Articles — spells

Haste makes waste. Garbage in, garbage out. In witchcraft—as in life—taking too many shortcuts often leads to underwhelming results. However, fast magick doesn’t necessarily have to be sloppy magick. Few of us have time for hours-long rituals, but we can still find ways to fit ­­spiritual practice into our busy lives. Here are seven suggestions for shaving some minutes off your witchy routine: 1. Rely on one-card Tarot readings. I am a big advocate of the one-card Tarot reading. You, too, will be amazed at the concise eloquence of your deck when you ask it for an executive summary of...

Of the many laws of magick, there are a few that you’ll never see on a T-shirt or affirmation board. Here, we’ll cover some of the tough stuff: The harsh, the unsettling, the ambiguous facts of living an enchanted life. This article was inspired by some recent discussions of false positivity—that is, the habitual repetition of encouraging words and images. In short, false positivity means well, but it does harm by shutting down discussion of anything problematic. You can’t hide the truth forever—and when you try, it seeps out in sneaky and unexpected ways. There are certain aspects of magick...

Burdock has a magickal reputation that belies its humble, earthy appearance. Native to Europe and parts of Asia, Burdock has been an ingredient in medicinal and brewing recipes since at least medieval times. (It was used as a bittering agent in beer before the widespread adoption of hops.) Eventually, this persistent Old World herb spread to North America where it was foraged as a folk medicine and occasional food source. American conjurers and rootworkers adopted Burdock into their magickal pantries and elevated its status as a Witch’s herb. Bat Root and Beggar’s Buttons—referring to the bright round flowers—are folkloric names...

Human beings, it seems, have an irresistible attraction to the color red. Rubies are the most precious of all gems, wearing red has been shown to increase attractiveness in dating studies, and marketing experts tell us that red-hued ads get more clicks than any other color. It should come as no surprise that red candles are among our best-sellers here at the Grove! Most beginner Witches can tell you that a red candle is used for spells of power and passion. In our advanced candle magick series, we go deeper into the meaning of each candle color to help you...

"I don't really believe in it, but I'll do it just in case." That's the definition of a superstition. Even though such practices seem quaint or illogical, some part of you feels that you should heed them...just in case. Superstitions are remnants of old occult beliefs preserved in folklore for the rational age. If you practice magick, as I do, it's easy to see that many folk sayings conceal old truths about how magick works. Their core ideas are so old and so true that they cannot be erased. Though we may think of them as relics of a religious...