Ostara

March 21st/22nd

A point of perfect balance on the journey through the wheel of the year.
The natural world is coming alive, thanks to the growing days, and warming sun.
Ostara's energy is expansive and exuberant, the first real day of Spring.

Ostaras name comes from the Germanic Goddess, Eostre or Ostara - a goddess traditionally honoured in April with festivals to celebrate the cycle of rebirth and fertility. (Fun Fact it's where the name for the female hormone oestrogen comes from.)

Ostaras symbols are all revolving around the idea of fertility; both the hare and the egg.
Flowers are used a lot on Ostara altars, and are wonderful to have throughout the house to mark this sabbat - daffodils, pussy willow, crocuses, primroses, violets to name a few.

Ostaras colours are; bright green, yellow, and purple.

This is the festival of new life.

It is also the Spring Equinox - a time of harmony, a time of balance between light and dark, day and night.
As we move into this time of new life, and beginnings, a wonderful way to bring things into being involved planting in your garden.

Find a type of flower or plant that really calls to you.
Buy a packet of seeds for this type of plant.

Getting a new pot, which you can paint sigils or runes on to aid your magic, fill it with soil.

On a piece of paper write down a wish.
A dream for yourself.
Something you want to manifest into your life with spring.

Using your bare hands, hold the paper after folding it, and dig deep into the soil you've just potted. Place your paper about a third of the way up from the base of the pot.
Cover it back up, before planting your seeds above it, as instructed by the packet.

Take some time in nature with your pot, and meditate on the thing you want to bring forth.
You could say something like; 

"Lord and Lady, with the turning of the wheel new beginnings come.
Sewn with the seed, I ask my wish be done.
As it grows, green and true;
May my dream grow too."

Water, love and tend to your growing seeds.
As your plant grows, it will manifest your desire into being. 

Money Magic

I think it's safe to say, that most of us have been experiencing financial difficulties.
We're told on a nearly daily basis, that our country is in a crisis.
We are broken.
Broken Britain, is a catch phrase slung around constantly.

But I'm not here to talk about politics.
I'm here to give you some magical tips to get some money flowing in!

We could all use some aid from the otherside with wealth...
So let me tell you how to ask for this help.

Shockingly, my tips focus around your wallet/purse.

Lets take a look shall we.

Firstly, chuck out all those receipts
Hoarding them in all those nooks and crannies, represents all that money going out. Creating negativity, and promoting financial outgoings.
So get rid of them!

Now, what should you have in your wallet?

Peridot Gemstones vibrate towards frequent increase, which makes them handy for money magic. It is also said to protect any existing money in your possession.

Green Adventurine is thought to be the luckiest stone, and is often referred to as the 'Stone of Oppurtunity'. By carrying it in ones purse, you are optomising the chance of money being given to you. It helps us move through lifes obstacles, and aids us in motivation.

Tigers Eye is a great stone for wealth and money manifestation. It brings luck, but is also grounding, so we don't get carried away with our income. And as an added bonus, it's a wonderful talisman for protection.

Citrine is also known less commonly as the 'Success Stone' - what else do you need?! It is the crystal of abundance! It brings about feelings of generosity to those around you and to you yourself, so that new abundance can be rightfully shared. It is the chakra crystal for the solar plexus, and is used often for personal power to be increased. It helps us focus and achieve our goals.

And for an extra umph! add a clear quartz aswell. Quartz is a boost for any other crystals, so it will enhance their effectiveness.

Pick two or three crystals that work out for you, and store them in with your coins.

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And lastly you can get some fresh mint.
Dry it, and then sprinkle it into your purse.

Mint is the herb of prosperity, and is often used to aid money growth, along with it's more common uses for headaches and digestion.

Give it a go, and try and balance out your bank balance.

Love and Light to you all.

Jade

xx

Let's talk about tarot...

...discussing my tarot decks, how I store my decks, and some pointers on choosing your own.

There are a lot of differing opinions when it comes to most things magic related, so go with what feels right for you.

   These are just my experiences and my opinions.

Any questions feel free to drop me a message.
xx

My All Hallows Eve In Pictures

My little altar set-up.

Featuring images, and representations of the dead who've passed. Mulled Cider to toast the Gods, dedicated Samhain Candles, loose incense, and an apple to share.

In the woods, lit only by candlelight - I segmented my apple in thanks for the harvest we've received. I ate some slices, and buried the rest, as a gift back to the earth.

"As above, so below!"

Every Samhain I end the night with a 12 card Celtic New Year Spread - I pull a card for every upcoming month, October to October. Making sure I write down what I've pulled in my tarot journal.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and magical Samhain, however you celebrated.

Blessed Be!

Samhain

The Pagan new year.
A sabbat to honour our ancestors, and those who've passed over. A time when the veil between this world and the next is thinnest.
A time for reflection; look at what we can leave behind us, and what we can take forth into the celtic new year.
A time when we welcome the Crone aspect of the Goddess, and the Horned God.

Traditionally this time in the Wheel of the year, is great for séances, or ancestoral meditation. It's also important, to give thanks for the harvest we've received in the old year, and ask for protection in the upcoming winter.
As a fire festival it is the perfect time for a bonfire, and working fire magic. A long nature walk, enjoying the autumnal changes you see, is for some enough to honour in the new year.

The best thing about Witchcraft is that their are no right or wrong ways to practice, as long as what you do harms none. Annually the way I celebrate the different sabbats changes, but there are some things that are routine now, and my rituals wouldn't feel correct without.

Here is a list of my must haves for my Samhain Celebration;

• An Apple (to cut in half, segment some to eat, and then bury the rest in the earth)
• An Orange Candle
• A Black Candle
• My Rose Quartz Chunk (which I used in a goodbye ceremony for my faithful childhood dog, Sheba. I use this to meditate upon, and connect with her and others passed)
• A Paper and Pen (To write down all the things you wish to banish in the new year. I then burn them.)
• Tarot Deck
• A Small Pumpkin
• Wine (To drink to the Crone and The Horned God)

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The Veil is thinning -
The invisible curtains are being drawn aside.
Whispers filter through.
Voices of those long passed, are carried on the wind;
Caught in the tumbling leaves.
Ghostly presence occupies space,
The Spirits walk among us.
Now is the time for divination,
The hours to ask for guidance.
When the moon is high in the night sky,
Raw energy can be harnessed.
Loved ones beam at you unseen from the curtains shadow,
Opaque and shimmering.
Answer the voices,
Hone in your power,
This shared energy...
The bewitching hour.
Feel them
See them
Use them.
Be grateful and reward them.
Pull your cards knowing that today they have decades, centuries, of magic and energy penetrating them from the Otherside.
Turn your runes with assertion.
Sip your tea, and gaze at the stories the leaves have to tell.
Open your mind,
But...
More importantly,
Open your heart.
They're waiting...

Glastonbury Wild Hunt

Yesterday I was lucky enough to travel to Glastonbury for their first Wild Hunt, in honour of Samhain.

There were Morris Dancers, Performers, Dragons, Ritual Speeches, and a Bonfire.

The atmosphere was electric with pagan goodness. The turn out for this event was incredible.

You can get a good idea of it's size from this video (sorry about the quality) The dragons were definitely a highlight of the event. We had to follow them up through the wonderful town of Glastonbury, to the bonfire ground near the Tor.

There was drumming and stamping, howling and cheering.

We took over the whole town. Antlers and cloaks were everywhere you looked. People sporting our Samhain lanterns, and others with their canvas drums, giving us a marching beat. The traffic was stopped for us and the dragons. People were leaning from their windows to see us.

Witches and Proud!

Half way to the Tor their is a spring, said to be healing. There is almost like a temple, where there is silence save for the running water. Candles are lit at different altars which are dotted around what can only be described as a cave. People bathing in the healing waters, whilst others are meditating in the darkest corners. Offerings of jewellery, and feathers left in a china bowl.
It was humbling to be in such a place.
I did however ignore the sign that told me no photography or mobile phones were allowed, and snapped some sneaky shots. Only to be rewarded with my phone crashing the second we exited the cave, and not returning to life until we arrived at the bonfire site.
*message received*

They had a lady collecting prayers and the names of loved ones who'd passed on, onto bits of paper, so they could be added to the bonfire, as part of the ceremony.

Another highlight for me was this incredible speech made by 'The Green Man' - I only caught a segment of it, but his words were so powerful. I got lost in them, and the emotion of what this event signified.

This was the first time there's been a Samhain celebration this big in Glastonbury, or of this nature in the UK. It was incredible, and I'm already booking holiday to go next year aswell. The wonderful people who made this happen, did a beautiful celebration for Beltane this year, with a maypole, and a big fire. I hope to attend that next year also.

This truly was a magical experience for the solitary witch. With so many magical and spiritual people in one place, the very air around us seemed on fire. There was no shame, no judgement, just joy and remembrance. An honouring to the gods, the wild hunt, and to our ancestors.

Welcome

Welcome to my new internet space.
A little safe haven for all magical musings, and witchy wonderings.
I'm a solitary hedgewitch trying to keep up with nature in this technical world.

Vegan, with a love for animals, thunderstorms, candles and good books.

Feel free to join me on this blog, and follow my adventures with tarot and witchcraft.
Learn tips and tricks, rituals to help you celebrate the sabbats and to get through everyday life.

Now is a perfect time to kick off this new blog, with Samhain, just around the corner. Keep checking back for ritual ideas, and New Year Tarot Spreads in the upcoming week.

Here are some other places you can find me.

http://mistressjade.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/razorlustjade/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144769040@N04/

https://uk.pinterest.com/jadeaddis/