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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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Bedridden witch: Garden edition

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Being bedridden and having a garden are two things that don’t mix”. And you’re right, it does make it hard to have a traditional, outdoor garden. But, there are plenty of ways to bring the garden in!

Bringing bits of your existing garden in:

Jars of your garden soil.

Give the smaller, weaker plants you pulled a second chance!

Make a terrarium using soil, rocks, water and plants from your garden.

Dry flowers and herbs from your garden in your bedroom.

Keep containers of seeds from your plants nearby.

Creating an accessible garden (inside):

If you don’t have good lighting, get a grow light. There’s bulbs that screw into normal lamps if you don’t have space for one of the bar lights. [X]

The seed-starter trays are a super simple system and often have trays underneath so it’s okay if you miss a day of watering.

Also consider: Eggshells

Window garden boxes are awesome, but not realistic for a lot of people (including myself).

Planting your plants in plastic pots can be an easy way to control their environment and ensure they’re getting enough root space (plus if you’ve done any gardening before you’ll have tons, please don’t go out of your way to buy plastic products!).

Place a bowl or tupperware container underneath each pot/planter so water doesn’t drip and you can fill them up so the plants become self-watering.

Self-watering pots also exist.

If a watering can isn’t realistic, use a pitcher or a gallon jug.

What to grow?

These plants can (easily) regrow in a couple inches of water: Scallions, Lettuce, Garlic Sprouts, Basil, Lemon Grass.

These herbs do well inside: Basil, Lemon Balm, Mint, Chives.

These herbs do okay inside: Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.

These flowers do well inside: Begonias, Jasmine, African Violet, Christmas Cactus, Mini Roses.

These flowers do okay inside: Marigold, Pansy, Geranium, Impatiens.

Cacti, succulents and air plants are all very low maintenance as long as you have enough lighting!

Witchy things to do:

Influence seedlings with different energies and see which grow fastest.

Use sigils to help your plants grow well.

Using correspondences, make a tea or cold-infusion with herbs based on your needs.

Put crystals with your plant babies.

Make bouquets with your flowers based on their magical properties, and enchant them! You can dry them too.

Water your plants with different types of water (moon, sun, rain, stream, storm, etc.)

Let watering/caring for your plants help nourish you.

Make infused oils.

Make a terrarium that mimics your home/garden and use it to bless/ward your home.

Decorate your pots/containers with color correspondences, sigils and witchy art!

Use your plant’s energy to help gain growth, warmth and energy from the sun and soil.

Plant seeds when starting new things and to bring change into your life.

When you tend them, focus on what they represent.

When you’re ready to move on, or take the next step - harvest the plants if that’s realistic. If not, allow them to be a reminder of what you’ve worked for.

Allow the magic of growth and life to enter your home!

Other Helpful Posts:

@witch-of-the-dragon has a really cute “Domestic Garden Witch” series. These ones seem relevant to this post: [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]

Researching Herb Safety

Tips and tricks for growing herbs inside

Bedridden witch: Nature edition

Bedridden witch: Kitchen edition

Click here for all my other posts in the series!

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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Hearth Witch Tips 🌌

Hey witches! As some of you may know, I am a hearth witch. Here is a small list of some witchy things I incorporate into my home. My home and my family is my pride and joy, and it brings me great joy to have little rituals in place for a comfortable, cozy and tranquil living space, and fulfills my nurturing spirit. Enjoy! 💖🌙

🔮 Hanging rosemary at your front door for protection.

🔮 Lavender sachets for under pillows to promote relaxation and calm.

🔮 Spraying bed linen with a blend of water, witch hazel and lavender essential oil.

🔮 Candles in the hearth area of the home can be a replacement for the traditional hearth fire. I have a fireplace, however often burn a candle instead in the warmer months where a fire would be too hot.

🔮 Growing herbs on windowsills is a beautiful touch, and especially useful for witches without access to a garden space. Grow herbs based on your desired intent for the home, and the bonus is they can also be used for cooking.

🔮 Opening windows can let in fresh air and drive out stagnant energy.

🔮 White vinegar infused citrus peels can make a great cleaning spray. Citrus is associated with sun energy, so it can help bring vitality and uplifting spirit to your home.

🔮 Spraying curtains with a blend of basil essential oil and water can bring peace, wealth and settle conflict in the home.

🔮 Enchanting blankets to provide comfort, reassurance and solace.

🔮 Sweeping and vacuuming can be looked upon as getting rid of unwanted energy.

🔮 Mirrors are thought to amplify the power of everything they reflect. Placing beautiful items such as flowers, crystals, shells and candles, along with keeping them out of sight of clutter can invite beautiful energy into the home.

🔮 Essential oil diffusers are an amazing tool. Use them to infuse whatever essential oils you want in your home, as different oils have different magickal correspondences. I also place my diffuser at the bottom of my wardrobe, to infuse my clothing with different scents and for magickal intent.

🔮Fresh flowers in the home are a great way to liven up a room and have magickal correspondences. Blue flowers are associated with drawing peace and tranquility into the home, so I often have blue hydrangeas in my flower vases.

🔮 To keep away unwanted guests, smear patchouli oil on door handles. Make sure all family members are in the home when doing this.

🔮 Place salt on the windowsills for protection. If a room in your home feels full of negative energy, placing salt in the four corners of the room and letting it sit there for 48 hours will absorb this energy.

🔮 When cooking for my family, I visualize it being infused with love. I imagine the love pouring from my heart into my meals - this simple practise is nurturing and calming.

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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Cottage Witch Tips

For those among us who, like myself, value the simple little things we can do to keep our homes and hearths happy, healthy, and still magical! I hope you all find some use out of these little bits I’ve picked up along the way.

• Make a spray of salt, water, vinegar, and herbs you associate with protection (I use pepper, lemon, and rosemary- though I do recommend a variation of Thieves oil, if you’re interested in also cutting down on germs and such) to use when cleaning to add a magical boost to protecting your home.

• Through many of us don’t have the traditional old school hearth setup, I like to light a candle to symbolize the hearth fire burning in my home. I use this ritual to honor my gods and their presence in my home. This also helps me feel connected to the hearth fires of old and to all those who came before me, allowing me to be here.

• Timing your chores with moon cycles can be an effective way to get witchy and remember to actually do certain chores, which we all forget from time to time (no? Just me? Alright then.)

• Enchanting your throws, blankets, and miscellaneous comfy things to be loving, comforting, and reassuring for those who need it is always a nice touch.

• Making a charm for a healthy, happy, and protected home! I made a little witch ball out of a plastic Christmas ornament and some items that matched my intent and it’s been good.

• Don’t underestimate the magical nature of mundane chores. Sweeping? I like to visualize that I’m sweeping out all of the gross energy and vibes along with the grime. Vacuuming? Same deal. Airing out the house? Inviting in clear and flowing energy. As long as you make it meaningful, it is.

• If you’re into home decor, switching out wreathes and interior decorations is a good way to stay in tune with the feel of the season.

• Warding your home! This can take many forms, such as a witch ball, wind chimes, a rock guardian, or whatever else you see fit!

• Adding charged water to your cleaning supplies can really help intent and usher in the seasons. I like to use solar water with some lemon to welcome in the spring and summer and moon water with some chai spices to welcome in fall and winter. Some people like to use this method for a magical mopping scenario, I just use it for the front door.

• Laundry magic is real, y'all. Even if you don’t make your own detergent or fabric softener, you can buy scents that correspond with certain intents (citrus for joy, lavender for relaxation, etc).

• I enjoy working my crystals and plants in my home decor. Our little rock and plant friends are great for keeping a home feeling happy and healthy. They raise the energy of the home, but also make it a bit more inviting in feeling and appearance.

These are just a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. As always, do what works best for you! If that means tweaking things or just making up a new process all together, do your thing! As long as you make your choices meaningful to you, they will serve you well. ✨

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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The History & Creation of Witch Bottles

Witchcraft and the history thereof echoes the needs of humanity, and for humans and most other species the most primal instinct we have is that of survival. Thus, it should be of no surprise that some of the oldest and most enduring magic is apotropaic magic. That is, magic intended to ward off or deflect evil, especially someone else’s evil magic. Modern circles may also call this abjuration magic.

To this day, one of the most common requests I get is to create a witch bottle, either to protect a home from malicious magic, or to break a curse. The witch bottle became widespread in Tudor England, and especially prevalent in the Elizabethan era. The original witch bottles of this time are usually ceramic, and usually called Bellarmine, after an Inquisitor named Robert Bellarmire, who is now a saint in the Catholic church, some even bore his likeness.

At it’s core, a witch bottle is the refinement of a practise which has been going on longer than we know. People have been walling up, burying or concealing objects meant to ward evil from their homes for millennia. While it has fallen out of favour or been actively sanitised in modern times, I find a traditional witch bottle to be much stronger, thus that is the recipe I am sharing.

Witch Bottle: 1 Ceramic or glass bottle or jar, with lid or stopper A combination of nails, pins, needles, and sharp bits of metal from around the property. 1 pnh. of earth from the property 1 tsp. of sulfur or rue 1 tbsp. salt If the bottle is being made to break an active curse, urine from the afflicted to the bottle If the bottle is being made to protect a home, then several drops of blood from the head of house, or the oldest inhabitant Begin preparing the bottle by ensuring that it is clean and dry. Add the sulfur or rue first, followed by the salt. The assortment of metal comes next. I like to enchant each piece with protective rhymes as I add it to the bottle, but this is time consuming, and many prefer to skip this step. Ensure that the bottle is at least half-full with your chosen pieces. Next, add whatever bodily ingredients you are utilizing, ensure to be as clean as possible. Seal the bottle well. To break a active curse: Bury the bottle on the far east of the property and leave it for at least one full sunset and sunrise, or carefully throw it into a safe fire. To protect a home: You may bury the bottle on one of the boundaries of the property (east preferred) as deep as you can, while marking the spot so you do not lose it, place it in the foundation of a home, or under the hearthstones. Apartment dwellers can also take the somewhat less optimal option of burying their bottle in a potted plant, but be aware that the spell will not hold of residences are changed and a new bottle will have to be crafted.

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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Magic, and power, in homemaking.

Last night I was thinking- never a good thing, causes all kinds of trouble to anyone around me -that a position as a homemaker, is a terribly convenient place of power for anyone who practices magic. Regardless of any labels, I’m mostly referring to witchcraft and folk magic here. But anyway. I’m going to ramble here, so bare with me! Besides the practical- and obviously easy to infuse with magic since they are already magic -skills like cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. the homemaker has a lot of say what goes in and around the home. When my little sister was being bothered by a wayward ghost who had taken a liking to her, and was spooking in front of her bedroom door!(Hate for creepy dead guys who lurk in pre-teen bedrooms) I talked to my mom to yell at said dead creepster, and yell him out of her house. Angry gets shit done. And an angry parents? Gets shit done even faster. Also, you as a homemaker/home-owner have a special bond with your house. Don’t get me wrong, when a house is old, there is a possibility that in different layers of time, previous owners entities/ghosts still live, and that is fine. But, when someone-thing comes into your house, and creeps on your child/someone of your family, you ánd the house can work to eject the pitiful creature. I have always talked to my parents house, and I talk to my own house. I greet it when I come home. I talk to it while I am cleaning, I talk to it when it is nice and cozy inside, before I go to bed, I praise the house how well it protects me and my family, and I ask it to keep up the good work. And with that, you can also ask the house to help with things. I’m not going to give away secrets here. But when you do protection-work in and on your home, talk to your house. Make it part of said working. Tell the house how you do the working, and what it should do, and the reason you are making it. So when creepers do happen, you can tell the house to activate said protection, or even, energetically bar every door in the bloody house. Or even better, confine the creature to a specific area and keep it there. And prevent it from going into the walls. For some reason, in my mind, when I thought about it, I kept seeing those large sets of keys from like Victorian times, that the mistress of the house had. That could be a great focus object for something like that. Anyway, that’s me for now.

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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The Magical Home

Integrating your craft into your living space can be a daunting task. Unless you’re just a stellar housekeeper your home is likely at least a little messy all of the time. Unopened mail might still be sitting on the counter, that pile of laundry that you just didn’t get to this week is still on the floor or maybe you’ve just got a little extra clutter from too many missed spring cleanings. Despite how much these things can make your space feel distinctly un-magical, making your home into a sacred place for yourself can be quite simple.

Turning your home into a witchy haven isn’t for everyone, there are a lot of reasons to give it a go and everyone is going to have different motivations (or no motivation, which is ok too). Your home is where you base yourself. You sleep, eat and come together with loved ones there. Using witchcraft to ensure that space is always positive and energetic can improve the quality of the time you spend there, help you unwind more easily and give you a place of stillness in the midst of the chaos of life. Personally, I turned my home into a magic space to bring more focus on my craft, I take more time writing in my spiritual journal, traveling the realms and just generally maintaining my craft when my home looks and feels like a witchy home.

Start off just working on one room. It can be your kitchen, bedroom, living room, any room that you spend a decent amount of time in. It isn’t necessary to do a huge cleaning and wear yourself out, doing a little bit here and there can make a substantial improvement over time and you’ll be a lot more likely to continue maintaining your home instead of getting worn out and giving up.

Now, I’m certainly not your expert on cleaning, for those of you who really need help with this step I suggest checking out Unfuck Your Habitat. Personally, I like to do a deep cleaning using as few chemical cleaners as I can manage, I make all of my own cleaning agents with the purpose of magical as well as physical cleansing.

Cleaning Recipes

All Purpose Disinfectant Spray/Wash:

I use this for almost everything. I mix up 10 parts warm water with one part white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil OR I let the vinegar water sit with fresh or dried herbs in it for about a week before using it to clean. The herbs you use here can change depending on what your space needs. For example I use lavender for protection, purification and peacefulness. Basil draws wealth and soothes tempers between lovers. Orange is good for luck and wealth (though NOT good for cats so if you have kitties stay away from orange oil!). And mint is good for healing. This is great for wiping down counters, cleaning windows and mopping.

Shower Cleaner:

Cleaning showers is one of my least favorite tasks and trying to do it with safe cleaning products can be a nightmare but I’ve got a solution that does the trick. This isn’t so much a magical cleaning product (though I’m sure you could turn it into one) but it’s certainly a handy one to have around. Mix one part warm white vinegar with one part liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. It does require a bit of scrubbing if your shower is bad but compared to every other DIY shower cleaner I’ve tried it’s a miracle.

Floors

Sweeping has long been used by witches as a method of cleansing our homes magically and while a lot of sources will tell you to reserve a broom for the task and to sweep just above the floor to properly cleanse the area I just do it all at once. Who has time to sweep twice? I can do the same magical task with a little intent and focus while I’m also cleaning up pesky crumbs and cat hair.

Vacuuming is perhaps a less common way to tidy up the energy of a room but I find it works just as well as sweeping does! I make sure that when I empty a vacuum bag or dustpan I do it in the can outside to make sure I’m not just shuffling energy around in my house.

Mopping is another excellent mundane cleaning task for witches, especially when it comes to entryways and exits to the house. In addition to picking grime up off of your floor your mop water can be charged and used to lay down spells. I like using herbs for my mop water usually but once a year in the spring I mop with sun charged water to bring the vibrant spring/summer energy into my house and once a year in the fall I mop with moon charged water to welcome the introspective fall/winter energy in.

Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are important, they both protect our homes from the unwanted and welcome us in every day. When I make a magical wash for my doors and windows I like to use cinnamon, for protection, healing and enhancing my craft or, if I feel like I need a serious boost on my home protection or I need to break a curse I use chili pepper, which has the added bonus of strengthening love ties. In addition both of these are bug repellant.

One suggestion I would make is when you are cleaning your house you should try to have windows open. This allows fresh air to circulate into your home and it allows an outlet for all of the stagnant energy that you’ll be stirring up. Doors can be left ajar as well if you aren’t worried about pets taking themselves outdoors. Obviously this isn’t something you can do all the time, very hot or very cold weather would put a lot of strain on you heating/AC bill and it’s always best not to let the rain in.

Immediately post cleaning is a good time to place sigils on doors and windows as well. I like to use my Binding Chalk to make a line just in front of doors and windows, it acts very similar to having a line of salt in the same place.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms can be an excellent place to do magic. If you share a bedroom with a lover spells to enhance your relationship are favored. Tucking away herbal pillows or lighting candles can draw honesty and good communication for you and your partner or you could try something a little spicier and use spells intended to ignite a little passion.

If your bedroom is a solitary place it can be an excellent place to do dreaming magic, to meditate and to do spells for gentle self improvement.

In a child’s bedroom protective magic or sweet dream spells would be a good idea. A lot of small children have a fear of monsters and when I was little my parents would use “monster spray” every night to help me sleep. I know now that it was just water but infuse the water with lavender and it could easily double as a sleep aiding and protective spell.

A Few More Magical Home Ideas

Enchant the mirrors in your house to give everyone who looks into them a boost in their self esteem/body image.

Place a candle on the stove to symbolize the hearth fire tradition

Make a magic welcome mat that draws in good company and keeps away the bad

Pay close attention to the sort of energy your decor creates and adjust it to help create the energy you want in your home.

Is the TV the center of your home? Electronics can drastically change the feel of a space, try moving it to a less central spot and focus your rooms on something else

Playing music and changing the scent in a room can suffice for a quick energetic shift. Try setting a small pot of water with cranberries, orange peel, cinnamon or mint on the stove to simmer.

Get rid of stuff! I say this for people like myself who have trouble letting go of anything. Your stuff hangs onto energy. Gifts from people you don’t like? Stop being polite and letting their energy invade your house. Chuck it. Anything that reminds you of past relationships can go. In fact, cleaning house post breakup is super important! Get rid of any lingering reminders, wash their smell out of everything and clean your mattress thoroughly.

If it’s broken do away with it. I know, I know, you’re planning to get around to fixing it eventually. How often do you actually do that though? If you aren’t willing to sit down right now to fix it you probably won’t ever get to it. Throw it away or give it to someone who will have a use for it.

If you haven’t used it in the last year, chances are you won’t use it in the next year either. Get rid of it.

Make a habit of de-cluttering in small ways every day. Don’t let the mail pile up, clean up dishes left in odd rooms, pick up laundry, and just generally put things back where they belong. This goes a long way toward keeping the energy flow moving through your home smoothly.

Put bells on your doors. Bells help to clear energy, every time you open a door that room gets a little cleansing boost.

Cleaning your house can be turned into more than just house magic. You can visualize yourself sweeping away worries or scrubbing old habits that aren’t serving you away as well.

Bake bread. This really falls more under the heading of kitchen witchcraft but the smell of baking bread (or cookies!) wafting through your home can alter the energy in lovely ways and it’s also great for bringing prosperity to the house.

Hopefully this gives you guys some ideas and motivation to start making your home a little more magical :) Remember not to overdo it, making a home is a constant, gradual process, not a marathon. My ask box is always open if anyone has questions!

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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Building a Magical Home

One of my favorite quotes about the magic of homemaking comes from Cory Hutcheson, host of the New World Witchery podcast. He says, “Home is a transformational act. It is the thing you do to turn a space into a space… that is full of ritual and significance and meaning. So there is sort of this ongoing relationship you have with the space that makes it a home.”

The act of creating a home, of making a space your own, is inherently magical. But if you want to make your space feel a little more witchy, here are some ideas to get you started.

Charms and Talismans

Making your own magical objects can be a powerful way to bring magic into your space. The best thing about making your own charms is that you can make them look however you want, so it’s easy to disguise them as ordinary household objects. You can make a charm for any intention by combining objects based on their magical correspondences.

I’ve talked about protective charms in previous posts, so I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it here. The simplest protective charm is keeping a large piece of iron under your bed to keep away nightmares, evil spirits, and negative energy. You could also make your own protection charm, like a witch bottle.

You can create a “happy home” charm to bring peace, harmony, and happiness into your home. This charm could include herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and/or bay leaves, as well as other items that you associate with peace and good fortune, like lucky coins, crystals, or black cat fur. Write your desires for a harmonious and happy home on a piece of paper, fold it up, and add it to the charm. You could store these items in a green bag, bury them in your backyard (in this case, make sure you’re only using biodegradable plant matter — leave out the coins and crystals), or place it inside a household object like a lamp or an end table.

If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep issues, try making a dream charm to help you sleep well and have sweet dreams. To make a simple dream charm, fill a blue or purple bag with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and any other objects that you associate with peace, restfulness, and sleep. If you want to have lucid dreams or receive psychic messages in your dreams, include a bit of mugwort. Place the charm in your pillow or under your mattress. (I personally swear by this one, as it’s helped a lot with my insomnia.)

Charms are great for homemaking magic because you’re actually creating a magical object, which can then become a permanent fixture of the space.

Magical Decor

You can use magical items to decorate your home to bring certain qualities into that space.

Hanging or displaying a broom is said to bring good fortune, protection from evil, and good hospitality. Cauldrons are used to represent the Goddess, rebirth, and raw potential. Horseshoes hung above door frames bring safety and luck to all who cross under them, and keep unwanted guests away. If you can get them legally and ethically, animal bones, teeth, claws, and feathers can represent the spirit and energy of that animal. You can also put up images of spiritual and occult symbols — I have an image of the Sun tarot card hanging in my bedroom to promote positivity and growth.

If you need to be a little more subtle with your witchy decorations, working with the magic of color is a great way to do that. Gathering a lot of items of a single color in one room changes the energy of that room. Here’s a quick guide to give you some ideas:

Yellow is associated with divination, mental clarity, the element of air, success, communication, and inspiration.

Purple is associated with divine power, spiritual awareness, mystery, astral travel, magic, and authority.

Blue is associated with healing, psychic abilities, the element of water, peace, truth, and patience.

Red is associated with protection, the fire element, sex, power, vitality, and love.

Orange is associated with ambition, creativity, breaking through blockages, and career success.

Pink is associated with romantic love, friendship, self love, compassion, and emotional well-being.

Green is associated with nature, herbalism, the earth element, money, wealth, prosperity, and luck.

Brown is associated with grounding, animal magic, stability, and balance.

White is associated with purification, cleansing, the full moon, new beginnings, healing, and spiritual growth.

Black is associated with protection, truth, outer space, banishing, and transition.

Decorating your home with colors that are meaningful to you can create a powerful magical space. You may also have your own color associations (for example, yellow is a very “happy” color for me), so feel free to incorporate those into your decor as well!

Growing Magical Houseplants

Most witches feel a very deep connection to nature and draw power from the natural world, but we can’t all live in a cottage in the heart of the forest. Even if you live in a tiny apartment in the city, you can still bring nature into your space by keeping houseplants. Many popular houseplants have magical uses, and many popular magic herbs can be grown inside. Here are a few to get you started.

Aloe. This is one of my favorite plants. Aloe brings luck and protection, especially protection on an energetic/spiritual level. I like to keep aloe in my bedroom to protect me while I sleep, as well as to bring luck and inspiration while I’m working at my desk.

Basil. Basil is very popular in money spells, and will attract prosperity and luck to your home. However, it also has protective properties — both spiritual protection and protection from bugs, since basil is a natural insect repellent! Basil can also be used in love spells, and is just generally a good plant to have around for good vibes.

African Violet. This flowering plant attracts positive spiritual energy into your space. It has associations with the moon and the water element, and is very good for promoting spirituality and psychic power.

Rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs that every witch should have on hand. It’s so darn versatile, it can be used as a substitute for virtually any other herb, and can be used for almost any intention. Some of the most common magical associations for rosemary include: cleansing, purification, protection, healing, mental activity, and enhancing memory. According to author Deborah J. Martin, there’s an old English saying that, “Where rosemary grows, the woman rules the house.” Like basil, rosemary is a natural insect repellent.

Lavender. Lavender brings peace, love, and gentleness, which makes it a perfect addition to any home. It can be used in spells for cleansing and purification, enhancing psychic abilities, and stress relief. Lavender is also a powerful addition to love spells. Keeping lavender in the bedroom can aid in restful sleep, while lavender in the kitchen will bring harmony to the home.

Sage. Sage is the most talked about cleansing herb, and with good reason. Unfortunately, a lot of the sage bundles you can buy at metaphysical stores are made with white sage (Salvia apiana), which is sacred to Native American peoples and is endangered due to overharvesting. Instead of buying those, why not grow your own garden sage (Salvia officinalis), which has a lot of the same magical properties? Growing sage in your home will purify the space and protect those who live there. Sage also has an association with wisdom and mental prowess.

Hoya. Hoya is a common houseplant that you’ve probably seen even if you don’t know it by name. It has a distinctive appearance with waxy, dark green leaves and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. Hoya aligns and balances the energy centers within your body, as well as in the surrounding space. It’s associated both with grounding and with spiritual openness, so it can be great for balancing the two.

Peppermint. Peppermint has a variety of magical uses, but my favorite way to use it is for gently opening up blockages and getting things moving. It’s great for cleansing, but is more gentle than rosemary or sage. Place it in any room where you tend to do a lot of healing work, or where you could use some peace and love. Peppermint is also used in dream magic, so growing it in the bedroom may bring on vivid or lucid dreams.

Orchid. Orchids are used in magic for love and lust. Historically, orchid has been used in folk medicine to promote male virility and “Jezebel root,” used in American folk magic to attract wealthy male lovers, is a type of orchid root. If you live with a significant other, try growing an orchid in the bedroom to promote passion in your sex life. Otherwise, grow orchids in your home to promote love or to attract romance.

Catnip. If you have cats, they’ll love this one. Catnip is actually a type of mint, and has strong lunar associations. It’s said to make one more charming and attractive, and is especially useful for attracting women. At the same time, catnip promotes courage and fierceness. It is also, of course, associated with cats and feline deities, so this is definitely a plant you’ll want to keep around if the cat is one of your animal guides.

If you have a yard space that you can turn into an outdoor garden, your magical plant options are limited only by your local ecosystem. Some outdoor plants that have magical uses include roses, sunflowers, rue, lemon balm, and strawberries.

Creating an Altar

Altars are focal points of magical and spiritual energy. Many people, both witches and non-witches, find that having a designated space for their spiritual practice creates a deeper sense of sacredness and purpose.

An altar can serve lots of different purposes. Many witches use their altar as a magical work space to prepare spells, meditate, and do divination. You may choose to dedicate your altar to a deity, your ancestors, or some other spirit(s) you work with. You can also build altars for specific intentions, such as a money altar or a love altar — performing rituals at this altar everyday is a powerful method for manifestation. You altar may be some or all of these things, or it may just be a place to sit and connect with the spiritual.

You can set up an altar on any flat surface, like a shelf or table, or inside a container like a jewelry box. Your setup can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. An altar can be huge and complex, with statues and candles and flowers, or it can be as simple as a tealight and an incense burner. It’s all about what appeals to you.

Resources:

New World Witchery pocast, “Episode 143 — The Magical Home”

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

“Candle colors and their meanings” by Michelle Gruben on the Grove and Grotto blog

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

“The Magic of Orchids in Wiccan Love Spells & Rituals” on the Art of the Root blog

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stitchlesswitch · 2 days ago

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I've seen a few of your posts on Hearth magic and it got me thinking, we protect the inside of our homes but do you have any ideas on how to protect the outside? I would love to have some ideas! Thank you :)

Charms and physical components to wards:

Add magical components to practical protection measures (gates, locks, etc.); wards, talismans/charms, a sprinkle of powder, etc.

A thin line of salt makes an excellent ward, and crushed/powdered eggshells can be used as an alternative for outside.

Create and bury protective jars in soil on your property. If you bury it directly in the ground, do it somewhere you’ll remember and consider what you’d do if the jar breaks and you have to recover the glass at some point (some people recommend biodegradable materials such as cardboard instead of glass). You can also bury it in a pot/ted plant—especially helpful if you don’t have a yard to dig in.

Some form of iron pounded into each corner of the property (in the soil or on a fence) or iron nails hammered into each corner of the house (or at least displayed) have been used as wards against spirits and the fae.

“Hang an iron horseshoe above your door, with the open end facing upward.” (1)

“Bells or wind chimes hung from the doors guard against intruders and stagnant energy. Hang them where air currents can ring them.” (1)

Plants and protection:

Use the trees and plants on your property to help create a protective ward

“Willow wands, bundled and affixed to a doorway, are a universal precaution against enchanters who seek to harm.” (2)

“Elderberry was thought to provide protection against witches, planted near homes” (3)

“For protective purposes, make a small ‘broom’ or whisk from a handful of birch twigs and use them to sweep around the edge of your property or home, symbolically (and literally), sweeping out the bad luck.” (4)

“[Holly] makes a very effective boundary hedge around the home, both physically and magically, protecting all within.” (4)

“Holly planted beside the front door is a tradition charm against lightning, fire and bewitching” (2)

“...Nettle also wards of ghosts and malefic spirits, whilst dried and sprinkled around the home or property.” (4)

House-warding plant combinations:

Pagan family protection combo: “Ivy (protection), snapdragons (ward negative spells), allysum (expels charms), pink geraniums (love), dark purple petunias (add power).” (5)

Hot spot container: “Zinnias, red coxcomb (protective, aids healing), marigolds (repel evil, nightmares).” (5)

Witch window box: “Red geraniums (protection, guard home), vinca vine (binding, protection), allysum, blue lobelia (halt gossip)” (5)

House-warding plants pg 131 of (1) and pgs 75 and 76 of (2):

Odds and ends:

“Walk your property boundaries with corneal and water (separately), asking blessings and friendship of the the spirits of the land, to guard and protect those who live here.” (1)

Sources:

(1) “The Way of the Hedge Witch” by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

(2) “Viridarium Umbris” by Daniel A. Schulke

(3) “Profiles of Northwest Plants” by Peggy Robinson

(4) “Wortcunning” by Nigel G. Pearson

(5) “Garden Witchery” by Ellen Dugan