6 Misconceptions About Witches

1. Witches always wear black.

Granted, black is a staple color in my closet, but not for any witchly reason. I like basic black because it goes with everything, it feels right when I wear it, my jewelry looks good against it, and it’s a good basic “color” for me. I know plenty of witches who virtually never wear black, but prance about the world in pretty pastels of pink and lavender, blues and greens, and other very unwitchly colors.

2. Witches sacrifice human infants.

Really?…Really. Pleeeeze– I birthed seven babies in my lifetime, and I have yet to sacrifice nary a one. I’ve grounded a few, preached at a couple, pulled my hair out over another, and puzzled over them all. But sacrifice them? Not yet (she says mischievously).

It should also be noted, under this “sacrificial” theme, that witches do not sacrifice animals. On the contrary, some of the most enthusiastic animal rights activists will be found in the pagan community. We tend to honor the animal kingdom, to consider animals our brethren, creatures that we have the pleasure of sharing the Earth with. We embrace their energy, learn from their inherent goddess given wisdom and instincts, and feel humbled when they allow us into their circle of trust.

3. Witches cast spells.

Not necessarily. Some do, and others don’t. It depends upon what road you take within this widely divergent spiritual path. My “thing” is divination, clairvoyance, psychism, at it’s very basic– the tarot. I have cast spells, lots in the beginning, but fewer and fewer as I was shown by the Goddess my true path on this journey, my unique gift. And besides, as magickal practitioners will tell you, casting spells– casting them correctly– is time consuming and a heck of a lot of work. You have to put some effort into it, as in anything, to get the most out of it. I have grown lazy in my impending old-age.

4. Witches are in league with and worship the Devil.

Really…no, this time I mean Reeeaaally! The Devil (or Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, etc.) did not arrive on the horizon of civilization until Christianity came along and needed a Fall Guy. It’s rather insulting that that they invent this despicable character, and then they accuse us of playing with him.  They can keep him.  The gods and goddesses of the world-wide pantheons are so much more interesting and desirable, awe inspiring, beautiful, and magickal.

5. Witches curse people.

Well, I’ll give you this one. Some witches do, or have, or if they haven’t, they still have the ability and the power to do so. However, most witches– and I know a few– would not even consider doing such a thing, under any circumstances. And here’s something else to think about, scary and true:  Anyone who has ever deliberately wished something bad on someone has thrown a curse, whether they are a witch or not.

The universe hears you, and it’s constantly moving energy according to your wishes and desires. My grandmother told me once, “Be careful what you wish on others.” And she also expanded on this thought by adding, “What you wish on someone else will come back on you.” (She was a woman ahead of her time.)

6. Witches are ugly old hags?

Well, umm, I hope not. If this is true, I’m screwed. Witches are *women of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and nationalities. They live in the world in the same capacity as every other human being. They inhabit the work force and a normal healthy place in society.  A witch could be any woman that you’ve ever met in the course of your life, under the most ordinary mundane of circumstances, and you never even realized it.  Think about that.

With all that said, as a woman standing on the threshold of her 60th decade, I’m more than ready to embrace the Crone, or the Hag, in all her glory. I’m ready to move beyond youthful vanity and revel in the aspect of me that is the most important:  What I am, who I am, from the heart

*NOTE: The term Witch versus female/male practitioner: This is a big thing in the pagan community, with many male practitioners embracing the term Witch for themselves. I'm old and old-school, the term Witch for me is synonymous with woman. If you need to debate this issue, find somewhere else to do it.  This is my blog– written from my personal perspective, my world, my point of view.

This post was originally published at Magickal Connections in January 2015.

Rituals: Releasing an Ex (or beating them off with a stick)

I am in the throws of writing very difficult rituals for THE BOOK today, and the most difficult one deals with a ritual to "Release an Old Friend or Lover".   While I'm entrenched with the creation of a spiritually uplifting ritual to help you regain your freedom and your sense of sanity while coming out of, or off, a relationship, I found this snippet of mundane advice to pass along, with a few brief words of personal wisdom gained through experience. 

DO NOT allow an ex, EITHER YOURS OR YOUR PARTNER'S, to intrude in your life and disrupt your space and your brand new beautiful burgeoning relationship. Kick 'em in the teeth and throw them to the side of the road, sez I. It's brutal, but necessary to sanity and survival. (In reality, this involves not so much kicking and throwing as it does blocking and deleting).  Believe it or not, there are ex's out there who don't give a rats ass if their constant intrusive demand for attention from their former spouse interferes with a new relationship. 

Here's a tip from the experts...

1. You two are not friends, so stop trying to be:

I know some argue it’s possible to stay friends with an ex. You can’t.

There is quite the difference between remaining friendly and remaining friends.  Remaining friendly with an ex is when you two run into each other and the meeting is civil.

It’s possible to end a relationship on mutual terms and not be bitter.

However, it’s impossible to move forward with your life if you willingly remind yourself of your ex.

When a relationship ends, the friendship ends as well.

The friendship was in jeopardy the moment you two decided to date.

When you still go out with, call, or even follow your ex on social media, you’re forcing yourself to have his or her memory in your emotional rotation.

In doing so, you are shutting the door on the new person who is truly right for you.

You can’t want a happy ending with a fabulous new partner while force-feeding yourself the memory of your ex.

That's not how this shit works.

To read this article in its entirety, follow the link.

SOURCE: 

https://www.elitedaily.com/dating/sever-ties-ex-get-over/1280583 ]

The Nines

The nine’s are a contradiction, from anxiety and mental anguish, to resplendent and gracious living; from the golden cup and all that you desire, to preparing for a fight. But within the nine’s you will gain in strength, confidence, and direction. The nine’s let you know that it’s been a long journey, but your destination is in sight.

Nine of Pentacles

This card speaks of comfortable financial circumstances, financial success, a world of plenty, people of means, personal contentment and self-satisfaction.

True to form and tradition, the nine of pentacles most often reeks of positive energy, a serene life or lifestyle, and refinement. This card consistently reveals a person who is comfortable in their own skin and has a handle on their life, as well as most of the elements within it. I know, when this card appears in a reading, that the querent before me possesses a quiet unassuming self-confidence.

When reversed this card has revealed the need for more freedom, someone trapped in a controlling relationship, locked within the proverbial gilded cage. This card has even exposed a controlling personality—the querent him/herself. The nine of pentacles has also trumpeted an occasional warning in a reading, when someone is deliberately being kept in the dark.

Nine of Swords

Anxiety, nightmares, worry and stress…this is the traditional meaning of the nine of swords. When this card comes up in a reading, we can usually determine what areas of your life, or even what specific event or person, may be contributing to the stress and anxiety that are biting at your heels. Surrounding cards are extremely important when the nine of swords rears its ugly head. But a word of caution on this point—the nine of swords is capable of revealing someone’s darkest secret, blackest thoughts, most hideous trauma. When this card appears, use great delicacy and compassion when determining whether to mention anything specific, of if you want to touch upon the exposed subject at all. The majority of the time, I find it’s best to remain silent here. You most likely won’t be telling the querent anything they are not already keenly aware of.

Other meanings for this card may well be:  too much coming at you at once; deliberately sticking your head in the sand, ostrich style, this never makes problems or issues go away, they just ferment and become more troublesome and stinky; health issues, depending on the cards surrounding it; abusive relationships/stalking/cruelty; and paranormal hauntings.

Nine of Wands

Protect your line of defense.  This is most often the meaning of this card, in all it’s solid tradition. When the nine of wands pops up, I know the querent should get all her eggs in a row, check her back, gather some ammunition—generally the figurative kind! —And be prepared to defend herself from an upcoming attack. And it will come, it’s in the cards.

Another traditional meaning for the nine of wands is “The Warrior”. This is the grizzled and battle weary soul who has had to fight the good fight, sometimes way to often, and usually at a disadvantage. This card often tells me when a querent has had a difficult life, and when they are defensive. It has also exposed people who tend to be emotionally distant and cold.

People who’s spirit seems to embrace this card are usually people who have built a wall around themselves. This wall’s original function was to keep people out, but it often turns on the creator to become a self-imposed prison. When this situation shows up in a reading, it’s imperative to begin dismantling this wall.

Nine of Cups

This card is traditionally heralded as ‘the wish card”. Whatever it is the querent desires, he/she will most certainly get. Be sure you watch the surrounding cards carefully for all the details. Don’t hesitate to pull another couple cards to expand the information based on the nine of cups. You may be surprised at how much will be revealed; and once in a while you may have to admonish the querent to “be careful what you wish for”.

Reversed, this card may herald disappointing news, negative results—either figuratively, or from physical tests, or it may tell you that the road to what you want will be uphill all the way. You might want to reconsider. Sometimes the powers that be really are wiser than our own human nature, and what we wish for is not always to our advantage.

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The Twos

The two’s involve pairs. These cards can revolve around couples, business, money, mental endeavors, and decisions, as depicted by cups, wands, pentacles, and swords. The two’s can predict compatibility and the need and direction of decisions. The two’s speak of balance—yin yang, black and white, left and right, etc.; they herald partnerships and validate relationships. This suit can also warn us when there are imbalances in our lives that may affect unpredictable areas.

• Two of Pentacles

The figure on this card appears as a juggler, most often than not. In each hand he holds a golden disk, balanced precariously on their edges. As this card tells us, the trick of life, the most important thing, is to keep everything in it balanced out, on an even keel.

Upright this card indicates that we have accomplished this task successfully. In deep concentration, we maintain an even equilibrium in our lives; and in doing so the paths before us will be smooth and easier to traverse. This card reminds us that maintaining balance is much like keeping a house clean, it is an ongoing thing.

When this card is reversed, it is a smack to our consciousness, telling us that something is off kilter, out of whack, with often tumultuous and chaotic consequences. There is an imbalance somewhere in our lives, and this imbalance will be like ripples on a pond, upsetting the smooth surface in all aspects of our existence. The surrounding cards will quickly point out the specific areas that are affected and will offer solutions to the dilemma.

• Two of Swords

Crossed lances, a blindfolded figure…Conflict, inability to compromise, unwillingness to see that which we don’t want to face, not having all the information needed to arrive at a decision. This card tells us that the problem here in lies with us. It speaks to us of internal forces at work, creating within us indecision, stubbornness, blunders, and aloofness. This card tells us to open our eyes, take a clear look. The truth, the answer, the right path, all will be revealed in time.

Reversed, this card assures you that the answers, the solutions, the correct path are right before you, just open your eyes and you will see. This card, in conjunction with those around it, can also be pointing to very specific solutions, people, paths and answers. The reversed two of swords can also indicate that someone is not ready to see the light, make decisions, or decide on a direction.
They need more time.

• Two of Wands

This card speaks of partnerships, pairings, a mutual benefit derived from working together. It can also point to the need for decisions based around issues of business, finance, and other practical mundane matters of life. Within this card, the figure, standing so his back is to us, seems deep in concentration, sort of wrapped up in his own thought process. At the same time, he’s also watching the horizon, facing a direction that allows him to see what’s coming, to avoid unpleasant surprises, to be prepared.

In some decks there are other figures in the distance, often a ship or an animal. This can indicate a second party who will have a direct affect on the decision made, on the partnership, or the business venture. Pay attention to your impressions about these figures.

Reversed, this card often warns us that now may not be the right time to undertake any new projects or in-depth endeavors. You may need more information, maybe something more from the mundane world such as funds, backing, or support. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the enterprise should be abandoned, merely that more time may be needed to work out any glitches.

• Two of Cups

The suit of cups deals with emotions and relationships. This card often announces engagements, weddings, a union of some kind. Depending on the surrounding cards in the reading, this could be any sort of union that is steeped in strong emotions and a variety of relationship connections. Upright, this card reeks of a couple, a partnership, soul mates, a coming together. This often means a physical union, but it can also point out more intangible unions, such as a ‘meeting of the minds’. This is a celebratory card and strikes at the heart, the deep-seated center of love, strong emotions, and ethereal fantasies.

Reversed, the two of cups can sting a bit. It may be telling us to step back, slow down, and take a second look. This card can also indicate problems in a marriage or a relationship. Look closely at the surrounding cards for details. It can speak of imbalances in relationships and expose controlling behavior. In some of my readings, the two of cups have also foretold of cancelled engagements and weddings, and it has spoken of divorce.

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The Spiritual Feminist ~ Reviews

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READER REVIEWS

The Spiritual Feminist by Amythyst Raine helps connect us to the Goddesses and shows us how to invoke their energy. We are introduced to forty-five Goddesses and shown ways to embrace each one through charities and other causes. We are also given a correspondence of herbs, animals, colors, and planetary influences. We are shown a woman’s life through the elements. We are also shown the Goddess in tarot and also the wisdom of wise-women. We are given correspondences for working rituals and magick. This book is filled with wisdom about the Goddesses and women and their connection to her. I would recommend this book to any woman who wants to get in touch with the Goddess and learn more about herself as a woman. ~ Lovetoread

There is much wisdom and enchantment to be found in The Spiritual Feminist. The amount of information revealed will be welcomed by anyone wanting to travel along the Goddess Path. Amythyst Raine has poured her heart and soul into this charming book and I hope to read more from this wisdom-filled author. I sense this will make a remarkable companion book to Naming the Goddess and many other volumes on Goddess Spirituality. ~ Vivienne Moss

I recommend this book to women everywhere who desire to get more in touch with their femininity and power or who feel estranged from the world of women for whatever reason. I am so glad that Goddess is back and that she is such a rollicking powerhouse! ~ Landis Vance, spiritmountainwilds.com

“An overview of the woman/Goddess life through the seasons encourages us to find the Goddess within via poetically described rituals and energy work. There are also quite a few recipes to try from the author’s kitchen!… All in all, this is a very good informative read.” ~ Maja Todorovic at Eternal Haunted Summer, http://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2015/the-spiritual-feminist/

Part devotional, part grimoire and part empowerment manual, The Spiritual Feminist offers readers her-stories, anecdotes and correspondences for dozens of goddesses. A wise, accessible and often irreverent guide, author Amythyst Raine reveals the Goddess in us all, showing women of all ages how to honor, embody and invoke Her many facets. Once I began reading The Spiritual Feminist, I couldn’t stop. The feeling of understanding, and being understood, forged an intimate connection to the Goddess—riveting me to the page—stirring spiritual yearnings and opening new ways of seeing Her…almost as if for the first time. ~ Janet Boyer, Amazon.com Hall of Fame Reviewer, PaganSquare Sacred Symbols blogger and author of Back in Time Tarot, Naked Tarot and other titles

I’m not sure if you know or not but in September I had a heart attack and open heart surgery, and with the recovery process, I became a little depressed. Your book came to me at the perfect time, because reading it really lifted my spirits and gave me back my womanhood. The Information on the Goddesses of different belief systems is very interesting, and the personal life experiences, with the added touch of your “Craft”, makes this book very inspiring for women. ~ Melita Kim Foster-Yates Truitt (Mystikal Melita) owner of Witchy Wisdom Network, witchywisdom.ning.com

The Fives

The 5’s in general are cards of conflict, chaos, and disruption. They may seem ominous at first glance, standing on their own; but within a reading their meanings may be softened, expanded, and further explained by the cards around them. The 5’s may be the culmination of past events or the future stormy sky that’s going to descend upon you. In any case, they are situations and conflicts to be worked through, perhaps making you stronger in the end, tempered from facing and solving the crises these cards herald.

• Five of Pentacles

This is the card of poverty and hard times.

The dire effects of this card are shown by the dejected couple slogging through the snow in their tattered clothing and bare feet. And that’s generally what this card points to—financial crisis. The severity and duration of this state of affairs can usually be gleaned by the cards surrounding it. What led up to this predicament may also be revealed in the same way, as well as the solutions needed to solve this crisis.

The hard times the five of coins represents isn’t meant to last forever, almost nothing in life is. This couple is not standing still, hovering in hopelessness or self-pity; they’re putting one foot ahead of the other in dogged determination, to be able to move ahead. And that’s what you must be prepared to do when this card pops up in your readings.

• Five of Swords

This is the card of conflict and battle.

This card smacks of aggression, unfair advantage, insecurity, and petty battles with arrogant victors. It speaks of  “winning the battle but losing the war" at the cost of irreparably damaged relationships, shattered self-esteem, and ruined reputations. The victory, if that’s what you want to call it, is short-lived; and the participants in this debacle will have to live with the results…shattered lives and regret.

In an unusual twist, this card has often appeared in my readings when my querents take too much to heart and feel they have to defend every ideal, underdog, or cause that comes along. These are noble souls; but if they continue on this course, they will wear themselves out. I encourage them to choose their battles wisely and decide what they can let go.

Not surprisingly, this card often warns of an individual who will put their own needs, desires, and goals ahead of everything and everyone. They will attain the desired outcome, but they will leave a slew of bodies in their wake, victims of their selfish ego and emotional vacancy.

• Five of Wands

This is the card of quarrels and bickering.

The five of wands has always reminded me of a group of unruly children. And this is the essence of the five of wands—bickering, nitpicking, childish behavior, chaos, everyone talking at once, “his share his bigger than mine”.

Is there an adult in the house?

This card naturally comes up when there is a problem with a group of people, whether it is siblings, employees, neighbors, or any other group who cannot come to a satisfactory agreement. No one may be physically hurt from these encounters—unless surrounding cards suggest otherwise—but the mutual anguish, anger, frustration and upheaval can have prolonged and lasting effects. This card often tells you that a mediator may be needed, someone who can look at the situation objectively and find common ground between the parties involved.

• Five of Cups

This is the card of mourning, loss, and grief.

Where this card is concerned, it’s pointed out in almost every tarot book I’ve ever read to “look at the bright side, there are two cups still standing”, and while this cheery observation is correct, it skims over the feelings of grief this card inspires and this emotion, which must be faced on its many levels. Yes, you will recover from this period of mourning and loss; your life will go on with some semblance of normalcy at some point. But that is not to say that you will be left without scars from this experience, or that you will not be a changed person from having come through an intense period of grief.

The brightest meanings these two standing cups could bring to a reading may indicate the newfound strength, wisdom, and inner initiation this period of mourning, loss and grief may bring to you.

This card has also revealed episodes of depression, bi-polar disorders, or abuse. Stay alert to these observations.

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Zazzle ~ Bad Juju Mug

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About this design ~ Bad JuJu Mug

Embrace your power and make a bold statement. Bad juju be gone, sez I! This adorable mug was inspired by my true love, Bob, and created with a photo of poppets actually sold at The Witch's Corner. My inspirational muse woke me this morning with a kiss on the back of my neck and a whisper in my ear... "You get rid of bad juju."...Yes, I do!!!

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Connections

I've been immersed since the beginning of December working on book #7.  It's so exciting and so all-consuming that it's hard to pull my head up out of my computer and take care of life's everyday needs.  The entire manuscript will be due towards the end of February, and I feel the pull of deadlines, though I'm actually doing really well and am even early, as I am in general.  (I'm always punctual and even early for everything!)

I'm excited to finish the project; I'm excited to see the finished product; and I'm excited to see this book out there for the general public to purchase!  I love this project, and I feel super good about how it's coming along.

Eventually, when I get the green light from my editor, I'll be able to give you more details. Until then, you can only imagine. 💜

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The Witch’s Corner brings to you infinite possibilities in the form of basic cottage witchery. This ancient practice is steeped in a variety of traditions, including Hoodoo and European Witchcraft.

From the depths of the Louisiana Bayous, to the Celtic Isles, magick has been handed down from generation to generation. Here, this magick can become your heritage as well…to protect you, bring prosperity and peace, dole out retribution to enemies, heal and maintain healthy energy, and alter those circumstances which block your path to growth and success.

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The tarot is a journey through life and a journey through spirit. Tarot cards in the hands of a gifted reader allows us to look at our lives from a new perspective, opening new doorways and clearing paths that we would otherwise not see. The tarot gives us a glimpse of where we came from, as well as where we’re going. Open your mind and your heart to life’s infinite possibilities and solutions with a tarot reading by Amythyst Raine.

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Amythyst Raine is the author of The Ultimate Tarot Guide for Your Personal Tarot Journal (2018) Pink Orchid Publishing, Amazon; Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way (2017) Pink Orchid Publishing, Amazon; The Spiritual Feminist (2015) Moon Books, John Hunt Publishing; Tarot for Grownups (2013) Dodona Books, John Hunt Publishing; The Gray Witch’s Grimoire (2012) Moon Books, John Hunt Publishing; Tarot: A Witch’s Journey (2010) Labyrinth House Publishing, 2nd edition, Pink Orchid Publishing, Amazon.

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When Your Ex is Stalking You

Once upon a time you were a happy couple. But things changed and you broke up. And now your ex pops up at your workplace or school, parks in front of your house, sits two tables away from you at your favorite restaurant, hidden behind a newspaper, and sends you gifts, postcards, emails and text messages begging you to come back. And not just once, but every hour of every day. You are being stalked. This obsessive behavior will drive you crazy and could be dangerous, and you need to make it stop.

EXPERT TIP





SARAH SCHEWITZ, PSYD
Love & Relationship Psychologist

Cut off all contact with your ex. Love and relationship psychologist Dr. Sarah Schewitz says: "If your ex is stalking you, stop answering their calls and block them online, and if it gets dangerous, call law enforcement. It's not your responsibility to help them find closure."

Cut through your denial. Your first step to stopping a stalker is to accept that you are being stalked. Stalking is not a minor problem or a small irritant. It can be dangerous, and should not be tolerated.  Stalkers can be either men or women, and anyone can be a victim. If you are at all concerned about your ex and what he or she might do, it is not a sign of weakness to accept that. Only by doing this will you be able to stop it.

Don’t worry about overreacting. If you feel scared, worried, or angered about someone else’s behavior, you don’t need to tolerate it. If you are concerned, act quickly.

Do not confront your stalker. Recognizing her behavior will only confirm her belief that it is working, and will encourage further stalking behavior. This means ignoring gifts, calls, and any attempts she makes to contact you. Do not return them or respond in any way.

You cannot reason with a stalker. This person has already decided that she will follow you, no matter what you say. This kind of reaction will only encourage her to continue trying, or to try even harder, to stay in touch with you.

Tell other people. If you think you are being stalked, let others know. Tell your friends, family members, or other people you trust. That way, they can help keep an eye out for your stalker and call the police if they think something is wrong.

When you tell others, be careful not to demonize your stalker. You only need to let others know about them not tell them how terrible he/she is. Unless something dangerous has already happened, demonizing your stalker can only help to escalate the situation with others.

Keep a record of stalking activities. Note exactly what happened, along with when and where it took place. Keep a record of every phone call, including the ones you don’t answer, every text, every email, and every confrontation you have. If the situation escalates, and you need to take legal action, this will be important evidence to have available.

If you are concerned that your ex has access to your computer, or other means of manipulating an online list, consider writing these events down in a journal. This can be more permanent, and less susceptible to outside tampering.

Texts, emails, and phone calls are not evidence of stalking by themselves. While you can prove that the email came from your ex’s address, that doesn’t mean that she sent it. You should still hold on to these, as they can be helpful evidence when building a case for a restraining order.

Get a restraining order. A restraining order is a court order that prevents a stalker from coming into contact with you. Go to your local courthouse and fill out a petition for a restraining order.  You will need to include an affidavit that explains what your stalker has been doing. This is where your record of her actions can be helpful.

Since this is a legal document, you may want to consult a lawyer when filing the order. Of course, lawyers can be expensive, so you can also reach out to other staff members in the courthouse about your options.  A restraining order is only a legal document, and not a guarantee. It can make it easier to arrest and prosecute, but won’t actually stop an individual from stalking you. You will still need to be alert. 

Change your daily routine. Because she knows you so well, your ex will probably be able to keep track of you by visiting the same locations you do. While this is certainly annoying, you should consider modifying your favorite places and usual routes to prevent her from easily following you.

Look for things you can easily change, like places you shop and eat, or things like the gym and other places you regularly visit. Try to find different ways to get to your important locations, so your stalker can’t track you along the way.

While you probably can’t change your school and work hours, it can never hurt to ask, especially if you are concerned for your safety and peace of mind, especially if you want to avoid direct contact.  If you do need to make drastic changes to your schedule, keep paper records of the financial effect this has on you. This can be good evidence for legal proceedings, and can even be the basis for financial reimbursement if the changes are serious enough.

Change your passwords. Your ex probably knows a few of your passwords to things like social media accounts and email, as well as even more sensitive information like your bank account. Don’t give her the chance to mess with these items, or use them to track your activity.  Make sure your new password is secure. The traditional advice is to make your password a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep your passwords in a secure place, and only enter them on secure websites.

Clean up your social network. Online social networks like Facebook are a good resource for tracking someone. Make sure you clear out your social media accounts to prevent your ex from having ways to keep tabs on you.

Update your privacy settings so that only your friends are allowed to see your posts.

After your break-up, unfriend your ex so that she cannot track you through the network. Make sure to ignore all friend requests from her. Be very careful about adding new friends, especially people who know your ex, and would let her keep an eye on you through their activities.

Don’t be afraid to unfriend other mutual friends, especially if you are concerned that your ex will use them to track you. It may feel mean, but that is not important. Your safety is what comes first, and you cannot overreact to a stalker.  Don't make posts that clearly show your whereabouts, or anything that would let your ex find you quickly. This means avoiding obvious landmarks like your workplace, school, street signs, or anything else that would let someone who knows you figure out where you are.

Make your online materials private. This means things like your personal calendar, which would allow a stalker to follow you and know where you are planning to be. Check privacy settings on any websites you frequent to make sure nothing is accessible to anyone you wouldn’t want to see it.  Run your name through a search engine to see what is connected to you. If you find information about yourself that you would not like publicly available, get rid of it. That may mean asking your friends to remove social media posts that tag you.

Notice signs of control in your relationship. Stalking is about control. If your partner has been trying to control you, she is more likely to continue doing so after you have broken up. Some of these signs include:

Regularly belittling you, putting you down, or discouraging your dreams and personal growth.

Monopolizing your time with text or phone calls.

Telling you who you should or shouldn't be friends with, or who you should or shouldn't date after you've broken up.

Interfering in new relationships.  Even though you've broken up, they still feel entitled to have access to you when this may cause issues with your new partner.

These tips certainly aren't a guarantee that you will be stalked, but it can be a warning sign that your ex might try to maintain control over you even after you're separated or divorced.

Make your break up clear. There should be no doubt in your mind that you have ended the relationship with this person. The important thing is that there can be no confusion that you do not want to see this person anymore.

While you may be tempted to let your ex down easily, you need to be firm and clear that you want to end the relationship. A potential stalker will use any potential opening as an excuse to continue following you, so don’t give one.

If you are fearful of the other person’s reaction, make sure to break up in a public place. While this generally isn’t a nice idea, you shouldn’t be alone if you are concerned for your safety. Your security comes first.

Cut off contact. This means phone calls, emails, texts, and any other forms of communication. Aside from cutting your ex off and not giving her a way to track you, it will also help you get past the relationship.

This includes social media. Delete pictures or other items of the two of you together and block your ex. This will help prevent her from stalking you, and make it easier to move on by removing the means to stalk her in response.

Get back your keys. You and your significant other probably shared keys and other items as a way to stay close. Now that you have broken up, get your keys back. You don’t want to give her any access to you or your things.

If you aren’t going to be able to get your keys back, it is a good idea to change your locks. You shouldn’t allow such easy access into your home to someone you don’t want to see anymore.

The Source for this Article:

https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Your-Ex-Stalking-You?fbclid=IwAR2MEnbKjXcNQqFG2mnzvtR9UbiZcHOtSDgVK3nN3YX6Dtv0QP1P66wiknc

The Week Ahead Tarot Spread

It’s time for me to take a break from book writing and spend some quality time creating a blog post. This week at my Facebook page, The Tarot Parlour, I posted a tarot spread titled “The Week Ahead”, and I drew three cards for this reading. Below is the spread, the cards, and my interpretation. I drew these cards randomly, with no one in particular in mind; however, I wouldn’t be surprised if these cards wind up resonating with me, or with some of my readers. That’s just how the tarot rolls.

The Cards 

1. What you need to think about ~

For some of us, it’s actually time to put ourselves first. A little narcissism, at the right time and for the right reasons, is actually a good thing. Whether you are having questions or doubts about a relationship, or a career change, or something else uniquely personal to you. It’ about time you stop going over in your mind the repercussions your decision will make on every single person remotely connected to this situation and start thinking about the repercussions it’s having on YOU.

2. What you need to do ~

You need to kick to the curb all of those things that are standing in your way. There’s something you need to do, and there might be something you need to eliminate from your life in order to accomplish this… addictive behavior; codependent behavior, an individual or individuals who don’t have your best interest at heart, and maybe even if they do; your own fears and doubts and insecurities. The list could go on. What is it that you’re thinking about doing? What’s holding you back? How driven are you to reach this goal? What are the repercussions for you if you don’t? Is there a time frame to all of this?

3. The challenge ~

The biggest challenge for you is taking that first step. The unknown is scary; doing something big on your own is scary; taking a new path, beginning a new journey, turning a new page… they’re all scary. It takes a great deal of courage, and a nice chunk of self-confidence to turn your back on the familiar and start off down the universal road to the Future looking the Unknown directly in the eye the whole time. Conquering your own fears and doubts is part of the challenge. Identify them, get acquainted with them, embrace them, laugh at them, and discard them. Your journey awaits.

For a Personal Reading,

visit The Tarot Parlour

The Magic of Landing Pages

The internet is a very different world than it was eleven years ago when I first created The Witch’s Corner. Myspace was thriving as a hopping busy social site full of people, their unique pages, and their fast and furious interactions. Ning had “free” websites to build, and the pagan community jumped on this bandwagon with a vengeance. I belonged to probably 20-25 pagan sites, most of which no longer exist. This was a unique way to get yourself out there, bring traffic to your websites, sell your magickal products, and bring in new tarot clients.

The internet felt busy and crowded and active and full of people interacting all over the place in rampant celebration of all the connections that could be made in this new world.

Today, the internet feels isolated, empty, abandoned, niched, controlled, cut off and cut down to size. The frenzied websites, pagan social sites, and interaction feels like a thing of the past. It’s as though some huge hand has come down and crushed it all. I don’t know if anyone else feels this or not, but this is my experience with the internet today. Take Youtube as an example. I remember a time before the algorithm, when tarot videos could easily bring in hundreds or thousands of viewers and glean satisfying feedback and interaction. We took it for granted that our work would be out there, accessible, and easy to find. It’s very different now, and this is one reason I’ve stopped posting tarot readings on this platform. I’ve scoured YouTube and discovered that there are a myriad of terrific readers producing wonderful and insightful tarot videos, yet they are almost invisible unless you take the time and considerable effort to hunt them down; while some very mediocre and even poor readers seem to go through the roof with tens of thousands of views and a very prolific place in the YouTube spotlight. They are popping up in my suggested feed spontaneously, almost like a virus.

I don’t understand how this can be, and I obviously don’t understand how this system works. Is it just me?

Over the past 3 years or so, I’ve pondered about what to do about all this, and my solutions ranged from deleting everything and withdrawing into the blissful world of anonymity, leaving the internet behind, to the attempted study and understanding of how this new virtual world and it’s connections really work and trying to find a way through the maze.

Fortunately, I took the less drastic path and have hung on to my websites and blogs, and started to look for ways to promote my presence on the web in my own way and on my own time. I looked for ways to do this that are free, mostly because of my own personal budget; ways that I could work with myself, because I’m not hiring anyone to do this for me, and ways that I could work on in my spare time, because like most professional witches and readers out there, I have a “real-world” job with real world hours and a lengthy commute thrown in.

I took the advice of an internet entrepreneur who recommended Landing Pages. He enthusiastically encouraged the idea of flooding the internet with lovely one-page websites, created on a variety of platforms, with a variety of web-hosts, filled with promotional blurbs and links to your actual websites and blogs.

I don’t know if this is working for me yet quite in the manner that he envisions, but since creating these landing pages, I have to say that I do notice a slight difference in increased traffic at some places. Whether this difference can be attributed strictly to the landing pages and all the effort in that area, I can’t say for sure.

Without further ado, I’m posting links to these pages here. The web-hosts I used to create these pages do allow a certain amount of space free, and I’ve actually enjoyed the creative process that goes along with this endeavor.

If you have a website or online business, I hope that I’ve given you a few ideas to work with, or at least some ideas to ponder on. Blessings!

You’ll find the name of the hosting companies included in the URLs.

http://amythystraine.simplesite.com/
http://lavendarmoon.simplesite.com/
http://amythyst1957.simplesite.com/
https://the-witchs-corner.my-free.website/
https://ladyamythyst.wixsite.com/thewitchscorner
https://thewitchscorner.weebly.com/
http://bristolwicks.blogspot.com/
http://thegoddessgrove.weebly.com/index.html
http://amythystraine.bravesites.com/
http://amythystraine.tumblr.com/

My Tumblr is not just a landing page, but it’s a popular site for the younger generations coming aboard this virtual world, and you can make an amazing number of connections here. It took me a while to appreciate it and build upon it.

Also, don’t underestimate the creation of Facebook Pages, but also remember that you are entering the world of algorithms and tight control that conditions what will be seen and what will not.

Good luck to all the entrepreneurs, pagan business people, and other individuals reading this who have something unique to say to the world. Get yourself out there!

Impending Death ~ Recognizing Its Salutation

Sometimes I know when someone is going to die. It happened for the very first time when I was twelve years old, and it’s only happened a handful of times in my 61 years. It’s only revealed a family member once. It is an active physical phenomena, and it is a mental clairecognizant event.

The physical phenomena is accompanied by a physical “freezing” in place. For several seconds I literally cannot move. It is accompanied by a whisper that I believe is inside my head, though it could be an external whisper and I’m just not interpreting it as such. The voice says, “Look, look at this person, look again.” And I have to look, I have to stare, usually for several seconds at the individual, and I’m unable to turn away. During the handful of these experiences, the voice has always said the exact same thing.

The clairecognizant event is accompanied by a solid definite “knowing” that this person is going to die very soon.

I have never actively tried to make myself knowledgeable about such events, not even with tarot reading. I have never sought to learn how to know this thing. I have never wanted to have this knowledge; it is inflicted on me without my knowing in advance that it’s coming, and without my desire to know. It is something beyond my control. I have never tried to approach someone with this pre-cognizant knowledge, or to inform anyone in any way of my experience, or the premonition concerning them and their life and imminent death. I have spent decades of my life trying to deliberately block this information from coming through, but have been unsuccessful. I sometimes think that my attempts to block it out may be the reason that I’ve experienced it so infrequently, with only a handful of events.

Below are descriptions of three of these “events”.

Easter Sunday 1969, when I was 12…

The first event occurred when I was 12-years-old, and it is the only event that involved a family member, my uncle. It is also the only event that didn’t follow the “pattern” of all the subsequent premonitions. I’ve actually written about this very first life-changing event because, as a child, I didn’t understand what happened, and I believed for a very long time that I caused my uncle’s death by seeing the vision.

It had been a horrendous winter. My Aunt & Uncle had been snowed in for months. We were only able to have Easter dinner with them by driving a long route and coming in from the east as opposed to the more direct west route. Even then, we had to park our car on top of a hill and walk part of the way to their farmhouse, down a hill, across a small valley, and up over the next hill.

It was after dinner. The women were still in the kitchen chatting. My uncle and grandfather were sitting in the living room listening to music, along with my sister and me. We were both perched on the edge of a long piano stool.

I looked across the room at my Uncle, who was stretched out on the sofa, one arm behind his head. As I watched, I was startled and fascinated to see the back of the sofa suddenly swing forward and close over him. I realized that I was seeing my uncle in a coffin with the lid being closed. I shook my head and blinked my eyes to rid myself of this vision. I looked at my grandfather and my sister to see what their reaction was, and I realized that I was the only one to see this thing.

Later in the afternoon, my uncle left the house to go outside and check the water levels in the driveway, where the melting snow was beginning to cause flooding. My sister and I were standing in the dining room window, watching him walk up to the house.

We turned away.

A second later we heard a muffled noise, and my Aunt came hysterically screaming from the kitchen doorway, “Mom! Mom!”…calling my grandmother.

My Uncle had stepped into the entryway off the kitchen and collapsed.

They called for an ambulance—which came in the wrong way, the way that was still blocked with deep snow banks, and they had to turn around to come in the same way we did. They also had to walk a gurney the same path we took, across the valley. It took so long for help to get there.

My uncle died that day.

It wasn’t until years later, in my late teens, while having a conversation with my grandmother, that I revealed to someone for the first time what I saw and how I believed that this vision caused the event. My grandmother emphatically told me that what I saw was a premonition, and that this vision was a foretelling and had nothing to do with causing my uncle’s death. It was at this point that I finally understood.

The young man at the Halloween party…

It was a beautiful October evening, and my then-husband and I were guests at a friend’s outdoor Halloween Party. There was a young couple there, dressed as a bride and bride-groom, but the characters were turned around. The young woman was dressed as the groom, and the young man was wearing a wedding dress. During the first part of the party, I felt compelled to take a picture of this couple sitting together in a swing.

A buffet was set up in the garage, and I went by myself to fix a plate of food. The only other person in the garage was this young man. He had his back to me, across the room, intent on the table before him. I was just going to pick up an empty plate, when I froze, and I heard the voice… “Look, look at this person, look again.” I had to look. I looked at the dark curls of the woman’s wig he was wearing flowing to his shoulder blades. I looked at the open back of the dress, a diamond shaped cut-out revealing the center of his back. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t take my eyes off this spot for several seconds.

I knew.

Later that evening, this couple had an argument and she left the party. He was extremely angry and upset, and he was ready to go find her. For several minutes, family members were either trying to physically prevent him from leaving, or they were trying to talk him out of it. Eventually, he got away from them and left in his vehicle. One of the ladies at the party, his Aunt I believe, grabbed my wrists and looked desperately and deeply in my eyes. “He’s going to get hurt tonight!”

I wanted to tell her, “No, he’s going to die tonight.”, but I was physically unable to do this. I felt that strange kind of “frozen” at this moment, and was unable to speak those words to her.

The next morning we learned that in the pursuit of finding his girlfriend, this young man’s car had been hit by a train. He did, indeed, die that night.

The man in the little green truck...

For a while, my schedule coincided with his, and magically at 3:45 pm we would meet at the top of the overpass on northern Broad Street. I always noticed the truck, one of those very small pickups, a pretty turquoise green-blue, and the driver was a young man. It became a routine expected sight, and one I didn’t think much of, except to know that when I saw this truck I was precisely on time, as was he.

The man in the small green pickup on the overpass still haunts me. I drive this route everyday, this location where one day when we meet, everything seems to start moving in slow motion, and the voice says, “Look, look at this person, look again.” , and I do, with that strange fixated frozen intensity. I can’t stop looking. I really look at the driver for the first time, seeing details, as we’re both moving in opposite directions, but in that strange slow motion.

I see a young man in his late 20s or early 30s. I see the red baseball cap and the soft brown hair around the edges of it. I see the thick-lensed black-framed glasses and the white t-shirt. I see his hands on the steering wheel and a look of concentration on his face. I stare at him until we’ve passed, and then I watch his vehicle in my rear-view mirror until he disappears over the hill.

I knew.

Up until this event in my adult life, I had never spoken about this odd sense of premonition to anyone before, but I did after this experience. I told my daughters. I told them that I wish I knew who this young man was. I told them that if I knew where to find him, I might try to find enough courage to approach him, knowing I would sound like a crazy woman. I would tell him to take a different route, at least for a while. I told them that something awful was going to happen to this young man.
And it did.

One day, on my day off, we were outside in our front yard when the neighbor came home. He got out of his pickup and approached us, looking absolutely stunned. He said he’d just come home on the overpass, and that there had been a terrible accident. He said that a white van had plowed into several vehicles at a great speed. He said there were bodies and mangled vehicles everywhere, and it was the worst thing he’d ever seen.

The over-pass is only a few blocks from our home.

We got in our vehicle and went to the edge of the highway east of our house, where we could see the overpass clearly, we were so close. And to my shock, there was the young man’s small pickup, the driver’s door flung open, sitting cross-ways in the highway. When he was hit, he had been thrown from his pickup, at the top of the overpass, and had landed on the railroad tracks below. He was one of many casualties from this accident.

I think about this young man every time I drive over this hill.

So, being able to recognize impending death, is it a gift or a curse? What good is seeing the future if you cannot altar it? Why is this knowledge revealed at all? Could the young man have been saved from his fate on Halloween night if he would’ve left that party a few minutes before or a few minutes after he did? Would the man in the pickup have listened to me if I would’ve been able to give him a warning?

Psychic Sensitivity ~ Sensitive Children

Night Fears

I slept with my head hidden under the blankets until I was 12 years old. Why? Because at night, in the silence and the dark, I was keenly aware that I was not alone. I could sense the presence of something, or many things, by my bed. I could hear whispered voices; I could see shadow people; and often I could feel something unnameable trying to connect with me.

As a child, I didn’t understand what I was experiencing. I didn’t know that the presence I was aware of couldn’t actually harm me, and I didn’t know how to consciously protect and claim myself and my space, or how to consciously send these ethereal energies away. I didn’t even know that this was possible.

Like any child who feels afraid, my instinct was to hide. And this I did — under the covers.
When I was 12 years old, something happened. I think it stemmed from the fact that I was exhausted from these nights of fear and the lack of sleep. I was sick of waking up drenched in sweat. It may have been a new maturity and more insight coming with puberty. I was tired. I was tired of being terrorized at night. I was tired of feeling like I had to hide in order to be safe, and I finally got to a defiant angry place.

One night, I simply flung the covers back, sat up, and very forcefully said, “This is my room! This is my bed! If you want to come and get me, then do it… or Leave Me Alone!” That was all I needed to do. Little did I know that’s all I had ever needed to do.

1. I showed no fear.
2. I reclaimed my space by ordering the presence to leave.

Be sensitive to small children with night fears. Allow them what they need for comfort. And as is often the case, they need a way to block some of these entities and experiences, whether with a night-light that’s left on, some cozy time in bed with a parent (so comforting!), or someone just to sit with them until they feel calm. When most insensitive or ignorant adults chastise them, telling them that there is nothing there, those adults don’t know how wrong they could be.


Visions & Psychic Information


I’ve written before of a psychic vision that I had when I was 12 years old, some sort of coming of age time, this year must have been for me. On the day my Uncle died, several hours before this occurred, he was laying on the living-room couch listening to music. I was sitting across the room from him, and as I watched, the back of the couch closed over him, like a lid on a coffin.

As most children do, I thought that because I could see this, everyone else in the room could see this also. But as I looked from each adult face to the next, I realized that they were totally unaware of what had just happened. I also was too immature and not practiced enough to realize that this was a premonition, an omen of what was to be just a few hour later.

It would be six years, when I was 18, that I would first talk about this experience with my grandmother. Without an understanding of premonitions and omens, I had thought that by SEEING this vision, I had CAUSED this thing to happen. I spent those six years desperately trying to block any visions or information that came to me.

Be aware that young children do not have the mental faculties to digest the psychic visions and information that they are picking up. They may not understand the source or the implications of visions and other psychic information. And its very common for small children to think that everyone else hears and feels what they do. Children don’t realize that they have an ability and are experiencing something that most people do not experience.


The Empath


Any situation that puts an empath in a group setting can be a nightmare. It is not only an overload of other people’s energy, it is a flurry of knowing, knowing what other people are thinking. Your brain is rattled and filled with other people’s true thoughts. You can feel their sadness, their happiness, their boredom, as well as their dislikes.

The classroom is a horror story for a lot of very sensitive empathic children. What’s coming through in a flurry to your conscious mind is also making it difficult, if not impossible, for you to concentrate, to focus on what the teacher is saying. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, to digest the words in a textbook, to focus on a math problem, to stay in the present with clear thoughts. From my own experience, I have to wonder how many children are labeled with attention disorders, when actually, they are receiving an overload of data from the individuals around them.

The perfect classroom experience for the empathic child would be soft instrumental meditative background music. It would be a room filled with live plants, windows open for fresh air and bird sounds and sunshine, or the smell of rain. It would be rooms large enough to have ample space around each desk, around each child. It would be the quiet presence of an animal, a voiceless living thing, a cat or dog or bird or hamster. Until that type of classroom exists, the most we can do is to educate people on the topic of empathic children and what they need to function in this group setting.

My Book ~ Tarot: A Witch's Journey

Tarot: A Witch's Journey
(2nd Edition) 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B3Y7RLR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6

Follow author, Amythyst Raine, through the realm of Tarot, uncovering life's mysteries along the way. Explore esoteric connections through the cards with astrology, numerology, and the Kabbalah. Delve into criminal cases explored intimately through the intricacies of the tarot and intuitive reading. Connect with and experience the human psyche through the court cards. Discover tarot's power within the magick of the occult world. Begin your journey through the realm of Tarot today.

Amythyst Raine@ Amazon

Sex and Green Witchcraft ~ Getting Down and Dirty

Witchcraft is all about dealing with issues in life and creating change in those areas through the movement of energy resulting in manifestation in the physical world. Sex is one of those whopping big issues, or it can be if things are not all hunky dory in the bedroom. Whatever the issues might be, whether it’s not enough passion, an overload of sex drive, infidelity, or a desire to catch your prince charming, you can find what you need to cast spells for hot sex, no sex, or only-with-me sex in the world of herbs and green witchcraft.

Warning: 

This blog post may be considered too graphic to those who are more sensitive to such things, or are unaware of this aspect of the craft.  

For those who wish to proceed, I can guarantee that you'll find this post both interesting and entertaining.  A few of you may find it thought provoking and even inspiring. 😈

Fidelity

“Forsaking all others” is not something our culture takes lightly. Even in the 21st century, ancient marriage vows and tradition are serious matters, and cheating is frowned upon. After all, don’t we all want to be special, to be "the one and only" ? This is probably the most popular topic on which I receive emails asking for magickal help and advice. Following are some of my favorite herbs for dealing with issues of infidelity:

Chili Pepper…If you feel your mate is getting restless and may be plagued with a straying eye, obtain two dried chili peppers, cross them and tie them together. Add these chili peppers to a red flannel bag containing your man’s semen, a slip of paper on which you’ve written the length of his penis, and a photo of the two of you together. Place this charm near your bed, but make sure that it’s well hidden. 

 NOTE: If it’s your little woman with the stray eye, let’s modify this spell: substitute menstrual blood for semen (easy enough to get, a used tampon is perfect); and substitute a snip of her pubic hair in lieu of measurements. This should be easy enough to get, as well as enjoyable for both of you. Use your imagination.

Cumin…When cumin is given to your lover, either carried upon his person in some way, or fed to him, it will promote fidelity. I’d vote for feeding it to your target. It’s much easier to make a tasty meal and slip it into the food, than to have your beloved wonder what the hell all those little seeds are in the bottom of his pockets.

Licorice…(We’re talking the herb here, not the candy, just to keep things straight.) Gnawing on the root will put you in the mood for a little lovin’ with a lot of passion; and to keep all this passion between you and your beloved, use licorice in spells for fidelity.

Magnolia…This is another one of those magickal herbs that are kept in the bedroom, near your bed, to insure fidelity. Hide it in the mattress, in a box beneath your bed, along with a hoard of other innocent items, or in your bedside bureau drawer. Quite frankly, if your lover is use to having flowers and herbs around the house, both live and dried, they really aren’t going to think anything about one more piece of flora.

Nutmeg…Nutmeg is the mother of fidelity herbs. You can feed it to your target, include it in original fidelity spells, add it to mojo bags, voodoo dollies, or trick your partner into carrying it somewhere on their person by sprinkling it in their shoes, hiding it in their pockets, sewing it into a hem, etc. Combine this herb with any other herb you use for fidelity or love spells. This is the jealous “you-are-mine-and-mine-alone” herb.

Rhubarb…Bake your sweetheart a delicious rhubarb pie, adding generous amounts of sugar, including at least three spoonfuls of powdered sugar (Drawing Powder). To make sure your target stays faithful, add a pinch of nutmeg and the ultimate in personal effects– a teaspoonful of red wine that you have taken in your mouth, swished around good, like a mouthwash, and spit into the pie filling. It‘s best to do this while you‘re cooking the pie filling over the fire in a hot pan, heating it– and heating your passions and intentions right along with it.

Scullcap…Ladies, it’s said that if you wear this herb somewhere on your person, you will protect your hubby from the charms of other women. I think I’d add to this magickal endeavor by creating a mojo bag for this purpose. Add skullcap and two whole nutmegs to this bag, along with a photo of you and your husband together and some intimate personal effects, like body fluids, that sort of thing.

Attracting Love

i.e. Catching Prince Charming

Apple…Hold an apple in both hands, imbuing it with your magickal intentions: to bring to you the one you desire. Sleep with this apple for three nights. On the morning of the fourth day, hand this apple to your target, having them take it from your hands. Watch them eat it, making sure that they take at least three bites that are chewed and swallowed. Then ask if you can have a bite, taking it from their hands. Take a bite, chew and swallow, then hand this apple back to them…for the second time, they must take this apple from your hands.

Aster…Grow this plant in your garden with the intention that it shall draw to you your true love.

Beet…Use the juice from a beet as a magickal ink to write out your love spells. Beet juice can also be used as a substitute for blood, particularly in love spells. As with the apple, the story goes that if a man and woman both eat from a single beet, they will be joined together romantically.

Cardamom…Bake your target muffins, to which you’ve added cardamom. Serve them this delectable treat with a hot cup of apple/cinnamon tea, or hot chocolate.

Cinnamon…As with cardamom, the easiest way to use the magick of cinnamon to draw your true love to you is to feed it to them in something that you’ve baked yourself, something that you’ve put your time and energy into, something that you have mixed and blended and created with your own hands. To enhance this energy, serve them, along with the cinnamon, a drink of hot coco or chocolate milk.

Hibiscus…Use the blossoms of the hibiscus to create love sachets and incenses. You can also steep a strong tea for your target, and just before serving it, stick your finger into the tea cup, stirring three times deosil (clockwise).  Interesting sidenote:  In some Asian countries, the power of hibiscus as an aphrodisiac for women is so strongly believed that it's illegal to serve women hibiscus tea.

Mistletoe…This is an all purpose love spell herb. Kiss the one you love beneath a sprig of mistletoe and the love shall last forever, so the old saying goes. To draw your true love to you, sleep with a sprig of mistletoe on the night of a full moon. The next day hide this charm somewhere in your target’s personal space– on the grounds of their property (okay, that’s pretty good); somewhere inside their abode (this is even better). If you can get them to carry it– in their purse, in their pocket, etc., without revealing what it is or what it’s for, you will have hit the jackpot in magickal checkmate.

Strawberry…This delicious delectable morsel shrieks of passion and lust. Eat it with your chosen target. For the best effect, don’t bother baking it into anything or including it any recipes, just go straight for the kill. Eat the berries together. You can also add to the experience by rolling it in melted chocolate. (Chocolate also has properties that magically spice up love and lust– the coco bean– but I suggested this mostly because I love chocolate and the combo is delicious.)

Increasing Sex Drive

The following herbs can be used, magickally speaking, for increasing your libido, or that of your partner.

Celery…ingest both the stalk and the seeds for a burst of passionate energy.

Beans…to cure impotency, carry a mojo bag on your person consisting of dried beans; a personal effect belonging to your mate, the more intimate the better; and an object which will be a phallic symbol, but something that is not an outright image of a penis. It has to be subtle and only suggestive of what it actually represents. This could be a stone with the correct shape, a stick, a small piece of statuary, glass, or any number of things. Look around you, you’ll find something. And the more energy you put into finding this item, the more energy you are putting into this mojo bag.

Ginseng…Ginseng is all about lust and desire. You can carry the root on your person, or you can drink a cup of ginseng tea. Either way, it’s reputed to get your motor going. Carrying the root may have more of a gradual and ongoing effect; drinking the tea may unleash more energy than you were expecting in a sudden burst; and if this is the case, you should make sure your romantic rendezvous is all set and ready to go before you take that cup of tea.

Licorice…ingesting this herb is the best way to utilize it’s potency as a libido booster.

Olive…olives not only increase sexual potency in men, they also increase fertility– just something to keep in mind. Eat and enjoy.

Patchouli…mix patchouli, chips of Queen Elizabeth root, catnip, and red rose petals together. Make a tea with this mixture and add it to your bath water. Light a red candle during this bath and enjoy a nice long soak. When you’re finished, you can add a bit of this water to a small bottle and carry it in your purse to enhance the lustful and passionate effects, drawing it out. Better yet, bathe with your partner.

Vanilla…eat it, preferably in ice cream, preferably with your partner. Better yet, feed it to each other, in bed.

Decreasing Sex Drive

Remember the old saying, “You can never have too much of a good thing”? Well, actually yes, you can. Here’s a few herbs and a few things you can do to tone it down, or shut it off.

Black Cohash…add a cup of tea that’s been made with this herb to your bathwater. It’s said that by bathing in this water you will kill any passion that your mate may have for you.

Camphor…This is another one of those herbs that are to be used in a mojo bag for this purpose and hidden somewhere very near the bed. You could add to this bag personal effects belonging to both you and your partner– nail clippings, hair, or more personal items– and a separate photo of both you and your partner. It’s also said that the scent of camphor will dampen the libido. In that case, I’d prepare a lovely little bowl full of camphor for the bedside table, and I’d refresh this when the scent disappears, or on a waning moon.

Lettuce…to squelch the libido of another individual, write their name on a slip of paper and place it beneath a single large lettuce leaf. Place this leaf where it will receive full sunlight and cover it with an inverted clear glass bowl. As it withers and rots in the sun, so shall their sexual potency wither and rot away.

Vervain…according to an old tradition, by drinking a tea of vervain, you will shut down all sexual desire for seven years. (You might want to think on this one, whether you plan on using it on yourself, or another individual.)

Witch Hazel…this will cool passion. This is the perfect herb to use in a mojo bag if you just need to cool things off for a while and give yourself time to think clearly about entering a relationship. Add to the bag a stone of black onyx, black hollyhock petals, black pansies, and a piece of black licorice (the candy, not the herb) that you’ve had in your mouth. Once your mind has cleared…think, think, think.

Hints & Helpful Magickal Tips:

If you’re a male and you think that someone’s been magickally tampering with your sexuality- your desires, your sex drive, and your free will, you can uncross the condition by steeping a whole burdock root in olive oil and anointing your genitals with this oil to restore your personal power and desires.

To break a hex or jinx placed upon your sexual nature boil calamus root in a a quart of whiskey; boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain out the roots, add another pint or two of whiskey to the mixture, and take a teaspoonful once a day to restore your sexual nature to normal. (*note: don’t confuse calamus root with blue flag)

Use the power of dill to manifest successful love spells by steeping the seeds in water for three days and adding it to your bathwater, or your target’s bathwater. To break a love spell, prepare a tea of dill leaf and ginger root. Strain the herbs, and anoint your entire body with this tea. Allow it to dry. This is to be done for nine days, creating a new batch of tea each day.

Increase the speed and intensity of love spells with ginger. Add dried ginger to love potions, powders, and oils. It can be burned with other spell ingredients, or added to foods imbued with magickal intentions.

Add white mustard seed to mojo bags created to attract love, along with red rose petals, a pinch of catnip, and personal effects: preferably an item from your target (hair, fingernail clippings, a button from their clothing, a business card, a name paper, personal body fluids, etc.)

Sampson snake root (Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower) is a versatile herb for love magicks: men who have lost their virility through jinxes or hexing can reinstate their prowess and sexual functionality by making a tea with this herb, or soaking this herb in whiskey for a week and taking a teaspoonful twice a day. This also restores good health that has been stolen through magickal means. A bath of Sampson snake root and Wahoo root bark will also restore male virility. A mojo bag to increase a man’s appeal to women will include Sampson snake root, high john the conqueror root, and bo’ hog root, all of which are dressed with commanding oil.

Queen Elizabeth root is considered the ultimate in love herbs. This herb works it’s magic on men, and it’s used for good luck in all types of love situations, including affairs. To attract a man’s love make a mojo bag containing Queen Elizabeth root, rose buds, lavender, lodestone, spikenard, and any personal effects you are lucky enough to get your hands on, all dressed with commanding oil. If you want your true love to propose marriage to you, add a powdered form of this herb to your bathwater just before meeting with your target. To enhance your feminine power and charms soak a whole root in water for nine days, strain this and add it to your bathwater. There is a powerful magickal concoction that is reputed to give you complete control over a man. This magickal potion includes scrapings of dry skin from your feet, or your toe nail clippings, which you will add to a bottle of water, along with a whole root and your own urine. Let this all soak for nine days before using it. You should use this liquid sparingly, adding it to your target’s food and drink, and by doing so he will develop a very docile nature and remain under your control. (I think I can actually hear a collective ‘ewwww’ from my readers).

Have fun, and enjoy your magick…as well as the manifestations that result.

The books below were used as a reference for this essay; however, the information above was taken from my own Book of Shadows, which includes my personal magickal practices and correspondences. This means that I may not have always agreed with some of the correspondences I found in these books and have incorporated my own correspondences for the information above. This does not mean that the correspondences found in these books are inaccurate, just that I’ve discovered different energies through my own practice.

“Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs” by Scott Cunningham

“Hoodoo Herb and Root Magick” by Catherine Yronwode

“Green Magic: The Sacred Connection to Nature” by Ann Moura

“The Green Wiccan Herbal” by Silja

Sex and Green Witchcraft ~ Getting Down and Dirty was originally posted at Magickal Connections on April 27th, 2012.

Needless to say, this was one of the most popular posts at MC.