The Book of Spells

Broken heart bath ritual

TOOLS Bathtub | 1 black tea light candle | 1 white tea light candle | Lighter or matches

INGREDIENTS 1 cup (270g) salt (Epsom or table salt) | 1 handful lemon balm | 1 tsp cinnamon | 3 white roses | 1 tsp lavender

This bath uses the powers of herbs and flowers, as well as the cleansing properties of water—and the symbolism of draining the water—to assist in healing and releasing the pain of a broken heart.

Draw your bath and light the tea light candles. Now add the salt, lemon balm, cinnamon, roses, and lavender to your bathtub, while being mindful of your intentions. Sink into the bathwater and let the infused water soak into your skin. Visualize the water as well as the ingredients cleansing you from pain, healing your heart. Let go of any leftover sorrows. This is also a great time to let any lingering emotions out—if you want to cry or scream, do so. The water will absorb your pain, cleanse you, and wash it away. Sit for a while, and take a moment to simply focus on your breathing and the beating of your heart. You can say your own words or:

Let my sorrows wash away, may my heart be healed of pain, may the water clean away what has left me in such bane. So mote it be.

Use the ingredients in the bath like a sponge, lightly rubbing down your entire body with them, so they can truly soak up your pain. When the water cools, get out of the bath and drain the water, visualizing all the heartbreak flowing away to be neutralized by nature.

Collect the herbs, wash them so no salt is left on them, and either take them to a river or the ocean to be released, or discard them in the trash.

BEST TIME Waning Moon

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Goodbye sock spell

TOOLS New pair of socks | Thread and needle (the thread should be the same color as the socks)

This spell is based on the Latvian superstition that to gift a sock to a lover is a sure way to have them leave you, as the sock gives them the means to walk away. It can be used when you wish to break up with your partner, but perhaps don’t know how to, or it can even encourage them to initiate the breakup. Your partner doesn’t necessarily have to wear the socks—the act of simply gifting the socks carries enough symbolism.

Start by casting a circle and grounding and centering, and cleansing your altar space and the tools. Take your socks and pick a spot where you can easily sew a small rune or your own sigil. With your thread and needle, sew in your sigil or the rune Raido, the rune of ends and journeys. Be sure to make the rune or sigil as small and inconspicuous as possible, so it may go unnoticed. While sewing, speak the words:

May we part, and walk our separate ways, I cut these ties of heart, let this mark the end of our relationship’s days. So mote it be.

Once you have sewn one sock, repeat the same for the second sock, and hold the pair in your hands, focusing on your intention and filling the socks with that energy. Envision exactly how you imagine your partner walking away, perhaps with them having initiated the breakup. Be mindful of the emotions you are feeling and focus on how you would like things to end. Adding anger or more baneful emotions may require extra protective work (see Hex-removing bath).

Ground and center to finish this spell and open the circle. The pair of socks is now ready to be gifted to your partner.

BEST TIME Saturday

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Letting go of the ex ritual

INGREDIENTS A sprinkle of salt

This ritual can be done multiple times if needed, and will assist in letting go of an ex-partner.

Start by casting a circle and grounding and centering, then cleansing your altar space and the tools. Light your candle and on the picture write the incantation:

Thank you for your valuable lessons, I now release you from my life for good, so mote it be.

Then light the picture with the candle flame, and toss it in the cauldron so you don’t burn yourself. Sprinkle with salt—to fully cleanse yourself of the person and let go for good—and watch the picture burn. Blow out the candle with purpose. Then toss the candle and ashes in the trash. Open the circle.

The morning after the spell, gather anything that was gifted to you, or that reminds you of your ex-partner, in a box and cleanse each item. Donate the box to charity or throw away items that cannot be donated.

BEST TIME Waning Moon, Midnight

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Breakup cord-cutting spell

When a relationship is over, sometimes emotional ties can still persist. Maybe one partner is not ready to fully let go, and the entire situation simply needs to be brought to an end.

Start by casting a circle and grounding and centering, then cleansing your altar space and the tools. On one candle, carve your name, on the other the name of your ex-partner. Now take one end of the cord and tie it around the middle of one candle with a knot. Then do the same with the other candle so they are connected by the cord. Attach the candles to the fireproof plate by lightly burning the bottom of the candles so they stick more easily. Now light both candles and watch them burn. The flames should eventually burn through the cord.

As you watch the candles burn down, notice which candle seems to burn faster or slower, and note any similarities between your situation and that of the two candles—which party seems not to want to let go, whose flames burn higher or barely at all, indicating strong or weak emotions in the relationship.

How fast or how slowly the candle and cord burn can also be indicative of how long the final ties in the relationship will take to break. Let the candles burn down completely, until the cord also has burned away. However, if the ties are truly persistent, take the scissors and cut the cord. Say the incantation:

The ties are cut, this is complete, we walk our separate paths, so mote it be.

Visualize the end of the relationship, knowing that any last lingering ties are now fully cut. Then open the circle and throw away the remaining wax in the trash.

BEST TIME Waning Moon