How to journal with the moon phases + 10 journal prompts
Your mood, physical body, and spirit body all go through phases, and journaling with the moon is an ideal way to track all of these. You may find that you’re more synced with the moon than you thought!
Your mood, physical body, and spirit body all go through phases, and journaling with the moon is an ideal way to track all of these. You may find that you’re more synced with the moon than you thought!
Why You Should Try Moon Journaling
Wouldn’t it be nice to know which moon phases make you feel the most intuitive, expressive, or reserved? The way you relate to each moon phase is reflective of you alone and experiences will vary from person to person. You may find that your diet, intuition, and menstruation are affected by the phases of the moon. Keeping a moon journal will enable you to track any patterns to better understand all of your cycles.
How Often Should You Write in Your Moon Journal?
Take notes in your moon journal as often as you like! Journaling once a week will ensure that you hit each of the main phases of the moon: new moon, waxing moon, full moon, and waning moon. Moon journaling twice a month, on the full and new moon, can also be enlightening.
Starting out, I suggest making a quick note in your moon journal for 30-60 consecutive days. Making a quick note daily, in the beginning, will help you catch any obvious patterns right away.
What You’ll Need to Start Your Moon Journal
You’ll need a moon phase calendar, digital, or a hard copy.
You’ll also need a writing utensil and a journal or notepad. That’s it!
10 Topics for Moon Journaling
Here’s a list of suggested moon journaling topics. Read through the whole list. What topics call out to you the most? You can journal on all or some of these topics, it’s completely up to you.
Start your moon journaling by recording the date, the moon phase, and the zodiac sign for the phase (optional).
Record how you feel emotionally. Check-in, do you feel content, happy, sad, jealous, excited, energized, grateful, anxious, or angry? Record your mood for the day or overall week. This can be as simple as writing one word.
Record how you feel spiritually. How connected and intuitive do you feel? If you meditate regularly, was it easy for you to “drop-in” or did you find your meditation to be a struggle (this is always a good indicator of my spiritual well-being).
Record how you feel physically. How are you sleeping, your energy levels, and your diet? Are there any particular foods you're craving? If you exercise regularly, was your activity easy or more forced?
Record when you start and end your menstrual cycle. You may also decide to notate what each menstrual cycle feels like to help unearth patterns. If you’re particularly in-tune with your cycle or trying to conceive (or not conceive!) you might also find it helpful to track your ovulation with the moon.
Note any goals, intentions, and manifestations you’ve initiated and when they manifest. New intentions are best to set on a new or waxing moon.
Note any habits, people, outcomes, or things you’re trying to let go of and when you feel you’ve shed them. Releasing and letting go is best to initiate during a full or waning moon.
Notate the zodiac sign the moon is in. If you want to take your moon journaling to the next level you can notate what zodiac sign the moon is in. The moon is always positioned in a zodiac sign and cycles through them every 2-3 days. The sign the moon is in will also have an effect on you too. Try looking for even broader patterns by notating what sign the moon is in when you journal. I like this online resource for tracking the zodiac sign for each moon phase.
Track your triumphs! Did something happen that was totally out of the blue and made your day? Maybe you received an unexpected promotion, landed your dream job, or ran into an old friend, write it down!
Track your worst days. Did you have one of those days where nothing seems to go as expected and you just can’t shake it? These days aren’t as fun, but being able to estimate when they may come up can sure be helpful.
Note your dreams. Dream journaling is an insightful activity on its own. Notating the moon phase for your dreams can shed even more light on what your subconscious is trying to tell you. You might be able to identify times when your dreams are most active so you can plan to have a notepad ready on your nightstand.
Moon journaling can be as simple or in-depth as you’d like and can be tailored to suit your needs and schedule.
4 Ways to Honor the Winter Solstice
The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, and so we traditionally associate it with darkness.But it’s also the beginning of the waxing phase of the year, as the days start to get longer and nights start to get shorter. We are reminded that light always follows dark. The balance begins to shift, the wheel of the year turns back again.
The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, and so we traditionally associate it with darkness.
But it’s also the beginning of the waxing phase of the year, as the days start to get longer and nights start to get shorter. We are reminded that light always follows dark. The balance begins to shift, the wheel of the year turns back again.
This sabbat, also known as Yule, is a time for us to connect with our darkness and alchemize it into lessons, into medicine, for the year to come.
Below are some ways to honor this sacred holiday.
Journaling prompts
Create a quiet, safe space (candles are recommended!) and let yourself free write to the questions below with no editing. No one’s going to read your answers but you!
Write a love letter to your darkness.
What am I most ashamed of? How can I transmute this shame into a source of power and love?
What part of me do I want to feed and grow?
Tarot or oracle spread
Pull out your tarot or oracle deck and set the intention for your highest self tospeak to you through the cards. Give them a shuffle, and pull a card for each of the questions below. I recommend writing down the spread and the cards you pull, as well as your interpretations of them.
What shadow wants to work with me?
How does it want to be worked with?
Advice for moving through shadow
What wants to be born from my darkness?
Advice for birthing whatever needs to come through
Message from my inner child at this time
Lay out the cards in two rows of three like so. The deck featured here is The Ritual Deck.
Create an altar
Creating an altar is a beautiful way to honor any sabbat. Let this be an intuitive, creative process and place anything there that feels good to you! Some ideas to spark your creativity are:
Your Death and Temperance tarot cards
A Yule log or branch
Holly or mistletoe
An evergreen wreath to symbolize the wheel of the year
Any red, green, or white crystals that you’d like (I love carnelian for red, selenite for white, and moss agate or malachite for green)
Ash, frankincense, and any other sun herbs you like
Pine cones
White and silver candles
A representation of something in your shadow that you’d like to honor and alchemize this year
Painting
One of my favorite ways to work with my subconscious these days is intuitive painting. Get out your paints, paper, and allow whatever wants to come through you as you focus on the winter solstice and what it means to you. Try not to focus on how it looks— no one needs to see it but you!
After you finish, you could place it on your altar.
Below is an infographic with a visual representation of rituals for Yule
Want to learn more about the different sabbats on the wheel of the year? Click here to learn more about the wheel of the year and download your free wheel of the year printable.
6 Ways to Support Your Goddess Sisters
Our society has a long history of pitting women against each other. Of making us fear each other and compete with each other. Of creating division and separation between us.But we can choose to end that cycle. It ends with us. It ends with us every time we choose to uplift, love, and hold the women-identifying humans in our lives.
Our society has a long history of pitting women against each other. Of making us fear each other and compete with each other. Of creating division and separation between us.
But we can choose to end that cycle. It ends with us. It ends with us every time we choose to uplift, love, and hold the women-identifying humans in our lives.
Below are some ways to support the women in your life.
Hold space for them
Holding space isn’t just your regular conversation where we mostly just wait until it’s our turn to talk. There are a few important keys to holding space:
Give your full presence
Give your full presence with deep listening and eye contact. Your friends can tell when you’re not really there with them (and you can tell when your friends aren’t really there, too!). Put your phone to the side and really focus on what they’re saying.
Non-judgment
Offering non-judgment to others starts with doing your own work on not judging yourself. This may be part of your shadow work process—click here for 5 simple steps to help you get started with shadow work.
Asking questions without giving advice
Try not to give unsolicited advice. Asking helpful questions to deepen your friend’s understanding of her own situation is so much more helpful because it allows the answer to truly come from her—not you.
Facilitate their growth
Sometimes we get stuck in fear patterns. Sometimes we want to shrink out of our fullness, our magic, our bigness. When your sister is falling into her fear, wanting to shrink, help facilitate her growth. Help remind her of her magic. Don’t give her your permission to shrink.This is about being honest and constructive. This is about not always telling your friend what she wants to hear. They may not appreciate it at the moment, but they’ll likely appreciate your honesty in the long run.
Support their connection with their intuition
You give your community a beautiful gift when you support their connection with their intuition. Our society loves to make decisions based on logic alone, and looks down on things seen as “impractical.” But by validating your sister’s desire to listen to and make decisions based on intuition, you help shakti rise.
The Goddess Discovery Books are a great tool to use for improving your intuition and are even more fun to work through with a group of Goddesses!
Understand and respect their boundaries
Have a clear, open conversation with your sisters about their boundaries. What is an acceptable way to handle disagreements? What do they need from you to feel safe and supported in your friendship? What do you need from them to feel safe and supported in your friendship?
Strong boundaries can keep your relationships strong. Respecting each other’s boundaries can help set the expectation for strong boundaries in other, more difficult relationships as well.
Celebrate their successes
When they rise, you rise. It’s easy to feel threatened by the expansion of someone close to you but remember: it’s not a competition.The world is an abundant, infinite place and one woman having something you may want doesn’t mean you can’t have it, too. Celebrate their expansion, their growth, their wins.
Create community
Grow together. Meditate together, do moon rituals together, cast spells together, go to talks, or do courses together. Gather together and share wisdom. Gather together and connect with your intuition. Support each other by not allowing each other to stay stagnant.
Start out by implementing one of these tools each month to get used to doing it and add on from there. Before you know it your circle of supportive women will be flourishing!
Healing with Meridian Tracing
Meridian tracing is a form of energy healing that just about anyone can do.The meridians are energy pathways in the body that traditional Chinese medicine has studied and worked with for centuries. These pathways allow the flow of energy, called Chi in Chinese medicine, through the body.
Meridian tracing is a form of energy healing that just about anyone can do.
The meridians are energy pathways in the body that traditional Chinese medicine has studied and worked with for centuries. These pathways allow the flow of energy, called Chi in Chinese medicine, through the body.
There are 12 major meridians, and each one works to support and nourish a specific organ system. If the flow of energy in any of your meridians is too strong or too weak, the associated organ system may be disrupted. I’ll be covering eight of them today.
Meridian tracing can be a powerful self-care tool to add to your toolbox. Using it regularly helps keep your Chi flowing freely through your body, releasing blockages and revitalizing you.
Scroll down to look through eight of the 12 main meridians in the body and learn how to trace them to balance your flow of Chi.
How to trace your meridians
To trace your meridians, start by simply moving your open hand (either an inch or two above your body or directly over your body) along the course of each meridian. Visualize the energy flowing freely through the meridian. That’s it!
Take your meridian tracing a step further by tracing them with a favorite crystal. If you’re unsure, clear quartz is always a safe bet. Point crystal necklaces make the perfect wearable tool to practice this self-care technique.
Meridians
Read through the list of meridians below to find one that suits your needs. The eight meridians below are mirrored on the other side of your body. So, for example, a meridian that runs down your left leg also runs down your right leg.
Liver meridian
When this meridian’s energy is imbalanced, you may experience issues with menstruation, blurred vision, jaundice, irritability, or depression.
Heart meridian
Imbalance in the heart meridian can show up as chest pain, shortness of breath, hot flashes, heart palpitations, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, and lack of joy in life.
Spleen meridian
An imbalanced spleen can manifest as diarrhea or constipation, lack of appetite, fatigue, bloating, brain fog, and absentmindedness.
Stomach meridian
When your stomach meridian is imbalanced, you might struggle with feelings of worry and nervousness.
Lung meridian
An imbalanced lung meridian can manifest as infections, upper body inflammation, excessive sweating, issues with your nose and sense of smell, and skin conditions.
Kidney meridian
This meridian rules willpower, determination, and the ability to cope with difficulty— so an imbalance here could manifest as a lack of any of those skills. Physically, an imbalance can manifest as backaches, asthma, and urinary disorders.
Bladder meridian
Emotionally, an imbalance here is associated with suppressed anger and an inability to express your true feelings. Physically, an imbalance is associated with neck and shoulder tightness, headaches, and urinary issues.
Pericardium meridian
When this meridian is imbalanced, you may experience difficulty expressing your feelings. Physically, you might have issues with your heart, chest, or stomach.
The best thing about this self-care tool is that you don’t need any tools to perform it. Meridian tracing is a simple practice that can give you an excuse to pause during a busy day to focus on your body and energy.
If you’re trying this practice with crystals, make note of how you feel after using different gemstones, as they’ll each offer you a different kind of energy.
3 Goddesses to Call on for Samhain
Samhain pronounced So-win is considered the Wiccan New Year. It’s a powerful time of the year that is steeped in ritual and magick. During this special time, the veil between our physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest it will be all year. The thinning veil makes it the ideal time to practice magick and ritual of all kinds, it also makes it the ideal time to call in the energy of Goddesses associated with Samhain.
Samhain pronounced So-win is considered the Wiccan New Year. It’s a powerful time of the year that is steeped in ritual and magick. During this special time, the veil between our physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest it will be all year. The thinning veil makes it the ideal time to practice magick and ritual of all kinds, it also makes it the ideal time to call in the energy of Goddesses associated with Samhain.
Most Goddesses associated with Samhain are considered dark Goddesses, they’ve been cast out, forgotten over the years, and sometimes unfairly associated with evil deeds. This “casting out” was often provoked by the patriarchy. The meaning and power behind these Goddesses have been twisted into something undesirable. Why? Because these dark Goddesses are extremely powerful women.
There are several Goddesses associated with Samhain but I’ll be focusing on three that I believe cover the greatest variety of needs. Today I’ll be sharing tips to invite the energy of Oya, Hecate, and Lilith into your Samhain rituals.
Keep reading for more information on each Goddess, what she can offer you, and techniques to invoke her energy. The cards shown here are from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky, it’s my favorite Goddess Oracle because it contains several dark Goddesses. I recommend this deck for anyone wanting to become more acquainted with different Goddesses and their energy.
Oya for Transformation
If you’re looking to create an internal transformation this season Oya is your Goddess. Mighty Oya, a Yoruban Goddess, controls the rain, winds, and storms. She’s mothering, powerful, and has a strong desire to help women through their struggles to transform.
Oya represents the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is closely associated with death and rebirth, another symbol of transformation. Sometimes parts of us must die or be let go of in order to transform into something greater. Allow Oya to blow her winds of change around your life to bring about something greater.
Tips for invoking Oya
Wear wine or purple-colored clothing to honor and connect to Oya.
Place purple flowers in your home or on your altar.
Place a picture of Oya on your altar or somewhere you’ll see it regularly.
The number 9 is Oya’s sacred number. Place an offering of 9 coins to Oya on your altar or in a sacred space.
Meditate imagining the winds of change from Oya surrounding you daily until your transformation is complete.
Light a purple and red candle for Oya. Purple for her and red to inspire action on your part.
Hecate for Magick
Hecate is considered the mother of all witches and of witchcraft. Her energy is ideal for Samhain because she is queen when it comes to performing spells, rituals, and magick of all kinds. Hecate is also the Goddess of the crossroads and is said to be connected to the physical world, the spirit world, and the underworld. Her connection to other realms makes her ideal for magick that concerns connecting with loved ones passed on.
If you’re planning to take advantage of this special time by performing magick or spiritual connections of your own, you’ll definitely want to call on the energy of Hecate to guide and protect you. Consider her the loving grandmother figure over your magick as you work. That said, Hecate is also extremely fair and just. She will give you exactly what you need and what is best for you, which may be different then what you have in mind!
Tips for invoking Hecate
Hecate is represented by the waning moon or crone in the Triple Goddess symbol, so the ideal time to perform spells with her guidance is during a waning moon.
Have an image of Hecate or the waning moon placed nearby you as you do your spellwork.
Place a cauldron on your altar or wherever you perform magic work to represent Hecate’s magickal energy.
Before beginning any magick or when trying to connect to the other side verbally call upon Hecate to guide and watch over you as you work.
Represent the presence of Hecate with the number 3 or a depiction of a three-headed animal.
Burn candles, especially black candles to represent her protection over you during spellwork.
Lilith for Unleashing Your Inner Wild Woman
Get in touch with our inner wild woman through Lilith. Often branded as an evil Goddess she did not start out this way. Lilith is a Goddess not afraid to be wild, sexual, or speak her truth which quickly puts her in the category of being “bad” and “evil.” Her name quickly became synonymous with Satan and cruel and deviant acts. Lilith was blamed for anything undesirable about women and became associated with any woman not willing to conform to her wifely duties, or desiring to live an alternative lifestyle.
Lilith is not bad or evil. Lilith is the voice inside of you telling you to act when you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by the patriarchy. She is the voice that says it’s not only ok but good to enjoy sex and your sensuality. She is the voice calling for all women to stand up and fight for our power. If Samhain has inspired you to get in touch with your inner wild woman Lilith is here to let it come roaring out. Tread lightly with invoking Lilith, her energy is very powerful!
Tips for Invoking Lilith
Place a picture or Lilith on your altar or sacred space to remind you of your ability to take your power back.
Place symbols or replications of snakes on your altar to honor Lilith.
Meditate on the energy of Lilith filling your being before doing anything you find scary or intimidating.
Light a red or orange candle to honor Lilith. Light an orange candle for more sensuality or red for power and passion.
Write down ways in which you’ve been suppressed and burn them in Lilith’s honor.
During a full moon allow yourself time and space to call on Lilith’s energy to perform a dance or sensual act to allow her powerful energy to flow through you.
I hope you take advantage of this special time to connect with these powerful Goddess. You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.
5 Powerful Rune Meanings & Rituals
Runes are symbols that each carry unique universal energy. These special symbols were used by Nordic and Germanic cultures in Northern Europe as forms of language, for religious purposes, and as tools of magick and divination.Runes an extremely versatile spiritual tool. You can use Runes together as a set, like an oracle card deck…
Runes are symbols that each carry unique universal energy. These special symbols were used by Nordic and Germanic cultures in Northern Europe as forms of language, for religious purposes, and as tools of magick and divination.
Runes an extremely versatile spiritual tool. You can use Runes together as a set, like an oracle card deck, learn more about using Runes in this way here. You can also hone in on the energy of specific Runes for specific purposes, that’s what I’ll be covering here.
Most Rune sets are comprised of 24 Rune characters, though this can vary some depending on the set used. I’ll be referencing five of the most frequently used Elder Futhark Runes here.
The cards shown in the images and rituals are from The Ritual Deck®, an oracle card deck I created based around rituals.
The Runes I’ll discuss today are Algiz, Fehu, Berkano, Wunjo, and Tiwaz. Keep scrolling for ways to tap into the energy of each one.
Algiz for Protection
Think of Algiz as a spirit guide or connection to your Higher Self always watching over you. This Rune is not only a symbol of protection but goes much deeper and wants to offer you guidance on your journey. Tap into the power of this Rune anytime you’re feeling lost, scared, or like you need additional protection.
Algiz Ritual
Create an Algiz wall hanging to protect you and to remind you of your connection to your Higher Self. This activity is ideally performed on the night of the dark moon, but it can be done during any moon phase. You’ll need one long stick (this will be used as the center of the Algiz symbol, so any size you’d like will do), two shorter sticks that are the same size (about half the size of the longer stick), and string. Place the two shorter sticks in a “V” shape at the center of your longer stick. The wall hanging should look similar to the Algiz symbol on the card. Wrap your string or twine around the three areas where the sticks meet until they’re stable, and then tie a knot. You can hang this symbol on your wall or place it on your altar.
If you are interested in creating another wall hanging for protection, check out this past blog post.
Fehu for Abundance
Fehu is here to shower you with abundance! This is your Rune for bringing abundance of all kinds into your life, whether it be financial or other. Fehu can also be used as a useful tool to tap into the abundance already surrounding you. If you’re having a difficult time tapping into gratitude for all of the gifts you already have Fehu can help fill your heart with gratitude for all of the abundance you already have.
Fehu Ritual
During the next waxing crescent, or any growth phase of the moon, create a Fehu carved candle. You’ll need a green candle, a toothpick, and a lighter. Using the toothpick, carve the Fehu symbol into your candle. As you carve the symbol, imagine yourself being showered with wealth, provisions and blessings. If your well is already full, think about your gratitude for all of your blessings as you carve the candle. Light your candle and gaze at it for short while, inviting the energy of Fehu into your space. Extinguish your candle when you’re done. Light this candle as often as you’d like throughout the waxing moon phase until the full moon.
Berkano for Manifesting
Bring your gifts and goals to life with the help of Berkano. This Rune is all about birthing new things into the world, this could quite literally mean birthing a child into the world or a new project. Whatever it is you’re trying to bring to fruition, Berkano is here to help bring it to light.
Berkano Ritual
To connect with the energy of Berkano, create your own Berkano charm during the next full moon. You’ll need a medallion of wood or a small stone, and paint or a permanent marker. Visualize the goal or desire you’d like to fulfill as you draw or paint the Berkano symbol on your wood medallion or stone. Once you’re done, take a few quiet moments to visualize what you’ll feel like when your goal is manifested. Place your Berkano charm somewhere you’ll see it regularly, or carry it with you.If you would like to learn more about manifesting with runes, click here to read a past post.
Wunjo for Happiness
Need more reasons to smile? The Wunjo Rune is here to help you make the decision to live in joy. This is a great Rune to use if you’re feeling down or anxious because it will help you see the good in things around you even if you’re going through a hard time.
Wunjo Ritual
Create an altar or sacred space for Wunjo as a reminder to find the joy in each day. You might find that Wunjo’s jubilant energy starts to bring more optimism into your daily thinking. This is a great ritual to perform on the day or night of the full moon. Use the Wunjo card from The Ritual Deck® or draw it on a card to place on your altar. Collect objects that bring you joy, such as pictures of happy memories, joyful flowers, or trinkets that make you happy. Other items to consider are green aventurine and a yellow candle. Get creative and have fun with this! Your Wunjo altar should make you smile anytime you gaze at it. Keep this altar up for as long as you’d like and try to make contact with it daily for one complete moon cycle.
Tiwaz for Strength
If you’re going through a challenge with another person or have a difficult decision on the horizon, Tiwaz is here to help you through it. Consider this Rune the warrior Rune. The energy of Tiwaz wants to help you find truth and justice, which is not always easy. Rely on the strength of Tiwaz for help during disagreements, legal battles, or making difficult decisions.
Tiwaz Ritual
Create a Tiwaz candle for any disagreements, difficult decisions, or legal encounters you have coming up. If you need a fresh look at the situation a white candle will serve you well. If you need momentum to help you make a difficult decision a red candle will serve you well. During the next first quarter moon or any waxing moon phase, gather your candle, a toothpick, and a match or lighter. The addition of a sodalite stone will help for speaking your truth and a tiger eye stone for energizing your solar plexus chakra. Carve the Tiwaz symbol into your candle and light the candle. Invite the just energy of Tiwaz into your situation. Sit with the lit candle as long as you like, and once you’re finished extinguish the candle. Continue to sit with the candle daily until the moon grows full, you’ve reached a decision, or your issue is resolved.
Ancient Scents & Their Meanings
Have you ever smelled something and it took you back to a specific moment in your life or a certain feeling?We can’t always explain why scents attach themselves to moments in our lives and stick, but we know that scents are powerful.
Have you ever smelled something and it took you back to a specific moment in your life or a certain feeling?
We can’t always explain why scents attach themselves to moments in our lives and stick, but we know that scents are powerful.
Think about how you feel when you smell fresh cut grass, the incense burning in your local yoga studio, onions sautéing on the stove, or winter candles burning.
Each one of those scents probably evokes a specific emotion in you.
This is the power of scents.
Smell is one of the most primal senses, and it can awaken the deep emotions that may be hiding in your cells.
Scents are a way to connect to our heart space. They’re a way to shift our energy, our emotions, and our mood. They can also be an incredible way to connect with the Universe or the Divine.
Some scents, such as the ones below, have their roots in ancient civilizations around the world. They’ve been used for their magickal healing properties in the ancient civilizations of India, Rome, China, Egypt, and more.
Why?
Scroll down to learn more about some of the most powerful ancient scents' meanings and uses.
Frankincense
Frankincense has been used for centuries in the Middle East (where it’s from), Egypt, Israel, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, other parts of Europe, and more.
In different cultures, it was used for different things:
As incense in sacred Jewish rituals, Christian ceremonies, and other religious ceremonies in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Israel
Healing and purification in the Ayurvedic tradition
To drive insects away in the Middle East
Flavoring food and drinks in the Middle East
In burial rituals in Egypt and Rome
To treat medical issues including ulcers, nausea, post-childbirth recovery, chest coughs, and fever
To embalm bodies in Ancient Egypt
Besides its practical uses, it was revered as a powerful tool for protection, purification, and connecting with the divine.
How can you incorporate frankincense into your life today? Here are some ideas:
Burn frankincense resin as an offering to a goddess you’re working with
Use frankincense oil to anoint your candles in candle magick
Use frankincense oil (diluting with a carrier oil if needed!) on your wrists before meditation or ritual work
Rub the soles of your feet with frankincense oil before bed to help you relax
Diffuse frankincense oil on summer nights on your porch for a natural bug spray
Use frankincense oil as a perfume on your skin to imbue your day to day with some extra magic
Burn frankincense incense in your space to protect and purify it
Myrrh
Myrrh also comes from trees in the Middle East and North Africa, and was used alongside frankincense in the great ancient civilizations of Egypt, Israel, Europe, and the Middle East. Where frankincense is associated with the sun, myrrh is a bit murkier. It’s associated with the sun because its tree thrives in the desert sun, but it’s also associated with the moon, because of its strong feminine history as an herb for ancient goddesses.
Some of its historical uses are:
Embalming the dead in ancient Egypt
Used as medicine, especially with honey, in ancient Egypt for many illnesses, especially skin conditions, infections, and bruises
Burning as sacred incense in Christian traditions
Used in ancient Egyptian rites as an offering to the sun god Ra and goddess Isis
As a perfume and purification oil for the Hebrew people
For its restorative properties in Eastern medicine
Myrrh was used as a powerful tool for healing, protection, purification, meditation, and expanding inner wisdom. It was often used as a great complement to frankincense, and it’s thought that combining the two even increases their power.Try these ideas for incorporating myrrh into your life today:
Burn myrrh resin on your altar as an offering to the goddess Isis
Use in banishing and protection rituals and spells
Purify and bless magical tools such as your tarot cards, crystals, and talismans
Burn myrrh incense when you need personal healing and comfort
Use myrrh oil on your skin (diluting with carrier oil if necessary) to help you meditate
Incorporate into any of your work with frankincense above
Sandalwood
Sandalwood isn’t technically an herb. It’s actually, like the name suggests, a type of wood. Sandalwood has been used for thousands of years in many different contexts, including:
Buddhist rituals
Muslim rituals
Egyptian embalming rituals
Folk medicine in Tibet and China
In carvings for shrines and homes in India
In figurines and jewelry in India
As a paste for anointing in Hindu temples
As a perfume and soap in Europe
As a powerful remedy in the Ayurvedic system of medicine
Consecrating ritual tools in Hindu ceremonies
Practically, sandalwood has been used for its anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties. Magically and energetically, sandalwood has been used for many things including healing, purification, grounding while also assisting in meditation, clearing negativity, deep spiritual relaxation, clairvoyance, and manifestation.Some ways to use sandalwood in your life are:
Write your desires on a stick of sandalwood on the new moon and burn it, letting the smoke carry your desires into the universe
Cleanse your magical tools (like crystals, athames, cauldrons, and tarot cards) of negative energy
Burn sandalwood chips to help heal coughs and UTIs
Burn sandalwood incense for meditation
Burn sandalwood incense or chips for astral projection and communicating with spirits
Wear sandalwood beads for higher spiritual awareness
Nag Champa
If you’ve ever walked into a yoga studio or a witchy shop, you’ve probably smelled the earthy, slightly sweet scent of Nag Champa. But what is Nag Champa?
It’s a blend of different scents, most famously the champa flower, as well as sandalwood, and halmaddi resin. The champa flower from the Magnolia champaca tree, a tree often planted near ashrams, has long been prized in India for its sweet fragrance and bright yellow color.
As you’ve probably guessed, Nag Champa’s origins are as incense in India where it was often used for meditation, yoga, and rituals in Hindu temples and ashrams. It’s now one of the most popular incense scents in the world!
Nag Champa is thought to stimulate spiritual awareness while simultaneously grounding you in the present.
Here are some ideas for incorporating this popular scent into your life:
Burn Nag Champa when you meditate or do yoga
Use Nag Champa oil as a perfume
Burn Nag Champa for chanting and kirtan practices
Use Nag Champa oil to massage your feet (diluting if needed!)
Use Nag Champ soap or body wash (there are tons of options) to add some magic to your everyday
Getting Started With Candle Magick
If you’re on the fence about getting started with spellwork and magick, candle magick is the best place to start. Candle magick is simple, you don’t need much to perform it, and it’s powerful. You may even be using forms of candle magick in your home already and not even realize it!I’m going to cover everything you need to know to get started with candle magick here.
If you’re on the fence about getting started with spellwork and magick, candle magick is the best place to start. Candle magick is simple, you don’t need much to perform it, and it’s powerful. You may even be using forms of candle magick in your home already and not even realize it!
I’m going to cover everything you need to know to get started with candle magick here.
How and why candle magick works
How often do you have a fleeting thought of acquiring a new object or setting an intention but neglect to follow through with it? Performing candle magick requires that you focus on specific goals and visualize them clearly. This often brings up emotion, connecting you even more to your desire. Think of the candle itself as a communication medium between yourself and The Universe. As your candle burns it is sending your request out into The Universe.
Candles also represent all four elements which make them a potent source of intention setting. The solid wax and wick of the candle represent earth, the flame represents fire, the smoke represents air, and the melting wax represents water.
All of these reasons combined make candles the ideal tool for spellwork and magick.
What kind of candles to use?
Any kind of candle will work, but you may find that you prefer specific kinds of candles for specific spells. I prefer to use 100% paraffin wax spell candles. They’re made specifically for candle magick, are easy to come by online or in new age shops, reasonably priced, and they come in a variety of colors.
Another great option is beeswax candles. They can be a bit pricier and harder to find but are a luxurious option because they’re 100% natural. Beeswax candles are said to emit negative ions (like a salt lamp), which is an added bonus.
If you don’t have either of these available, any candle will do, just be mindful of the color and scent of the candle as they will have an effect on the outcome. I cover candle color meanings in the last section of this blog post.
Preparing your candles
Before you start with any candle magick you’ll want to physically clean the candle and cleanse any negative energy from it. You’ll also want to anoint or “dress” your candle with oil. Keep reading for tips to perform both of these tasks.
Always begin with cleaning your candle first. To cleanse your candle start by inspecting it for any physical signs of dirt or dust. Next, you’ll want to cleanse the energy of your candle. You can do this by placing it under the light of a full moon, wafting cleansing herbal smoke around the candle, or by wiping it down with water.
Anointing your candle is an important step because it gives you the opportunity to imprint your energy onto the candle after it’s been cleansed. Select an oil that resonates with you or lines up with your intention. An essential oil or a simple baby oil will work. Put a couple of drops of the oil on your candle or your hands and rub it on the candle. As you rub the candle with oil focus on your desired outcome and imagine your energy and desire being absorbed by the candle.
Learn more about how to dress your candle for spellwork here.
Candle color meanings
These are basic meanings for each color:
Red: Strength, passion, intensity
Orange: Sensuality, vitality, expression
Yellow: Inspiration, confidence, clarity
Green: Renewal, abundance, prosperity
Blue: Peace, respite, psychic protection
Violet: Intuition, attunement, psychic ability
White: Newness, purification, hope
Black: Stability, perseverance, negativity shield
Pink: Love, romance, friendship
Getting started
Safety first! Please ensure that you burn your candles in a safe space and never leave a candle burning unattended.
Select a candle color that is in alignment with your intention. It’s always best to perform candle magick with a new candle.
Cleanse and consecrate your candle keeping your intention in mind as you do this.
Light your candle and watch it burn while focusing on your intention. Sit and gaze at the candle for as long as you’d like or space the candle burning out over several nights. If you space out your candle burning, don’t blow out your candle, instead, snuff it out with a candle snuffer. The candle snuffer will help seal your intent rather than blow it away.
Be mindful over the next day(s) of how this exercise makes you feel about the intention you’ve set for yourself.
This is the easiest way to get started with candle magick. Get comfortable performing these simple steps and then check out this blog post with more detailed candle magick spells and receive a free candle magick printable.
