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Did you know that decorating a tree during the month of December is actually a Pagan ritual? Here are several ways to celebrate Yule with nature-based materials, handmade incense, and more.  Evergreen trees and branches are typically used during the Winter Solstice/Yule as symbols of life, triumph over death, healing, health, and fertility — especially during the coldest days and longest nights. Over the years, the tree tradition, as well as hanging wreaths and mistletoe, were adopted by modern-day Christians as a way to celebrate Christmas, but its roots still remain, well, distinctly Pagan. Yule, celebrated on December 21st (as well as the days before and after too), marks the shortest day of the year, as well as the sun’s return to bring more light in the coming days. It’s a time for celebration, introspection, and feasting with friends and family. It’s a time to get cozy and reflect on the prior year, as well make wishes for the new year to come. Here are a few tips, blends, and tools to help you celebrate Yule this year and add a little warmth and magic to your days. Create handmade, nature-based decorations Oranges, which symbolize the energy of the sun and health, are especially beautiful when used as Yule decorations. Simply slice a few oranges very thinly and press with a cloth to remove excess juice. Sprinkle the oranges with some salt and pop them in the oven for several hours until they dry out. Once they cool and harden, you can then string them up on thread or twine and hang around your house as Yule decorations.  Photo by Tanja Tepavac on Unsplash Try Enchantments’ Yule Blend Formulated specifically for Yule, Enchantments’ hand-blend Yule incense and oil is designed for use during the Winter Solstice. It’s a warm, mystical blend with an enchanting scent to bring a little joy to your days and nights. Simply add a teaspoon or tablespoon full of the incense to a fire-safe dish or small cauldron and touch fire to it. You can use it while you decorate the house, meditate, or anytime during the festivities. If you opt for the oil, you can add some of it to a clean, glass spray bottle, fill the rest with water and a touch of alcohol or witch hazel, and use it as a magickal spray. Or wear the oil as you would a perfume during the Winter Solstice. Enchantments’ Yule Blend is $15 for a half ounce of oil or $10 for a full ounce of incense, available both in-store and online. Cauldrons can be purchased in two sizes: $30 for a small size or $50 for a medium size (and they should last you a lifetime). Take a ritual bath with dried herbs Add a few drops of cedar oil and pine oil to a small bowl of sea salt (not epson or table salt). Add in a sprig of rosemary and some dried hibiscus flowers (for color). Alternatively, you can steep some elderberries in hot water on the stove and add the liquid to your bath. Draw a hot bath and add in your sea salt blend and add in some coconut milk (if you have it around). You can purchase hibiscus flowers for $3.50 per half ounce, as well as elderberries, rosemary ($2 per half ounce), and sea salt at Enchantments, either in-person or online. Note that Enchantments’ herbs are not for ingestion and are for magickal purposes/use only.  Photo by Joyce Adams on Unsplash Decorate a Yule wreath Go on a nature walk and bring a small satchel with you. Find evergreen branches (but “ask” the tree before you take it), colorful leaves, pine cones, and berries (or anything that catches your eye for your wreath) and place them in your satchel. When you get home, take some floral wire and wrap them into bunches. Then, wrap the bunches onto a metal wire base or create a grapevine made with flexible twigs and intwine them to hold the circular shape. You can also use eucalyptus branches to make the vine base. Next, use hot glue to add flower embellishments, pine cones, and berries. Burn frankincense and myrrh resin For a cleansing, protective, and purifying blend, mix frankincense and myrrh resin and place into a fire-safe bowl or cauldron. Frankincense invokes solar energy, which is good for the Yule season when welcoming back the light, while myrrh has a lunar energy. When added together, they represent balance between the dark and light, as well as harmony and healing. You can add an instant light charcoal underneath to burn the resin and waft through your house, sprinkling in more resins as the fire burns. Myrrh and frankincense tears can both be purchased online or in the store for $4 per half ounce. Add a little magick to your feasts Infuse your Yule dinners with a little intention magick! Every herb, spice, and vegetable has a magical association and when coupled with intention while cooking, you can create a beautiful feast that benefits you both physically and spiritually. Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs is a great book to learn more about magickal herbal and food associations, as well as Enchanted Kitchen and Kitchen Witchery. Enchantments also offers a range of books in the brick-and-mortar store, which make for great gifts, too.
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By Amber C. Snider And no, none of them involve candy or tricks, just practical magic and tips.  Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash It is said that the veil between worlds is the thinnest the night of October 31st, a time when you can more readily communicate with the spirits and the Other Side. It's a time when the dead are supposed to walk the earth, when our ancestors are to be remembered and honored, and it's also referred to as the "Witches New Year." Whether you plan on doing a New Moon ritual on November 1st (All Saint's Day), honoring your ancestors with a ritual, or doing spell work to communicate with the spirit world, here are a few tips and tools to help you. Note that anything highlighted in purple is available for purchase either online or in-person at the NYC shop. Try Enchantments' Samhain oil in candle spells "Anoint white candles with Samhain oil ($15 for a half ounce) to leave as an offering to the spirits of the dearly departed at any ceremony," recommends Marisabel Santiago, a resident witch at Enchantments. For spirit visions Anoint purple candles with Samhain oil and focus on the flame as you meditate and connect to the other side. You can also burn Samhain incense ($10 for a full ounce) alongside the candle, especially if you'd like to connect with your ancestors/deceased loved ones.  Photo by Marisabel Santiago for Enchantments To honor the death-rebirth cycle Get a Rose of Jericho plant (we sell them at Enchantments here) and place it in a shallow bowl of water. Watch as this incredible plant (that once looked withered up, brown, and dead) comes "back to life" and turns green again, expanding its leaves and roots in the water. Leave it out on your altar or sacred space for several days, renewing the bowl with fresh water each day. For protection "For from the ghouls that may go bump in the night, sprinkle Samhain incense on top of a 'black cat' candle," recommends Santiago.  Image by Luis Miranda from Pixabay To honor the dead In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st through November 2nd, a time when ancestors are honored and welcomed into the home with gifts, mementos, flowers, and favorite foods on the ofrenda, or altar. Create a sacred altar for your loved ones who've passed on by cleaning a table or shelf with Florida or orange water, lighting incense like All Saint's blend or Blessed in a fire-safe dish or cast-iron cauldron ($30 online or at the shop), and placing an altar cloth (or any clean cloth) down. Light white candles and fill the space with photos of your loved ones who've passed on, including pets, and include any personal items or trinkets they once had. You can also leave out their favorite foods. By Amber C. Snider Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the United States, but its roots go back to an ancient Celtic Harvest festival known as Samhain.  Samhain, also referred to as the Witches’ New Year and pronounced “sow-win,” was a major festival in the Celtic tradition that took place on the night of October 31st through November 1st. The holiday marks the end of the harvest season and the approaching winter. It was believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, which meant spirits were not only free to roam the earth, but also communicate with the living. Humans could call upon their ancestors for guidance and used this midpoint between the seasons to honor the spirits through a series of rituals and festivities (including bonfires, feasts, sacrifices) that often lasted for three days and three nights. The Celts often set out offerings in the form of food, drinks, and beloved tokens to honor their dead. But with all those ghostly souls freely roaming around the earth, some may have been unwanted or even malevolent – and that’s where the tradition of dressing up came in. “According to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Celts began the Halloween tradition of wearing costumes, often animal skin to hide themselves from spirits, and masks to impersonate ancestors who had preceded them to the spirit world,” reports National Geographic editor Debra Adams Simmons. It’s this practice that led to our current tradition of dressing up in scary costumes to ward away any malicious spooks.  Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash Early evidence shows us that not only was this an important holiday for the Celts, it was also mandatory for the community. While the other seasonal holidays celebrated rebirth and the renewal of life, Samhain was a festival for the dead. Despite the desecration of many ancient pagan practices over the centuries, Samhain has survived as “Halloween” in our secular, modern culture. In another region of the world, in what is now modern day Mexico, the ancient peoples’ also conducted rituals and held festivals to honor their dead. Dia de los Muertos (also known as the Day of the Dead) is a syncretization of Indigenous American beliefs with those of the Roman Catholic Church, culminating in All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd) on the Catholic calendar – just as Samhain coincides with Halloween. So while you’re carving pumpkins, rewatching Practical Magic, or dressing up for the festivities over the next two weeks, remember to take some time out to also honor those who have passed on and all those ancestors who’ve shaped you into the person you are today. The honoring of the dead is at the heart of Samhain, as well as paying homage to our long lineage of human life. Blessings to all this Samhain! By Amber C. Snider As part of our plant series, our new Magical Farmer’s Market Guides bring you plant-based ritual tips from authors, folklore, and spells using local, seasonal ingredients.  Image by tookapic from Pixabay From love spells to prosperity magic, these vegetables and herbs help you tune into the energies of the earth and enhance your mind, body, and spirit with edible magic. Food is power and when consumed with intention it can be a healing force. We’ve also paired each ingredient with a custom-carved spell candle from Enchantments for additional ritual work and positive manifestation. Squash Super easy to find at your local farmer’s market, especially during the fall months, squash associated with the Sun (as are most yellow vegetables), the element of fire, and the festival of Samhain on October 31st/November 1st, as well as Mabon on September 21st. According to Laurel Woodward’s Backyard Garden Witchery, butternut squash is “loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta-carotene to support eye health and fight muscular degeneration” and can be added to meals to support healthy relationships. Woodward also cites its magical properties to help with “beauty, deepening relationships, health, influence, and prosperity.” In his seminal work Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, Scott Cunningham says that eating squash in dishes can “increase awareness of the nonphysical reality around us," adding that it is a "fine spirituality-inducing food.” Squash is great when roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt, sautéed or fried in the pan for breakfast, as well as pureed for hearty fall soups. Custom-carved candle: Solar Blast. Helps the Sun come through to cleanse, purge and rejuvenate your entire being. Provides positive energy for all your endeavors. Invites joy into your life. A great 'wishing' candle. Traditionally used to celebrate your solar return/birthday! Lavender Lavender is one of the most popular herbs around and can be used for so many things, including teas, in baking, aromatic oils, baths, and more. I personally love to combine lavender with Himalayan sea salt to sprinkle on foods or add dried lavender to sea salt for a relaxing ritual bath. You can normally find it fresh or dried at the farmer’s market and easily create your own infusions and oils with the herb. Associated with the element of air, according to Laurel Woodward’s “Kitchen Witchery,” it’s excellent for spellwork involving “calm, clarity, communication, healing, love, protection, and sleep.” For sweet dreams, add a couple teaspoons into a sachet bag and place under your pillow at night, carry a few sprigs in your pocket for luck and protection, or combine with dried rose for a blissful beauty tea. Custom-carved candle option: Peace & Protection. This candle helps to keep out people who are invading your life through astral vibrations, visitations, psychic attack, verbal abuse, bickering, and paranoia and to quiet people who incite violence, slander and harm to others. It replaces their negative energies with ones of peace and tranquility.  Image by Michael Strobel from Pixabay Apples Fall is definitely the season for apple picking and if you’re on the east coast, you can find an abundance of varieties at the farmer’s market, from granny to honeycrisp and pink ladies. Associated with the water element and the planet Venus, apples are also used in many magical spells, particularly love and sex magic. Whether it’s apple bobbing for Samhain, sipping mulled apple cider on chilly autumn evenings, or baking them into pies for the fall equinox, there are many ways to use the sweet fruit. In Laurel Woodward’s Kitchen Witchery, apples are also a symbol of fertility and sexuality, and associated with “beauty, garden magick, healing, love, and youth.” They're also associated with love, health, and peace and were “valued foods in ancient Egypt...and intimately linked with spirituality in the British Isles," as well as for the Norse and Yoruba peoples, writes Scott Cunningham in his Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen. Cunningham recommends carving a heart into the apple’s skin before eating it to reign in love (remember self-love is a thing, too!) or baking an apple pie with ginger and cinnamon to share with your lover. Custom-carved candle option: Empress in Venus. Goddess based candle to help magnify self-love and confidence. Also can be used to attract romantic attention. Beets This hearty, resilient vegetable is great all year round, but you can find it in abundance during the fall months. Try making your own Ukrainian borscht for a delicious, warming meal or adding to fall salads with walnuts and goat cheese. Associated with the earth element and the planet Saturn, in magic, beets are used for love and beauty spells. According to Cunningham, “beets have been eaten for centuries by persons wishing to lengthen their life spans” and are also associated with the fall festival of Samhain on November 1st. They can also be added to love-attracting diets! “Cook and eat beets while visualizing yourself enjoying increased beauty,” he writes. Or make a love spell ink using the liquid from boiled beets and a dash of vinegar (recipe can be found in Backyard Garden Witchery by Laurel Woodward). Custom-carved candle: Catch a New Love. For use in attracting a suitable new romantic partner.  Image by Couleur from Pixabay Carrots Associated with the element of fire and the planet Mars, carrots hold strong sexual energy and traditionally associated with the masculine. According to Laurel Woodward’s Backyard Garden Witchery, carrots are associated with “beauty, clear sight, fertility, protection, strength, and youth” and can help boost women’s energy for courage or strengthen male virility. When “prepared and eaten with the correct visualization, carrots may play a part in overcoming psychological impotency,” writes Cunningham in his beloved Encyclopedia. I especially love roasting different carrot varieties, including white, deep purple, and yellow shades (aka kaleidoscope) in the oven with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, thyme, and rosemary, finished off with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Custom-carved candle: Mars Candle. Invokes the God of war for strength, perseverance, passion, virility, victory, protection, courage and willpower. Sage Sage has been around for thousands of years and is particularly sacred to the Native Americans. When burned in a ritualistic manner, aka smoke cleansing, it’s used for purifying a space, banishing unwanted energies, and enhancing psychic ability. “Its energies include longevity and health,” writes Scott Cunningham, and has been “used in cooking, medicine, and magic for at least 2,000 years.” Associated with the planet Jupiter and the element of air, according to Scott Cunningham, sage is also useful for “promoting money, employment, and overall prosperity.” Laurel Woodward cites its magical uses as an aphrodisiac, as well as a great plant to promote cheer, creativity, and mental power. At the farmer’s market, you can normally find it fresh and add it to soups, stews, or roasted vegetables. If you’d like to use it for smoke cleansing, simply hang the herb in a dry area in your kitchen and when completely dry, bundle it with thread. When used for cooking, store the dried herb in a mason jar. Custom-carved candle: House Blessing candle. Cleanses and blesses your living space - whether you've been living there for years or just moved in. It will help put the house in order and keep it blessed with good energy and peace.  Image by Kasia from Pixabay Cinnamon Cinnamon actually comes from the inner bark of an evergreen tree and is widely used in magical practices and spells. Its warming scent can also be found in scented candles, body oils, perfumes, soaps and more. It’s also used in many love spells, either to attract new lover, entice passion, and enhance sexual desire, as well as spells involving productivity and success. Associated with the Sun and element of fire, cinnamon can be used to raise vibrations and increase mental clarity, so it’s great to use while working or studying, too. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your coffee for an extra magickal boost. Cinnamon “holds energy to draw money, stimulate psychic abilities, kindle love, boost attraction, and increase magickal energy in general,” writes Woodward in Kitchen Witchery and can be used in spellwork involving luck, love, protection, raising vibrations, and overall success. According to Scott Cunningham, “the ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in medicine and religion as early as 1450 BCE, while “in Greece, it played a part in processions to Dionysus.” When working with magical food, oils, or perfumes, it’s said to double a spell’s power. Also, if you’re trying to quit smoking, I’ve found organic cinnamon sticks to be an effective deterrent. Custom-carved candle: Fast Luck candle. It speaks for itself! This candle helps to bring luck in a safe and correct way so that you can succeed in your endeavors. Good for money magic spells. Pumpkin Associated with the earth element, lunar energies, and Samhain celebrations on November 1st, pumpkins can be found at your local farmer’s market throughout the months of September - November. In magic, according to Laurel Woodward, they can be used for banishing unwanted spirits, people, and energies, as well as divination and prosperity spells. They hold “stable, positive energy,” as well as “energy to fortify health, cheer spirit, and attract prosperity,” she writes. Cunningham cites pumpkins in healing and money spells, as well: “Pumpkin is also a nutritious money-attractant. Make a pumpkin pie and add cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to flavor it with money-drawing energies.” In addition to making pumpkin pies, pumpkin spiced beverages, and roasting in the oven with sea salt and herbs, you can also roast the seeds for a delicious snack. Of course, pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage in the fall months too, but make sure the syrup is made from real pumpkin and not just artificial flavoring. Pumpkin-scented candles add a coziness and warmth to the home, offering a welcoming energy for guests, too. Custom-carved candle: Uncrossing Candle. A purification. Removes negativity, blocks, curses and hexes from all elements of one's life. Can be used to cleanse your home, office, self or those around you. It clears the way for positive vibrations to come into your life. To purchase Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen click here. To purchase Laurel Woodward's Backyard Garden Witchery click here or Kitchen Witchery click here. For more on plant magic, check out our new series here. Our most popular, hand-blended magickal oils for use with candle spells and much more.  At Enchantments, all of our custom-carved candles are dressed in hand-blended, magickal oils aligned with your individual candle spell. And those same oils can be used for a variety of magic, including anointing your tools, adding to sea salt for baths, herbal blends for smoke cleansing, and more. You can also simply wear the oils for a little extra ‘umph’ throughout the day, just as you would a perfume. Here, we’ve rounded up some of our customer favorites, whether it’s to repel negative energy or draw a little extra luck into your life. Most oils are $15 for a half ounce and also come in sea salt baths or incense blends, too. Van Van “This classic New Orleans formula is a favorite and a MUST have in any apothecary,” says Marisabel Santiago, a staff member of Enchantments. “It’s alleged to clear away negative energy while simultaneously bringing in fresh opportunities and good luck. We have seen Van Van used in countless spells, including health, love, and gambling. Truly multipurpose!” Keep a dram or half ounce of the oil in your bag and anoint your wrists with intention whenever you’d like. It’s also great to add to an oil burning when your home needs a cleansing. Plus there’s another reason why people tend to love it: “Its scent is absolutely amazing,” she adds. Van Van is also available as a sea salt bath for $5. Double Fast Luck “Some of our customers (and staff) swear by this oil. It’s alleged to bring good luck in all areas of life. You never know when you need fortune to shine upon you and make your life a little easier,” Santiago says. “As an incense, we sometimes sprinkle it on candles to give any spell A LOT of luck.” Double Fast Luck can also be purchased as an incense: Simply add a half a teaspoon to a fire-safe dish (like a cast iron cauldron) and touch fire to it. It’ll go out on its own. Crown of Success Having trouble with gossip, especially at work? Do you need a little help blocking out the haters? Crown of Success helps to block other people’s negativity from interfering with your success, making it a great oil to wear at work. It helps your best self shine through and rise above all the chatter. Add a few drops to items around your work desk or wear it as you would a perfume. Lucky Job “A must-have for the working folkx in the Big Apple, it’s perfect for attracting job opportunities,” says Marisabel Santiago. “This oil pairs well with High Conquering, Money Draw, Nine Mysteries, Jupiter, Van Van, and many more. It’s also great for freelancers, those making career changes, or those seeking their dream job.” You can also wear the oil if you’re trying to get a promotion. Venus Oil Since it’s Libra Season (and Libra is ruled by Venus), Venus oil is a great oil to reign welcome in beauty, love, and goddess energies. It has a gorgeous scent and can also be used in devotional spell work for the Goddess of Love. This oil pairs well with the pink Empress candle, which can be used as an empowerment spell for self-love, abundance, and to attract new love, or the Venus candle, a devotional candle for the Goddess. Shi Shi “Another New Orleans classic, Shi Shi oil is a powerhouse oil to use if you’re in dire need of overcoming financial obstacles and attracting money,” Santiago says. “It’s a great oil to wear to get you out of a financial pinch and to work with spells to uncross your money.” Blessed Formula Another staff and customer favorite, Blessed oil can be used to attract good spirits, protection, and overall blessings. It has a calming scent and also helps with purification and cleansing. For candle spells, focus on your intention (to call in your spirit guides, for instance or purify your space), anoint a white candle with a few drops of it, and let the candle burn until the flame goes out. While it burns, you can channel spirit messages or work a ritual for added blessings in your life. For a general home cleansing, add a few drops to an oil burner. By Enchantments' Editor & Staff With all the heat waves going on (we know you're feeling it), it's time to take advantage of what's right in your home for some magical restoration: the bath tub.  Now that we're in the thick of summer with Lammas approaching (aka the midway point between summer and fall), you may find yourself having serious FOMO lately watching others in tropical, water lush places, especially if you're stuck behind a desk or indoors all day. If you can't indulge in a cool dip within a natural spring or the ocean, consider working a calming bath ritual into your routine over the next few weeks. Here are some ritual tips from experts and supplies to help you on your water ritual journey.  Image by omameIS from Pixabay Start by picking out a few days per week for your bath ritual, which can be either in the morning or evening. Some prefer an evening bath ritual, since it helps relax them after a long day, but a meditative morning spent in the tub with fresh flowers, oils, and sea salt can be just the reset we need to prep for and begin the day. Plus, you're still in a semi-dream state upon waking, so insights can come a bit easier at this time. Use warm water, not extra hot, so you can really settle in. Add in sea salt to the bath and a few drops of essential oils. Before you begin the week, pick up a bouquet of flowers at your local shop or farmer's market. Even better, spend an afternoon picking wildflowers from a field on your own. Try to get them on a Sunday, so you can begin the week with your ritual and also use the flowers to both enliven your home space and your bath experience. When selecting the flowers, use your intuition to pick out the ones for you --- noticing the colors, scents, and visual experience of the bouquet. To welcome in more love and self-love into your life, sprinkle in a few rose petals to your bath. Calendula or marigold is great for the solar plexus and emotional healing/resets, while lavender is good for intuition and cleansing. Do a little research into the spiritual properties of each flower you use and create affirmations around it: "I invite more love into my life" or "I'm manifesting prosperity and abundance this week," etc. Next, consider the following recommendations from Enchantments' staff member Marisabel: *Note: Everything highlighted in purple is linked to the Enchantments' shop website for direct online ordering** How to make your own Uncrossing Bath: "I love to add holy water and Florida water into the bath. If you want to add your own uncrossing herbs and make a 'bath tea' that you would boil, strain and let cool, try hyssop, mugwort and rue." Tip for Fast Luck: "I like to make our Fast Luck bath into a daily scrub by adding honey to it so the magic sticks." To harness Solar energies: "For celebrations, I like to add a splash of champagne to the bath or orange blossom water to attract all sweet things." To help with Love Uncrossing and Love Healing: "I love to add rose water to our Love Uncrossing bath or use Balm of Gilead and hibiscus flower." For more peace of mind: "I like to boil lavender and cornflowers and add that to the bath." Blessed be, witches x
By Marisabel Here are four ways to use the energies of Cancer season to restore, replenish, and dig deep.  Cancer season is in full swing, so before we hit Leo season, there are many ways we can use this cosmic energy to manifest our highest intentions. Remember: Cancer season rules over inner nurturing, sensitivity, the home, and our most tender emotions. It is a wonderful time to check-in with oneself before the energy changes, when we will be embracing Lughnasadh, or the beginning of the Harvest season on August 1st. Here are some Enchantments' products and ritual tips to help you connect to the energy of the season.  House Blessing Candle This candle cleanses and blesses your living space, whether you've been living there for years or just moved in. It will help put the house in order and keep it blessed with good energy and peace. On RED, it is our Mabon (Fall Equinox) house blessings, PINK is to help create a love nest typically for new couples, while YELLOW works for happiness in home. BLUE is for all the blessings and protection, while WHITE is for cleansing the home in all ways. Also, you can use Enchantments' House Blessing Oil or Incense in your rituals to help purify and sanctify your home at this time. Moon Oil This hand-crafted Enchantments' blend is used for all Lunar workings, including but not limited to Full Moon and New Moon spells and rituals, intutive and psychic workings, dreams and fertility. Half ounce is available for $15 or one ounce for $27. Love Healing This sweet incense is used to help heal a relationship, get over a break up, and heal old woulds and emotion issues. Wear it as you would a perfume daily, add it to ritual baths, or anoint spell candles with it. Our hand-crafted Love Healing oil blend is available here, or you also get the Love Healing Kit, which includes a small oil dram, two candles, and a sample incense for $17.50. Yemaya Bath This bath, dedicated to the Ocean Mother, can be used for peace, fertility, creativity, and protection. For a ritual bath, add white rose petals to the water and experience luxury on a dime. Our hand-blended Yemaya bath can be used for 2-3 bath rituals and is available for purchase for $4.95 here. Blessed be, witches. Happy Cancer Season! x Litha, the shortest day of the year, also known as Midsummer and the Summer Solstice, is a time for celebrating all the abundance in your life and all that is yet to come.  Stonehenge. Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay The Summer Solstice is the perfect time for fire rituals, cleansing rituals, finding new balance, expansion, and looking back on all you’ve accomplished so far in this year — and celebrating it. All the big/little wins have added up, so bask in the growth of all the metaphorical seeds you planted in previous seasons, and embrace seeing them come to light. It’s also a time to honor the Goddess and the Sun God, and depending on your magical practice and tradition, they may have different names. Whether it’s Freya or Danu, the Oak King in Celtic traditions, Sol or Pan, each God/Goddess also represents a spiritual archetype that dwells within and manifests in the physical world. In preparation for Midsummer — which can be celebrated even a few days before or after the actual Summer Solstice that occurs every year on June 20th — gather your supplies and get ready for expansion and embracing your inner fire with the following rituals and magical tips. Fire rituals If you can’t make a bonfire, a good ole classic candle spell may be just the thing. We love the Solar Blast candle for this time of year, which is all about invoking abundance, prosperity, and the energies of the sun for growth and expansion. Take a sea salt bath before you begin your ritual, set an intention for the coming months, and let the candle burn for 7-10 days until it goes out fully. You can also write down some goals for the rest of the year and what you’d like to see come to fruition at this time and burn the paper afterwards with the candle flame, concentrating your energy and sending your intention into the universe. You can also incorporate Enchantments' Midsummer Oil ($15 for 1/2 ounce) into your rituals at this time of year. Smoke cleansing Enchantments’ Midsummer Incense blend is great for not only a house blessing during the Summer Solstice, but also for any rituals you may do to celebrate this time of year. It’s a unique, handmade blend that helps welcomes in new abundance, growth, and focuses on solar energies. Simply add a teaspoon full to a small, cast-iron cauldron and touch fire to it. Use the smoke to cleanse your tools, invoke your deities, or waft it around your house for a cleansing.  Image by StockSnap from Pixabay Get creative with flowers As the earth is bursting with fresh vegetables and flowers, indulge in a little ritual of ‘beauty for beauty’ sake. It could be a creativity ritual using fresh flowers and linen to make flower designs, dying fabrics with flowers and herbs, making herbal tinctures, drawing or painting with watercolors, or making a flower crown from gathered flowers on a summer walk or day at the park. Or simply refreshing your home with a bouquet of fresh flowers goes a long way to mark the seasonal shift and welcome in new energy in your home. You can also refresh your herb collection at this time with new herbal blends from Enchantments, but please note that our herbs are not for ingestion of any kind and only to be used for magickal purposes. Salt cleansing Sea salt is one of the most purifying, magickal ingredients in many witches’ pouches, and since it’s summer, there may be an abundance of it close by -- that is, if you’re close to the ocean. This is a great time perform a cleansing ritual using the pure powers of the ocean: Simply immersing yourself in the fecund waters and letting the salt water dry on your skin is not only rejuvenating, but can be transformative if done with the intention of gratitude and release. As you enter the water and dunk your head in, send out gratitude for your life and everything still yet to come. Bask in that feeling of fullness at the prime pinnacle of summer and soak in the feeling of wonder and expansion. Gather your favorite people, along with some fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies for a summer feast. Head to the farmer’s market and gather up the freshest vegetables and fruits to have a small summer feast with your loved ones. If you have a garden, it’s the perfect time to utilize those herbs and vegetables and share the bounty with others. Organize a potluck in the park, a summer evening dinner, or a long, lingering breakfast with friends using fresh ingredients straight from the earth. Maybe you’ve wanted to finally work out that rhubarb pie recipe lingering somewhere? Now’s the time to try, baby. Embrace your inner fire Ask yourself: What is it I truly yearn for? What is it that I need to feel fulfilled and my best self? What does success truly look like for me? This is a time for expansion, but also self-acceptance and self-love for everything you already are and all you’ve already done. Get playful about your desires and soak in the power of possibility — it’s okay to dream, get serious about joy (an oxymoron, but you know), and allow yourself to get excited about what’s to come; that is, if you go after what you truly want. Blessed be, witches x We’ve all probably got down on our spring cleaning already, but what about a spiritual cleansing for the home?  Photo by Victor Castro Smoke cleansing, when done with intention, is a powerful way to remove negative energy from the home, invoke good spirits and positivity, and welcome new energy into your space. And the good news, is you can get all your ritual supplies (and then some) right at your favorite witchcraft shop, Enchantments. If you’re looking to create your own custom incense blend to cleanse your space and aura, here’s what you’ll need: --Powdered wood base --Essential or fragrance oils, of your choice —Or a hand-blended oil from Enchantments formulary. Half ounce bottles are $15. --Cleansing herbs, of your choice --A fire-safe dish or small cast-iron cauldron  Photo by Victor Castro There are many ways to cleanse your space and aura, including using smoke cleansing with intention. Enchantments specializes in creating hand-blends of incense, which you can find here or in the shop, but maybe you want to create your own magical blend. If so, all you need is powdered wood base, essential oils, and some herbs. Enchantments sells wood base in a variety of colors, so you can simply add it to a fire-safe dish or cauldron and touch fire to it. Here’s how: —First, choose a color that aligns with your intention. Blue is great for cleansing, while red can also work for this purpose. —Next, add a bit of the wood base to a small or medium-sized cauldron. If you want to do a small, one-time cleansing ritual, two tablespoons should be plenty. —Then, add a few drops of essential oils to the wood base. Consider which oils align with your intention. Lavender oil, lemon, frankincense, rosemary, and rue are all good for this. You can purchase them in either half ounce sizes or full ounces online or in the shop. —If you’re not sure what oils to use, there are plenty of books on the subject available at Enchantments, including Complete Formulary of Magical Oils by Celeste Rayne Heldstab, which is available online here. —Next, sprinkle in a few herbs that align with your intention and practice. If you’re not sure, consider picking up a copy of Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, which is a fairly comprehension guide, or choose from countless others available in the shop, including the latest new reads. In general, rue, hyssop, sage, mugwort, and lavender can work, or any dried herbs you have in the kitchen. Be sure to do your research before burning certain herbs in the house, in case they are poisonous. —Now, mix it all together using a small wooden spoon. Touch fire to it using a lighter and snuff out the flame. A stream of smoke should start to pour from the cauldron and waft the smoke around your house, in the corners, near the doors, and “sweep” any negative energy out an open window. —Say a prayer, an affirmation, state an intention or mantra that aligns with your individual practice, as you walk around your house. Sweep the smoke over your body and various chakra points. The incense blend will go out on its own, but you can also stamp it out when you’re finished. Happy spring cleaning and cleansing, witches. x Coinciding with the New Moon, this Solar Eclipse is all about empowering yourself to clear out loose ends, letting go of whatever is holding you back, and reconfiguring your life for the better.  Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash Let’s be honest: things have been more than a little hectic lately. It’s a lot of “noise” out there, some of which just keeps us feeling trapped in a cycle of feeling powerless and psychically drained. This is a good time to re-examine your individual life and place in the world from an empowered standpoint—not letting the world dictate how/what you should feel or who you should be. It’s a time to focus on new beginnings and shedding what’s not working in our life. Plus, New moons are all about new beginnings, turning inward, and reflecting. Couple that with the intense energy of the Solar Eclipse and things are bound to come to the surface, giving you an opportunity to let go of shit once and for all. And since the lingering eclipse energy can last for up to an entire week, here are some tips to harness that energy for empowerment.  Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash Grounding: Don’t let your emotions get the better of you over the course of the week. It’s an intense, energetic time, so rather than react to things, respond to them instead—again, from a place of grounded empowerment. Before reacting to any situation, take a pause, a few breaths, and come back to your center. Excuse yourself, go into a room to meditate for a few minutes, before tackling whatever comes your way. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at this time, but getting grounded in nature can help, as can eating nourishing foods, simple self-care rituals, and meditating or breath work. Cleansing: Take a sea salt bath the night or morning of the eclipse. Add in calming herbs like lavender or lavender oil, cleansing herbs like hyssop, and cedar wood oil for grounding. You may also feel inspired to clean your physical home at this time– go with it! As we prepare the way for new abundance in our lives and redirect our course, sometimes a good house cleaning goes a long way to psychically and physically prepare for that. You can also use House Blessing incense for a smoke cleansing ritual at-home. Candle Magic: What is it you want to let go of? What is no longer working in your life? What changes, big or small, would you like to make? Now is a good time to focus on these aspects of your life and then take action (or at least plant the seeds for action). Write down a list of things you’d like to clear away and/or change. Now create a second list with potential actions you can take to make it a reality. Light a white candle or try a custom-carved candle that works with your intention: For instance, you’d like to get better with your finances and focus on building security and wealth (Money Pyramid Candle), or perhaps you want to focus on emotional healing (Crystal Healing Candle), or start a new business (Successful Business Candle) or clear the path for new beginnings (Uncrossing Candle). Get specific with your intention and after the candle burns out (the hand-carved candles will burn for 7 to 10 days), take action towards these goals with renewed insights. Blessed be, witches x For expansion in Spirit, as well as balancing, expanding, and fortifying your Crown Chakra.  Seventh chakra candle. Photo by Victor Castro In the colder winter months, when nature retreats into itself, we’re called to reflect, recenter, and ground. Now that spring is just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for psychic expansion, opening and growing our awareness, just as nature does. The seventh chakra—the space just above the top of your head and above it—connects to divine wisdom and guidance, psychic insight, and spiritual expansion. If you work with candle magic, and the chakra system, here’s a ritual that you can try to balance, cleanse, strengthen, and expand your seventh chakra, allowing for higher wisdom to flow in. Hand-carved and customized with your personal astrological sign and name, Enchantments’ Seventh Chakra candle is dressed with corresponding hand-blended oils and incense. Here, we’ve crafted a short ritual to use with the candle and we as a link to order the candle online here: —Take a ritual bath with sea salt before you light the candle. Add a few drops of essential or fragrance oil to your bath (like frankincense, vetiver, cedar), or try Enchantments’ Purple Wisdom oil for psychic enhancement and wisdom. —Add herbs to the bath, if you like—sprinkle in loose leaves or add them to an empty tea bag. Cleansing herbs like hyssop, lavender, and even soothing rose can work for this purpose. —While in the water, focus on releasing and letting go of anything holding you back from your highest self, including fear and doubt, from your higher calling. If you don’t have a bath, you can add sea salt to warm water and use it in the shower for this cleansing ritual. —Next, sit in front of the candle and focus on your intention. Here are some specific intentions: “I’d like to channel guidance from my Spirit Guides,” or “I seek insight into my past lives,” or “I seek insight into the next steps of my life that aligns with me higher calling,” or “I seek balance in my psychic, emotional, physical, and intellectual planes.” Whichever your intention may be, focus in on it as you light the candle. You can also write down your intention to help you focus.  Image by ha11ok from Pixabay —While the candle burns, you can spend the time meditating and working through your chakra points, one by one. Start at the root chakra, working slowly up to the crown to tap into deeper insight and higher vibrations. When you get to your crown chakra, focus on expanding your psychic vision. –While in a meditative state, work your way back down each chakra point to get to the root again. Ground yourself and come “back to earth” before getting up. This step is very important. Afterwards, try to channel any insights you received by journaling, drawing, sketching, etc. Remember: your magic is your own. —You don’t have to keep the candle lit for the full 7-10 days. Blow out (or it snuff out, whichever is in your unique practice) the candle when you’re not monitoring it. —You don’t have to take another ritual bath each time you light it. Just refocus your intention each time, reflecting on your intention for expansion and opening up your crown chakra. —Stay open to what comes over the course of the week. Pay attention to any greater insights or signs that come, as you explore a deeper, nuanced view of your life. Blessed be. By Amber C. Snider Spellwork doesn’t always have to be elaborate ceremonies with extensive rituals. Sometimes a little kitchen magic can do the trick, especially if you don’t have the space, time, or money to go all out and can't get into the wild/nature. Here are a few ways you can add practical magic to your everyday life in simple, but powerful ways during the cold, winter months.  Photo © Victor Castro/ Enchantments Practicing intention-based magic helps raise your consciousness and energetic vibrations, while also welcoming in more self-love and respect for the earth. Plus, regular or even semi-regular rituals, especially around your home in the winter months or in nature, helps to heighten your intuition. The winter season is a time for inner reflection and hibernation (the natural world around you does the same), so as you prepare for big things to come throughout the rest of the year, give yourself permission to turn inwards, get cozy, and try a little kitchen magic to uplift your spirit. Here are 10 spells, recipes, and tips to help cure the winter blues and enchant your home. Simmer warming winter herbs on the stove for an uplifting aroma around the home. A simmer pot helps cleanse your home and reset your space. First, grab a big pot (any pot will do) and throw in several cups of water with a mix of the following herbs: Cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger, all spice. If you'd like to let it simmer all day, add a couple cups of water back into the pot every hour. Use herbs with intention: cinnamon for concentration and productivity, rosemary for purification, lemongrass for energizing, lavender for peace and protection, etc. Afterwards, you can also add the herbs to a bath. For easier clean up, simply place the herbs in a piece of cheesecloth or cloth tea strainer and soak in your magic. Burn frankincense resin Frankincense resin has also been used in a variety of cleansing, purification, and holy rituals for centuries. The beautifully aromatic scent can help relieve feelings of anxiety and depression, and offer a spiritual boost. Use your mortar and pestle to grind up a bit of the resin and place it on a bit of burning charcoal in a fire-safe dish. Carry the dish around the house to purify your space or keep it burning next to you during meditations, incantations, and other spellwork. ($3 per half ounce at Enchantments) Wear Sun Oil or burn Sun Incense with intention Hand-blended at Enchantments, Sun Oil ($15 for half ounce) invokes the energy of the sun and helps promote energy, growth, positivity, joy, self-confidence, and happiness. Wear with intention or add a few drops to an essential oil diffuser. You can also get Sun Incense ($10 for half ounce) and use it to cleanse your space and attract good fortune. Do a candle ritual with the intention of "shining light in the darkness." You can use either a white, yellow, or gold candle. Begin your ritual by taking a cleansing sea salt bath to remove negative energy and focus your intention before lighting your candle. You can carve a personal sigil (or simply a circle to represent the sun, heart for self-love, etc) and add your initials. Anoint your candle with any of the oils listed above and roll in magickal herbs. For more on candle magick, check out this story.  Photo © Victor Castro/ Enchantments Has No Hannah oil A custom recipe at Enchantments, Has No Hannah Oil brings good luck and fortune. You can wear the oil (as you would a perfume) with intention, anoint a candle with it, or add a few drops to your bath. Minimum ½ ounce for orders ($15 for half ounce, not for ingestion). Make a cup of St. John’s Wort tea St. John’s Wort is known to help treat depression and anxiety, as well promote healing and repair wounds. Add a bit of it to your regular tea blends or buy ready-made tea bags. The healing effects of St. John’s Wort are more apparent with regular use, so add it to your daily routine during the winter months. Note that Enchantments does not sell herbs for ingestion, but we do have St. John's Wort herb for use for magic (baths, incense blends, sachets, ouanga bags, etc.). Add a little hyssop (herb) to your bath and steep in its cleansing powers. Hyssop is used in many uncrossing formulas, so it’s a good herb to use in your magick bath rituals. It’s been used for centuries in purification rituals and to consecrate holy spaces. Add a tablespoon or more to a bath (or wrap the herb in cheesecloth for easier clean up) and envision the herb cleansing away any negativity or bad vibes. You can also chant, pray, or say an incantation spell during your bath. As the water drains from the tub, imagine the water taking away any icky energy with it. ($3.50 for half ounce here). Hyssop essential oil is also used in a variety of magical oil blends. You can also purchase Hyssop Essential oil for $25 per half ounce ($40 for a full ounce) online here or in-person at Enchantments. Photo © Victor Castro/ Enchantments Make yourself a cup of golden turmeric tea Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can aid in depression. It can also ease PMS symptoms, help fight viruses, ease joint stiffness, and help detoxify the body. Boil a cup or two of oat milk (if you are lactose intolerant) on the stove and stir in a tablespoon of turmeric. Add in honey to taste. When you make teas with intention, offer gratitude to the herb/spice for its healing powers. Burn or diffuse the following invigorating and uplifting essential oils to aid in happiness: ––Orange essential oil ($19 for a half ounce) ––Tangerine essential oil ($23 for half ounce) ––Lemongrass essential oil ($20 for half ounce) Try to incorporate a regular bath ritual using herbs with intention Add a cup of sea salt (not table salt) into your bath, along with essential oils of your choice. 7-10 drops should do. You can also add some herbs (rose petals, lavender, hyssop, marigold, etc), along with a cup fo milk of your choice. Shut off any technology while you're in the bath (no doom scrolling here) and turn your phone on do not disturb. Focus on releasing anything holding you back from your highest power (including anxiety, stress, the worries of the bath) into the water and as you let the tub drain, imagine it going into the pipes and letting it go. Try not to turn on the TV or get on your phone afterwards ––use the post-bath time to journal, doodle/draw, pray, or read instead. Still searching for last minute gifts for your favorite witches? Here are 11 of our bestselling favorites, from hand-blended incense blends to custom-carved spell candles, talismans and cauldrons. Aka a little something for everyone on your holiday list.  For your pagan friend who wants to manifest more work/life balance in the New Year Star of Inner Balance Talisman: $30 With a central 6-pointed star, this sacred mandala represents the union of both masculine and feminine energies. It also has an intertwining moon and sun, with twelve points of the sun extending outwards, representing the signs of the zodiac. A great gift for someone who wants to manifest new balance in all areas of their life for the new year. Note: although the talismans look gold in the photos, they are actually silver-colored and made of pewter. For your performer friend or anyone who deserves a little positive recognition Star Formula: $15 for half ounce of oil A beautiful scent, this hand-blended magical oil helps manifest new friends, positive recognition, and attract popularity. It’s kind of an “all eyes on me” oil, helping to amplify your talents and gifts, letting you shine bright like a star in the world. The giftee can either wear the oil just as they would a perfume or use it to anoint candles, add to baths, and more. For your favorite magical worker, healer, and witch –– or someone looking to boost their psychic gifts Intuition Formula: $15 for half ounce of oil We love the intuition formula! It can be used for a variety of intentions, but especially to help boost mental clarity, focus, and increase psychic powers. Add a bit to your wrist and temples as you work a spell, creative project, or anytime you need a little psychic enhancement.  For your friend who regularly calls upon the spirit world for assistance All Saints Formula: $15 for half ounce of oil Another favorite at Enchantments, the All Saints Formula is used to help attract good spirits and increase psychic power. It’s great for ritual work and can be purchased as an incense, as well. A hand-made kit that contains a little bit of everything for spell work Spell Kits: $17.50 One of our bestselling items at the shop are the spell kits. There’s Uncrossing, Money Draw, Success, Love Attraction, Healing, Peace & Protection, and more. So grab several for different friends and family, and simply use your intuition to choose the right one for each individual. Each kit contains two small, hand-carved candles, one sample hand-blended incense according to the intention, a dram of hand-blended magical oil, and a packet of sea salt for a ritual bath. Happy spell casting! A hand-carved candle spell to reign in love, happiness, and blessings Custom-Carved Spell Candles: $45 Support local shops and hand-crafted gifts with a full spell candle from Enchantments. There are many, many to choose from, but buying spell candles for others isn’t always an easy feat. We recommend trying the Love & Happiness Candle, Success Candle, or House Blessing Candle for a gift this season. Write them a note when you gift the candle and tell your beloved giftee to take a sea salt bath before beginning the spell (to cleanse their energy and aura) and focus on their specific intention before lighting the candle. It will burn for 7-10 days, but they can put out the flame when they’re not around and resume when they’re back again. They don’t have to take a sea salt bath before lighting it each time, but simply refocus on their intention again. For your writer friend or family member who’s working on a new creative project Talisman for Poets & Writers: $30 A six-pointed star rendered in the Celtic style, this talisman is an updated rendering of a magical symbol found in an ancient grimoire of sigils and alchemical symbols. The backside of the talisman includes the seal of Mercury (i.e. the God of communication and a patron for writers) and the seal of eloquence. Note: although the talismans look gold in the photos, they are actually silver-colored and made of pewter.  For your new witch friend who wants to explore more about candle magic The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita: $18.99 One of our favorite books on candle magic, Madame Pamita’s The Book of Candle Magic has everything you’ll need to begin exploring candle spells, and it’s a great gift for both beginners and seasoned practitioners. Accessible, wise, and complete, it’s become a classic that you’ll turn to again and again. For any seeker, spiritual worker, healer, or magical person in your life Frankincense and Myrrh: $6 each for one ounce Frankincense and myrrh has been used in various spiritual practices for thousands of years and the incenses and resins are great for purification, welcoming in good spirits, cleansing, protection, and more. Myrrh has a lunar energy, while the Frankincense Tears have a solar energy with a sharp fiery scent, great for any spiritual work. For the magical, Celtic goddess in your life Celtic Blend (Mystic Forest): $8 for one ounce A delicious blend (but obviously don’t ingest it, it’s meant to be burned!) of frankincense, cinnamon, cloves, and lavender, this blend is great for cleansing, protection, and invoking positive energy. Perfect for the winter months and reigning in the New Year. You may want to also purchase self-igniting charcoal to burn the resin in a cauldron. And lastly, because a witch can never have too many cauldrons… Cast-iron cauldron: $30 Another bestseller, these cast-iron cauldrons make for the perfect gift for the witch in your life. They can burn incense and herbs for spellwork, and the best part is they last forever and also come with a lid. A solid, sturdy witch staple (and $30), it’s the gift that will hopefully keep on giving. Choose from the Triple Moon design, Trifecta, Pentacle, or plain design. From hand-blended incenses to new children's books and bestselling spell kits, when it comes to gifting (at an affordable price point), Enchantments has a little bit of everything for your favorite witches.  For the friend who's in love with love (or wants to meet someone new): Love Attraction Kit, $17.50 We all have that one friend who's looking for the perfect partner but just never seems to meet them. Now you know they deserve the absolute best, so why not help them out with a little magical nudge? The Love Attraction Kit includes two hand-carved 120-candles (which burn for 5-7 hours), a dram of hand-blended spell oil, a packet of hand-blended incense, and sea salt to help attract romantic attention and draw in someone new. Tip: tell them not to make the spell about someone specific, but rather keep it open to the universe to bring the ideal person for them. *Available online or in-store. Link to purchase here. For your witchy winter wonderland bestie who loves a good scented incense blend: Winter Woods Formula, $15 for one half ounce Not only is this a celebratory blend for the winter season, it's also good for uncrossing and cleansing bad vibes. So it's kind of a two-in-one blend? If your friend regularly (or semi-regularly) smoke cleanses or just wants to invoke positive spiritual energy in the home, this hand-blended incense with a wood base will spark a little seasonal joy and help remove any negative energy around the home. Also goes great with our beautiful cast-iron cauldrons ($30) here, (a must-have item, too, even though they're not under $20). *Available online or in-store. Link to purchase here. For your eccentric, world-traveling auntie who has it all: Gold Rain Candle, $11 Help your aunt keep reigning in the good vibes with our bestselling, gold-painted picture candle. It's made to bring in success in all areas, money, and of course a little luck. This candle is very popular throughout the year and makes for a great gift since it has an appealing scent and can be used as a regular candle or a spell candle, depending on their intention. *Available online or in-store. Link to purchase here.  For the wee witch in your life who wants to learn more about Yule: Luke and the Longest Night, by Kathleen Converse and Hanna Sultanova (Moon Dust Press), $18 For so many years it was nearly impossible to find great nature-based, pagan books for kids, but those times are far behind us. This adorable new book (part of Kathleen Converse's Wheel of the Year series) is designed for children and a perfect winter solstice gift with beautiful illustrations. Accessible and uplifting, it's about a little boy who loves celebrating winter solstice with gifts and songs, but when a storm causes the lights to go out on the party, he has to remember what this special time is really all about: being with loved ones. *Available in-store only. For your friend who deserves a little relaxation and calming energy: Peace and Protection Bath, $5 Our richly scented, hand-blended bath blends are not only priced well, but they can last for up to two baths. Crafted with sea salt, herbs, and oils, the Peace and Protection Bath is designed to promote a feeling of security and peace, while also protecting against physical and psychic attacks. If your friend is feeling a little extra anxious lately, this gift will help them recenter and remember their inner strength. *Available in-store or online. Link to purchase here. For your witch friend who is always conjuring a new spell with herbs and oils: Balm of Gilead, $16 for one ounce A staple for many practicing witches, Balm of Gilead can be used to promote happiness, protection, invoke love, healing, and aid in magical workings. At $16 per ounce, it will last a while and can be added to incense blends, baths, used in candle spells, and tucked inside magical sachets (or ouanga bags). Note that Enchantments herbs are not for ingestion and should only be used for magical purposes. *Available in-store or online. Link to purchase here. For your friend who has a ton of essential oils: Stone Oil Burner, $15 Skip the fancy diffuser and go old school with this soap stone burner, which just requires simple tea lights to infuse the space with beautiful scents. A classic witchy gift, this oil burner will last for years with the right care. And at just $15, it's a great investment for anyone who uses a lot of essential oils in their homes. It comes in several designs, but we're partial to the Moon and Stars version or the Pentacle design. *Available in-store in online. Link to purchase here.  For the Victorian or Gothic queen in your life: Bronze Candle Holders, $12 each These elegant bronze candle holders come in two different styles and hold most standard tapered candles. One has a finger hook for easier carrying and a wax catcher at the bottom, while the other is more of an elongated, standard holder. Perfect for your friend hosts regular rituals or who's all about getting the right ambiance at dinner parties, these would make a great addition to their candle holder collection. *Available in-store or online. Link to purchase here. For your friend who can't get enough sparkle in their life: Glitter in every color of the rainbow, $5 per ounce Okay, who doesn't love glitter? Many people don't know this, but Enchantments also sells the glitter we use for our candles –– and the big difference is that it's not made with plastic (because burning plastic would be a no-no). This metal glitter is great for candle spells (or any fun purpose that requires, really) and we've noticed that many little witches who come into the shop also seem to love it. Add a little sparkle in your friend's life with a handful (or to be clear, an ounce) of glitter in a range of colors, including magenta, rainbow, lake blue, gold, silver, and light pink. *Available in-store or online. Link to purchase here. For the occult-curious friend who's just starting their journey in witchcraft: True Magick, by Amber K, $15.95 This beloved, bestselling book has guided countless new witches on their journey into spellwork and it's still a favorite at Enchantments. It's sold more than 200,000 copies and covers everything from elemental magick, ritual tools, spell casting, and more. *Available in-store or online. Link to purchase here. Be sure to regularly come back to this site for more Enchantments gift guides for the 2023 season and check our social media for store hours! Blessed be.
By Amber C. Snider Dia de Muertos is a time to remember, honor, and celebrate the dead. Here are some sacred lessons we can learn from the Latin American holiday, including why we shouldn't be afraid of death and ways to keep the memories of our loved ones alive.  Photo by Eduardo Dorantes on Unsplash In Mexico and throughout Latin America, Dia de Muertos (or Dia de Los Muertos) is typically celebrated over two days beginning on November 1 where altars, known as ofrendas, are set out to honor the ancestors, including setting out favorite foods, photographs, sugar skulls, flowers, and sacred or beloved objects. It originally began as an Aztec tradition, dedicated to the Lady of the Dead or Mictēcacihuātl, who ruled over the afterlife and underworld, but was later syncretized by Spanish colonizers to become All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Catholic tradition, which honors saints and martyrs. We see this also in the holiday of Samhain, an ancient Celtic holiday dedicated to honoring the dead, which later became known as Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve. Today, La Catrina, the colorful, elegant skeleton woman known as La Catrina, is a modern interpretation of the Lady of the Dead. Originally created by Mexican illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada in the early 20th century, La Catrina's image was later popularized by other Mexican artists, including Diego Rivera, and her face is now ubiquitous throughout the country. It’s believed that at this time of year, it’s easier for the spirit world to come visit us and travel between realms. During Dia de los Muertos, sugar skulls are also set out on ofrendas, or altars, to honor the dead: These colorfully painted and decorated skeletons remind us not to be afraid of death, but to celebrate the beauty and wonders of life itself. Traditions and rituals of remembrance can be found throughout the world, and it’s important to take the time to honor our loved ones and family who've passed over, especially at this time of year. Here are tips for reflecting on the lessons of the season, including building an altar to loved ones who are no longer with us, and celebrating the souls of the dead. Build an altar or sacred space in your home Clear out and clean a small section of your home, whether that’s a small table or a shelf, for your altar. Light some incense (or burn sacred wood like palo santo) to clear out the space and welcome in good spirits. Find a clean table cloth or textile that’s special to your family and place it on the table. Next, gather up the objects you’d like to place on your altar, selecting at least one object for each family member who has passed on. It could be an heirloom (like a locket), anything that reminds you of them, or one of their personal objects. You can also set out dishes of their favorite foods and drinks. Remember to keep the area clean while the altar is up. Set out photographs of loved ones who've passed on Gather any old photographs of your deceased loved ones and place them around the altar. There’s no one way to set up a personal altar, it’s all about your individual practice, but I recommend placing the objects in front of or near the corresponding photographs. Gather flowers and sacred plants Marigold flowers, or cempasúchil, are sacred for Dia de Los Muertos and are typically placed on ofrendas. Their bright, orange color attracts the spirits, but you can gather any flower that you’d like for your personal altar. For instance, if you had a grandmother who loved white roses, set that out in a vase, jar, or sprinkle the petals are your altar. Be sure to tend to the flowers while the altar is up. You can also get a Rose of Jericho: an incredibly strange, wonderful plant that resembles (at first) a dried up ball of twigs, but when placed in a bowl of water, opens up and blossoms, becoming "alive" once again. Light candles White candles can be used for so many things, but especially in honoring the spirits. Light small tea lights, 120 candles, or 7-10 day pullout candles and set them up around your altar. You can also hand-carve a special candle for your altar, and add sacred oils and herbs to the markings. The light of the flame draws in the spirits and if you incorporate candle magic, you can focus on the flame as representative of your good will and respect towards your ancestors.  Image by Jose Sanchez Hernandez from Pixabay Write letters to your loved ones When your altar is complete, take time to write messages and letters to your loved ones who’ve passed on. I find this to be incredibly cathartic, meditative, and magical, and typically write a message for several family members (and family pets) at this time of year. This could include memories, favorite qualities about them, things you wished you could’ve said when they were alive, and/or spirit petitions. Visit their grave sites If you can, right now is a good time to go visit your family's graves and pay respects in-person. Bring along fresh flowers, letters, or any sacred object you wish to show your deceased loved ones. But don't bring gloomy sadness with you –– remember this time of year is to pay homage to the life they led and the joy they brought you. Share stories with family One way of honoring the dead is by remembering them and stories help us do that. Stories are how we keep the memories of each other alive: by sharing memories with loved ones, we’re “bringing them back.” It's believed that by including a loved one on your ofrenda, or altar, you're giving them space in your home and making sure they have a place in the after life, but stories also do the same thing –– by putting words to memories, we're keeping their memory alive and with us. Antoinnette Chirinos in conversation with Amber C. Snider This month, Enchantments sat down with Peruvian-born bruja, herbalist, and intuitive healer Antoinnette Chirinos to discuss curanderismo (folk healing), cleansing spellwork and rituals, and ways she’s helping to destigmatize brujería by helping a new generation of witches reclaim the power of their ancestors.  Goddess of Avalon, Courtesy of Chirinos/H2 PR As the owner of Goddess of Avalon, an apothecary and private practice in San Diego, Antoinnette Chirinos comes from a long line of Latin American medicine women and believes in the curative healing power of herbs and flowers to help restore our physical and psychic balance. Blending Indigenous shamanic rituals with energy work, including limpia de huevo, or egg cleanses, Chirinos helps others to reconnect with the power of their intuition using plant magic. Here, as we move deeper into the autumn season where the veil between worlds grows ever thinner, Chirinos shares her unique magical practices and spiritual insights with editor Amber C. Snider. *Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Amber C. Snider: We've been talking about working with the elements, specifically the element of fire, and the power of intention. Can you talk a little bit more about how we can work with elements to manifest our intentions? Antoinnette Chirinos: Before you begin practicing magic make sure you're centered and grounded –– that is the element of earth. For that, I like to connect with my nourishing herbs like nettle and dandelion, and I meditate with them to help me ground and connect deep with the center of Mother Earth. Through the element of fire, you transform all that beautiful energy, like the snake when she sheds her skin because she's making space for the new. Your intention is the main ingredient in your potion, it's something that is going to spice it up and it's going to give power to what you're working with to bring it into manifestation. One thing I've learned through the years of practicing different rituals is not to hold on to the outcome. You’ve got to trust that sometimes things are not going to come out exactly how you wanted it or visualized. You’ve got to trust that the universe is taking your petition, is taking your spell work, on the right path. You bring your tools in, your powerful intention, and you surrender to the universe. That's how you work and flow with the universe –– you surrender. ACS: Yes, I agree. A lot of people who’ve come to Enchantments have asked ‘How can I guarantee that this spell is going to work?’ But magic, just like time, is not a linear process, right? And part of that process is surrendering, which is one of the hardest things for human beings to do ––giving it over to the universe, trusting that it will be taken care of. In your specific work, how are you helping young brujas reclaim the power of their ancestors through your Earth Magic Immersion Program? AC: It’s an eight month program and we start at the root chakra: I introduce plant allies that work on the chakra specifically and we work all the way up to our crown. Through this journey of plants, we connect with their spirit. Plants, just like everything surrounding us, have consciousness. And to me, it is very important for everyone to reconnect to our intuition. Sometimes we sit with a plant and we receive a message, and sometimes it's auditory, sometimes it's visual, sometimes it's an imprint on us. We gotta trust whatever whisper comes to us. That's the spirit of the plant. We can read about plants, we can learn through books, but the best way to learn is to experience it. The energy of a plant with me is going to be very different with you; the medicine I need is different from the medicine that you need. So through this journey, we not only learn about the spirit of the plant and the benefits in the physical body, we also learn how to read the tarot, how to work with crystals, do spell work and candle magic. I feel like all this wisdom was so well practiced back in the day, and through the years we just forgot about it, and we decided to put our power into somebody else's hands. Surrendering [to the universe] is really hard because it's trust and it's faith. You have the power within and we forget that we're so powerful. I show how to work with all these tools and at the end of the month, they’re ready –– They're creating their own potions, working with their crystals, creating crystal grids, doing spell works. They're trusting themselves again. And that's what it is about. ACS: Just as no two plants are alike and the energy we receive from the natural world is different for each person, the path of witchcraft is also so unique to the individual practitioner. I think that's where a lot of confusion comes in from the masses that don't do this kind of work. It’s essentially about reconnecting with the earth and our innate, intuitive power, as well as the wisdom of our ancestors. In terms of practical magic, can you share your favorite plant to work with in spells or potions for our readers? AC: One plant I really am connected with is rue. Rue is such a magical plant. My grandpa used to do barridas on me, or cleansing to clear energy. He’d put a little rue in my pockets for good luck, too. I feel his essence when I work with this plant –– I feel his energy surrounding me and guiding me. I have this beautiful rue plant at home and she blooms every summer with these beautiful yellow flowers and I always create a flower essence of rue. Flower essences of rue is protection for the light worker, it strengthens your aura. So in those months of fall, especially when the layers [between worlds] are so thin and both worlds are waving and swimming, I like to be very protected. Rue is very close to my heart, I use it all the time, but I do recommend it for fall.  Images courtesy of Antoinnette Chirinos, Goddess of Avalon ACS: Rue is also great for magical cleansing sprays for the house! Can you talk a little bit about egg cleansing, or limpia de huevo, specifically how it pertains to Latin American traditions and your ancestral work? AC: Egg cleansing is something that has been in my culture for many, many years, as well as many other cultures, but it's something very common. Even if I go to my aunt's house, they'll look at me and say, ‘Oh, you need an egg cleanse. You have a lot of energy around you.’ My entire family is like that. It's something very common and it's something really powerful because the egg will clear everything from your emotional body and release what doesn't serve you. To me, being born in Peru is being born surrounded by these traditions, and so I’m bringing it here with me. Most people don't know about it, but it's very normal to us. Because I've been doing this for a while, I'm able to sense energy or sometimes see energy. So I will know exactly where you need it the most, but I always start from the head, the crown chakra, and then go all the way down, and you can clean the back, too. Certain areas, like the back of the neck and back of the knee, are very important because energy gets stuck there. And then you're going to break the egg in a glass of water. Afterwards I pray. Let's say I see some disturbance in your sacral [chakra], I'm going to pray a little bit more in [that space]. I'm working like that, and connecting with that energy to clear all that. When I break [the egg], I let it sit and then I read it. Now everyone reads [the egg] differently and I believe that there are no rules for magic. There are no rules for how you practice –– your own rituals are your own. So I read it in a different way with other people, I read it as it comes to me. I can see figures and I know what it means. Sometimes each person has a different result from the egg, and even though the same thing is present, it can mean something different in every person. I know a lot of people are going to say ‘No, you have to read it like this, and this is exactly what it means,’ [but I don’t agree with that]. It’s my practice, and I teach that to my students: I always tell them, there are no rules in magic. Just because I'm teaching you the way I do it, doesn’t mean you always have to do it like that. It might work out better for you if you take a different route. [For example], if we’re making a love potion, maybe your love potion doesn't need vanilla, maybe it needs peach leaf. You have to go inwards and honor what comes to you. ACS: Do you think that others can train themselves, through their intuition, to be able to read eggs, as well? Or is it something that you feel that people have to go to a spiritual practitioner or healer for? AC: I think it's always good to get a little bit of knowledge to see how the practitioner does it so they have an idea. When you work with energy, you have to be very respectful and honor everything that you work with. So just a little bit of guidance at the beginning and then they can develop their own practice. ACS: At Enchantments, we make a lot of custom, hand-carved candle spells using magical oils and incenses. Is there a particular candle spell you’d recommend for the fall season, whether it’s for healing, cleansing, or honoring the dead? AC: Let's say you want to do a cleansing spell work with your candle –– some people like to dress a candle with herbs, but I don't do it that way. I sometimes put oil on my candle, but again, everyone has their own way to do it. [I recommend letting] a candle burn by itself when you're doing spell work and don't blow it out because when you blow it, you're spreading your intention, your wish, everywhere. You want to make sure you're sending it above you, to the universe, to support you in work. Get a small candle, center yourself in a sacred space, and call up your protection. You have to be in a good space and feeling good, even if you are doing spell work to get rid of something, because that interferes. For yesterday's spell work, [for instance] I had my rue, some white sage, and a little bit of rosemary. I got a little plate where my candle was gonna be lit, and I surrounded the plate with the herbs and I also put black salt. All these elements together are protection, and the salt is gonna get rid of everything that you don't want or need. Grab your candle with your intention and what I do is go from the bottom to the top because I'm sending my intention above. I request that when the candle finishes burning, everything that doesn't serve me is going to be cleared out of my body –– my physical body and spiritual body. You can't word it however you want and say it how many times you want. When the candle is done, I gather all the herbs that were protecting me and I put it on the soil for Mother Earth to transform this energy into something else. ACS: I love the incorporation of black salt and placing the herbs around the candle –– the idea of the circularity is there, too. AC: Yes, the candle kind of represents you. So you are casting a circle around it, a protection circle around you, and getting rid of everything that doesn't serve you. Do it with intention and power, because you are powerful. Let all those herbs support you with your journey. Just imprint your intention there, nothing bad is gonna happen. We gotta become creative. Sometimes we don't have all the tools. Look in your kitchen. You'll have the herbs. I come from Peru and didn't always have all the tools, we didn't grow up with a lot of things. But we can get creative and resourceful with it. I learned from my grandparents, if you don't have this herb, you can use this herb. That's where your power comes in. ***This interview is for educational, spiritual, and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional health services. Please note that Enchantments’ herbs are not for ingestion and should only be used for magical (manifestation, intention) purposes only. If you’d like to learn more about plant magic, visit our Plant Magic page here. For more on Antoinnette Chirinos, including her apothecary and private practice, visit Goddess of Avalon. She leads an intensive annual training through her popular Earth Magick Immersion Program and hosts monthly new moon plant ceremonies — Oct 21’s witchy workshop will focus Plant Magick Potion Making to teaches the basics and educate on the ingredients’ healing powers. By Amber C. Snider Struggling with the effects of Venus Retrograde? These seven candle spells may help with matters of love, creativity, and money, adding that little extra boost you need to get through the season.  Photo by Victor Castro Venus, the planet ruling over love, the home, money, and beauty, has been in retrograde since July 22 and you’ve probably been feeling the effects. Along with several other planets currently in retrograde (including Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto) or soon-to-be in retrograde at the end of this month (including Mercury), it’s a good time to slow down, reflect, and get your metaphorical (or metaphysical) ducks in order. Until September 3rd, when the planet Venus goes direct, use this time to reflect on how you manage your household and finances, as well as reexamine concepts of love (and self-love). It’s a time to reconsider relationships, whether they’re romantic or platonic, as well as your artistic aspirations and projects, especially before the fall season. Are you happy and fulfilled? Creatively inspired? Living authentically? If not, it’s prime time to make some changes and break old patterns. Any illusions we’ve been harboring over the years, especially in terms of love, are bound to be revealed at this time. So if you find yourself on edge or struggling with concepts surrounding love, money, and creativity, here’s how a little candle magic –– using the divine power of your intention –– may help reset your course. Crystal Healing –– A candle to help with emotional matters, including helping to heal past trauma and awaken inner clarity. Since Venus retrograde may stir up old wounds in matters of the heart, take some time to reflect and then let it go. Perhaps it’s an old ex, childhood wounds, feelings of neglect or unworthiness, but whatever is not serving your highest good right now, it’s time to release it. We can’t move forward in love without taking care of our emotional hang-ups (and illusions about love), so couple this candle spell with the intention of releasing, healing, and clarity moving forward into the upcoming Autumn Equinox. Alternatively, you can also try the Love Healing candle. Money Pyramid –– Venus in retrograde is a good time to take a new inventory of your financial life. If you’ve been a little careless with money this year, or are struggling with figuring out how to secure a better future, light this candle with the intention of financial growth overtime. The Money Pyramid helps promote long-term financial growth, fiscal responsibility, and making good choices regarding money. Remember, like the pyramid itself, you must have a solid base to build upon, and good habits will help get you there. As the candle burns over the course of 7-10 days, stay open to any insights that come your way in these matters –– be it a new financial plan, ways to save money, realizations of old habits, or any obstacles that may be in your way on your road to financial success. Also, see this story on 10 herbs for money, prosperity, and abundance. Empress Candle –– Since Venus rules over love, including self-love and confidence, retrograde may have you feeling a little off. Whether it’s neglecting your self-care routines, rituals, or engaging in negative self-talk, it’s a time to embrace your full self (flaws and all) and settle into your own uniqueness. The Empress Candle, a Goddess-based empowerment candle, helps magnify self-love and confidence, and while it can also be used for romantic attraction, it’s best not to welcome in new love at this time. The more in-tune you are with yourself, the more the Universe will open up to reveal the ideal partner for you, so it’s okay to give it time. *If you’re ordering online, specify in the notes that you’d like a pink Empress Candle with Venus incense and/or oil.  Photo by Victor Castro Love & Happiness –– Regardless of Venus retrograde, it’s always a good time to invoke a little extra love and happiness! Similar to our popular Solar Blast candle, the Love and Happiness candle helps welcome in abundance, joy, and positivity, paving the way for new friendships, relationships, and increased self-love. As the candle burns for 7-10 days, try to live in the moment, stay present with loved ones, and meditate on what will bring you the most joy in your life. Venus Candle –– A devotional candle for the Goddess herself. The Venus Candle invokes the Goddess of love, beauty, and bounty, as well as financial matters and assistance with matters of the heart. A serene, beautiful, powerful candle, consider adding a dish of salt water, pink and green stones, seashells, and Venus incense around the candle as it burns. Stay open to any insights, motivations, and revelations that come to you as you reflect on the power of the Goddess. Money Uncrossing Candle –– In order to welcome in the new, sometimes we have to clear out the old. When it comes to financial success, you can’t build an empire on faulty or unstable grounds, so it’s a good time to collect and settle your debts. The Money Uncrossing Candle helps clear out anything blocking your monetary success. Song of the Elder Gods Candle –– Since Venus rules over creativity, you may be feeling a little uninspired or stuck in your artistic projects. It’s a time to infuse your existing artistic endeavors with a burst of new life and refresh your vision –– Is there another way to see/view your work? Is there something you’re missing? Are you lacking focus? Are you seeing the big picture? The Song of the Elder Gods candle can help artists, musicians, performers, and creatives ignite that spark again, bring in new inspiration, and achieve success. While Venus is in retrograde, it’s not the ideal time to begin a brand new creative project, but it is a good time to reconfigure, reexamine, and reflect on existing artistic endeavors. For FAQ on Enchantments' candles, check out our candle page here. By Amber C. Snider With the earth’s bounty at its peak and in full bloom, summer is a great time to turn to plants and herbs to aid in healing, health, and happiness. Here, we’ve rounded up nine herbs and plants (that you can readily find at your local farmer’s market) for summer tinctures, teas, ritual baths, smoothie additions, cleansing waters, and more.  Dandelion tea. Image by Silvia from Pixabay Lavender You can find beautiful, fragrant bundles of lavender at most farmer’s markets, and that's a good thing since lavender is known for its calming, tranquil properties, as well as culinary versatility. Steep a teaspoon of lavender (and mix it with other herbs) in hot water for 5 minutes, let it cool, and make it into an iced tea (served with lemon). Also, to add flavor to your coffee, mix some of dried blossom in with the grinds each morning and brew as usual. You can also make your own lavender syrup which pairs really well with iced coffee or teas. All you need to make the syrup is a medium pan, water, and sugar: bring water to a boil, let simmer, and strain out the blossoms afterwards. Add to an empty (sterilized) mason jar or once it’s cool, any sterilized bottle will do. Other ideas include adding the blossoms to empty tea sachets for ritual balms involving peace, serenity, and relaxation, or add a few blossoms to your sacred oils. On a spiritual level, lavender is associated with relaxation, happiness, invoking joy, peace, luck, and protection. Irish Moss Used for luck, prosperity, and money spells, Irish moss also has major health benefits since it contains ‘lots of vitamins and antioxidants. Buy an ounce or two of dried sea moss at your local farmer’s market and put it in water for 24 hrs. Then empty out the water and repeat the process (although it doesn’t have to be another full 24 hours). This simply cleans and removes the salt from the sea moss. Once it’s spongy and soft, add it to a blender and it will create a “gel” that you can add into your daily summer smoothies (about a teaspoon of irish moss for each smoothie).  Lavender fields. Image by Hans from Pixabay Chamomile Chamomile is good for anxiety, helps ease tummy issues, and works as a mild sleep aid, so it’s great after a long day of frockling in the sun with friends or after a big summer cookout. Magically, it's an herb used to invoke abundance, prosperity, purification, and balance in all areas of your life, so sip a calming tea with intention, add some flowers to your bath, or add some in a small cauldron mixed with other herbs (like lavender or rosemary) for a cleansing incense. You can also steep chamomile in water, add vinegar, lemon, and some Castile soap for a magical cleaning spray. In magic, chamomile is connected to sun gods/deities, making it a great herb for summer rituals. Looking for a summer spell? Try the 7-day Solar Blast Candle to invoke happiness, growth, and luck. Calendula The bright yellow blossoms of calendula, also known as marigold, really shine in the summer months. Associated with healing, on the physical level calendula helps with eyesight, healing wounds, skincare, and contains many antioxidants so it’s super healthy. On the spiritual plane, it’s associated with the sun/sun deities, the element of fire, and used to evoke prosperity, growth, and confidence. It’s connected to the solar plexus (you can read more about that here), which is the energetic center of the body that deals with self-esteem and emotions, so it also has a balancing effect on the body and spirit.  Calendula, aka marigold. Image by Hans from Pixabay Rosemary Are you prone for forgetfulness? Or maybe you’re feeling a little mentally fatigued? Rosemary is a powerful herb that evokes good memories, assists with alertness, and is also purifying and cleansing. It contains plenty of antioxidants, so use it generously on your dishes (stews, BBQs, roasted veggies). You can also steep some in hot water and when it cools create either a cleansing, magical room spray or cleaning spray to use on your countertops, windowsills, and bookshelves. It’s a protective herb and great for cleansing spaces, adding positivity into a home, dispelling negative energies, and promoting mental clarity. *Note that Enchantments' herbs are for magical use only (baths, oils, smoke cleansing, etc). and are not to be ingested. Visit your local farmer's market for fresh and dried herbs for teas, tinctures, and culinary uses. Honeysuckle A beloved favorite during the summertime, honeysuckle blossoms are fragrant little jewels that can be made into solid perfumes, added to baths, or used to adorn sacred altars. It’s a plant often associated with beauty, sensuality, and “sweetness” so if you’re trying to add an extra dose of those elements in your life, try honeysuckle. Having a large bush near your house also draws in these properties and you can sip the luscious drops of nectar from the stem whenever you want.  Honeysuckle. Image by Ellen Chan from Pixabay Nettle So it may sting the skin, but boy is it good for your insides. This purifying, cleansing, hardy plant has an array of health benefits, especially when made into simple tinctures and teas. It’s known to help reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, alleviate pain, and balance your system, plus it contains antioxidants for good health. Magically, it’s also good to use as an ally plant for maintaining boundaries, getting into better routines and making better life decisions, and promoting healing. To make a nettle tincture, try to find fresh herbs at your farmer’s market and fill a sterilized mason jar with the leaves. Next, add 80 proof vodka into the jar, fill it up to the very top, and seal the jar for 2-3 weeks. Then, add your tincture to a sterilized dropper bottle and take a few drops under your tongue each day.  Lemon balm tea. Image by congerdesign from Pixabay Lemon Balm
Another easy farmer’s market find is lemon balm, which you can buy fresh and use for tinctures, teas, sacred oils, and ritual baths. It has a wonderful citrus scent and helps with psychic vision, calming anxiety, protection, and promoting happiness. To easily dry your lemon balm for teas, hang a bundle up in a dry place in your kitchen or add it to the microwave on a paper towel. Sweet Grass A great alternative to sage, sweet grass bundles can be used for smoke cleansing to promote good energy in the home and help consecrate and cleanse a sacred space. It’s used in magical practices around the world, but especially throughout North America and Europe. It has a sweet scent and can be braided into strands and either added to the home, burned with magical intention, or added to incense blends. What to know more about sacred herbs and oils? Check out our Plant Magic section here. *Please note that Enchantments' herbs and flowers are not for ingestion and should only be used for magical purposes only (baths, oils, smoke cleansing, etc.). For fresh, edible herbs and flowers, visit your local farmer's market. By Amber C. Snider Grief, loss, and heartache are inevitable; suffering is built into the human condition and affects us all in different ways. While the comfort of community is one of the best soul balms, inevitably, we each must deal with these experiences in our own way. Healing is a journey (one that never follows a straight line) and these practical and magical tips may help bring some comfort into your life.  Image by Miran Lesnik from Pixabay Many folks talk about the importance of self-care and self-love, and while that’s true, especially with extreme hardship, sometimes those words become overused and watered down in our social media-saturated society. Plus, it’s not always easy to prioritize self-care while you’re in the throes of complex grief or faced with loss. Still, whether you’ve lost a loved one or are battling internal turmoil, self-care (which is a form of self-love) is important to practice and cultivate. In fact, sometimes our very survival depends on it, since we can’t take care of others without first attending to ourselves. Making time for oneself –– to re-tune, recenter, refocus, and even relearn –– is a good first start. Here, we’ve shared a few magical tools, suggestions, and rituals that may help ease grief, release stress, and aid in the spiritual healing process. Candles for heartache and loss Candle magic is an intention-based, spiritual practice that dates back thousands of years across a myriad of cultures. It also helps with meditation work, acting as a small beacon of light to help attune your focus, with the flame sending your intention into the universe. At Enchantments, we love the Love Healing Candle, Sea Priestess Candle, and the Crystal Healing Candle for deep emotional healing. Made with corresponding hand-blended oils and wood-base incense, Enchantments hand-carves and personalizes each candle, making it a complete spell that burns for 7-10 days. You can also get the corresponding oils separately, including the Love Healing oil, Ocean Mother oil, Crystal Healing oil, and wear them daily as you would a perfume. Similarly, you can simply buy any white candle for spiritual healing and customize it on your own. Try rubbing the candle down with essential oils of your choice (like lavender for peace, frankincense for purification, etc.) and adding silver or blue glitter (just make sure it’s metal-based glitter rather than plastic). We recommend taking a cleansing sea salt bath before lighting the candle and speaking aloud your intentions/wishes as you light it. Let and allow your community to hold space for you In hard times, let your community come to your aid. So many of us are steeped in “self-sufficiency” and that’s great –– but it’s also okay to let others help you. Don’t be afraid to ask others for assistance when you need it. In my own recent instance of loss, a friend said to me: “Allow yourself to receive” and I was struck by her statement –– it jolted me actually –– simply because I hadn’t thought of that in my own grief. It was a simple, yet profound statement that I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear. Allow the Universe to provide for you, stay open to receiving, stay open to love and help from others, stay open to signs, and allow others to give what they can in their own way. Walk (get out in nature, solo) Many “geniuses” have remarked that they’ve come up with some of their best ideas while simply walking in nature, but it’s also a great way to release stress, recenter yourself, and get your circulation going. There are numerous physical benefits and emotional benefits to forest bathing, as well. Rather than go on a walk with a friend and filling up the space with endless chatter, take walks in nature by yourself, noticing all the details as you move along. Use it as a meditative time, a time to commune with the Spirits and your higher self, as well as tap into the deeper currents of nature.  Image by Joe from Pixabay Perform a nightly bath ritual When it’s bedtime, rather than go over your to-do list for the next day or scroll through Instagram into the wee hours of the night, turn your devices to “do not disturb” and create a nightly bath ritual. Add a half a cup of sea salt and a few drops of essential oils to your bath (lavender works well for sleep and peace). We also recommend trying Enchantments’ hand-blended sea salt bath called Psyche’s Balm Bath. During your bath ritual, bring a book if you’d like, but create a strict “no technology” rule during this time. Our previous story on bath rituals goes over excellent tips by Enchantments’ staff Carmen Pouerie. After the bath, wrap yourself up in a cozy, terry cloth robe (if you have it), spritz your pillow with hand-made lavender spray (a few drops of essential oil mixed with water and witch hazel in a glass bottle), and try doing a slow body scan meditation once you get into bed. Place a pillow under your knees for support, and start with your toes, imagining them relaxing fully into the bed. Move that sensation up to your ankles, calves, and finish with the top of your head. I also like to use various guided meditation apps like Insight Timer or Calm, but try not to get distracted by your phone and feel the urge to go on social media or check emails in between. Write as much as you can (it’s cathartic) Keep a notebook with you or just use the Notes app on your phone. Jot down random thoughts, poems, words that come to you, stories, memories. Use it all. Save it all. Look at it later. You’re keeping a record of your life in these moments. Try sacred smoke cleansing (for your psychic energy and space) If it’s not already in your practice, using sacred smoke to cleanse your aura and physical space can make a big difference. We love Rebirth incense, Meditation incense, and Kyphi incense, all of which are hand-blended with a recipe of oils and made with colorful wood base. You can also try Frankincense and Myrrh incense or resin (burn it on a disk of charcoal in a fire-safe dish such as a cauldron). Treat Yourself Yes, especially while you’re in the throes of grief or difficulty, it’s 100% okay to treat yourself to simple, physical, human pleasures. Get a mani/pedi, get a haircut (but don’t go overboard with a new style or get bangs if you don’t already have ‘em…), buy a new dress or pair of shoes, take a trip, sing loudly in the shower or street (who cares), do something that brings you joy in the moment. Practice saying “no” While you should allow others to be there for you during hard times, but it’s also super important to say NO when you don’t want it or choose to be somewhere else or do something else. Maybe you don’t want to be around that particular person’s energy or maybe just not right now –– that’s okay. Don’t feel the need to make excuses and just practice saying “no." The people who love you will understand. “No, I can’t do that at this time,” “No, I am not up for seeing anyone,” “No, I don’t want any flowers sent to my house,” “No, I don’t feel like answering your questions.” Some folks in our lives need to learn boundaries and you may find yourself helping others learn your boundaries during times of grief and heartache. All of it is okay –– say no or simply say nothing (until you’re ready to). If you found this story helpful in any way, check out our other stories here. Happy healing and blessed be. By Amber C. Snider Did you know that the symbolism of the hare, egg, and rebirth/renewal cycle celebrated at Easter all have their roots in ancient pagan traditions?  Image by David Mark from Pixabay Spring is a time for renewal, rebirth, and fertility –– when the earth reawakens from its winter slumber and the bounty of nature reveals itself once again. Celebrating the cyclical nature of earth (and all of life) has been part of Pagan and Indigenous tradition for thousands of years, including the Summer/Winter Solstices and Spring/Fall Equinoxes. The entire year (the Wheel of the Year) is made up of these sacred points, as a time to give thanks to the gods and goddesses, acknowledge that we are a part of a greater harmony, and learn the deep lessons inherent in each season. Many Christian holidays are actually based on these ancient time markers and can be traced back to Pagan gods and goddesses. In ancient Rome, for instance, December 25th was Sol Invictus, the celebration day for the birth of the sun god, Sol, or Mithra (which goes back to Persia), although there were also other festivals associated with the day like Saturnalia to mark the winter solstice and coming of the new year. The spring equinox (which occurs on March 20th) and Easter (which occurs after the spring equinox on the first full moon) is also connected to the ancient spiritual traditions of Anglo-Saxon Pagans. For starters, have you ever wondered why Easter is often associated with the Easter bunny and eggs? Interestingly enough, rabbits don’t lay eggs –– so what’s the connection with decorating them, passing them around, and seeking them out on little hunts during this holiday? There’s no mention of these things in the Christian bible as associated with Christ’s resurrection, so why and how are they associated with this time of year? And how are they connected to the Christ figure? For that answer, we have to turn back to ancient times.  Image by Deborah Hudson from Pixabay The quick answer is, there's no connection between the bunny, egg, and the resurrection of Christ. The bunny and egg are actually associated with the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic fertility goddess of Ēostre or Ostara. In ancient times, ensuring the survival of the species and future generations was of utmost importance, and the hare (although slightly different from a rabbit) was the symbol for the goddess and associated with fecundity. Neither hares nor rabbits lay eggs, but the egg was representative of fertility, birth, and new life. Just as the earth becomes “alive” again, so do we. So how did this get incorporated into the celebration of Easter in the Christian tradition? For that, syncretization is the answer. You see, when the Emperor Constantine I (306–337 AD) converted to Christianity and signed the Edict of Milan in the 4th century AD, ending the persecution of Christians and allowing for religious tolerance, the old pagan gods slowly started to dissipate from the political-religious sphere. A decade after the treaty was signed, Christianity became the official religion of Rome and soon spread throughout the world. Since the majority of people were Pagan, holding their traditions and rituals sacred, getting everyone to convert wasn’t easy. So these rituals, celebrations, and festivals had to be syncretized with the Christian religion, instead of eliminating them all together. Less than 100 years later, worshiping any god outside the Christian cannon was deemed illegal in Rome. Jesus’s rebirth and resurrection soon became synonymous with the spring equinox, and the celebration of rebirth and renewal continued, just in a different guise. Ēostre/Ostara’s symbol of the hare became the Easter Bunny and the egg…well, you get the picture. Over the centuries, this symbolism became embedded in Western culture in new ways, adapting and evolving with time. But this goes to show the deep connection between ancient and contemporary spiritual practices, highlighting just how intertwined we all are with the past, as well as the sacredness of this time of year. However you choose to celebrate, honor, and acknowledge this sacred season, whatever your individual spiritual practice may be, it's a time to marvel at the miracle of life itself. It's a time to recognize our connection with the earth, celebrate our collective “rebirth” from winter and new beginnings, cast off the old, and embrace a renewed sense of hope and wonder. Spring is here, bringing along the promise of summer and new possibility. |
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