My Blog Has Moved - Come Say Hi!

 Hey Beautiful Ones, 

I no longer post here but you can still view some of my older posts. Not all original content is still viewable, so if you are looking for an older article or post and don't see it, it may no longer be available to the public. You can find me posting on my current blog slightly more regularly here. 

I now offer an online School of Witchcraft, called Sage & Crow. Join me there to learn more Witchcraft, at least the way I do it. In addition to go-at-your-pace online courses & content, I livestream special workshops & classes, ceremonies & rituals, and offer one-on-one consulting.  

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Connect with me here:

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Sending you Blessings in Light & Dark,

The Wildwood Tarot: The Stag

I enjoy the Wildwood Tarot deck for its animistic and primitive imagery. Many cards in this deck speak with a Spirit of their own. It is easy to feel connected to the primal parts of yourself and Nature with this deck, connected to the threads of ancestral wisdom that come through in the cards.

Today's drawn card is The Stag.

Looking at this card, the features that immediately speak to me are the serious expression on the stag's face, the antlers, and the large shield with a World tree. Next I'm drawn to the double-axe, noting it is held by a human hand, and then onto the enormous tree in the background. 

As half human, half animal, The Stag embodies All. Here, He acts as a Forest King, a powerful figure to encounter on any journey through the wild woods. His battle axe is an ancient symbol of divine power that can't be ignored. As Guardian, He stands between the journeyer and Nature, the latter of which He has been entrusted to protect. 

You will not be irreverent here. 

You will not be disrespectful here. 

You will not leave your fucking trash here. 

You will not dump your poisons here.

You will not hunt for sport here. 

You will not desecrate the land here. 

His bladed weapons in clear view, never mind the imposing antlers, are at the ready and a clear forewarning of what your fate will be if you do not act accordingly in this sacred space that is the Earth. 

The repetition of tree imagery connects The Stag to his environment and says He is not just a resident of the forest, He IS the forest. What affects the trees, the land, the blades of grass, affect Him. They are One. 

When you enter this space, you must recognize and acknowledge that you, too, are One with your environment. You are not simply an observer looking in from the outside. You are not just a passerby. You are responsible. You are not just a tourist or visitor without connection to this space. You are reminded to be aware, to truly see and feel your presence here and your Oneness with this Land. 

Take ownership. You have forgotten who you are, where you came from. You came from Here. From this soil, water, fire and air. You are this place. You are Nature. You are the trees. You are the grass. You are the Land. 

Passing through this space requires you to remember, to feel invested in preserving and protecting the Earth and Her resources. 

The Stag asks: 

Have you been wasteful? Have you been careless with resources? 

Have you been thoughtless, greedy or selfish?

Have you shirked responsibilities?

Have you been dishonest or disloyal?

Have you behaved without integrity?

Have you blamed others while ignoring your own mistakes?

Have you forgotten your connections?

Have you forgotten how to be Silent?

This card speaks to personal responsibility, integrity, harmony, balance and justice. We reap what we sow. Nature's justice is without judgment or forgiveness- foreign concepts to the Earth. She will simply always find the balance She needs in whatever way works. She can be merciful, and she can be deadly. Upending that balance with carelessness and disregard brings natural consequences. The Stag is here to keep that balance in check and work to enforce the Laws of the Land. 

Are you an enemy of the land, or are you an ally? If being honest, most of us would have to say a little of both. We all have room for improvement. This card puts us on notice and invites us to course correct in our personal lives and in our larger communities. Balance needs to be restored. Justice will be served for those who choose to ignore the signs.   

  

The Rowan Berries Are Ready

 

The Rowan berries are ready for harvesting. The berries range from reds to oranges where I live, and they all have that perfect pentagram on the bottom. The birds love them, and once dried, cooked or fermented they are edible for people, too. Brew wine with the berries or split a dried berry and steep in hot water for a tea that helps increase second sight.

 

 Here I'm whittling down wood and bark from branches for incense. All parts of the tree can be used as incense, but take care to dry everything well and don't burn raw berries. 

 Use Rowan for protection and to banish evil, ward off hexes and the workings of Witches. As a liminal plant, Rowan has the power to move between worlds, open and close gates, summon and banish. 

Use the fruit bunches to decorate your Autumn altar and feast table, or string the berries up for a festive garland, prayer necklace or meditation beads. 

Rowan speaks and is heard in the Spirit world and carries immeasurable Spiritual Authority. Take some time to learn more about Rowan- it's easy to spot right now while it's fruiting. 

Blessings,

Solaris

Hedge Bindweed

Dark Moon workings with hedge bindweed from my garden. Considered a nuisance by most gardeners and landowners, it's quite useful in Witchcraft, and so I give it some room to spread around. 

There are medicinal uses for bindweed, like the morning glory pictured here, but that's not of interest to me for this particular plant.  

It is said the roots can act as a substitute for High John the Conqueror Root in any Hoodoo spell. 

The value for me is in the vines and roots. 

I like it for use in constricting, containing and binding spells.

With flowers that like to bloom at dawn and dusk, bindweed is a liminal plant that sits in the in-between. Witches like this plant for its use as an ally for accessing thresholds, doorways and other realms and worlds.

 Use the vines to bind people, spirits or objects. It can be used in handfastings, for relationships, protection, baneful works and hexing. 

Bindweed can be braided, knotted, coiled, bound into a ball, tied in various fashions, and wrapped around any object. Weave intentions, energy, enchantments, hair, fibers and other items into the vines as you go, or slip in a picture, name paper or spell between the vines. The continuous vine is perfect in rituals and spells for creating a connection to other worlds for journeying, for safe travel for yourself or a loved one, and as a bridge or link to a place, person, object or time. 

Use it while it's fresh, between Spring and early Fall.

Thistles

Thistles to me are a perfect Witchcraft ingredient. Their sharp, spiny leaves leave no doubt they are excellent in workings for banishing, protection, and wrathful undertakings.

Folks usually see them as weeds and yank 'em out of their pristine gardens and lawns. But I gently corral mine into areas where they can grow free because they have something important to offer, both for me as much as for the creatures who use our land for food. Thistles are part of the daisy family, and while many thistles are medicinal, I primarily use mine for spells and potions. I harvest and dry them from my backyard, and then add them to things like protection powders, black salt, hotfoot, and other things as I see fit. Thistles work as protectors, wards, repellents, banishers, and those painful, annoying prickly leaves make them perfect for hexing as well as breaking a hex.

I have a superstition that if I get poked or 'bit' by the thistle during harvesting the plant will not work for me. On the rare occasion that happens, I leave it and don't use it. When a plant gets too feisty, I understand that plant ain't for me, and I move on. No means no. I've never been one to override the spirit of the plant. Without respect for the plant or the plant's spirit, there can be no harmony or successful relationship. As a Witch, I'm always listening to what the plant is tellin' me and honoring that. Sometimes this plant here don't want to be bothered, while that one just like it over there is happy to work with me. I have found people who ignore this information and take what they want when they want without regard for the plant find themselves at the business end of riled up land spirits. Stay wise.

Thistle comes in several forms- Blessed or Holy Thistle, Milk Thistle, Bull Thistle, Scotch Thistle and many others. While all related they have slightly different botanical properties, however, since I use them for Witchcraft, and because their physical features are largely similar, and because I have found the essence or spirit of the plant to be quite similar across the spectrum, I consider them interchangeable, especially because medicinally most can also be used with similar results. I say this to convey that I don't really care which type grows in my yard, I use it the same way regardless. Ifin it matters, which I don't think it does, the ones I grow happen to be Bull Thistle, also known as Spear Thistle and Common Thistle. They are labeled an 'injurious weed' in the UK, and a noxious weed in Australia and several US states. Unlike the Blessed Thistle that grows a yellow flower, mine develop purple flowers in the Summer and like most flowering thistles, they are a rich food source for certain birds and butterflies.

Traditionally, thistle has been used for purification, to bring spiritual aid to the home, to protect from evil, and is associated with Mars, Aries and Fire. Growing them in your garden encourages protection, strength and healing. While they are no fun to step on when barefoot, try and let a couple grow out of the way in your garden or yard to enjoy their protective qualities and natural warding abilities. They are edible, too, though I haven't had a mind to want to eat them myself, but if you do, there's plenty of herbal and medicinal recipes online to explore. Use common sense and always know your plants well before consuming.

Sage What?

My freshly wrapped bundle of wild harvested sagebrush collected by the Malad Gorge along the Snake River.

There's like forty-eleven different types of sage plants, some that aren't even actually sage, and I'm not tryna bore you with those fancy details just now. Some types of plants we think of as sage are related to sunflowers, and some are related to mint. Mugwort is part of the same family as sagebrush but its properties are profoundly different and is not a substitute. I encourage you to do your own research if you want to learn more about sage as a botanical.

The kinds of sage you are probably familiar with are garden or white sage & sagebrush. White sage and sagebrush are different plants but often used interchangeably. The culinary or common sage you buy at the grocery store in the spices isle is not potent, so I recommend using some you’ve grown yourself or hike out into the desert and find some wild sagebrush like my fabulous ass did last week.

Let’s take a moment now to let ourselves get schooled.  White sage (not sagebrush) is usually what sage bundles in occult shops are made with and what Witchy folks are more familiar with. Most white sage is wild and is being overharvested by New Agers and Plastic Shamans looking to commercialize on and misappropriate Native American culture. Now you know we can’t have that. The overharvesting is also causing disruptions in the ecosystems where wild white sage grows, which is like quadrupley offensive. 

If you have any respect for others the way your mamma taught you, you’ll be down with understandin’ that this wild plant in particular, the white sage, should be reserved for Native peoples who hold this plant truly sacred as part of their culture. If you aren’t Native, sage can still be a part of your magickal practice. I recommend using sagebrush, garden sage or try growing your own white sage if you can so as to leave the truly wild white sage as an available resource for Native Americans using this herb in their traditional sacred ceremonies.

Now, on to using sage. It’s my opinion that Sagebrush in particular is worth your notice. Its ability to survive the harsh arid steppe environment it thrives in, communicate with its nearby brother and sister sagebrush plants when there is danger, and live over 100 years earns my respect.

Sagebrush has been used in North America for ritual and ceremony since just after dirt was invented. It has a long tradition and a list almost as long of uses. Native Americans valued sagebrush for its healing properties and when dried and burned, considered the smoke to be a sacred purifier. In other folklore, sagebrush symbolizes both wisdom and skill. Magickal practitioners have long used it for purification or exorcism.

Smoke cleansings can be done with alotta different plants. Sagebrush is easy to obtain where I live because I live in a desert. Where you live cedar or pine might be easier to get your hands on. Stay wise, my Witches. Some plants look too similar and could be toxic if burned. For example, Yew looks like Fir. Unless allergic, Fir is safe for most people, and is even edible. Yew is highly poisonous and if ingested your dumb ass probably gone die. Burning it won't do you any favors, either. If you don’t know your trees, shrubs or other wild plants, don’t handle them or take them home until you do. Bring a person with you who knows their shit or join a local plant identification group or club to learn for yourself like the respectable Witch you are.

All through ancient times, sage was popular for medicine, food and magick around the world. The English, Romans, Chinese, Dutch and others used and traded sage like it was gold lame` in 1970.  

Using sagebrush or common sage like the kind that grows in your garden is easy as spittin’. Dry the herb and burn it. It ain’t got to be hard. To bundle herbs do it when they are fresh, use cotton –not acrylic- thread to wrap, then hang to dry. Other options are a dehydrator or the lowest setting in your oven… 100-170 degrees works fine. For sagebrush, dry it whole and then chop it up or crumble the dried leaves off the stem. The stem is very woody, and will be more so after drying. Garden sage uses the leaves primarily and can be dried and crushed or chopped, or leave fresh and whole to write a blessing or wish on and bury or burn as you like.

Sage ain’t playin’. It works to dispel evil & negativity & bitches and shit. It purifies and cleanses your space, flips the evil eye the finger, and laughs in the face of bitches flinging bad vibes your way. It’s also associated with immortality, longevity, wisdom, and protection. Some folks believe it helps alleviate grieving from the loss of a loved one. Sage is a good herb to add to mojo bags to aid in your working.  

Incense for Grieving and Loss

• 1 part dried Cypress (white cedar)
• 1 part dried Sage
• 1 part dried Hawthorn

 Instructions:

1.    Roughly grind and mix together

2.    Toss into a fire outdoors, burn over a hot charcoal disc or add with a little oil in an oil warmer

Some folks prefer not to burn herbs or plants for a variety of reasons. Here are some alternatives.

Sage Spray

What you need:      

• Spray bottle
• ¼ cup dried or ½ cup fresh herbs

Instructions:

• figure out how much water your spray bottle holds and add that amount of water, or up to 12 ounces, to a saucepan or pot and bring water to a boil
• add herbs to a heat-proof mason jar or pyrex measuring cup
• pour boiling water into jar or glass measuring cup over herbs, stir & cover
• let sit for 4-8 hours- yes, four to eight hours, we are making a magickal infusion here peoples, not a weak-ass tea
• during the infusion process, send your vibes and do your blessings or chants over the soaking herbs based on whatever tradition you adhere to
• strain the herbs out and add the infused water to spray bottle
• discard used herbs in compost as an offering to your garden or trees, they cannot be reused otherwise
• will keep in fridge for a few days, use all or discard any leftover after 3 days and make fresh batch when needed again, recommend making only small batches

To use:

• use the sage spray in the same way you would do a smoke cleansing
• spray room to clear it
• spray before ritual to purify sacred space or afterwards to dispel lingering spirits
• spray after guests leave, or before they arrive
• spray dark corners and where clutter accumulates
• spray in air and walk under/through to mist yourself

Sage Floor Wash & Spiritual Cleanser

What you need:

• mason jar, pint or quart size
• 80-100 proof alcohol like vodka, everclear or absinthe
• Enough dried sage to fill half the jar- do not use fresh herbs for this

Instructions:

• Put dried herbs in jar & label with what’s inside, that day’s date, and the date six weeks from then
• Cover with alcohol and fill to top, leaving headspace for shaking
• Cover & store out of direct sunlight
• Shake every day for one or two weeks
• Check daily and add more alcohol if needed so herbs are not exposed and to avoid them oxidizing
• Herbs will swell
• Store for six weeks, occasionally shaking or stirring with a wooden spoon or skewer
• Strain our herbs and separate from alcohol- discard herbs, keep alcohol
• Add alcohol to a jar with a lid and label.

To use:

• Add a tablespoon or so to your floor wash, wash water or bath water for purifying your home, cleansing or consecrating magickal tools, spiritual cleansing, dispelling negativity and washing away bad juju.
• Can also be used as libation offerings
• Do not drink
• Will keep for years

Like all plant medicine and helpers, Sage has a spirit- it's worth your while to spend time with it and get to know it personally. Taking care to develop a respectful relationship and partnership with the plant you are working with will bring you abundance and wisdom in surprising and welcome ways. 

Blessings in Light & Dark,

~Solaris Moon

Using Pine for Evil & Bitches & Shit

'From its lofty position above the tops of most other trees, the pine reminded ancient peoples of the importance of taking the overview, encouraging objectivity and farsightedness. We are advised to cleanse ourselves of negativity, neither dwelling on mistakes nor appointing blame. Pine is a symbol of the elevated mind and the birth of the spiritual warrior.'  

-Jane Gifford in The Wisdom of Trees

Wildcrafting pine resin and sap a couple weekends ago reminded me how fucking sticky that shit is. 

But it's gone be OK. 

Pine is a powerful addition to any Witch's materia magicka. 

Warding off malicious influences and evil, protection, cleansing & purifying, hex breaking, healing, attracting money, love, fertility, joy & peace- this tree is a badass.

Mostly we pay attention to Pine at Saturnalia and Yule time, or when the Wheel is in Winter. But since Pine is an evergreen, there's no cause to put Baby in the corner. We can take this plant out on the dance floor all year round. 

Pine isn't just for decoration and beauty around the holidays. Ohho no sirree. 

There's medicine and magick to be had everyday if we desire it.

You can walk outside right now in the middle of this hot and sweaty Summer and harvest excess sap and resin from trees while they are 'wet' and 'soft'. In the Winter, the sap and resin can be brittle and hard, and while sometimes that might mean it's easier to pop off a piece or two, it also can mean it's a real bitch to get at. The bark is especially easy to remove right now, too, and depending on the species, the pine cones are still largely closed and green, which I find beautiful. 

These pictures are of me collecting resin. You'll find excess resin and sap from where trees have been cut or damaged. It's their way of sealing off wounds to protect against malodorous junk. I collect only the excess. Some trees do not have excess or the wound is not fully sealed yet. I leave these ones alone to do their thing in peace. I recommend using proper care and respect when gathering so as not to disturb this process unless it is your wish for that tree's spirit to come after your bitch ass. Keep it correct, now. 

It's probably wise to set aside dedicated tools for collecting pine parts. Most parts will have resin on then including the cones and branches. Things will get sticky. While soap and water won't do much but make you curse the gods that created sticky shit that don't wash off, the good news is pine resin is oil and alcohol soluble, and you can use a little cooking oil to clean up without much fuss.

Ways you can use Pine in your magickal practice:

Pine Cones

-hung or placed around the home wards off evil & negativity & shit

-placed on your altar provides a lovely fragrance and protection to all your workings

-burn in a ritual fire or fireplace to protect your home

-carry to increase fertility and prosperity

-put in a pouch and use as an amulet to draw money

-add a cone to the tip of a wand to make a priapic wand for fertility and blessings

Pine Needles

-added to bathwater for a spiritually cleansing bath and to break hexes

-burn as an incense to smudge and purify the home or ritual space, and drive out spirits

-wet a bundle with water and 'sweep' the outside ground of your home to sanctify 

-use the sharp fresh needles in healing or baneful poppet magick

-add to hot wash water for magickal floor washes to dispel negativity & sickness

Pine cones on my hearth stay all year round as this space serves as one of several altars in our home.
These work for protection and keeping evil, negativity and malicious spirits at bay.

Pine Wood, Branches & Twigs

-wands of pine ward off evil and malicious influences

-hang a branch or bundle in the home or over the front door to protect and bring peace, healing & joy

-hang a talisman made from the branches above a sick bed to speed healing

-anything made from the wood of pine (boxes, furniture, shelves) will offer protection

- bundle twigs for a ritual broom to sweep out negativity, purify and create sacred space

Pine Resin

-use in place of other resins for incense

-substitute for copal and black copal 

-burn over charcoal disc to purify a space and raise the spiritual vibration

-burn to remove evil spirits & break hexes

-add to oil make an infused oil for ritual use

-add to alcohol (like brandy or vodka) to make a tincture or elixir

Pine Tree

-meditate under or near a tree to alleviate dark moods

-sit under to renew energy

-breathe in or walk among to help release emotional congestion

-spend time with a pine to receive blessings of patience and longevity

-with its conical shape, they are especially suitable for 'cone of power' workings

'The pine tree seems to listen, the fir tree to wait: and both without impatience- 

they give no thought to the little people beneath them devoured by their impatience and curiosity' 

-Friedrich Nietzsche 

Home & Ritual Purification

Use any combination of of tree parts, 

including needles, chipped wood, cones, resin.

1 part pine

1 part cedar

1 part juniper

Burn the mixed dry ingredients together as a smudging incense 

to purify and cleanse your home or ritual space.

~Solaris Moon

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