Casting a Circle of Protection

Casting a circle of protection is a way for Witches to protect themselves during Magick work. It creates a high-energy space where you can safely carry out your Magick, without the interference of any negative or harmful entities that might otherwise be attracted to your metaphysical energies during rituals and spell casting. You can cast the circle for yourself every time you need it, or you can cast it with or for your coven.

Marking out your circle

First, you want to decide where to create your circle. Whether you have an altar or just a peaceful corner of your home – or maybe outside in nature – pick a place where you are undisturbed so that you can focus and work in peace. It’s not necessary to mark out your circle, but some like to do it for ritual purposes, or for protection. It is also easier to see your circle if it has a physical shape, and it helps visualizing it filling with the energy and /or to jump into it. You can create a circle of rocks or crystals, or sprinkle sea salt along the edges of your circle, or place candles around you – for example five to mark out the points of the pentacle, or four placed at the cardinal points, West, North, East and South – also representing each of the Four Elements. It’s up to you how you like to mark out or decorate your circle.

The Casting

The next step is to conjure the pure energy that will surround and protect you. There are as many ways to do this as there are practitioners, so you will find a way that is suitable to you and your practices. Relax and breathe deeply. Imagine that your crown (the top of your head) opens up like a funnel to receive divine, white light. Your crown is always connected to the divine and to your Higher Self, and you can open up and amplify this channel at your will. Open your arms, palms facing out. With each in-breath, visualize yourself pulling down pure, divine light through your crown, and as you breathe out you channel this light out through your palms to create a protective shield around you as you expel all negative energy or thoughts from you. As you fill the space around you with this high-vibration energy you may feel a tingle or buzz, you may get goose bumps, or you’ll feel light and uplifted.

Now hold one arm outstretched (the one you write with) or use your Wand or Athame and point to the edge of the circle. Spin around clockwise three times, marking out your circle with the divine light around you, or step into the circle before closing it. Then raise your arms above your head and say:

“I call on my guardians and powers that be, 
To bless this circle and let me work free,
 To be protected within this space,
To cast my magic in this time and place."

You are now ready to cast your spell or perform your ritual. To close your circle, hold out your arm and spin around anti-clockwise three times and feel the protective light dispersing or retreating back into you. Thank the Spirits for their presence and declare the circle closed.

“The spell is cast the magic done,
 We thank all the powers for their time, 
The circle is now closed and gone, 
Until we call on it again.”

There are more complicated methods of circle casting and circles that include others, especially if you are part of a coven that performs a lot of rituals together, and depending on the traditions of your coven. There are ways to call the quarters or corners, if you invoke the elements, or specific deities and many other things.

There are infinite ways to do this, but always remember, that this is your circle, and you do it any which way you feel it is right for you. This is your show and you alone can tell if you feel safe and protected and how you achieve that feeling. The circle is here to keep you safe during your spells and rituals. You can even cast a permanent circle or protection spell in your room or home if you like, so you are always covered.

The Lions Gate Portal

The Lions Gate Portal is one of the most powerful times of the year and has been recorded in ancient times by Egyptians , Mayas and the Greek. For Egypt it has a powerful meaning, as the return of the star Sirius heralds the rising of the waters of the Nile and its culmination in the annual flooding that would bring precious silt to the fields for the coming season of planting. It is therefore also a time that was celebrated as the New Year in Egypt and other ancient cultures.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded every year because of Isis’s tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris. The three stages of the Egyptian flood cycle were Akhet, the time of the Nile flood, Peret, the sowing time, and Shemu, the time of harvest. Without this cycle people would die from starvation. The flood cycle was so predictable that the Egyptians even based their ancient calendar on it. They depended upon the flooding of the Nile for the fertility of their lands. The first time each year in which Sirius appears is called the “Helical rising of Sirius”. In Egypt this would be in the month of Thoth. It would occur close to the Summer solstice and the time of the Nile’s inundation. The helical rising marked the beginning of the New Year, which was held to be controlled by Isis. The star was used as an orientation point, especially at Thebes, and became identified with Isis. The Temple of Isis/Hathor at Dendera, constructed in 700 BCE, is oriented to this star through the northern opening of the central passage. On the temple wall is a zodiac square which shows the star. This is the period of time when Sirius disappears from the sky, as outlined in the myth, when Isis is hiding until the birth of her son, Horus, when the star reappears.

Sirius was revered as the Nile Star, or Star of Isis, by the ancient Egyptians. The dog Sirius is one of the watchmen of the Heavens, fixed in one place at the bridge of the Milky Way, keeping guard over the abyss into incarnation. The Dog Star is a symbol of power, will, and steadfastness of purpose, and exemplifies the One who has succeeded in bridging the lower and higher consciousness. Located just below the Dog Star there exists a constellation called Argo, the Ship. Astrologically that area in the sky has been known as the river of stars which is a gateway to the ocean of higher consciousness. Sirius is considered our Spiritual Sun, so the rising and return of Sirius was seen by ancient astrologers as the rebirth of our spirit energy and the spirit energy of the planet.

The Lions Gate Portal is activated by the the rising of the star Sirius, this takes place from the end of July all through the middle of August, however the numerology of 8/8, and the Sun reaching the halfway point or 15 degrees of the Leo zodiac at this time (the peak of Lion energy), has made August 8, the day we celebrate the portal.

This year the Gate opened on July 26th and will be closing August 12th, with is peak on the 8th, marking a particular magickal combination of auspicious numbers, the 8:8 gate. The eighth of the eighth is a fundamental spiritual date, as it’s when the veil between our world and the spiritual world is incredibly thin—the perfect time to manifest your goals. And when turned on its side, 8 represents the symbol for infinity. In astrology, the eighth house symbolizes power, transformation, the occult, and sex. In numerology eight represents a never ending and continuous cycle of energy circulating – it is infinite. In Tarot, the eight in the major arcana is the “Strength” card, which features a woman taming a lion. She has the infinity symbol over her head, meaning her strength from within can overcome the most wild and ferocious of beasts.

So what does the Lion’s Gate Portal mean, actually?

During the Lion’s Gate Portal the Earth and Sun align with Sirius, the Royal Star, and the Galactic Center, the point everything in the Milky Way revolves around. Powerful light codes come in through this portal, assisting humanity in raising consciousness and frequency. We are more able to initiate and end cycles or timelines, or even jump timelines, like quantum leaping into a hole new way of being.

August Sturgeon Super Moon

“It’s time to chase the sturgeons of the lakes and salt and dry them on the stakes…”

This definition is attributed to the fishing tribes of the Great Lakes, as they awaited the sturgeon spawning season.

Other names include; Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, Holly Moon, Moon of Encirclement and also the Red Moon, as it appeared reddish when rising thru the sultry haze of the prairies.

Focus on goals for health and wellness, what sacrifices can you make that will be beneficial later and make notes on your accomplishments so far, practice gratitude.

This is a good time for Familiar Spellwork, Dreamwork, riding the Hedge and stocking up your herbal apothecary.

Correspondences are: Yellow, red, orange, Rosemary, Basil, Catnip, Tiger’s Eye, Carnelian, Red Agate. Element FIRE

Lammas/Lughnasadh/First Harvest

Art by Jadzia N. Black

August 1st

Lammas is the first of the wheat or barley harvest of the year. In olden days, getting the harvest in on time and preparing for the long winter was a matter of life and death and we should remember that. It is the time of baking breads and working with your hands to create and give thanks to Gaia for her bounty. This celebration is a break from the toil, a holiday of remembrance and releasing. We reflect on what has grown and what remains to be gathered later in the fall. It is a time to show your skills, laughter, feasting and dancing but with an eye on the work still waiting to secure abundance for the winter. Summers energy is still vibrant and it is time to focus on your goals and perfect or challenge your skills.

Lughnasadh (loo-nesa) symbolizes the waning of the Sun Gods power and his willingness to sacrifice himself to the Goddess of the Harvest so the people can survive the winter with the fruits of the first harvest, knowing that he will return to us as the cycle continues. The Goddess carries the promise of this harvest and the harvest of the next year and the next, she is the embodiment of rebirth and promise. This is a very auspicious time for Handfastings as it carries the promise of longevity.

Rituals and Activities

Prosperity and Abundance: bake loafs of wholegrain to honor the harvest, brew beer and share it as a sign of gratitude, collect herbs to dry, make corn dollies to keep thru winter and plant them in spring,

Blessing and Sacrifice: meditate focusing on the good things in your life and any sacrifices needed to sustain you for the coming season, light a candle (orange, gold or yellow)

Contemplation: go for a walk to soak up the last of the summer sun, have a feast with harvest from your garden

Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings, time to enjoy the fruitfulness of Mother Nature and give thanks.

Lammas Feast: whole grain breads, blackberry pie, corn on the cob, potatoes, nuts, berries, roasted lamb, apples, BBQ meats, squash, turnips, acorns, rice, elderberry wine, ale

Lammas Herbs: Aloe, Calendula, Cornstalks, Acacia flowers, Frankincense, Hollyhock, Sunflower, Vervain

Decorations, Tools & Symbols: Summer flowers, grains, corn dollies, sunflowers, sickle,

Animals and Mythical Beings: Griffins, Phoenix, stag, centaurs, rooster, calf

Lammas/Lughnasadh Bread Magick

Bake your own bread, using the rising dough as a spell, to ensure that everything prospers in your life.
While kneading the dough, say to yourself;
“As this dough begins to swell,
So my fortunes shall rise and excel.”
Put aside to rise, asking your hearth faery to assist by leaving a little honeyed milk beside it.
You never know…
As you eat the bread remember that anything is possible and be grateful.

Art Magick, Creativity & how to attract your Muses!

Art, just like Music, is a Magick all on its own! The creative spirit that guides us in our own creative endeavors is nothing short of the divine manifesting its message through us. Not for naught have philosophers asked themselves for as long as the history of humankind, what that creative spirit is and how it inspires people to do and make art and where it all comes from. Is it a Magick within or does it come from other sources, or both?

In my book, meaning in my opinion, it is a combination of both, our own innate creative forces that are activated by the divine or the spirits of the land, to bring out concepts and generate works of pure beauty, genius and/or innovation. This is how the idea of Muses came about, where ancient philosophers believed that such inspired work could only be transmitted to the artist/poet/musician etc, by the whispering’ s of the divine.

The word "inspire" is coined from the very action that this picture suggests: Inspire, from the Latin "in+ spirare"  to breath in,  or blow into, and it was coined in the 14 century, in the way we use it today, as a way to explain a message received from the divine. The word also suggest the Element of Air to be involved in this, as the breath of life and inspiration is air and it can be directed to different areas of our body to motivate our actions. For example, if we feel inspired in our heart and hands, we are more likely to "make" things with our hands, painting, craftsmanship, artisans. If the inspiration goes to our head and intellect it develops into writing, poetry, music, and if we feel it in our feet and body, we are called to dance and move or perform. 

That art is magick can be discerned by the wording we use to describe art as a “Craft”, and people are “enchanted” by art and again, we are “inspired” by the divine, which is magickal and we use art as “incantation”, like sigils, signs and imagery that serves in spells or rituals. Art and Magick go hand in hand in so many ways, they are entwined.

That is why the picture of the Muses, whispering to us from beyond, has developed in the first place, because we do not exactly know where we get this “breath of creativity” from, and so the ancients imagined the muses as being the creative spirits, the catalysts for this force. There are several muses, each overseeing their own fields, mythology and functions.

Art is Magick, this includes all forms of art, and I, as an Art Witch, use my own creativity to make Magick with or through my art, depending on what medium I use. I mostly paint & draw, so visual arts, and I love crafting, as in making things with my hands. I have even done some carpentry, when I build my own desk hub to what I needed it to be, and I have been inspired to write as well, hence this blog, so I have been visited by a few muses, you could say.

I know, that if I do not get to be creative, to make art or act on the divine inspiration coming from my muses, I get restless, depressed and literally loose my mind and it makes me sick. It is a drive that comes from deep in my soul and spirit and is a part of my soul purpose in this life, and if it is blocked or repressed it has physical consequences for me. So I know that it is a part of me as much as it is inspired from the divine through me. Creativity is an urge and it has to be followed, in my case, I followed my crazy impulse to be an artist all the way to make it my profession. When I lost my job, a few years ago, due to changes in the industry I was in, I lost my way, and let life and conventional norms blur my vision and get in the way, and I gave into the low frequency of “be a grown up” and “get a real job”. That is when I lost my connection to my muses, and my life crumbled. I am now slowly getting it back, working hard to regain hat connection to the source, to my soul purpose and my art, by rejecting all those imposed notions society loves to push on us. I found my true self in the darkness and I am embracing my Magick again.

This brings me to the thematic of how do you connect to the creative spirit, to your muses and in turn to your own artistic expression?

The short answer is this: Follow your dreams, your gut feelings and those crazy impulses that push you to do one thing over another, even when you don’t know why and it makes no sense. Those are your muses! In a nutshell.

The longer answer is this: To connect with the creative spirit/s, muses, or whatever you want to call it, you have to set the stage. After quitting my “normal” job, that was slowly killing my soul a few years ago, after I had lost my way, I recreated the conditions of the “studio” life I had when I was working my dream-job. I set up my desk for drawing, I was able to borrow a drawing tablet from a friend of mine and I set up the space in my home the same way it would have been if I was still doing my dream-job. I got up every morning, and prepared to go to work, fully dressed and a cup of coffee in hand, just as it would be, and started working. Working on what you ask? I worked on my art, first a business card, then a project I had wanted to make and then something else that came up in my head. A friend of mine once said: ” Fortune will find you working”, meaning that if you want to be lucky, or inspired you have to create the conditions for it to happen. This struck me deeply, how can I expect my muse to show up if I don’t, right? That was exactly what I was doing, and eventually, ‘Fortuna’ found me, I got another job in my field, for a while, and then another and another…

In witchy terms, set up your creative space/altar/room, call upon the spirits you want to attract, ask them to come to you. Give thanks to them for their time and patronage and praise them for their favors and gifts, begin to create something, have fun with it, be playful and find your own rhythm. Don’t worry about how it’s going to be, look like or perfection. Just start doing it!

If you want to meditate before you create your art, then do that, see if you can reach that creative trance, where you forget what time it is and nothing exists but you and your art. Cultivate that space, create a ritual to help you dial into your creativity, to connect to your divine spark. You can start with cleansing the space you want to use, to get rid of all that bad juju and bless the space, open the channels so to speak. Set your intentions and goals and what your art is for. Visualize and set an end-goal for all this, this is important, use magickal correspondences to help you reach those goals. Use your intuition to guide you to what feels good to do and what does not resonate. You can incorporate the elemental forces, like music or incense for Air, a candle for Fire, a glass of water or cup of tea for Water and herbs or crystals for Earth.

Most of all don’t judge yourself, just create, this is a hard one for me, because when being a professional artist you always judge and compare yourself to others in your field. I also had to let go of my manic perfection and let my art be more flowing and loose when I started up at first. I had to let go of that, “it has to be approved” standard I had in my head. Do not let the need for perfection get in the way of creating. Nobody needs to see it unless you want to share it, it is your art, your creation and creativity and if it makes you happy, that is all it is meant to do.

I hope this makes sense and helps you bring out the magick in your art and make your art magickal. Have a cup of tea ready for the muse that visits and say hi from me…

Blessed Be,

Working with Mentors

Most of us modern Witches today are solitary practitioners, maybe we belong to one or more online circles or covens and some of us may even have an in-person coven to do rituals and sabbats with. So why, you ask, is it important to work with mentors?

The reason is simple, to learn! I am not talking about the general knowledge about witchcraft, spells and various practices, even though that is a part of it, I am talking about getting real insight to other peoples experiences and perspectives. I am talking about access to workshops, meditations, shamanic journeys, specific classes for various fields. Mentoring can be done online or in person, it can be one on one or in a group, you may already have mentors in your own group/s. As you know in Witchcraft power comes from knowledge and there is knowledge to be found in many places. To be able to experience someone else’s take on a discipline you follow, are curios about or want to learn is valuable, as it gives you a better understanding of how you can develop a routine or use it as a base for building your craft.

If there is one thing I have learned, over the last few years of doing Summits, Seminars and Workshops in the witchy/spiritual field, it is this; you don’t know you are missing out on something till you do. Meaning, that there may be aspects of the craft you may not be attracted to or interested in, and that you don’t think are relevant to how you practice your Magick, but, and here is the thing, it is your understanding and preconception of a field or practice that you are not vibing with. A new take, a different perspective on how you can use and work with an aspect of magickal curriculum may open up a whole new world to you, to expand and grow, and that is what you get when you open yourself up to working with mentors.

The Goddess knows I have followed some of the seminars I did, for a particular field I was wanting to learn and teacher I wanted to know more about, only to find that the panel I was least interested in, but decided to watch anyway, because that’s just me and I always try to at least give it a go anyway, and discover that I am totally obsessed and keen on finding out more about it, and completely blown away by the fact that I had it pegged all wrong and I would have missed out on all this wonderful knowledge and magick, had I not watched the panel.

This is a big reason I have learned to always check in on all the panels, even if I may switch them off half way through if I find its not jelling with me, but even if I find I am not interested, there is usually something I am glad I learned in all of them. The other reason I participate in all of the panels is that different people have various methods, if one is not right another may be perfect, so it is important to check out a few different ones on one subject to be sure you cover your bases and don’t close the door on something because the teacher or method was not right for you. And the third reason for doing the panels live, if you can, is to experience the community.

To realize just how many of us are out there can be a powerful event by itself, especially for us Witches, since there is such an overlay on our shared history and misconception of what and who we are within our own community and outside of it in the Muggle world. The simple knowledge that you are NOT ALONE out there is priceless, and it does not matter where you are in the world, we are here, just waiting for you to find us and connect. The stuff that happens in the life chat is sometimes as amazing and important as the panel itself and I have found myself sidetracked by the running commentary and participating in them a number of times, that I had to re-watch the panel again to actually pay attention to the speaker…

This is the beauty and magick of community. We all are perpetual students of the Craft, but we all also have the potential to be mentors to others in our own chosen field. So being a part of this community and participating in its spiritual & magickal growth is up to all of us. You never know where you find invaluable advice, new interests and new friends if you stay a solitary practitioner in your own cocoon, we have the choice and the freedom to follow our own magick the way we want to, but also be a part of something greater at the same time. This is what groups and covens are really for in my believe and so are the seminars and workshops that you can participate in.

The beauty of this magickal community also is the willingness to share. Most of the seminars I have followed can be done for free, some have upgrade tickets with extras, but even if you are broke, you can participate and find your mentors and groups. Just remember to pay it forward if you can, share and post about the seminars to others, speak well of the panelists and experiences, be grateful to the organizers for having a free option.

My own wish-list of books, workshops and events I want to sign up for, has been growing exponentially since I started to participate in the seminars and I will work my way through it little by little when I can. I want to give back to some of my mentors by buying their books and doing classes with them as occasion arises. In the meantime you can catch up on my blogs from past events here on my page and read about my experiences from those events and explore some of my mentors in the sidebar on the right.

Blessed Be,

Llewellyn Con 2023

The Sacred Space Summit

Expanded States of Consciousness and Magick

Llewellyn Con 2023

Kwowledge is power and the power of knowledge is in its range! The more you know, the more you want to learn, and you should. Witchcraft and living a magickal life is all about the learning, and experimenting, with new ideas. It is a life of the perpetual student and we would not have it any other way.

And where better to gain more knowledge then on a 10 day, 40 authors of all things witchy related, convention that spans over a myriad of different approaches to Magick and the practice of the Craft. Even if you do not want to call yourself a witch or have a magickal practice, there was herbalism, the occult, meditation, folk-traditions, spirituality, even science and everything in-between at Llewellyn Con.

I fell into this online convention by pure accident, someone I had just met at the Sacred Space Summit that became a friend, mentioned it and I looked it up. I was not even sure it would be something I wanted to do, as it came at the heels of so many workshops I had attended lately and I was still catching up on them. I am ever-so glad I did sign up, it would have been such a loss not doing it. And yes I am still catching up on this one now, even though it ended days ago.

When I signed up I looked at the speaker list and what books they wrote, to gain some idea of what their panel was going to be about, and I had an idea of who I wanted to see and who I was not really interested in. Boy did that change… I have watched all the panels, safe 4 of the last day so far, and even the ones that had initially seemed uninteresting or not relevant to my Craft have inspired, taught lessons and enriched my witch self in some way or other. It was absolutely incredible, I truly gained knowledge I did not even know I wanted and needed, made new connections to different aspects of the Craft and now I am left with a huge wish-list of books I absolutely have to have as soon as I have money to spend.

I know you are going to say, well, that is the point of a thing like that, to sell books, and I agree, but I will add this, the knowledge of the panels alone, and yes, I made notes, I always do, are going to fuel my practice of magick even now, without having bought one single book yet. I have been blessed with new teachers to follow and things to look into for months/years to come, and this before getting the books I want.

I made a wish to expand my Craft and follow my path more consciously some months ago and ever since then, things have simply fallen across my way. Even without having any money to spend on extras I have been able to enrich my mind in so many ways and I am grateful. Grateful to the Goddess and the Universe for guiding my steps towards these summits and workshops, grateful for the people that organize and participate, to bring the knowledge to us for free to share the knowledge with others, to raise everyone’s frequency and potential, regardless of profits, and grateful to be given the time to do them, to immerse myself and grow in the process.

My hope is to one day be able to pass this forward, or return the favor by acquiring the books, doing the workshops and retreats and offer some of my own to keep the wheel turning. This witch/spiritual community is amazing and so warm, I have found a group of like minded people from all over the world, all races and cultures, but one simple goal: to make this world of ours a better place for everyone in it. The message is this: to bring back the Magick into our lives, to re-enchant, re-wild and re-cover our own sovereignty and power and use it to connect and raise the consciousness of the entire planet to create a society that will be inclusive, respectful and value what really is valuable, life, love and Mother Nature.

My gift for now is the link below to one of the panels, Anodea Judith had a beautiful message for all that was really enlightening, and is the portal to all the other panels of the Llewellyn Con 2023.

Blessed Be,

July Buck Moon

“Every buck new prongs will sprout and his velvety crown he’ll show about…”

This moon is also called the Thunder Moon as storms are most frequent during this time and it is called the Hay Moon as the settlers would start harvesting the first hay on the fields. Oak Moon, Blessing Moon, Moon of Claiming are other names found in the lore.

As the sun continues to shine high above, July’s energy is bright, powerful and highly motivating. This is the month to enjoy life, spend time with friends and family to celebrate the warmth and abundance of summer.

Look at your goals about vacation or hobbies, work on the goals you have set yourself and prepare for the harvest season, are you prepared to receive the fruits of your labors magickal and mundane?

Find some time for relaxation, meditate, continue work on your personal growth.

Correspondences are: green, silver, blue-gray, Lemon, Chamomile, Hyssop, Moonstone, Opals, White Agate. Element WATER

Sun-catchers, Wind-chimes & Mandalas

Witches love to surround themselves with nature. They harvest herbs, flowers and plants for potions, spells and rituals, they use branches and flowers for wreaths and decorations and they all collect weird stuff…

You name it, they have it, because everything can be useful for magick and hold power. That “witchy vibe”, that is so sought after from watching movies and make you “feel like a witch”, is really just the constant need to collect everything and anything; feathers, weird stones and rocks, bones, antlers and other animal remains found on a ramble in nature, shells, empty birds nests, dead bugs…I could go on forever here.

Witches make things, magickal things like wreaths and sun-catchers, wind-chimes and all sorts of stuff, we use in our celebrations, decorate our altar with, and use as protection for our sacred spaces. So having things to make those items with is necessary, and no self-respecting witch would pass on the opportunity of having a perfectly preserved shed snakeskin or wasps nest if it so happened to be offered by the spirits of the land, am I right?

So, no matter where you live, always keep an eye out for the extraordinary when you spend time in nature, whether it’s your garden, the beach or forest or just a park in the city, even the streets of a metropolis might hold some unexpected treasure. You just never know, and trust me, once you are open to receive, things will just magically fall into your hands.

I loooooooove making my own sun-catchers, Mandalas and wind-chimes to put out in summer, to see them sparkling or chiming in the breeze and hear the sounds of the fay, as they pass through and say hello. I have a small collection of driftwood from the shores of Monterey Bay, shells & sand from Malibu and salt-crystals from the Devils Golf Course in Death Valley, to name a few.

Small tokens of the places I lived at or visited, that will carry the memory of the area and remind me of the wonderful times there. It is not about ransacking a place, but asking for permission and honoring the gift in showcasing it somehow. As I go through the seasons and change the decor to represent the sabbats, I bring out those memories and spend time contemplating them, the places they come from and even the time spend making the item from those pieces.

So, as Spring gives way to Summer, many of the chimes and sun-catchers will bring a little California vibe with them for me, and maybe the sun glinting off those shells, will shine the brighter, and the wind might bring the sounds of the ocean to my Missouri garden for a while…

And one day, when I have moved away from here I will have something that will hold the memory of the Show me State to bring a breeze of the Mississippi to wherever I might be then. Whatever the future will hold, those home made pieces will make me smile, no store bought item will ever hold that kind of power. This is why I am a strong believer in crafting my own decor pieces and why I am always keeping an eye out for strange coincidences that bring unusual things to me. Of course I also have a bunch of crystals and beads, that I collected over the years for other projects, and I use them often to glam up my creations with a bit of sparkle.

Oh, and by the way, that previously mentioned “witchy vibe”, yep, the one that we so love in our favorite movies, that will just magickally manifest, as you collect and craft and one day someone will mention something like, <your home looks like “so and so” place or “this and that” movie>, and it won’t be the expensive collection of memorabilia they refer to, but all your other weird stuff that is just sitting on a shelf or hanging on the wall/window that will have inspired them to say so.

The best part of that, is that all those pieces were free and are full of stories, of how you got them and why you made, whatever you made, with it. They will be perfect to tell with a cup of tea by the fire, while you reminisce and enthrall your audience with tales from far away lands, or times long ago. When even the most familiar place will exude that unmistakable aura of spellbound mystery for anyone listening, and that my friends is Magick!

Blessed Be

Lotion Potion

I started making my own lotion after I had tried and succeeded at making a few lotion bars. I found some great, easy to do recipes on Pinterest and started making my own. I loved the way they moisturized my skin, how wonderful they made my skin feel and how all my little blemishes and wrinkles started smoothing out.

Mostly I was amazed how easy it was making lotions and considering the price point of all the best ingredients still it came nowhere near the crazy store prizes. Not only did I now know exactly what I was putting on my skin, but a few months down the line I realized how much my skin tone improved and when I went back to using store bought brands, I could tell they did not moisturize half as well. Plus they are full of fillers and preservatives and other agents to keep the lotion from melting in the heat or changing consistency in any way.

Now I have been doing my own lotion for more than 6 years and I will not even consider going back, ever.

The Magick of making your very own skincare product is in choosing the best ingredients and knowing where they come from, buy ethically and responsibly if you like and still make a years worth of lotion for the price of all those name brand high end tiny tubs of super secret formulas.

All you need to get you started is 3 ingredients, yes three. Once you tried the recipe you can start playing with the add-ons and get creative. But your base will still be the same for the most part.

Whether you will make a lotion bar, meaning a solid bar of lotion that will melt on your skin, or a whipped soft tub full of luscious body butter, is up to you. It is all in the ratio of how much of each ingredient you use. In a lotion bar it is an easy one part of each, your carrier oil, your butter of choice and of beeswax, to make it perfect. Hard enough to use a mold and keep its shape, soft enough to melt as you apply it over your skin.

Starter Recipe for Lotion Bars

3oz coconut oil
 3oz cocoa butter
 3oz beeswax 
You can add 10 drops of lavender essential oil (make sure it is real essential oil for use on skin, there are fake ones out there) or infuse the coconut oil with lavender first (it takes about 4 weeks to infuse). 
Melt the 3 main ingredients in a double boiler, or use a glass or metal bowl in a few inches of boiling water, make sure the water does not get into the ingredients. Add the essential oil after all other ingredients have melted and you have removed the bowl from the heat. If you use infused oil, add it after the other ingredients have melted out of the heat. 
Stir everything together and pour the mixture into the molds, silicone molds are best and easiest to use, you can find them in craft stores or Amazon for a few dollars and you will reuse them over and over, or you can use muffin tins if you're in a pinch. Leave to solidify or gently put it into the fridge/freezer to cool down faster, I usually put them into the fridge first, for a few minutes and then the freezer to avoid the splitting of the oils into layers or forming of large clumpy crystals in the lotion. Freezing only takes about 10 min for a mold pour.

You can use any combination of carrier oils and butters, It is up to you to find your perfect match. Try olive oil or almond oil instead of coconut oil and shea butter, coffee butter or mango butter instead of cocoa butter (and yes real cocoa butter is edible and you will find it sold as food grade, so you can also make chocolate if you know how).

You can also use other waxes instead of beeswax, but make sure it is for lotion use, I am not versed in those, so I can not tell you if they are better or different, so please do your research on those before you use them. I only use beeswax and I make sure I get the real deal, not the cheep substitute, I even scour the farmers markets for it, honey makers usually have some, if you talk to them.

Here is a link to a great article on butters by Soap Queen: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/all-about-butters-in-bath-beauty-products/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FJuVj+%28Soap+and+the+Finer+Things+in+Life%29, it is intended for soap making, but the information on the butters is just as valid for lotion making, especially the melting points and qualities. Knowing more about your ingredients melting points will help you when you make soft body butters and lotions. This helps me determine the ratios of the mix and how much beeswax, if any, I need, depending on the time of the year and weather. As it gets hotter and the temperatures get higher, remember that your butters and oils will be softer and melting, so you will need more beeswax or butters and oils that have a higher melting point to keep the lotion consistent. In winter, if you live in cooler climates, you may not need any beeswax, just the right combination of oils and butters.

Lotion/ Body Butter Recipe

I have a 15oz tub so this recipe will fill it: 
4oz cocoa butter, 
4oz shea butter, 
4oz coconut oil, 
2oz beeswax, 
2Tbsp olive oil, 
2Tbsp sweet almond oil*, 1/2 Tsp vitamin E oil* (* you can omit these if you do not have them) 
add 10 drops of Lavender Essential oil and 10 drops Lemongrass essential oil. 
Melt the hard ingredients first and add the liquid oils at the end, remove from heat, add the vitamin E and essential oils and stir. 
Let the mixture cool down a bit, just until it creates a film on the edges of the bowl, you can put it into the fridge or freezer for 5-10 min to cool faster. Use a food mixer to whip the mixture for about 6-10 minutes, till it becomes thicker and uniform. If it is still too liquid, cool it more. The whipping will turn the color solid from the transparent liquid state and ensure that all ingredients have melded. 
Pour into the container you will keep it in and let it finish solidifying. Now it is ready to use. 
My 15oz tub usually lasts me about 2 month, I love my potion so I use it a lot.

Once you have made your first lotion or bar from the recipes, you will see how easy it is and start creating your own mixes and add the scents you love most, I use rose water, peppermint, cinnamon and orange in winter and other scents or spices, you can use ground cinnamon and nutmeg too, some of the spices do not melt, so you will feel them faintly when you rub on your lotion, just FYI. For the lotion bars, you can decorate them with petals and spices to make them pretty, I use a spoon full of matcha tea powder for my mint bar to give it that lush green color.

Go and have fun and comment here about your adventures in lotion potioneering, I would love to hear how it went.

As always in magick, you can add your intentions to the lotions and make them even more magickal…