Articles — magick

Circle-casting is one of the foundational skills of Wicca and witchcraft. Often, it’s one of the first things that newbies learn to do as part of their training. But circle-casting is a complex idea, even though the techniques are rather simple. Whether you’re casting a circle for the first time or thousandth time, it never hurts to think about what, exactly, you’re doing and why. In this article, we’ll get “back to basics” on circle-castings, and also consider some of the finer points of building the Witch’s circle.   What is circle-casting? Circle-casting refers to the practice of setting up...

  Welcome to “What Will Happen?”, a special blog post about breaking the rules of magick. We all know the conventions: Use a pink candle for romance. Do banishing magick during the waning moon. Never cast a curse, lest it return to you threefold. But sometimes, when thumbing through yet another Witchcraft 101 book, you hear that devilish little voice: Oh yeah? Says who? Does “should not” mean “must not”? And, most importantly, what will happen? Every action has consequences. You just need to know how bad the consequences might be. So let’s consider the best and worst possible outcomes...

Protective magick is probably the most basic of all types of spellwork. If you don't feel safe and secure, it's difficult to enjoy any of the pleasures of life. Since the beginning of time, humans have been creating protective signs and symbols to ward off evil and bad luck. Would you like to learn some protective glyphs to use in your spells and amulets? Today, we'll be taking a look at nine powerful protective symbols from the Western magickal tradition. These symbols come from diverse spiritual paths including Wiccan, Norse, Judaeo-Christian, Egyptian, and others. Just as no two words have...

A handy key to the herbs of witchcraft. Each of the herbs listed has its own character and magickal properties. They are revealed to the Witch through study, meditation, and practice. For this glossary, we’ve limited the description of each herb to a few words. Many herbs have their own articles with more in-depth information, in case you wish to learn more. Here are the suggested meanings and uses of some popular ritual herbs: Agrimony – ancient herb of healing, restoration, and benevolent protection (full article) Alfalfa – good fortune, money magick, healing and cleansing infusions (full article) Angelica –...

If magick worked like in the movies, we’d wave a wand, sparks would fly, and everything would fall perfectly into place. But real magick is much less predictable. Every Witch has wondered—at least once—when a spell is going to work, if it worked, or why it didn’t work. Magick is as individual as the magician. It’s impossible to say with certainty what caused a particular spell to be a dud. Instead, I’ve assembled this list of five culprits in many failed workings. Our focus here is on spells that fizzle entirely, rather than those that backfire in tragic or comical...