Tag: folklore
-
Plant And Tree Lore Series: Witches’ Broom.
Hello and welcome to another instalment of the plant and tree lore series! This week we shall be looking at the tree growth and deformity otherwise known as witches’ broom; a fascinating growth that is steeped in folklore and folk magic applications. So, without much further ado, let’s begin! To the untrained eye, witches’ broom…
-
The Grimoire Series: Granny’s Curtains.
The act of washing ones curtains (nets in particular) was seen as a way of protecting ones home from the evil eye (and in extension, curses), illness and everyday voyeurism. To keep your windows clean and the curtains too was seen as not only as protective, but also that you and your family were respectable…
-
Plant Lore Series: Talking To Rubus, The Magic Of Bramble.
Allow me to please introduce you to one of my closest plant allies, Rubus, and delve headfirst into the bramble bush! A plant steeped in folklore, magic and protective qualities.When we think of a traditional British or Celtic hedgerow, one of the first plants we tend to think of is of course the bramble, or…
-
The Grimoire Series: The Shell Grounding Charm.
Although shells are used primarily within sympathetic magic for protection workings, I also find that they work very well within healing and grounding workings too. When we think of the practice of grounding and centring (either spiritually or psychologically) we often think of the earth. Visualisations such as extending roots down into the earth, or…
-
Folk Witchcraft Series: Coffin Lanes And Corpse Roads. Where Spirits Dwell And Lych Folk Watch.
Not too far from me lies a secluded little nature spot called Viridor Wood, a long and pretty woodland where dog walkers roam, families have picnics, foragers pick wild edibles and sometimes, Witches explore. You see, deep within the wood lays the remains of a long and almost forgotten part of Lancashire history and folklore;…
-
The Plant And Tree Lore Series: “Through The Ivy Curtain And Past It’s Tangled Snare”.
Ivy, or Hedera helix, is commonly found throughout the British and Celtic Isles, and many other Ivy species grown around the world too. You can stare at the Ivy and it seems like she never moves, but be careful…take your eyes off her and you shall soon find that she has stealthily scaled your trees,…
-
‘By The Pricking Of My Thumbs’: The Use Of Needles & Pins Within Witchcraft For Healing & Ill.
As long as there has been a practice of Witchcraft, so too does there seem to have been a use of pins, needles, nails, and other sharp, pointed, and easily accessible such tools within the art. In this weeks blog we shall be looking at references of the use of both pins and needles within…
-
Folklore And Spirits Of the Land Series: “Where Boggarts Lurk And Skrikers Scream”. Part one.
There are many ‘mythological creatures’, or as many of us Witches prefer to call them, spirits of the land, here in these beautiful Celtic isles. Each of them with their very own unique forms, functions and personalities. Here in Lancashire, in the North West of England, we are no stranger to demons, goblins, long leggedy…
-
The Grimoire Series: The Restful Mind Charm.
As individuals, we are constantly being bombarded with negative news, fear, screen fatigue, toxic polarization of opinion, and anxiety. Worse of all, these updates are in our pockets! On our smartphones, our tablets, and even on our non pocket devices. We are currently saturated with information! And not all of it good…
-
The restful mind charm: The lavendula cross.
This restful mind charm uses Lavender, Licorice and some other natural plant medicine to help bring about a calm mind before sleep, as it’s often the fact our mind is active and busy that keeps us awake, as opposed to the mind not being able to shut down. It is used alongside personal grounding techniques,…
Diary of a Folk Witch 