By Carmen Pouerie 

At Enchantments, we always recommend taking a sea salt bath before performing magick (or for any occasion). Usually a good Uncrossing bath (or scrub) is all I need to feel “back to myself,” but since NYC has been on lockdown and the store temporarily closed, I realized I didn't have any left in the house. When this happens, I normally add a few drops of Uncrossing oil to plain sea salt or Epsom salts, but even my oil vial was empty. This meant I had to improvise – as witches do. 

After cleaning my small bathtub, I decided my intention would be purification, healing and love. I focused on this as the tub filled with water and went searching in my kitchen for herbs and items to promote those intentions. 

This is what I gathered...

• Clear and rose quartz (for clarity, healing, love)
• Sea salt (which strips away spiritual negativity. My sea salt is blended with pepper, which is also good for repelling negativity)
• Coconut water (known to cleanse and protect your spiritual aura. You can also use coconut milk, as an alternative)
• Lemon and orange slices (They not only act as a mild disinfectant and astringent, but are great for clearing and happiness.)
• Green tea bag (to promote healing)
• Basil (for love and protection)
• Bay (for purification, strength, healing, protection)
• Rosemary (for healing)
• Dried roses (for love)
• Sage (for cleansing, healing, protection)
• Rosehip seed essential oil (to promote love and also heal damaged skin)
• Vanilla extract (to promote love, balances mood and reduce stress)​ ​

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Sometimes it’s good to follow up your water bath with a sound bath or short meditation session to affirm your magickal intention. You can also place your sachet of bath herbs on your altar until it completely dries out and reaffirm your intention each time you look at it. After it dries, empty the cloth bag and re-use in your next bath (up to 2-3 times). 

Cleansing is only one step in the process and spiritual hygiene involves more than just purifying yourself and space. I always recommend doing some kind of protection ritual and attract positive energy after you do a cleansing. Candle magick is always a good follow up to bath rituals; in this case, I carved myself a Peace and Protection candle after I was done. 

Here are some other ingredients you can add to your bath...

• Coffee or coffee grounds (for banishing and stimulating  the senses)
• Pineapple juice (for energizing, to dissolve dead skin cells, and for use as an astringent)
• Milk of any kind (for purification and Goddess energy. Plus, it softens skin)
• Aloe gel or juice (for protection, luck, to soothe skin irritation, and restore the skin’s natural pH)
• Vinegar (for banishing. Can also be used as a mild cleanser and astringent)
• Calendula/Marigold (to invoke calming vibes. Also an anti-inflammatory)
• Chamomile (helps calm anxiety and soothes irritation)
• Cucumber (for healing and to hydrate skin)
• Eucalyptus (for healing and to open up airways)
• Fennel (for healing, cleansing, skin hydration)
• Ginger (for healing, luck, wealth, grounding, and to relieve aches)
• Lavender (for love, protection, purification, and to soothe skin)
• Witch Hazel (an excellent astringent)
• Beer (to invoke abundance)
• Wine (used for consecration and blessings)
• Vodka (as an astringent)
• Coins or money (to welcome in wealth)
• Stones or rocks (for protection)
• Locks (for security and safety)
• Nut, bolts, and screws (to ensure success in projects)​​

By Enchantments Staff

It's Friday. And while most of us are still sheltering in place, that doesn't mean we can't have a good ole fashioned (solo) dance party, sound bath, or jam sesh to celebrate the approaching weekend –– or to celebrate the fact we survived the week. 

Enchantments' staff decided to curate a list of our most played tunes over the last couple weeks and behold: our very first mixtape was born. We're publishing it under the theme "I heal myself through music" and you can also meditate on the custom sigil (see above and below) designed for the same purpose. Pretty apropos right now, eh?

Happy listening, stay blessed, and tune in next month for our a new mixtape (hopefully when we can all roam together out in the world). Until then, click on either image to access the playlist or click here. 
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By Ana Vice

​Part 1 – Herbal Magick: Spiritual Healing and Well-Being

Sacred herbs and plants have been used around the world for their spiritual healing properties for millennia. They’ve been used to invoke love, protection, money, luck, clairvoyance, uncrossing, emotional wellbeing and more, as well as for holistic medicine and aromatherapy. 
With the COVID-19 pandemic happening now and many folks losing work, stability in their home life, experiencing disruption in their routines, and in some cases missing or losing loved ones, being able to maintain their spiritual practices in such times of uncertainty and stress is important. 

Herbs (any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers) can be blended for use in oils, incenses, baths, ointments, lotions, soaps, perfumes, teas, tinctures, put into pillows, and more. You can also use sacred herbs to stuff poppets intended for well-being and protection against illness or use them as burnt offerings to deities or spirit guides. 

Before working with multiple herbs, it’s important to keep them clearly labeled and separate those not safe for ingestion. Many herbs are poisonous to both humans and animals and should be handled with care. For example, eucalyptus and onion are toxic to cats and dogs. It might be a good idea to make note of this if you have pets. But not to fear, most herbs mentioned in this article are non-toxic and are to be used in a spiritual and magickal context. 

Many of you may already have some of these in your magickal apothecary or cabinet – others you can find at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. Enchantments has a botanica of over 150 herbs for your spiritual needs, but please note that they are not for ingestion.

Here are 10 herbs to help aid in spiritual healing and wellbeing –– as well as colorful mythologies and stories associated with each plant. 

Apple (Malus domestica)
The Apple has several folk names including Fruit of the Underworld, Silver Branch, or Fruit of the Gods. It is associated with the planet Venus and the water element. You can use apple’s blossoms, seeds, or fruit in your magickal formulas. The apple is often associated with healing, fertility, and love.  

Apple blossoms can be an ingredient used in incense or oil blends dedicated to healing. Alternatively, apple blossom essential oil can be used. Similarly, an amulet or poppet can be made from apple tree wood to promote healing and longevity.

For the Greeks, Gaea (a.k.a. Gaia) was the personification of the Earth and considered the Mother of the World. She guarded the golden apples from a “Tree of Life” in the garden of the Hesperides  (much like Idun or Iðunn” who guards sacred apples in Norse mythology). In Roman mythology, Venus – the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility – is also associated with the apple. 

During Samhain it is tradition is to take an apple and cut it in half and “place” (via intention) any illness or bad habits into it. Next, you put the two parts back together and bury it in the earth. As the apple decays illness and bad habits go away. Another example, which is one of my favorites, is The Isle of Apples found in Avalon in the stories of King Arthur. 
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Witchy Tip: With intention, try making baked apples, drinking apple tea, or make apple pie to promote well-being. Apples, honey and cinnamon together provide both spiritual and holistic healing properties.
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Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum, S. cassia)
A few folk names for Cinnamon are Ceylon Cinnamon, Cassia Bark, and Sweet Wood. Associated with the Sun and the element of fire, cinnamon bark can be used in magickal formulas or ground down to make a powder. Cinnamon is associated with a number of spiritual attributes in addition to healing, such as love, luck, and money.

The scent of cinnamon has an inviting aroma. It warms our soul, ignites our passions, promotes high vibrations, and has the potential to elevate our mood. It can be used in healing incenses, oils, perfumes, and sachets. 

Worshipers of Ra (an Egyptian Sun God) used cinnamon as an offering to bring in positive solar energy. The Ancient Greeks also burned cinnamon in their temples and for various ceremonies. Cinnamon is also associated with Oshun, the Yorùbá Orisha and goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She, like the Egyptian Goddess Isis and Roman Goddess Diana, is known for healing, bringing happiness, and prosperity. 

Witchy Tip: Take a white or yellow sachet and fill it with cinnamon sticks and dried orange peel to joyfully lift your spirit and provide a warm healing vibe. Use it as a potpourri or make a small cloth pouch to use as a gri gri (mojo) bag. You can also place a personal item or written intention inside to personalize it.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus spp.)
Some folk names for Eucalyptus are Blue Gum, Fever Tree, or Woolly Butt. It is associated with the Moon and the element of air. Parts often utilized in spiritual work are the leaves and pods, which are made into an essential oil for healing, purification, and protection against illness. 

You can put eucalyptus leaves in sachets or use them for stuffing healing poppets. Eucalyptus essential oil can be used in an aromatherapy vessel for the home to help fight off respiratory illness. Also, it has been said that Eucalyptus branches may be placed over a sickbed to promote good health. Eucalyptus pods can be strewn onto a thread to make a necklace to help soothe a sore throat.

The Aboriginal Australians used eucalyptus to bring down a fever and the plant was also used as an insect repellant, expectorant, mouthwash, and to heal wounds. Eucalyptus was introduced to the rest of the known world sometime in the late 1700s. Since then, it has been incorporated into several spiritual traditions, including Hoodoo.

Witchy Tip: Try anointing a white candle with eucalyptus essential oil and setting an intention for good health.
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Marigold, African (Tagetes erecta, Tagetes spp.)
A few folk names for African Marigold are Cempasúchil, American Marigold, and Aztec Marigold. Marigolds are associated with the Sun and have symbolized the power of healing since the times of the Aztecs. 
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One of my favorite stories describes the love of Xóchitl (a beautiful Aztec maiden) and Huitzilin (an Aztec warrior). They loved each other so much that when Huitzlin died in battle, the sun god Tonatiuh (who bestows warmth, well-being, and fertility, in addition to being the patron of warriors) heard the Xóchitl’s pleas to reunite them. He wanted to help her and so he transformed Xóchitl into the cempasúchil (marigold) flower. The warrior Huitzlin, according to Aztec beliefs, was then reincarnated in the form of a hummingbird. In this form he could forever find nourishment within Xóchitl (now transformed into a flower). The lovers would be always together as long as cempasuchil flowers and hummingbirds live on earth. 

The marigold flower later became the Day of the Dead Flower, because during October 31st and November 1st it is believed the souls of the dead can visit their loved ones. The flowers attract spirits with their vivid color and sweet scent.

The marigold is also commonly associated with Ganesha, the Hindu God of Luck, Wisdom, and Success. In India, marigolds are used to make garlands and decorations for a variety of celebrations, including weddings and festivals. Marigold petals can also be used in sachets, baths, or incense.

Witchy Tip: Try using approximately 2-3 tablespoons worth of dried marigold petals and burn them in a fire-safe dish or cauldron. Make an intention for good health and well-being by visualizing the warmth of the Sun and general positivity. 

By Coleman Drew

I’ll hang some prisms in my windows, I thought. Let’s take a page out of Pollyanna’s playbook and use rainbows as a symbol to keep my own ‘glad game’ going. Mind you, this was during the winter, before we would come to understand the extent of our current affairs with the pandemic. In this time of isolation and uncertainty, I am relying more than ever on these simple, yet powerful reminders to help keep me sane and optimistic. (By the way, for all you homebound folks out there needing a fluffy distraction, Pollyanna is now available on Disney+). 

A Witch worth their weight in salt does their magickal homework, and for all of us, each practice is unique. While I was letting my inner Hermione Granger run wild with research, I discovered the word prism comes from the late Latin and Ancient Greek word prisma, meaning a ‘thing sawn’. A prism is a glass or other transparent object with at least two surfaces and a specific angle between them – the degree of which determines the way the light’s path bends. Because each color travels at different speeds, when white light passes through a prism, it bends and separates into a spectrum of colors. 

A perfect example of a prism in action is Pink Floyd’s 1973 album cover for Dark Side of the Moon. A beam of white light can be seen streaming in from the left, hitting a triangular prism center, and bending into a rainbow of color out the other side. ​
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Soon after wishing for prisms, I rediscovered three in my room! Once again I’m reminded that the power of a clearly defined intention will help us pay closer attention – especially if you let your dreams refocus your eyes on what is right in front of you. 

One morning in between wake and writer’s block, a glimmer reflected from my bulletin board caught my eye. I looked up to find a heart-shaped prism from my childhood hanging, seemingly at attention, among the other treasures of days long passed. What a silly place for something meant to catch the light, I thought. 
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​I’d soon find two more prisms in my room, one heart-shaped and another an orb – both lightless and hidden. Gods, what else in my room isn’t living up to its fullest potential? My internal monologue continued as my eyes found my own face in the mirror across from me: No time for a self-crucifixion today Capricorn, we’ve got some f-ing rainbows to hang up!

Boredom will either act as the key to unlocking magickal, creative play (helping us entertain ourselves and discover the world around us) or boredom will shine a mirror on areas that need to be addressed. These are not mutually exclusive, but that's another story, another spell.

I looped the first prism heart around my curtain rod and the effect was immediate. Rainbows were bouncing around my room! I giggled and quickly hung up the others on the adjacent window. I turned to admire my newly revitalized space. The heart-shaped prism cast large streaks of color all around my room, while the orb created smaller, more concentrated rainbows. The effect was utterly enchanting and filled me with glee - which is key to unlocking a sense of play. 

Here are some tips on how to create the same magickal effect at home...

• Place your magickal objects on the windowsill to be charged by the power of the Sun – and all of the colors of the rainbow.  Set clear intentions each time you do so.

• Experiment with all of the colors for a deeper understanding of each shade’s unique manifestation energies. This takes trial and error – so don’t be afraid to play. Keep notes for which magick works best for each color: Yellow turns out to be the best for your money magick or purple is the color to invoke protection. Maybe you’re keen on green for a love spell – if the color feels right, it probably is.   

• See all the fragmented colors as a reminder to honor all aspects of yourself. This can develop into a daily mantra of sorts, a time to ask yourself:  How and what am I feeling? Am I a little blue today? Yellow perhaps? Or maybe fighting a case of the mean reds?! 

 

• Identifying and labeling how you’re feeling can allow you to better gauge the various colors or energies you need to draw upon in order to balance your mood. It can be your “Chakra checklist.” Go color by color, setting the intention to open and balance all aspects of yourself.

 

• If you don’t have prisms lying around or a victorian chandelier at your disposal to dismantle, try to find other things around your home that catch the light: jewelry, stained-glass, colorful vases or jars, or make your own rainbow decals with cling wrap and markers. Be sure not to place anything that could be damaged by direct sunlight and nothing that could magnify the light causing a fire. Always play safe Witches! Get creative – they don’t call it Witch-CRAFT for nothin’! 

 

• The idea of bending and re-directing the light is a powerful concept. It’s analogous to magick itself, if you think about it. We use metaphors or correspondences to represent the energies we're working with and manifesting. By experimenting with prisms and playing with the light, you can also come up with new daily spell practices or reignite others that have been forgotten. 

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Each day, when the sun’s presence activates the rainbows, I am reminded to check-in with myself. Where do I need to bend the light to more colorfully express myself? A quest that began with a way to hold on to the light during times of darkness led me to understand that sometimes, it’s about redirecting the light you already have within. 

For more stories on how to practice magick during hard times, click here for Veronica's story on manifesting self-love. ​

By Veronica Boscia 

Acknowledge your feelings. 
That means all of them. The good, bad, and the ugly – they’re all valid and okay. With each emotion and feeling that arises, embrace the flow and take time to figure out what they’re trying to tell you. 

Elevate your thoughts.
Negative thoughts lower your vibration, whether they are directed inwards or outwards. Behind every negative thought is a positive one just waiting to prove it wrong. Try changing a negative thought into an empowering one. For example, if your isolation partner is getting on your nerves, reframe your thinking to reasons why you are happy to have them. Then send them gratitude for being there, for bearing witness with you – send them a beam of light. Remind yourself that your feelings are valid, but they do not control you. Acknowledge the negative thoughts – and then let them go. 

​Try a writing exercise. 
Magick can be very powerful with clear intention and a strong will. Try writing down your spells with those clean hands!  

• Write down five “positive” emotions you are feeling right now.
• Next, write down five “negative” emotions (or things that are bothering you right now).
• Acknowledge the negative emotions and consider what you can control and what you can’t. Ask yourself, what can I do about it? What good can I take from the “bad”? How can I learn from this?
• Lastly, write down the emotions you want to let go of on bay leaves (commonly used in purification rituals) and burn them with the intention of releasing and letting go. ​​

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Sanitize with positive intention. 
If you have a hard time shaking away negative thoughts, sometimes physical visualization techniques can be beneficial. Try sanitizing your surfaces and washing your hands with affirmations: “I am washing away any uncomfortable feelings. These negative thoughts are only temporary. I let them go and wash them away.” Of course, you can also personalize your affirmations if these don’t resonate with you. 

Moisturize with positive intention.
After all that hand washing, remember to moisturize. Many scented moisturizers are made with ingredients with magical properties, so you can literally lotion up with magical intention! 

And you probably already have lotions with magical ingredients: Eucalyptus has been used since ancient times in healing and protection rituals, as well as to treat upper respiratory issues. Visualize yourself being completely healthy as you lotion up. 

Another commonly used healing herb is lavender, which also helps promote a sense of peace and protection. Wear it knowing you are loved and safe. 
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By Eva Crawford

Want to give your children (or yourself) a magickal project this week? Our illustrator Eva Crawford designed a printable enchanted forest cove illustration for the perfect stay-at-home activity. 

By Carmen Pouerie

Listen to your body. 
This down time is allowing us to be present with ourselves without the distraction of responsibilities outside of our homes. Sometimes I neglect to eat or drink water while I’m working. Make it a point to eat or drink when your body asks you to. Rest when you’re tired, both physically and emotionally. Take time to yourself when you are overwhelmed. Reach out to your support system when you are lonely. Meet your body’s basic needs.

Practice self-care. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary. 
When our physical and mental health is at risk, doing little things to make yourself happy are very important. Now is a good time to care for your body by trying a new skin care item, take long bubble baths, style your hair, paint your nails, etc. 

You can care for your mental health by journaling, expressing your thoughts to your family and loved ones (while maintaining social distance), cooking your favorite meal, spending time with your pets, or picking up a new hobby you never had time for. Take time for yourself. 

Create incantations and sigils. 
Incantations are simply singing your intentions over an object or during an action to achieve a specified intention. While we’re alone, there is no one around to hear our silly little poems or phrases, so speak your intentions aloud. It will help to strengthen it, as well as let you hear a voice that isn’t your TV. 

Sigils are magical symbols and can be as simple as a happy face for happiness or as intricate as one of the Seals of Solomon. To create your own, write out your intention in a few words, then eliminate repeating letters. After that, you can attempt to combine all the remaining letters into a unique symbol that is specific to you.​