Tag: Witchcraft

Ace of Pentacles & Manifestation

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Welcome to our contribution to the celebration of International Tarot Day!

I trust you enjoyed Jillian C. Wilde’s article on Queen of Wands, and now, we’re tackling another challenging Tarot card: Ace of Pentacles.

It’s great to be part of this epic blog hop, organized by Bree at Nym’s Divination. Thanks, Bree!

TarotPugs has been gifted with the opportunity to blog about the Ace of Pentacles, which of itself is the very epitome of a gift in the tarot.

Here we’re going to discuss about the Ace of Pentacles and manifestation, which the Ace of Pentacles seems to say, “ask and you shall receive.”

The Ace of Pentacles in the Rider Waite Smith Tarot has a hand extended from a cloud, holding a gold coin with a pentacle on it. Continue reading →

Working with the Dark Moon

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Many witches, wiccans, pagans, followers of the old ways, work with the moon cycles and are familiar with the turn of the wheel, the seasons and the symbolism behind each of them.

During the week of a new moon, I get more excited about the time that comes just before the new moon.

One to three days before the new moon, when the moon isn’t visible in the night sky, is known as the “dark of the moon” or “Dark Moon.”

Keep in mind, this shouldn’t be confused with a “black moon” which is two new moons within the same calendar month.

Decades ago, when I was first learning about the moon cycles in my beginner books, most authors advised that during the time just before the new moon, no spells or magickal work was to be done.

It was said to be a time for rest and contemplation, that it could mean bad luck. 

I would read in books that spells could turn on you, energy too unpredictable, and all sorts of stuff that, when just learning, can make you turn the other way.

However, as I got older and studied further beyond the introductory basics, I learned that there’s a lot more to the belief and understanding what the dark moon represents.

Knowing why some practitioners avoid or work with the dark moon and how it works can help further your understanding and practice.


Working with the Dark Moon can be a time for working with or on, for example:

  • spirits
  • divination
  • mediumship
  • cursing, curse-breaking
  • hexing
  • banishing
  • exorcisms
  • shadow work
  • removing fears /addictions / bad habits
  • honouring underworld deities such as Hecate (the Dark Moon is also known as Hecate’s Night), Cerridwen, The Morrighan, Osiris
  • honouring your ancestors; and
  • working with the Crone aspect.

 

In the same tone or atmosphere as the Dark Moon, Hallowe’en / Samhain / All Hallow’s Eve / Day of the Dead are a time to honour loved ones in spirit, our ancestors, reflect on the shadows, spirits, death and darkness that is around us.

We reserve at the end of October / early November (in Northern Hemisphere), a special day to remember our departed and ancestors, leave food for them, honour them, do divination and more.

However, we have this opportunity each month, not just once a year.

Each Dark Moon is an opportunity to honour our ancestors, pay special respects to them, ask for protection and blessings, remove bad luck, bad habits and fears, to name a few.

Working with the Dark Moon can take some experience, study and practice to work with, which not everyone works with this energy or feels the need to.

 

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If you’re interested in working with the Dark Moon, there can be simple ways to honour ancestors to begin with or to work with your own shadow side.

If you have a special place to honour deity and/or ancestors or your altar, you can light a candle or make an offering of drink, food or incense during the Dark Moon and say a simple prayer or perform spell work suited to the Dark Moon.

A word of caution: Dark God/Goddess energies can be intense, straightforward and hold no punches.

If you’re new to working with dark goddesses/gods, I’d advise to wait until more experienced in your own studies/practice and are familiar with the deity, before working with deities such as Hecate or The Morrighan, for example.

If you feel inclined to get to know them, research their stories and mythologies, read more about them and start by getting to know what you feel your impression is of them.

Each moon phase and cycle has a specific purpose and meaning, which we can use in our individual practices to meet our needs.

The new moon and full moon receive a lot of attention every month; however, the dark moon can also be significant to work with as well.

Cast off the old each month, honour the Crone, your ancestors and the departed during the dark moon; then welcome the new and beginnings to come with the new moon.

Interested to know how the dark moon can benefit you? 

Dark Moon Tarot Reading available at our Etsy shop and tarotpugs.net.

Blessings,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs
Title image designed in Canva.

Root Chakra Spell

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Sometimes we get bent out of shape emotionally and physically.

We feel out of alignment.

We get health problems that are persistent, but have no real known cause.

They seem to be energetically caused by blocks, fears, anxiety or worry.

The root chakra is connected to our sense of security and stability. It’s the part of us that grounds ourselves in the world.

It’s how we feel comfortable in this world and feel safe.

Everything that has left us feeling dejected, insecure, worrisome or afraid sometimes makes a big imprint on the root chakra. It sticks to it like glue.

Worries about financial stability or security, how you will support yourself financially or have fears that you are physically or emotionally unsupported by others can affect the root chakra.

These become literally “deep rooted fears” in the one chakra that is supposed to give us stability and grounding in this world.

If you’re prone to fears of instability, insecurity, anxiety and worries, you may have a lot of work to do on your root chakra that it may be a constant work in progress.

Continue reading →

Ways of a Crystal Witch

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Most witches love crystals and gemstones.

The ways of a Crystal Witch are by someone who practices the craft and uses crystals and gemstones extensively in their practice.

There’s something natural and versatile about them. Many crystals are readily available and can be affordable, yet some can be more rare and expensive.

Many crystals share the same or similar properties so there’s always the possibility to find an alternative crystal if one is unavailable or out of your budget. Continue reading →

Crossroads Spell to Remove Blockages

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If you feel that blockages are preventing you from progressing further in an area of your life, whether studies, career, love, money, spirituality, etc., this spell is designed to help remove these blockages using magick from the crossroads.

Crossroads are commonly known for showing us different directions that our lives can take and open new possibilities.

Deities that are associated with crossroads are best worked with if you have a current relationship established which can be done through various ways such as tarot, ritual and meditation or even visiting a crossroad to get a sense of the energy and leaving offerings.

Offerings to these deities can be left at a crossroad, however whatever is offered can’t be returned to you and must remain there (i.e. don’t part with anything you might miss or need later!)

It’s said that offerings made to Hecate at a crossroads are to be left there are night, and as you walk away, don’t turn around to look and to keep walking away so as to avoid seeing Hecate directly.*

 

CROSSROADS SPELL TO REMOVE BLOCKAGES

What’s needed:

1 white tea light candle
1 obsidian and 1 lepidolite crystals
Crossroads dirt * / **

Time of Month:

Eve before New Moon (aka Dark Moon)
or
30th day of the month
or
30th of November (Hecate’s Night of Crossroads)

Note: If you’re familiar and comfortable, you can work with Hecate or any other deity that is associated with the crossroads. If you’re not familiar or haven’t worked with deities that are connected to the crossroads, you may find it better to work with Spirit or God/Goddess or Crone goddess energy to aid you.

This spell can be worked outdoors or indoors with variation.

 

Outdoor Version:

This spell is ideally performed at a crossroad (three-way or four-way), however if you are able to do this spell in a secluded open area outdoors, that should be sufficient also.

With supplies for the spell ready, you can place the crystals in your pocket and light the candle which you can hold (if safe to do so) or you can place on the ground (be careful not to knock it over) or a table near by (if you have an outdoor altar – even better).

Set your intention of what you would like to manifest in your life, which blockages that you would like to remove, what you would like to be able to achieve or attain. Write this down if you need to in order to keep it firm in your mind.

If at a crossroads: With a handful of crossroads dirt, toss the dirt around you widdershins (counterclockwise) at each direction of the crossroads. Start at the northern point or close to North then widdershins (counterclockwise) to each direction and toss the dirt on the path or road leading towards you.

If not at a crossroads: With a handful of crossroads dirt, toss the dirt around you widdershins (counterclockwise) at each direction from North to West to South to East then North again.

Recite:

With this crossroads dirt,
I remove all blockages in my way;
may my desires manifest,
With these words to (your deity), I pray
may my path be blessed.

May this spell not reverse
or place upon me any curse. 

So mote it be.

Leave tea light to burn on its own in a safe place.

 

Indoor version:

Since it would be messy to throw dirt on the floor (‘cause seriously, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to clean it up), you can use the candle on your altar and place the crystals on the altar on each side of the candle. (Note – don’t use a special, white or fancy altar cloth for this spell since it’ll get dirty – literally.)

Sprinkle the dirt around the candle in the same direction of North to West to South to East then North.

While sprinkling the crossroads dirt around the candle, recite the same as above:

With this crossroads dirt,
I remove all blockages in my way;
may my desires manifest,
With these words to (your deity), I pray
may my path be blessed.

May this spell not reverse
or place upon me any curse. 

So mote it be.

Leave the tea light candle to burn on its own in a safe place.

* more information about crossroads dirt and Hecate can be found on my blog post Crossroads Magick.
** Crossroads dirt can also be found/purchased online at Inexplicable Things (not affiliated link).

May all your paths lead to where you want to be.

Blessings,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

Designed in Canva.

Crossroads Magick

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Crossroads are physically where two roads intersect at a junction – they can be a three-way crossroad or four-way crossroad. In ancient Greece, it was believed that Hermes ruled the four-way crossroad and Hecate ruled the three-way crossroad.

In magickal terms, crossroads are believed to be a point between the worlds of humans and spirits; folktales and folk magick about the crossroads extend from ancient times to witchcraft to Hoodoo.

It’s said that spirit communication can be made at the crossroads. Rituals can be done at the crossroads to learn skills, bring or keep lovers, acquire prosperity or wisdom, or even by leaving, burning or tossing a petition at the crossroads.

Spell work and rituals involving crossroads can be found online, which many are connected with Hoodoo tradition, yet witches who work with Hecate can make us of it as well using their own beliefs and traditions.

HECATE – GODDESS OF THE CROSSROADS

If you choose to work with Hecate, it can take time to work with her as she isn’t a goddess that is readily open.

However, once you have developed a connection or she has made her presence known to you and you have accepted her calling, her presence can be strong and compelling.

Hecate isn’t one to “coddle” when things go wrong, especially if it’s of your own mess or making. If you ask her for something, you need to be ready or you may just get more than you bargained for.

Some sources say that her name in Greek comes from “hekatos” meaning “worker from afar” and she certainly can keep her distance and work from “afar” – kind of hands off, but gives what’s needed or deserved.

Some practitioners that follow Hecate say that experience in witchcraft is needed before working with her.

If you are more accustomed to goddesses that are gentler and loving such as Venus/Aphrodite, Hathor, Bastet and Brigid, then Hecate can be quite a contrast of energy and feel. She is considered one of the “Dark Mother” goddess archetypes, the Crone aspect, wise in the Craft.

If you want to become acquainted with Hecate, spend time trying to communicate with her. Her energy can be straightforward and she always cuts right to the chase. If you’re serious enough to work with her, she will in turn work with you.

If you’re interested in some information further about Hecate, here are some resources to get started:

HECATE (Hekate) – Greek Goddess of Witchcraft, Magic & Ghosts

Hecate, Goddess of Witches * Wicca-Spirituality.com

Hecate, Greek Goddess of The Crossroads – Goddess Gift

PURPOSES FOR CROSSROADS MAGICK

Magick involving crossroads can be for different purposes, mostly to bring something towards you or to send something away. Crossroads magick can be done to remove blockages that may be preventing you from manifesting something and to remove any barriers.

Crossroads magick can be worked to bring prosperity and abundance, working with spirits and spirit communication, honouring the dead, banishing, domination, making wishes, finding direction, making decisions or choices, or when faced with a crossroad in your life.

Crossroads magick can either be done at a crossroad or you can bring the crossroad home by collecting some dirt from a crossroad. Crossroads dirt in spellscan be used for purposes that relate to crossroads magick.

CROSSROADS DIRT

It’s ideal to get dirt from a three- or four-way crossroad that is out of your town or city in an area that is not well populated or traveled often. I located an area to get my crossroads dirt in the south of my city on a country road that I located on Google Maps which my husband has traveled down that road often to visit a friend.

According to some traditions, when acquiring crossroads dirt, it’s customary to leave behind something such as three coins (pennies or higher denomination) at each corner of the crossroads. This is called “paying for the dirt”.

Collect the dirt from each corner or side of the intersection (three side if a three-way crossroad, four if a four-way crossroad) and place in a jar with a lid. It’s best to label the jar and date it if you’d like. Leave the coins on the ground where you collected the dirt at each corner/side of the crossroads.

This tradition of “leaving something behind in return” is customary in many witchcraft traditions such as when collecting natural items in nature to leave something behind for the nature spirits, faeries, trees, etc., and thanking them for the item.

I’ve created a spell to work on with crossroads dirt: Crossroads Spell for Prosperity which includes crossroads dirt in the spell, which is available on the blog.

 crossroads magick witchcraft tarot pugs hecate

TAROT & CROSSROADS

The workings with crossroads magick can open up new possibilities and options that can become available, and can lead to looking into other directions that you may want to take. This could be your spiritual, career, love or life path that you may be working on.

Tarot has always been a divination tool to look at different scenarios and possibilities in a situation, which many spreads have either a card position for “alternative future outcome” and “probably future outcome” in addition to “the outcome”.

If you’re faced at a crossroad in your life, tarot can help look at the different directions to give insight into each direction and option to help you weigh the situation and make the choice yourself on which direction to take.

To help with this, I’ve created a Crossroads Tarot Spread available on the blog.

This spread can be altered anyway you like and with more information and ideas about the crossroads, you can come up with a new tarot spread or add to the one that I created.

 

The Crossroads are known throughout history as a point in everyone’s life that we must make a choice or a decision, yet if we make the choice, it can alter our lives and our futures dramatically. We may wonder later if we made the right choice or even if happy with our choice, we may wonder what could have happened.

Sometimes there can be barriers or blockages that prevent us from receiving abundance and prosperity, other times we need to turn in a new direction when faced with an option or choice.

The crossroads is symbolic of what many of us face and sometimes, it leaves us standing in between this world and the next with possibilities ahead us in different directions.

Blessings,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

 

Card images from Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans (HarperElixir) ©2016.
Designed in Canva.

Crossroads Spell for Prosperity

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This crossroads spell is designed to remove blockages from your path to help bring prosperity towards you.

Combined with continued efforts of what you may normally do everyday to help yourself, this spell can help bring transformation and help fuel the spark and desire that you have to draw more prosperity, and wealth towards you.

Having a clear idea of what prosperity means to you in key to working any spell regarding these topics.

Having enough money from your income for bills, mortgage/rent, food and not lacking any of these things can mean prosperity to you or gaining more income could mean being prosperous to you.

It could mean that you have something that accumulates more wealth such as investments and therefore prosperous.

CROSSROADS SPELL FOR PROSPERITY

Time of Month:

  • New Moon or Dark of the Moon (day before New Moon)

Items Needed:

  • 3 white tea light candles
  • Crossroads dirt *
  • White blank paper (size 8.5 x 11 – regular white printer paper is OK)
  • Black marker (e.g. Sharpie)
  • 2 small containers

* I discussed briefly about crossroads dirt on my blog post Crossroads Magick where you can read more about crossroads magick and how/where to get your own crossroads dirt.

Prepare your opening as usual that you may do for ritual or spell work. If you work with Hecate, this would be a spell for her assistance. However, some practitioners advise that experience is needed before working with Hecate.

Place tea light candles on your altar or work space, leaving enough room in the middle for the white paper.

Place some crossroads dirt into a small container – about a small handful – and leave the remainder of the crossroads dirt for another time. Place on altar within reach.

When ready, light the candles and focus on your attention to remove any blockages that may be hindering prosperity or abundance from coming your way.

Then with the black marker draw a three-way crossroad on the paper, which may look like the letter “T” or “Y”.

Take a pinch of the crossroads dirt, sprinkle on the lines of the drawn crossroad and recite:

Prosperity comes my way; it finds me.
I find prosperity; it comes my way.

Repeat this 9 times, while each time sprinkling cross roads dirt on the drawn crossroad.

When finished, gather the crossroads dirt in a different container.

Fold up the crossroads drawing and tape it closed. Mark it with the date of the spell when it was done and keep it someplace where you keep your money (such as purse or wallet.)

Then with the dirt in the container that was on the paper from the spell, sprinkle the crossroads dirt at the threshold and outside any entrances that lead to your home.

Leave the candles to burn on their own (until they go out) in a safe place or left on your altar/work space.

If you’re interest in further information about this topic of Crossroads, I have a blog post about Crossroads Magic.

If you’d like to incorporate tarot into your exploration and journey of the crossroads, I have a blog post for a Crossroads Tarot Spread.

Blessings,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

Designed in Canva.

Weekend Card: November 4 – 6 2016 – The High Priestess

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Weekend Card TarotPugs High Priestess

This weekend may focus around psychic, intuitive studies in which you may be working on improving and enhancing your abilities. This may be a good time to study further about spirituality and delve deeper into your personal beliefs and practice, exploring subjects such as personal and/or women’s mysteries, lunar magick, mediumship, witchcraft and divination.

This may also be a time to look further into the unconsciousness in order to get to the root of issues and feelings that are at your very core or the bottom of a situation; to uncover what lies beneath the shadows.

You may find yourself peeking behind the curtain to uncover something that is hidden and needs to be discovered. There could be secrecy around others or situations, although it may also be a time of craving secrecy and to have alone time to study and practice your craft or spirituality.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Much #puglove,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

Card image from Rider Waite Tarot ©1971 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Image designed in Canva.

Hecate at Samhain

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The Wheel of the Year turns once again and completes its cycle. A spiritual year ends and begins as we lay to rest that which no longer serves us, that which can make way for something new.

This is an ending and a beginning, which will be a darker journey to go deeper within unlike the fresh reawakening that we know and remember in the springtime.

This is the time that we turn inward toward the shadows of ourselves, examine our existence and our shadows, acknowledging parts of us that for most of the year, we forget or ignore.

THE DARK GODDESS

This is a time of year that can be intense and raw unto itself. As we grow older, we realise that our time on this earthly plane is finite. Samhain reminds us of what has passed, what will pass and what is yet to come.

As children, we see revel in the candy, costumes, fun and games of this holiday. As teenagers, we may see the commercialism of the holiday, rebel against it and look to the more “scary” aspects of the holiday as showcased in movies and TV shows.

Yet, when the spiritual component of the holiday becomes known, we no longer see it as just a holiday marketed for fun and scares.

It can be a sombre occasion.

Samhain and Hallowmas is often a time to honour Hecate as a goddess associated with witchcraft, witches, spirits, magic, ghosts, cross roads and dogs.

Hecate known as a triple goddess, a moon goddess who can see the past, present and the future. (In addition to Samhain/Hallowmas, Hecate has her own days: August 13, November 16 (Hecate’s Night), November 30 and January 31, including eve of new moons (i.e. dark moon) and the 30th day of each month.)

Samhain is a time that dark goddesses and crone goddess can be honoured and rites performed to gain insight into the upcoming year or wisdom and knowledge to be imparted to assist you on your spiritual path as well as in life.

The Dark Goddess energy can be powerful, straightforward, blunt and sometimes harsh, particularly if you’re expecting (or hoping for) a gentler approach.

A goddess such as Hecate can have a wry, wicked sense of humour that can see and understand irony. (Do something stupid and she would be the type to laugh at it and find the humour in it.)

If you get yourself into a mess by your own making, a goddess such as Hecate won’t be giving sympathy, but rather lessons to be learned from the experience. (And the lesson may be a painful one, but you will learn from it.)

If you’re wavering on doing something that you know you should do and ask Hecate for advice, expect a straight answer that will be strong and forceful. It’ll be a “no nonsense, just get up and do it already attitude”.

hecates-tarot-assoiciation-tarotpugs

Tarot cards associated with Hecate

HONOURING THE DARK GODDESS

As above, so below.

As within, so without.

These words ring true in every aspect and facet of life.

The Goddesses (and Gods) are not just external, a force outside of ourselves.

They are within ourselves, everyone – regardless of gender. We all have this duality and variations of divine feminine within each of us.

We have times when we are carefree like the Maiden, nurturing like the Mother and wise beyond our years like the Crone.

In the autumn leading up to Samhain and even after until early December, we can feel the darkness settling in.

We’re reminded of the finite lifespan of everything, that mortality is a real thing.

As the veil thins between our physical world and the spirit world, we may feel a connection to that which we have ignored or forgotten; a cold breeze next to our arm or fleeting movement in the corner of our eye, or even a feeling of “not being alone.”

We watch the leaves turn colours of yellow, amber and red and fall to the ground while the geese fly in formation heading south, stopping to graze on harvested fields.

In each of these moments, we honour the Dark Goddess within and without ourselves.

We see ourselves in this moment and reflect on how far we have come to this point of the year, soon realising the year is coming quickly to an end.

While the end of the calendar year is drawing near, a new awakening is happening in the process of a slow, but natural decay. We can let old habits and beliefs fall away and enter the darkness to find what laid beneath them.

Honouring the Dark Goddess can be as simple or intricate as you would like.

Holding moonstone or obsidian crystals and mediating, communicating with the Goddess can be a simple way.

Standing outside in the darkness to hear the sounds of the night and whisper a prayer to let the wind carry away your words.

Divination can bring insight and wisdom from the Goddess and to foresee what may come in the next wheel cycle.

Whatever holds meaning to you becomes your way of connecting with this energy.

NOT EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

Dark Goddess energy isn’t for everyone, which some people have said it can be too upfront and intense or “heavy”.

For some, we can find acceptance with Hecate and other Dark Goddesses when we don’t feel as though there is a place anywhere else to “fit in”.

The Dark Goddess energy can be misunderstood, yet is a natural aspect in life.

Since the energy of dark goddesses can be strong, it can be intimidating and some people recommend that those who want to work with Dark Goddesses should have experience in witchcraft before working with these types of energies.

The Crone energy requires a great deal of respect (the adage “respect your elders” comes in very handy for this) and you may get more than you bargain for or what you deserve if not cautious or responsible for your actions.

Personally, I feel comfortable with this type of energy. I’m not the cuddly-type, but I always try to be empathic, sympathetic and compassionate at the same time.

I can be nice, friendly, polite to everyone (which I love to communicate with people one-on-one), but I’m not very “touchy-touchy” in person (maybe it’s my INTJ personality, Virgo in Venus and Capricorn moon).

I’ve tried to work with angelic and lighter energy, since it’s very mainstream and gave it a try. Truth be told, there’s really nothing at all wrong with that kind of energy.

In fact, it’s needed just as much as any other positive energy. Many people connect with the lighter energy easily and it’s wonderful to see.

As much as I have grown accustomed to working with a goddess such as Hecate, there must be balance when working with the dark goddess energy.

Working with dark goddess energies too much can become consuming (face it, every human needs to lighten up once in a while!), so balancing work with dark goddess energies with energies that are lighter or neutral can help to keep yourself in balance and harmony.

Keeping this balance is important, just as the cycles of the year: spring and fall, summer and winter.

We reflect these in ourselves within and without, again and again.

The Dark Goddess is within us, whether we acknowledge these parts or choose not to. It’s around this time of year, it becomes more apparent and easily to see – within ourselves and around us.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Samhain.

Blessings and #puglove,
Stacey & the Tarot Pugs

Card images from Rider Waite Tarot ©1971 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Images designed in Canva.