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By Amber C. Snider To bring or not to bring on the road. That is the question.  Photo by Shamblen Studios on Unsplash I’ve never been a carry-on only girl, although I strive to be one day. Maybe one day. When it comes to travel, I’m slowly learning to pack more consciously, rather than storing up supplies in my suitcase like a deranged little squirrel. Plus, I certainly can't bring my entire apothecary of oils, incense, herbs, teas, candles, and statues with me every time I board a flight. In the spirit of packing light(er) and continuing one’s witchy practice on the road, here are a few things I recommend to lug with you along the way and what to leave at home. Bring… An uncrossing/clearing oil Since we come into all kinds of different energies and frequencies on the road — from TSA workers and hotel staff to waiters and new acquaintances — I highly recommend taking a small bottle of Uncrossing oil or a cleansing/clearing oil that works with your practice. Favorites at Enchantments include Uncrossing, Kyphi, and Van Van, all of which you can purchase in a half- or one-ounce, TSA-friendly size. Since they’re in glass bottles though, you may want to keep it in a pouch (with soft goods around it) for safekeeping. Luckily over the last 20 years, I haven’t had a problem with any breaking or spilling out in my luggage, so that’s always a subtle perk. Bring… A talisman This isn’t something you need to buy as a new item. A talisman is typically a small object or wearable piece that you already regularly use in your day-to-day life and spiritual practice. Before you embark on your travels, charge your talisman with intention (for a safe journey, a specific intention for your experience, etc.). Bring… A magical oil for success, abundance, happiness, love Depending on the intention of your trip (or what you’re trying to manifest along the way), it’s always good to add a little positive magical boost for new directions while you…actually explore new directions. In addition to the uncrossing oil, which is mainly for clearing/cleansing rituals, it’s always good to follow that up with something that invokes abundance and joy. Maybe abundance for YOU means a little extra luck or maybe it means finding hidden joy in unexpected places. Maybe you want to add a little mystique to your aura or welcome new friendships on your travels. A half ounce or full ounce of these Enchantments’ oils might do the trick: --Double Fast Luck: Increases luck in all areas. Also for money drawing. --Nine of Cups: For wish fulfillment; Brings luck and bright blessings to all areas of life --Mystere: An attraction blend. Gives an air of mystique & glamour; alluring --Sun: A Solar blend for energy, positivity, vitality, inner strength, and self-confidence; attracts positive attention --Happiness: An uplifting blend to help bring joy to the heart You can also pursue the entire hand-blended formula list here.  DO BRING a small journal and some palo santo on your journey | Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash Bring… Palo santo I love the purifying, cleansing, calming properties of palo santo and always try to keep a small stick in my bag. I prefer it to an herb bundle on the road, which can produce a lot of smoke at one time, especially in small spaces. It’s discreet enough to not overpower a rented room with scent/smoke and also typically doesn’t get red flagged at security checkpoints. And it lasts a long time, so you really only need to bring one. You can order single sticks here. Bring… A journal Rather than take a spell book, book of shadows, or witch tome with you, simply bring a personal journal. I like to get a new journal every two months (I go through them quickly) and that’s especially true for an extended trip. It’s an archive of your experience — a place you can jot new ideas, incantations, and inspirations along your journey. As such, the journal itself becomes a sacred object infused with your personal magic over time. If you’re looking for a new one, we have a few options in our brick and mortar shop. Don’t bring… Herbs and teas. Leave your magical herbs and non-medical related herbs/teas at home, since you can buy local herbs for cleansing rituals and baths at a market on the way. Markets are also one of the best ways to get to know a new culture or location, so this tip has a dual function. Pay attention to the local herbs and plants that are for sale in abundance too. This offers context to the land itself, and also sheds insight into a culture’s various spiritual practices while increasing your own alchemical knowledge. Don’t bring… Statues. They tend to be delicate and the ones that are made from metal are fairly heavy to pack in a carry on. So in the spirit of packing lighter, leave your statues to guard the home front rather than bring them on the road. Don’t bring… A ton of incense. Opt for the cone incense, a small package of stick incense, or a single palo santo rather than loose, wood-base incense (it’s the only time we’ll recommend this though as we love our hand-blended incense at Enchantments!). For the loose incense, you’d also need to carry a small cauldron or fire-safe dish, and that can add more weight/take up more space in your carry-on. Plus, you’re most likely not going to use an entire package of incense for a quick trip. Don’t bring… A large, hand-carved candle. Again, this is probably the only time we’ll say this since we’re obviously obsessed with our hand-carved, 7-day spell candles, but unless you’re bringing one as a gift for someone, it’s best to leave it at home. Opt for a small candle instead (or even better: bring a hand-carved spell kit which comes with a hand-blended magical oil, mini sea salt, and mini incense!), especially since the large candles come with a glass holder and can be quite heavy in luggage.
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Going through a breakup? Uncertain about next steps in a relationship? Feeling like something is off in your love life? If you’re trying to decide whether it’s time to call it quits, a Love Uncrossing Candle might help.  Photo by Rhand McCoy on Unsplash We’ve all been in a relationship where, at one point or another, we paused and questioned whether or not we should really be with that person. Relationships, like life, have their ebbs and flows, so just because things get a little bumpy or weird doesn’t mean you should jump the 'ship – metaphorically – and abandon a relationship. But lingering doubts and confused feelings don’t serve a healthy relationship either, so if you’re on the fence about something, you might wanna try a little magic to help bring clarity. Our favorite spell candle for this is Enchantments’ Love Uncrossing custom-carved spell candle. It burns for 7-10 days (if it’s lit continuously), but you can also put out the candle when you’re not around and stretch out the spell over the course of a couple weeks. Each custom-carved candle includes your initials and star sign, and is rubbed with a hand-blended oil associated with the intention of love clarity. That’s the basics of it, but how does the spell candle actually work? “If you’re going through a breakup, our Love Uncrossing candles are amazing for helping with clarity about relationships. Should you stay? Should you go?” says resident Enchantments witch Gabriella. “But if it’s a toxic relationship, in my opinion, please go.” You don’t need a spell candle to prompt you to exit a relationship that you know is wrong for you, but when you’re a little confused or want some things to come to light — like clarity around communication issues, fidelity, sex, long-term commitments, or anything to do with matters of the heart — the Love Uncrossing really helps.  Image by MOM from Pixabay “It’s also a good candle for helping you understand patterns of attraction that you might still be using that are not for your highest good in relationships,” Gabriella adds. “Let’s get that bitterness outside of your heart, let’s undo those knots so we can work through better patterns of attraction and progress forward for better love in the future.” You can also order the Love Clarity Oil and Incense for an added boost to your spell. Because, dear witches, you deserve love in all forms and clarity with matters of the heart. You can stop into the shop to place an order for a candle or go online to our website to order one. We ship just about everywhere in the world. By Amber C. Snider A personal story about rage, empowerment magic, and new beginnings.  Photo by stevepb on Pixabay It had been a long winter. New York's record-breaking snow lingered on the ground and persistent grey skies weren’t helping me or my magic. I longed for a change of season or some break in the monotony of it all. After a while, the city starts to weigh on you. Then, suddenly, spring arrived. It felt hopeful, as the season normally does, and I felt a shift of consciousness in that renewal. Witches are especially attuned to the seasons, since it’s built right in our practice, and boy did I need that shift. Things in my professional life were going along beautifully (as a writer and university educator) and I felt (dare I say it?) hopeful. Just as I was basking in a well-earned end to a long season, suddenly, a string of dismissive work emails came my way. It was all a miscommunication, but I was still taken aback. I was hurt. But most palpably, I was enraged. Now, you already know that it’s not ideal for a witch to become enraged. Weird things started to happen. I don’t know about you (dear reader/fellow witch), but when I let anger consume me, the environment reacts to it. It actually makes me nervous and takes me away from a seat of self-empowerment and balance. One night while out in Brooklyn, I placed my feet on the ground and focused on draining this anger back into the earth — a technique I teach in my book Wonderment as a grounding exercise — and next thing I know, there were actual sparks and mini-explosions coming from the nearby sewer grate that lasted for an hour. Then, a few days later, water randomly started pouring down from the bathroom ceiling in my apartment one night. What the….this was not good. I considered doing a variety of spells, but since my anger was so palpable, I hesitated. I didn’t want to cause any harm (even to the person who caused me harm) and in my experience, it’s best not to do magic with fear and anger looming in the background like a cinematic cartoon villain. But what to do? What does a witch do when anger overtakes them?  Image by Kanenori from Pixabay Luckily, I have wise allies in the world (spiritually and in the flesh), so I called up the head witch at Enchantments. She gave me all kinds of beautiful advice and recommended not the usual Uncrossing or Return to Sender or any other variety of spell one might do, but something super simple: “It’s about healing this time. Recentering your power. Write down everything you want to say – the real, unfiltered, unprofessional stuff – and burn it. Let it go.” She then recommended a few oils, incense, and candles for my next ritual. I went to the shop for some supplies and picked up one of our new oils from the apothecary called Inner Goddess, and let me tell you, it was divine. The scent reminded me of something from my childhood, something serene yet spicy, something grounded yet dreamy. Contradictory. Delicious. Rooted. It’s an empowerment-based oil to help with emotional strength and tapping into your inherent goddess qualities, and it was exactly what I needed, among a few other things (my secret). While I was there collecting my items, I helped a few customers behind the apothecary counter. One person came in to say that he “felt unappreciated by his job and was looking for a change. Something that aligned with his talents and generous heart.” Another remarked she needed a “boost in confidence.” We all talked as old friends and after I recommended a few oils and kits for them, and poured their oils into small drams, I could feel they left the shop a little bit lighter. Turns out, we’re all a bit more alike than we are different. We’re all kinda going through the same thing. Whether we're enraged by our political system, societal structures, corporations and institutions, or just by random individuals, we all understand this feeling. And before we tackle what's going on "out there" in the big bad world, we have to tackle what's going on within first. This is all also just to say that if you ever find yourself overcome with hurt and rage, so much that it clouds your perception and makes strange things happen around you (because I know you know what I’m talking about!), remember to stop and recenter. Do nothing at first. Then, regain your emotional strength. Regain your inherent and divine God/Goddess energy. Take a ritual bath and light a white or pink candle (perhaps a figure candle for healing). Write down all the icky garbage trapped in your throat (aka all the stuff you want to say but won’t) and then release it. Delete it or burn it, whatever. But begin with empowerment magic and the rest will fall into place. If this resonates with you in a way, here are a few supplies — all made right in our Enchantments apothecary — that you can pick up at the shop in-person or order online for your own rituals: Inner Goddess bath scrub Goddess oil or incense Bad Ass oil or incense Male/ female figure candles (for healing) An Uncrossing Candle or Kit (for purification and clearing) Crucible of Courage oil or incense Crown of Success oil or incense Rebirth Kit And if you’d like to learn more about working with figure candles, check out this story. For more on working with oils, check out this story. For a cleansing/Uncrossing ritual, read this. By Amber C. Snider Here are four ways to use our hand-blended oils at home and in your ritual space, with a few of our favorite recommendations.  If you’ve ever been inside Enchantments, you’ve definitely seen witches working their craft behind the apothecary counter tucked in the back corner of the shop. Our apothecary is home to hundreds of magical oil and incense blends, all of which are handmade right in the shop. Here are four ways to use our enchanted oils at home and in your ritual space. The amber-colored bottles hold recipes gathered over the course of many, many years from a variety of recipe sources, magical traditions, and the intuitive wisdom of staff witches. Witchcraft is an art form; it’s a craft meant to be practiced, a craft that enhances over time, usually with many trial-and-errors left in the dust. What remains is an apothecary filled with deliciously fragrant, magical oil blends, enchanted herbs and wood-based incense to help you enhance your life and the lives of others. Working With the Oils Many people come into the shop and ask, “How do I work with oils?” The truth is, there’s no right or wrong way to work with oils, with one exception: they’re not meant for ingestion. That should be a given, but we’ll say it again: Don’t eat them. Obviously. Moving on now… Here are four ways to use Enchantments’ Hand-Blended Oils: Anoint Ritual Candles All of our custom-carved 7-day candles are dressed with a corresponding oil that aligns with the intention of the candle. After carving your candle, we rub the candles down with a few drops of the oil, and you can also do the same thing at home. Whether you’re carving a small candle or a 7-day candle, you can use the oils to dress any candle or simply add a couple drops to the top of your candle before lighting it. For instance, if you’re doing a love spell candle ritual, perhaps you wanted to add a few drops of Goddess of Love Oil or if you’re doing a money spell and want to remove any blocks and welcome in financial abundance, add a few drops of Shishi Oil.  Add a few drops to a bath or sachet For a ritual bath, you can add ingredients like milks, herbs, and sea salt as you normally would, as well as a few drops of the hand-blended oil that aligns with the intention of your bath. For instance, if you’re doing an Uncrossing/Clearing ritual bath, try the Uncrossing Oil, or if you’re evoking more positivity in your life, try the Sun Oil. Use as you would a perfume with a specific intention I love wearing the oils with intention, especially when I’m trying to embody my intention or help along a particular spell. You can dab a few drops of the oil on your wrists, neck, and anywhere you would normally wear perfume. Let’s just say you need extra courage in overcoming obstacles or a challenging situation: Try wearing High Conquering for a few days or week, and it can also help draw in luck. Or maybe you have a stressful court date coming up, try the Black Candle Tobacco Formula, which helps with success at court and legal matters. Or maybe you want to amp up the sexy, sensual vibes and draw in a new lover: Try the Fire of Love formula or Mystere to invoke a sense of glamor and intrigue. Turn them into sprays The oils can also be made into sprays, so you can enchant a room, an office area, or your body to enhance your desired intention. First, you’ll need a small spray bottle, preferably glass. Add a couple drops of Enchantments’ hand-blended oil to the bottle, then add a half-teaspoon or so of either rubbing alcohol or witch hazel to the bottle. Fill the rest with spring water, shake vigorously, and there you go! If you also have tiny crystals that fit inside the bottle, you can energetically “charge” the crystals with intention and add them to the bottom of the bottle. Maybe you’d like to keep an energy cleansing spray near your desk, work space, or any space that holds a lot of intense energy: Try creating a spray with the Van Van formula, which is a great uncrossing and cleansing blend from New Orleans. Or try the Black Tourmaline formula, which is a crystal healing oil that deflects negative energy and protects from harm. Or maybe you want your spray to invoke empowerment vibes and attract success, try turning the Bad Ass formula oil into a spray for a confidence boost. Everything in the Enchantments shop is an intention-based tool, so you should use it as such. And when coupled with a specific intention, the oils really do work – which is why the recipes are still around. Not in NYC? No problem! You can order any oil directly from our shop online here. By Amber C. Snider Spring is a time of rebirth, when the earth’s fecundity reminds us of our own potential for renewal. To reign in all that spicy energy, here are a few ritual tips from Enchantments.  Photo by Artur Matosyan on Unsplash At Enchantments, Beltane is one of our favorite Sabbats, a sacred holiday that falls directly between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It’s a time when the earth awakens and you might feel yourself opening in new ways, too (emotionally, physically, and yes, sexually). “On May 1st, we honor the earth coming back to full life after its long winter sleep,” says Stacy Rapp, the head witch and owner of Enchantments. “For your Beltane rituals, we recommend red candles. You can use either figure candles or just regular red candles.” Just like the natural world around us, we’ve also been incubating seeds of our own –– perhaps in the form of new projects, routines, or deep healing. In this slow brightening of days until Beltane (May 1st), it’s a good time to celebrate the renewed commitments to our goals, spiritual practices, and usher in that joie de vivre. It’s also time to open up space for the harvest and celebrate the simple joys of being alive. To get the blood pumping, you might even want to add spicy foods to your regular diet, or (dare we say?) go ahead and take on a lover. You might find yourself uncovering your wild side during this time or feeling more open to sexual exploration. So without further ado, here are a few ritual items from Enchantments to celebrate the holiday...  Candle Rituals for Beltane. Here are four options available at Enchantments… Figure Candles (you can read more about how to work with them here via this story by Ana Vice). Male figure candles or Female figure candle are both available for $7.50 each. A red coach (120) candle will burn for roughly 6-8 hours or one day. $1.25 online and in-store.  Scented picture candle Pull-Out Candles, which will burn for 7 days. Great for a week-long ritual to welcome in fertility, excitement, passion, and fiery energy. $13 online and in-store. An Attraction Picture Candle, which will burn for 7 days or more. $11 online and in-store. A Ritual Bath for Beltane “We also recommend a Siren Seduction Bath to celebrate the sex and fertility festival,” Stacy Rapp adds. Our Siren Seduction ritual bath is a mesmerizing physical attraction formula. It creates a mood of passion, sparks feelings of arousal in potential partners, and reduces inhibitions.  Use hand-blended incense for smoke cleansing during your rituals “Our Beltane incense is specifically made for Beltane rituals. It’s a fire ritual celebrating love, passion, sex, fertility.” Simply add a half a teaspoon in a fire-safe dish or small cauldron and waft the smoke around your ritual tools, body, or space. It’s $12 for a full ounce of incense (which lasts a while) or it’s available as an oil blend for $16. However you celebrate, we hope you follow your unique spiritual path, find new growth and awakening, and have a blessed Beltane! By Amber C. Snider Instead of "summertime sadness," how about a little summertime magic?  Image by DebbieEM from Pixabay With summer just around the corner, we wanted to focus on a few plants and herbs to enhance your wellbeing, spiritual healing, and spell work. Whether you're concocting delicious summer teas in large mason jars, gathering plants for an herb bundle for smoke cleansing, or conducting summer evening bath rituals with intention, all of these herbs and plants can easily be found at your local farmer's market. Or better yet, create a mini window garden and grow your own this summer. Please note that while we do carry herbs and dried plants for magic work, the herbs at Enchantments are *not* for ingestion. Anything you'd like to make into a tea or tincture, you can get at your local farmer's market (or you may even have it already in your kitchen cupboard. Remember that sometimes magic is about using what you have on hand, so without further ado, check out these four easy-to-find herbs to make either tinctures, teas, baths, or a smoke cleansing ritual for a magical boost this summer. Calendula Calendula, also known as marigold, contains bright yellow blossoms that really shine in the summer months. On the physical level, calendula helps with eyesight, healing wounds, skincare, and contains many antioxidants. And on the spiritual plane, it’s associated with the Sun/sun deities, the element of fire, and is typically used in magical work 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. Try: A delicious summer tea with calendula. Steep the dried plant in hot water for five minutes and strain into a mason jar. You can also add chamomile and honey for a little sweetness. Drink it in the morning, while sitting in the sun, and use the strained herbs for an evening ritual bath.  Calendula/Marigold flowers | Photo by Kat Furtak on Unsplash 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. Try: A candle ritual using our Empress candle to help magnify self-love and confidence, as well as attract romantic attention. Sprinkle honeysuckle around the candle and/or use the plant in a ritual bath before burning the candle. You can also make your own perfumed oil using a few drops of our Honeysuckle fragrance oil in a small amber-colored bottle, adding a carrier oil (like jojoba oil), and a few drops of alcohol to preserve the mixture. As you create the blend focus on adding "sweetness" to your life, as well as enhanced beauty and maybe even love this summer.  Honeysuckle | Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Nettle We love nettle teas in the summertime! 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. Try: 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. Or you can add dried nettle herbs to a tea blend. Try a mixture nettle, dandelion, and rose for a summertime elixir that promotes balance, restoration, and overall good health.  Nettle | Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash Sweetgrass A great alternative to white sage, sweetgrass 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. Try: A house blessing/smoke cleansing ritual with sweetgrass. Take one of these mini sweetgrass braids ($13 for three) and burn the tip with a flame. Waft the fragrant smoke around your home, focusing on transmuting any stagnant or heavy energy into positive, flowing energy.  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. As part of our new video series, we’re answering your questions directly from social media. Add your witchcraft questions under one of Enchantments’ videos/reels and we’ll respond here on the blog.  A few people have asked under our new Incense video: “What’s that bright purple stuff?” in our handmade incense. And it’s a great question! One thing you should know is that we handcraft all of our loose incense in-house in small batches. And when it comes to some lesser-purchased recipes, which you can find on the shop website, we will actually make the incense blend on-the-spot for individual orders (with a minimum of two ounces). For our incense blends, we start with a powdered woodbase that’s self-lighting, meaning you don’t have to use charcoal. You simply touch fire (match or a lighter) to it in a small cauldron or fire-safe container. And that’s the purple stuff! It’s the powdered woodbase. But it’s not always purple… And here’s why: We work with color magic here at the shop too, so each color has a corresponding element, feeling, deity, magickal association, etc. Purple is traditionally used in witchcraft for spells involving prophecy, divine guidance, opening your Third Eye or Crown Chakra, intellectual endeavors, Jupiter, and wisdom, among other things. Any incense blends with intentions that are related to the above might have a purple woodbase. Other incense blends might have a red, blue, brown, black, or green woodbase, for instance. Witch Tip: Want to learn more? Check out our “Ways to Enhance Your Spellwork with Incense” story for free here. If you want to create your own blend at home, check out this story (also free!). Next, we add in herbs and essential oils to the woodbase and mix it up by hand. Yes, we use gloves during the whole process. It might look easy, but it’s all about finding the right balance of moisture (it can’t be too wet or dry) between the oils, herb, and woodbase, as well as following the magickal formula/recipe. Most of the recipes come from Herman Slater’s Magickal Formulary, which we still use in the shop today. Witch Tip: If you wanted to purchase the unscented woodbase in a variety of colors and make your own blend according to your magickal practice, you can do that, too. After we set the incense to dry a bit, we package it up and sell it in either ½, one, or two ounces, although individual orders (depending on the recipe), sometimes require a minimum of two ounces. When you go to burn your incense, you only need a little bit — about half a teaspoon — for a good amount of smoke. The more you work with the incense, the better you’ll get at knowing how much to add to your cauldron for any individual spell, but a little goes a long way. We ship all around the world, so even if you’re not located in NYC and can’t come visit us in-person, you can still place an order online here under our “Formulary” section. Spell by Stacy Rapp, Edited by Amber C. Snider Here, the head witch of Enchantments shares a special simmer pot recipe to invoke more prosperity and abundance in your life this winter.  Photo by Melody Zimmerman on Unsplash We love a good simmer pot here at Enchantments for a few reasons. They're an easy way to boost the energy in your home, welcome in good spirits and banish negativity, as well as add a delicious aroma to the air. Plus, the leftovers of the ingredients (both the herbs and water) can be used for a ritual bath afterwards, so you can literally soak in all your magic. For all you aspiring (and seasoned, pun intended) kitchen witches out there, this one's for you.
What You'll Need: Spring water (4-5 cups) A large pot Allspice Berries, 4 tablespoons or about 1/4 cup Bay Leaves, 4-5 leaves Cinnamon Stick, 3-4 Cloves, 4 tablespoons Orange Peel, 2 oranges' worth Peppermint Leaves, 1 teaspoon Black or Green tea leaves, 2-3 tablespoons Optional: A strainer, a large mason jar, disposable/reusable tea bags How To Make a Prosperity Simmer Bowl Gather all your ingredients together and pour several cups (4-6) of spring water into a large pot. Heat the water on the stove and as it begins to boil, add each ingredient one by one, focusing on the intention and magical property within each plant, herb, and fruit. Allspice represents balance, protection, and motivation, so focus on those qualities as you add it to your pot. It's what "holds" all the other ingredients together in this spell. Next, add in bay leaves, which are great for bringing in money and abundance. Next, add cinnamon sticks, which are good for protection and motivation, so if you've been feeling like you need a little fiery push in your life, this might do the trick. It also awakens the senses, which is a great ingredient when you're looking to add more awareness and concentration to your money-motivation connections. Next, sprinkle in your cloves, which help banish negativity, add protection, and help usher in prosperity. Orange peel is the "brightness" you need for this spell, so you're welcoming in sweet, beautiful, delicious abundance. Orange is also connected to solar energies, which center around growth, fertility, and overall prosperity. Peppermint is good for invigoration and that extra boost you might need to actually do the work of manifesting prosperity in practical ways, while green and black tea are connected to welcoming wealth, health, and balance. Now here's the thing: As you add each ingredient to the pot, you can chant over your herb/spice/fruit to let your intentions be known. If it helps to rhyme or sing something, so be it! But something as simple as "Let this orange peel, like rays of sunlight, bring brightness and abundance to my home. May this peppermint give me the pep to overcome money obstacles, and may the aroma of bay leaves invite money to my doorstep." Let it simmer on the stove for several hours, letting the aroma fill your kitchen and home, but be sure to refill it with cold water as needed so it doesn't boil completely down. As you do so, you might want to spend a little time making a new list of goals, desires, and streams of income (or a plan for welcoming in wealth and blessings). Remember that magic is also about following up with practical actions, too. You can't win the lottery for instance unless you buy the ticket, etc. How To Do A Ritual Prosperity Bath Let the elixir cool off and strain the liquid through a cheesecloth or colander. Keep BOTH the liquid and herb mixture: Add the mixture to a tea bag (or tie off the cheesecloth with some string) and keep the elixir in a jar or put it back in the pot. In the evening, draw a hot bath, conjuring the memory of the individual herbs and their magical properties. Focus on how these individual and collective energies of the herbs will now permeate your life and envelope your life, marking a clear path for abundance, like the forward rush of a river. Pour the cooled simmer pot water into your bath water and soak for 30 minutes. As you settle in the tub, focus on various paths being cleared in your life to welcome in new abundance, whether that be through money, removed obstacles, new work opportunities, new blessings, and unexpected (positive!) windfalls. Soak up the magic you've created in the bath and be sure to keep track over the course of the month for new changes in your life in regards to prosperity and new sources of abundance. You can also return the herbs back to the earth by scattering them under a tree or your lawn. Have you tried one of your spells and it worked? Leave us a comment with your experience below! By Amber C. Snider The return of the sun may seem a long way off, but there are a few spiritual exercises, rituals, and magical tips to harness and awaken the healing energies of the sun.  Photo by Eugene Golovesov on Unsplash While the winter brings along its promise of cozying up at home, self-reflection, and snow days, sometimes it can leave us feeling sluggish and uninspired. The Solar Plexus, or the Third Chakra — the energetic center connected to the sun, our emotional balance, and energy levels — is a vital part of our overall wellbeing. It’s the center of our personal power, as well as our sense of self and identity. When this energetic center is out of balance or needs a bit of healing, we may feel a little “out of control” emotionally or maybe our bodies feel a little inflamed. Or perhaps we feel stagnant, unmotivated, and fatigued. Tuning into this energetic center and working towards unblocking any stagnant energy can help, along with holistic and magical rituals. So where exactly is the Solar Plexus located in the body? Given that it’s your “center,” it’s located in your abdomen, right between your belly button and breastbone. When it’s blocked or needs balancing, you might experience digestive issues, anxiety, or inflammation. The Third Chakra, or Manipura as it’s known in Sanskrit, is associated with the color yellow and the element of fire, and so candle rituals (accompanied with other spiritual wellness practices) are a great way to help rebalance and restore this sacred center. Here are 8 ways to work with and balance the Solar Plexus for healing and awakening this winter season.  Photo by Clark Van Der Beken on Unsplash Candle Magic Rituals for the Third Chakra Try a hand-carved, custom Third Chakra candle for cleansing, healing, balancing, and strengthening your solar plexus. Associated with energy, power, will, assertiveness, self-esteem, confidence, and courage, this candle is carved with your astrological sign and name, and will burn for 7 days. We recommend taking a ritual sea salt bath before performing any candle magic ritual, meditating on the color yellow as you light the wick, and saying words of affirmation, chanting, dancing, singing, etc to raise your vibrations to align with your intentions. Alternatively, the 7-day Solar Blast candle is also great for growth, expansion, empowerment, and invokes the energies of the sun. Change up your signature scent Wearing intention-specific scents can do a lot to change our awareness on a subconscious level. Enchantments’ hand-blended Sun oil is great for invoking the fiery, expansive energy of the sun. You can wear it as you would a perfume or burn it in a small stone oil diffuser at home. Motivation oil is also a great choice if you’re feeling a bit sluggish or unmotivated, as well as Concentration oil. Outside of wearable, hand-blended oils, you can also try diffusing essential oils like sandalwood and cinnamon in the home. Work with crystals Amber, citrine, tiger’s eye, and pyrite are all great for helping to balance the solar plexus. Find a gemstone that works for you, charge it with your intention of healing (hold in your hand, preferably in the sunlight, and chant a mantra over it) and keep it in your purse/pocket or wear it as a pendant. If you’re buying a new crystal/gemstone, it’s ideal to cleanse it from outside energies before wearing it. You can do this by placing it in a bowl of salt for 1-2 days, wafting it over sacred smoke (smoke cleansing), or bathing it in sunlight or moonlight.  Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash Color meditations In my book Wonderment, I have an entire chapter about color magic, including ways to work with the solar plexus through color meditations. Color magic is a super powerful way to connect your intentions with energy. For the solar plexus, visualize a small, bright ball of light in your belly area. As you breathe into that center, imagine that golden, radiant light expanding outwards, following through all your limbs, and eventually extending beyond your body and setting around your auric field. Alternatively, you can pick a natural yellow object to meditate on, such as a sunflower, daffodil, or marigold. Imagine the flower starting out as a seed at your center, growing and blooming inside you, and filling your body with a luminous yellow hue and light. Sit with this visualization for at least 5-10 minutes per day while working on your solar plexus. Burn sacred incense for the solar plexus The best incense for the solar plexus is Sun incense, Motivation incense, and Crucible of Courage incense. These hand-blended, wood-based incenses do not require charcoal. Simply add a tablespoon or more of the incense to a fire-proof dish, touch fire to it, and smudge your aura and house 2x per day (and before rituals) while balancing your solar plexus. Exercise Since our solar plexus is located in our physical center, it’s a good idea to add some physical movements and exercises to your routine. Exercises focused on the core are ideal, as well as yoga, deep breathing exercises, and light walking in the sun.  Photo by Mads Eneqvist on Unsplash Consume more yellow foods Consider adding squash, sunflower seeds, bananas, oats, cinnamon, and marigold tea to your meal plan for the week. As you consume yellow foods with intention, ask the food to cleanse, heal, and open your energetic center. Visualize how the sun encourages plants and vegetables to grow and flourish; as you eat, you’re also taking in that powerful sun energy as it fills and nourishes your body. Harness your creative spark with color magic We are creative beings by nature and magic isn’t all about rituals and formalities. Add some play and creativity to your daily routine by painting a vibrant yellow wall in your room, creating an acrylic painting with various yellow tones, or wear a bright shade of yellow to uplift your mood. I wrote about more ways to incorporate color magic into your routine in this Architectural Digest story, as well as in my book Wonderment (available for purchase at Enchantments), under the chapter entitled “The Healing Power of Color.” By Amber C. Snider With the approaching Winter Solstice and Yule celebrations, you might still have some last minute gifts to snag before the holidays. Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite Goddess-inspired gifts for the season, starting at just under $15.  Whether you're looking to gift a new oracle deck, a self-love spell kit, or goddess statues, here are a bestselling favorites to help invoke more goddess energy throughout the holiday season and new year. Self-Love and Empowerment Ouanga, $13 We love a ouanga bag at Enchantments! Hand-crafted with herbs from our apothecary, this Self-Love and Empowerment ouanga helps boost inner strength and faciliates emotional healing. Wear it in your pocket, purse, backpack, or keep it near you while you sleep. You can also psychically "charge" the bag with intention before you use it.  Inner Goddess Salt Scrub, $25 A new product in the shop and a quick bestseller, our Inner Goddess Sea Salt Scrub is perfect for ritual baths and self-care rituals involving self-love, empowerment, and emotional healing. It's a handmade, magical mix of herbs and oils to re-enchant your life and the organic coconut oil helps sooth dry winter skin.  Custom Hand-Carved Empress Candle, $55 One of the bestselling spell candles in the shop, the Empress candle helps magnify self-love and confidence, and can be used to invoke goddess energies. It's normally carved on a pink candle (for Venus/Aphrodite), but can also be carved on a yellow candle. It's a great gift for someone looking to invoke more love, empowerment, and divine feminine energies in their life, as well as used to attract romantic attention.  Empowerment Kit, $35 This special Empowerment Kit comes with two hand-carved spell candles, a dram of Venus/Goddess of Love oil, incense, Bad Ass Bath (for a ritual bath), and the incredible book Women Who Run With the Wolves, all packaged together in a fabric bag. The bestselling book is all about myths and stories of the wild woman archetype, and has been one of the most influential books of the last few decades. According to the publisher, the author "Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, folk tales, and stories, many from her own traditions, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature." It's a must-read for those on the goddess path or who want to tap into their own divine wild woman energies to lead a more creative, passionate, intuition-driven life. Premium Amethyst Pyramid Pendulum, $27 Pendulums are great tools for divination, dowsing, and answering questions relating to love, work, health, money, and much more. This one is crafted with amethyst (a stone often connected with the Crown chakra and divine wisdom) and comes with both a bag and an instruction booklet.  Afro Goddess Tarot Arcanas, $50 Artist and storyteller Andrea Furtick created the Afro Goddess Tarot Arcanas to realign traditional esoteric structures for a more inclusive tarot experience, blending modern and ancient symbolism, and a diverse range of melanated skin tones across 80 gilt-edged cards. It also comes with a full-color, 108-page guidebook that helps illuminate the card's messages.  Small Abalone Shell, $20 We love a good abalone shell and have found they make for great gifts! We also love getting them as gifts too since they're so versatile for spell work. You can simply use it as decoration around you home, add it to your sacred home altar, or use it for ritual work involving burning herbs such as sage.  Custom Hand-Carved Lady Silk Candle, $55 If you have a friend in your life that's looking for love and needs a little confidence boost in the realm of dating (and the art of flirting), this Lady Silk candle is very powerful. It's more of a playful, fun candle rather than "I'm looking for my life partner," so cast your spell wisely, especially if you're trying to amp up those sexy vibes for the new year.  Lilith Handmade Incense or Oil, $24-30 Lilith has gotten a bad rep for centuries, but all that has thankfully changed in recent times. A powerful feminine force, Lilith helps us recognize our autonomy, strength, and intuitive wisdom. This hand-crafted oil or incense blend calls forth the Goddess Lilith in her enticing aspect and can be used in a variety of rituals and spellwork. Purple Wisdom Formula, $24-30 Another bestseller in the shop, our Purple Wisdom incense or hand-crafted oil blend is created for invoking wisdom & insight in all intellectual or magical endeavors. It also helps open the third eye for psychic workings and gaining knowledge.  Feminine Myths Oracle, $29 This gorgeous oracle deck invokes the song of the goddess since the beginning of time. It's boldly illustrated and features feminine, cross-cultural deities with a surrealist twist. From ancient Greece, Ireland, Haiti, and beyond, each card is accompanied by animal, elemental, and botanical allies. There are also traditional "maidens, mothers, and crones as well as enigmatic heroines and gender-fluid spirits" that dance through this deck.  Custom Hand-Carved Great Mother Candle, $55 A soothing, powerful, devotional candle to the Great Goddess, this hand-carved spell candle makes for a perfect gift for someone wanting to connect more deeply with the energies of the Great Mother Goddess.  Aphrodite Statue (Mini), $20 We have an array of God/Goddess statues at Enchantments and they all make for excellent gifts for the pagan or witch in your life. This mini Aphrodite Statue represents the goddess of love, desire, and beauty in a Veronese design. Here's a little history of the goddess: Aphrodite was the goddess of love, desire, and beauty. The most well known myth about her birth was when Cronus castrated his father Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea, Aphrodite arose from the sea foam on a giant shell and walked to shore. Aphrodite was the patron of love and lovers. She enjoyed trapping other gods in love affairs, and she herself was not left out of the game. Being the lame god Hephaestus' wife, she embarked on an affair with Ares.  Whether you're looking for a Yule gift for your witchy friend, partner, or co-worker, Enchantments has you covered.  As the oldest witchcraft shop in New York City, Enchantments specializes in tools to help a variety of spiritual paths, from tarot decks and incense to pagan books and pendulums. If you're looking to gift a curious, unique gift to the resident witch in your life or simply fill a few stockings without going over budget, we've rounded up some of our bestselling products for $25 and under. You can either order online or pop into the shop in Manhattan. Blessed Yule and Winter Solstice, witches, and we hope to see you in the store soon! Pine Smudge Kit, $25 One of the best "deals" in the shop, this complete smudging kit comes with a pine smudge stick to cleanse your home and space, a mini sweetgrass braid (which you can also burn to promote happiness and joy), a palo santo stick (which welcomes in good spirits and energies), a small abalone shell, and a small green candle. We love this pine scent of this bundle, and how the kit comes with other smoke cleansing options to lift your spirits and raise the vibrations of your home. Fun fact: Christmas trees are actually a Pagan tradition. Evergreen trees are decorated as a celebration during the Winter Solstice to represent everlasting life and welcome in new blessings. This tradition has shown up cross-culturally for thousands of years, including for the Druids, ancient Romans and Germans, Norse, and Celts.  Dreamscape Oracle Deck, $25 Perfect for your tarot-loving friend, this Art Nouveau-style Dreamscape Oracle has 32 gold-foil stamped cards depicting animal messengers and mythological archetypes to help explore the liminal spaces in our lives. It's a great gift for both beginners and seasoned practioners, especially since it comes with an 80-page guidebook to help interpret the messages. The deck can be used as a stand-alone divination tool or as a companion to the Ethereal Visions Tarot.  Love Attraction Kit, $22 For those gift seekers looking to attract romantic attention over the holidays or into the New Year, or just amp up love in an existing relationship, try Enchantments' Love Attraction Kit. It comes with a small dram of oil, mini incense and sea salt packet, as well as two hand-carved spell candles.  Wonderment, (autographed copy): $23 Written for both the spiritually-curious and seasoned practitioner, Amber C. Snider's book Wonderment: An Eclectic Guide to Awakening Your Divine Gifts and Inherent Potential is filled with techniques and spells to help uncover the elusive spark that permeates all things and awaken your psychic senses. The author uses her personal journey as a travel journalist as a framework to explore larger, esoteric concepts and spiritual experiences. It's an especially handy gift for artists, psychics, creatives, or those looking to tap into a deeper understanding of nature and the spirit world.  Tarot for Beginners by Barbara Moore: $16 Some say you must be "given" your first tarot deck, but we don't necessarily agree with that over here at Enchantments. But for those looking for a good entry point into the art of Tarot, this popular book by Barbara Moore helps readers tap into the meanings of all seventy-eight cards. It also includes sample readings and spreads to help you practice as you develop the essential skills and create your own style. Since it follows the classic Rider-Waite structure, it's fairly universal in its approach, regardless of the deck you own.  Sacred Waters: Rose, Holy, and Florida, $19 While you can purchase each sacred water separately, we love the idea of gifting all three at once! Great for cleansing your altar, sacred spaces, and even used as a general wash around the house, these sacred waters are all multi-purpose in spell work. The Rose Water Cologne comes in an eight ounce bottle for $6, the Holy Water comes in a four ounce bottle for $5, and the Florida Water comes in a 7.5 ounce bottle for $8. Solar Blast Salt Scrub, $25 A new product in the shop (but with the same classic formula you're used to from the Solar Blast Sea Salt Bath) this scrub is made with solar herbs and oils to promote happiness, confidence, and positive energy. The organic coconut oil helps soothe dry skin and keep it moisturized. Great for ritual baths, intention setting, and pre-spell cleansing rituals.  Rue Scented Pictured Candle, $12 Rue is a powerful cleansing herb that promotes positive energy, good luck, happiness, and welcomes in good spirits. We love it as an herb (which can be used in a variety of spells), but also this scented picture candle. It makes for a great stocking stuffer and every witch in your life will appreciate a little rue.  Smudge Kit, Cedar: $25 Another great all-around gift is this new Smudge Kit with Cedar. Rather than opt for white sage as a cleansing tool, we love cedar, which is grounding, nurturing, and connected to the root chakra. This kit comes with the Cedar Smudge stick, a mini Sweetgrass braid (good for promoting happiness, luck, and joy), a palo santo stick (a sweet-scented wood used for cleansing and setting intention in your space), as well as a small abalone shell and green candle.  Looking for more witchy gifts? Stay tuned for new, curated gift guides throughout the 2025 Yule Season. In the meantime, you can read more about candle magic here or visit our main store website here to check out more gifts. By Amber C. Snider And no, none of them involve candy or tricks, just practical magic and tips.  Image by ozaytseva from Pixabay Halloween originally stems from the Celtic holiday Samhain, a night that involved feasting, honoring the dead, bonfires, divination, and building altars for the ancestors. On the night of October 31st, it's believed that the spirits walk the earth and it's easier to communicate with the other side, hence why you may hear witches say "the veil between worlds" is the thinnest on this night. It's believed the spirits can more easily hear your petitions and prayers, and that they can commune with you, which is why we also leave out food and gifts of remembrance for our deceased loved ones at this time. Samhain, or Halloween, is also called the "Witches New Year," as it marks a significant time of death/rebirth cycle, and signifies the end of the harvest period and the beginning of winter. While there are many ways to celebrate this holiday, here are a few spell tips from the witches at Enchantments to assist in your magic. Also, with a Full Moon coming up on November 5, it's also a good time to begin lunar manifestation work.  Photo by Marisabel Santiago for Enchantments For divination and spirit communication Anoint purple candles (or you can use white 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. To honor the death-rebirth cycle One of my favorite plants to work with on Samhain and the days following is the Rose of Jericho plant (we sell them at Enchantments here). Take the plant and place it in a shallow bowl of spring water. Watch in wonder 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. Black Cat candles are very popular at Enchantments and can be used for a variety of magic. If you'd like to learn more about working with the healing power of Black Cat candles, check out this other story, "The Power of the Cat: Luck, Attraction, and Healing." To Honor the Dead "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. Create a Sacred Altar Similar to Samhain, in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st through November 2nd. It is a time when the 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. Blessed Samhain, witches xx By Amber C. Snider A personal journey into the power of uncrossing and why you should always remember to do one thing after casting your spell.  Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy | Unsplash Many, many moons ago at Enchantments, I remember discussing the concept of Uncrossing spells with the owner/head witch, Stacy. She remarked on how an Uncrossing spell helps remove blocks and anything that is no longer serving us and our higher purpose. It clears away the cobwebs and paves the way for new beginnings. Essentially, an uncrossing is about removal, stripping away, releasing, cleansing. Just as we clean our physical bodies with soap and water, we must also take time to cleanse our spiritual bodies, as well. But just like how any good scrub down session in the bathtub (or what some folks call the “everything shower”) can leave your skin dry and sometimes irritated, it's wise to follow-up all that washing with a balm, a lotion of sorts, to replenish what was lost. The same goes for magic, especially when it comes to uncrossing: afterwards, you should follow it up with a new manifestation, something you’d like to bring into your life next to fill the space you cleared away. I’ve known this to be true for quite some time, but over the years, even these seemingly basic lessons can get lost in the chaos. A few months ago, I found myself in a whirlwind romance, like a lightning bolt out of nowhere, and it was intoxicatingly fun for a while. But soon, the burgeoning of love turned chaotic, causing more hurt than pleasure, lacking a foundation for any real growth for a mature love. Soon, the yellow flags turned crimson red and I could no longer turn away from the glaring fact that this was not the person for me. One particularly confusing night, I did an Uncrossing spell for clarity, to help clear away that which no longer served me, and since one’s Spirit Guides and Higher Power tend to know what’s best, I accepted that whatever comes will come, and that it will be for the best. Soon after the spell had been cast, the person in question was gone from my life, leaving behind a messy trail in his wake, like a glittering road after a parade, filled with metaphoric shards, trash, empty words, and discarded (red) flags. I was free again. But in the aftermath, I had forgotten an important lesson I had learned so many years before: that one must follow-up this kind of necessary release with a new manifestation, something positive like healing, abundance, self-love, or peace. Shortly after the Universe had swiftly answered my call, over the next few weeks I found myself depleted, exhausted, and zapped of, well, joy. And this is why after an uncrossing, one must work towards filling an empty space/release with something positive, lest it be filled up by whatever’s floating around. Vestiges of the former lover’s “drama” kept popping up in my life, trying to reel me back into his cycle of messiness. Perhaps, the spell wasn’t complete after all. I decided to tap my friend and fellow witch Marisabel for insight into how she deals with uncrossing spells and the aftermath of getting exactly what you want.  “Uncrossing is a healing process for both the spirit and the mind, but not all uncrossings arrive in the same way. Sometimes they’re defensive, meant to shield you from further harm and tackle slander, envy, or the evil eye,” says long-time Enchantments witch Marisabel Santiago and founder of Sorcely. “Other times they’re cleansing, helping to dissolve the places where my spirit feels stuck or blocked. What I’ve learned is that the work of uncrossing can be just as tiring as scrubbing down an apartment or sitting through therapy. It’s necessary, but a lot. You cleanse, you heal and then you redirect.” That was the problem: I didn’t redirect my energies — my sacred, powerful, magical energies — and channel them into something higher. No wonder I was feeling fatigued and a bit lost. I had to reclaim my magic. And the redirecting aspect is just as important as the uncrossing itself: “I believe we only truly overcome a crossed condition when we can find our way back to our purpose, back to what restores our alignment with faith,” says Santiago. So what can one do after an Uncrossing spell to restore joy, redirect energies, and renew a sense of awe and wonder? “Sweetening spells are great because they welcome back the love, clarity, and happiness that crossed conditions can strip from us,” Santiago recommends. Burning yellow candles and happiness kits, sun baths, washing your floors with orange water.” Simply getting out into nature more and reconnecting with the earth can also do the trick, but in terms of candle spells, here are a few that are great for invoking abundance, love, and healing (and also my personal favorites): Crystal Healing, Empress, Venus, Love Healing, and the Sea Priestess candles. Also, if you’re serious about a new self-love empowerment journey, there’s also the Empowerment Kit, which contains a sacred Goddess oil blend, hand-carved candles, and one of my favorite books on the planet, Women Who Run With the Wolves. So which follow-up spell will I be doing? That, my friends, is only for me and my spirit guides to know. A witch never reveals her spells before they’re worked. It’s my hope, however, that my "mistake" will help you in your own magical journey, in your spell work, in your healing, towards a more transcendent, joyous, and fruitful life. As it is said, so it shall be. Blessings.  You can read more of Amber C. Snider’s work in her new book Wonderment: An Eclectic Guide To Awakening Your Divine Gifts and Inherent Potential (Llewellyn, Feb 2025), which helps you uncover the elusive spark that permeates all things, awaken your psychic senses, and tap into your creativity with the help of nature, magic, and the spirit world. Signed copies are also available here at Enchantments.  Amber C. Snider is an author, journalist, and senior lecturer with bylines in the NYT, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Fodor’s, Harper’s Bazaar, Atmos, and many more at her website here. She’s also the editor-in-chief of Enchantments, a digital publication she created and designed with the head witch of the namesake shop located in New York City. By Amber C. Snider Whether you're headed back to school as a student, teacher, professor, or administrative worker, there's so much magic in this new season. Here are some spell candles to help with focus, academic success, creativity, and more.  Fast Luck Candle and Emperor Candle | Photos by Victor Castro For students, parents, and educators, “Back to School” jitters are a mix of excitement, nerves, and anticipation about the year ahead. I personally love this time of year, when the air gets crisper and is filled with a sense of renewal and intellectual excitement. In fact, it's my favorite time of year, especially as a writer, witch, and professor, and I love the opportunity it brings to combine all my passions (writing, magic, and helping others). Still, this time of year can be a bit nerve-wracking since everything is so new and unknown. A new classroom, students/teachers, subjects to learn, etc. Here, I've put together some tools from Enchantments to help you navigate this school year or semester with confidence, curiosity, focus, concentration, and a little luck. Whether you're a young student, college student, parent, or simply embarking on a new intellectual journey, here are a few spell candles to assist in your magical practice. For Academic Success (At Any Age) We recommend using the Emperor Candle or Academic Success Kit. The Emperor candle is all about expansion, divine guidance, luck, and growing confident in your work. It's great for when you really need to 'hunker down' and get a project completed, or when you'd like to manifest higher wisdom. The 7-day Emperor candle is especially good for those preparing for a big exam, long research project, and/or bringing recognition for a job well done. Similarly, the Academic Success Kit is a smaller version of the Emperor and includes two candles that burn between 7-12 hours to help promote intellectual pursuits. Alternatively, you can also try the "Fast Luck" Candle (pictured above), which can help during deadlines and inspiration over the course of one week. For Art Students & Artists Enchantments' Success in the Arts kit is a great tool for those in the performing arts or creative industries. For those working on a specific creative project and in need of a little “inspirational boost” try the Song of the Elder Gods 7-day candle, which is especially great for artists, musicians and performers. It also provides inspiration, focus and creativity and helps to achieve success or try the Song of the Elder Goddess (a Goddess-based candle for creativity, inspiration and success in the arts. To invoke the creative muse while you’re working on a project, you can also try the Divine Muse oil (or Divine Muse Bath) or Inspiration oil. Simply add a few drops to your wrist or neck (wear it as you would a perfume) or anoint your tools, such as pens, notebook covers, or creative objects with the oil.  Enchantments candle carving | Photo by Victor Castro For Elementary School Students or Parents If you’re a parent who practices magic with your wee witch, try doing a 7-day Solar Blast Candle together (or kit), which promotes happiness, friendship, growth, and positivity all around by invoking the energies of the sun. It's a candle that helps add a spark of joy in your everyday life. You can also use the Sun Oil in a diffuser during the day to encourage these qualities and keep the energy up in the home. When bath time rolls around, try using the Sun Bath Scrub (a solar blend for energy, positivity, vitality, inner strength, and self-confidence). For Pagan families looking for age-appropriate magical reading material for younger minds, check out the book Wee Witches, by Ted Enik and Beth Roth, which not only has a great little story, but is beautifully illustrated. For Junior High Students Honestly, if you could do it all over again, would you go back to middle school? (I can hear you cackling through the screen right now shaking your head NO). Middle school is a tough time because kids are figuring out who they are, where they fit into the world, and trying to develop a stronger sense of their identity. And with all that pressure, sometimes their self-esteem can take a hefty hit, especially if they’re trying to make a good impression. Try the Self-Esteem Kit, which comes with two smaller candles, a dram of self-esteem oil, and a sample hand-blended incense. It’s great for clearing negative emotions, as well as promoting self-love and self confidence. Similarly, Star oil also helps attract new friends and gain recognition. For High School/College Students The Academic Success Kit (or the 7-day Emperor Candle) is great for high schoolers and college students, as well as the Solar Blast Candle and Self-Esteem Kit. For stressful times (especially when SAT prep, college apps, and exams come along), try incorporating ritual baths into your practice. Some great baths for academic success include Crucible of Courage Bath (which helps in facing and overcoming fears, building courage and inner strength), Fast Luck Bath (which increases luck in all areas), and/or using the High Conquering Oil or Incense (also known as High John the Conqueror) which attracts luck in all areas and strength to overcome obstacles. For Parents/Teachers/Educators Try a 7-day Success Candle (or the kit here) or the Peace & Protection 7-day candle (or kit here). The Success candle promotes success in all areas, but as with any magick, you have to add/focus on your specific intention (such as focusing your intention on having a successful school year in general, success with navigating a new subject, or success in overcoming a specific difficulty or new challenge). Try to get as specific as possible when you use the Success Candle. The Peace & Protection 7-day candle (or kit or bath) is great for reigning in a sense of calm during challenging times, as well as preventing physical or psychic attack. But remember folks, magick does not and cannot create some invisible shield to make you invincible from harm, so practice common sense, as well. For Anyone in Academia Stress Relief & Relaxation Kit can help bring serenity and peace of mind. All Enchantments kits come with two 120 candles (which burn for about 7-12 hours), a dram of hand-blended oil, and a sample of hand-blended incense. You can use the contents of this kit for short ritual and also keep the dram of oil to use (as you would perfume) throughout the month when you need a dose of calm. You can also add magickal oils to your daily routine by diffusing them in your work/study space, anointing yourself with them (as you would perfume), or adding a few drops to your bath. Some great ones to try are Concentration oil, High Conquering oil, Crown of Success oil, Jupiter Oil, Motivation Oil, and Star oil. Here's to wishing you all a blessed new school year! Recipe by Stacy Rapp; Edited by Amber C. Snider A new Lughnasadh simmer pot recipe to invoke prosperity, blessings, love, and happiness, all while refreshing your home with a serene scent.  Photo by Anne Nygård on unsplash A great way to spiritually refresh your home is to try a summer simmer bowl. And one of the best things about it is you can use the herbal water for a bath ritual later in the evening. Lughnasadh, an ancient holiday to celebrate the first harvest of the year, is a great time for rituals involving abundance, growth, and gratitude. Historically, this time of year is a pivotal point in the calendar for harvesting the first grain and fruits of the season, which helps ensure survival over the coming winter months. It’s also the midway point between the summer solstice and the fall equinox, and part of the eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year in the Wiccan religion. Lughnasadh is a time to celebrate all the hard work you’ve put in up until this point, get excited about the upcoming fall season and give thanks for the blessings of summer. For modern witches, Wiccans, and pagans this can also involve doing spellwork and rituals around prosperity, abundance, growth, and gratitude. Here, head witch Stacy Rapp put together a simmer bowl and bath recipe for abundance, gratitude, and blessings for this sacred time of year. Lughnasadh/Lammas Simmer Bowl Recipe Ingredients: Apple peels, around 2-3 apples Chamomile Flowers, a handful Juniper Berries, around two tablespoons Meadowsweet, a couple small blossoms Rose Petals, one cup Rosemary Leaf, 1/4 cup Sunflower or Marigold Petals, a handful Woodruff, two tablespoons *Herbs and flowers can either be dried or fresh. Use what you have! *Do note that herbs and flowers purchased at Enchantments should not be ingested and are intended for magickal use only.  Instructions: Step One: Take out a large simmer pot and fill it with spring water. Set it on the stove while you gather the ingredients above. If you don't have a particular herb or flower, that's okay! Just improvise with what you have. As you place each ingredient in the bowl, focus on tapping into the energy of the plant and inviting abundance, prosperity, and happiness into your home. Say "thank you" to each ingredient as you place it into the pot. Step Two: Heat the water with the plants on the stove and once it reaches boiling temperature, turn the stove down to the lowest possible setting. Do not cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 3-4 hours, but keep a close eye on the water level and refresh the water as necessary every 20 minutes or so. Step Three: As the water boils, conduct other simple, soothing rituals around your house. Perhaps write down what you're grateful for, what you'd like to manifest in the coming season, and take note of what brings you pure, quiet joy. You can also meditate, do a stretching exercise, or light a Solar Blast candle to reign in the last energies of the summer sun. Step Four: Once you're done with the simmer bowl, don't discard the water! Your ritual isn't over yet. Strain the liquid into a mason jar and set it aside for the evening. Take the dried herbs and carry them outside, giving the plants back to Mother Earth. Say "thank you" as you return them to the earth. Step Five: Light a yellow or white candle in the evening and add the Lughnasadh herbal water to your bath. Focus on a white cleansing light around you in the bathtub as you soak in the magic you've created. Blessed Lughnasadh! By Amber C. Snider Lughnasadh, an ancient holiday to celebrate the first harvest of the year, is a great time for rituals involving abundance, growth, and gratitude.  Photo by Kura Tregenza on Unsplash Each year on August 1st, Lughnasadh is a Celtic/Gaelic festival that dates back to roughly the 1 A.D. and marks the time to the harvest, as well as giving thanks for the abundance of the earth. Historically, this time of year is a pivotal point in the calendar for harvesting the first grain and fruits of the season, which helps ensure survival over the coming winter months. It’s also the midway point between the summer solstice and the fall equinox, and part of the eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year in the Wiccan religion. In Celtic Ireland, Lughnasadh honors the Sun God Lugh, who is also known for his craftsmanship and is associated with grain, fertility, and abundance. The holiday was traditionally celebrated by cutting the grain, grinding it into flour, and baking the first bread of the season. In more modern times, Lughnasadh was syncretized with the Christian church and changed to Lammas or Loaf Mass Day (in Old English, lammas means “loaf mass") and involves blessing the first loaves of the season. Lughnasadh/Lammas is a time to celebrate all the hard work you’ve put in up until this point, get excited about the upcoming fall season and give thanks for the blessings of summer. For modern witches, Wiccans, and pagans this can also involve doing spellwork and rituals around prosperity, abundance, growth, and gratitude. Here, we’ve put together a few ways you can celebrate this sacred time using magical tools and rituals, regardless of the spiritual path you ascribe.  Photo by Polina Rytova on Unsplash Make corn husk dolls “Corn is abundant this time of year and in the olden days, people would make corn husk dolls from the harvest. They can be used as a form of sympathetic magic, too,” says Marisabel Santiago, a staff member at Enchantments. “These are old traditions representing the Goddess or Lugh’s mother, because [in some stories] she would die this time of year. As a result, some people would use the corn husk dolls for sympathetic magic to symbolize the pieces of themselves that no longer serve them. They would put [aspects of] themselves that no longer served them inside the corn husk dolls and burn them in a ritual, thus, letting go and also giving birth to their own harvest.” Here, we’ve found a great (free) step-by-step guide to creating your own corn husk doll from Pagan Song. A ritual using Rose of Jericho “Lammas is such a prosperous time. It’s good for money magick, prosperity, and [invoking] solar energy. I highly recommend working with the Rose of Jericho. It’s that miraculous plant that comes back to life. It’s typically left in water bowls and as it opens it brings prosperity. You can add dimes to the water to reign in more prosperity,” says Marisabel. Turn on the oven and bake some bread “I like to make simple, white bread for Lammas. Because it was the first harvest of the season, people would make the first cut of wheat, grind it up to make flour, and make bread from it. The first bread was offered to the God Lugh and people would take a trip up the mountain (because the mountains are closest to the sun) and bury it there. Then they’d have their celebrations there on the mountain,” says Marisabel. “My favorite bread to make is herb pull-apart bread with mozzarella cheese (here’s a recipe). If you don’t want to use the corn husk for sympathetic magick, you can also make little breadmen and fill it with intentions. If you were trying to lose weight, mold yourself into that image. If you want to represent the Goddess, shape it into a nice Venus of Willendorf…it’s just a really fun way to celebrate,” she adds. Burn Lammas Incense as a ritual “Lammas incense is excellent when you’re trying to work with air elemental magick. All you have to do is light some incense and make your intentions heard. As the incense blows up to the heavens, so your prayers get brought up,” says Marisabel. “Lammas has this whole history of going up the mountain to get in contact with the solar deity, but the fact that the incense carries up to the heavens saves you the trip of going up that hill,” she adds. #RunningUpThatHill. Nine Fruits incense, which brings luck and blessings, is also great this time of year.  Solar Blast kit Photo by Victor Castro Making a really nice meal “I love to make a really nice meal as a ‘thank you’ for all the blessings in my life during Lammas. It’s another great way of celebrating the harvest: You put in the hard work throughout the entire year to get to this point and you can take a moment to enjoy it all,” says Marisabel. “People nowadays really do have to take a moment to reflect on all the good, especially with all the bad stuff going around. Lammas is a great way to stop and just be. It’s also in the middle of Leo season, which is one of the happiest seasons!” Try a Solar Blast Candle to invoke the energy of the sun “A Solar Blast candle is great for this time of year. We’re still in summer, but we’re heading into the darker half of the year, so I love a Solar Blast to try to get that last bit of the sun into our prosperity rituals,” says Marisabel. “I also love a Success Candle, because it’s Leo season, and it’s all about that 5th House of being the inner child, showing up, and having that strength and vitality. Adding that [Leo] energy to your Success Candles can be a really big blessing, especially this time of year,” she says. Frankincense & Myrrh “Frankincense and myrrh are solar resins, so they tend to bring a lot of prosperity,” says Marisabel. You can purchase Frankincense resin here, which is used for cleansing and protection, and often burned with Myrrh, which is good for cleansing and protection. Money related candles & spells “Money-related candles are great because it’s time to reap that harvest and get that money!” she says. You can opt for a custom Money Drawing Candle, Money Draw incense or oil, a Money Pyramid Candle (good for long-term financial growth and promotes responsibility and good choices regarding money), a Money Draw spell kit, (which comes with a small incense and dram of oil), or a picture candle like this Mr. Money Candle. An Intense New Moon in Cancer Is Coming. Here Are 8 Magickal Ways To Make the Most of This Energy6/24/2025 By Marisabel Santiago; Edited by Amber C. Snider With Cancer's sensitive, intense watery pull, you may find an increase in your intuition and psychic energies. Here's how to work with this powerful New Moon in Cancer for June 25 and beyond.  Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash Tomorrow night, June 25, will be a New Moon in Cancer. With the sun so close to Jupiter in Cancer (its highest dignity) and the moon sharing her energy with it, the night of this New Moon makes it a perfect time for divination. Specifically, Oracular divination. Oracular divination typically entails uncovering future details, and in some cases, very far into the future. Cancer is known for being a deeply sensitive, intuitive, and psychic sign --- and you may even notice your own psychic senses are heightened at this time. This alignment of such planets may allow you to access to new insights into months (or even years) in advance. Okay, so what tools do you need to help assist your magick work? What kind of spellwork can you do to utilize this intense, sacred lunar energy? Well, keep on readin' witches....  Photo by shri on Unsplash A great ally that we have on Enchantments' shelves for such an auspicious night is our Delphic Dreams formula. The Oracle of Delphi was the High Priestess of the cult of Apollo in ancient Greece. Our blend is formulated to help you tap into the power of the Oracle herself. Not only can this psychic empowerment formula help you safely navigate the astral realm, but also assist with lucid dreaming, prophecy, divination (for rites connected to the sun), scrying, and/or crystal gazing to see the path up ahead. Here's how you can use our handmade Delphic Dreams incense and oils for New Moon in Cancer rituals:
Happy New Moon in Cancer and blessed be x Midsummer or the Summer Solstice (the longest day/shortest night of the year) is a time for celebrating the abundance in your life and all that is yet to come.  Stonehenge. Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay The Summer Solstice, also known as Litha in the Wiccan Sabbat, is the perfect time for fire and cleansing rituals, finding new balance, expansion, looking back on all you’ve accomplished so far in this year and celebrating it. All the big/little wins have added up, so it's time to bask in the growth of all the metaphorical seeds you planted in previous seasons, and embrace them coming to light. It’s also a time to honor the Goddess and the Sun God, which, depending on your magical practice and tradition, 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 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 ($16 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. It's also a good time to refresh your home with a bouquet of fresh flowers, which 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. 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 look like for me? This is a time for expansion, but also for 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. 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. Blessed be, witches x Whether you're looking to for a new erotic adventure or surround yourself with an air of mystery this summer, here are some of our bestselling candles for the season.  Photos by Victor Castro Sea Priestess Candle A favorite amongst staff and customers, the Sea Priestess candle invokes the powerful energy of the Ocean Mother. It can help you manifest calming, tranquil vibes, deep emotional healing, and rebirth. Pairs well with our hand-blended Ocean Mother Oil and Yemaya incense. Before lighting the candle, take a sea salt bath (about 1/2 to one cups' worth of sea salt) to cleanse your aura and focus on your intention for the spell. You can also add shells, pearls, or a bowl of salt water around the candle as it's burning to invoke the Ocean Mother. Empress Candle with Bad Ass Oil/Incense This summer it's all about embodying confidence and being comfortable in our bodies. The Empress candle, a Goddess-based candle (either Oshun or Venus), helps magnify self-love and give you that extra boost you want to feel your best. Pairs wonderfully with Bad Ass Oil (for confidence boost), our hand-blended Bad Ass Bath, Venus Oil, Oshun Golden Luck Bath (if you work with the Orishas), or Goddess of Love oil (which is also a powerful aphrodisiac). This sultry, luscious candle can also be used to attract romantic attention if you're looking for a new summer fling. Lastly, for a ritual bath to bring out your inner Goddess, try our *new* Inner Goddess Sea Salt Scrub, which is a magical mix of herbs and oils (as well as organic coconut oil) for empowerment and emotional healing. Fortuna Candle Perhaps you’ve had a little bad luck lately and want to turn the Wheel Of Fortune back in your favor. The Fortuna Candle invokes Lady Luck to bring a whirlwind of luck your way. As the giver of abundance, invoke the Goddess energy of Fortuna in your daily spellwork until the candle burns down completely. Pairs well with our hand-blended Horn of Plenty Incense (to bring about wealth), Double Fast Luck Oil, our Lady Luck Fortuna Oil (which also happens to be good for gambling), or our hand-blended Prosperity Bath. Boys Night Out Made for gay men only, the Boys Night Out Candle can help attract new lovers or spice things up in a current relationship. It’s perfect to manifest a wild night (or several) out on the town during those warm and steamy summer nights. As the candle burns, wear one of our hand-blended oils, including Eros Oil (a devotional blend for the God of Love and helps attract erotic love), Oscar Wilde Oil, or Satyr Oil (a powerful sexual attraction blend that’s particularly good for gay men). You can simply add a few drops of the oil to your pulse points and add it to a spray bottle (which is available for purchase too but only in the store). Mystere Candle This powerful, seductive candle works as an attraction spell to surround you with glamour and excitement. Adding a cloak of mystery and intrigue around you, the Mystere Candle can help attract potential suitors, drawing them to you like moths to a flame. As with all candle magic, be careful what you wish for – you may end up with too many suitors to choose from. Pairs well with Aphrodite Love Draw Bath, hand-blended Mystere Oil, AC/DC Oil (a bisexual/queer love and attraction formula), or Astarte Oil (a love formula that increases awareness, especially in sexual areas). Solar Blast Candle Another shop and customer favorite, the Solar Blast Candle helps invoke the power of the sun’s energy to cleanse and rejuvenate your entire being. It’s a positivity candle that invites abundance and joy in your life, and it’s perfect for the summer months when the sun it also at its fullest glory. It’s also a great “wishing” candle, so if there’s something specific you’d like to manifest this summer season, this candle is a great choice. Pairs well with our hand-blended Sun Oil, Sun Bath, Happiness Bath, or our Sun Incense. And new for this year, we also have a Solar Blast Sea Salt Scrub to complement any spell or ritual invoking the powers of the sun. Yemaya Devotional Candle A devotional candle to the Mother Goddess of the Ocean, our Yemaya Candle can be used for fertility spells, emotional healing, self-love, moon/lunar magic, and cleansing. Great in combination with water magic (read more about that here), and pairs well with our hand-blended Yemaya Oil, Ocean Mother Oil or our Yemaya Mermaid Bath. For more stories on candle spellwork, check out our candle magic section here, including Frequently Asked Questions.
By Amber C. Snider When Venus, the planet who rules matters of the heart, home, and finances, goes retrograde, it can be especially intense — especially for those ruled by the planet, like Libras. Here’s what to reflect on while it comes to an end and what to expect in the coming weeks.  Photo by SIMON LEE on Unsplash For those of us ruled by the planet Venus (shoutout to Libras, I’m here with you), Venus Retrograde can be a particularly perplexing time. It’s a time when old loves come sweeping back into your life, a time when exes reach out, when romantic connections from the past resurface, and along with it, a range of emotions. It seems like a flurry, a clusterfuck, or even a reawakened dream that you may be tempted to stay in. Just remember it’s all for something higher. Most of the time, Venus Retrograde is meant for closure, not necessarily new beginnings, but it all depends on what you do with the lessons of the past. Unlike other retrogrades, Venus Retrograde only occurs roughly every year or so, and this most recent trip, from March 1 to April 12th, 2025, has felt especially intense. In the mix of political turmoil and social upheaval, it may seem futile to focus on romantic love, but the truth is, love is really all we have. But many of us have been willingly or unwillingly carrying around leftover baggage from our past and those lessons, those brilliant teachings, tend to get buried over time. When Venus goes retrograde, it gives us a chance to reflect on them in new ways, to view each moment and time period from a different, albeit higher perspective. It’s a profoundly spiritual time too, when you may see things through the eyes of Divine Love, rather than just earthly love. With that said, you may have found yourself thinking about your past love connections, what they meant to you, and how to either somehow move on or reintegrate the experience in your present. The latter, for some of us, can seem impossible, but the planets are calling out for us to look back in order to begin anew. While you’re still in your “feelings,” here’s how you can harness and channel some of the lessons of Venus Retrograde for a higher purpose, plus what you can look forward to towards the end of the week and beyond. Get to journaling. While Venus also rules creativity and you may find yourself a little creatively “stuck” right now, take some time to do brief journaling exercises and free writes. Let yourself explore your thoughts and feelings, especially those of the past, in an uncensor, free way, giving it all to the page. You don’t have to overanalyze right now, just put it down on paper. You can also light “Divine Muse” or “Inspiration” incense from Enchantments to assist you in your free write sessions. Refrain from texting that ex — any more. If that planet of Love has done her job, you’ve most likely already had an encounter with a romantic or platonic love of the past in the last couple weeks and either hashed things out or reset a new stage together. Closure is an illusion (in my humble experience), but that doesn’t mean we need to keep digging for gold in the same spaces that we’ve already unearthed. Practice self-restraint and after April 12th, no more texts/calls/emails, especially if you’ve found what you’re looking for – whether that’s clarity, insight, or a new perspective. Physically clean your space. Since Venus rules matters of the home, now that she’s been in retrograde, you may be looking around your home and thinking “What have I been doing??” Take one room/space at a time and after you physically scrub it, cleanse the space with either Orange, Rose, or Florida water, too. You can use it (water it down first, especially on certain surfaces) to wipe down your home or floor for a reset. Don’t do anything drastic to your physical appearance until after retrograde ends. Thinking of bangs? Cosmetic treatments? A new buzz cut? Don’t do it. Just wait until after this week to make any changes to your physical appearance while the Ruler of Beauty is in retrograde. Think about it and if you’re still feeling it after April 12th, wait an extra week, and then go for it.  Photo by Victor Castro Practice self-love. As humans, we all want validation from others, and while that’s a totally normal feeling, don’t rely on it or need it. It’s one this to want it, but another to base your decisions and feelings of self-worth around the opinions (good or bad) of others. Practice self-compassion and self-love at this time, whether that means giving yourself positive affirmations in the mirror, taking care of your physical and spiritual self, taking ritual baths, or performing empowerment rituals. Perform a Love Spell after Venus Retrograde ends. If you're feeling that it's time to welcome in new love with a fresh perspective, after this week, now is the time baby. Rather than focus on one individual person, focus on an individual partner who meets your needs and will be for your highest good. Try Enchantments' custom, hand-carved candles for a ritual: Either the "Catch a New Love" candle, "Mystere" candle (a very powerful spell for attraction), a "Venus" candle which can also be used as a devotional candle to the Goddess, or a "Love and Happiness" to welcome in new love and abundance. |
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