Crafting Correspondences

 Magical correspondences are those lists or tables that help us align our spell intentions with every conceivable substance (animal, vegetable, mineral), force (elemental, planetary, spiritual, biological, etc), time (hour, day, month, season), and so on that we can come up with. If you can name it, someone has probably figured out a place for it in a Table of Correspondences. 

Or better yet, if you think you might find it (whatever "it" is) useful in your spellcrafting, YOU can figure out where it makes sense in YOUR own Table of Correspondences. After all, the way one thing relates or corresponds to any other thing/concept is subjective -- based on culture, personal experience, historical significance, and other factors.

You can start with the tables you find in books or online, but then feel free to make adjustments based on your own experience, your culture of origin, or your intuition. This is a powerful way to make the magic yours, by tapping into your own power center!

Want to hear more on this topic? Check out this YouTube video I posted about it.

Cottage Witchery

 

What we might call Cottage Witchery (or Hearth or House Craft) is a form of practical magic that focuses on the cleansing, protection, and blessing of the dwelling or domicile. It is not necessarily its own Tradition of Craft, which would be associated with its own lineage, tools, etc. Indeed, as a study of
practical magic under the greater umbrella of Craft lore, it is accessible to all students of the Craft, regardless of Tradition.

Forms of this type of folk magic are present in every religion and date to pre-historic times. Cottage Witchery is part of our ancestral heritage. It is natural to have a desire to cleanse, protect, and bless the space that provides our shelter — and thereby the people with whom we share this most fundamental of human needs.

Much of what we think of as “old wives tales” or backwoods superstitions are actually the Old Ways that have been preserved through generations — handed down to us in the memory of our elders. Very often, these folk-ways are based on even older long-forgotten customs of Spirit-veneration (or in some cases, Spirit-appeasement — or even banishment).

Home is an outward reflection of the Self in many ways. We have basic shelter here, yes; but we also choose tools, comforts, and decorations that reflect our tastes and aspirations. It’s where we’re our most vulnerable — when sleeping, sick, or otherwise in need of recovery. It is our sanctuary. It is also our Temple, housing our tools of Arte. Whenever possible, choose natural materials and fibers (wood, stone, metal, jute, cotton, wool, silk, etc) and incorporate living plants into the home. Derivatives like ceramic potter and glass are also preferable to plastics and other synthetics. Energy simply moves better through and around natural materials.

(This information is copyrighted by Asteria Books and is available as part of the Book of Shadows project.)

Adding Herbs to Your Witch Practice

I'm a wild-eyed plant person, there's no doubt about it. You can tell when you see me talking about my plant friends in the videos I'm going to share that I get a little nutty about the relationships between the Witch and the GreenWorld. Each plant type has so much to share with humanity, and each individual has the potential to be a friend. If you've kept houseplants or a garden yourself, you might have an inkling of what I mean.

But are you ready to bring that into your sorcery, into your magic? Have you tried your hand at healing with herbs?

It's so natural and simple to get started. Our bond and connection with Plant Allies is just waiting to spring to life! We rely on plants already for daily sustenance -- from grains to fruits and veggies. It's just a small hop to herbal teas for minor ailments, and presto! You've entered the world of herbalism. (You can even start with the pre-mixed herbal teas available at the store. There is absolutely no shame in that. Yogi and Traditional Medicinals are actually really reputable and widely available, and they make fantastic blends.) And from there, you're more than half-way to learning the magical properties of the Plant Spirits.

Sure, there is a lot you could learn. You could dive down the rabbit hole and become a Master Herbalist or a full-on Woodwose. But if you don't know anything at all right now, don't let yourself be intimated by all that to the point that you don't get started.

1. Start with some friendly plants! I have two videos below where I talk about the medicinal and magical properties of 10 plants that you might already have some familiarity with. They are basil, chamomile, dandelion, lavender, lemon balm, mugwort, nettle, peppermint, thyme, and vervain. Most of those are kitchen herbs! The ones that aren't are either considered weeds (which I discuss) OR are common in magical supply shops. In fact, you can get them in MY shop!

2. Plant a small garden -- or grow a few herbs in pots in your home if a garden isn't practical. Even just keeping one plant that you get to know well will give you a great introduction to this type of magic! You can engage in easy, friendly meditations and spirit journeys with your Plant Spirit Ally, allowing it to teach you its special wisdom as you provide space and care for it.

3. Incorporate just a few simple teas into your routines. This was how I got my start with herbalism -- years before taking the classes that eventually led to becoming a Certified Master Herbalist. You can think about picking an herb to get to know for a chronic condition, if you have one; as a daily tonic; and/ or to address a seasonal or acute problem (like cough/cold, occasional sleeplessness, tension, etc) that might come up for you. For example, some of the first herbs I got to know were lavender, nettle, and chamomile. Lavender was my first Plant Friend, and we got to know each other due to chronic migraines (as the result of head injury when I was 18). Nettle is more of a tonifying Ally, and the health benefits this Wonder Weed provides are too numerous to list, almost! (A lot of Witches who identify with plants take magical names from the plant kingdom. I would be Auntie Nettle, if ever I were to do such a thing. A bit of a sting, but so much to share!) And then sweet, sweet Chamomile! Beautiful, relaxing, charming Chamomile. She plays well with others. Calms you right down when you need to rest. I blend chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender together for a stress relief tea that really just doesn't leave room for tension in the body. Melts it away! Tastes like sunshine, too!

I have a 351-page Herbal Grimoire available (in PDF), for those interested. (Also available in hardback on Lulu.) It covered the basics of herbal crafting (how to's, why for's, magical herbalism and gardening, etc), includes incense and oil formularies, and has indexes of herbs and trees that include TONS of medicinal and magical info.

Last week and this week on the Blade & Broom YouTube channel, I offered LOTS of info on those 10 herbs I mentioned above. Here it is. Dig in!

The Trouble with Fairies

Everyone loves fairies. The little people. The good neighbors. Connected to nature as guardians and elementals, who doesn't love the fey?

Truthfully, I approach fairies from every culture -- but particularly the fey and sidhe of Celtic culture -- with some caution. Fairies are tricksy. Like most spiritual entities, fairies are looking out for themselves (or for their habitat), and their needs and wants can be very foreign to humans.

Depending on where you live in the world, you probably have some sort of fairy spirit living on or near the property where your home sits. They're the "good neighbors" in Celtic lore ... but only if we are good neighbors to them. It is wise to propitiate the fairies in your area BEFORE there is a problem.

What sorts of problems can fairies cause?

• tangling the hair of sleepers into "elf locks"
• stealing small items
• leading a traveler astray
• some forms of sudden death (!!!)
• wasting illnesses
• paralysis and mysterious illness in animals

You can protect yourself against unwanted fairy encounters, which is the most common type of advice given regarding fairies. If you wish not to be disturbed by fairies, implementing one of these tools/tricks can help you:

• cold iron
• wearing clothing inside out
• running water
• bells (especially church bells) 
• St. John's wort
• four-leaf clovers

However, if you are more interested in developing a respectful relationship with the "good people," you can use one of these sacred and beloved offerings to your benefit:

• rowan trees (berries, twigs) 
• bread
• cream and butter

Common sense is always key, though. Even if you have a good relationship with the fair folk, you should really think twice before:

• following a will o' the wisp
• lingering in fairy haunts
• digging in fairy hills 

Finally, a sure way to have a lasting relationship with one of the little people is to learn the name of a particular fairy. As with most beings, knowing an individual's name gives you a bond.

But ... That is an EVIL Spirit!!

Imagine with me that you stumble upon a spirit listing on a shop's website. The image you see is dreamy, the description makes your blood hot, and you can't stop thinking about it no matter how you try to distract yourself. You're obviously drawn to the spirit, but let's say that you decide to do an internet search about that spirit type. WHOA! *sound of breaks squealing* Everything you read is bad or worse. This spirit must be wrong for you, right? You're a good person; you don't want an evil spirit in your family. Why would that conjurer even have such a bad spirit available? Why would you be drawn to it?

I will be honest and say that some religions work very hard at keeping the spirits of the older religions in a bad place. They've taken the word "daemon" (which just meant "spirit" in Greek) and made it into a big, awful demon -- who wants to eat your soul and torture you. What we have to do is separate the bad press from the actual spirits. Many types of spirits were given awful reputations as newer religions came into an area. Not all Djinn are bad. Not by a long shot. Are some Djinn evil? Sure, in the same way that some humans are. You don't bring strangers into your home without good references, a mutual friend, a reliable employer or other arrangements that help you trust them. It is the same with spirits. That is the primary role of a conjurer like me. I provide a reference. I don't let anyone come through that I can't trust. Does that make sense?

In every race of spirits, just like with humans or animals, there are good and bad. As humans, we carry prejudices about people who dress a certain way or live in a certain area or practice a certain religion. But not all of those people fit our prejudice. We can find friends and lovers and business partners from those groups, if we are open to it -- and if we are clear in our needs.

My job, as a spirit conjurer, is to find a spirit for you that you can share a bond of affection with -- one whose needs can be met by your own. The relationship is a symbiotic one.

As always, though, I would say to trust your instinct. If you are turned off by a spirit because of its reputation, it might not be a great choice for you. If, however, you remain drawn to a certain type of spirit *despite* their negative press, there is likely one of that type who is a good, healthy, happy match for you.

No race of any spirit or being is a monster. None are purely evil, as a race. To a canary, a house cat is a monster. To a worm, the canary is the monster. Humans are just used to being at the top of the food chain, and the things that could harm us in the course of their natural existence seem "evil" to us. But how many heartwarming stories have we seen about some predator who has become friends with a member of a prey species?  Affection, commonality, and need can  really change the dynamics of an adversarial relationship -- and can go a long way to helping us heal the preconceived prejudices we inherited from the past.

Did You Just Send Me a Servitor?

I received an interesting question a while ago from a potential client.

The question is: how can I recognize/differentiate a real actual entity/spirit bound to me or a vessel, an entity which is not a human creation, from a thought form or entity created by a human (servitors, egregores, etc.). I am a spirit keeper and want to be able to understand if a seller has sold me something which is not a real spirit, but his own creation.

If you are  unfamiliar with the concept of servitors, a quick Google search for "what is a servitor" will turn up several very helpful answers. The short version is that they are a thoughtform that has been created to serve a particular purpose. Yep, that's right! You can create a spirit to accomplish the goals you desire. Magicians do it all the time. All. The. Time. So, how do you know if the spirit you received from a conjurer is an older entity or one of these newly created servitors?

It can actually be quite difficult to tell whether the spirit you have been put in touch with is a new creation or an older, existing being. I think that's because ALL spirits start somewhere, and many of them begin as servitors/egregores. Now, for a great many of the ones whose names we have recorded in old grimoires and such, they were created centuries or even millennia ago. Some were deities of conquered people whose Gods were demonized and brought low by the conquerors. Following this line of thinking brings a philosophical person back to the old question -- did the Gods/God create us, or do we create them/him?

Generally, though, a newly created servitor isn't going to have the oomph behind it. Not enough people have put their faith into that being, communicated with that being, etc. It hasn't done enough work to be as strong or as solid or as "weighty" as a spirit that has been around longer.

This comes down to intuition and trusting your senses (including the psychic ones) to be able to feel. But if you can feel that spirit, try to get a sense of age, of gravitas (if that makes sense), of experience.

I would also suggest being open to working with newly "created" spirits. If they're getting the job done, and you enjoy them, then they can be every bit as effective and wonderful a companion as an older being. Thought creates reality, after all, which means that these beings are very "real."

And by the way, I do understand if your concern is less about the spirit's ability and more about the conjurer's ethics. If you've been told you are receiving an old spirit, that's who you should receive. A servitor can be exceptionally helpful, but you shouldn't be given one thing and told it is something else.

I hope that helps. I know it doesn't give a concrete answer to "how" -- although maybe my "soft" answer about feeling the age and weight and experience of the spirit will be a useful tool for you.

In another blog entry, we'll explore how you can create a servitor, if you are interested in doing such a thing. Certainly, if you are wishing to train as a conjurer, servitor creation should be a solid entry in your curriculum vitae.

Our Spirit Conjuration Process

I've been involved with several different types of Witches, spirit-conjurers, and magicians. Each individual works a little differently, and each method or genre of conjuring has its own set of rules. Ceremonial mages are different from witches who are different from rootworkers. I have been trained in these three systems and also in Druidry, and I have studied other systems as well. I hope I will be able to explain my process clearly for you. I have done this so long that I find I work on a highly intuitive level, with only a little ritual mechanics. That can make it hard to explain, I think.

1. When you purchase a conjure with us, you can include some details in the NOTES box at check out. Your name, birthdate, and any specifics about the type of spirit or sort of relationship you want are very helpful. If you have a preferred vessel type, you can note it here, as well. We will do our best to accommodate your vessel needs, according to what we have available.

2. We'll contact you to clarify anything we need to know. We want you to be satisfied with your spirit relationship, and communication is key.

3. When we have the needed details, we will do the conjuration work to bring the spirit you desire into your life, connecting him/her with the vessel. Depending on your needs, we may take up to 7 days in order to find the right planetary hour and day for your spirit's conjuration.

4. We will contact you within 24 hours (via email) with the details of your spirit companion -- name, type of spirit, appearance (although this is often changeable, as nearly all spirits are willing to assume a shape you find pleasing), and any other details that are conveyed to us. This is a good time to ask any questions that have come up for you since your order was placed.

5. We will ship your vessel, a printed report of the information in step 4, and two free booklets via USPS Priority Mail.

After that, if you have more questions or need further instruction, we are happy to connect with you via a SKYPE consultation (see our listing).

SPIRIT VESSEL

Each spirit will be delivered to you within a traditional talisman vessel. You can offer the spirit any vessel that you choose after you have received it from us. (Indeed, you can offer it any vessel you choose, as soon as we've introduced you.)

Unlike other shops who have "bound" the spirit to a vessel (or claim to have done so), we acknowledge that even though a spirit may be bound to you (through ties of love, commitment, and choice), no spirit can truly be confined to a physical object. (I know this is a popular conception of how spirit keeping happens, but this isn't how "spirit" works. Your own spirit isn't forced to stay within your body -- as we know from lucid dreaming, astral travel, and spirit flight. The same is true for your spirit companions.)

It's perhaps inaccurate, though, to say that the spirits aren't "bound." Different conjurers use this terms a little differently. What we mean is that they are not held in place. They are not forced. They are not imprisoned. Some conjurers use the term "bound" to mean those things. Others, like me, use the term "bound" simply to mean linked. The vessel is offered as a house, a dwelling, a physical place. The keeper and spirit develop a bond, a link, a relationship. They work together as friends, companions, teachers, lovers, partners, etc. The understanding is made first in my communication with the spirit when I prepare for the conjure. I only "call" for spirits who are willing and interested in working with a keeper as s/he needs. I am very clear in that call, and I am very firm in my willingness and ability to banish any spirit who comes with less-than-cooperative intentions. It's based on energetic compatibility and also contractual agreement. I tell the spirit what is needed, and they tell me what they need in return.


FINDING THE RIGHT "FIT"

Over time a person's energy can shift and change. We see this with human-to-human relationships very clearly. And sometimes that means that a spirit is only in your life for a period of months or years, while you work through something together. Other spirits, like certain friends and lovers, are in it for the long haul. You can change, they can change, and you still love and enjoy and need each other. I would advise my clients not to be rigid in their relationships with spirits (or with humans). Holding on tightly to a relationship whose time has ended can only cause heartache for everyone involved. But at the same time, don't assume all spirit relationships are transient and temporary. Certain types of spirits will be with you until you die, whether you acknowledge them or not.

So, how do I ensure the spirit will be a right fit for the person he/she is going to?

I ask. I listen. I watch. I feel. I hear. I ask my own spirit companions to advise me. This is perhaps one of the more intuitive aspects of this work, and I apologize if my answer is unsatisfying or unclear.

I find, very often, that when a client comes to me asking for a certain type of conjuration, the spirit they are requesting is already quite close at hand. That spirit has often been talking to them for weeks, months, sometimes years. "Hey! I'm here. I can help. Notice me." My work isn't usually so much about going into the astral planes and searching for the best match, but about bringing the spirit into the keeper's awareness. Of course, sometimes I am playing matchmaker, comparing lists of energetic and astrological compatibilities. =)

OUR TALENTS
We are very gifted and powerful spirit-conjurers, -communicators, -and keepers. These skills are obviously useful in terms of bringing the right spirits into your life. But they are also helpful for psychic readings, teaching, and magical life coaching -- all of which are offered in the shop.

WHO ARE "WE"?
Laurelei is our spokesperson and sorceress. She is 42 years old and has spent over half her life studying and practicing Witchcraft and the occult.

Laurelei works with several spirits to do the work that is listed in this shop -- including a Solomonic demon (who prefers not to have her name shared publicly), a Marid Djinn named Lef'rah, the Father of Witchcraft, the Queen of Heaven, a lorelei-siren, and assorted other spirits.

Even though Laurelei does the typing and talking, one or more spirits are usually speaking with/through her. Hence, the "we" when talking about certain types of magic. It's a group effort.