Winter Solstice & Yule Spell Jar for Rebirth
The winter solstice, also called Yule in Germanic traditions, is the longest night and shortest day of the year. It is the time we have the most darkness, and after the winter solstice, the sun returns — growing each day.Because of this darkness and the return of the light, the solstice is deeply associated with rebirth. A kind of new year for witches, if you will. In this blog post, I’ll share how to make a DIY spell jar for rebirth in honor of the winter solstice. This would be a great practice to do on the winter solstice or in the days after it! So what are spell bottles or jars? Spell jars are a form of folk magic that can be used for many different purposes. I share more about spellwork below - keep scrolling to read it!
The winter solstice, also called Yule in Germanic traditions, is the longest night and shortest day of the year. It is the time we have the most darkness, and after the winter solstice, the sun returns — growing each day.
Because of this darkness and the return of the light, the solstice is deeply associated with rebirth. A kind of new year for witches, if you will. In this blog post, I’ll share how to make a DIY spell jar for rebirth in honor of the winter solstice. This would be a great practice to do on the winter solstice or in the days after it!
So what are spell bottles or jars? Spell jars are a form of folk magic that can be used for many different purposes. I share more about spellwork below - keep scrolling to read it!
A LITTLE ABOUT SPELLWORK
To me, spells are about directing energy in a specific direction. They’re about using magick, which Dion Fortune defines as “the art of changing consciousness at will,” for healing, manifestation, and connection.
I believe that they can be simple, and all you really need is yourself and your energy. Other items, like the ones we’ll use in this spell, are supportive in infusing some extra magick and energy into the work — but you don’t need them to do spells.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
For this spell, you’ll need:
As with all spells, use what you have. Feel free to substitute items, and don't worry if you're missing something from this list. Your intention is the most important part of any spell!
A glass bottle/jar of any size
Salt of any kind for protection
A piece of paper and pen to write your intention
3-5 drops of oil that supports rebirth like eucalyptus or peppermint
Stones that represent rebirth to you like moonstone, green aventurine, and howlite for peace as you transform. Other stone options could include malachite, citrine, moss agate, or quartz.
Dried or fresh herbs that support rebirth like spruce, pine, or nettle.
Dried or fresh rosemary for clarity and protection.
Cinnamon stick for luck
Dagaz rune, which represents dawn. This can be placed inside your jar or drawn/painted on the outside of your jar.
White candle
Any other representations of rebirth for you
Let yourself be intuitive with your spell ingredients, and feel free to use what you have around you!
SPELL STEPS
Like any spell, you’ll want to center and ground yourself before working the spell. You might spend a few minutes meditating, letting your eyes drift around your space, or doing breathwork or anything else that feels grounding to you. Find ideas for grounding here.
When you feel ready, cleanse each of your items. You can use smoke, sound, salt, or another cleansing technique you align with.
Write your intention for the spell on the paper to add into your bottle.
If you’d like, you can paint your bottle with symbols that represent rebirth to you.
After your bottle is ready, take your time to place each item inside your bottle intentionally. Raise energy as you do this, either with deep breaths or chanting. I recommend coming up with your own chant that focuses energy on connecting to your intuition and developing your intuitive abilities.
When you’re done filling your bottle, seal it, hold the vessel in your hands, and keep chanting or breathing as long as you’d like.
Light your white candle and place it on top of or next to your spell bottle. Be mindful of your candle surroundings and never leave your candle burning unattended. Tip: Melt the bottom of your candle with a flame to make it stick to the top of your jar.
Spend time meditating on your intention as your candle burns. Connect with the feeling of rebirth. Visualize rebirth moving through your cells, making you whole. What would it feel like, look like, even sound like, to be reborn?
Ground the energy after your meditation by placing your palms on the ground and returning any excess energy to the Earth.
I recommend placing the bottle on your altar, keeping it at the forefront of your consciousness while it works its rebirth magic. Keep your Yule spell bottle out for one lunar cycle, until Imbolc, or when you feel ready to take it down.Want more ways to connect with the season of Yule? Check out these articles from our blog:
Conjuring Strength & Healing with Creosote
Arizona is known for its deserts, creepy crawlies, and massive Saguaros, but the creosote bush is a powerful desert plant that might be new to you! Creosote is the most drought-tolerant plant in North America. Found throughout the southwestern deserts of Arizona, Texas, and Chihuahua, it can live for at least two years with no water at all, *GASP* retaining any amounts it gets in its vast root system. It helps itself by shedding its leaves or branches but is usually an evergreen bush! How amazing, to be just like the creosote bush- evergreen all year long no matter the weather. Creosote, not surprisingly, comes with a host of medicinal and energetic properties too. Keep scrolling for five ways to incorporate this magical plant into your practice.
Arizona is known for its deserts, creepy crawlies, and massive Saguaros, but the creosote bush is a powerful desert plant that might be new to you! Creosote is the most drought-tolerant plant in North America. Found throughout the southwestern deserts of Arizona, Texas, and Chihuahua, it can live for at least two years with no water at all, *GASP* retaining any amounts it gets in its vast root system. It helps itself by shedding its leaves or branches but is usually an evergreen bush!
How amazing, to be just like the creosote bush- evergreen all year long no matter the weather.
Creosote, not surprisingly, comes with a host of medicinal and energetic properties too. Keep scrolling for five ways to incorporate this magical plant into your practice.
Energetic Properties
Place creosote on your altar or in a sacred space to represent:
Perseverance
Strength
Optimism
Determination
The most researched creosote bush is called "King Clone" located near Victorville, California. It is estimated at 11,700 years old, and some scientists consider this to be the oldest living thing on earth!
Medicinal Properties & Practices
Indigenous people used creosote bush for fixing arrow points and mending pottery, as well as for ancestral rituals and connections. Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan wrote the book Gathering the Desert. He describes creosote bush as nature's drugstore. In his research, Nabhan found that indigenous people have also used creosote bush for the treatment of many conditions and diseases:
colds & postnatal drips
chest infections or lung congestion
indigestion
PMS cramps
cancer
nausea
wounds
poisons
swollen limbs due to poor circulation
dandruff & body odor
distemper
acne
Can you think of a more powerful plant? Talk about magical herbalism!
DIY Healing Salve
Creosote has incredible properties that make it wonderful to use for skin support and other areas of the body. It can be used both internally and topically. When used as a salve applied directly to the skin, it can help heal cuts, burns, scrapes, and even dry or eczema-prone areas.
Antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory
Used as an anti-viral medicine
Native Americans used it to treat cancer for containing a potent anti-tumor agent called NDGA. Recent studies around this are encouraging, but not entirely conclusive.
For the salve you'll need:
1 cup of dry creosote leaves
1.5 cups of olive oil (or any carrier oil)
Crockpot
Small glass jar with lid
Add 1 cup of dry leaves to a mason jar and top with 1.5 cups of olive oil. Place inside crockpot, adding enough water to come within 2 inches of the top of the jar. Set on low for 8-10 hours checking frequently. When it is done, you can take a tea strainer or cheesecloth to drain all the oil from the leaves into a new (and smaller) glass jar. Let it cool on your counter for a few hours and refrigerate afterward. You can dip your fingers or take a small spoon to scoop up some oil for your needs. Your salve is ready for immediate use!
To Cleanse With The Desert
Cleansing with creosote is all about intention. You can easily incorporate it into your life for energy cleansing, spell work, and rituals. It is also a great substitute for palo santo or white sage- plants that are more and more controversial in terms of ethical sourcing as their popularity grows.
Experimenting with different plants like creosote will open your perspective towards other realms of herbs and cleansing work.
You do not have to burn it to indulge in its benefits; you can hang it in your shower for the most amazing scent- petrichor! Okay, that's just a fancy word for the smell of rain. Still, if you've never been to southern Arizona during monsoon season, you have not smelled the most amazing and positively intoxicating scent of desert rain. Bring it to your home with creosote!
And while you're at it, if you decide to cleanse with it, get rid of those mosquitos as another of creosote's uses are for repelling bugs.
COMBINING HERBS
Creating different combinations of herbs will add power to your cleansing efforts. For example, adding lavender to creosote creates a harmonious partnership of optimism and peace. It can be done with roses to add self-esteem, love, and healing. The possibilities are vast with the world of herbs, don't be afraid to experiment and find what you love best and what resonates with your energy. Trust your intuition!
As always, with coming across new herbs, be sure you are doing a patch test in case any reactions occur and discontinue burning if you experience any undesirable effects. You can hang your creosote wand in your bathroom or use it as an altar tool instead. Learn more about Lulu and her business here.
3 Herbal Recipes to Enhance Your Intuition
With so many herbs available to enhance your intuition, I wanted to share a few quick DIY recipes so you can put them to use! This is my last post in a more extended series about the intuition if you missed any of the previous posts and want to check them out first, click here.Our ancestors have used herbs for more than just healing; a variety of plants have been used to connect with the psychic realm and experience spiritual awakenings since the beginning of time. The herbs suggested in this post are of the gentler variety, no peyote today! As with any herb you choose to ingest, do your research, and consider consulting your health care provider first.
With so many herbs available to enhance your intuition, I wanted to share a few quick DIY recipes so you can put them to use! This is my last post in a more extended series about the intuition if you missed any of the previous posts and want to check them out first, click here.
Our ancestors have used herbs for more than just healing; a variety of plants have been used to connect with the psychic realm and experience spiritual awakenings since the beginning of time. The herbs suggested in this post are of the gentler variety, no peyote today!
As with any herb you choose to ingest, do your research, and consider consulting your health care provider first.
Cards are featured from The Ritual Deck
Let’s take a closer look at each of the herbs I’m going to suggest for these recipes or keep scrolling to go straight to the recipes.
Lavender and Chamomile: Both of these plants are nervines and antispasmodics, which means they can calm both the nervous and muscular systems. You’ll be better able to access intuitive messages when your mind and body are calm.
Blue Lotus: Blue lotus was prized by ancient Egyptians and Mayan people for its beauty and medicinal effects. Similar to lavender and chamomile, blue lotus is a nervine and antispasmodic, which will help calm you. It also contains alkaloids that have a subtle psychoactive effect, which the ancients no doubt were aware of as well!
Mugwort: Mugwort is associated with the Goddess Artemis (the Latin name for this plant is Artemesia Vulgaris!) and the moon. These lunar ties give mugwort a strong connection to femininity, psychic work, and all things sleep-related. Mugwort is also extremely protective, making it an ideal herb to protect you while you’re opening up to the psychic world. Mugwort is not safe for pregnant or lactating women. Learn more about mugwort here.
Frankincense: Frankincense has long been associated with accessing meditation, focus, and cleansing negative energy. Often found in resin or essential oil, frankincense can be burned or diffused to clear your mind and your space for optimal intuitive connections.
Rosemary: Rosemary is one of those herbs that comes with a host of valuable benefits, including amplifying your intuition. Rosemary correlates strongly to the area of the head and will help clear out thoughts related to any worldly woes. Use rosemary to help cleanse your mind and focus on your spiritual connection. Rosemary is also helpful for clearing negative energy.
Peppermint: Peppermint is a common herb that can help you access your psychic gifts. Peppermint, similar to rosemary, is extremely uplifting and clearing for the mind. It can also help to bring you some inspiration. Peppermint is especially helpful if you’re feeling a little sluggish or having trouble focusing on your intuition.
Cedarwood: Let us not forget the necessity to stay grounded while practicing psychic work! Anytime you’re accessing higher states of consciousness or your intuition, it’s imperative to stay grounded, and cedarwood can help you do this. Cedarwood also helps to soothe and relax the third eye area. Similar to peppermint and rosemary, cedarwood will also help you clear your mind, but more soothingly because it is also antispasmodic (like lavender and chamomile).
These recipes can be used together or separately. If you feel called to one, in particular, go with that. If you want to go for a trifecta of intuitive herbal magic, try all three! Don’t be deterred if you’re missing a specific herb, and feel free to modify. Many of the herbs suggested are powerhouses all on their own.
Intuition Tea
Try this tea recipe in a warm mug or your next bath. One of my favorite ways to enjoy herbs is through a tea bath. Your skin is super absorbent; placing your herbs directly into your bath is a wonderful way to soak them up.
Anytime you’re using dried herbs for teas, you want to ensure that they’re food-grade and preferably organic. Lavender and chamomile are easy to come by at most grocery stores in tea bags, blue lotus flower, on the other hand, will likely need to be purchased online. I love everything from Anima Mundi, and they offer blue lotus flowers here.
This tea is seriously calming! I suggest drinking a cup of it before practicing psychic or intuitive work in the evening when you don’t have to go anywhere.
To make your intuition tea you’ll need:
1t. Dried Blue Lotus Flower
1t. Dried Lavender Buds
1t. Dried Chamomile flowers
Pour boiling water over your dried herbs.
Cover the mug as it steeps (this helps to keep the benefits of these plants in your tea rather than evaporating out).
Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Cool and enjoy!
Intuition Smoke Blend
This smoke blend can be used to help center your mind and create a protective forcefield around you while you practice your intuition. This smoke blend is to be used to waft around yourself and your environment before psychic or intuitive work.
I like to use an abalone shell for burning herbs, but any fire-proof dish will work. Many use a shell for burning herbs because it represents the water element. With the addition of the water element, all four elements are represented in the herb burning process (smoke- air, herbs- earth, and fire- well, from the fire). Iron cauldrons are another tool that is often used for herb burning that works well too.
Please, use caution when working with herb burning. Never leave your herbal smoke burning without supervision, always use fire-proof dishes for burning, and ensure you have proper ventilation.
To make your herbal smoke, you’ll need:
About a 1t. Dried Mugwort
About a 1t. Dried Lavender
5-10 pieces of Frankincense resin
Charcoal tablet
Sand
Fire-proof dish
Match or lighter
Place sand in your herb-burning dish; this helps to insulate the charcoal tablet and disperse the heat.
Light your charcoal and place it in the sand. You’ll know it’s lit when it starts sparking,
Place your dried herbs onto the charcoal tablet. This method of herb burning creates a substantial amount of smoke, so start with just a pinch of each herb.
Waft the smoke around yourself and your space.
Check out this video to see how it’s done.
Intuition Spray
This recipe is similar to the High Priestess Mist that Eryn shared on the blog a while ago, with a few modifications. Rosemary and peppermint are often-overlooked herbs that are quite effective at working with the third eye chakra because they help to clear the whole head area. Cedar has a similar effect but is also soothing and grounding.
I love to use this spray when I’m feeling a little lethargic or have some thoughts whirling around my mind that could impede my intuition. Spritz some of this around yourself and your space before practicing intuitive work for an uplifting and inspiring psychic aid.
To make the intuition spray, you’ll need:
Glass spray bottle
5 drops of Rosemary essential oil
3 drops of Peppermint essential oil
5 drops of Cedarwood essential oil
Enough witch hazel to fill ½ of your glass bottle
Enough high vibe-water of your choice to fill the remainder of your bottle. High-vibe water could be moon water, natural spring water, vortexed water, energy-infused water, or any combination.
Optional, amethyst, moonstone, or quartz crystals
Optional, dried blue lotus flower and lavender buds
Combine all of your liquid ingredients into your bottle.
Add any optional dried herbs or crystals.
Shake, spray, enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these recipes! Be sure to tag @cassieuhl if you make them; I’d love to see your creations. Learn more about honing your intuition in these past blog posts.
The Witch’s Herb // 3 Magickal Uses for Mugwort
Mugwort, or Artemisia vulgaris, is touted as the witch’s herb. Mugwort is a powerful plant that every witch should have in their arsenal, but the richness of its history goes far beyond the witch. Mugwort is viewed as a weed and a nuisance by some, but don’t let this plant fool you, it’s powerful and potent!Mugwort has been used for thousands of years and has a multitude of purposes, including ancient beer production, acupuncture, and protection rituals, to name a few. I’ll be focusing on ways to use Mugwort in your spiritual and magickal practice. Keep scrolling for four ways to use Mugwort.
Mugwort, or Artemisia vulgaris, is touted as the witch’s herb. Mugwort is a powerful plant that every witch should have in their arsenal, but the richness of its history goes far beyond the witch. Mugwort is viewed as a weed and a nuisance by some, but don’t let this plant fool you, it’s powerful and potent!
Mugwort has been used for thousands of years and has a multitude of purposes, including ancient beer production, acupuncture, and protection rituals, to name a few. I’ll be focusing on ways to use Mugwort in your spiritual and magickal practice. Keep scrolling for four ways to use Mugwort.
Oracle card featured from The Ritual Deck.
Space Cleansing with Mugwort
There’s been a spotlight on the overharvesting of other plants commonly used in magickal and spiritual practices like white sage and palo santo. There’s undoubtedly some truth to these claims, and white sage and Palo Santo are not always the best option. If you do feel uneasy about using white sage and Palo Santo, or simply want an alternative, Mugwort is a pleasant and powerful option.
Similar to white sage, mugwort is an antimicrobial that can be used to purify the air of your space. Science has caught up with what many of our ancestors already knew, herbal smoke of certain antimicrobial plants can kill bacteria, and mugwort is one of them!
Mugwort has a light, earthy, and slightly sweet aroma. Many prefer it to white sage, myself included. To burn mugwort for energy cleansing you’ll need dried mugwort that’s either loose or in stick form. Use mugwort smoke to cleanse your space by wafting the smoke around with your hand or a large feather.
Beyond cleansing the air of your space, burning mugwort will offer protection and enhance your intuition. Keep reading for more about using mugwort for protection and intuition.
Protection with Mugwort
It’s quite astonishing how many cultures have relied on Mugwort as a protective tool. Native American cultures have used mugwort as a form of protection against ghosts, and as an amulet during sleep to protect against nightmares. In China, mugwort was used to dispel evil spirits during the Dragon Festival. There’s even a reference to St. John the Baptist wearing a wreath of mugwort as protection against evil spirits. In Europe, mugwort was often planted around houses as a form of protection.
Here’s a list of ways to employ the protective benefits of mugwort in your practice:
Burn dried mugwort in loose or stick form to cleanse and protect your space before performing psychic and intuitive work.
Hang mugwort above doorways to prevent negativity from entering.
Plant mugwort around your house for external protection. Be careful, this plant is invasive and can spread quickly!
Make a satchel of dried mugwort to carry with you for protection on the go.
Magick & Psychic Work with Mugwort
Mugwort is associated with the Goddess Artemis and the moon. These lunar ties give mugwort a strong connection to femininity, psychic work, and all things sleep-related. Another reason for using mugwort while practicing psychic work is how protective it is. Performing psychic work makes you vulnerable to psychic attacks and other negative energies. The protective properties of mugwort are another likely reason it became such a popular tool for witches.
Oracle cards featured from The Ritual Deck.
Here are some ways to use mugwort as a magickal tool:
The next time you’re doing a card reading or any other intuitive work, aid your intuition by burning some mugwort or drinking a cup of mugwort tea before you begin your practice. Note: Pregnant or nursing women should not consume mugwort.
To enhance your dreams, receive messages in your dreams, and practice lucid dreaming, place a pillow of dried mugwort under your pillow as you sleep.
Create a psychic protection charm bag.
Steep mugwort in a bowl of water to use as cleansing water for your psychic tools, only the ones that can get wet, of course! This is a great option for crystal balls, pendulums, and mirrors used for scrying.
If you have access to mugwort plants, their stalks are hearty and make beautiful wands for circle casting and spellwork.
Mugwort is associated with the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is an excellent plant to work with when working with this energy.
Mugwort has been revered for its medicinal uses as well, especially in women, but that’s a post for another day! If you want to learn more about mugwort, I encourage you to continue to research it, and there’s much to gain from this magickal plant.
Magical Moonstone Meanings & Uses
The magic of moonstone has been fawn over for more than 2,000 years. Ancient Romans and Indians believed that moonstone was a moonbeam in physical form, which sounds pretty lovely to me!This soft, feldspar-based stone can be found all over the world in a variety of colors. The most prized variety being rainbow moonstone with its blue sheen that appears to radiate from within. I’ll be focusing primarily on rainbow moonstone today, but the magical attributes and rituals shared can really be applied to all of the moonstone varieties.
The magic of moonstone has been fawned over for more than 2,000 years. Ancient Romans and Indians believed that moonstone was a moonbeam in physical form, which sounds pretty lovely to me! This soft, feldspar-based stone can be found all over the world in a variety of colors. The most prized variety being rainbow moonstone with its blue sheen that appears to radiate from within. I’ll be focusing primarily on rainbow moonstone today, but the magical attributes and rituals shared can really be applied to all of the moonstone varieties. Beyond its beauty, moonstone comes with an abundance of magical properties and uses. Here’s a guide that covers some benefits of moonstone, read on for five ways to use moonstone in ritual.
Moonstone Meaning
5 Moonstone Rituals
Moonstone Travel Ritual
Moonstone has been used as a protective stone for travel since ancient times, especially for night travel. Next time you’re going on a trip hold a piece of moonstone close your eyes and ask the stone to protect you as you travel. If your moonstone is a piece of jewelry, you can wear it for the duration of your trip. If your moonstone is a tumbled stone, consider carrying it in your suitcase or bag as you travel.
Moonstone Bath Ritual
Moonstone corresponds to the water element (learn more about the four elements here). To take advantage of moonstones watery vibes, place a piece of moonstone in your next bath. Take this ritual to the next level by enjoying your moonstone bath at night under the light of the moon. Add candles and some ylang-ylang essential oil to help you tap into the feminine energy of moonstone.
If you’re a water sign (Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer), balancing your water element will feel like being at home, cozy and comfortable. If you’re a fire sign (Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius), balancing your water element can help balance your intense and fiery traits. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, you can still benefit from this ritual. Restoring your water element will inspire femininity, creativity, and cleanse you energetically.
Moonstone Sleep Ritual
Because moonstone is associated with the moon, it is connected to your sleep patterns too. Keep moonstone on your nightstand or under your pillow to inspire deep sleep and lucid dreams. If you’re focusing on your dreams or trying to have lucid dreams, consider keeping a dream journal near your bed too. Learn more about dreamwork here.
Divine Feminine & Sacral Chakra Moonstone Meditation
Ancient Romans believed the Goddess of the moon, Diana, could be found in every piece of moonstone. The moon has long been associated with Goddess energy, especially in the Triple Goddess symbol, which you can learn more about here. Follow these steps to help call in more Divine Feminine energy and open your sacral chakra with moonstone. This meditation can help you tap into your sensuality, feel more feminine, balance your menstrual cycle, and improve fertility.
The ideal time to practice this meditation is at night under the light of the moon, but anytime will be beneficial.
Find a comfortable seat and wear or hold a piece of moonstone.
If you have a specific Goddess you’d like to focus on you can place an image of her in front of you. This step is optional, tapping into the collective Divine Feminine energy source will also be beneficial.
Close your eyes. Send your breath to your lower belly and focus on your inhales and exhales.
In your mind or aloud ask that you be filled with the energy of the Divine Feminine, or of the Goddess you’re focusing on.
Imagine your sacral chakra area (between your belly button and top of your pubic bone) glowing orange. Visualize a beam of light the color of a rainbow moonstone streaming down from the Universe, through the top of your head, and into your sacral chakra. With each inhale and exhale, visualize the orange ball of light in your sacral chakra increasing in size.
Stay here as long as you’d like. When you’re finished take care to thank The Universe for sharing this Divine Feminine energy with you.
Moonstone Intuition Ritual
The next time you’re planning to do an oracle or tarot card reading take a moment to amp up your intuition with this moonstone ritual. Moonstone corresponds to your third eye and crown chakra, both of which are essential for your intuition to be on point. With a piece of moonstone handy, lie down and place a piece of rainbow moonstone in the center of your brow bone where your third eye is. Stay here for 2-3 minutes and focus on your breath. Imagine the moonstone opening and unblocking your third eye and crown chakra allowing information to flow freely to you.
I hope these rituals offered you some useful ways to bring moonstone into your practice.
What crystals, symbols, and scents do you need most?
It can be overwhelming to know what crystals, symbols, scents, and other tools to rely on for different purposes. Here’s a quick guide for a variety of situations you may be seeking support for or, perhaps, you have a friend who needs support in a specific area?
It can be overwhelming to know what crystals, symbols, scents, and other tools to rely on for different purposes. Here’s a quick guide for a variety of situations you may be seeking support for or, perhaps, you have a friend who needs support in a specific area?
Happiness
Who doesn’t want to be happier? Scroll through the tools below for symbols, crystals, scents, and herbs that can help you cultivate more happiness in your life.
Symbols & tools
Wunjo Rune is the rune of joy, pleasure, and harmony. Get The Ritual Deck to get your Wunjo Rune oracle card, a great reminder of joy to place on your altar or carry with you throughout the day.
Crystals
Citrine, a crystal of happiness, emits positive energy and can help you stay positive, attract your desires, and be more present in your life. That’s where the joy really comes from after all, right?
Scents & herbs
Brahmi, an ancient Ayurvedic herb, can help promote feelings of well-being. Try burning it in the morning as you do a gratitude meditation.
Grounding & Protection
There are so many reasons grounding and protection are important. For those of us who do energy work and psychic work, grounding can help us bring our energy back into our body, back into the lower chakras. Protection can help protect you from absorbing the energy of others, either in spiritual work or just in general as you go about your life (especially for anyone who lives in the city!).
Regardless of your work with magick, grounding and protection help bring you back into your body, feeling safe, supported, and cared for.
Get more tips for psychic protection here.
Symbols & tools
There are many symbols of grounding and protection in the magical world. Some of my favorites are:
Algiz Rune, the shield rune for protection
Salt, a tool that has been used as protection for centuries
Root chakra, your energetic center of safety and grounding
Dark moon, an invitation to ground into your body and shed negative energy
The Ritual Deck includes representations of each of these symbols, which can act as energetic stand-ins in rituals or on your altar.
Crystals
Use snowflake obsidian, a stone of cleansing negative energy and releasing blockages, or smoky quartz, the ultimate stone for grounding and balancing.
Scents & herbs
Clove is your go-to for protection. Spruce will help you ground, bringing you deeply into the present moment.
Anxiety Relief & Peace
Many of us struggle with anxiety in the modern world. It’s so easy to get caught up in what has happened and what might happen or could happen. The tools below help you relieve anxiety and connect with a sense of inner peace.
Symbols & tools
Blue is a soothing color that can help restore tranquility and peace. Try lighting a blue candle or working with the blue candle card in The Ritual Deck.
Crystals
The crystal kingdom has an abundance of stones to help soothe your anxiety and restore your inner peace. We love blue lace agate for its calming vibrations, labradorite to keep you from absorbing too much of other people’s energy, and howlite to help relieve stress and get better sleep.
Scents & herbs
Lavender can be used as aromatherapy to soothe mild anxiety, and chamomile has long been used to reduce stress and anxiety.
Abundance & Wealth
Who doesn’t want to call in more abundance and wealth? The tools below will help you connect with the abundance you desire to manifest in your physical reality.
Symbols & tools
The color green is associated with abundance, wealth, good fortune, and success. Light a green candle on your altar or work with the green candle card in The Ritual Deck.Fehu Rune is your Rune for bringing abundance of all kinds into your life, whether it be financial or other. Fehu can also be used as a useful tool to tap into the abundance already surrounding you. If you’re having a difficult time tapping into gratitude for all of the gifts you already have, Fehu can help fill your heart with gratitude. Check out a ritual to work with Fehu in this blog.
Crystals
Citrine is also known as the success stone. It’s associated with the solar plexus chakra and can be a powerful aid in manifesting wealth and abundance.Green aventurine is another stone well-known for attracting abundance, success, and luck. It’s also associated with the heart chakra, helping you to open to receive the abundance that is on its way to you.
Scents & herbs
Cinnamon has its roots in many cultures as a powerful plant for attracting abundance as well as success and healing. Try adding it to your coffee, blending it in your smoothie, and sprinkling it over a banana or your favorite dessert!
Love & Compassion
Turn to these tools when your heart chakra needs some healing. They’ll help you cultivate unconditional love and compassion for yourself and others. Find rituals to cultivate self-love here.
Symbols & tools
Use a pink candle when you’re working with self-love and compassion, or a red candle when you’re working with passionate love involving someone else.
Crystals
Rose quartz is your crystal ally for unconditional love and compassion. It’s a gentle healer for your heart chakra, a space where we can store so much fear and doubt.Carnelian is another beautiful stone of love, as well as faith and devotion. Use carnelian when you want to devote yourself to a healing practice or when you need to deepen your faith and trust in yourself.
Scents & herbs
There are many scents and herbs that help promote love and compassion! Try hawthorn, rose petals, lotus petals, or motherwort. Mixing a few herbs together into a tea or a bath can be lovely.
Cleansing Negative Energy
Sometimes, we’re not able to protect ourselves from negative energy. Life is life, and negative energy is sometimes inevitable. Use the tools below to cleanse yourself and your space of negative energy, especially after a difficult conversation, a break-up, or a stressful day.
Symbols & tools
Salt is an amazing natural tool to absorb negative energy. Use a representation of salt from The Ritual Deck, take a salt bath, use a salt lamp, or place a bowl of salt in your space.
Crystals
Black tourmaline, a dark stone for protecting and cleansing, is your go-to for cleansing negative energy. Try meditating with black tourmaline, visualizing all of the negative energy being absorbed into the stone.All-purpose quartz, the ultimate balancer, is another great crystal to have on hand for cleansing negative energy. Learn more about the magical properties and benefits of clear quartz here. Labradorite is also available to help you cleanse your aura. If your aura is weak, has tears, or holes in it labradorite can help. Keep your aura squeaky clean by meditating with a piece of labradorite or going around your entire body with a piece of it in your hand.
Scents & herbs
Rosemary and cedar can all help you cleanse negative energy. Burn them over yourself or in your space to cleanse, purify, and release.
Intuition & Psychic Abilities
These tools will help you open your third eye chakra, to connect with your psychic abilities and center of intuition. (We have a whole slew of blog posts to help you in these areas as well -- check out 5 Quick Tips to Improve Your Intuition,You Are Psychic! How to Determine What Psychic Gift You Have, and 3 Daily Actions to Improve your Intuition to get started.)
Symbols & tools
Your third eye chakra is the center of your intuition. It’s associated with the color purple, so try burning purple candles or connecting with the color in other ways like wearing it or including it in your space.
Crystals
Amethyst is a classic stone for your third eye chakra. It’s like a cool bath for your intuitive center, gently opening and awakening it to deepen your connection.Labradorite connects strongly to your third eye, making it ideal for honing your intuitive abilities. It can also help you connect with spirit guides and angels, and open the doors to the other side by helping you with astral travel. A multi-purpose stone for your intuition and psychic abilities, indeed!
Scents & herbs
Experiment with mugwort, lavender, juniper, and bilberry to open your center of intuition.
Connecting to the Moon
Symbols & tools
Work with representations of the moon in all her phases to connect with the lunar, divine feminine energy of the moon. The Triple Goddess is also here to connect you with the moon and its cycles, as well as the mother/maiden/crone cycle of life. Download your Triple Goddess free printable here.
Crystals
Moonstone, just like the name implies, is your crystal ally for connecting with the moon. It’s a dreamy goddess stone that channels the energy of mama moon into your energy field.Selenite received its name from the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene. Selenite offers the water element, connecting you to emotions, intuition, your highest self, and of course, the moon.
Scents & herbs
Mugwort is your go-to to harness the intuitive and psychic power of the moon. Burn it in your space to connect with the moon’s energy and your own inner Selene.
Femininity
Symbols & tools
The Earth element, represented as an upside-down triangle with a line across the bottom, and the Water element, represented as an upside-down triangle with no line, are both beautiful representations of the divine feminine, womb healing, and receiving. Work with the representations of these elements in The Ritual Deck.
The triple goddess symbol that I mentioned above, shown by two crescent moons with one full moon between them, is another beautiful symbol of the divine feminine. Besides the phases of the moon, it also represents the phases of womanhood we cycle through: maiden, mother, and crone.
Crystals
Rainbow moonstone is here to connect you to your inner goddess and divine feminine energy.
Strawberry quartz can also connect you to feminine energy as a gentle, loving stone here to fill you with the healing energy of love and open your heart center to give and receive love unconditionally.
Scents & herbs
Hibiscus, the flower associated with the Hawaiian goddess Pele, connects you with Pele’s fiery, passionate, and yet nurturing energy.
The lotus, whose petals represent the yoni, can connect you with your feminine energy and feminine center, the space of creation within you.
I hope you find this guide helpful for quickly finding tools to help you!
