May Day Grounding Spell
incantation
Root of growth
Onion’s layer
Over this dish
I cast a prayer
Keep me grounded
Centered and still
As I cast and
Invoke my will
Ingredients
- • Temperance
- • One raw onion
- • Olive oil
- • Water
- • Fresh feta cheese
- • Salt, pepper, and thyme
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Today is May Day.
As nature flourishes
and spring energy abounds, this grounding spell will help you keep rooted as expansion blooms. Repeat as needed.
Onions belong to the allium family of garlic, chives, scallions, scapes, and leeks. Onions are used for spiritual resilience. Feta cheese relates to lunar energy. Thyme is used for courage. Onions relate also to the Temperance card’s flowering yellow pond irises, which also bloom from bulbs. Temperance represents balance, synergy, and alchemy.
You will bake an onion stuffed with cheese, which combines grounding (onion) and feminine lunar connection (cheese).
Place the Temperance card. She is the synergy between the two cups. Yellow flowers bloom. Follow their green stalks down, past the buzzing bees, spider webs, and scampering ants. Find the circular bulb at its base. Like a lotus flower, the pond iris is rooted in the murky, muddy darkness. Allow yourself to feel the rootedness. In your mind’s eye reach for the bulb and retrieve it.
Set the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the onion. Slice the bottom of the onion so it will sit upright in the pan. Slice off the top and discard. Scoop out a tablespoon of center onion flesh but do not pull it out yet. Place in pan. Splash with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme over the onion to taste. Add a touch of water to the pan bottom. Cover pan in foil and pop in oven.
Mix feta with thyme and set aside.
Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, remove scooped flesh, and fill with cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Eat the onion while pondering earth connection and the value of being grounded during spiritual work.
May • 2
Queen of Swords Connection Ritual
incantation
Queen of Swords
Goddess of thought
Select my ideas
Self-sabotage naught
Be articulate
Swift and fast
Indisputable change
Built to last
- • Queen of Swords
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Queen of Swords.
The Queen of Swords has earned herself quite the reputation, much like another famous monarch. Anne Boleyn was arrested on this day in 1536 and charged with adultery, treason, incest, and witchcraft.
Stand amidst the mountaintop of the kingdom of swords. Birds swoop in the sky, airborne and free. A burst of churning, growing cumulus clouds looms in the distance. These are billowy, white reminders of what lies between spirit and nature. A storm is not far off.
A female sits in a royal throne. The lines of her face are so sharp and precise, it looks as if she could cut glass with her profile. She has summoned these clouds and you to her side.
She wears the image of clouds on her cloak. Like the tension of a string pulled tight, the barometer drops, and a change is felt in the air. The queen, aware of the mutable nature of the air, sits straighter in her throne. It is adorned with butterflies and moths, ancient symbols of psychic self-renewal and immortality. Like the butterflies who adorn her golden crown, this queen will usher the transformation of your soul.
A small stream connects this queen to the High Priestess. The water flows under a tree in the distance. The High Priestess ushered silence, but this queen speaks her mind and her truth at all times. The waxing and waning moon is carved into her throne, connecting her to the changing nature of her highest self.
Her hand reaches forward, and she speaks. “Are you ready to take control of your thoughts? Are you ready to speak your truth? Can you use your power of language and articulation for the highest possible good?”
3 • May
Four Directions Spell
incantation
Aces of power
Elements of life
Bring needed things
Remove all strife
I send intention
Hear my call
Manifest what I need
Surprises and all
1. Ace of Pentacles (north)
2. Ace of Wands (south)
3. Ace of Swords (east)
4. Ace of Cups (west)
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
It is planting season.
Embark on a spell that
requests what you need from the universe. Let the universe’s infinite wisdom decide what you require. Allow the mystery of the unexpected to delight and inspire you.
Aces are the most highly concentrated form of suit energy. Like seeds, spread the aces around you in the four directions.
Sit cross-legged on the floor, facing north. Place the Ace of Pentacles before you. The flutter of hummingbirds fills the breeze, which plays softly on your skin. Smell the jasmine and abundant honeysuckle. An ivy-covered gate of golden opportunity is ahead of you. Swirling clouds loom and a hand emerges with a physical gift for you.
Place the Ace of Wands to the south. Feel toe-curling warmth emanating. The landscape is hot and lush. A cloud appears before you. A blinding spark, white at first then glowing red, extends. Incendiary passion alights inside you.
Place the Ace of Swords in the east. Overlook a tall mountain range and feel wind, cool and exhilarating, hit you from every direction. Your hair flies in the air. Oxygen fills your nose and mouth. Swirling gray clouds appear before you. A hand emerges with a massive silver implement in its grip. A genius idea forms in your mind.
Place the Ace of Cups in the west. You are floating above water filled with lotus lilies, smelling sweet and salty sea air. Frogs and fish dart beneath the surface of the water. The waves lick your toes and seagulls call out. A billowing cloud appears. A golden cup is presented to you. It is full of water, gushing like a fountain. White doves appear bearing wafers. The wafers dissolve in the water. The emotional essence of purity cleanses you, leaving your emotions refreshed and expressed. Your emotional state is open and balanced, free and flowing—nothing repressed, everything expressed, all blocks removed.
May • 4
Financial Nest Egg Spell
incantation
Financial nest
Savings and security
Money protect
And grant opportunity
- • Nine of Pentacles
- • Pen and paper
- • A plastic pull-apart Easter egg
- • Nest
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Today is National
Bird Day. Utilize the
power of bird energy to craft a financial spell for long-term security.
This spell calls for an old bird’s nest. Nests are carefully built and provide long-term protection for growing and nurturing. The hunt for a bird’s nest may become part of the fabric of the spell. A nest should only be taken if you are absolutely sure it is not in use. Leave an offering of birdseed or granola as thanks. Alternatively, you can craft a nest using mud and dried twigs.
Cast this spell in conjunction with a long-term savings plan or investment plan or right before you make a deposit. The Nine of Pentacles represents a woman who enjoys complete financial security.
Place the Nine of Pentacles. Enter the card. Focus on the card and see yourself as a confident person with no financial pressure. Enjoy sumptuous clothing and the garden of bounty. Everything you could want or need is before you. A laptop computer sits on a stone table in the corner. Look at the screen. You see your bank account statement. You have planned properly; the money has built upon itself, and you no longer need to work or concern yourself with the generation of money. What does the account balance say?
At your regular table, write as many positive reasons for long-term investment on a slip of paper that you can think of. Place paper inside plastic egg.
Place the egg inside the nest. Secure in the basement portion of your home.
5 • May
Mexican Love Truffles
incantation
Greedy lover
Like nectar to bee
Caress my body
Love on me
Bring me pleasure
To my bed come
Kiss me, lick me
I’m your plum
- • Ace of Wands
- • 8 ounces semi-sweet organic chocolate, chopped
- • ½ cup heavy cream
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- • ¼ teaspoon fresh cayenne pepper
- • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- • Cocoa powder
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Ready to invoke powers of seduction? Cinco de Mayo is celebrated today, a Mexican holiday invoking pride and honoring a victorious battle. Make Mexican Love Truffles to conjure the heat of Mexico in your bedroom.
Sprinkle spice and incantations of love over truffles to bring passion to your bedside. Prepare and feed or gift these delicacies to the person you desire intimacy with.
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac known the world over. The Ace of Wands is the spark of desire. Cayenne pepper inspires passion. Cinnamon enhances the libido and attracts love. Vanilla is used for sex magic. The cacao tree was revered by the Aztecs, who mixed cacao seeds into their ceremonial beverages.
Gather your ingredients upon the kitchen counter. Place the Ace of Wands. Enter the card. Stoke the passion of the wand by making the flame grow bigger.
Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream on your stovetop; right before it boils, take it off the heat, pour it over the chocolate, and mix until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt.
Refrigerate until the mixture becomes thick. Scoop small tablespoon mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place back in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour. Form each mound into a ball. Roll in the cocoa powder while whispering the incantation. Truffles keep in the fridge for up to one month, but feed them continually to your lover to keep things spicy.
May • 6
Strength Card Connection Ritual
incantation
Strength of spirit
Strength of mind
Cultivating power
Can I find
Source of strength
Right and true
And will it lead me
Right to you?
- • Strength
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of Strength.
Today is the Feast
of Saint George, Bulgaria’s patron saint of bravery. Invoke courage on any day with the Strength card.
You stand inside a green pastoral European landscape. A female figure adorned in white charmeuse stands before you. The air of familiarity, of déjà vu, sweeps over your body. A strange symbol glows above her head as if tiny molecules of energy have conjoined above her crown chakra. You realize it is the same symbol the Magician carries above his head: it is the lemniscate, representing infinity. It is in the shape of the sideways eight, which is also the number of the arcana of Strength. The lemniscate mimics the female curvature of a reclining woman.
Her gown is held at the waist by a belt of honeysuckle flowers and berries. It matches her flowery crown. She bends in a gentle curve over a tawny lion. The beast submits to the will of his mistress. His tail hides beneath his belly, winding through his legs. His body shudders under his orange fur as the woman gently opens the beast’s mouth. His silky red tongue flicks out to catch a lick of salt from her delicate wrist. The thick hair of his mane curls thickly down his neck, and his sharp nails claw the green grass beneath his feet.
Her left hand firmly holds his snout while her right palm opens his jaw. The female opens and closes the jaws of this great beast with ease. Great power lies inside his mouth. These jaws possess the ability to rip another animal limb from limb. In a way, it is like the power we all share: the ability to empower or destroy with our actions.
7 • May
Marie Laveau Lawsuit Spell
incantation
Justice card, you see the truth
I am walking, living proof
My conscience clear
My hands washed clean
In my favor
Decisions lean
The outcome is true
Just and fair
Lessons learned
I’m free of care
1. Justice
2. The Wheel of Fortune
3. Temperance
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
New Orleans was founded on this day in 1718. The town would become synonymous with Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Miss Laveau, who practiced magic in all areas, was especially known for her spells regarding legal issues.
See your desired lawsuit outcome with crystal clarity in your mind’s eye.
The Justice card rules over all court proceedings. The Wheel of Fortune can be persuaded to turn in your favor. The Temperance card depicts the archangel Michael, who is the defender of all humankind.
Place Justice before you. Stand before the pillar of right and wrong. This figure is not blindfolded. It will not turn its cheek on you. The consequences that emerge are the result of the efforts you put forth.
Place the Wheel of Fortune card below the Justice card. See Justice revolving the wheel. It spins faster and faster. In doing so, it aligns with your personal energy.
With the wheel still spinning, place Temperance beneath the wheel. Using the energy of the spinning wheel, the cups pour back and forth. This is the tension of Temperance. This angel will come to your defense. He will be sure things work in your favor. See yourself walking out of the courtroom satisfied with the outcome, your heart’s desire met.
Slip the Temperance card into your bag. Bring Temperance with you to all lawyer meetings and court appointments. Repeat this spell as often as needed until a verdict is reached.
May • 8
White Lotus Meditation
incantation
Lotus life
You are for me
Opening petals
Set me free
My life reflects
Upon the water
Blessed I am
Fortune’s daughter
- • Ace of Cups
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
White Lotus Day is celebrated today by Theosophists. It marks the death of their enigmatic founder, Madame Blavatsky. The flowering lotus is a common symbol in cross-cultural mythology; engage in this meditation to discover why.
Lotus flowers contain spectacular genetic coding that enables them to live an unusually long lifetime. Thousand-year-old lotus seeds were discovered in a Chinese river bed and germinated. In Egyptian myth, the lotus emerges from the primordial ocean as a representation of the manifestation of spirit and reveals the sun god Ra. What could the lotus represent to you? Why did Pamela Colman Smith choose to place them on the Ace of Cups?
The lotus flower opens in the morning. In what way do you open in the morning? The lotus closes in the evening. How do you wind down in the evening?
Note the lotus is the perfect symbol of a cup. Lotus petals open and close to maintain the temperatures inside the flower chamber. Bees enjoy hiding in this warmth. What would it feel like to hide in a lotus flower?
The lotus flower is considered sacred by many cultures. Preferring the still waters of lakes and ponds, it sprouts from the mud, shoots through the water, and flowers at the top.
Place the Ace of Cups before you.
Sit on the floor, legs crossed in yogi position, with a straight spine. Feel yourself grounding into the floor while your head floats in the air. Imagine yourself secure in a bed of mud. Feel waters surrounding your torso. Grow your spine straight and tall. When ready, open your arms to the sky, emulating the flower petals of a lotus. Feel the sun against your outstretched arms.
When you bring your arms down, sit inside the space of a closed lotus flower. What does it feel like? What does it smell like? How does it inspire you? What animals and insects surround you?
9 • May
Six of Pentacles Connection Ritual
incantation
Six of Pentacles
Generosity, gifts
Give of myself
My spirit lifts
Heart center of
The Tree of Life
Is Six
Benevolence and bounty
No silly tricks
- • Six of Pentacles
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Six of Pentacles.
The Six of Pentacles
was called the Lord of
Material Success by the magicians of the Golden Dawn, who assigned it the time period of May 1–10.
Six implies advancement. The challenge of the five has been met. Small victories support forward momentum. Hierarchy is achieved.
Bringing your awareness into the card, you find yourself miniaturized like Alice in Wonderland inside a child’s play box. It seems you have entered the midpoint of a play already in progress, yet these actors continue. They break neither their fourth wall nor their concentration.
You note that, as in the other “six” cards you have seen, one figure stands above the others. It denotes hierarchy and reflects a goal that has been achieved.
A man stands over two others. He wears the ruby red colors of a merchant costume. He doles out coins to beggars while making a big show of his generosity. He holds a scale in one hand, as if to measure out the precise amount of what is due. The hand dropping coins offers the same blessing sign as the Hierophant. The Hierophant offers spiritual blessings while this merchant offers financial blessings.
The two figures beneath him dress in beggars’ clothing. One has a bandage wrapped around his head. The scene is so theatrical in nature, you wouldn’t be surprised if the beggars were to stand, toss their cloaks, and surprise the merchant with a wealth that outshines his own, yet they continue to play along.
Six pentacles hang in the air, framing the picture. A merchant speaks: “It is a little-known secret that the key to wealth is in sharing your good fortune with others. Why, might you ask? The ancient law of magic. What you put out comes back threefold. This secret has been known for ages, yet only a few apply it. Try it for yourself and see.”
May • 10
Sun Card Connection Ritual
incantation
Golden sun
Your energy heals
You keep me going
Through fortune’s wheels
Life’s up and down
Like change of season
You bring to light health
And love and reason
- • The Sun
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Han Dynasty astronomers observed one of the earliest recorded sunspots today in 28 BCE. Connect with solar power to embrace the energizing essence of all manifestation magic.
Enter the arcana of the Sun.
Smiling before you even realize you are doing so, you stretch your arms above you to expand your body and take in the delicious heat of the sun glowing before you. You are drenched in yellow light and feel it healing you from toes to fingertips. The breeze smells of coconut and sweet mango. You detect the faint sound of breaking waves in the distance.
The Empress’s child rides toward you on a white horse. Childlike giggles and laughter alight on the soft air.
Golden-tipped sunflowers dance from the top of a wall. The child wears a garland of mini sunflowers. He carries a radiant red flame-shaped flag. It looks as if he swiped it from under the Empress and now waves it at the world. This is the essence of creativity on display. It is not just individual creativity but the mad expansion of simultaneous growth occurring in every sector of the planet.
The grass beneath your feet is warm and soft. The child’s horse bends to nibble the sweet blades. The horse’s color is a brilliant, shining white and represents the unfulfilled potential resting inside this little human. His future is yet to unfold.
The trees are green and lush, flowers are blooming, and animals are frolicking. It is the height of summer. The natural world has hit its peak. It is as if the entire earth has unfolded to let the sun see what it can do. And the sun is generated through every material thing.
What can you do? What blooms inside you?
11 • May
Banish a Ghost Spell
incantation
Spirit, soul
Ghost or sprite
With love and light
Depart tonight
Domun
Domun
Domun
- • Six of Swords
- • White candle
- • Black beans
- • Four of Wands
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Lemuria, the ghost-
banishing feast of ancient Rome, started today. To rid the home of ghosts, Ovid describes rites that include waking up at the stroke of midnight, reciting incantations, and walking barefoot around the home while throwing black beans behind you.
The Six of Swords echoes the journey of the departed souls who cross over to the afterworld. The Four of Wands reflects a happy and secure home that is free of any plaguing otherworldly pests.
You will embody the ferryman on the Six of Swords.
Twilight is the threshold hour. Doors open in growing shadows. Possibility emerges by the light of the stars.
As darkness falls, focus on the Six of Swords. Feel the quietness and stillness of the place that is a gateway between worlds. Enter the card. Become the ferryman. You are making this boat ready for your ghost.
Light a white candle and begin walking backwards through your home, reciting the incantation. Domun is Latin for “go home.”
When you reach the topmost point in your home, extinguish the candle.
Bury black beans in the four corners outside your home, beginning in the east and working clockwise.
After you have buried the beans, finish circling your home counterclockwise while throwing beans over your left shoulder.
Return inside.
Meditate over the Four of Wands, feeling peace and safety.
May • 12
Mother’s Day Meditation
incantation
A passion-packed word: mother
First figure we that
We see as other
Nurture, grow
Embrace and live
Forgiveness and love
To you I give
1. Two of Cups
2. Four of Wands
3. Six of Cups
4. The World
5. The Empress
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Mother’s Day was first celebrated on this day in 1907. Being a mom is tough, important, and worthwhile. This meditation examines your own mothering gifts and challenges. It cultivates love, support, compassion, and boundaries.
Ponder the relationship you have with your mother. How do you strive to be like her? How do you strive to be different?
Place the Two of Cups. Recall meeting your child or children for the very first time. What did it feel like to look in their eyes? How has the experience of love changed since that day? How has it grown stronger? Has your capacity for love surprised you?
Place the Four of Wands. Note the four wands supporting the garland. How do you support your children? How do you support their goals? How have you created a stable structure for them? How do they count on you?
Place the Six of Cups. How do you give of yourself to your children? How does it feel to look at your children through the eyes of compassion? What does it mean to have compassion? Can you see what you look like through their eyes?
Place the World card. How do you set boundaries for your children? Where is their safe space from which to explore the world? How do your children embody the World card?
Place the Empress in the center of the mandala. See how she touches all four cards. You embody all four sectors of these archetypes. The Empress is the mother archetype, but remember: you are not an archetype; you are human. And no human is perfect. Know you are excelling at the toughest job on the planet with grace and elegance.
13 • May
Stop Obsessing Over Someone Spell
incantation
Nine of Swords
I’ve broken free
No more obsessive
Attraction for me
What’s done is done
It’s buried, passed
I am free
Free at last
- • Pen and paper or computer
1. Nine of Swords
2. Ace of Swords reversed
3. Queen of Swords
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Lemuria, the feast of
exorcising ghosts in ancient Rome, continues on this day. Are you caught up in an unhealthy obsession? Have you passed the point of what would be considered “normal” thinking about another?
Anyone can be susceptible to an obsession. Compulsive thoughts seem to take control and possess the mind. Cast this spell to move on with your life.
Write a letter to the person you are obsessing over. You will not send this letter. Write down all of the thoughts that roam through your head. Write down what they represent to you. Write down how they make you feel. You can even write this out as a series of lists. It doesn’t need to make sense. You will not show this to anyone. It is imperative you get all your feelings on paper.
Once you have written everything down (and take as long as you need), examine it. Do you note any patterns? Has the process offered any revelations about the nature of your obsession? Put the letter aside.
Place the Nine of Swords. Become the figure in bed. Look at the pain and turmoil you are suffering. Leave the card. Imagine yourself in the future, when your obsession means nothing to you. Cultivate that feeling by severing the psychic ties through tarot.
Place the reversed Ace of Swords above the nine. Slowly bring the card down with your finger. As you do, imagine it cutting off each of the nine swords, or psychic ties. Those swords stand for cords on connection. You are severing each one.
Place the Queen of Swords before you. She is strong and in command. She faces the future with her hand outstretched, ready to greet a new day. She represents your new state of mind.
May • 14
Seven of Pentacles Connection Ritual
incantation
Seven of Pentacles
Garden’s growth
Tend my seeds
And utter this oath
There’s magic in
The deeds I do
I make my mark
With all things true
- • Seven of Pentacles
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Seven of Pentacles.
The Seven of Pentacles was called the Lord of Success Unfulfilled by the magicians of the Golden Dawn, who assigned it the time period of May 11–20.
Seven is a mystical number. Seven is a lucky number. There are seven notes on the musical scale, seven days of the week, seven planets in our solar system besides Earth, seven deadly sins, seven seas, seven colors of the rainbow, seven continents, and seven wonders of the ancient world.
It is overcast. It’s one of those days where the sky looks like a gray sheet of construction paper from sunup till sundown. The humid air carries the smell of sweet grass and vegetation. A gardener stands before you, leaning on a farming tool she was using to dislodge weeds from the rich soil. Her gaze is drawn to a pile of magical pentacles. The pentacles are bursting with life, ripened like fat juicy peaches and weighing down their branches.
Heart-shaped leaves offer shade to the deep innards of the plant. Slender corkscrew tendrils slither along the ground. They extend up and around the figure as if reaching for her life force.
The worker’s face is solemn. Is she dreaming of a far-off enchanted place? Is she being drawn into the world of the plant? Either way, the number seven lets you know it has been a lucky harvest.
There is still more to come.
But what shall grow is completely unexpected.
The pattern has changed.
15 • May
Mercury Retrograde Protection Bag
incantation
Mercury retrograde
Let me be
Your influences stay
Far away from me
.
- • The World
- • 10 dimes
- • Feather (preferably found outside)
- • Loose sandalwood incense
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Ancient Romans believed today was Mercury’s birthday. Mercury was Zeus’s messenger, and he traveled at the speed of light.
Mercury retrograde is an astrological term used for when the planet Mercury creates an optical illusion to earth gazers. It passes Earth and appears to slow down, stop, and begin moving backwards. Even though the planet isn’t actually stopping and moving backwards, Mercury retrograde is known as a time period where well-laid plans, contracts, and technology go haywire. It is impractical to stop your life, cancel trips, stop legal proceedings, etc., when a retrograde occurs. If the retrograde bothers you, craft this protection bag and let the effects of retrograde roll right off your back.
The World card represents all aspects of your life operating with ease. Dimes and their silver tint are sacred to Mercury. Each dime has an edge with 118 ridges. This number reduces to the number one and represents the continuation of a cycle. Feathers connect to the element of air and speed.
Place the World card before you. Focus on the revolution of the items on the card around the world dancer as if you are observing the solar system itself. Everything is moving in perfect time. Everything is where it needs to be. When you are centered, when the world dancer is centered, nothing will throw you off balance. Remember, you are your center. Nothing shall throw you or your life off balance.
Divide the incense in half. Light one half, placing the other half in the bag. Take each dime and move it in a circle over the World card, pass it through the lit incense smoke, and place in the bag. Take the feather, your gift from the sky, and make a circle over the World card, pass through the incense smoke, and place in the bag. Secure bag and chant the incantation three times.
May • 16
Glamour Jewelry Spell
incantation
Glinting gems
Refracted light
Be my aid
Shimmer tonight
Radiance is mine
I shine and delight
Enchantment I weave
On this night
With love and with light
And with harm to none
I do declare this
Enchantment is done
- • The Empress
- • Gold candle
- • Jewelry
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
The first Academy Awards was held on this day in 1929. Harness the spectacular power of seduction and the sparkling essence of Hollywood glamour to cast an enchantment upon your chosen jewels, gems, silvers, golds, and beads.
The word glamour is often used in the context of fairy power. It is also used interchangeably in vampire lore where a vampire glamours his prey into yielding to his dark will.
You can glamour a piece of jewelry for any occasion. It gives you a boost of sparkle and seduction to all who cross your path. It is a simple and easy process. As always, use your powers wisely and kindly, and for the greatest good.
Earrings will catch someone’s eye. Choker necklaces mark the throat chakra when you wish to seduce or charm with words. Dangling pendents over the chest invite someone to your heart. Charm bracelets mark the place where need meets desire.
Take a bath or shower on the evening in question. Light a small candle. Place the Empress card before you. The Empress is warm, pliable, and alive. She sits in a field of yellow wheat where sustenance abounds, rivers flow, and magical, creative energy circulates. Cool glades stand behind her; a warm field spreads before her. She represents all that is alluring and desirable. She is the source of warmth who cannot be ignored. Channel her power as you look at the card. Feel her rich desire coursing through your body. Feel her in your veins. The desire pools into your belly. Bring it up and reflect it out of your eyes.
Place your jewelry upon the card.
See the sparkling stars in her crown—the energy of the universe, the light of the stars—imbue your jewelry.
Adorn yourself with your shimmering objects. Enjoy as the evening unfolds.
17 • May
Powered-Up Pendulum Charm
incantation
Pendulum swings
Over airs of fate
Your power
I do not debate
Speak the truth
And tell me so
This way I will
Always know
The path is right
And it is true
This charm binds
Myself to you
- • Your chosen pendulum
- • The High Priestess
- • Incense of choice
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
The Pit and the
Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe was published on this day in 1845. Pendulums can be used over a spread of cards, over Ouija or spirit boards, and even swung over a pregnant woman’s belly to determine the baby’s gender.
You can purchase a pendulum, slip a ring over a necklace, or use a crystal on a string. Root workers use a root for a pendulum, setting a special place on their altar to honor it as a sacred tool, just like the tarot.
Using a pendulum over a spirit board is an excellent way to dowse your unconscious. The pendulum becomes an extension of oneself, a tool to discover personal truth. When we can’t discern the truth for ourselves, a pendulum will help us do it. Let the pendulum speak and articulate when we can’t for ourselves.
Choose your pendulum. Hold it in the warmth of your hands, examine it, and mentally make friends with it. Welcome it into your life.
Place the High Priestess card before you. Focus on the quiet truth the High Priestess bears. She is silent yet knowing, just like your pendulum, and she will answer your questions. Focus on her lunar energy. Her milky-white moon glow envelops your body. Hold the pendulum over the card and allow the glow to move from you to the pendulum and to the High Priestess in a circular fashion. Remove yourself. Watch the energy exchange between the pendulum and the card.
Pass your pendulum through incense smoke while whispering the incantation.
May • 18
Queen of Pentacles Connection Ritual
incantation
Queen of Pentacles
Goddess of earth
Together, with love
We give birth
Soil, clay
Moss and loam
Through abundant gardens
We will roam
- • Queen of Pentacles
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Queen of Pentacles
Eleanor of Aquitaine,
one of the most powerful and wealthy women in the Middle Ages, was wed on this day in 1152. Wealth, abundance, manifestation, and the glories of the physical world all belong to the Queen of Pentacles.
.
A trellis filled with red roses and climbing vines frames a beautiful woman as if she were a painting. She looks down adoringly at a magical disk on her lap. She is still, as if she were posing for a painter and offering the artist her generous, sloping profile. Wild violet and green moss reveal a bunny; his fast, warm breath and twitching nose remind you this is no snapshot but a living, breathing scene.
Her throne is carved with pears, goats, and cherubs. All manner of animal, vegetable, and mineral have declared allegiance to her. The red of her cloak denotes passion, while her yellow fabric informs you she is a woman to be counted on. Dusty mushrooms poke through the fertile earth, looming large to the ants who scurry past. A lazy river meanders in the distance against the base of cool blue mountains who reach toward a cheerful sky.
The scent of apples wafts from the fruit trees behind you. Immense gardens continue in every direction, organized, tended, and bursting with life. This woman is a natural healer who has harnessed the power of earth.
“Come, child. See what I have created? You have this power too. You can organize the physical world however you like. It is the nature of the world to grow and expand. You help it along. Doing so, you cultivate a life for yourself, for what you plant in a garden, you plant in your life. All answers are found there, amidst the soil and roots, between the stalks and leaves. You are the source.”
19 • May
Home Protection Spell
incantation
Walls of wood
Foundations deep
Protect the place
Where I do sleep
This is my house
This is my home
Protect all the things
Within I own
Kings protect
What is most dear
Keep them safe
From year to year
- • Four potted geraniums
1. King of Swords
2. King of Wands
3. King of Cups
4. King of Pentacles
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Queen Elizabeth ordered
the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots, in her house on this day in 1568. To protect your home and keep the good thriving inside, perform this spell of protection.
Geraniums are known to repel negative mojo. Place pots at the boundary of your home or simply sprinkle their petals at the four corners of the building or block.
A king’s protection and favor has always been desirable for security. Place four potted geraniums before you.
Place the King of Swords before one geranium. This will be placed on the north side of your home. He commands the northern winds and deflects the thoughts of those who would cause harm. His shield is up.
Place the King of Wands at the second geranium. He commands the power of fire, so fierce and protective that no one will cross its boundary for fear of being devoured by the hungry flame. This king harnesses the sun’s power for growth and expansion inside your four walls. His shield is up.
Place the King of Cups at the third geranium. He commands the water that churns and nourishes the imagination. This water would drown all enemies. He is placed at the space of potential, the place of possibility, so that nothing but inspiration seeps through your walls. His shield is up.
Place the King of Pentacles at the last geranium. He is the king of manifestation, the place where things manifest. He contains the power to provide stumbling blocks to all who would cause harm. He commands the space where the sun sets and casts its rosy glow upon your home. His shield is up.
Plant or place each geranium around your home, looking up at the sides of your house as you do so. In your mind’s eye, project the image of each king’s face across the side of your home. Repeat the incantation in each direction.
4
home
1
2
3
May • 20
Ease of Travel Spell
incantation
Speed of Hermes
Cups of fun
Let this journey
Be filled with sun
Move fast with comfort
And with speed
Like the knight
Upon his steed
Go with the flow
Surprises await
Greet delight through
The traveler’s gate
- • Knight of Cups
- • Feverfew
- • Mugwort
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Today in 1932 Amelia
Earhart became the first
woman to fly solo across
the Atlantic Ocean when she flew from Newfoundland to Ireland.
In the old days travelers put themselves at high risk. Travel meant camping out, braving the elements, hungry animals, and roving bandits. Dirt roads led to unimaginable dangers. These days travel nightmares include rude fellow travelers, disrupted flight patterns, and unfriendly TSA agents. This spell ensures comfortable traveling for everything from short lines at passport and luggage checks to upgrade and smooth sailing.
The Knight of Cups bears the mark of Hermes, messenger of the gods and master of speed and communication, on his helmet and heels. He provides a speedy journey. The sweet, optimistic flowers of feverfew are used medicinally to treat headaches. Mugwort is a traveler’s talisman.
Place the Knight of Cups before you. This knight stops for a moment to indulge in the joys of the cup. He does this even though he has speed and power. Let his action be a reminder as you travel: joy exists in the journey as well as the destination. Whisper the incantation over him.
Tuck the feverfew into your suitcases, folded clothes, wallet, and bag to protect you from travel headaches and snags along the way. Do as Roman foot soldiers did: tuck a sprig or sprinkle of mugwort into your shoes. Remember to bring along enough for your journey home.
21 • May
Gemini Lighten Up Spell
incantation
What goes down
Must come up
Release the darkness
From this cup
Lighten up this mood
Say I
Harness the spirit
Of Gemini
- • Popcorn (such as Jiffy Pop)
1. The Lovers
2. Queen of Cups reversed
3. Page of Cups reversed
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Today is the first day
of the sign of Gemini, the Twins. Gemini is assigned the Lovers card and ruled by Mercury. Geminis are known for their adaptable and intellectual qualities. Cast this spell when you need to loosen up on any situation and find renewed enthusiasm.
Native Americans believed a spirit lived inside every kernel of popcorn. When the kernel heated up, the spirit grew angry and exploded the kernel. We now know a small drop of water exists inside every popcorn kernel. When the temperature is high enough, the tiny kernel explodes into fluffy, delicious popcorn.
This popcorn spell will lighten your spirits and provide a tasty snack in one shot.
The Lovers card represents the dual aspect of Gemini and two sides of a situation. The reversed Queen of Cups represents bottled emotions. The reversed Page of Cups reflects a resistance to fun and good feelings.
Place all the cards before you. Consider the Lovers card and the strength of Gemini, the most adaptable sign of the zodiac. Focus on the nature of the twins as seen by the lovers on the card. Look at the two court cards. Turn the Queen of Cups right-side up. Turn the Page of Cups right-side up.
You have released the blocks.
Move to your stove or popper. Make a batch of popcorn. With each pop, allow yourself to lighten up.
May • 22
Hermit Card Connection Ritual
incantation
Hermit’s light
Can you see
The answer’s right
In front of me
Do the right things
You’ve done before
The answer’s right
Outside your door
Go on the journey
Take the leap
Enlightenment
You will reap
- • The Hermit
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Today is the feast day
of Italian hermit Romanus of Subiaco. The Hermit is the archetype of the wise man who removes himself from society and distraction so he can master his spiritual journey.
Enter the arcana of the Hermit.
Snow crunches beneath the feet of the man who is about to summit this mountain. He walks with a solar yellow walking stick that glows in the starkness of his surroundings. Though you are high on a mountain peak, the winds are still and the evening quiet. The night sky expands behind him, and the moon is new, dark, and pregnant.
He looks at the valley below with tired yet twinkling eyes. He raises his lantern up before his face, and it begins to glow. A brilliant six-pointed star permeating with light casts warmth on the old man’s face. His skin is etched with the mark of experience and the wisdom only maturity can bring. He bends his head forward as if in reverence and thanks for all he has seen, all he has done, and all he has experienced.
You look down at the valley below and can barely believe your eyes. Yellow lights, lanterns, and fires are lighting up like fireflies, one after another. The entire alpine valley is illuminated with twinkling lights stretching for as far as the eye can see. It seems this man has sent out a signal, and the valley responded in turn. For what we do and what we share—how we act—echoes its consequence and mark forever. It leaves a footprint and changes the very nature of the world.
His message remains a mystery to you. The man lowers his lantern, closes his eyes for a moment, turns, and retreats back down the mountain.
23 • May
Mesmerizing Spell
incantation
Magnetic power
Draw to me
Hear my voice
Follow my plea
Can’t resist
My strong allure
Your feelings strong
And oh so pure
You are putty
In my hand
Leap to try
And understand
1. Queen of Wands
2. The Hanged Man reversed
- • Vanilla oil
- • Coconut oil
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
The word mesmerize
comes to us from
Franz Anton Mesmer,
proponent of animal
magnetism energy work,
who was born on this day in 1734.
The Queen of Wands reflects the magnetic power of attraction. The Hanged Man represents a person held captive by charm, wit, grace, and intelligence. Vanilla is used for sensuality. Coconut connects to magnetic lunar power.
Place the Queen of Wands next to the reversed Hanged Man. See how her magnetic gaze lights him up? He has a yellow halo around his skull. He is a slave to the queen and will do her bidding—whatever she desires; he is mesmerized by her. She uses the strength of passion to radiate her energy toward him. She is also aided by the magical powers of her feline companion, whose green eyes can stop anything in its tracks.
Walk close to the Queen of Wands. Embody her. What does it look like when you see the world through her eyes? How does it feel to sit in her skin? How does it feel to contain the power to attract others like a moth to a flame?
Get dressed for your day or evening but prepare yourself exactly like the Queen of Wands would prepare herself for an evening out. Bathe in the finest of oils; dress with reds, scarlets, and crimsons. Anoint yourself with vanilla oil, sacred to the great love goddesses. Moisturize your body with coconut oil, which the ancients used for their lanterns.
When you are ready to leave the house, go to the mirror and stare deeply into your own eyes. You are now the Queen of Wands. You are prepared to mesmerize the crowd or that special someone.
May • 24
Birthday Wish Spell
incantation
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
Happy birthday to me
Life unfolds with joy and glee
Magic prevails
My wish comes true
My gorgeous birth year
Begins anew
- • Journal
- • Tarot card representing your wish
- • Candle colored to correspond to your wish
- • Carving tool
- • Glitter
- • Oil
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Queen Victoria, for
whom the Victorian age
was named, would be celebrating her birthday.
She was born on this day in 1819.
People blow out birthday candles without realizing they are performing an elementary form of candle magic. A person’s life breath extinguishes the flame, and in doing so their desire is released for manifestation.
Take some time to journal and write about the year that has passed. Consider the year to come. Write specifically what your birthday wish is. Describe every detail. Why do you want it? How will it affect your life? When you are ready, select the card best representing your wish.
Focus on your card. Enter it with your mind’s eye. Touch, smell, and examine the world inside the borders of the card. See yourself gaining your wish.
Anoint your candle with oil. Rub it upward, filling the wax with your energy and intention. Using your carving tool, carve the candle, inscribing your name, astrological sign, and desire. If there is room, make any marks or images that correspond to your wish. Your glitter will adhere to the oil; cover the candle with glitter, getting it into the crevices you have created.
When you are satisfied, light the candle. Doing so, you see your desire unleashed.
Meditate on the flame and focus on the candle as long as you like to align your energy with it.
25 • May
Night Visions Oil
incantation
Star and Moon
Hypnotic’s delight
With Night Vision Oil
I glide into flight
Psychedelic dreams
Fancy of truth
Gardenias bring fun
And the joy of youth
- • The Star
- • The Moon
- • Mason jar
- • Gardenia petals
- • 1 cup coconut oil
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Gardenias are in season
from May through July.
You’ll need to find them fresh to create Night Visions Oil. Dream oil may be added to an evening bath or dabbed on your feet before bed for rich and enigmatic dream experiences.
Gardenias are known to be prophetic and beckon friendly spirits. The Star reflects inspiration from above. The Moon reveals unseen mysteries of the night.
Place the Star and the Moon card together as you prep for the oil.
Place the petals in the mason jar and cover with coconut oil. Gently warm the oil if it has solidified, so you can pour it over the petals.
Look at the combination of nightscapes between these two cards. They reflect the duality of night: the light and the dark, the rejuvenating and the murky.
Place the Star card against your oil jar. Under a dance of stars, all things are possible. Boundaries are erased as you move from one reality to another as easily as switching channels or opening webpages.
Place the Moon card against your oil jar. The Moon card beckons to your sleeping self as your subconscious fills the base of the card. Unknown desires creep to the surface. Creatures emerge from the shadows to grant your bidding.
Cover and let the mixture infuse in a warm place from one to six weeks, depending upon the intensity of the petals.
Anoint your third eye with the oil and contemplate the Star and Moon card before bed or prior to nighttime rituals and magical or creative work.
May • 26
Psychic Vampires Begone Energy Shield
incantation
The powers inside
Are mine alone
You cannot take them
Will not roam
You’ve robbed me before
But never again
I give myself only
If I say when
1. The High Priestess
2. The Fool
3. Eight of Cups
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Bram Stoker’s infamous
novel Dracula was published on this day in 1897. A psychic vampire is someone who sucks energy from you and leaves you feeling depleted, tired, and worse off than when you first encountered them.
You can banish vampire behavior and protect your valuable energy. Cast this energy shield and watch as the vampire slithers off in search of a more willing victim.
Psychic vampires can be tricky to deal with; sometimes you initially tried to help them, maybe they are a member of the family, or perhaps you work for one. What you resist tends to persist. Consider how your own energy contributes or reverse attracts their attention upon you. Once you cast this spell, put them far from your mind.
The High Priestess provides a shield of psychic protection. The Fool represents the person you are sending away. The Eight of Cups marks their departure.
Ground yourself, feet on the floor and spine straight. Place the High Priestess before you. A silver shield of power, the reflective moonlight protects her. Begin to build a bubble of protective energy around yourself. Be sure it engulfs your entire body. When it is strong and pulsing, feel it reflect any negative succubus energy that comes toward you by bouncing it back to the person who sent it.
Place the Fool card. Watch as he journeys. Imagine your vampire walking away from you, their attention turned to something else.
Place the Eight of Cups. Celebrate their final departure as their figure moves away from you, becoming smaller and smaller in the distance.
27 • May
Page of Cups Connection Ritual
incantation
Page of Cups
And bubbling cup
Drink your visions
Drink it up
Past, present, future
They collide
Who knows what
People hide inside
Page of Cups
Daughter of the sea
She knows the depths
Inside of me
- • Page of Cups
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Marie Anne Lenormand,
French fortuneteller and psychic, was born on this day in 1772.
The Page of Cups is the most psychic figure of the tarot deck. She is a youth whose perceptive qualities are wide open. No preconceived notions hold her back or taint her visions.
Enter the arcana of the Page of Cups.
A smooth-faced girl stands upon a yellow stage, one hand on her hip, the other grasping a cup. A fish pokes its head out as if she’s telling it a joke. Her posture is animated and stagey. Two hundred pairs of eyes belonging to the audience watch her every move. Behind her, the painted scrim depicts ocean waters that flow, watery symbols of the cup.
What the audience doesn’t know is that this actress is the daughter of the ocean. As such, she carries prophetic visions and a sight that sees far and wide. As she opens herself up to creative inspiration for her role onstage, true psychic visions occur to her. She can tell you that the woman in the front row hides pound cakes in her pantry and devours them when no one sees. She sees Mrs. Poundcake’s husband kissing the neighbor after sunset. She senses the deepest of secrets, even secrets she doesn’t understand: ghosts, flashes of truth, glimpses of the past, visions of the future. It is hard for her to discern what is of the physical world and what is not; therefore, she lives with a foot inside each.
And she never breathes a word of the visions she sees. She allows them to wash over her without ever being swept away.
May • 28
Fly Your Freak Flag Solar Eclipse Spell
incantation
Eclipsing sun
Light my way
I journey forward
On this day
Up I move toward
Truth and light
Ignite my authentic self
Upon this night
1. The Hierophant
2. Eight of Cups
3. The Star
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Greek philosopher
Thales correctly predicts a solar eclipse occurring on this day in 585 bce.
Solar eclipses have a long and torrid history of being associated with black magic, dark omens, and fear. It is not hard to understand why a shadow passing over the daytime sun would strike fear into the hearts of people.
Though science helps us to understand today’s world in a better way, people still fear the unknown. Unique and creative people can often have a hard time fitting in, especially in small communities where everyone seems to be watching and judging. Perform this spell when you want to be seen as you truly are.
Place the Hierophant and the Star before you. The Hierophant represents all of the rules of society, traditions, and old ways. Note his heavy and concealing clothing. In comparison, the Star kneels in her naked skin, fully revealing who she is. A child of nature, she needs no cathedral, church, or building with which to trap the idea of god. There are no followers, no proselytizing; she has no interest in telling others what to do. She is content to be the channel of her true self.
You are moving away from “rules” and into the nature of who you are. Place the Eight of Cups to facilitate this journey. In doing so, move the cards so they are moving in an upward diagonal.
Note the eclipse on the eight. This is the genesis of a personal revolution of personal expression. Your back is turned on the old and outdated. From this moment on, you will be authentic to your true self in every way you can be.
29 • May
Eight of Swords Connection Ritual
incantation
Eight of Swords
And binds of white
What has gripped
Me on this night
Am I a willing initiate
Or held a slave
Regardless, it’s freedom
And new sight I crave
- • Eight of Swords
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Eight of Swords.
The Eight of Swords
was called the Lord of Shortened Force by the magicians of the Golden Dawn, who assigned it the time period of May 21–31.
The wetlands are damp, the bay is cloudy, and the water matches the dullness of the sky. From your bird’s-eye viewpoint in the great tower, you look down upon the shoreline. A strange apparition meets your eyes. It appears a creature has been captured and bound, held within a silver prison. Seagulls circle and mists roll across the marsh. You try to bring your attention back to the words you are reading but you find your curiosity has gotten the best of you.
You exit the castle at once and make for the beach. You trudge through wet sand to approach the figure. It is a human female. She is bound and blindfolded in white tatters of fabric. A piercing prison of swords surrounds her. The mystifying part of this vision is how she bobs up and down, her slippers never touching the ground, as if held by invisible tethers.
Not knowing what else to do, you run to the first sword and dislodge it. You throw it flat to the ground. As the steel breaks free, you hear the figure gasp. You work quickly now, and with each freed sword, she comes closer to the ground. You free the last sword and watch in astonishment as her binds loosen, falling from her body and eyes. She looks gratefully at you.
She seems familiar.
Your doppelgänger stands before you.
May • 30
Leadership and Inspiration Spell
incantation
Joan of Arc
And Page of Swords
Fill me, gift me
I need the words
Pass the passion
Spread my light
Give me the strength
I need tonight
1. Ace of Wands
2. The Hermit
3. Page of Swords
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
On this day in 1431
Joan of Arc, at age 19,
was burned at the stake.
Her efforts to free France from the grips of the English throne have made her a legendary figure. Confidence, commitment, communication, and delegation are all marks of a good leader.
The Ace of Wands represents a spark of excitement. The Hermit card reflects knowledge. The Page of Swords represents Joan of Arc and contains the ability to guide others without compromising one’s sense of self.
Lay the Ace of Wands and contemplate the reason you are being called upon to lead. What was your initial spark of enthusiasm and excitement? Does it still glow within you? Fire and this wand radiate outward. Feel how enigmatic you are when you are excited and passionate.
Place the Hermit card above the ace. Watch his lantern glow as the ace ignites the flame of knowledge. The Hermit is secure with what he has gained through study, seclusion, and reflection. He has come to the mountaintop to spread his word, and, indeed, the mountain he stands on spreads below the card’s border to the fertile green valleys below. Do not doubt yourself for a moment. Your light shines.
Place the Page of Swords above the Hermit. Now is the time to become the fearless leader, sacrificing none of yourself. You do not need to become someone else to move crowds. Simply bring compassion and confidence out of yourself. The swords are the cards of communication. Like this knight who embodies Joan of Arc’s spirit, you will forge new ground and become a passionate leader.
31 • May
Wheel of Fortune Card Connection Ritual
incantation
Wheel of Fortune
Spinning time
I’ll slow you down
And make you mine
- • The Wheel of Fortune
Method, Visualization, and Meditation
Enter the arcana of the Wheel of Fortune.
Big Ben, London’s
famous clock, went into
operation today in 1859.
Clocks spin like the
Wheel of Fortune, reminding us of the nature of luck and good timing.
Close your eyes and listen very carefully to the room around you. What do you hear? Are birds calling to each other from the branches extending past your window? Is the refrigerator humming as it cools the eggs, milk, and cheese? Are the honks of frustrated commuters reaching your ears? Does soft music drift from your computer? Underneath normal everyday sounds, if you listen, lies a whirring sound. It lies just beneath the normal sounds of your everyday life.
It is like the gentle whir of a playing card in the spokes of a child’s bike, the subtle sound of circulating electrons around the nucleus of an atom, nothing more than the whisper of the wind. But, were you to pull away the fabric of reality like the drapes of a curtain, you would find the Wheel of Fortune spinning everywhere: under your sink, beneath the bed, inside the dishwasher, inside your own body.
The Wheel of Fortune reflects how we experience time. Slow it down by paying attention to what you are doing.
The Wheel of Fortune is the energy that revolves solar systems, controls the tides, and directs the wind. The Wheel of Fortune controls the seemingly uncontrollable events of your life. The four corners of the card represent the four suits, seasons, and directions. The word “taro” spins across the wheel.
The Wheel holds all future and past secrets. It may be that every experience is happening at once, simultaneously. Experience is only revealed as you inhabit it.