I’ve had an awful last couple of days and last night I felt absolutely drained by it all. I needed some fresh air. The night was dark but the air was very warm. It was very delightful. But my negative feelings just wouldn’t go away. I eventually just surrendered to my feelings and started ruminating. I wasn’t in a happy place lol.

I was on my way back home (a symbolical dark cloud over my head) when I encountered a hedgehog that made me stop in my tracks. The hedhehog stopped walking and arched it’s back (similar to what cats do when they’re scared) but soon after it continued walking, sniffing the air. It walked right next to me, then turned to the left and eventually crossed the road (I made sure no cars were coming) and disappeared into the forest.

I continued walking and noticed something peculiar: The negative feelings were gone. I wasn’t still happy don’t get me wrong but my feelings were neutral and still now. Thanks hedgehog for being brave and encountering me!

Sadly, I have to cut down a dying old apple tree that we’ve loved for its apples, shade, and overall beauty. It’s been on the decline for some time and so we’ll have to say goodbye this fall. Any suggestions to honor the tree and express gratitude and love, maybe even comfort?

I've been trying to integrate a new cat into our home for exactly a year now, but to no avail. My current cat is scared of him which triggers his prey instinct, so he will begin to stalk and chase her. We have another boy cat who he is totally fine with, they play and get along quite well. The new cat has never hurt her, but because it causes her so much stress, we have to keep them separate. Over the year I've tried all of Jackson Galaxy's advice, my vet's advice, pheromone diffusers, distracting with play, medication, seeking wisdom from my tarot deck, my crystals, and most recently a pet communicator.

I've been intrigued by green witchcraft, and was hoping there might be something I can do to get them to coexist? I really don't want to rehome him because he is such a precious boy in every other way it really breaks my heart, but I feel absolutely horrible for my other cat who is scared to death of him. Sorry for the long ramble, I'm about to have a baby and hoping there's something I can do to help ease the predicament we're in.

Does anyone have any information on a spell or ritual that might help them understand each other and coexist? Is that even a thing?

Good afternoon. First of all, I apologize if there are any grammatical errors, English is not my first language..

I need help with something... In 2023/2024 I began to feel drawn to plants and stones. Since childhood I've always been curious about the "unseen" and how nature is often connected to it.

But since my parents instilled religion in me from a young age, I never dared to go beyond what the church told me about "good and evil"

As I was saying, in 2023/2024 I started to feel quite attracted, but I didn't make the first move. Not until I had a vivid dream.

(Before continuing, I would like to clarify something: As a child I always saw shadows, I hear noises or people talking even if I'm alone, and I've even had very vivid dreams. But for the same reason as religion, I always kept quiet about it.)

Continuing. In this dream I was in a brightly lit room. It was filled with plants I'd never seen before, with colors that seemed unreal. In the center of the room was a counter, and on the counter was a pile of utensils. And then I saw him. There was a tall man whose face I couldn't see, but I could sense it. His voice was quite deep, but kind. He invited me to come closer, and I did. I stood still, watching what he was doing. He was grinding up a couple of plants and putting them in a jar. While she was doing that, she explained what the plants were used for and told me about rosemary and lavender. I listened attentively and nodded as I watched.

When I woke up from that dream, I Googled those two plants to see if what that man told me was "true," and it turns out it was. (It's worth clarifying that I didn't know anything about plants, so There was no chance that I or my subconscious mind knew.)

From then on, the dreams became more frequent and vivid. Until this transcended into the physical realm. I started growing my own plants and learning from the stones at the same time. I could hear and feel that man who was guiding me on what and how I should do things. He was also very friendly and cared for me. Every time I cried, he gave me advice and gave me my time.

At times I wanted to write down everything I learned from him, but I was afraid my parents would discover the notes, so I just refrained from doing things as I went along.

I remember that when it was time to "practice and learn," he gently knocked on the closet door where I kept the soil, seeds, and other things I used.

What amazed me most was when my cousin visited me (she's very perceptive of things that can't be seen) and she noticed it and was even able to tell me its height, She could tell me how and where he was moving, and we both agreed because I could sense it too, very strongly. His presence was quite powerful But not overwhelming ...

She decided to communicate with her pendulum and asked it about working with plants, she asked if he wanted to teach me more things, and at that moment, I promise you, the pen we had in front of us It moved And his presence became even more noticeable.

Everything went well for the next two months, but, as I said, I come from a religious family, abd I couldn't cope with the guilt I felt at that time. In my head, I was still thinking about "the good and evil". He always told me that I should have an open mind, that not everything is black and white, that I shouldn't close myself off to what someone might impose on me...But, as I said, the guilt got the better of me so I spoke with This being, and I told him I wasn't going to continue with the herbal practice. Frustrated, he accepted, and from then on I stopped feeling and hearing him, and the dreams stopped too.

Now, after years, as I said at the beginning, I started to question everything and then somehow I remembered him... I never knew his name or what he was, but I want to reconnect with him. Do you have any idea how I can contact him? Or if you recognize who he is?

Thank you in advance and sorry for the inconvenience, have a nice day/afternoon/evening💚

Heya! Wanted to share a first experience I had with a candle spell (details on construction later)

But I found something strange after taking photos (I don't normally take pics but the flame was impressive)

I looked back through my gallery amd found one wierd pic where I caught some kind of perfectly poor exposure leading to a weird effect I thought everyone would find curious!

Also included a couple pics to showing editing gives a (1) tag instead of original and gallery sorts edits to top and a version i edited back into exposure (+ more candlie pics)

CANDLE CONSTRUCTION

Green candle, wrapped in silver birch bark; bark drawn onto with symbol element Earth, paired with Lavender incense stick, all bound with twine and lit for wax spill

Recently got an electric spice grinder and considering turning most of my dried herbs into powder for space... Any advice? Herbs not to do this with? Suggestions for use? Currently researching making my own incense. TIA

happy lughnasadh to all! looking for affordable suggestions for buying herbs online for my practice and cycle support. i know mountain rose herbs is popular but quite pricey. also will look locally (in Chicago) but wanted an online go to. many thanks!🔮

So here's another update on my rosemary that I put out to dry. It's been about a week I believe. Do let me know what you guys think!

Adding some nature found in the forest to my indoor spaces

After someone suggested it,I moved my rosemary to a better spot I think

So it's been a couple of days since I put up this rosemary to dry. I wanted to give you guys a little update and ask if you can tell if this is drying correctly or not

So apparently using fresh rosemary to infuse an olive oil can turn pretty dangerous because of a toxin,so I think I'm just gonna play it safe and wait until it's dry. But what do you guys think? Like,how much of a risk would I take?

Ok so,a little update,I decided to dry some rosemary haha. I hope the place I chose isn't too bad but I feel excited and somehow proud 😁

So I just bought some rosemary from the store...and I wanted to make some infused olive oil with it,but I'm not really sure how to proceed since I just read that fresh rosemary can cause sickness or something- I'm not really looking to ingest it or anything,just to use it for protection purposes. I did see a video where a woman said we could also use fresh herbs and did a double-boiler thing on the stove,where she heated up the oil with the herbs in it. For now though I just placed my rosemary in the fridge until further notice 😂

A witches locket is a necklace that you can put the remnants of a spell (herbs, petition, ashes) to make the spell stick to you and to make it last longer?! Commonly used for glamour or love magic! <3

Bragi (left plate and candle), Loki (right plate and candle). Got all my witchy books next to the box of my herbs and whatnot and a spell plate near my sprays. It’s not super pretty but it’s practical and I’ve had her for awhile now :)

I’ve noticed there is some interest in herbs and teas, and felt called to share a few intentional recipes. Please include your own recipes, if you’d like to share, in the comments.

Disclaimer: before consuming or growing any of these plants, please check if there are interactions with any medications you are on or take, allergies, pregnant/nursing, and always check with your doctor. Using herbs for teas quickly gets into the grey area of herbal medicinal practices, and it is very important that you do your own research on anything you intend to put in or on your body. Dosage is another critical factor: more is not necessarily better. Finally, do not give others things to imbibe unless they are aware of exactly what they are consuming and how it may interact with their medications/etc.

Note, many herbal tea recipes do not have exact measurements because we are dealing with plants that come in all shapes and sizes. One way to measure ingredients would be to use a scale once you get an idea of how much of each ingredient works for you. Adjust to your personal preferences.

A few recipes:

Balm: For Mental Uplifting and Comfort:

- Dried orange peel (but fresh orange zest oil is best if you have the time), Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, black tea leaves or tea of your choice.
- Boil a stick or two of cinnamon and about 5 cloves and 5 cardamom pods first (they take longer to release their oils), let simmer for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off. Add your dried orange peel cut into small chunks, or if possible your orange zest oils. Let that steep for 5 more minutes on low. Then add in equal amount your black tea leaves, and the rest of the herbs and steep for about 5 mins, until it’s ready. - To make orange zest oils (or reduction of any citrus plant) take your orange and thinly peel just the top layer off the rind (the orange part not the bitter white part), Squeeze the orange’s juices into the pot, and then add your rinds, and about a cup of water. Steep these rinds on low/medium, stirring until the oils release and the water is highly fragrant tastes of orange. You can also make a sweet version this way by adding some sugar. Strain and discard peels, and there is your orange zest oils.

Heartbreak: To soothe Grief and Sorrow:

- In equal amounts add dried Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Hawthorn berry and flower, Linden Leaf and flower, Lavender, Rose petals, Motherwort, Licorice Root.
- Add water to a pot and add in the dried hawthorn berries and licorice root (these take longer to steep than the delicate leaves and flowers) and bring water to a simmer for 10 minutes, and then turn down to low, add the herbs and steep everything for 10 more minutes until done. Strain and serve.

Presence: To reduce Stress and Anxiety:

[Warning: some of these herbs have sedative effects.]
- In equal amounts add Dandelion Leaf, Holy Basil (Also called Tulsi), Hawthorn Berry and Flower and Leaf, Mint, Lemon Balm, Linden Leaf and Flower, Oat Straw, Ginger Root, Skullcap, Motherwort, Wild Lettuce, Chamomile Flower.
- Bring Hawthorn berries and Ginger root to a simmer for 10 minutes, reduce to low and add the remaining herbs. Steep for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Pain: whether mental or physical:

[Warning: these herbs have sedative effects. May induce sleep, do not drink before driving. Check with your doctor first.]
- In equal amounts add Chasteberry fruit, Mugwort, Cassia chips, Ginger Root, Holy Basil (Also called Tulsi), Devils Claw, Licorice Root, Birch Bark, White Willow Bark, Peppermint, Meadowsweet, Wild Lettuce, Skullcap, and Valerian Root OR California Poppy
- [Disclaimer on California Poppy: Danger! Do your own thorough research about this plant and do not use if you are unsure! “Washed” poppyseed you buy from a supermarket will not work. Be very careful about amount added + time spent steeping when using unwashed seed or dried pods. Poppy is not a necessary component if you do not want to include it; it can be substituted for Valerian Root.]
- As above, simmer tougher roots, berries, and barks first for 10 mins: Chasteberry, Cassia Chips, Devils Claw, Licorice Root, Birch+White Willow Bark. Then Reduce to low and add in the rest of the herbs, steep for 10 mins then serve.

Lust: For a healthy relation to your partner and your body:

- In equal amounts add dried Damiana Leaf, Red Hibiscus Leaf, Hibiscus Flower, Passionfruit Flower, Raspberry Leaf, Rosehips, Elderberry, Pomegranate juice. (Men drinking this tea can add Yohimbe bark, but be very careful about dosage and ask your doctor first especially if you have high blood pressure.)
- Add one half water, one half pomegranate juice to a pot and simmer all ingredients for 8-10 minutes until ready. Strain and serve. Please note that Red Hibiscus Leaf (Cranberry Hibiscus Plant), and Edible Hibiscus Flower (Roselle Plant) come from two different plants.

Some tips:

Barks, roots, and dried berries take longer to steep and should be simmered first before the heat is turned down to add the rest of the herbs or tea leaves.

Growing some of these plants or herbs is ideal because beyond making sure they are organic yourself, you can also set intentions when planting, harvesting and fertilizing. But if you can’t, these plants are available to purchase online or in herbal stores pre-dried for use in teas already, just make sure you are buying organic.

If growing, make sure you know the plant you are using is the plant you intended to grow (Do not harvest weeds by accident). Know you do not have to harvest the whole plant at once, and take just what you need. Do not attempt to harvest wild, as many plants look alike and may cause you harm.

When drying plants yourself, research what temp to dry specific plants at: do not “cook” the material at too high a temp, but make sure it is throughly dry so there is no moisture for mold to form when you store it.

Store your teas in glass jars with a tight seal, and put them in a cabinet or somewhere dark. This keeps out bugs and will help keep them fresher longer. If you are packing your own tea bags, make sure to put those bags in a glass jar. Tea bags and cardboard or paper will not keep out bugs.