🌿 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Green & Herbal Magick

[Susurrus]

You are very welcome! I hope it works for what you need to know!

[Susurrus]

@Medea under the same link for Herbal Substitutions, if you scroll further down the page there is another printable for scents/oils/incense & substitutions also.

Also, there is a very comprehensive list on Herb Properties, Substitutes, & Old Herb Names from the Raven & Crone site which has helped me in the past with more difficult ingredients & substituting them with ones that are referenced by an older name.

[Medea]

You are awesome. I really do appreciate your feedback and help!!

[Medea]

Good morning after reading all your posts and your feedback I know you’re going to come up with something fantastic and I’m looking forward to reading your challenge!

[Medea]

Good morning I was looking at a book I received from one of my wonderful sister Witch’s and I came across this page I thought you might be interested in:

[charlotte2]

This is the perfect challenge for me this week as I am helping to make my husband feel better. Today I made the sinus clearing salt bowl that I found from spells8 and I plan on making some healing teas. For anyone thinking of starting to grow herbs, I recommend mint in a pot. A lot of herbs are easier to propagate than to start from seed, but mint is pretty easy going.

[Amaris_Bane]

My favorite area!! I will have to think about what I will do for this entry.

[Satu_TheGreenWitch]

Challenge Entry - Green and Herbal Magick

I’m a secular green witch so this area is always of great interest to me and an area which I am continually learning about. I decided to share some green witchcraft ideas for the winter months that help me to continue my study of green witchcraft and helps me to produce some very helpful items for the winter months made from herbs and other items.

Dried Rosemary, Thyme, and Savory grown in my garden this summer now hanging and drying for use in the winter months.

Rosemary - For magical use, burn rosemary to rid a home of negative energy, or as an incense while you meditate. Hang bundles on your front door to keep harmful people, like burglars, from entering. Stuff a healing poppet with dried rosemary to take advantage of its medicinal properties, or mix with juniper berries and burn in a sickroom to promote healthy recovery.
In spellwork, rosemary can be used as a substitute for other herbs such as frankincense.

Thyme - Draw a bath with Thyme and Marjoram to remove all past sorrow, grief, and ill will. Burn Thyme as an incense to purify your space before doing any ritual work. Use Thyme in spells for courage, healing, and attracting wealth. Place Thyme underneath your pillow to protect you from nightmares. Brew a tea with Thyme to help with indigestion, and you can gargle with it to help ease coughing, laryngitis, and tonsilitis. When prepared properly, it can be used externally to treat burns, wounds, and sores.

Savory - The leaves and stem have significant medicinal use. People assume Summer Savory for coughs, sore throat, and intestinal disorders including cramps, indigestion, gas, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite. People with diabetes take it to relieve frequent thirst. It’s a tonic and interestingly, known to be a natural aphrodisiac and increase sex drive.
The extracted essential oil is regarded to have many of the same medicinal properties as the fresh or dried herb, and it is thought to have antispasmodic, anti-infectious, aphrodisiac, astringent, and expectorant properties; it has both antibacterial and anti-fungal effect and is integrated in diets to fight parasitic worms. The herbal tea made from the herb is an effective antiseptic gargle.

I also use the winter months to make soap bars such as my Yuletide Orange Spice Soap Bars. These contain an organic, vegan clear soap base, gold mica powder (for coloring), 150 drops of “Winterspice” essential oil blend which is 50 drops each of Tangerine, Pine, and Balsam Fir essential oils), 40 drops of Bergamot essential oil, and 15 drops of Cinnamon essential oil. I place a dried orange slice in the middle of the soap mold (to help exfoliate skin) and there you have it!

And finally, I typically will use some of my dried herbs to make oil infusions for cooking.

Naturally, all of the items I use to make these winter gems are first imbued with various intentions I manifest through spells as many of these items are gifted to friends and family.

Great topic, thank you!!

[Susurrus]

Challenge Entry

My daughter has been away for over a week … & I miss her terribly. So I decided to take the flowers that she had picked out for my birthday last month & use them in an oil for us to have in roller bottles.

Infusions here we come!

Today, I was under strict orders to do “my things” because I have been overdoing it with the house things since before Thanksgiving … which didn’t turn out well for me last night & my husband wasn’t impressed with my repercussions but said the house has looked great each day that he came home but it wasn’t worth what it was doing to me.

Today was the day!

First, cleansing… I also lit Dragon’s Blood incense, a White Purification candle , a Black Protection candle , & put on my Celtic Calming Music I took 3 deep intentional cleansing breaths & said aloud what my intention was for the oil & each ingredient going into the jar.

I had my cleansed jar & added the following:

• Lily - Protection, Strength , Purification
• Jasmine - Love , Confidence
• Rose - Beauty, Love , Protection

Then I added:

• Olive Oil - Healing, Peace, Protection

Just enough to cover the other ingredients & kind of stirred them & moved the closed jar around to mix the ingredients in with each other make sure they were each covered in the oil. I placed the jar in a safe place… & now we wait for a couple of weeks so I can strain them & I will add a few drops of the matching essential oils to the roller bottles of the infused oil.

I’m hoping to be able to make it for a stocking stuffer as something she can use throughout the day & keep in her bag. I will make the same thing for myself in a roller bottle too.

I haven’t decided if I want to add any crystal chips to the bottles yet when I get to finish them… but we will cross that bridge when we get there Now to be patient… which means I have to put the jar kind of out of sight out of mind with a note to myself that tells me:

• where it is located
• when to strain it to finish the process

Calendar event here I come! Otherwise, I’ll put the note in a safe place & never find either again or totally forget altogether. Just call me Dory…

[ChasingFireflies]

I learned something new from you! Breaking hexes with pistachios! I most definitely gotta look more into this one

[BryWisteria]

@Mistress_Of_Herbs I agree wholeheartedly with @Medea- I can’t wait to see how you choose to jump into this one, oh marvelous and magickal Mistress of Herbs!

@yolande1 It is indeed a vast area with lots of ideas to choose from! I hope whatever you choose that you have fun and enjoy the process- good luck and blessed be!

@charlotte2 It sounds like a very nice and healing sinus bowl- your husband is lucky to be in your care, Charlotte! I hope he is feeling much better soon Thank you for your lovely entry and tips- I agree, mint is a great one (and very prolific)!

@Amaris_Bane Hooray! I know you excel when it comes to herbs- have fun and I’m looking forward to hearing what you’ll do for this theme, Amaris!

@Satu_TheGreenWitch I was hoping you’d share an entry for this theme, Satu- I know you’re amazing when it comes to herbal magick! Thank you so much for this really lovely entry full of your wisdom and advice- exploring herbal crafts and magick that can be done in the winter is a really fun way to take on the challenge. There’s some great inspiration here- it makes me want to get crafting!

@Susurrus Using your birthday flowers in oil is such a lovely way to treasure the memory of the occasion and give a new life to the plants- this is such a great idea, Siofra! I’m sure your daughter will be home safe again soon and when she is I know she’ll be thrilled with your work here- the oil sounds really amazing!

@ChasingFireflies Merry meet and welcome, ChasingFireflies!

[Medea]

Hi Chasing Fireflies. I am Tracy (Medea), Welcome…I am fairly new here, but this is my home and I love my Sister Witches. Everyone here at Spells 8 are wonderful. If you have a question, ASK someone will help you, always, I promise. I am looking forward to learning with you.
Blessed Be,
Medea

[Medea]

Hi Satu. This is Meada and I wanted to thank you for you Green & Herbal Magick Challenge. You have some great ideas; “I also use the winter months to make soap bars such as my Yuletide Orange Spice Soap Bars.” (Satu_TheGreenWitch, Spells8,2022)

I believe I am going to try making these Soap Bars, this weekend. Blessed Be!
Medea

[Susurrus]

@BryWisteria

I’m sure your daughter will be home safe again soon and when she is I know she’ll be thrilled with your work here

Thank you! She doesn’t know about it, but when I give it to her, I want make a little card of what was used & a little note about each ingredient & that I have the same one. I may make another bottle for my son’s girlfriend too. I haven’t decided if I should use some different ingredients or not… She is definitely a rugged girl that also wants to go shopping for pretty things & clothes. I like them together, they compliment each other. They work well too

@Satu_TheGreenWitch I agree with @BryWisteria it really was a great entry & incorporating winter uses/magic

@Mistress_Of_Herbs I’m really curious what you do for this one… I know it will be fantastic whatever you choose.

@Amaris_Bane I’m also looking forward to what you will come up with, you have some amazing entries & are a wealth of knowledge for so many things!

@Charlotte great job with the sinus bowl & it seems to hitting people this season with their sinuses! Great job & I hope he starts to feel a bit better soon!

@ChasingFireflies Welcome! I hope you enjoy the forum & find some more inspiration! It’s a great place to learn! Feel free to join in with an entry also!

@Medea & @Satu_TheGreenWitch making my own soap bars I have never done but have been curious about because I do use soaps that have crystals in them such as Citrine, Rose Quartz, Red Jasper, & Amethyst… making my own would be wonderful though! Even if I can’t add the crystals, I could make them with the intentions I would like from them during my ritual showers!

[Medea]

I used this “reply” again because the first time I did when I was posting my entry for this Weekly Witchy Challenge and no “notes” popped up. Why would this happen?

[Susurrus]

Hi @Medea, I just sent you a message!

[Wysteria_Norn]

One quick trick - reptile lightbulbs!
They may be a little more expensive than regular lightbulbs, but they emit light in the UVA & UVB spectrum (AKA sunlight). Reptiles are cold-blooded, so when kept as pets, these lightbulbs mimic (as much as possible) the sunlight they need for thermoregulation They are also called ‘basking’ lightbulbs.
I use them for my parrot, plants and have them facing my blue-eyed 87-yr-old father during the winter months as he has bouts of Seasonal Effective disorder (feels depressed/down/listless when there’s less sunlight).
They work wonders for plants and are cheaper than a full terrarium kit. The ones I buy normally range from Rain Forest, Tropical, and Desert and fit into a regular lamp. So, if you want to start keeping herbal or flowering plants, this might help in your apartment.
Hope this helps!

[Wysteria_Norn]

Weekly Witchy Challenge Entry

As I’ve posted before, I came back to witching after an absence of decades, and before I joined Spells8, I immediately delved back into herbals. Oddly enough, although maybe subconsciously the entire time, I found that soooo many of my garden plants were common witch herbs. Others, I’ve found either in my kitchen or, gratefully, online.

Protection Incense Combination
Performed New to Full Moon

• Acacia - Protection from Negativity, Psychic Powers
• Angelica - Protection, Healing Visions, Exorcisms (powerful)
• Agrimony - Protection, Reverts Hexes to Sender (powerful)
• Black Pepper - Increases and Hastens Spell Power, Blocks Negativity, Stops Gossip
• Clover - Stops Malicious Gossip
• Dragon’s Blood - Removes Negativity when burned; Increases Potency of Incense Ritual When in Combination with Other Agents
• Eupatorium (AKA Boneset) - Protection, Warding off Evil Spirits, Exorcism (powerful)
• Frankincense - Uplifting, Exorcisms, Visions
• Pine Needles - Rebirth, Overcoming Obstacles with Increased Inner Strength
• Rosemary - Protection, Banishing (powerful)

During a Ritual - Burn ingredients when Drawing Down the Moon or casting a Cone of Power. Recommended - Use your choice of divining or protection oil on hands, face, neck, chest and feet prior to performing Ritual. Scatter Bergamot (Ritual Success and Clarity) or Gardenia (Increased Spiritual Vibrations) oils around Ritual area.

Oil for Everyday Use - Externally ONLY

1. Place (unburned) ingredients in a bottle. When doing so mentally or verbally state the intention of each ingredient while placing it in - repeatedly, like a sing-song chant. Consider calling up a favorite nursery rhyme from memory and placing the herbal names and intended uses within the context of the rhyme.

For example, Mary Had a Little Lamb (7 syllables) might become Clover Stops Malicious Words (7 syllables) chanted at least thrice.

3. Add vegetable oil and mineral oil (3:1 ratio) into the bottle of herbs while picturing the oils smothering and repelling evil actions.
4. Place bottle in direct sunlight turning bottle three times every three hours or, if weak sunlight, every three days.

• Alternatively, swirl over a burning black candle three times, or three sets of three times (9 times) for increased potency, pausing every three swirls to image the bottle repelling evil in the created circle mentally.

• This ‘three sets of three’ can be performed, for extra power, at times evenly divisible by three (Ie. 3, 6, 9, 12).

The above-mentioned charging method can also be performed to recharge the oil.

*Note - Many use only vegetable oil. If that is your practice or preference, please continue to do so here. I use mineral oil for its cathartic properties but, most importantly, to prevent the vegetable oil from going rancid prematurely.

[Susurrus]

@Wysteria_Norn I love this entry & I also love to make up my own incense using different herb & resin combinations! Thank you so much for the inspiration… I’m still learning oils aside from using them in diffusers. I’ve started working on infusions with herbs & not just essential oils with a carrier oil for external wear (I guess it would be wear, I use them on my skin… right no I have corresponding chakra oils made up in roller bottles & I started the one for my daughter & I that’s in my challenge entry for us to use as well)

I also love the #3 & things always seem to happen for me in 3’s… so it’s a very special number for me… Lovely!

Also, for you & @Amethyst & anyone interested really… we have indoor plants that we use one of those selfie circle light jammers over & the plants just LOVE it & they grow so well under it!

Completely found that out by accident because it’s too cold here to start any plants outside right now.

[Wysteria_Norn]

You are too kind, thank you. I love this one myself.