A small house will hold as much
happiness as a big one.
Anonymous
Seasonal, Natural Decorations
for the Magickal Home
This chapter has four sections; each seasonal section is brimming with practical, magickal ideas for you to incorporate into your home and life. When you bring fresh, natural material into your home, keep an eye on it. When it starts to dry out or to fade, dispose of it neatly. Add it to a compost pile or put it in a yard-waste receptacle. Leaving dying foliage and flowers around the house doesn’t encourage the kind of positive vibrations that you’re trying to pull in, so keep your materials fresh and remove them when they fade.
No matter what season it happens to currently be, remember to take a good look at the natural world that surrounds you. Celebrate nature and bring a bit of its bounty into your home and life. There is always something magickal to be found in the great outdoors.
Many of the phenomena of winter are suggestive
of an inexpressible tenderness and fragile delicacy.
We are accustomed to hear this king described as a rude and boisterous tyrant, but with the gentleness
of a lover he adorns the tresses of summer.
Henry David Thoreau
Winter Witchery
holly
Holly is from the Old English words holeg and holen. It became popular at midwinter celebrations thanks to many magickal cultures and traditions throughout time. As one of the few plants that stayed luxuriant and green all year long, the holly, along with evergreens and ivy, became important symbols for the winter solstice. Holly was sacred to the god Saturn, a god of time and agriculture. The Romans first decorated with holly wreaths and greenery to celebrate Saturnalia, a seven-day-long feast and the big blowout for the Roman year. Schools were closed during this festival and the soldiers were given leave. Gifts were exchanged, and the mood was rowdy and fun. Holly wreaths and garlands were displayed prominently during this midwinter festival.
The holly also has ties to druidic lore because of it remaining green throughout the bleakest days of the winter months, and it has many ties to the faeries as well. It was thought that the faeries who lived in the holly bush came inside in the winter months to take a break from the cold temperatures and harsh conditions. (The branches and sprigs were thought to make excellent hiding places for the faeries of winter.)
In Arthurian legend, we have the tale of the green knight. The green knight arrived at Arthur’s court at midwinter wielding a holly branch. The green knight was beheaded, but survived as a vivid symbol of resurrection. He was supposed to have calmly picked up his head and put it back on, while the court looked on in amazement. The holly he carried is a symbol for rebirth and everlasting life. This story also has ties to the ancient legend of the Green Man, another symbol of masculine and vegetative regeneration related to the evergreen holly.
The holly was sacred to the Teutonic goddess Holle, and the red berries represented drops of her blood. The holly bush is thought to guard you from lightning strikes and is generally a protective plant. So this year, place some branches or sprigs of fresh holly inside your home at midwinter and add a little old-fashioned magick. Check with a friend who has a holly shrub and gather a few sprigs to add to your household decorations. Here is a holly charm for you to use while you’re busy “decking the halls.” This would be a great natural accessory to add to your altar or hearthstone setup.
a holly berry charm
Place three sprigs of fresh, berried holly around the base of a red pillar candle. Repeat the charm three times.
The holly is a plant full of magickal lore,
It brings protection and charm as in days of yore.
Now protect my home, bring us good cheer and holiday fun,
While we celebrate the return of the newly born sun.
Close the charm up with this:
By all the powers of the bright midwinter sun,
As I will, so mote it be, and let it harm none!
ivy
A pagan symbol for eternal life, ivy was banned from Christian midwinter celebrations as it was believed that when ivy was displayed, unrestrained drinking and feasting might take place. This last concern came from the ivy’s links to Dionysus or Bacchus, the god of the vine. According to mythology, the ivy was named after a dancing girl who preformed for Dionysus. She performed so fervently that she died at his feet. The god was so moved by her passion that he placed her spirit into the ivy plant. From that time on, the plant bore her name.
Ivy is the feminine counterpoint to the masculine holly. Due to the embracing and clinging nature of ivy, it was labeled as being feminine (don’t fuss at me—I didn’t make it up!), while the holly plant, complete with its thorns, was considered masculine. Occasionally you will see this duo referred to as the Holly King and the Ivy Queen.
The evergreen ivy has become one of the more popular evergreens for midwinter celebrations. The ivy also brings protection, fidelity, and fertility into your home. Pick up a trailing ivy houseplant or a decorative ivy topiary and place it in your kitchen to add to your Yuletide festivities. Try repeating this charm as you add the ivy plant into your home:
The evergreen ivy brings protection and love,
Ivy Queen, hear my call and answer from above.
Bless my home with fidelity and joy, come what may,
Grant us happiness and peace during the holidays.
You may close this charm by saying:
By all the powers of green holly,
As I will it, then so shall it be.
the yule log
The word Yule comes from the old Norse word jol, representing the winter solstice celebration. It also is linked to the Saxon word hweol, meaning “wheel,” similar to a German word meaning “the turning of the wheel” or “the rising of the sun wheel.” The Yule log comes to us from the old Norse winter solstice celebrations. The Yule log is a symbol and a reminder of the importance of the power of fire. Its life-giving warmth and light were and are blessings to us during the darkest and bleakest days of the year. Also, fireplace magick performed with a Yule log would be doubly powerful. (Hint, hint: go back and look at the fire magick section in the last chapter. Does this give you any ideas?)
There are two kinds of Yule logs. One is a large log that is burned within the fireplace. Usually a small posy or arrangement of Yuletide greenery is tied to that fireplace log with a little decorative bow. The other type of Yule log would be a centerpiece. Typically this is a half log studded with three red candles and adorned with sprigs of fresh holly, pine, and ivy, with maybe a ribbon or a small bow threaded through the greenery.
Even though my family does have a wood-burning stove, we also use a Yule log centerpiece. We selected half of a white birch log from our woodpile and then my husband drilled out three holes for metal candle cups. Each year I switch out the taper candles and put in fresh ones after the candles burn down.
The candles are lit when my group gets together to celebrate the winter solstice in mid-December. (Since everyone has families, we shoot for as close as we can get to the solstice and a time when everyone can attend the celebration.) The taper candles are lit again on the actual night of the solstice, at Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day, while we celebrate with our families. Finally the candles are lit again on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Since the Yule log is on display for so long, I arrange silk holiday greenery around the candles and then add fresh sprigs of holly and evergreen on the day of the solstice. When the greenery dries out in a few days, usually right after December 25, I remove the dried-out pieces and simply leave the decorative silk greenery in its place.
yule log legends and lore
* A Yule log for the fireplace should be kindled with a small piece of last year’s log.
* A Yule log centerpiece should be burned for twelve days to encourage good luck.
* Arrange three red taper candles in your Yule log centerpiece to represent the Maiden, Mother, and the Crone or the spirit of the Lord, Lady, and the divine Sun child.
* It is said that those who attend a winter solstice celebration are protected from mishaps and misfortune for the following year.
* The Yule log has the power to protect the home from evil spirits and ghosts, and to ward off bad luck and arguments. (Save a small piece for this purpose.)
* After the Yule log is burned out, its ashes were spread across the fields to promote good crops in the coming year. Want to know why? This is also a handy gardening tip: adding some ash to your garden soil raises the pH level, making it more alkaline and less acidic.
pinecones and evergreens
The evergreen tree is one of our most beloved symbols of the holiday season. Draped in sparkling lights and decorated with a dazzling array of ornaments, that decorated pine tree is near and dear to our hearts. Just as you’d imagine, the green branches and boughs were used to symbolize that life would indeed return to the land. Bringing evergreens into the home during the darkest days of the year was and is an act of sympathetic magick. (Plus it gave those winter faeries a warm place to hang out for a few days.) Draping fresh pine greenery inside your home or around your front door is a clever and subtle way to bring prosperity and healing energies into your home. Plus it’s a joyous and natural way to decorate and celebrate the solstice and the magick of the Yuletide season.
Pinecones encourage fertility—those babies are loaded with seeds and they also make good fire starters for the outdoor fire pit, your indoor woodstove, or fireplace. Try gathering fallen pinecones this year and arrange several varieties into a pretty basket. (Gathering tip: if you have folks in your neighborhood with lots of pine or spruce trees, then ask them if you could gather some fallen cones. If not, check with a local park. If you ask first and only take what you need, they probably won’t mind. Or pick up a bag of pinecones at the local arts and crafts store.) Enchant the pinecones for fertility and protection and place them on your table or beside your hearth during the winter months. Here is a winter charm to go with them.
a sparkling winter charm for the home
Gather the following supplies:
* A small tube of iridescent glitter
* A basket (your choice on the color and style)
* A square of felt (to line the basket and help keep the glitter in its place)
* A dozen pinecones
Place the felt into the bottom of an attractive basket. Next, gather and arrange your pinecones in the felt-lined basket. Hold your hands over the pinecones and imagine the natural elements of earth, air, fire, and water swirling around you. Now picture this energy being funneled down into your hands and then sprinkle a bit of the iridescent glitter on top of the pinecones as you repeat this charm three times.
Pinecones are a natural symbol for fertility,
I enchant these to bring us good luck and prosperity.
By the winter winds that blow, and the sparkling snow that falls,
I call for joy and abundance to come bless us, one and all.
Place your basket on the hearth or use as a centerpiece this winter. Enjoy!
If spring came but once in a century, instead of
once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an
earthquake, and not in silence, what wonder
and expectation there would be in all hearts
to behold such a miraculous change!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Spring Sorcery
tulips and daffodils charm
Tulips and daffodils are synonymous with the spring. The tulip is aligned with the element of earth and is a very magickal flower. This bright blooming bulb promotes good luck and encourages prosperity. There are several different definitions for the tulip in the language of flowers. Each separate color has its own enchanting message. If you don’t have a garden, pick up a pot of tulips and add them to your spring décor. They will bring a little springtime sorcery right into your hearth and home.
Just as with candle magick, you can match up the color of the tulip to your magickal intention. If you want to look a little deeper at the folklore of the tulip, the following magickal associations are based on the language of flowers. Try red tulips for love. Pastel pink encourages a dreamy romance. Yellow tulips encourage cheer and sunshine. White tulips signify a faraway love and encourage your love to return home. Deep burgundy and black tulips could be used to bring the magick of the night into your boudoir.
The daffodil was once called the chalice flower. It’s not too hard to imagine how that name came to be, due to its cuplike center. Today, it is available to us in many varieties, sizes, colors (even peachy tones, white, and a yellowish-green), and shapes. The daffodil is associated with the element of water and in the language of flowers it symbolizes regards, gallantry, and admiration. Pick up a little pot of daffodils and place them in the center of your kitchen table or on your natural magick altar or workspace. They will bring happiness and joy into your home and add a little cheer to your days. If you care to enchant the flowers to bring some springtime cheer after the cold and dark days of winter, try this little flower charm.
A basket of tulips and a pot of daffodils,
Bring to my home sunshine, cheer, and encourage good will.
By the elements of earth and water, I bless these blooms,
May their springtime energy spread into every room.
Close the charm up with:
For the good of all, with harm to none,
By earth and water, this charm is done!
spring greenery
At this time of the year the branches of the trees and shrubs change every day. At first, in early spring, there is just a haze of color along those branches. As the weeks progress the buds burst open and blossoms and tender green leaves begin to appear. This season, try working with the earliest blossoms of spring for a little enchantment to add to your hearth and home.
The forsythia is synonymous with early spring. Those bright yellow blossoms are so cheering after the dreary days of late winter. Snip a few small branches of blooming forsythia and bring them into your home to encourage cheer and good-natured fellowship between yourself and all who live with you. Work a few blooming stems into a vase and set them in the heart of your magickal home, or where you have set up your altar or hearth stone. Here is a springtime charm to go along with them.
Bright forsythia blooms do encourage good cheer,
May these blossoms bless our home and bring joy this year.
Their energy radiates out from the heart of the home,
Strengthened by the powers of water, wind, and the hearthstone.
Close this spell up with:
From foundation to rooftop, this homey spell is cast,
Elements four gather ’round, help my magick hold fast.
blooming branches
As long as we are on the subject of blooming trees and shrubs, be careful when you prune any blooming shrubbery. Take only the smallest amount that you’ll need and don’t go and raid the neighbor’s shrubs or trees! Also, consider sitting next to the blooming tree or shrub and working a little improvisational magick right there and then. Perhaps gathering a branch isn’t possible—then take only a few blossoms instead. Remember, if you take all of the clusters of blooms, there won’t be any for anyone else to enjoy. Be a courteous and conscientious gatherer.
lovely lilacs
In Garden Witchery I gave the reader a few examples of the power of lilacs. The lilac is probably one of the most underappreciated magickal blooming shrubs around. They are sacred to the faery kingdom, the scent of the flowers encourages psychic abilities, and the scent has powerful cleansing properties in magickal aromatherapy. There are several colors available to us today—anywhere from white to rosy pink and many shades of soft purple. No matter what color they are, the stronger the scent, the better they will work for a cleansing. This spring when you start to contemplate spring cleaning, why not add a bit of natural magick to your task and do more than just vacuum and dust your home? Cleanse the house while you are at it.
All magickal practitioners need a good cleansing in their homes from time to time. Coordinate your efforts if possible to fall on the waning moon, for banishings. Or work on a Saturday evening to take advantage of the closing energies of the week and Saturn’s energy for breaking negativity.
lilac protection spell for the home
Place a small vase of fresh lilac blossoms at the heart of your home. Perform all your mundane chores of sweeping and dusting, picking up and taking out the garbage. Once the house is set to rights, walk over and take a good whiff of those lilacs. Now ground and center, and repeat this charm three times.
The lovely lilac may be pink, white, or purple in hue,
Protection and cleanliness, their scent grants to me and you.
From the heart of my home, this power spins ’round and ’round,
No more negativity or anger can be found.
Close this spell up with:
For the good of all, with harm to none,
By blossom and scent, this spell is done!
When the flowers begin to fade, dispose of them neatly.
pansies
The pansy is a fun and readily available magickal flower to work with in the spring. This cold-hardy annual seems to be an ambassador of the season. On a practical note, the cheerful pansy is offered in a myriad of bright and bewitching color combinations. Match the color of the flower to your magickal intention, just as you would for candle magick. This flower is sacred to the god Eros/Cupid and is an awesome flower to work with to promote protection and love. Rumor has it that Cupid accidentally nailed a pansy with one of his arrows, which caused the flower to smile. Forever after the pansy’s smiling face was shown to the world. Try chanting this flower fascination charm while you add these perky flowers into pots and containers for your porch, patio, deck, or home gardens this spring. Repeat this flower fascination three times.
The pansy’s happy face is a blessing in the spring,
Protection, joy, and love this magick does bring.
Purple blooms for protection and bright yellow ones for cheer,
Blue shades for peace and health, red for the loved ones I hold so dear.
Eros, hear my call, add your loving magick to mine,
While I bless my home and family, come rain or shine.
The sun, the hearth of affection and life,
pours burning love on the delighted earth.
Arthur Rimbaud
Midsummer Magick
The summer months often seem to be made for kicking back and relaxing. Well, unless you are a parent of school-aged children. Then you are probably running around like crazy. However, the garden is typically in full swing and there are many natural items available. Fresh fruit and flowers are in abundance and you should consider working with all that nature has to offer us at this time of the year.
strawberries
Did you know that strawberries are sacred to the goddess Freya? They are a love food and are thought to ease the aches and pains associated with pregnancy. Wild strawberries are often found growing in your yard along the fence rows in an untrampled area. Make absolutely sure they haven’t been sprayed by lawn chemicals before you eat wild strawberries. (Better safe than sorry.) Still, these flowers, foliage, and tiny fruits do come in handy as props for all sorts of homey spells and charms. The foliage of the strawberry plant symbolizes “perfection” in the language of flowers, so the foliage could be added to just about any summer spell that you want to turn out “perfect”!
If you have a friend who is expecting or are pregnant yourself, consider working with the fruits and foliage of the strawberry plant to bring love and contentment into your life and home. Pick up a package of strawberries from the market or go crazy and take yourself and your family berry picking early this summer. Now, if you happen to be allergic to the fruit of the strawberry, no worries—just substitute a favorite fresh berry that you can eat. How about raspberries? They fall under the planetary association of Venus, and they also have the same magickal correspondences of the strawberry.
a berry good spell for loving vibrations
* A small bowl of edible berries
* A few strawberry leaves for perfection or a maple leaf arranged around the outside of the bowl (the maple leaf sweetens spells up)
* A red berry-scented candle
* A coordinating candleholder
* Matches or a lighter
Set this up on your altar, hearth, or hearthstone. Arrange the bowl and candle in its holder to your liking. Set the foliage down next to the bowl and away from the candle flame. This spell may be worked to safeguard a pregnancy or to improve your outlook on life by giving you a more cheerful view. (This spell also comes in handy when you have a walloping case of the blahs; adjust the fourth line as necessary). Light the candle and repeat this charm three times:
Ripe and fresh berries are a love-inducing fruit,
They bring health and romance and happiness to boot!
As I eat this berry, I now bring into me (eat a berry)
Strength and love, well-being, and a safe pregnancy.
Or use this line:
My strength, love, and happiness shine for all to see.
Close up this spell by saying:
By all the powers of three times three,
As I will it, then so must it be.
Allow the candle to burn out. When it has, return the foliage to nature. You may eat the rest of the berries as a snack or have them for dessert with your family.
roses
Yup, roses are a very popular flower to work into spells, flower fascinations, and charms of all varieties. Working with the different colors of the rose is similar to working with candle color magick, as you may use the different colors of the rose for specific magickal needs.
Try white roses for purity and as an all-purpose flower; yellow roses bring sunshine and knowledge into your home. Red roses, as you’d imagine, are for love and passion. (Put those flowers in the bedroom.) Red and white blended roses encourage creativity and unity. Soft pink roses encourage gentle love and affection between family members. Place a small vase of pink roses in a child’s room (up and out of reach of small hands, of course). Or try bright pink roses in the main room of the home to symbolize the appreciation you have for your home and the people and animals who live there with you. Try orange roses for passion, vitality, and enthusiasm. Orange roses will also help encourage the movement of positive energy. Peach roses are for charm; ivory encourages steadfast romance between a mature couple and signifies the wisdom that comes with being on this planet for a while. Purple roses signify power, magick, and passion. Lastly, if you want to break negativity and work for protection, look for the darkest, deepest burgundy color that you can find.
The rose is also sacred to many goddesses throughout time and in many magickal cultures. Here are just a few:
aphrodite: white and red five-petal roses
diana: dusky purple roses or wild roses
flora: all colors of roses
freya: full red roses
hecate: a deep burgundy or chocolatey red rose (check with the florist, those dramatic rose colors are available)
lakshmi: yellow, white, and pink roses
lilith: a deep burgundy thorny rose
mary: all roses but especially white
our lady of guadalupe: red and pink roses
selene: a full white rose
titania, the faery queen: all roses, the more fragrant the better
all-purpose rose spell
When in doubt, try this summertime spell. It basically covers all the bases. Gather three fresh roses and a handful of fresh rose petals from the garden. (Match the color of the roses to your magickal intention.) Go to the heart of your home and slip the roses into a water-filled vase. Take a moment for yourself and calm your mind and heart. When you are ready, scatter the petals in a loose circle around yourself. Repeat the charm three times.
A circle of rose petals I cast by my own hand,
Bring peace, health, and prosperity to where I now stand.
I call for positive change, come in the best way for me,
By my will and desire, and by the power of three.
Close the spell with:
For the good of all, bringing harm to none,
By flower and petal, this spell is done!
summer magick for the house faeries
Midsummer’s eve is one of the biggest nights of the year for faery activity. If you have house faeries that you work with or if you want to encourage their benevolent presence on your property, then consider working this spell.
For this midsummer’s spell you will need a vase of clean water, a few fresh roses, and some inexpensive, quartz crystal tumbled stones. Set the flowers in the vase in the heart of your home, altar, or at your hearthstone setup. Keep the crystals in your hand until the second line is finished. The time to work this spell is at sundown on the night of the summer solstice.
Midsummer is the time to work with the faery,
I call for your help, watch over my property.
(place the crystals by your hearth area)
I leave some gifts for you; do with them as you see best,
No pranks, just your kind assistance I do now request.
Close the spell up with:
In no way will this spell reverse,
or place upon this house any curse.
When you are finished, thank the house faeries in your own words and leave the crystals for them. Why? Rumor has it they enjoy sparkling things. It will also encourage them to leave your jewelry and keys alone.
The woods are full of fairies;
The sea is full of fish;
The trees are full of golden leaves;
Let’s make an autumn wish.
Anonymous
Autumn Enchantment
Adding a little autumn enchantment to your home and into your life is easy enough, especially when you look at this from a natural magick perspective. So, let’s take a look at harvest and Halloween/Samhain natural decorations and items that we are already familiar with and add a touch of cottage witchery to these down-to-earth items.
Apples
Apples are among the most magickal of fruits. According to many mythologies it is the food that grants eternal youth and immortality to the gods. To any mortal lucky enough to get a hold of a sacred apple, it was believed that consuming the apple would then gain them access to the underworld and bestow upon them the gift of prophecy.
When sliced crosswise, the apple reveals a star-shaped arrangement of seeds inside. This is sometimes referred to as the star of knowledge. The apple is a “secret” symbol for the Craft and is sometimes shown sliced crosswise on the tarot card The Empress. The traditional harvest and Halloween game of bobbing for apples may have some ties to old divination magick. As the apples float and bob along the surface of the water, people have to hold their breath, dunk their head in, and then try and grab an apple only using their teeth—sort of an ordeal by water. The point of this challenge or game was to test the petitioner. Going through water to get the apple was symbolic of the journey to Avalon (the land of apples). If they are successful, then they get to eat their apple, perhaps acquiring the ability of foresight and magick. Try it yourself this autumn. Fill up an old washtub with water and float a dozen apples in it. Let your family or circle mates take turns, and prepare to get soaked and to have fun!
If you are having a more restrained get-together, try hollowing out a space in the apple for a tealight and float these apple candles in a outdoor birdbath, fountain, or just a large cauldron full of water.
Autumn Leaves
Here is a great idea that won’t cost you a dime. Gather fall leaves and display them in an old jar or basket, or arrange them across a shelf or mantle with seasonal gourds and mini-pumpkins. You could also use these leaves as accessories in your magick. Try scarlet-brown oak leaves for knowledge and magick, and to invoke the wisdom of the Green Man. Red or yellow maple leaves sweeten up your life and may be added to charm bags to promote love. Add the luminous red leaves of the dogwood to any spells and charms designed to bring love and security, and to encourage a happy and protected home. Work with the soft yellow elm leaf for faery magick and for a glamour. Why an elm? Well, one of the folk names for the elm tree is elven. Or simply use the various colors of the leaves in color magick, just like you would a candle. Match up the color of the leaf to your magickal intention.
Corn Stalks and Ornamental Corn
Porch posts wrapped in golden-brown corn stalks stylishly celebrate the harvest festivals as well as encourage prosperity and good luck. Corn is sacred to many an earth mother goddess, so think about that the next time you go to tie a bundle of these rustling stalks to your porch. Cornstalks displayed inside (or nowadays outside) of the home were thought to encourage fertility and to bring good luck. Plus it really sets the stage for a lavish harvest celebration.
Ornamental corn is a popular decorative accessory for the fall months. Often referred to as Indian corn, these brightly colored ears come in a rainbow of jewel tones and colors. Try stringing up ears of ornamental Indian corn into garlands that can be tied to the porch, above doorways, or across the mantle. Natural raffia would make a good choice for this, as it’s fairly strong and the straw color blends in with the cornhusks. If creating swags and garlands with ornamental Indian corn just isn’t your thing, then consider something a bit less complicated.
Typically ornamental corn is sold in bunches of three, which you could use to symbolize the three harvest festivals of Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain, or to represent the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Hang a trio of corn on your front door or living room wall and enchant them for fertility, prosperity, and protection. Embellish these ears by tying a pretty fall-colored ribbon around their husks—that will jazz it up a little. Try out this autumn enchantment as you fasten the ears of corn up for display.
This golden season of autumn I now celebrate
Blessed be the harvest, make strong my magickal faith.
Three ears of corn for the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone
Lady, bless this house with abundance, and make it your own.
chrysanthemums
In flower magick, the chrysanthemum is a flower that invokes protection. In this time of the magickal year when the veil between our world and the world of spirit is at its thinnest, mums come in pretty handy. Sure, we all know that Halloween/Samhain is famous for its free-roaming spooks, but how about using a little flower magick to ensure it’s only the good-natured ones who find their way to your door on the eve of October 31st? These fabulous and inexpensive flowers are available in many colors and varieties. This makes choosing the right mum for color magick a snap! Try red mums for love and yellow mums to encourage joy and good cheer. Purple mums bring power and passion. White mums invoke the truth and bronze tones encourage a loving, happy home. Try setting out a few pots of mysterious mums with your pumpkins this autumn to protect your property and your pets and to encourage love, happiness, power, and protection for your family. Here is a fall flower charm to go along with your mum magick.
The chrysanthemum is a magickal flower indeed,
It brings love, joy, and protection with all possible speed.
In this season of autumn, I spin this fall flower spell,
Believe in this natural magick and all will be well.
pumpkins
What is Halloween/Samhain without a pumpkin? It’s hard to imagine this holiday without the glowing, flickering faces of jack o’ lanterns lining the streets and perched on top of porches, stumps, and hay bales. This native squash became popular as a replacement to the Irish custom of using turnips or hollowed-out cabbages. The pumpkin can be grown just about anywhere. It can even be grown on six out of the seven continents! It is interesting to note that the original purpose for jack o’ lanterns was to frighten away evil spirits. Consider using your Halloween/Samhain pumpkins in conjunction with a little candle magick to frighten away negativity and bad luck this year.
I would recommend black, patchouli-scented votives in holders. These are readily available in the fall months at most arts and crafts or department stores. Patchouli is protective and its musky, spicy scent smells wonderful. So if you can find some, stock up. Carve a hideous face on your pumpkin, or any witchy design that you prefer. Try those pumpkin-carving kits—they are fun, easy, and have lots of magickal designs. Once your jack o’ lantern is carved and ready to go, place the candleholder inside and drop in the scented votive. As you light the candle, repeat the following charm three times:
Bright pumpkins that glow and scented candles of black
Send bad luck away, turn negativity back.
By all the enchantment of three times three,
Lady, hear my spell on this hallowed eve.
Why not cast a witchy eye on all of the beautiful, natural bounty that nature has to offer us at any time of the year and discover what sort of cottage witchery you can craft for yourself? Take a fresh look at nature during all four seasons and see what sort of new, elemental spin you can put on your own celebrations for hearth and home.
