Articles

As we wrap up a four-part series on elemental correspondences, it's time to consider the herbs of Earth. You may notice that not as many plants are attributed to Earth as to Air, Fire, and Water. This is because herbal magick as a whole is ruled by Earth.  In a sense, all herbs are Earth herbs. However, there are times when your magick calls for the specific qualities of Earth: Darkness, solidity, quietness, rest and incubation.  Earth herbs, in general, are good for evoking gratitude and for healing grievances. Earth is also the element of manifestation--using Earth herbs is one...

As soon as you delve into the world of Tarot, you encounter a bunch of do-this, don't-do-that warnings and prescriptions about how to use the cards. (Why, it's almost as if we were dealing with something magical, not just 78 pictures on cardstock!) Some of these superstitions undoubtedly have a grain of truth in them, while others are just baloney dipped in snake oil. Now, for your amusement and your edification, Madame Michelle will feed each “should” and “shouldn’t” into the Truth-O-Matic Machine (i.e., her brain!) and declare a verdict. You shouldn't read Tarot for yourself.  Mary Greer put a...

A sachet of leaves tucked under a pillow, a handful of berries strewn across a doorway: Herbal charms and remedies are one of the most familiar forms of magick. Herbal (“green”) witches keep elaborate pantries of herbal ingredients, each with a different power to enlighten or heal, bother or protect. (To be clear, we’re talking about the ritual use of herbs here, rather than the medicinal and psychoactive effects they can have on the human body.) But how, exactly, does herbal magick work? How does an unassuming pinch of bark or leaf become a partner in a magickal charm or...

China has long been the source of many consumer goods purchased in the United States.  But in recent years, manufacturers in China and neighboring countries began selling directly to shoppers through sites like AliExpress and eBay.   At first limited to cheesy trinkets and fashion accessories, the overseas marketplace is always expanding.   Businesses are reaching out to increasingly specialized consumer groups--most recently, in my own cubbyhole of witchy and Pagan wares.  If you're a merchant in a subcultural niche--whether it's Wicca, Steampunk, Goth, Cosplay, et cetera--you've likely been affected by the Chinese invasion. As a small business owner, I have...

The candles have been extinguished, the circle opened, and the spell completed.  But what do with the leftover stuff?  You probably know how easy it is to get saddled with ritual debris: candle stubs, bits of fabric and string, bottles, bags, and written spells.  Though no longer useful, these items once held great meaning.  Just throwing them away seems inappropriate.   But keeping them around can stunt your magic and clutter up your house.  In this article, we'll consider ways of ethically, safely, and effectively disposing of the physical remnants of spellwork. Re-using ritual items Some ritual items are suitable...