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Solar Magic; A Guide To Harness The Bright, Vibrant, And Confident Magical Energy Of The Sun

Celestial bodies (an aggregation of matter in the universe; planets, stars, heavenly bodies ) affect all humans at all times though how and the intensity may change. It’s common for witches and pagans to work with those energies in their lives, manifestation work, and magical practices. We hear witches and pagans all the time talking about the celestial energies of the moon but, we can harness and work with every celestial energy within our solar system and the universe including the sun! Even though many witches seem to place a much heavier emphasis on the moon and lunar magic, I would argue the sun and solar magic is much more important and potent. The Sun impacts our lives like no other force in the universe. Though the moon greatly affects us, the planet earth, and the tides; nothing on Earth could survive or exist without the Sun. It is the center of our solar system for a reason. The Sun is a highly influential Celestial energy for those of us on Earth. It has similar energy to the Stars but because of our relationship with the Sun, the energy has shifted into something else. Let’s shine the Sun’s luminous rays on the vibrant, masculine, and vital, energy that is solar magic and add it to your practice and life today!

What Is The Sun?

The sun is the center of and the largest object in our solar system. It contains more than 99% of the total mass of our solar system. It is 1,390,000 km in diameter and has a mass of 1.989e30 kg. The temperature of the sun is 5800K on the surface and 15,600,000K at the core. It is made up mostly of hydrogen and helium.

The Magic Of The Sun

While I honor, respect, and work with the energies of the moon in my life and magical practices, I have written many previous posts about the magic of the moon and hosted many free moon ceremonies with Divination Academy. I even acknowledged above the importance of the moon as well, I will argue the Sun is much more vital, potent and important. The sun is necessary for many reasons including the growth of plants and trees, for our own physical and mental health, and to keep our planet warm and alive! Everything on the planet needs the Sun to survive. There is a reason the Sun is considered the center of our solar system and not the Moon. Sun = LIFE.

Solar magic harnesses the power of the sun to bring about positive change in one’s life. This could involve anything from casting spells, or making moon water, to meditating in the rays of the sun and focusing on your desired outcome. Whether asking for protection or blessings, developing confidence, getting grounded and centered in your self image and who you are, or encouraging growth; solar magic can bring peace, vitality, strength, movement, and harmony into your life.

The sun’s potent energy is known to amplify the effects of magical workings, strengthening the intentions set during rituals and spells. Witches and Pagans may utilize the sun’s energy to increase the effectiveness of a wide range of spells, from love and protection rituals to manifestation and abundance incantations. The infusion of the sun’s energy into these workings can lead to more powerful and impactful results.

The Sun is the energy we can connect to for joy, happiness, playfulness, and the things that truly make our souls sing with happiness, contentment, and allow us to feel as if we are thriving. The sun is seen as the archetypal joyful, and healing energy of the solar system.

Solar Witch

If you have ever felt like another celestial body or time of the day called to you more than the moon when hearing others talk about it or when reading about it, like during the day when the sun is out you may be a solar witch. A solar witch is simply a witch who has an affinity and connection to the sun. Who feels an intuitive energetic pull from the Sun when performing their magical workings, spells, and rituals. If you feel empowered by the sun more than the moon, you might be a solar witch. Don’t worry though you don’t have to identify as a solar witch or feel only called to the Sun to work with it. Any one can work with the energies of the Sun in their life and magical workings! Keep reading to learn more!

The Sun And Astrology

Astrologically the sun represents the Self or the ego and rules the life force. It is symbolized by the unbroken circle that is the soul with a dot in the center to represent the spark of life. The sun also involves creative enterprises that are a projection of the person, from art and business to having children and parenthood (especially fatherhood). In female charts the sun is often thought to represent the men in their lives, particularly husbands. It also rules the fun side of life from sport and recreation to holidays and social events.

According to ancient cosmology, the Sun (and other planets) traveled around the Earth. The portion of the sky (or arc) that the sun travels in every year, rising and setting in a slightly different place each day, is therefore, in reality, a reflection of the Earth’s own orbit around the Sun. This arc is larger the further north or south from the equator the latitude is, giving a more extreme difference in day and night and in the seasons during the year. The sun travels through the twelve signs of the zodiac on its annual journey, spending about a month in each.

The sun is the ruler of the 5th house and the planetary ruler of the zodiac sign Leo. Leo is the zodiac sign which is known for its leadership qualities and strong personality. The Sun’s influence is also associated with the heart, circulatory system, and vitality. In astrology, the Sun represents the self or ego, making it an important symbol of personal identity.

The Sun’s position on a person’s birthday, determines what is usually called his or her “star” or sun sign, this makes sense because the sun itself is a star. The Sun is the most important “planet” in astrology when it comes to determining a person’s inner makeup. The Sun represents the Self. This is believed to have a great bearing on the person’s overall personality makeup.

In Chinese astrology, the Sun represents Yang, the active, assertive masculine life principle. In Indian astrology, the Sun is called Surya and represents the soul, kingship, highly placed persons, father.

Solar & Sun Worship

Sun Worship has been around for an incredibly long time. The Sun rules our day cycle and our year cycle. By harnessing the power of the Sun, and with the creation of irrigation, our society and way of life shifted from hunter gatherer to agricultural.

Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, has been seen in antiquity for centuries. We see it in Egypt as early as the 14th century BCE with atomism. We see the sun being venerated in the building of Stonehenge, gobleki tepe, and so many more sacred sites around the ancient world to track the movement of the sun through the year and honor it during it’s most sacred days of the year like the Equinoxes and solstices.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for “pagan” religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he/she majestically visits on his/her daily round is prominent.

Cultures and religions that have practiced prominent Sun worship include the Incas in Peru, the Nabateans, who built the city of Petra in Jordan, and Shintoism in Japan. One of the most important Gods for the Inca civilization in South America, was the Sun god, Inti but, we will talk more about solar deities below.

Solar Deities & Gods Of The Sun

Just like with the moon and other celestial bodies there are certain themes, magic, and energies we have the ability to connect to them with, including deities. Everyone works with and views deity energy a little differently. Whether you view them as archetypes of the human consciousness, representations of the source energy, or as being entities on their own, there are certain deities that help you connect to and honor the vital and potent energy of the Sun in your life and magical practices. You can do this by invoking them through prayer, sigils, offerings and correspondences while doing solar magic and ritual work. You can honor these deities during any of their sacred holidays and festivals for some extra potent solar energy as well. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

Helios

Helios, the god of the sun, is a prominent figure in Greek mythology. He is known for his role as the driver of the sun chariot, traversing the sky each day. Helios was worshipped and revered, particularly in the island of Rhodes, and his influence expanded as he became associated with other deities. During the Roman Empire, he was even worshipped as the invincible sun itself. In Greek mythology, the captivating tale of Helios, the god of the sun, is an intriguing and timeless story. It revolves around the ambition of Helios’ son, Phaethon, to drive his father’s majestic sun chariot for a day. This desire led to disastrous consequences, as Phaethon lost control of the chariot, causing chaos and destruction on Earth. Helios is not only associated with the sun but also shares connections with other fire and light deities.

Apollo

The god Apollo was the Greek and Roman god of the Sun. Unlike most of the other Roman divinities, which had an Italic origin but had early been identified with Hellenic deities, the god Apollo was a truly Greek god. Apollo the sun god was indeed the god of every bright activity of the human intellect, like Science, Divination, and the Arts. In particular, the Roman god Apollo was the deity who presided over Medicine, Music, and Poetry. He is the son of Zeus and the Titan Leto, and was born in the Greek island of Delos, along with his older twin sister Artemis – goddess of the hunt. Apollo is alternately referred to as the God of Light and the God of Truth. Apollo served as an intermediary between the gods and men. Apollo’s most celebrated role in Greek mythology is as the god of sun and light. In this role, his duties often overlapped with Helios, the deified sun. And in some myths, Greeks even describe them as the same deity. Apollo personified the qualities of the sun with his glowing golden hair, and, like Helios, he was responsible for bringing the sun to the earth each day while riding on a golden chariot. Because of this, he was often described as ‘Phoebus’, meaning bright and pure.

Ra

The sun god Ra was ancient Egypt’s most revered and sacred deity, who they worshipped as king of the gods and father of creation. King of the deities and father of creation, he was the most sacred of all the gods, a solar deity who embodied the sheer power of the sun and gave life to the universe. As such, he symbolized the great reverence ancient Egyptians had for the sun as an agricultural society in the desert whose lives revolved around growth and regeneration. According to many Egyptian myths, sun god Ra was responsible for the creation of all life. Out of eternal darkness, an entity called Atum called forth the beginning of creation. An island slowly emerged out of the Primeval Ocean, which turned into Ra, the sun god and than Ra spawned the first gods. As creator of the universe, Ra became father and king to all gods, humans and living creatures. Egyptians believed that it was Ra’s duty to travel across the sky every day, bringing light and life to the world. As the sun set, Ra would descend into the underworld, where he battled against forces of darkness, including the evil serpent Apopis, in order to ensure the sun could rise again in the morning. Egyptians likened this daily pattern of light and darkness to the entire cycle of life, in which humans live, die and rise again in the afterlife.

Inti

Inti, the ancient Inca sun god, holds great significance in Inca culture and religion. As a revered deity, Inti is believed to have been born from Viracocha, the god of creation, and is considered the patron of the Inca Empire. Inti’s influence extends to various aspects of Inca society, including the foundation of the capital city Cusco and the teachings of civilization to the empire’s founder, Manco Capac. Festivals and ceremonies dedicated to Inti were vital for ensuring the well-being of the Inca ruler and the agricultural prosperity of the empire. Inti’s representation as a golden disc with a human face can be found in sacred sites throughout the empire. The sun was not only seen as a celestial body providing light and warmth but also had deeper significance in various aspects of Inca society. The Inca people regarded the sun as the primary source of light and heat, essential for their everyday lives. The warm rays of Inti brought life and illuminated their empire, sustaining both their physical and spiritual existence. Today, Inti’s legacy continues to resonate in modern-day Peru’s cultural traditions and historical sites. Inti, the revered Inca sun god, held a vital role in the culture and beliefs of the Inca civilization

Amaterasu

The last sun deity I have for you is one of my favorites and a personal deity I work with daily in my life. I also made the choice to include them to change it up a bit and show you a goddess of the sun and not only gods. Amaterasu is the primary deity of the Shinto religion in Japanese mythology, revered as the goddess of the sun, universe, and creation itself, and considered the highest manifestation of the spirit of the universe. Amaterasu was born from the left eye of her father, Izanagi, when he purified himself after visiting the underworld. Her birth gave her the unique status of being the only deity born from Izanagi alone. As the source of all light, life, and creation, the sun goddess sustains heaven and earth with a light so compelling that her father appointed her ruler of the universe when he first laid eyes on her. Amaterasu is also known for her role as the ruler of the Higher Celestial Plane. In this realm, she was responsible for bringing light to the world through the sun that she embodied. Amaterasu is the rising and setting sun: without her, all forms of life would cease to exist. As ruler of the heavens, she governs over all spirits (kami), and her divine powers brought about the cultivation of rice and wheat: she is also credited with first using silkworms and looms for weaving. Amaterasu’s role as the ruler of heaven is to ensure the continuity of life by maintaining order. As the embodiment of the sun, she assimilates all of its qualities and provides comfort and assurance to all those who look to her for guidance and protection. Having served as the mother of the imperial family she is revered as the goddess of the state, and is both nurturing and maternal. To learn more about her you can check out my guide on her here.

The Sun’s Cycle

The Sun has two energy cycles both a yearly and a daily cycle. Each is unique in their uses. Both have a place in natural magic practices and in astrological or celestial magic practices. Our Sun’s energy cycles a lot more slowly than the Moon since it takes a full year to see the extent of the cycle. As the Sun shifts through the seasons, different energies come out and play.

Spring Time – Growth
In Spring, we see a shift from dormant energies to quickening ones. I use the word quickening to also mean that the Sun’s energies are fluttering, gaining momentum and speed. This is the perfect time to plant seeds, set long term intentions, and really plan out how you are going to get there. As the Sun returns, your energy may also become more lit up on a daily basis.

Summer Time – Work
In the Summer time, the Sun’s energy is at it’s brightest and fullest particularly at Beltane. With the full Sun, this is where most of the work is done with our intentions. We have gained momentum and now it’s up to us to keep the pace up with what ever project we started. That can be a garden, a work project, construction or art project. This is less of planning phase and more of the action phase.

Autumn Time – Reflection
Autumn time is a season of slowing down. We start to lose momentum from Summer’s bright energy and here we begin to see where our hard work has gotten us. Because we put in the work in Spring and Summer, we now see the harvest of Autumn come through. Autumn brings clarity in our emotions. It’s at this stage that we realized where we might have overstretched. We also have realizations of where we may not have worked as hard or where we might not have been as motivated. Autumn time provides space to reflect on the year and energy to see what can be adjusted for the future.

Winter Time – Rest
Winter time is a season of rest and dormancy. The Sun’s energy is at it’s lowest this point of the year. We use fires and hearths to help generate heat and warmth not only in our homes but in our hearts and energy fields because the Sun has waned so much. In the Winter with rest, we begin to really see what feeds and nourishes us. Winter will show us if we stored up enough to sustain us not only in an agricultural sense but in a very real energetic reserves sense. If we realized that we over extended ourselves, Winter will be a good time to heal that and allow us to change what we do in the future.

The Sun’s Energy Phases

The Sun’s Energy also has a Rising and Setting cycle to each day. This waxing and waning happens quickly but on a much more subtle level. Harnessing the power of your day can lead to amazing variations in your spells. You might think of this pattern in the same way you’d think of the waxing, full, new, and waning moon cycles.

Rising Sun – This is used for new beginnings, fresh starts, and growth type spells. As the Sun rises and grows through out the day, what would you like to grow as well? This is the best time for any workings having to do with; healing, happiness, positivity, truth, self-care, peace, amplifier, the element air. Activities aligned for this time will be; charge sun crystals, make sun tea and/or drink, meditate, greet the sun, prayer, sunrise yoga, sunbathe

Morning Sun – Growth, drawing positivity into your life, such as money, love, friendships. Great for courage.

Noon Sun – When the sun is at it’s peak, this energy is used to supercharge a spell and is the best time to create solar/ sun water. This is when the sun is at it’s peak and when it is time for action. This is the best time for any workings having to do with; Growth, abundance, success, money spells, health, justice and protection.

Afternoon Sun – Similar to Fall, the afternoon Sun is for spells that require reflection, seeing beneath the surface, and for sending energy away. As the Sun wanes, you can “reduce” the energy that you give to negative thoughts and habits. This is the best time for any workings having to do with; resolution, clarity, and psychic connection.

Setting Sun – As the Sun sets you enter the Winter phase of the Sun. This is where rest happens and where we can become cozy and ready for the new day to come. This is the best time for any workings having to do with; charging yourself and your tools, gratitude, resolution, release work, and divination.

Observing the Sun’s life cycle through the Wheel of the Year

The Wheel is a visual depiction of the cyclical nature of the seasons and of time. Our ancestors lived in harmony with these rhythms, celebrating the sun’s journey of growth and retreat. The Wheel of the Year is a modern conceptualization of cyclical seasonal celebrations that follow the ebb and flow of darkness and light over the course of a year aka the movement and life cycle of the sun.

For those who  might not be familiar with this yet, the Wheel of the Year is like a pagan/witch holiday calendar. It has deep roots in wicca specifically but, it has been used in some shape or form throughout  history and across cultures. You do not need to be wiccan to follow it. It contains eight holidays, or sabbats, altogether: four solar festivals (the equinoxes and solstices), and four fire festivals (each Celtic in origin, marking the halfway point between solstice and equinox). The calendar is heavily reliant on Celtic mythology and folk holidays, with some Germanic and Norse influences as well.

You may also have seen them often referred to as Sabbats, and they are divided into two categories. Lesser Sabbats, or Solar Holidays, celebrate the two  solstices and two equinoxes. Greater Sabbats or Cross-Quarter Days are celebrated in between  Lesser Sabbat. Each festival celebrates changes in the cycles of life, the movement of the sun, and the seasons of the earth. The Winter Solstice is the day most strongly associated with Solar Energy, though it peaks at the Summer Solstice, it declines thereafter.

Solar Eclipse

There other more potent and unique times to work with the sun and call forth some solar magic. One of those times is during a solar eclipse. Before we talk about the magical and spiritual significance of a solar eclipse let’s talk about what it is. A Solar Eclipse appears when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, blocking out the light of the Sun. It’s considered to be three times more potent than a regular New Moon because it’s happening in close proximity to the Lunar Nodes of Destiny. During a solar eclipse symbolically, the energies associated with the Moon eclipse those of the Sun, so that feelings and emotions dominate over the ego and the will.

Beyond its astronomical wonder, the total solar eclipse holds spiritual significance for many. It symbolizes a time of darkness and spiritual renewal, offering an opportunity for introspection and the shedding of old energies. In astrology, the eclipse signifies the darkness of the ego and the potential for spiritual rebirth, marking a moment to release past patterns and embrace new perspectives.

Eclipses bring about energy of great change meant to shake things up. To create an intense time of great transformation, rebirth, and growth. A solar eclipse specifically is a time of new beginnings, taking initiative, and starting brand new things like jobs, businesses, projects, and relationships. This energy is all about change, transformation, good luck, growth, and abundance. This energy is known to change the wheel of fate and awaken things for us.

Despite the fated nature, Eclipses should not be feared but welcomed as a source of evolutionary change that leads to a powerful yet often uncomfortable, and even painful transformation.

Correspondences For The Sun

First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy, the zodiac energy the moon is currently in or for a celestial body like the Sun which I will list below for you to use.

  • Animal-lion, rooster, phoenix, bear, pheasant, swan, eagle, hedgehogs, peacocks, spiders, jaguar, horses, Griffin, Hawk
  • Element-Fire
  • colors-Yellow, gold, orange
  • Chakra- Solar plexus
  • Herbs/ flowers- Marigold, Sunflower, Chamomile, succulents, rosemary, goldenseal, St. john’s wort, dandelion, bay, juniper, olive, turmeric, oak, sandalwood, pineapple, heliotrope, cinnamon, peppers, buttercup, bergamot, orange
  • Stones/ crystals- sunstone, citrine, carnelian, amber, tiger’s eye, yellow topaz, red agate, goldstone
  • Deities-Helios, Apollo, Amaterasu, Inti, Sol, Ra, Surya, Tonatiuh, Utu, Xihe, Lugh, shamash
  • Symbols- disc, circles, spirals, crosses, circle w/ dot, cardinal directions
  • Themes- Gold, abundance, vitality, life, ego, confidence, strength, pride, healing, growth, creativity, protection
  • Zodiac-Leo
  • Trees-oak, cedar
  • Day of the week-Sunday

Magical Ways To Work With The Sun

Using the sun’s magical correspondences and working with the sun in your magical practices, rituals, spells, and workings, can bring positive and transformative energy into one’s life. The Sun, as a celestial body, radiates warm and stimulating energy that encourages growth, abundance, and protection. Its influence is not limited to the material world; it extends to the spiritual and psychological realms as well. Solar magic can be practiced through rituals, spells, and the use of objects that correspondence with the Sun’s energy.

Sun magic is versatile and can be used to manifest positive changes in various aspects of your life. For instance, you may use solar magic to promote the growth of your career, enhance relationships, or attract wealth and prosperity. The Sun’s bright energy is also believed to have protective qualities. As the Sun illuminates the world, it can be used in magic to dispel darkness, uncover hidden truths, and protect against deception. Additionally, Solar magic can strengthen one’s sense of self and boost confidence, making it useful for personal development and self-empowerment. Let’s look below at some ways that you can start working with the sun today!

Draw Down The Sun

Drawing Down the Sun is a transformative practice within the realm of magical practices. While the practice of Drawing Down the Moon involves channeling the essence of the Goddess into oneself, Drawing Down the Sun focuses on capturing the radiant and vital energy of the sun. This ritual allows practitioners to internalize the sun’s energy and charge their spiritual battery, preparing them for the darker months ahead. Drawing down the Sun is an easy way to pull in powerful energy to be used in spells and magic for the future.

The Sun’s radiant energy can be an important tool for witches that want to do blessings or beauty spells, but the energy is useful for almost anything. If you’re dealing with depression during the winter, this drawing down spell can help you to bring more positive energy into your life. The sun’s warm and invigorating energy is known for its uplifting and rejuvenating qualities. For individuals who grapple with feelings of depression or seasonal affective disorder, Calling Down the Sun can serve as a valuable practice for attracting positive energy into their lives. By recharging their spiritual battery with the sun’s energy, practitioners can alleviate feelings of sadness, fatigue, and hopelessness

One of the most significant benefits of Drawing Down the Sun is the enhancement of spells and incantations. The sun’s potent energy is known to amplify the effects of magical workings, strengthening the intentions set during rituals. Practitioners may utilize the sun’s energy to increase the effectiveness of a wide range of spells, from love and protection rituals to manifestation and abundance incantations. The infusion of the sun’s energy into these workings can lead to more powerful and impactful results.

The sun’s energy is often associated with attributes such as vitality, radiance, and beauty. Drawing Down the Sun can play a pivotal role in beauty spells and self-enhancement rituals. By harnessing the sun’s vibrant energy, practitioners can promote a radiant appearance, elevate their self-confidence, and attract positive attention from others. Additionally, this practice encourages practitioners to embrace their inner beauty and self-worth, allowing their unique light to shine outwardly.

How to perform

The specifics of the ritual can vary based on the tradition or individual practice, but it generally involves invoking the sun at a specific time of day (such as dawn, noon, or dusk) and channeling its energy into oneself. You may use visualization, meditation, and spoken invocations to connect with the sun’s energy. You can even place a mirror or bowl of water out as a reflective surface to absorb and draw in the sun as well as you perform this ritual. Then you have a amplified tool to come back and use as well. The ritual may be performed alone or in a group and is often done at key solar events such as the solstices or equinoxes.

Sunbathing

Just like when we honor, celebrate, and venerate the moon by going outside and bathing in it’s soft glowing moonlight we can do the same with the sun! We humans are fueled and energized by sunlight and warmth. In fact, humans often become depressed or ill without enough sunlight. So, if you have been feeling down, sick or disconnected? Get out and intentional soak up those bright, energetic rays! By intentionally I mean truly being mindful while out in the bright rays and noticing the feel of the sun on your skin, and it’s energy entering every part of your body!

Work With a Solar Deity In Your Practice

It’s common for many pagans and witches to work with deities associated with the moon in their practices and magical workings. Many even take it further and worship the triple goddess representing three aspects of the moon by three different deities. Just like you have the ability to work with the lunar deities in your spell workings and magical practices you can do the same with any of the solar deities we discussed above. You can call on them when making sun water, doing any spell workings associated with any of the magical themes of the sun. Like, growth, prosperity, healing, protection, divination, life, fertility, abundance, strength, self image, beauty, and vitality. You can add them to your altar, spell workings, and rituals by including any of their correspondences, images, and sigils.

Connect To The Sun Through Color Magic

You can connect to the sun by including color magic in your daily life, magical practices and workings. What is color magic? Color magic is using the color spectrum and the intention of each color to invoke its magical response and connect to that energy and vibration of the color. Each color has it’s own magical properties you can connect to. You can use those colors in spells, on your altar, to connect to elements and/or deities, and to set intentions and manifestations. You can even use color magic in your every day life like in the clothes you wear, the décor of your home, the color you paint your nails and more! The sky is the limit it really is up to you!

The Sun is connected to a few colors two of them being yellow and orange. The color yellow is happiness, joy, and warmth in it’s most pure and energetic form. This color can help connect you back to the joy and fun your soul experiences through adventure and innocence. This color surrounds you in warmth, comfort and self acceptance. You can also use this color to connect to your intellectual mind which makes it the ideal color for study, learning and expanding your knowledge.

The color orange is connected to the sun, and Wednesday. This color connects us to a very vibrant, energetic and expressive energy. This energy can help us in so many ways from unlocking our creative expression, helping us create art, assist us in a new job search and help our communication flourish. Use this color to bring a spark of expression and energy into your life.

Make Sun Tea

Sun tea – not only is it delicious, but it’s fun to make and WITCHY. This is literally tea brewed by the power of the sun. Get out a glass jar with an airtight lid. Fill it with water and herbs of your choice or teabags with added herbs like mint, stevia, chamomile, etc. Meanwhile visualize your intentions for this batch of tea. Then set it in direct sunlight and leave for a few hours for the sun to brew then pour over ice.

Create A Sun Altar

With any energy you choose to work with in your life you have the option to create an altar to honor, venerate, and connect to that energy. That includes celestial bodies like the sun as well. You can create an altar anywhere in your home and sacred space to help you connect to the sun and remind you of the bright, strong, confident energy you have the ability to connect to. On your altar you can have any correspondences you connect with that represent the sun or any solar deities. To amplify your altar you can have it in sunlight as often as possible and even place it outside! To learn more about altar work keep in eye our for a blogpost coming, or you can check out the study guide for my class previously taught on the topic that will be posted soon here; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cY9IKfLJgV-YBI76DCAtPAuwC6tSXdzh/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107019596187888016346&rtpof=true&sd=true

Work With Your Solar Plexus

Your solar plexus is arguably one of the most important chakras in your body. It’s located in the center of your torso just below your breast plate. “Manipura” means “lustrous gem of the city,” and is associated with the natural element of fire. Its associated color is yellow, hence its links to fire and, more broadly, the sun.

It is the center of your vitality, your connection to the Sun, and your source of self confidence and esteem. It is directly linked to your sense of self This energy center is associated with your self-esteem, sense of purpose, personal identity, individual will, digestion, and metabolism. When consciousness moves freely in this center, you are empowered by transformative energy.

When the solar plexus chakra is in healthy alignment, you will be comfortable with your own inherent power and become empowered. You will have a sense of who you are and why you are here. When you connect with your purpose, you gain a deeper understanding of how you as an individual can contribute to the collective in a beneficial way.

You will let go of the things—whether it’s your job or bank account balance—that you depend on to define who you are. Those things may have value, but overvaluing anything that subject to change is a quick road to suffering. You have inherent value; take the time through practice to investigate it, and you will be less dependent on external sources of happiness.

Work on aligning and reopening your solar plexus with meditation, eating healthy, and personal affirmations. As you work with the solar plexus chakra, cultivate a willingness to gain insight into your understanding of power, individuality, and identification. Doing this will naturally help you connect to the sun and work with it’s vital, and vibrant energy that sits within the sacred energy of the solar plexus chakra.

Sun Salutations

Sun salutations or greeting the sun can come in many forms, with yoga sun salutations, sunrise positioning, and/or runic stadhas like the sowilo stadha to honor the sun. In addition, moving your body in tune with the sun promotes a healthy lifestyle, vitality and peaceful mind. You can also make sure to greet to the sun in gratitude for it’s role in your life and every life on our planet. You can do this by simply offering up a small prayer of thanks to the sun while facing it each morning when you rise out of bed. I personally never start a day without this to ground myself in energy, strength, and gratitude for one of the most vital energies and things that sustains my existence.

Work With The Sun on Sunday

Every day of the week has it’s own magic you can harness to influence your life and magical practices and you guessed it Sunday is all about the energy from the sun. Due to this Sunday becomes the perfect day to focus on who you truly are and harnessing the vital energy of life to actively shape your life to be the brightest shining success it can be. Timing with spell workings and magical practices affects the potency and the energies being used so to make any of your sun magic more potent and amplified make sure to perform those spells, workings, and rituals on Sunday!

Connect To The Sun Thru The Element Of Fire And Candle Magic

The wick. The wax. The flame. A simple candle spell is potent in manifesting nearly any intention. And creates a connection to the element of fire and the celestial body the Sun. And it also doesn’t require a ton of energy on your behalf. This type of magic has been used for ages! The first “candle” dates back to at least the tenth century BCE. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that as long as people have been using candles to light their homes and buildings, they’ve also been using candles to make magic. Why? Because people and fire magic go together like peanut butter and jelly. It is potent magic, sacred to us, and easy to access.

There is so much to candle magic from the type of candle, ways to use it, different forms of divination methods, colors and so much more. Take a look below to learn some more about candle magic to add to your practice and lives today, keep an eye out for a future blogpost and check out my Facebook and Pinterest page for many more ideas on candle magic!

Sun Water; How To Make It

Similar to Moon Water, you can also create Sun Water to harness and work with its energies within your craft. Consider the Sun’s current sign when making your water as well as that will affect it just as it does with moon water.

So, Sun water what is it? Simply put it is water left under the rays of the sun to absorb the magical, spiritual, and energetic properties of the sun. When left in the sun, water can harness magical healing, protective, and energizing properties. This charged water is often used in witchcraft for spells and rituals to strengthen spiritual energy. The sun’s cosmic energy is infused in the water, making it the perfect channel for spells, cleansing, and healing rituals. Once charged, sun water holds positive, encouraging, and uplifting properties that can be used to douse negative energy and strengthen self-confidence.

How To Make Sun Water

Fill your jar or bottle with your preferred type of water.

Place your jar outside or on a windowsill that gets good sunlight. South-facing windows get the brightest all-around light. East-facing windows are great for sunrise energy and west-facing for sunset energy.

For more focused intention, write your desire on a small piece of paper and fold. Place your folded paper under the jar of water to direct the sun’s energy. You can also speak your intention over the water when you place it out in the sun.

It’s best for the water to be in the sun for at least an hour if possible. I usually put mine out at sunrise and bring it in at sunset. You can also use specific times of day (see below) to further focus the energy of the water towards your desired intentions.

Sun Water is potent, so a little goes a long way – even a drop will add a healthy amount of power to your workings.

Ultimately, working with the Sun’s magic allows you to tap into your own inner light and harness the transformative power of this celestial body. The bright rays of Sun magic is a practice that can enrich your life and bring a sense of warmth, abundance, virality, bravery, motivation, joy and clarity to your life, magic and manifestation in a much more potent, vibrant and confident way than lunar magic. Don’t forget to call on the sun and include it when doing any spells, workings or rituals that focus on abundance, vitality, life, ego, confidence, strength, pride, healing, growth, creativity, protection! Be prepared for an explosion of energy, vibrancy, and life when you add sun magic to your practices, spells, and life!

To expand your knowledge about this type of magic or if you’d rather listen than read; you can watch my free class with Divination Academy on YouTube below!

About Me : I have been a solitary grey magic practitioner for 15 + years. First and foremost, I consider myself a mystic and seeker of all knowledge. I am dedicated to the restoration, and re-enchantment of Magic in society, across this realm, and in each and every soul I come across in life! I am here to create a container that promotes healing, duality, and raw authenticity. I do this by guiding you on your personal journey to understanding your unique magic and sacred contracts. I facilitate this for you through embracing your shadow, duality and learning to live in energetic balance while not wearing a mask. When you work and learn from me you do so from your “darkness” as much as your “light” and in a way to truly harness and accept it not to just go thru it on the way to your light. But, I teach you how to truly embrace it, work with it, and use it alongside your light as a partner. I hold up a mirror for you to be able to see your authentic reflection looking back. Then have the courage to take the next step and do the uncomfortable but vital inner work to completely remove your mask. By facing all of your past wounds, traumas, and hurts. Allowing you to see both the dark and light within your story and take each chapter and alchemize it into something that is so powerful. your unique internal flame will shine so bright you will always be able to go within and find it on a dark cold night. You will learn how to truly live in duality and energetic balance to allow growth, and alignment with your sacred contracts and purposes. to finally move on and truly let the things that hold you back in this life from healing and manifesting go. To see everything I offer; like personalized shadow work sessions, womb healing, eBooks for you to work through on your own, Tarot sessions for guidance and more! Go to my shop!

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Aries New Moon; Unleash Your Full Potential, Passion, and Inner Warrior

We are entering a new lunar phase this week; the New moon. As the Moon changes signs approximately every 2-3 days, we feel her influence over our moods and intuition shift. This new moon we will find ourselves in the ambitious, strong, brave, steadfast, and independent sign of Aries. The New Moon in Aries is set to ignite a fiery burst of energy and initiate a fresh start in our lives. To Start a bright burning raging fire of change, transformation, growth, and a passionate pursuit of our goals and ambitions for the rest of the year.

Aries is full of energy, enthusiasm, and spunk, and wants to get things going. The new moon in Aries is an opportune time to initiate change, take action towards goals, and renew oneself. This moon in particular means really big change, taking big, bold, brave steps towards the life your truly want to live. This sign is also a sign of independence which means it’s a time to focus on what YOU really truly want for YOU and not for others.

New moons are an opportunity to start fresh, plant seeds, and envision your future—and this month’s new moon in Aries happens to be the first new moon of the astrological year. In other words? Consider it time to set your “New Year’s” resolutions for the astrological year. For me this is the third time during the year I set year long resolutions.

You may find that you feel this particular transit more intensely than others ( I know I am) as this New Moon is also being occupied by a total solar eclipse. Solar Eclipses rule new beginnings and opportunities, we have the ability to take the initiative to make what we want happen, and this can be bigger than usual thanks to the Aries energy and eclipse energy combined. We’re ready to hit the ground running and go.

Keep reading to learn all about this Aries new moon, how it will affect you, and how you can harness it in your life and magical practice. By aligning yourself with the energy of the New Moon in Aries, you can tap into your inner strength and unleash your full potential, passion, and inner warrior.

New Moon What Is It And Why We Honor It?

First, let’s talk about the new moon in general before we dive into the depths of what an Aries moon can do for you and your life. The new moon is the time to reflect and cleanse your energy. It is a time to  set your intentions for what you wish to attract this lunar cycle. Every  intention set requires action and energy from your part as well.

The new  moon energy is there to support you in manifesting what you want. The  new moon is a time to allow new ideas and energy to flow with you. It is a  time to honor new beginnings, and the turning over of a cycle. Think of these  intentions as seeds you are planting for this lunar cycle to be ready to harvest by the full moon.

Use this time to  rest, reflect, and plant what you will grow just as your ancestors across  many cultures did while there was little light in the night sky for them to  use. Each New Moon is unique, offering its own magic within each month.

To learn more about the foundations of working with the new moon, and how it affects you, read more here in my previous blog post. https://modgepodgemystic.com/working-with-the-new-moon/

Learn how to make moon water here! https://modgepodgemystic.com/moon-water-a-magical-staple/

Themes For The Aries New Moon

Every New Moon contains its own themes, which are related to the sign that it falls under. This time, we experience the New Moon in the strong, independent, brave, passionate, aggressive ambitious, and steadfast sign of Aries the ram. Aries it the first sign of the zodiac which makes it the go-getter of the Zodiac. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries symbolizes new beginnings, assertiveness, and the pursuit of our passions. It’s ruled by Mars, the God of war, making the ram a fearless fighter. Aries is a fire sign, and its energy is passionate, dynamic, and driven.

Through the sign of the Ram, we tap into our inner fire, embody our inner warrior, and work on developing a conscious relationship with our anger. The New Moon in Aries presents an excellent time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Ram. We connect with our capacity to be the leaders of our lives, to take paths that no one ever walked before, to go toward the direction that instinctively calls us.

While the Moon is in Aries, we all are a little bit faster to react. We’re all a little bit more intrigued by doing something we’ve never done before. We’re all a little bit more willing to take a risk or take a gamble by pushing into the unknown. We all feel like we’re at the beginning of a major cycle during the Aries New Moon. Let’s explore some of the themes and energies of Aries a little deeper below.

Aries The Primal Sign Of Passion

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac which means It is the big bang, our life force, the element of fire, primal passion, anger, rage, and ruled by Mars the God of War- this sign is the sign of life itself. It is the spark needed to light the tinder for existence to evolve. It is our will to persist no matter what obstacles are in our way. This sign is a Cardinal sign which means it is a leader, an initiator, and a visionary of the cosmos.

This New Moon is also a time to embrace our inner warrior. Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of action, passion, and aggression. During this New Moon, we may feel a surge of energy, passion, and assertiveness. We can use this energy to break free from old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us. We can assert our boundaries, speak our truth, and take action toward our deepest desires with the flames of burning passion.

Aries The Sign Of Assertive Ambition

Traditionally New Moons, especially Solar Eclipses in Aries are associated with powerful new beginnings. This fiery energy makes us feel very assertive, enthusiastic, ambitious, and ready to be back in the game. Spontaneous Aries is about jumping in and taking risks without being overly concerned about the outcome. Don’t worry about commitment, and let discipline come naturally whenever it’s needed. In fact, allowing yourself to make mistakes provides the freedom required for new things to be discovered.

The Sun is exalted in this feisty fire sign, making Aries season one of the best times of the year to initiate new things and launch new projects. This New Moon encourages us to take bold action toward our goals and ambitions. It is a time to set intentions and make plans for the future. With the fiery energy of Aries backing us, we can approach our goals with courage and confidence.

Aries The Sign Of Independence

This sign is also a sign of independence which means it’s a time to focus on what YOU really truly want for YOU and not for others. You will feel many things coming up for you that may surprise you especially if you are a people pleaser. The energy of Aries really pushes you to think about what makes YOU and YOU alone happy and whole. Aries Moon draws fire into the atmosphere, stimulating life force and vitality. You’re alive, filled with your own thoughts and it’s all about you right now.

One of Aries’ “lessons” is to show a pure part of ourselves to the world. By acting upon our own inner impulses (constructive ones!) without fear, and by abandoning the need to refine these impulses based on what others might want us to do or what others think we “should” do, we learn more about ourselves. If we learn to depend on ourselves, we exude an all-new aura of strength that comes from personal integrity and confidence, and strength.

Aries The Sign Of Renewal And Rebirth

New moons are generally a time of new beginnings, planting seeds, and rebirth. The energy of renewal is even more emphasized now in this new moon, as this is the first New Moon of the Astrological year, and Aries as an archetype is associated with initiation, risk-taking, rebirth, and new beginnings. With the positive power of a solar eclipse, this also heralds unexpected opportunities and groundbreaking fresh starts which heal old wounds.

Aries New Moon And A Solar Eclipse

A Solar Eclipse appears when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, blocking out the light of the Sun. It’s considered to be three times more potent than a regular New Moon because it’s happening in close proximity to the Lunar Nodes of Destiny. During a solar eclipse symbolically, the energies associated with the Moon eclipse those of the Sun, so that feelings and emotions dominate over the ego and the will.

Eclipses bring about energy of great change meant to shake things up. To create an intense time of great transformation, rebirth, and growth. A solar eclipse specifically is a time of new beginnings, taking initiative, and starting brand new things like jobs, businesses, projects, and relationships. This energy is all about change, transformation, good luck, growth, and abundance. This energy is known to change the wheel of fate and awaken things for us.

Despite the fated nature, Eclipses should not be feared but welcomed as a source of evolutionary change that leads to a powerful yet often uncomfortable, and even painful transformation. This Total Solar Eclipse in Aries marks the start of a brand new cycle of personal and collective evolution, bringing an energy of initiation that invites transformation, awakening, and redemption.

What To Be Cautious Of With The Aries New Moon

Amidst the beauty of this lunar energy, there may also be feelings of explosive anger and outbursts. The energy of Aries is grounded in Mars, which is all about aggression, war, and conflict. So, take the time to stop and think before you let the little things allow you to blow up right now and create conflicts in your life by making small things bigger than they need to be. It is essential during this time to stay grounded, and connected to who you are so your emotions don’t allow you to wander from your goals, let your ego get in the way, or allow your anger to create conflict with others.

How To Connect To Aries Energy

Now, that we have talked about the themes of this Aries new moon and how it is going to affect you let’s talk about how you can specifically connect to and work with this moon.

First, make sure to do all of your staples that your learned in the previous blog post linked here https://modgepodgemystic.com/working-with-the-full-moon/ for you like, charging your crystals, making moon water, https://modgepodgemystic.com/moon-water-a-magical-staple/ and resetting your altar.

With this moon there are certain spells and rituals that will help connect you this moon in the most effective way. Remember these are just some of the many ideas follow your intuition and the energy of this moon.

Correspondences Of The Aries New Moon

First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy , or the zodiac energy the moon is currently in like I will list below for you to use.

  • planet-Mars, Sun
  • Animal-Ram
  • Element- Fire
  • Sex- Masculine
  • Modality- Cardinal
  • Symbol- The Ram
  • colors- Red, Orange, yellow, white
  • Motto- I am
  • Chakra-Solar Plexus
  • Herbs- Dandelion, Turmeric, Chamomile, Skullcap, Cinnamon, Lavender, Motherwort, Calendula, Honeysuckle, Geranium, All spice, Sage, Nettle
  • Stones/ crystals- Bloodstone, Green aventurine, Hematite, Black obsidian, Blue Topaz, Citrine, Rhodonite, Kyanite, Ruby, Jasper, Garnet, Carnelian
  • tarot- The Emperor
  • House- First House

Manifestation Topics and Questions for Aries New Moon

Every new moon is a great time for manifesting and planting seeds of intention to bloom during this lunar cycle. You will want to try and align your manifestations, intentions, and goals around the themes of the Aries Ram to reap the maximum benefits and rewards from this lunar cycle in the seeds you choose to plant now. Try and focus on things like your biggest dreams, where you want to be a leader, what truly makes YOU happy, letting go of control, being spontaneous, looking at the places you need to be brave in life and listening what makes your heart burn with burning passion. Now is the time to focus on doing and the inner work to restore and reignite your desires and your passions in you, your life, others, and your magic. Whether you do it thru meditation, goal setting, journaling, shadow work, or divination like tarot; below is a list of prompts and topics to connect with the energy of the Aries new moon

To learn more about how to do detailed shadow work you can learn more watching my class here! You can also book a 1:1 guided session with me on my site in the readings and services section or on Facebook.

Ritual To Connect To Your Anger

Working with our anger can be a powerful, potent, and liberating experience. Anger in and of itself is not a negative. No emotion is negative since every emotion serves a function and is sending us a message. How we use our anger is what determines whether it’s constructive or destructive. As the Aries new moon summons your inner warrior, think of your anger as a battle cry to pay attention to your boundaries, your passions, and your unmet needs and/or desires. If you’ve been letting someone push you around, it’s time to address the unworkable behavior and create a new way of interacting. Don’t be afraid to simply just let some pent up anger out as well by just letting a scream, yell, shout, or cry out to mother nature and the cosmos.

Use the journal prompts below to connect to your anger in a quiet sacred space. You can amplify the affect right now by having a red, orange, or white candle burning next to you as you do this work. The candle will help you connect to the element of fire, the planet mars, and the energy of Aries. Once you have completed the prompts below, you can than take the answers and burn the list in your candle flame to release any of the unwanted and negative affects of the anger you have been harnessing during this session. Don’t forget to visualize you harnessing your anger in a productive and constructive way in the future to manifest it into you life as you are also releasing the unwanted affects.

  • How does my anger hold me back?
  • When was the last time you felt very angry and what was the trigger?
  • What happens to your body when you are angry?
  • Are there any behaviors you do when you are angry you are not angry or happy about?
  • How do you currently handle anger? How would you like to handle your anger?
  • Do you have areas in your life you need to harness your anger to be more assertive?
  • Are there areas or causes in your life you need to harness your anger for the sake of justice and protecting others?
  • Is your anger being mistaken for something else? Like loneliness, hurt, passion, assertiveness etc.
  • Where in your life do you need to let go of anger and what does that look like?

If you would like more ideas for rituals you can check out my Pinterest page, my Facebook page, and watch any of my previous moon celebrations here; https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeHvi9fxqgzRx1cIX1vfLMDVVtPYzKvl1&si=ppeNd5wwT6saWEdf and you can read more in a previous blog post here https://modgepodgemystic.com/working-with-the-new-moon/.

However you choose to connect to this new moon and work with its energy be prepared to experience the depths of your passion, the deepest desires to ignite your soul and your need for independence. By aligning yourself with the energy of the New Moon in Aries, you can tap into your inner strength and unleash your full potential, passion, and inner warrior.

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The Magic Of Casting A Circle

The magic circle — also known as the magic circle of protection, ritual circle, witch’s circle, and even sacred circle — is one of the most iconic trademarks of magic. You hear over and over again about how we should know how to do one and when you attend ceremonies and rituals you hear the facilitator/ practitioner use one often but, do you really know why we cast a magic circle and what one really is?

What is a magic circle?

A magic circle is a sacred space that practitioners of magic believe contains energy. The magic circle is an area of non-physical space created and constructed of personal power. It creates an energetic and psychic container – a safe, protected space – for magic and healing to take place. When you cast a circle, you are said to be in a space between worlds – void space, magic space, liminal space, grey space, spiral space beyond linear time. It’s a magical environment in which the deities are welcomed and celebrated, and where rituals and magical workings take place.

Many magical practitioners create a circle as part of their magical ritual. The circle may first be marked out with chalk or paint, or drawn in salt or, more usually, it is visualized with no physical representation of the circle at all. All of the participants may stand around the perimeter of the circle or may stand in the center.

A solo practitioner generally stands in the center. The circle is established using the energy of the practitioner(s) using means specific to their tradition. The energy encircles the area horizontally as well as vertically, creating something more like a sphere or bubble of spiritual energy.

There are two main types of magic circles used.  Those formed by ceremonial magicians are designed to protect the magician from the forces that he or she raises.  While those formed by witches and wiccans, are mainly used to create sacred space in which to meet and commune with the Goddess, God and Spirits. The magic circle is essentially a magical seal or sigil. Circles may or may not be physically marked out on the ground, and a variety of elaborate patterns for circle markings can be used. A castor may even add tools, candles, and other items as well. 

When it comes to casting a circle there really are endless possibilities to how you choose to cast one, when you choose to cast a circle, and what/if you call in to add energy to your circle as you cast it as well. Continue to read to learn all about the history of casting a magic circle, why you should use and when, and some of the many ways you can cast a magic circle and decide if this staple of magic workings will be added to your practice.

A Circling Group

A group of witches or magic users may sometimes refer to themselves as a Circle or Circling group rather than a coven. A coven implies the group’s shared set of beliefs and oaths. Using the term Circle to describe a group of magical practitioners implies that while the group performs magic together and gathers for some spiritual and social occasions, they do not necessarily share the same belief system and owe each other no oaths.

Circles are often formed for training purposes or for family groups and general fellowship and Circle members may be involved with other groups as well.

History of casting a circle 

Manly P. Hall once said, “The most primitive and fundamental of all symbols is the dot [circle].”

They considered geometry holy teaching in antiquity. Scholars and wise men of old deemed the circle sacred and studied it along with other divine natural sciences in studying the stars and mathematics. At the time, they saw mathematics as a discipline to aid in communication with their gods. Ritual magicians utilized solving geometric equations like squaring the circle. We see this in the mystical teachings by Pythagoras.

Circle casting has been around for 1000s of years. We see evidence of it as far back as Sumerian culture.  Evidence of its practice can be found in texts like the Lesser Keys of Solomon as well. It is mentioned in other “high magick” grimoires; many of dubious origin. In this early metaphysical literature, casting a circle was a means of containing spirits and energies conjured during complex rituals of evocation. The means of conjuring these spirits was risky to all involved and it’s easy to imagine that many spirits were not too happy with the mages doing the summoning. Circles also functioned as a way to protect the humans performing the ritual and were often combined with sigils. 

Over time, the reason for casting a circle has changed. Most contemporary witches who cast circles do so to create a sacred space or vortex of power that sits between and connects the physical world with the spiritual. In this space, the witch is free to work with the energies they choose to evoke. The circle, no longer just a means of protection, has become an energetic focus and sphere of unadulterated power when properly created. This modern idea of circle casting began with the work of traditional English witches in the early 1900’s and was popularized afterward by Gerald Gardner, the creator of the Wiccan religion.

Mesopotamian Magic

In Mesopotamia, called by some the cradle of civilization, most people created rituals. Both individually and as a community. The Sumerians called the use of ritual circles Zisurrû.

Sumerians used a common technique in casting ritual circles. They drew the circle with flour or chalk. They spread the flour around figurines of deities and figures of protection entities. For example, I, An, and Enlil who were all gods of Mesopotamia and are within the seven gods. Sumerians believed they attributed to the gods with this ritual.

The type of flour was crucial as different grains held unique properties. Wheat flour specifically invoked deities. Barley encircled beds to protect against disease-causing demons, and šemuš-flour repelled ghosts.

Archaeologists have also discovered the use of magic circles. Similarly, not on the ground but in pottery. Written on the bowls, called “incantation bowls.” In spirals were magical words of invocation, multiple names of deities, and seemingly “nonsense” words that hold mystical power.

Greek Magic

In Greece, Magic circles were protective necessities. However, this motif of the circle as protection against negative spirits is a constant theme in all cultures.

The ancient Greeks used prayers from priests as a spoken magic circle.

Charles Stewart, the author of Magic Circles, says,

“An exorcism prayer for clearing a space of evil spirits describes how the priest’s blessing establishes a circular ‘boundary of fire’ within which all terrestrial, aerial, and astral spirits will be bound and rendered subordinate to Christ and the saints.”

Hermetic Magic, Golden Dawn, Thelema, and Others

A significant tradition exists within the magical Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. They named this tradition the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram or LBRP.

Physically, you will draw out pentagrams representing the four cardinal directions. The archangels are usually the magic circle and will not have markings. The figures you draw and envision form a protective circle around you.

Wicca

In the early 1900’s and was popularized afterward by Gerald Gardner, the creator of the Wiccan religion.

In Wicca, a magic circle is typically nine feet in diameter, though the size can vary depending on the purpose of the circle, and the preference of the caster.

Some varieties of Wicca use the common ceremonial color attributions for ‘quarter candles’: yellow for air in the east, red for fire in the south, blue for water in the west and green for earth in the north (though these attributions differ according to geographical location and individual philosophy).

Have you ever been told that you can’t enter a circle or leave a circle once it has been cast? That is a wiccan belief and actually doesn’t spread across all castors when it comes to magic circles. This is because wiccans believe the barrier is believed to be fragile, so that leaving or passing through the circle would weaken or dispel it. This is referred to as “breaking the circle”.  It is generally advised that practitioners do not leave the circle unless absolutely necessary.

In order to leave a circle and keep it intact, Wiccans believe a door must be cut in the energy of the circle, normally on the east side. Whatever was used to cast the circle is used to cut the doorway, such as a sword, staff or knife (athame), a doorway is cut in the circle, at which point anything may pass through without harming the circle. This opening must be closed afterwards by reconnecting the lines of the circle. The circle is usually closed by the practitioner after they have finished by drawing in the energy with the athame.

Purposes

Casting a circle can have many purposes to benefit your magical workings and practices. What purpose you are meaning to use it for as well will help you determine when and how to cast one in your magical workings, practices and even in your daily life. 

Create Intentional Space

Part of casting a circle is about mindset. It allows us to shift out of the mundane world and into the sacred. As you get used to casting a circle, it will start to signal to your body and brain that you’re entering into a ritual space, and your energy will likely begin to shift automatically. Your body, brain, soul, and spirit will automatically shift into a more grounded, mindful, and energetic state.

Protection

When you open yourself up to working with energy, it’s important to protect yourself from unwanted energies. Working with magic and ritual, especially any astral or Akashic work, it can leave us vulnerable to unwanted energies coming in. When you cast a circle you are creating a potent extended barrier of energy around you and your space to help you filter the energies you are allowing in. It can be even more potent if you add deities, other entities, guides, the watch towers, elements, and more. 

Focus the energy of your workings

Casting a circle isn’t just about keeping unwanted energy out; it’s also about keeping the desired energy in. Our magic is more powerful when we can focus it in a specific direction, rather than let it scatter and diffuse. An energetic circle helps us gather and concentrate more energy to support the purpose of our magical workings!

When to cast a circle

So, when should you cast a circle you ask? Again, the possibilities really are endless and there isn’t just one answer to when you should be casting a magic circle. For example, you can cast a magic circle of protection around yourself before you leave on a long trip in your car or flying in a plane. Or you can do one when you are taking a ritual bath, calling down the moon, creating a spell jar, on Samhain, and even during meditation.  The list really is endless. You can cast a circle whenever you feel you need to use its magical and energetic purposes in your life. Here is a list of some more idea below;

  • Any pagan holidays or festivals
  • When honoring the Wheel of the year
  • When doing divination
  • While calling down the moon
  • Shadow work
  • During cleansing
  • Meditation
  • Spell work/ Casting
  • When working with a deity
  • Coven/ group work
  • When in need of protection 
  • When you need to focus
  • For amplification purposes
  • Astral travel
  • Akashic/ Spirit Work
  • As Protection magic
  • When working with the Elements and/or planets
  • property/home magic

Where to Cast a Circle

I feel like I am going to sound like a broken record here but, guess what guys? Your possibilities for where to cast a circle are again going to be endless. You can cast one one your way to work in your car to help you with dealing with coworkers, you can cast one in your living room, your front yard, your bedroom for enhanced sex magic, literally the list could go on. It all just depends on the purpose you are using the circle for, the time you have to cast it, and how you want to do it. Then you just make sure your location fits all of those needs. 

Do you have to cast a circle?

Is casting a casting a circle you have to do each time you cast, or do deity work, or celebrate Samhain? No, you don’t. Casting a circle is completely up to you. You can choose when you cast a circle, and if you even cast a circle at all. Most of the times when I am working with a deity I cast a circle but, not every time.  Other magic workings like when I am making spell bags I have never cast a circle when doing. This is going to all be up to you and what you decide. One of the many beauties of this path.

What you’ll need to Cast a Circle

Depending on your practice, purpose, and space this could mean many different things.  You could need nothing to cast your circle but yourself and a quite space alone or in a group. Or you may need representations of the four elements, a deity, the four directions, and the list could go on. So, this is really going to be up to you. 

Some common items you may need when casting a circle will be listed.

  • A bowl of salt or herbs to represent earth
  • A chalice of Water
  • A wand or Athame
  • Incense or feather to represent Air
  • Candles to represent fire
  • Crystals
  • Images of deities
  • Statues of deities
  •  Offerings
  • Anything you can use to outline your physical circle if you choose to like flowers, salt, flour, branches, rocks, etc.

Prep for your circle

So, you know you’re going to be casting a magic circle. Is there any prep for casting one? Yes, for every type of circle casting there is at least a little bit of prep. I say this because, even if you are doing a quick one in your car or a daily one in the mirror at home you still have some prep work.

Your prep work for casting a circle will look different every time as a whole but, each time you need to decide what is the purpose of your circle you are going to cast, do you need to cleanse and prep your space, will you be physically drawing your circle and do you need any tools? Once you answer those questions then you do what needs to be done. You decide the purpose, you grab any tools if needed and you cleanse the space if you need to. If you decide to cleanse I like just doing a simple smoke cleanse with incense or an herb bundle.  After that your next step to prep work is to go to your chosen space, physically draw your circle if you chose and than get grounded, enter sacred space, take some deep breaths and get ready for your visualization and circle casting.

How to Cast Circle

There are so many ways to cast a circle. It’s my belief that magical practice is always more powerful when it is YOURS. When you take the time to study it, sit with it, experiment with it and develop it to be your own personal magic and style. However you choose to cast your circle, one thing is common: you’ll work with visualization and energy. 

Below is one example of how to cast a circle using the four directions and elements;

  • Center yourself with a few deep, grounding breaths. 
  • Let your eyes close and start to call on the elements. 
  • Starting in the East, with the element of Air, speak aloud to invite the energy of Air, of breath, of voice, of mind, to hold the circle. 
  • Then turn your focus to the South, the element of Fire, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Fire, of transformation, of passion, of the sun, to hold the circle. 
  • Turn your focus again to the West, the element of Water, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Water, of feeling, of surrender, of the ocean, to hold the circle with you. 
  • Lastly, turn your focus to the North, to the element of Earth, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Earth, of holding, of soil, of forests, to hold the circle. 
  • Feel the shift in your body and your space as the circle forms. Visualize a golden circle of light around you, supported by the powerful energy of each of the elements, holding a sacred and safe container for you.
  • When you feel ready, say out loud: “The circle is now cast.”

When you need a quick circle for protection in public places, here’s how to cast a simple circle:

  • Relax your body and mind as much as possible.
  • Cleanse your body with 5 deep breaths and allow the tension to leave your body.
  • Close your eyes (if you can) and visualize a bright white light bursting from the top of your head.
  • Continue visualizing – this white light now showers over your body, forming a circle from head to feet.
  • Hold the image of an impenetrable, shining white bubble. This circle protects from energetic intrusion. Hold the image as long as you can and it will protect you for the day.

How to Cast a Circle for Pagan Rituals (AKA Calling the Quarters)

For pagan rituals and sabbats, after cleansing and preparation

  • Stand at the North point of the circle (have your wand/athame ready, if you use one.) Turn and draw a circle with your wand, ending where you are standing in the north.
  • Then, take a breath and envision a cave of impenetrable crystals encircling you.
  • Face the north, raise both arms, and say, “I call on the element of Earth. Nourish and protect us this magical night.”
  • Walk towards the east. Envision a powerful, illuminated wind encircling you.
  • Face the East and say, “I call on the element of Air. Inspire and guide us this magical night.”
  • Turn from the east and walk towards the south. Envision a fire that ignites passion and power from deep within you.
  • Stand facing the south and say, “I call on the element of Fire. Ignite our spirits and empower us this magical night.”
  • Now turn and walk towards the west. Envision a gentle rain falling all around.
  • Stand facing the west and say, “I call on the element of Water. Give us powers of dream and intuition and purify us this magical night.”
  • Next, stand in the middle of the circle and visualize a white bubble of light where you walked the circle. This circle isn’t just one dimensional – it reaches above your head and below your feet forming a perfect sphere.
  • At this point, you may call the ancestors or gods of your choice (this is optional).
  • Say, “The circle is cast. Let no one enter or leave the circle until it is released.” Proceed with the ritual.

An example of one of my circle Castings

My circle castings change every single time I do one. When I am casting for my home and property I will physically create one with the points of my property and items, when I do shadow work I at times will invoke deities, sometimes I use just my energy and others I use crystals and all the elements. I follow my intuition and the purpose I have for this particular circle. 

Below is a short example of what I usually include in a circle casting in most of classes and rituals; ( Each element part changes each time)

I call to the spirit and guides to each and every soul in this circle. 

I ask that you encircle us in protection, guidance, connection, and wisdom.

I call to guardians and gatekeepers of the four directions and I thank you ever so much for turning your gaze towards us and I ask for you to join us.

I call to the direction of east and the element of Air

For you are the breath in my lungs the reason I can breath 

You bring transformation and wisdom on your wides of change each time you blow through my life. 

I honor your breath, your power of change and that you are my breath of life. 

I ask you element of air to hold the eastern gateway

I call to the direction of south and the element of fire.

You are my passion, my spark, and the ember in my soul for motivation.

You teach me to blaze and burn brightly to be a guide in the dark and warmth to those who seek my shelter. 

To have passion and desire and also to know when to use my flames to burn those who need to be taught a lesson

I ask you element of fire to hold the southern gate. 

I call to the guardians and gatekeepers of the direction of west and the element

Of water.

You teach me water that your depths are vast and deep and moving in your tides can cause your to drown or float just like our emotions. 

You teach me to swim with grace when I need to and float when your depths call.

You are the life force for each living being and the reason earth is so very unique. 

I call to you element of water and ask you to hold the western gate this evening.

I call to the guardians and gatekeepers of the direction of north and the element of Earth. 

You are the home of every living being. 

You are the resting place of every ancestor of every line and every generation. 

You are where we all begin and where we all end. 

You are the populated cities and the vast uncharted territories yet to be found.

I call to you element of earth and ask you to hold the northern gateway.

I call to the guardians and gatekeepers, spirit guides, inter dimensional beings, elementals, any deities, and all other entities willing to protect, guide and assist of both above and below and thank you so very much for holding those gateways. 

Amen. Aho. So mote it is

Other ways to Enhance a Circle

You can make casting a circle as simple or as complex as you’d like. Here are some other ways you can choose to enhance and cast your circle. 

  • Place your Ritual Deck element or direction cards around you in each of the corresponding directions.
  • Place physical items representing each of the elements around in the corresponding directions. Learn more about how to represent each of the elements here.
  • Place four crystals around you in each of the corresponding directions. Hematite or snowflake obsidian work well for Earth/North, amethyst or kyanite for Air/East, citrine or pyrite for Fire/South, and moonstone or carnelian for Water/West. 
  • Place four lighted candles around you in each of the corresponding directions. A black or brown candle for Earth/North, a yellow or purple candle for Air/East, a red or orange candle for Fire/South, and a blue silver candle for Water/west
  • Walk the circumference of the circle.
  • Use a wand or athame (ritual knife) to draw the circle around you.
  • Physically draw your circle using salt, sugar, or flour
  • Add offerings and image of deities or other entities
  • Add sigils at the four directions and/or corners

The Elements Vs. The Guardians of the Watchtowers

Some people prefer to invoke the elements when casting a circle, while others call on the guardians of the watchtowers. What’s the difference between the two? When the elements earth, air, fire, and water are invoked to cast a circle, we are calling those elements specifically and the energy they bring. When the guardians of the watchtowers are called, we invoke the highest beings that watch over each directional point and related element. These are sometimes seen as gods and goddesses, sometimes seen as angels.

Breaking a Circle

Have you ever been told you can’t enter a circle once the castor has begun or that if you leave you can not re enter or you will be ending the circle for everyone? Are these things true? I am not going to say it’s a definite no. For some the answer is yes. For others like many wiccans, you have to open a door by cutting one in the circle using your left hand and athame. For others like myself I don’t think it is true unless I make the decision for it to be true. I believe your circle is being constructed with your energy which means you get to decide if no one else can enter, if they can under certain circumstances, or if anyone can enter at anytime.

Closing Your Circle

You cast your spell, meditated for shadow work, focused your energy, or cast protection now what? Now, you have to make sure to do one more important thing, close your circle. Your circle is a sacred energetic space you created and you are also energetically keeping it in existence. When your circle has served its purpose and intention do not forget to thank your circle for how it assisted you and then ask it to be released/ dispelled and your energy to come back to you or go to where it came from. 

Wrap Up

Casting a circle in magic has a long history across many cultures and practices and how you choose to cast yours is up to you. Remember it may change each time as well. Experiment with it and decide what works best for you, using the elements, tools, the directions, a deity, or just yourself. It really is up to you! And remember you can decide to never cast one as well and that’s okay though I really think you should give it a try the benefits are worth it!

To expand your knowledge about this magic or if you’d rather listen than read; you can watch my free class with Divination Academy on YouTube below!

About Me : I have been a solitary grey magic practitioner for 15 + years. First and foremost, I consider myself a mystic and seeker of all knowledge. I am dedicated to the restoration, and re-enchantment of Magic in society, across this realm, and in each and every soul I come across in life! I am here to create a container that promotes healing, duality, and raw authenticity. I do this by guiding you on your personal journey to understanding your unique magic and sacred contracts. I facilitate this for you through embracing your shadow, duality and learning to live in energetic balance while not wearing a mask. When you work and learn from me you do so from your “darkness” as much as your “light” and in a way to truly harness and accept it not to just go thru it on the way to your light. But, I teach you how to truly embrace it, work with it, and use it alongside your light as a partner. I hold up a mirror for you to be able to see your authentic reflection looking back. Then have the courage to take the next step and do the uncomfortable but vital inner work to completely remove your mask. By facing all of your past wounds, traumas, and hurts. Allowing you to see both the dark and light within your story and take each chapter and alchemize it into something that is so powerful. your unique internal flame will shine so bright you will always be able to go within and find it on a dark cold night. You will learn how to truly live in duality and energetic balance to allow growth, and alignment with your sacred contracts and purposes. to finally move on and truly let the things that hold you back in this life from healing and manifesting go. To see everything I offer; like personalized shadow work sessions, womb healing, eBooks for you to work through on your own, Tarot sessions for guidance and more! Go to my shop!

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Baba Yaga; The Hag Goddess of Wisdom

Baba yaga is an incredibly fascinating witch and goddess. Her name alone just draws you in to learn more about her and pulls you into the slavic forest in search of her wandering hut on chicken legs. She will pull many in to learn about her but very few will actually learn her magic and walk her path with her.  Some view her as simply a folklore character, others a witch, some a hag, and to others she is seen as an ancestral figure to honor as a goddess. 

We can learn much from her when we are open to her wisdom. Her light is that of our ancestors, whose flame has been burning for generations. Death and rebirth are the domains of Baba Yaga, the Slavic goddess of regeneration.

Baba Yaga is staple of Slavic lore. She can be found in stories across several countries as a specific character, not just an archetype. What I find most interesting about her is that she is portrayed, almost equally, as a villain and a benefactor.

Who is she?

Baba yaga is seen in many folklore tales throughout the Slavic and Russian culture. Like I touched on before many see her as just that. A folklore character that has many myths and legends surrounding her of her doing dark things like eating children who wander into the woods.  But, many others view her as a divine ancestor, a powerful spirit, an ancient earth goddess. Though her lineage is unknown and we do not know where or who she came from or her parents which is a reason she is seen as primordial energy and not being of this world of the underworld. She is also referred to as the keeper of the waters of life aka the fountain of youth and when I have worked with her she has shown me a door that only she has the key to and explained all knowledge of time is within it.

Her importance during ancient times

In ancient cultures, older women were seen as the keepers of family or tribal wisdom and tradition, and they were revered as such.

These knowing women were thought to be familiar with the mysteries of birth and death; as a result, they were qualified to care for the sick and dying, and they were endowed with the function of bringing life and death.

Her name

The first part Baba translates to old woman or grandmother. Depending on the region and people, this can be a term of endearment or even an insult. It essentially points to the fact that the woman is in her elderly years and may even be ugly or misshapen, to some. Which is where we see the connection and description of her being a hag goddess being so common. To others, it gives the woman a certain power and wisdom

Yaga,  this part of her name is a little harder to translate and understand. There have been literally dozens of translations looking at various languages in Eastern Europe and Russia. Some include terror, horror, serpent, chill, witch and even dryad or wood nymph.

An Introduction to working with pagan deities
To get help with your journey with deities and delve into how you view them and would like to work with them check out my eBook today! This eBook will walk you thru the different ways to view deities, what a deity can be, and the basics to start building a deep meaningful relationship with one. You can purchase the eBook below!

Her many images

Baba Yaga isn’t just one thing. She’s many: a monster, witch, hag, villain, divine grandmother, earth goddess, forest spirit, shapeshifter, light bringer, and to some she’s even considered a hero. According to Judika Illes, while Baba is of Slavic prominence, she may have once been the Scythian goddess of the hearth Tabiti. Though, I believe we can see her as many of the deities of the hearth. Including Hestia of Greek origin and Holda and Berchta of Germanic origin. We also can draw a connection to her and the celtic goddess Cerridwen with what she has to offer and her connection to herbal knowledge.  

To modern witches and Slavic pagans, Baba Yaga is a witch goddess who lives deep in a birch forest. She’s the keeper of herbal and healing wisdom and grants her knowledge to those who are worthy and of whom seek initiation.

Baba Yaga’s myths over the centuries have turned her into the wicked witch of the forest, seen as ugly and old. This is more commonly a societal view of how many see elderly women set in their ways and often shunned by younger generations who value beauty and youth over age and experience.

The tales say Baba is an old woman with iron teeth like boar tusks. She has bear claws and wears a necklace of skulls, smokes a pipe, and sometimes has a golden or iron foot. In other belief, she’s a snake from the waist down. Some say she wears an apron and holds a key to life’s mysteries. She flies about in a mortar, holding a pestle. Sometimes she holds a broom with which to sweep away any signs she’s been about.

When she’s first documented in 1755 (that we know of), the writer says Baba has bony legs, iron teeth, and refers to misshapen or repulsive features. Including the old woman’s nose, breasts, buttocks and vulva. Baba appears in a list along with other Slavic deities, with all of the others compared to Roman deities. But not Baba she’s on her own. Which shows her sovereignty and power.

Baba Yaga is associated with the dark forests, death, rebirth, sickness, dying, but also healing, renewal, sage wisdom and advice that comes from experience and a long life.

Her wise grandmother’s energy is strict and harsh, but for your own well being.

Her energy is most strongly felt in the autumn, leading up to Mabon and Samhain as the leaves change color and the temperatures begin to get cooler.

Baba yaga and the liminal space

Baba Yaga is not quite of this world and the next as she remains otherworldly between the physical world and the spirit world/underworld.

A crone witch and often referred to as a goddess, Baba Yaga can be considered part of the dark goddess archetype.

She is seen as a liminal witch and not quite of this world due to her magical hut which is central to her mythology and who she is. Baba Yaga is found between the worlds, not exactly of the spirit world or the underworld and not quite of this world either.

Her connection to death, mortality, fraility can be connected to the same as ghosts who roam the Earth and the magick of the mythological forest creatures such as the Rusalka (русалка) and Leshy (леший). 

However,  even with Baba Yaga as a dark/crone goddesss she doesn’t reside in the underworld, but she is connected to what it represents.

Baba yaga’s hut

Baba Yaga’s home is strongly connected to her mythology, which is also associated with the familiarity of the home and our ancestral connections. 

 So, where is Baba Yaga’s house and what does it look like? 

The tales say Baba Yaga’s house is deep in a birch forest. And that it sits atop a pair of giant chicken legs. Because it has legs, it can move. In other tales, her cabin sits atop the legs of a goat or spindle wheels.

Around Baba Yaga’s house, there’s a fence with skulls that sit on top. These skulls glow at certain times. And in her cabin, there’s a large oven akin to a cauldron. Baba Yaga is said to stretch out on top of this oven to warm herself, and in some tales, she’s so large that she can reach both corners of her home as she stretches out atop it. The cauldron in her home screams of Baba’s domain over magic, regeneration, ancestral wisdom and initiation into the magical arts and is where we see Cerridwen popping up again. During the day, a white horse and a red horse may be seen outside her hut. And at night, a black horse. It may also be surrounded by other wildlife including birds, squirrels, snakes, etc.

Baba yaga and Vassalissa the wise

Vassalissa the Wise may be the most well-known story featuring Baba Yaga.

One of the more famous of the Baba Yaga stories features the main character not as the old woman herself but a young maiden named Vasalisa. 

In the tale of Baba Yaga and Vasalisa the Wise, Baba takes on her typical personality as the fearsome witch in the wood. The young maiden, Vasalisa, is sent away by her evil stepmother and stepsisters. They selfishly and sadistically hope that Vasalisa will die in the cold, dark forest. But instead, Vasalisa comes to the hut of Baba Yaga, and the old woman offers her life as well as shelter and food in return for Vasalisa’s hard work around the house. And any other duties the old woman might require.

For three whole days, Vasalisa toils over the chores (without complaint) and cooks the old woman her meals. With the help of a poppet she holds in her pocket that is a vessel for her dead mother’s soul. And each day Vasalisa is met with 3 horses on the old woman’s property whom she also saw while traveling in the forest before coming to the hut. There’s a white and red horse that appear during the day, and a black horse that appears at night. Baba also threatens to put Vasalisa in her cauldron if she doesn’t complete her chores each day. On the third day, Vasalisa is brave enough to ask Baba Yaga a question. Vasalisa asks about the three horses, to which the old woman replies:

“The white horse is my bright day;

the red horse is my red, round sun;

And the black horse is my black, dark night.”

At the end of the three days, Vasalisa is granted her desire to return home. Baba Yaga gifts her a skull that lights up to light her way home. When Vasalisa returns home with the skull, she sets it in her stepmother’s hearth. Immediately, the stepmother and stepsisters are so taken with the skull that they can’t break eye contact. In turn, this turns them to ash and Vasalisa is free from their evil ways. She takes the skull and returns to Baba Yaga in the woods. Upon which Baba Yaga invites her to learn her ways.

Take aways from this myth:

Sacred Number 3: birth, death, rebirth; night, dawn, day; maiden, mother, crone

Cauldron of regeneration and initiation

The blood red horse may be akin to a woman’s menstruation and initiation into womanhood

Ancestral magic: Vasalisa holds a poppet in her pocket with the energy or spirit of her dead mother that guides and helps her throughout her trial with the old woman in the woods

Birch forest: also a symbol of regeneration and renewal, as well as of the Goddess in many European traditions

Initiation process: successfully completing an ordeal that tests one’s patience and brings one to death’s door and back again

Correspondences

First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy , or the zodiac energy the moon is currently in like I will list below for you to use.

  • Sign- scorpio
  • Colors- red, white, black
  • Animals- snakes, horses, chickens, creatures of the forest, cat
  • Archetype- crone
  • crystals/gemstones-Garnet, bloodstone, tourmaline, smoky quartz
  • Epithets- Baba, Boba, Baba Den, Jezi Baba
  • herbs/flowers- nightshade, patchouli, sandalwood, geranium
  • Season- autumn and samhain
  • Tree-birch
  • symbols-mortar and pestle, broom, cauldron, skulls, flame 

When to work with Baba yaga

  • Advice
  • Guidance
  • Healing (physical ailments)
  • Wildcrafting
  • Herbalism
  • Relationship advice
  • Hedge Witchcraft

Baba Yaga gives straight-forward advice, knowledge and wisdom to those who respectfully request and want to improve their witchery skills.

Her witchery expertise is in areas of herbology and wildcrafting (using wild and natural items found in nature and forests), along with hedge witchcraft. Baba Yaga can help to give wisdom and teachings when it comes to witchcraft (folk magick) and healing.

She uses natural items in forests and nature that bring healing in herbal salves, ointments and teas and herbs that can be used in folk magic.

If you work with herbs in your practice, you can work with Baba Yaga to help you perfect your craft and improve your skills and knowledge with herbs and healing with herbs.

In meditation, Baba Yaga can offer healing teas and herbs that can work to help ease discomfort and minor ailments such as upset stomach, minor colds, seasonal allergies, rashes/hives, headaches, etc.

If you’re looking for the right herb for a spell or natural healing, you can call on Baba Yaga to guide you to the right resources or materials.

How to know if you should work with her

“Be prepared. Baba Yaga is not an easy teacher. And she is definitely no pushover. She will challenge you, she will test you, and she will push you farther than you ever believed you could go. But, like a tough coach or a domineering drill sergeant, perhaps it’s because she believes in you more than you may believe in yourself. To work with her takes courage, intelligence, resourcefulness, and even a little bit of moxie, but if you’re ready for the challenge, you’ll reap incredible rewards—climbing higher, going farther, and doing more than you ever thought possible.” ~ Madame Pamita, author of Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft.

You’ll know if Baba Yaga is calling you to her house and to her craft. But if you’re unsure, here’s a few signs she might send you:

The Birch tree keeps showing up in books, TV, etc.

You see Baba Yaga’s name everywhere online, movies, books, etc.

You’ve had a vision, dream or meditation in which Baba Yaga approaches you or you find her house in the birch forest

Three horses come to you as an omen (and an even bigger sign if there’s one white, one red and one black)

You might see a cauldron, broom, or spinning wheel as signs

Dreaming of skulls along a fence-line or in the hearth

If you’re going through an initiation process in life, at work, in a skill or spiritually

In this 6 week course you will get access to classes that aim to help strengthen and/or begin your journey with pagan deities. You will get access to recorded classes to do at your own pace and eBooks to go with each section as well. You get an added guided meditation session as well that is prerecorded. You end up with a total of 6 classes, 6 eBooks, and 6 guided meditations sessions.

How to work with her

Here are just a few ideas of how to work with her and always remember it may look different and feel different for each and every one of us so just follow your intuition and your call. 

1. Read and Research

The first thing I always recommend when getting to know a deity is to read as much as you can about them. If you’re not a reader, watch documentaries. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Whatever you can find about Baba Yaga will be helpful in getting to know her from a respectful, cultural perspective. She is featured in many fairy tales, movies, poems, and even in children’s books. Some books written from a modern witchcraft perspective include Madame Pamita’s Book of Witchcraft, Baba Yaga by Natalia Clarke, and a fun read called Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Trouble by Taisia Kitaiskaia.

Some common myths to look into about her will be Maria Morevna, where she makes a deal to help Prince Ivan find his bride, only to sabotage his effort to keep his end of the bargain, which would have resulted in his death. And The Black Geese, where her only goal is to capture and eat children.

2. Set Up An Altar for Baba Yaga

Every deity and spirit appreciates their own space. Baba is no different. If you have a mantle or space near a wood stove, this is the perfect spot for her as she’s highly linked to the hearth in Russian lore.

When working with Baba Yaga, offerings of thanks should be made each time after making a connection with Baba Yaga or asking for her advice, guidance or help.

If you know some poetry or words in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish or any Slavic language, you can give thanks to Baba Yaga in these languages.

At your altar, you can leave tokens of appreciation and thanks to Baba Yaga such as:

Include objects that make her feel at home: a cauldron, broom, or mortar and pestle for example.

Tobacco / cigarettes

Vodka

Food: kovbasa, borshch, patychky, varenyky (pierogis), bread (хліб), potato pancakes (картопяні млинці)

Decoration: wheat, traditional embroidery or rushnyky (traditional embroidered towels/rugs), matroshka (nesting dolls), pysanky (decorated Ukrainian eggs), skull decorations, bones (ethically gathered or sourced), images or statues of Baba Yaga and/or her house.

These offerings can also be left in forests at the foot of a tree or a special area that you dedicated outside for Baba Yaga.

3. Initiation Process

Baba will take you on a road to initiation deep in her forest. This process will be different for every devotee. You may be required to perform acts of service in her name, perhaps by aiding in preservation of the earth, forest, or wildlife. Perhaps through herbal studies. And she may even quiz you with riddles. Be open to learning, being patient, and working hard. Ask Baba Yaga how you can learn from her.

4. Work with herbs

Baba yaga is a master with herbs and plants as she is so at home in the forest. She has so much knowledge on herbal remedies and usages for alignments. Working with herbs and studying them especially the more dangerous one like Nightshade are a great way to connect to her and learn from her.

5. Shadow work 

Since Baba yaga resides in the Liminal space, and is so connected to the primordial wisdom of the earth and our ancestors she makes one of the perfect goddesses to call on for shadow work. She is intense though one of the most intense goddesses I have ever called in during a shadow work session. When you enter her hut for a shadow work session you will go deep in the liminal space and be pushed further than have before to really get the answers the forest and your ancestors from the beginning of time have to offer you. So, be prepared for this journey with her she will push you and she will show you everywhere you made a mistake and caused your own suffering to get worse. 

If you would like to learn more about shadow work you can purchase my eBook here; you can book me for a 1:1 session as your guide here;  and you can watch my free class previously taught on it through Divination here. 

6. Call to her for discipline

Something I don’t see often from other witches is using her for discipline and structure. Baba Yaga is that overbearing, strict, I will slap your hand away grandmother type energy. Due to this attitude of strictness she has she is perfect to call on for situations where you need a little more discipline like quitting a bad habit or maintaining your schedule. You can do this by calling to her in spells and invocations when setting intentions for discipline and even calling to her while binding or banishing a habit you wish to stop. She suggests that when doing this you spin in a circle to signify and understand the difficulty it takes to break free of a cycle.

7. Work with her as the triple goddess

 It is said that Baba Yaga has two other sisters, who are also Baba Yagas who live in Her hut. Baba Yaga becomes a Triple Goddess in this fashion, embodying the Virgin, Mother, and Crone. The “Keeper of the Water of Life and Death” is another name for Baba Yaga. So, if you work the triple goddess archetype you can use her as the crone representation alone or as all three. I have seen and done both myself. 

8. Guided meditation to meet her

The purpose is to meet Baba Yaga so you my get to know the true Goddess. This meditation is best done during the dark moon. It is a solitary medition best done alone. Cast a circle if you like or just get comfortable in you favorite meditation position. Make sure the room is dark and you will not be disturbed

. Now let us begin.

You have entered a thick forest, but some how you know your way. You reach an opening in the trees. There before you is the home of the Goddess Baba Yaga. The fence is made of bones topped with human skulls. The house dances on chicken legs. It is a fearsome sight, yet you know there is nothing to fear. You reach the gate and ring the bell for her. In a harsh voice she asks what you want. With a pure heart you tell her why you wished to meet her. She flies out of her house in her mortar to greet you. How are you feeling? What are your impressions? Baba Yaga approaches and asks you to come with her for a ride. Do you hesitate? Go with her. Fly through the air in the mortar with Baba Yaga. Take note to where she takes you and what she tells you. Enjoy the feeling of flying! Baba Yaga will know when it is time to come back. When you return to her home, thank her and give her a gift. Does she give you a gift? If so, what is it? You know your way back through the woods.

 Now you know the way and can visit Baba Yaga when needed.

Note: When I rode with Baba Yaga in her mortar the first time she ground me up into little pieces with her pestle. She then sprinkled the waters of life on me and I was back to myself. I felt refreshed, as if the unneeded traits were ground away. Baba Yaga came to me as a healer. She taught me all healers must be intimately familiar with the cycles of life and death. She remains guardian of both the underworld and the fountain of the waters of life

No matter how you choose to work with her if you even do just remember to show her respect, understanding and to express gratitude for all the wisdom she brings to you no matter how harsh of way she does it in. I will leave you with this poem written about her to help you connect and  decide if she is a goddess you would like to work with. 

Baba Yaga

Wild Woman

I walk in the forest

and speak intimately with the animals

I dance barefoot in the rain

without any clothes

I travel on pathways

that I make myself

and in ways that suit me

my instincts are alive and razor sharp

my intuition and sense of smell are keen

I freely express my vitality

my sheer exuberant joyfulness

to please myself

because it is natural

it is what needs to be

I am the wild joyous life force

Come and meet me

By Amy Sophia Marashinsky

To expand your knowledge about her and meet her in guided meditation or if you’d rather listen than read; you can watch my free class with Divination Academy on YouTube below!

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About Me : I have been a solitary grey magic practitioner for 15 + years. First and foremost, I consider myself a mystic and seeker of all knowledge. I am dedicated to the restoration, and re-enchantment of Magic in society, across this realm, and in each and every soul I come across in life! I am here to create a container that promotes healing, duality, and raw authenticity. I do this by guiding you on your personal journey to understanding your unique magic and sacred contracts. I facilitate this for you through embracing your shadow, duality and learning to live in energetic balance while not wearing a mask. When you work and learn from me you do so from your “darkness” as much as your “light” and in a way to truly harness and accept it not to just go thru it on the way to your light. But, I teach you how to truly embrace it, work with it, and use it alongside your light as a partner. I hold up a mirror for you to be able to see your authentic reflection looking back. Then have the courage to take the next step and do the uncomfortable but vital inner work to completely remove your mask. By facing all of your past wounds, traumas, and hurts. Allowing you to see both the dark and light within your story and take each chapter and alchemize it into something that is so powerful. your unique internal flame will shine so bright you will always be able to go within and find it on a dark cold night. You will learn how to truly live in duality and energetic balance to allow growth, and alignment with your sacred contracts and purposes. to finally move on and truly let the things that hold you back in this life from healing and manifesting go. To see everything I offer; like personalized shadow work sessions, womb healing, eBooks for you to work through on your own, Tarot sessions for guidance and more! Go to my shop!