Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Many of you may know that I love to garden and enjoy growing a variety of different plants. There are various reasons that I grow these plants, some are used for food, some for spell work, and others simply because they are beautiful. But while outside last night harvesting a few of these plants for spell work, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you certain steps and important information you need to know about harvesting your own plants for spells and rituals.

Plants are a gift to us from Gaia. They are essential in the circle of life, and are a part of life that should not be taken for granted. This is something that is very important for you to remember when harvesting. While the plant is here for us to use as necessary, we do not hold domain over the plant. We must respect the plant and all that it does for us.

While it should go without saying that you should make sure you can properly identify each plant before you harvest it, it’s something worth mentioning and repeating…frequently. If you use plants often in your spell work, you should become very familiar with all stages of growth for the plant so that you can accurately identify it whether it is growing in your garden or in the wild. Learn how to identify the plant visually, as well as the proper name for the plant. The proper name for the plant will be it’s Latin name, as this is the name that never changes, while common names can vary from person to person, and location to location.

Being able to properly identify a plant is essential if you are going to be harvesting your own plants for spell work. Choosing the wrong plant can be catastrophic, especially if you are performing a ritual that calls for ingestion of a certain plant. There are many plants that can have severe negative effects if consumed or even touched, so you must make absolutely certain you are able to accurately identify the plant that you are taking.

For the most part, I prefer to harvest my plants during the third and fourth quarters of the moon while the moon is in dry signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Aquarius) usually in the evening. There are however some plants that are better harvested at different times of the day, so you should consult with a quality herbal book to determine when the best time is for harvesting each plant.

I like to use a traditional boleen for harvesting, which is a sickle-shaped knife that has long been used my witches. While you do not have to use a boleen, I do recommend using some type of tool to harvest your plants that will help you to cleanly cut the plant away. You never want to just grab and tear at a plant since that can cause damage to the mother plant, you should always cleanly cut the piece you desire away even if you simply use a pair of household scissors.

When harvesting, take no more than you will need for your spell. If you are harvesting the plant to dry for future use, it is of course acceptable to take more than you would need for just one spell, but you should take no more than you can dry at once. Taking more than you need is wasteful and can stunt the growth of the mother plant so that it does not reproduce. If after harvesting you find that you have taken more than you need, take the excess plant cuttings back outside and bury them in the ground next to the mother plant, so that as they decompose they can provide their nutrients back into the Earth to aid the plant in growing. You should never, ever throw any unused portions of a plant away in the trash can as that would be completely wasteful. Instead, always return them to the Earth, and of course try to avoid taking excess in the first place.

These are the most basic steps for harvesting your own plants for spells and rituals. Many of the herbs that are used in spells can easily be grown in pots, so I hope that most of you are enjoying the benefits of growing your own plants for use. Just make sure that you are educated and respectful towards the plants, and you should have no problem harvesting them successfully for your use.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

One issue that routinely discuss with those that are getting started in the craft is how they can set up their working space. Many people do not have an entire room or area in their home to set up a permanent space, and others feel that they must not keep their magick working materials in the open for fear of rejection or ridicule.

Regardless of your living situation, it is very easy to set up a working space that you will be able to perform your rituals in. Your work space does not have to be extravagant and can be very simple in nature, and can still allow you to achieve your desired results. I’m going to go over a few different ideas that I often recommend to those who ask for my advice on this situation, in hopes that you may benefit from this information in some way.

I’ll start with the worst case scenario first. Let’s say that you live in a home with others who are non-believers that would have a difficult time accepting the path you have chosen. As such, you cannot set up a permanent work space and need to keep your tools concealed. A simple foot locker or other box with a lock will work well for keeping your tools safe from those that may cause damage to them, and help you to keep them all in one place. If you have your own room, perform your workings in your room where you will have privacy and not be disturbed. If this is not possible, you can even take your supplies into the bathroom for privacy, or outdoors to perform your spells in nature.

Now, perhaps those that live with you are accepting of your path and you have no need to conceal and protect your magick working tools. Even so, you have no room for setting up a permanent space. You can keep your tools in a cabinet or drawer, and set up your alter as needed to work. The important thing to keep in mind is that if you will be working out in the open, make sure that the other members of your household are respectful while you are working, and provide you with privacy to perform your rituals.

The next scenario would be that you are limited to a small amount of space in your home for setting up your work space with family members that are respectful of your beliefs. This scenario makes it easy to set up a permanent work space that allows you to keep your tools and alter set out all of the time. Simply designate one spot in your home, such as the corner of a room or even a closet, for your work space and set up your altar. Again, it is important that you make sure that others in the home respect your belongings, and do not touch them or disturb them when you are not around.

Finally, we have the best case scenario. You have an entire room to set up your work space. This is of course, every witches dream and is a wonderful opportunity for you to completely express yourself and personalize your space. When setting up the room, take heed to pay attention to your directional stations and elements, and making sure that the room has a positive energy flow. Be creative and make your room comfortable, so it is more conducive to a positive work environment.

Regardless of your living situation, you should be able to set up some time of work space that you can use effectively. If nothing else, you can simply go outside and perform your work in the presence of nature with nothing more than your own energies. Remember, there are no requirements in magick working and everything you do is your own personal choice. As such, there are no limitations on where, or how, your work can be performed.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

Have you ever met someone that just seems to emanate negative energy? You can literally feel the darkness just projecting off of them? Unfortunately, I had an encounter with such a person today that left me rather unnerved. After suffering from a minor plumbing issue in my home, I had the need to call in a plumber. The man that came was nice enough, but there was a darkness coming from him that literally left my house feeling polluted after he left. I could actually feel the oppressive negative energy filling my home, even with the protection spells that I have in place.

Of course, as soon as he left I immediately pulled out my supplies and started to cleanse my home of negative energy, and got to thinking that it would be a wonderful ritual to share with you all. Cleansing your home of negative energy is actually very easy, and can be performed in a number of different ways. I highly suggest that you perform such a cleansing a few times a year anyway, but particularly so if you have an unpleasant visitor such as I had myself today.

As I was limited with time today and could not perform an extremely intense cleansing like I do a few times a year, I utilized a very basic cleansing method. To perform this cleansing and get as much of the negative energy that seeped in as possible, I started in a room in the center of my house, so that the energies could be pushed from the center of the home out, and exit through the windows that I had opened around the perimeter of the house.

Using a white sage bundle, I smudged the first room making sure to get into the corners and all areas of the room. Once I was done smudging, I stood in the center of the room and rang a ritual bell, to further help flush the negative energies away. Finally, using my ritual besom I “swept” the negative energy out the door. I performed this ritual in each room of the house until the entire house was done and clear of dark, negative energy.

This is just one method that can be used for cleansing your home of negative energies, and each of the methods that I used can be performed separately as well. For me personally, this was just a minor cleansing that I perform occasionally, or in the event I feel negative vibes in my home.

Two or three times a year however, I perform what I view as a more thorough and extensive cleansing. To do this, I dissolve a good amount of pure dead sea salt, which is known for its cleansing properties, in a three to five gallon bucket of warm water. Using a clean rag made from natural materials (like cotton) I wipe down the walls and ceilings of my home. On my hardwood and tile floors, I mop the floor with the sea salt/water mixture, cleaning the room completely. In rooms where you have carpet, you can simply sprinkle the salt by itself into the carpet and vacuum it up. I cleanse each room in my home, again starting in the center and working out with the window open for the negative energies to be pushed out.

After using the salt to cleanse the room, I return to the center of my home, and perform the ritual that I used above to get rid of the negative energy that my dark plumber left, working each room until the house is complete. And then, since I can be a little obsessive about cleansing, I will light a few cleansing candles in each room and let them burn for a few hours for good measure.

While you certainly don’t have to perform such extensive cleansings, I would still highly recommend performing some time of home cleansing regularly. This is especially so if there are a number of people living in your home or you continuously have people coming in and out, bringing a variety of different energies into your dwelling.

Home cleansing is a refreshing and invigorating ritual that you can perform that will provide you with a pleasing and peaceful home. If you have never cleansed your home of negative energies before or it has been a long time since the last cleansing, I urge you to break out your cleansing tools and perform a good cleaning!

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

Most witches that I know tend to plan their spells and rituals, as well as other activities in life, by the course of the moon. The moon is a powerful factor in life here on planet Earth, and can have a profound affect on all that you do. Astrologers have long observed how the moon will emotionally affect people, and how certain tasks are affected by the phases and stations of the moon.

One important thing to take into consideration when planning your spells, making major life decisions or even performing simple daily tasks is the moon void-of-course. The moon takes about twenty-eight days to complete it’s revolution around the Earth. As it moves around our planet, it spends a period of time passing through each of the zodiac signs. On average, it takes about two and a half days for the moon to pass through each of these signs. During this time while the moon is passing through the sign, she (the moon) has a powerful influence on each planet (planet associated with the sign.)

However, through her orbit around the Earth, there are certain times when the moon is between signs. This time period that falls between signs is known as the moon void-of-course. This is the time that the moon “rests” between each sign, changing from the aspect of one sign to the next. Think of it this way. When you wake up in the morning, you feel refreshed. This is comparable to the moon that is just coming in to a new sign. However, by the time nightfall comes and you are ready for bed, you are tired. Your mind is not functioning quite like it would first thing in the morning. This is the moon at the end of her passage through a sign. She needs a moment of rest, just as you need to rest at the end of your day.

It is during this void-of-course that we humans often experience fuzzy and foggy emotions. We may feel unsure about our feelings, or not be able to commit to anything. During this time, plans that we make usually tend to fall through. We loose things. We overlook important information when trying to plan something out. Spells that are performed during the moon void-of-course often prove to be unsuccessful. It can be nerve wracking, particularly if you have never heard of the moon void-of-course, and have no idea that this can be impacting the things that you do.

The key is learning to work around the void. Fortunately, the time that the void lasts is relatively short, generally no more than a few hours. And it is not an event that happens daily, as the moon spends about two days passing through each sign. As such, it’s really not that inconvenient to work things around the void, and in fact many times it will rarely affect any major plans depending upon what time of day the void falls. For instance, if the void falls from 3:45 am-6:45 am, chances are it may not even impact you, because you’ll be sleeping! However, if the void is falling from 8:50 pm-2:00 am, you wouldn’t want to perform an evening ritual during that time because it would likely prove to be a waste of time.

Using a quality moon sign book will help you to determine when these voids-of-course fall, and will help you plan around them accordingly. Keep in mind, your day does not have to come to a complete halt during this void. For the most part, routine daily tasks seem to be unaffected by the void. But by making adjustments to major events, plans and tasks so that they do not fall during this void, you can prevent having things fall through.

Oh, and one more thing. There are some benefits to a moon void-of-course. If you’ve had someone bugging you to make plans for something that you really don’t want to do, making those plans during the void can help. Chances are the plans will fall through anyway, and you won’t have to follow through. It’s a wonderful loophole the Universe has given us that we can use to our advantage!

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”