Witch Cottage Tour -- Get a Look Inside

 I always dreamed of a Witch Cottage of my own. In the woods, tucked away in a garden overflowing with roses and things that climb on arbors, or maybe overlooking the sea. At the end of February, my own little cottage -- okay, so it’s a children’s playhouse, but I have a good imagination -- was delivered to my Louisville backyard. I’d like to show you around! (As a little bonus, you’ll get a sneak peek at a DIY project I’m starting that I’ll be sharing here soon.) ... Prefer to watch this as a video? Watch here!

The cottage is located in a corner of my yard that is very not Instagram-ready. I guess we could say it’s the BEFORE picture on a Pinterest project. My husband and I got started on a fence and put in a little swing and the start of a fire pit the summer before last. Then NOTHING happened last year because … 2020. (Hey, something happened! I started this channel! AND I started my first ever vegetable and herb garden in another part of the yard.) But then a tree fell in what we discovered was our water pit, and we just sorta stopped. Until the Witch Cottage was envisioned!

We have beautiful, very cottagecore plans for the back corner. Lattice walls. Trellis and planter box entrances, stone paths. We’re going to raise the area with decorative stone to get it out of the swamp. I’ll have container roses, more herbs, and some other flowers. And Aphrodite will likely be out here when she’s not at Midian. (We’ll see how she feels about that. She does love a garden.) Oh, and we have one of those metal firepit container thingies to put out here. So, this will be a private ritual garden once all is complete. (Bye, neighbors!) 

Moving inside. This main shrine area is really familiar to regular viewers of the Blade & Broom YouTube channel. I’ve done a LOT of videos in front of this space. So, it’s actually a bookcase that was made by a friend about a decade ago, topped with a 1970’s bookcase headboard from a twin bed. All painted in the same white. I LOVE the amount of storage and display I have with this thing. This shrine is where most of my Spirit vessels and my own Fetch vessel reside. It’s also where I store most of my working tools. They’re either on or near this space. A couple of pieces I’d love to point out -- my Volva Stav (which I’ve described before as the grandmother of the Witch’s Stang), a Spirit vessel for one of my Allies on the top shelf of the main bookcase (made from a cane toad -- which is an invasive and overpopulated species in the Seller’s area, so a win-win for Crafting), the pentacle trivet I picked up at a flea market, and  finally the frame which always has a rotation of spectacular Witchy art from my friend and frequent collaborator John Birkel aka Jonathan Blackthorn.  Check him out.

My working blade and broom are in the video (on YouTube, but it was hard to get a good angle for a still-pic here). I’ll be honest, this is not a great quality blade, but I love the length of a Claymore to match the length of the broom. Plus, I just love a Claymore. (I had a spectacular Claymore once upon a time, but in a spasm of HPS disease, it was taken from me. We’ll probably talk about the dangers of HPS disease at some point, and I’ll look to getting a better sword later. For now, this one has loads of history and sentimentality.) And the broom is nothing but AWESOME. Ash handle, birch twigs, willow bindings. Made by Broomsquire of Dewy Rose -- not an affiliate. 10/10 highly recommend!

This area is my actual working altar. This is where I do certain types of workings that require a surface. It’s also where I keep my Book of Arte, my lamps, and my coven’s fetiches. There is storage underneath for supplies and “Workings in Progress.”

This is my beautiful Bucca. He has been with me for several years and was found for me by one of my best friends who is a goat lady. She knew and trusted the man who was selling the skull, so I know that this Old Goat lived a happy, horny life and died of natural causes.

My Aphrodite Shrine. She’s here inside in this special corner of the cottage, surrounded by ALL THE WATER, because I’m like that. There’s water from the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine. Blessed Water made by a Witchy friend of mine from Camp Midian. Aphrodite Ocean water I collected while swimming naked at midnight under a Libra Full Moon. Snow (now melted) collected under a full snow moon. More waters, too. Offerings made to Aphrodite that have been entrusted to my care. Bowls and cups, to be joined by more bowls and cups eventually. She keeps my wings, which I wear for certain workings. And She wears lots of my sacred jewelry. Some of those jewels are hers, but some are shared now, it seems. It’s like that sometimes.

In the central space (again -- hard to photo), I perform full-on ritual. This is my fully private indoor working space. It doesn’t look all decked out because I don’t honestly keep or need a lot of things in the space where I work, most of the time. In the next few weeks, I’m going to be showing you some different ways to lay the compass, and you’ll probably understand why I don’t need lots of elemental altars and other things right here where I communicate with Spirits.

Magic Carpet DIY concept -- I mentioned at the beginning of the video that I would show you a DIY project for this space. It actually involves the Compass. I will be using a black and white round tablecloth and some embellishments (along with my years of sewing and embroidery experience) to make a portable Witch’s Compass, complete with symbols sacred to my Tradition. I’m excited to be able to show you what that looks like in about 3 weeks.

That’s all I have to say about that for today, friends! I hope you found today’s tour informative -- or maybe inspirational! If so, bless me with the magic of the like button (and tell your Witchy friends that there’s good stuff happening here). I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions on this topic in the comments. Aaaand … if you’d like to learn more about how to practice Traditional Witchcraft, download my free ritual guide “Three Rites Every Traditional Witch Should Know”  -- or jump straight to the link for the Red Thread Academy of Traditional Witchcraft to check out the online Witch school associated with my Tradition.

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.