesquite has a swirling grain, radial cracks, mineral deposits in the bark, and often many insect holes. Mesquite is dimensionally stable: as most hardwoods dry they shrink more in one direction than they do the other while mesquite shrinks the same percentage in both directions. It has a surface hardness of 2,336 pounds per squared inch, equal to that of hickory and almost twice that of oak and maple; and a density of 45 pounds per foot greater than oak, maple, pecan, and hickory.

Modern Spiritual interpertations:

Harmonizing qualities

Accessing the willingness to cross the wasteland of "dark night of the soul" to find deep spiritual richness within yourself and others

Comfortably connecting with others from a place of compassion and warmth

Standing inside a circle of love

Self blessing

Forgiveness

Possible use for Mesquite in imbalances

Emotional remoteness

Aloofness

Allowing others to see a coolness that actually covers an inner warmth

Feeling as is there is a barren wasteland or spiritual desolation within self.

Feeling separated and remote from others or self.

Personal Suggestion on craft Use*

*Disclaimer: subject to error and not a replacement for actual medications; allergy notice: mesquite is part of the legume family. Research trees and plants in area before ingesting random plants. Watch out for use of pesticides in public places. I do Not recommend diy fermentation. I do not support appropriating native tribes' traditions and rites unless explicitly permitted to by said tribe, do NOT trespass on Sacred Lands for resources it may be possible to purchase sacred mesquite from the tribes. Do Not vandalize sacred grounds or public trees. BE RESPECTFUL.*

Mesquite is tasty. Use wood for rich Smokey flavor on barbequed meats and vegtables.

Make tea from leaves

The beans are said to taste sweet and contain 30 percent sugar trace. Eat beans raw, roasted, dried, or ground into a flour.

Use water diluted sap to treat rashes. (Unless allergic.)

Use diluted sap in hair as you would oils.

Burn leaves and wood to smoke cleanse.

Hang mesquite cross to avert hexes or harmful craft.

I recommend buying from South Western Tribes and other mesquite artisans for bobbles and other wooden figures. Otherwise, source your mesquite in an earth friendly manner by sustainable means and only take what you need.

Information Sources:

"The Magnificent Mesquite" book by Ken E. Rogers

Texasalmanac.com

Desert-alchemy.com

Local Texans

Picture Sources: Google and pinterest

Art by craftingwitch

Unpopular opinion: going to therapy can be considered shadow work.

Yes or no?

TAROT tips for Beginners 🌙

⭐︎ Cleanse your deck after you buy it!! This is so so important, because you want to start working with a new clean energy.

⭐︎ There are thousands of ways to cleanse your deck. Cleansing can be something super simple, as just knocking on your deck 3 times or placing a crystal on top of the deck! Just do what feels right.

⭐︎ Interview your deck! After you buy new cards, talk to them, ask them questions and figure out the decks personality. There are a lot of fun spreads for this.

⭐︎ Sleep with your deck. Another good way to bond with your deck is sleeping with it near you. Just put it under your pillow or somewhere close to you over night!

⭐︎ You don’t have to read reversals. It’s up to you if you decide to turn the card back around. Again, do what feels right!

⭐︎ Reversals don’t always equal opposites. If you decide to read reversals, remember that it can have completely different meaning then just being opposite of the upright position.

⭐︎ Start simple. Start out with something simple like past/present/future spread. It’s super easy and gives you clarity on any situation.

⭐︎ Spend time looking at the picture. When you pull a card, really spend time observing at all the different colors and symbols before you look up the meaning. 

⭐︎ Jumping cards usually have something important to tell you. If you’re shuffling your deck and a card jumps out, look up what it means and what message it has for you!

⭐︎ Pull a daily card each morning. This is super fun and easy. You definitely don’t need to do this everyday, but it’s a good way to memorize the cards and their meanings.

and finally, practice, practice and practice! It’s going to take a while until you remember all the meanings, but just have fun and enjoy the process!🦋

✨get a personal reading from me here