Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one;

stronger than magician ever spoke,

or spirit ever answered to,
in the strongest conjuration.

Charles Dickens

2

Natural Magick
All Around the Home

We’ve begun our cottage witchery by focusing on the heart of the magickal home and by concentrating on the enchanting entrances to your residences. Now that we are on a roll, let’s take a look at how to incorporate natural magick all around the house.

Bringing the Outdoors In

The quickest way to add a bit of natural magick to your place is by bringing the outdoors in and decorating your magickal home with the warmth, beauty, and simplicity of nature. By using nature as our inspiration, we can soften the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors. You can start the transformation by adding greenery: plants in all shapes and sizes. Live plants add a healthy energy and vibration to the magickal home. Pick out something easy to care for and set the plant in a nice sunny spot. (There will be more information on magickal houseplants in chapter 6.)

To further introduce the four elements, maybe you could gather some fresh herbs like lavender, rosemary, or sage together and hang them up to dry. Their herbal aromas would invoke the element of air. What about one of those little fountain kits? The sound of running water would be great for encouraging relaxation, and you would be bringing the element of water into your house or apartment. For the element of earth, display some pretty, smooth pebbles in a wooden or ceramic bowl. If you added a few creamy-colored candles to this arrangement, you’d have all the representations of the elements on hand and in your room, ready to work magick with.

Incorporating cottage witchery into your home’s décor means that you look for accent pieces that signify something special to you. Forget a slick, expensive, or modern look. And don’t let yourself become overwhelmed at the thought of magickal redecorating. This is not a reality decorating show and you do have more than forty-eight hours in which to transform your home. So relax and enjoy yourself. When brainstorming for possible ideas, think of objects valued for their magickal or emotional appeal instead of how much cash you’ll have to spend.

Check garage sales and flea markets. I once found a great old watering can at a flea market. I paid much less for it than I would have at an antique shop. It looks great in the living room next to the wood-burning stove. Rummage through your parents’ or grandparents’ attics and sheds. What time-worn pieces can you find that add a little history or subtle magick to your place?

For example, in my living room there is a large and worn antique picket fence gate hanging on the wall. Now, I will confess that I had seen this “look” in a slick gardening magazine and thought it would look great in our house, but I had no idea where I could affordably find one. I had the idea that not only would it bring a garden style into the living room but I could also enchant the gate for protection.

When I showed the magazine photo to my husband, he agreed with me that it would be a great accent piece for the room. Then he got very quiet and stared off into the distance, which frustrated me as I figured he probably wasn’t paying any attention to a word I had just said.

“Got an idea,” he announced. He dropped a distracted kiss on the top of my head and told me that he’d be back later. He was out the door like a shot and I could only sit and wonder what in the world had gotten into him. About an hour later he pulled up in the driveway and called one of our teenage sons to help him unload something out of the back of the truck. Curious, I wandered outside to discover a sturdy picket fence gate. The white paint was peeling in places. It was more than a little dirty and was covered in spider webs. But underneath the grime, it had the worn look I had been dreaming of.

“Where did you find that?” I asked him.

He informed me that it had been hanging in his grandmother’s shed for years, gathering dust. He checked with his folks and they didn’t mind if he took it—actually I think they thought he was a little strange wanting an old, dirty gate. But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So we carried our “treasure” into the backyard, sprayed it off with a hose, and sent those spiders scrambling into the garden. Then we took a wire brush to the wood to remove any flaking paint.

Ends up the gate was built by my husband’s late grandfather for his wife many years ago. We estimated the gate to be around eighty years old. Once the gate was dry, my husband made a few minor repairs and we mounted it to the living room wall. His family was amazed at how well it cleaned up. In truth, it worked out really well for everyone. I got my gate to add to the garden theme and to enchant for our family’s protection, and he acquired a wonderful memento of his grandparents.

The whole thrill of junking is that
you just know the next table will have
what you’ve been looking for all your life.

Mary Randolph Carter

From Mundane to Magickal

If you have that “scavenger gene” and like to hunt for bargains, check out tag sales, garage sales, and local flea markets. Try a few antique stores. Check with friends and relatives, see if they have any older pieces that they want to get rid of or sell. An old sideboard or rustic table would make a great altar. How about an ornamental wooden shelf for a wall altar? Come on, use your imagination! Once you’ve found your treasure, take it home and, if necessary, clean it up. Then enchant the piece for good luck or to bring protection.

a protection charm to shut out negativity

Here is the protection charm that I used for our antique gate.

Covered in grime and dust, I now make you brand new,

I enchant you with protection, my need is true.

By the powers of earth, air, fire, and water,

Shut out all harm, and keep in love and laughter.

Don’t be afraid to adapt this charm to suit what treasure you have found. Remember the salvaged cauldron that I mentioned in the opening of the first chapter? It was old and rusted when I found it, but it was still sound. A little steel wool, elbow grease, and a can of black rust-proof spray paint and it was as good as new. You could adapt the following charm to consecrate furniture, a shelf, or to empower an old cauldron made new for magickal purposes. Take a look at the opening line of this next charm and change it to suit the item.

a transformation charm

Place your hands on the revamped item. Picture the four natural elements of earth, air, fire, and water swirling around you in a multicolored ring and into the piece. Then repeat this charm three times:

Forgotten and dusty/rusted, I now make you brand-new.

Transform from mundane to magick, my need is true.

By the powers of earth, air, fire, and water,

I will conjure up love, good luck, health, and laughter.

If you wish, you may add this closing line:

By the powers of earth and sea,

As I will it, so must it be.

What do you have laying around your place that could be transformed into a new magickal accessory? I bet that if you dig around, you’ll find something that you could personalize or freshen up. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to add a touch of enchantment into your life.

With color one obtains an energy

that seems to stem from witchcraft.

Henri Matisse

Colorful Ideas for Adding
Magick to Your Home

Any Witch worth their broomstick knows about the power and possibilities of color magick. The fastest way to add magick all around the home is with the clever use of color. It’s also the most striking and inexpensive way to change the feel of a room. Try breaking out a can of paint. Take a trip to the fabric store and choose an enchanting pattern and hue to add a little pizzazz into your rooms. Whip up some new pillows or fan out a pretty throw or afghan. Change the color of your bed linens or sew up a new duvet cover.

Freshening up your rooms with color can turn a bland, ordinary room into one with magickal personality and charm. Get inspired by a favorite print or poster on which you could base your color scheme. Neutrals are all the rage right now, and there is something to be said for introducing some natural and earthy tones into your home. Color trends may come and go, but trust your instincts.

Start with your favorite color and see where this leads you. For example, if you love green today, odds are that you’ll still enjoy it years from now. If you like softer colors, then keep your shades softer and more pastel—if you have a thing for green, then you’d be looking at mint or a quiet apple green. If you like deep and dramatic tones and shades, then go for a richer, more vibrant tone of green, such as mossy green or even a forest green.

Most importantly, remember to follow your heart and your own taste. What colors are you drawn to? Which ones soothe or excite? What colors seem to complement your personality? This will give you plenty to think about for a while. And we can really take this bright idea a step further and take a look at your astrological signs and their coordinating elemental colors, because color magick isn’t just for candles, you know.

the elements, astrology, and color

Take, for example, whether you are an earth sign such as a Virgo, Capricorn, or Taurus. These folks are practical and down-to-earth, organized and sensual. Earth signs love material comforts: soft, lived-in fabrics, lots of different textures, and earthy colors. Natural looking wood finishes, hardwood floors, and the texture of brickwork or stone. The deep, earthy tones of brown, bronze, copper, and green will suit you right down to the ground and help you feel that connection to nature that you crave.

If your astrological sign is a watery one such as Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, then you are a sensitive soul. Water signs are emotional, intuitive, and easily influenced by their home environment. Try creating calm and peaceful rooms with the oceanic shades of blue and sea greens, purple and indigo. These watery tones ought to alleviate stress and lift your spirits. Add bleached out or pale, whitewashed furniture and fill up a pretty glass bowl with seashells. Add a small aquarium and bring some colorful fish into the room.

If you are a feisty, fiery sign of Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, you are enthusiastic and more willing to be bold and daring with your personal space. Fire signs like spontaneity and are passionate and romantic. With a fire sign, anything from medieval to modern could work. Perhaps you enjoy bright red and white quilts and a more country look, or a lipstick-red sofa or crimson bedspread with black lacquered furniture—even antiques, dark woods, and heavy, opulent burgundy fabrics. Fire signs could be into any or all of these. They may rearrange things and try out new looks quite often. Tones of burgundy, red, and terra cotta; warm shades of orange and gold together with accents of dark woods or even bright white will add the drama and excitement you crave. Plus it will spice your home’s décor right up.

If you fall under the influence of the element of air and are a Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius, you are prone to being intellectual, objective, and very communicative. Try a more modern or minimalist look. Pare down clutter and streamline your rooms. Add clear or frosted glass and mirrors to reflect light and to visually open up the room. Think of bright and airy open spaces that let the light and the air flow through. Then look to yellows (from buttery soft to bright), quiet neutrals, pastels, creams, and the very palest of blues.

Now, if you have taken a look at this astrological color information and wrinkle your nose up at your suggested colors (and sometimes that does happen), then consider checking out the following handy-dandy color list. As mentioned before, blue could cover any shade, from pale baby blue to denim to navy. The basic correspondence stays pretty much the same for the color, no matter what shade it happens to be. Use your imagination, try looking at this from a witchy perspective, and see what you can conjure up for your place.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

a colorful natural magick
correspondence chart

black: removes negativity, is powerful, and establishes boundaries
(which is probably why my teenage daughter has black curtains and
a black bedspread in her bedroom)

blue: the element of water; peaceful, healing, and soothing

brown: earthy, stable, grounding, and comforting

copper: earthy and rich; a lucky color that is thought to encourage
healing and prosperity

gold: opulence, wealth, the sun; a god color

green: the element of earth; prosperous, stable; a Faerie Kingdom color

grey/neutral: neutral, soothing; a harmonious color for homes

ivory: sentimental feelings, memories, and coziness

orange: energizing, exciting, warm; a harvest color

pink: a “warm fuzzy” color; soothing, quietly romantic, and relaxing

purple: magickal, spiritual, passionate, powerful

red: the element of fire; lustful, vital, loving, and warm

silver: mystique, illusion, the moon, and a goddess color

white: all-purpose, the moon, fresh, pure; a great basic starting point

yellow: the element of air, spring; creative and knowledgeable

These colors and their magickal associations should give you a starting point. Remember that colors can always be changed by softening or brightening up their tones and by adding complementary colors to go along with your home’s décor. Experimenting with the use of color magick in your home is a very individualized process and it takes a bit of instinct, trial and error and, most of all, practice. But it is fun trying out those new magickal ideas and the possibilities are endless. Add a few touches of color into your rooms and see what sort of transformation you can achieve.

By the transformation of yang
and its union with yin, the five agents arise:

water, fire, wood, metal, and earth.

Chou Tun-Yi

Hey, What About Feng Shui?

Feng Shui literally means “wind and water,” and it is the 5,000-year-old art of arranging and decorating your home to encourage a happy life, well-being, prosperity, and contentment. The basic idea of Feng Shui is that everything in your surroundings, including the furnishings and color of your home, can either influence your life in a positive way or hinder your success. Feng Shui bases its principles of balance and harmony on the concepts of ying and yang (masculine and feminine), the five elements, and the eight directions. Feng Shui also encourages the use of positive chi or energy. With Feng Shui, you direct how energy flows through your rooms and your house.

Using the five elements of Feng Shui in your magickal home is a fascinating concept. Most magickal users will notice a bit of a difference between the Wiccan traditional elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit and the following ones listed here. In Feng Shui the five elements are represented as water, wood (sometimes called “tree”), fire, earth (occasionally referred to as “soil”), and metal. The ability to manipulate chi by using the five elements is the basis of many Feng Shui decorating remedies and designs. Try adding a touch of all the Feng Shui elements into your life and home, and see what changes you can bring about.

This is a great illustration of the five elements of Feng Shui (no, I’m not reinventing the pentagram). The Chinese elements are at the top and the traditional Wiccan elemental symbols are at the bottom.

the five elements of feng shui

wood shapes are rectangular and tall, thin, and vertical. Wood’s season is spring and color is green. Folks who feel a strong connection to this Feng Shui element are outgoing, full of life, artistic, and hard working. Materials to incorporate are wood, wicker, bamboo, and paper. The element of wood corresponds with the east. The associations that go with
the element of wood—some texts call this element “tree”—are just as you’d imagine, these being life, expansion, energy, and movement.

fire shapes are pointed, triangular, pyramid, zigzag, and star shaped. The season is midsummer, and the color is red. People who are attuned to this Feng Shui element are natural leaders that often inspire others to follow. They are passionate groundbreakers with a great sense of humor. Fire
belongs to the south. Materials to work with include red flowers and pointed objects, crimson-colored, star-shaped candleholders, and red
fabrics. The meanings of this element include passion, enthusiasm, warmth, and communication.

earth shapes are low, squat, flat, wide, and horizontal. The season is early fall, the colors are yellow and brown. Earth people are practical and loyal to their friends. These folks are the proverbial rock in a stressful situation and a pillar of strength in a crisis. This element corresponds with the north. The associated materials include plaster, china, ceramics, bricks, and natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, and silk. The elemental associations of earth or soil are comfort, security, prudence, and reliability.

metal shapes are rounded and arched: domes, ovals, circles, and spheres. The season is late autumn and the corresponding colors are white, silver, and gold. Metal people are independent, determined, and can be single-minded. They are, however, extremely organized souls who prefer everything to be in its proper place. The element of metal corresponds to the west. Materials to incorporate include stainless steel, brass, silver, bronze, copper, iron, and gold. The meanings of this element are wealth, strength, leadership, and orderliness.

water shapes are irregular and wavy, curved and fluid. The season is midwinter, the color is black, and the recommended material is glass. Water people are great communicators, persuasive, and very sensitive to the feelings of others. Natural diplomats, they are excellent negotiators. This element is also aligned with the north. The magickal associations of this final element are depth, power, flexibility, peace, and tranquility.

These Feng Shui effects will be especially powerful if you combine the colors with the particular patterns or materials. One book suggests green vertical-striped wallpaper to represent earth/tree energy. A tall green lamp, a small pot of lucky bamboo, and green upright plants would do the same.

For fire, use red candles or clear, decorative oil lamps with red liquid paraffin inside; star-shaped votive holders in metallic red (bet you’ll find those around the winter holiday season); fresh red flowers, like carnations and roses; and red luxurious fabrics and pillows.

To bring the chi of earth/soil into your home, try adding a window-box type of terra-cotta container. The shape, color, and the potting soil within pretty much cover all the bases. See if you can add a low-growing houseplant with yellow on the foliage or yellow-colored flowers, or add to your home’s décor a square yellow-gold frame or checkered fabrics in brown to golden yellow.

For metal, work with metal itself and round silver, gold, or white objects, like a circular-shaped, silver-edged mirror, a small silver gazing globe, rounded metallic wire sculptures, or a round metal planter or pot. How about round silver trinket boxes?

To introduce the chi of water, try introducing glass objects, small irregular-shaped dishes, or black fabrics on your upholstery that feature a flowing pattern. What about some of those shiny black glass marbles that are so popular nowadays? You could arrange those in a funky clear shallow dish for instant water energy. Wouldn’t that be cool? Here are a few more nifty tips and tricks for adding a bit of Feng Shui chi to your home.

crystals: To add more positive chi to your home, try hanging crystal sun catchers in a sunny window. For Feng Shui purposes it is recommended to use the round, multifaceted crystal sun catchers. (The irregular-shaped sun catchers may cause spiky or unbalanced chi.) When the sunlight catches the globes, it refracts into rainbows, and then positive energy radiates out in all directions, pushing old, stagnant energy out and bringing in fresh energy from the outside.

candles: As you’d expect, a lit candle brings fire energy to an area immediately. Fire is thought to encourage passion—what a surprise—and it also creates a focal point in a room. Tall white candles are recommended in Feng Shui and are best placed in the southern quarter of a room.

sound: It is thought that sound encourages positive chi energy. Wind chimes are popular, as is the sound of running water from a miniature
inside fountain. Chimes made out of metal, wood, or ceramic are thought to enhance their coordinating elements of metal, tree, and soil. The sounds of wind chimes, bells, and ticking clocks may be used to break
up stagnant energy that may be lurking under the eaves of your porch, in a dark hallway, or in those corners. The chimes should sound pleasant to you, so choose wind chimes with care. Hang them up inside; with a sweep of your hand, you can send the chimes dancing against one another and negativity scurrying right out the door.

sea salt: (And here I thought it was the Witches who came up with this idea.) Setting small dishes of sea salt around the home is thought to absorb negativity and bad vibes. According to Feng Shui practices, it is best poured into small white china bowls and placed in the northeast and southwest corners of the home. Remember to keep your bowls of salt out of reach from pets and small children.

aquariums: Fish bowls and aquariums are thought to encourage prosperity and to ward the home from bad luck and accidents, not to mention all the water energy they bring in to your life. Actually, watching fish swim around in an attractive aquarium is thought to help lower your blood pressure.

books: Have books arranged in clear view as you enter your home to increase insight. Wow, there must be a million insightful Wiccans and
Pagans out there. Have you ever been to a magickal person’s home that didn’t have a ton of books everywhere?

mirrors: Hang up a round mirror in your bedroom to draw more love, compassion, and understanding into your romantic relationships.

flowers: Arranging fresh flowers in the bedroom, kitchen, and the study or your home office encourages good luck. (You know I like this idea!)

move twenty-seven objects: Some Feng Shui experts advise that moving twenty-seven objects in your home that have not been moved in the past year will break up stagnant energy and help you to move forward with your goals and life.

Experiment with the magick of color and the power of positive energy in your home. It’s fun to be magickally creative; plus, it works. If this seems too complicated for you, you can always hang up those wind chimes or a crystal sun catcher. Or you can tie a red ribbon to the inside front door—it’s an old Feng Shui trick to bring about positive change and good luck.

A house is a machine for living in.

Charles Edouard Jeanneret

The Rooms Where We Live

The living or family room is most often the place where the family crashes. And to me “crashes” seems pretty darned appropriate. The family watches television or reads there. If someone is home sick they can usually be found ensconced on the couch, tucked in with blankets and riding out their cold or flu bug. In the evening, after the dishes are done, we head to the living room to flop on the sofa and unwind. We entertain there, display most of our seasonal decoration there, and this main room is the one that sees the most action, coming in second to the kitchen.

Being the most lived-in room in the house, the living/family room is also the most prone to corruption. Shoes, beverage cans, empty glasses, newspapers, magazines, and mail always seems to be found scattered across the furniture. The animals usually claim a favored chair and the kids are typically sprawled all over any available horizontal surface. There are days when I feel like I need a whip and a chair to wade my way through my living room. And, like every other mother on the planet, I am constantly after my family to “pick up their mess.”

With all of this day-to-day living going on in this particular room, you might imagine it difficult to turn this mundane area into a magickal room. But actually it’s very simple. First things first: try to keep the room as picked up as possible. Yes, I am aware that this is the toughest part, which is why I told you about my family just a bit ago. I live in the real world too, just like you do.

Your next step is to set up an area or workspace for natural magick supplies or accessories. Actually, I think of these as little personal altars. But the word altar makes some folks nervous, so call this magickal work area whatever you wish. In the living room/ family room, consider choosing a place like the mantel, a wall shelf, or an end table. I would not recommend setting up on top of a television or stereo system. This is natural magick—let’s keep it separate from the electrical energy. It could play havoc with your entertainment system. Remember that natural magick does generate power.

Also, if the thought of setting up a workspace in the living room just doesn’t appeal to you, then set one up in your private space—the bedroom. Try using a nightstand or a small section on top of your dresser. How about one of those circular tables? Toss a colorful tablecloth over it and you’re good to go. Maybe you can arrange some pretty celestial fabric over a TV tray and set up a portable workspace/altar there. Or use a shelf on the wall or the top of a bookshelf for something more permanent.

If you keep your magickal tools and objects as natural as possible, it merely looks like a clever arrangement of earthy, beautiful things to the casual observer. Add seasonal touches throughout the year—perhaps a small African violet in the spring, a potted fern in the summer, and so on.

At my friend Morgan’s house, on the wall between her kitchen and family room, she has a small wicker shelf that is in a half circle shape. On that little shelf she tucks in a small crystal cluster and a feather. On the top shelf there is a diminutive decorative tealight candleholder in a celestial theme, a shell, and starfish. There she has all of her natural representations of the elements displayed, and she adds seasonal touches to it as the wheel of the year turns. At Lammas she had a tiny corn dolly; at Mabon, she added an apple. When our circle went to her house to celebrate the autumnal equinox, I gave her some miniature pumpkins from my garden and she tucked the littlest one up there as the holidays rolled into Samhain. At Yule, she adds sprigs of fresh holly and ivy. That little wall altar is absolutely charming.

Here are some more crafty ideas for creating magickal workspaces or altars for the rooms that we and our families live in.

The sum total of heaven and earth,
everything in nature, is thus won to use and purpose.

It becomes a temple and altar for the service of God.

Hildegard von Bingen

Natural Magick Altars

Create a small altar on your mantel or a shelf by adding a few subtle natural magick touches. Arrange a striking red candle into a holder and snuggle around its base smooth pebbles or sparkly crystal clusters. Scatter a few seashells within the stones to symbolize the element of water. Lastly, look for fallen feathers and tuck one or two into your display. As you light the candle, you have all four magickal elements represented and at work within your room. If you lay claim to a wall shelf, then add taper candles at either end. Between the candles arrange your chosen natural and elemental items in a casual and pleasing way.

You can always refer to the Feng Shui practices and add a representation of each of the five elements. Try adding a piece of lucky bamboo for the wood/tree element, a silver-edged round mirror to represent the element of metal, and a small glass dish of spring water and a square terra-cotta dish filled with topsoil for the water and earth/soil elements, respectively. For the fire element, light a tall white candle.

For a more Wiccan theme, you could arrange a piece of deer antler to represent the God, and to symbolize the Goddess you could slip a rose into a vase. Try driftwood or shells for your water element, and smooth, round pebbles for earth. To represent the air element you could add a glass dish of fragrant potpourri. For the element of fire you can either use the candles or work a piece of lava rock or a chunk of volcanic glass into your display.

Perhaps you have a favorite print or artwork to use for your God and Goddess representation. Go with what you find pleasing. On the mantel in my living room there is an altar. However, it’s subtle enough that most folks don’t have a clue as to its actual purpose. To them it’s simply an interesting arrangement of items that changes from season to season. Typically what is up there permanently includes a framed picture of the triple goddess Brigid; a small piece of deer antler that my husband found while walking out in the woods, to represent the God; a tiny cauldron—just big enough to hold a tealight; and a trio of candles. At the moment there are smaller pumpkins, autumn oak leaves, and gourds arranged across the mantel, as it’s just a month away from Samhain.

Bottom line, arrange things to suit your own tastes in whichever rooms appeal to you. Perhaps you would prefer all green plants and maybe a small statue of a faerie. Believe it or not, I have that on a shelf in my bathroom. And why not, I ask you? It’s the place I take ritual baths and Goddess knows the family is always in there washing their faces, brushing teeth, or fixing their hair. Seems like a good place to me for a little enchantment.

What if you wish to display your wand, ritual cup, or pentacle? Go ahead. It’s your working area, after all. No matter what style you choose, bold or discreet or somewhere in between, or what theme you decide to use, just be creative and look to the environment around you for ideas and inspiration.

Here’s a thought: if you live in the Southwest, then you’d probably want to include things indigenous to your area, like a small potted cactus, a dried piece of sagebrush, or a few tumbling stones of turquoise arranged in a handmade basket. A pottery dish of desert sand and another filled with spring water would be awesome. Maybe you live along the coast and you’d enjoy having seashells and starfish arranged with bleached-out, twisted pieces of driftwood. Possibly you prefer a more cottagey look . . . a pair of hand- dipped tapers in wooden candlestick holders for fire; a place to safely burn your incense and a small salt- glazed pottery bowl full of water to honor that element; another dish full of salt to represent the earth. Perhaps a hanging cluster of fragrant herbs that are drying or a rustic handmade broom that sets nearby. Both the broom and the herbs could be used to represent the element of air. See? It’s easy.

Setting up this small arrangement of natural representations for each of the elements helps to keep you connected to the earth. When you incorporate natural items such as flowers, crystals, plants, stones, shells, and other seasonal fresh items into your living space, this helps to link your magick back to the beauty and wonder of nature. By celebrating these natural tools and earthy supplies of magick we honor our magickal roots. The four elements can bring many magickal energies into our lives, such as stability, creativity, enthusiasm, and love. This simple act of creating a sacred workspace to perform your spells and to connect with deity helps to connect us to the earth magicks of the cunning men and wise women from many years before.

So, now that you’ve got this far, why not try out one of these natural magick charms to consecrate and bless your new natural magick workspace.

four elements consecration charm

Set up your altar and repeat the following charm three times:

Earth, air, fire, and water, now combine through time and space,

By the elements four I consecrate my working place,

Bless all magick I perform, empower the spells that I cast,

Create peace, harmony, and contentment that will surely last.

Close this charm with:

By all the powers of land and sea,

As I will this, then so shall it be.

five elements charm

If you prefer, try this Feng Shui-style elemental charm. Repeat three times; the closing line is already worked into this charm!

For some, there are five elements of magickal power,

Come metal, wood, fire, water, and earth, in this hour.

Positive energy will flow, and darkness does now flee,

Bless this Witch’s home, with the power of positive chi.

His house was perfect, whether you liked food,
or sleep, or work, or storytelling, or singing,
or a pleasant mixture of them all.

J. R. R. Tolkien, the Hobbit

Workspace Witchery:
Magick for Home Offices

A home office or workspace is a curious thing. It is a part of your home and yet it is held separate. My little office is the breezeway of our house. It started out as a small family room and has been completely taken over by my desk, computer, and bookshelves. In this room there is an old slip-covered love seat just big enough to curl up and read on, and windows that overlook part of the gardens. Is it a private space? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is private and quiet when the kids are in school, and no, it’s not when they get home in the afternoon. In the evening, the kids come out here to work on papers or projects for school or to do research on the Internet.

I write every day, so I am out here in my little office seven days a week. I wake up around 5:00 am and stagger out to the desk to get cracking before the kids get up for college and high school. Once they are up, there is no concentrating with them stomping around (unless I have headphones on). So I take a break, eat breakfast, and impatiently wait for them to clear out.

If I have to go to my part-time job, I try to get some writing in before I go to work. If I’m home for the day, I hit the computer again and then in the early afternoon I usually call it quits for the day. Since I spend so much time in this room, I wanted it to be homey. It also needed to have a good balance of practicality and comfort. And of course I wanted it to be an area that motivated me when I came to my desk to work.

So, when I decorated the office, I incorporated a touch of color magick and used warm, earthy tones to complement the knotty pine paneling in the breezeway, and added forest green curtains. Do you recall the color magick chart from earlier in this chapter? The various shades of brown are earthy, grounding colors that bring comfort, while the green is aligned to the earth element and encourages prosperity. Plus I’m a Virgo, so it all ties together. I chose my colors with care and set it up as nicely as I could. The combination of blessing the office and tying in a little color magick gave me an attractive, comfortable, and functional little office, plus it also made it inspiring and, of course, magickal.

As for accessories on the desk, I have a cluster of quartz crystals, a few framed pictures of family and friends, and a small globe of green and purple fluorite. Fluorite is a handy stone to have at your work area because it strengthens your mental powers and it is supposed to be helpful while researching and gathering information. That’s a good combination for anyone to have around.

Now, it’s important to point out that you don’t have to have a separate room for your workstation, though that sure would be nice. Just go with whatever spot is available. Perhaps you can claim a small corner of the living room or kitchen for your workspace. I have a friend who is an artist and her magickal workspace is in the living room. She has her drawing supplies set up there, plus a few framed prints and quotes for inspiration hanging on the wall above her art table. To add a touch of magick, she adds a small lucky bamboo plant and has blue glass wind chimes hanging above her table to promote some positive chi or energy.

Occasionally she lights a small candle and sets that on her art table, and asks the Lord and Lady for inspiration. Yes, she shares the living room with her family, but this section of the room is her personal workspace. She does the bulk of her illustrations at night after her children go to bed. The important thing to realize is whether it’s a private home office or just an area carved out of the family’s living area, it’s still your workspace. So claim it and make it into a magickal one filled with positive energy and creative vibrations.

These ideas for creating a magickal workspace at home can be easily adapted to your personal area at your job. If you have a cubicle or an office to call your very own, there are lots of clever and subtle natural magick touches that you can add. If you’re going to spend a great chunk of your day at work, why not make the atmosphere a magickal one? Sometimes you only need to look at a topic from a different perspective to gain the motivation that you require. No matter if that workspace is physically within your home or across town in an office building, try adding a touch of natural magick to bring comfort and enchantment to your day.

When in doubt, follow that old Boy Scout rule of KISMIF, which stands for Keep It Simple, Make It Fun. Take another look at those Feng Shui practices for some inspiration. Hanging wind chimes above your desk and growing a small piece of lucky bamboo are subtle Feng Shui tricks that you could easily incorporate. If you’d like to slip in something from the four elements of nature at your desk, and you need to keep it low-key while on the job, no problem. Examine the altar setups that were discussed earlier in this chapter and adapt these to suit your own tastes.

Now, to close up this chapter, here is a spell to claim your workspace and to imbue it with magickal energy. You may use this on your office at home or at work.

elemental workspace charm

To begin this elemental spell, sprinkle a pinch of salt around the workspace to represent the earth. Then take a cup of water and sprinkle a tiny bit around the area as well—for, you guessed it, the blessings of the water element. Visualize the heating or cooling in the room as conduits to the element of air, and the lights or the sun streaming in the windows as a representation of fire. When you are ready, repeat the charm.

Elements four, gather ’round this workspace of mine,

Inspiration and comfort you bring at all times.

Bring passion and commitment to the work that I do,

Circle about me now with magick so strong and true.

Close this spell with these lines:

By the strength of hearth and home, this spell is spun,

As I will, so mote it be, and let it harm none.

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