August 1 is the Sabbat of Lughnasadh which is the first of 3 harvest Sabbats. Even though we are still techincally in Summer, Lughnasadh marks the the beginning of Autumn on the Wheel of the Year. All around us the planet is preparing for the coming cold; the days are slowly getting shorter, the nights will soon cool down and animals have begun gathering food for the coming Fall and Winter.
Grains and corn were traditionally harvested at this time and the theme of the (metaphorically) sacrificed God - the idea that death (the harvest) is necessary for the rebirth of the land is recognized and symbolically reenacted.
To celebrate Lughnasadh in true Kitchen Witch style, incorporate grains and corn in your recipes on August 1. It's traditional to Bake bread in the shape of a man, symbolizing the God's sacrifice for the bounty of the harvest and rebirth of the land. Harvest from your own garden or visit a U-Pick farm or orchard. Sacrifice unwanted habits or things from your life by throwing symbols of them into the Sabbat flame. Decorate your space in shades of yellow, gold, red and orange and use items such as late summer fruits and vegetables, sheaves of wheat, breads, grains, ears of corn and berries to adorn your home or altar.
Lughnasadh isn't just about the harvest, it's also about sharing some of your harvest, so doing some charity work, making food for others or donating items to your local food bank could be a new tradition for this day.
Bright Blessings!
~City
In this pot, I stir to the sunan' follow the rule of harming none.
Banishment of bane when goin' widdershins;
an' with water and salt negativity is cleansed.
Household duties are more than chores.
Magick abounds when mopping floors.
With this broom, I do sweep
to clean my house and safely keep.
Marigold, Basil, Thyme, and Yarrow
my spell is cast for a better tomorrow.
Lemons for joy and apples for health
the pow'r within brings great wealth.
And, in this kitchen I do pray
To truly walk the Witches' Way
From July 28 to July 30 at 8:54 a.m. EST the Moon is in mysterious Scorpio.
Beans are not just for food and chairs! They can also be used in magick for protection, prosperity and to increase fertility.
My favorite bean would have to be the Garbanzo bean or Chickpea, as it's commonly known. I use the canned ones since they are so much quicker to prepare; no soaking or boiling required. Simply rinse and do with them what you will!
Chickpeas are probably the most versatile legume out there. They can be pureed for hummus or snuck into smoothies or brownies. I know what you're thinking but with other, stronger flavor elements in the food, you won't even know they are there and the added fibre and protein will do you good. They can be put on salads or roasted for a crunchy snack and the chickpea flour can be used for baking and flat breads.
Roasted chickpeas have become a favorite of mine since giving up packaged snack food. They fill the salty, crunchy void that I thought would remain forever.
Mojo bags are known by several different names: Conjure bags, charm bags, gris gris bags; but they all refer to the same thing. They are pouches filled with various magickal items such as herbs and crystals. The term Mojo bag most likely came from the word "mojuba," which is a West African word meaning a prayer of praise. A Mojo bag is like a "prayer in a bag" or a spell you can carry.
Depending on the spell, Mojo bags are used in different ways such as worn on the person, slept with under the pillow, buried in the earth or thrown into a flowing body of water. For example, to draw money you could wear the Mojo bag on your person or make a minature version to fit in your purse or wallet. To banish sickness from yourself, you would wear the Mojo bag for a time to absorb your energy then either bury it in the earth (in a place where you will not return) or throw it into a body of water that is moving away from you. For us Witches in the city, burying things and finding moving bodies of water can be difficult, so improvise! If there are no rivers nearby, make a makeshift pouch out of bathroom tissue, hold it for a few minutes, pour your energy and sickness into it, then flush it down the toilet visualizing your ill health going along with it, never to return.
To make a Mojo bag you will first need a pouch or fabric in the appropriate color. I prefer to sew my own pouches because more of my energy gets put into the spell, however, when I need something quick, the ready mades are perfect.
You can then add one or more of the following. Don't forget to charge each item with your intent before adding it to the bag.
-Herbs to fit your purpose (Ex: Dill for money, Ginger for health etc.)
-Crystals or tumbled gemstones to fit your purpose
-A written incantation or prayer
-Anything else you wish to add
One Mojo bag I made for a friend (with permission) consisted of a green pouch I sewed myself with a $ sewed on the front, dill inside for money, and a written request to find a job quickly. While I constructed the bag I visualized him getting a job. He carried the Mojo bag with him while he handed out resumes and to job interviews. Within 2 weeks he had his first job and was making $10/hr. Would he have gotten the job without the Mojo bag? Possibly. Did the Mojo bag help? Probably. It didn't hurt to give the Universe an extra push in the right direction.
Happy Casting!
From July 26 at 1:25 a.m. to July 28 at 6:56 a.m. EST) the Moon is in the sign of Libra.
Libra is the sign of the balance, the arts, partnerships and justice so workings for employment in the arts, artistic work, relationships/partnerships, peace, fairness, justice, court cases, mental stimulation and balance are auspicious at this time.
The areas of the body that will benefit most from any healing work during this Moon are the lower back and kidneys.
The corresponding color for the Libra Moon is Royal Blue and the governing spirits are the Sylphs who resonate with the East and the Air element.
Almost every Witch has one or more "Go To" spells that they have had great results with on more than one occasion. Mine is a spell I created to find a job. Spells that you create on your own will certainly be more powerful than ones you have gotten from someone else or copied out of a book because they come from you and more of your personal energy is involved. However, if something out a book speaks to you or seems right, by all means use it!
For this spell I used one book to determine which herbs would work best and another for a pre-written prayer that I ended up changing to better reflect my situation but the rest was me. I believe that's why this spell was so successful. *
The moon has 4 major phases; waxing, full, waning and new. However,
every 3 or 4 days the moon moves through the minor phases of each zodiac sign. From July 23 to July 26 at 1:25 a.m. EST, the moon is in Virgo.
Moon in Virgo is a good time for workings related to Employment, Intellectual matters, Health and Dietary concerns. If you plan to do healing work, the areas of the body that will benefit most from this Moon's energy are the intestines and nervous system. The corresponding colors are navy blue and rust orange. The governing spirits are the Gnomes, who rule the earth element which also rules Virgo.
Basil
No Kitchen Witch's pantry is complete without basil. A staple in any kitchen, basil is one of the most versatile herbs in cooking and magick. It can be used for spells involving: Love, Removing negativity, Wealth, Protection, Sympathy, Fidelity, Healing relationships and Courage to name a few!
Basil and many other herbs can be used in a variety of ways such as herb sachets (mojo bags), herbal baths, teas, infusions, incense and of course added to your cooking after being magickally charged.
Simple Basil Spell:
Decide what your goal is going to be out of the above list. For our purposes we will say courage.
Make a dinner recipe containing basil.
Before adding the basil to the dish, hold the quantity you are going to use in your dominant hand and close your eyes. Clear your mind as best as possible as try to become aware of the herb's energy. You may start to feel the basil tingle in your hand. If you don't that's okay, it will come with practice.
Next, visualize the color you would associate with courage. To me, it is a strong orange but there are no rules here, whatever color speaks to you will be most powerful.
Visualize this color filling your body while at the same time visualizing yourself feeling courageous and facing whatever issue it is you need the extra courage for.
Mentally transfer the color and images to the basil. I visualize the color flowing from by body, down my arm, into the hand holding the basil then into the basil itself. Picture the basil glowing with not only the color but the strong, courageous feelings you invoked.
Add the basil to the dish, confident that by ingesting it you have given yourself the extra courage you need to face your issue.
Magick isn't a "ZAP!" but it gets the wheels of the Universe turning and sets the stage for some major change to take place. The spell is just the first step. The next step is working toward the goal on the physical level. In this case it might be to face whatever issue you need to face instead of shying away and putting it off.
This spell could just as easily be used for any of the above mentioned purposes simply by changing the color and images you visualize.
