Month: July 2019

24-31 Mythology And Folklore

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Mythology and folklore are necessary tools, if you work with deities in your kind of witchcraft. It is necessary to know the basic attributes of a goddess, a god or a mythological creature like the dragon, if you plan to practice with them on a more regular basis.

You can also learn quite a lot about yourself from these old tales that are handed down through generations before us. For example, I use human archetypes in my shadow work in order to get in touch with my inner feelings more easily, so my work will be as honest as possible.

  • 24 Myths And Legends
  • 25 Archetypes
  • 26 Pantheon Examples
  • 27 Goddesses
  • 28 Gods
  • 29 Nordic Mythology
  • 30 Egyptian Mythology
  • 31 Greek And Roman Mythology

Myths and legends : While myths typically are about world creation with gods and goddesses, legends are tales about historical or everyday people. They are both good stories to tell around a bonfire and have a strong cultural influence even today in a modern world, where story telling luckily is becoming more and more popular again.

Archetypes : To me, archetypes are two things. 1) General characteristics in order to psychologically describe the behaviour of humans, both the light and the darker, shadowy side. And 2), attributes of goddesses and gods in my daily work with witchcraft, where I typically read a prayer to a goddess/god relevant to strengthen my intentions with e.g. a spell for harmony or prosperity.

Pantheon Examples : Deities from all over the world, because I prefer to get my knowledge from a broad variety of sources rather than one source only.

Goddesses : All about their attributes, offerings and correspondences. Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Bastet, Branwen, Brigit, Cerridwen, Demeter, Diana, Erzulie, Freyja, Gaia, Hathor, Hecate, Inanna, Isis, Kuan Yin, Lakshmi, Lilith, Maat, Morrigan, Rhiannon, Sekhmet, Shakti, Yemaya are just some of my favourites.

Gods : Anubis, Balder, Cernunnos, Freyr, Herne the hunter, Horus, Marduk, Odin, Osiris, Ra, Set, Shiva, Thor, Thoth and a lot more than that.

My God and Goddess statues

Nordic mythology : Native Danish, I feel a very strong connection to the Northern traditions, and I use some of them in my rituals.

Egyptian mythology : Being one of the world´s oldest civilizations, it is awesome to learn about this epic culture with still so much influence on the modern world of today.

Greek and Roman mythology : Living in Europe in the Western part of the world signifies also the influence from Greek and Roman sources, as in the way many of the societies in Europe are build upon e.g. the rules of democracy.

This part of my Book of Shadows, yesterday´s traditions and old ways, and tomorrow´s part on spirituality are together with the section 4 Harm Ye None the background for my core beliefs.

It is the big words, yes I know, but this is what I believe in :

I believe in Nature and a world of incredible force. We are only humans, we cannot build mountains high and rivers broad. Nature is the big mystery, and ever since the first bonfire was lit, humans have tried to explain to themselves, what this wonder of a world has been, is and can become.

I also believe in a world of deities. Or in my interpretation, deities representing the mighty forces of Nature and Mother Earth and Father Sky.

I believe in common ground among human beings. As long as we are able to listen to and talk with each other, life is always worth living. I like to learn from as many people as possible and hopefully to teach other people as well.

When people stop listening, we need to begin again, instead of making wars all over the world and for what ? We also need to take greater care of Nature, before everything is about money and the dance around the golden calf.

But I believe in people. It is possible to live peacefully together, if we only dare to will it. I live myself in an extended family and it is so life-affirming to share the daily life together.

And I believe in witchcraft as the right path for me to walk, because here I find calm, beauty and assurance that things will pass as they are supposed to, one way or the other. I cannot change what happens, but I can change my attitude towards it. So being positive even through rough days is my answer to modern stress and hurry. It is my faith, but I respectfully acknowledge other people´s faith as well.

Tomorrow I´m going to tell you something about my view upon spirituality, dear reader. It is a lot more than a deity collection, it´s also an inner walk down memory lane to clear up clutter along the way. And it works well as a booster of self-confidence and clarity.

9-23 Traditions And The Old Ways

The Northern Witch 19694 Comments

Continuing the closer look into the structure of my Book of Shadows, welcome back dear reader.

Today you see the first “chapter” in my Book of Shadows. It is about old traditions and a worldwide tour around magick, as it has been practiced since ancient times. I like to research the background of things, and so I´ve tried to gather information and inspiration for my work on a daily basis as a witch.

  • 9 Laws Of Nature
  • 10 Magickal Understanding
  • 11 A Magickal World
  • 12 Witchcraft Traditions
  • 13 Wicca
  • 14 Druids
  • 15 Celtic Traditions
  • 16 Native American Traditions
  • 17 Buddhism
  • 18 China
  • 19 Japan
  • 20 Hinduism
  • 21 Jewish Traditions
  • 22 Muslim Traditions
  • 23 Zen

Laws of nature : Universal laws about e.g. attraction, harmony, cause and effect and Karma.

Magickal understanding : Nature magic, working with Mother Earth, natural observations, spirits of nature, e.g. the fairies, the Moon, the elements, herbs, trees and animals, metals and minerals/crystals, major life stages and changes, e.g. handfasting, birth and rites for the Elders.

A magical world : Magick all over the world.

Witchcraft traditions : Types of witches and witchcraft, such as traditional witch, hedgewitch, hereditary witch, covens, solitary witch etc. Personally, I´m an ecclectic, cottage witch. I research many traditions and choose what feels right to me. I use a lot of herbs and crystals in my magickal workings. I´m a solitary witch, but I like to share my knowledge and learn from as many sources as possible.

Wicca : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture. I´m inspired by the beauty in the rituals and the structure of a both modern and old tradition.

Druids : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture. They are so mysterious and there is so little known about them. I have a place in our garden, where I´ve made the symbol of Awen as a celebration to the rising sun every morning.

Celtic traditions : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, Celtic Moon months, astrology (tree and animal zodiacs).

Native American traditions : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture, Shamanic principles, medicine wheel, dreamcatcher, smudging, qoutes, prayers and blessings, animal birth totems.

Buddhism : Spiritual beliefs, culture. Concepts like the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the Chakras, meditation, glossary, quotes, prayers and blessings.

China : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture. In progress, when I get there, I´ll update this post.

Japan : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture.

Hinduism : Spiritual beliefs, symbol, culture.

Jewish traditions : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture.

Muslim traditions : Spiritual beliefs, symbols, culture.

Zen : Quotes and symbols.

Of course, I´ve only practiced as a with for almost 3 years, so I haven´t been through every subject in my Book of Shadows just yet. It takes time, my interests are broad, and there is also a life to be lived on a very daily basis.

The mundane world takes it toll on the worst of days, when arthritis or bipolar disorder have to be contained and changed into something much more positive. Then I like to read a little in this part, because I´ve taken the time and the patience to gather inspiration and positive energy from beautiful old traditions that we need to take good care of.

Because the modern world is so hectic and stressful. If I could be granted a wish, it would be to meet people from the old traditions and just sit around a bonfire and listen to their stories and beliefs. Hear how they feel about the world and how we could learn so much from them.

It has a calming effect on me to learn about other traditions than my own, and I like to learn what other people do and why. It makes me think of my own practice and how I can do it better from day to day.

To me, witchcraft is also a life long learning process that never ends. So I take a subject at a time, enjoy the learning process and the making of usable notes for both further studies and daily practice.

Another thing is that some things take longer to learn and understand. That´s where the degree of life experience comes into the big picture. It´s not the quantity, but the quality that counts. Age does not matter in years alone. There need to be some kind of substance too. And we all have the capabilities to gain life experience, no matter how old we are.

Therefore, witchcraft is relevant both for the young, the grown ups and the old.

It´s good to be back writing after celebrating my 50th birthday for 3 days. We had a bonfire in the garden on my birthday yesterday, and as always it was comfortable and great to sit and listen to the crackling of the flames from wood with a history to tell.

My birthday bonfire in the garden

Now I´m 50 years and 1 day old. It is a thought-provoking fact. Getting older is a price for life. But what a price. It probably won´t be easy to handle later on, but for now it is a wonderful gift to get.

And there is still plenty of time to just live and be grateful for the much I already have. Thank you, Universe, for opening my eyes and see the beauty of it all. Let this day be worth remembering. So Mote It Be !

1-8 The Book Of Shadows

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Today and for the rest of the month, I´m going to let you have a closer look into the structure of my Book of Shadows. The same structure is applied to my online Book of Shadows and to my cell phone.

I begin with some formal information about how I´ve build my Book of Shadows , the history of witchcraft and the dedication section that I´ve chosen to include, because it reminds me of why I´m a witch and that I need to behave accordingly to my kind of ethics that pretty much sums up to the Golden Rule and a lot more than that.

  • 1 Construction Preface
  • 2 The Book Of Shadows Index
  • 3 History Of Injustice
  • 4 Harm Ye None
  • 5 Shadow Work
  • 6 Work And Chart Sheets
  • 7 BOS Colouring Pages
  • 8 Nice Resources Online

Construction Preface : Here I have the “house rules” of behaviour and working with magick in my home, Book of Shadows blessing, how to make a Book of Shadows and magickal rules.

Index : The index is divided into theme subjects and sub-categories with numbers for easy and quick reference, and I adjust it from time to time, when I´ve worked with e.g. a sub-category like 74. Magickal Tools and learned that magickal tools are many things, whereof some need their own sub-category.

History Of Injustice : The dark history of witchcraft is always interesting, since persecution of free-thinkers always has been and is a major issue to be taken very seriously.

Harm Ye None : My oath of/pledge to witchcraft and my self-dedication as a witch, I´m a grey witch, the Witches´ Creed, the Herbal Rede, Charge of the Goddess, Charge of the God, Charge of the Dark Goddess, Charge of the Dark God, Charge of the Crone, written ethics, positive affirmations about being a witch.

Shadow Work : We all have a darker side that needs to be taken care of as well as our body, mind and soul need it. So I work with negativity in the sense of trying to transform it into positivity. I always try to write some positive affirmations about this kind of work, because I only do it when I´m feel confident enough to. You should never do shadow work when you are depressed or have a rough period in life.

Work And Chart Sheets : The picture for today´s post below shows my template for my rituals. I plan to do a lot more like that, when I get the time for it.

BOS Colouring pages : I´m a very creative person who loves to colour and decorate my pages, but I´m also very picky, so I´ve bought a Colouring Book of Shadows and I use free material as well as I make a lot of stuff myself.

Nice Online Resources : Here I plan for a future post coming later in Autumn. But for now I can recommend the Witch of Lupine Hollow (www.witchoflupinehollow.com) , because she has made a thorough examination of grimoires and inspired me to work with my Book of Shadows on a daily basis.

This is basically the core structure of my Book of Shadows. And during July I will take you through it with me, so you hopefully get some inspiration and good energy to work with your own grimoire or Book of Shadows.

On Monday you can expect traditions and the old ways. To me they are inspirational and guiding not only in my work with witchcraft, but also on a daily basis in everything I do.

What to expect in July 2019

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

As promised yesterday, I want to get some structure in my written material in order for it to be as readable as possible.

So below this you´ll find my plan for this blog for the rest of July 2019. And on July 31 I´ll post my plans for the month of August.

  • July 11 : The Book of Shadows
  • July 12-14 : Birthday celebrations (I´m going to be 50 years old on Sunday July 14, so I´ll be offline for a couple of days, it´s gonna be like magick)
  • July 15 : Traditions And The Old Ways
  • July 16 : Mythology And Folklore
  • July 17 : Spirituality
  • July 18 : Divination
  • July 19 : Divination 2 The Tarot
  • July 20 : Divination 3 Lenormand
  • July 21 : The Northern Witch´s Den
  • July 22 : Correspondences
  • July 23 : Sabbats
  • July 24 : The Moon
  • July 25 : Spellcasting
  • July 26 : Rituals
  • July 27 : Witchy Tips
  • July 28 : Creative Magick
  • July 29 : The Grey
  • July 30 : Practical ideas for working with a Book of Shadows on a daily basis
  • July 31 : What to expect in August 2019

My future plans involve a deeper insight into how I practically use the material in my Book of Shadows. Most of all, it´s my source of chosen information and inspiration, since Ì´m an ecclectic witch. Which means that I only follow my own path, but I allow myself to be inspired from a broad variety of sources.

The more I work with witchcraft, the more I enjoy the magick in discovering new creative aspects on a daily basis. I like to re-purpose old stuff, and I only buy when it truly speaks to me as something that I ´ll use in reality and not in forgotten dreams hidden away in the farther corner of the closet.

So therefore my Book of Shadows has a life of its own as when you´re planning a small, simple ritual, just because it felt right or it was the time for celebration of e.g one of the 8 Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year. And all of a sudden, where the …. did you put your notes with drawings and a lot of work to make it both useful and beautiful at the same time…

I need some kind of organization and I have made an thorough index that I follow pretty strict in order to keep track of my world of witchcraft. But it depends on what you like to use for a Book of Shadows. Many people use note nooks or bullet journals. Others again use ring binders, like me. It depends on what you like to work with, and it can take some time to find what feels right.

This is also the more funny about working with a Book of Shadows on a daily basis. Creativity is magick in itself. And just a 5 minute look in it on a day with a lot of pain from arthritis makes me happy inside. There is always a page to colour, a set of notes to reconsider or simply just read for the joy of it, and some correspondences to check.

And today there´s a whole world of opportunities to create a Book of Shadows on the area of devices and apps. I´m not into more technical discussions about whether this or that works best. I work by the codex trial by error.

Which by the way has resulted in a strengthening in my demands in order to buy a new cellphone. Reliability, consistence and memory size are some of the must haves. Even though I´ll have to save quite a large sum of money to pay for it. I´ll rather wait until I have the money than will I loan money.

My Book of Shadows with ritual notebooks and modern technology

There are also some legal aspects to consider when being a blogger. That subject will be covered in a future post (Legal blogging). For now, it´s barbecue time in the garden with my beautiful family and best friends. There will be happy children playing around and a good atmosphere. There I´ll be in a few minutes from now.

However important a Book of Shadows and a blog about daily witchcraft are, you must never forget the breaks, the free time, the mundane world. It is just as important to remember to rest and regain strength.

So this is it for today. See you tomorrow with a closer look into my Book of Shadows on the daily basis.

Inner peace by the bonfire

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

After a long day with a truly liberating solitary ritual it was a beautiful evening, and we decided to have a bonfire in the garden. What a great way to gain some inner peace during our conversation about life and its diversity.

Quiet talk about this and that, sitting all around the fire in comfortable chairs and then, silence, just us listening to the crackling flames and the birds singing the world to rest for the day.

As happiness is the new rich, I felt truly happy sitting around the bonfire with the love of my life and my true and very best friends. As health is the new wealth, I considered myself lucky because a good mental health aids the physical side and makes it more tolerable to live with certain infirmities. As kindness is the new cool, I´m both a proud giver and a proud receiver. And as inner peace is the new success, this night was again one of these long summer nights where everything can happen. And especially magick.

Our bonfire of inner peace

It has also been a day with ritual and spells. I made myself a charm bag for this new blog and my ability to write something worth the time of the reader.

And an enhancing jar for my mental capacities.

It was a quiet, beautiful solitary ritual with a lot of meditation time and calming music to enhance the feeling of unity with the Universe.

Even the Tarot cards would have it my kind of way.

So everything looks clear and bright from here. It will take me quite some time to build up this blog, but who says I need to be in any hurry?

My charm for this blog, now standing at my workplace or close to me

I have the time necessary to work hard and wait for something to happen.

In the meantime I plan to just write for the best of it, ever trying to make it better along the way. So for tomorrow, I will post my plan for this blog for the rest of the month, so there is some kind of structure in this.

Tonight I will concentrate on making some keywords and tags that are easy to handle. And try to learn some more of this at times overwhelming new enterprise of mine.

As you can see, I used quite a lot of crystals and herbs today, but it is always possible with less props. Feel free to use whatever you have, before just buying, because you have seen that somebody wants you to think like that. It ´s not necessary, certainly not to begin with, but of course it´s nice to get some good buys.

And here with me you can always be certain that I´ll only refer to some very special shops, since I´m pretty demanding about what I want to buy or not. If I do see something that I would like to buy myself or have bought, I´ll tell you.

To give you the option, not the choice, because that´s for you to decide.

But that is not the issue at this very early stage of this blog. I need to learn a lot, to make my own mistakes and to learn from them, and I need to work hard to ensure that this blog still is worth reading in e.g. a year from now.

My inner peace has settled all over my body, mind and soul, and now it´s time to say goodnight and sleep well, all very special people all over the world.

And to thank the Universe and Bastet, my cat Milo is getting better by the hour.

Mercury Retrograde ?

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Or just one of those days, where even the best of intentions won´t work out as planned. The Planet Mercury is in retrograde 3 times a year, and this 2nd period just got started. So everything about communication, intellect and reason need to be carefully watched.

No signing of contracts. Pay attention to detail. Take good care of yourself and your inner child.

And stay positive.

Difficult tonight, since one of my cats is sick and needs to go to the vet tomorrow. Therefore I´ll read a protective blessing for my cat at my Waxing Moon Ritual.

To me Mercury Retrograde is a period of transition and change outside of my control. So I work even more careful than else, I care for myself with a rose bath and a lit candle, while I write tonight.

And I follow Nature and let Her/Mother Earth guide my path.

In other words, as a witch I take notice of my surroundings, of my knowledge and of sacred wisdom. But I do not plan my life after it.

Although witchcraft is in everything I do, I do not put a spell on mundane tasks. There are just some things that need to be done, also for witches.

Tonight is very mundane, since I´m not in a very witchy mood because of my poor cat.

But I´ll still try to write something interesting about witchcraft. A blog is also a lot of hard work offline, and today has just been a bit too much.

So I´ve decided to express some self-love by taking a bath with my wonderful rose soaps. And to relax and not write, before I felt for it.

Now, the house is all quiet, and there is only me up late, and the only sound is from the refrigerator in the kitchen. And even though I´m in a lousy mood and there only is 3 lit candles, there is still magick in the air.

To think positively is also to be realistic about life. There will be ups and downs along the path. It will feel lonely at times, but to be solitary is also the joy about being alone. To do something magick and be the only one to experience it, it´s magick itself.

However fun and life-affirming the company of others can be, it´s also necessary from time to time to seek to be alone. To restore energy, to meditate about gratitude in silence and to care for the inner child that never must be denied the ability to play and be creative.

So I use this night to think about how lucky I am to be alive and feel that I have so much. Especially those things that money can´t buy.

So, come on Mercury Retrograde. I´ll fight back every inch of the way, and I´ll get back on my feet again. Beginning tonight by asking the Universe to grant me a great wish for my cat to be well again soon.

Tomorrow, it´s ritual day. I´ll return then with an update about how that went. So dear Universe, dear Bastet, please watch over my cat, Milo, please make him well again, please let him feel inner peace and calm. So Mote It Be !

Time to manifest intentions from New Moon

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Today I´m busy planning my solitary ritual for the Waxing Quarter Moon on Tuesday July 9th.

I have looked on my intentions from the New Moon ritual on July 2nd. And I´ve been busy learning about making a both readable and profitable blog. Oh yes, everybody needs some money from time to time, and I´m no different from that. Living on a budget is to be creative in many ways to make ends meet.

Now it´s time to put some effort into trying to realize and manifest my wishes. It is hard work, however, since there is so much new knowledge to take in.

Therefore I´m going to celebrate another of the Moon´s 8 phases, the Waxing or First Quarter Moon. It is on the 7th day of this new moon cycle, and here I´ll work with my goals of creating a great blog and a small extra income.

I will need to create a ritual concerning my personal growth, some money drawing and development of new talents, such as getting organized with all the behind-the-scenes work that sometimes is a bit too mundane for my taste, but that´s life as it is.

So in order to meet new challenges I´m going solitude this time. It will be the first real-life tryout for me, because I´m on one way a solitary witch, but on most occasions my husband or my neighbours participates in my rituals.

Since I´m also a cottage witch, I´ll use herbs and crystals in my ritual. I keep my herbs in the kitchen cabinet, and I use whatever is available. To me the most important “herb” and “crystal” is the seed of inspiration and the glimpse of a possible future, so even though you live on a budget, it is possible to work with witchcraft.

As it is my 3rd year as a witch, I´ve gathered a nice collection of dried herbs, and my husband grows sage, thyme and rosemary for me in our garden. I´ve also a nice collection of crystals, but less can still do and you can use some pebbles, if the money flow is low. What ever speaks to you is a good choice.

I´m also busy learning to run a blog. And there is a whole world of possibilities out there, it´s just about getting started and try and try and try along the way.

My goals are long-term, and there will be days, when everything is too much. But then again, with a positive outlook, there are always words to be written.

It´s a passion to me to write. I like the sound of the fingers dancing over the keyboard. I like to share my knowledge and my ideas. And I like to try to write something that I personally would read again,

I use music both in writing and in witchcraft. It depends on many aspects. In writing I need some action, some speed, some happiness. And in witchcraft I look for music that calms, that soothes, that relaxes.

To manifest intentions is to work both mentally and physically. There will be no results without working for them. It takes quite a lot of self-discipline and faith.

But to manifest is to act upon wishes, aspirations and hopes.

And the best tool for that is yourself, your drive, your enthusiasm. It is about doing, not talking. And it is about reflection upon your true passions.

A quiet evening ritual

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Incense smoke from orange flowers, lit gold candles and beautiful calming music in my ears…

Just a small, quiet evening ritual in order to cultivate my intentions from the New Moon ritual 4 days ago. It´s getting closer to Waxing Quarter Moon on Tuesday July 9th, where I plan to make a solitude ritual.

It´s time to work on my intentions so that they hopefully can be transformed into reality.

So I´ve been spending the day doing mundane things and learning more about how to keep a blog interesting and inspiring. Taking it easy, though, since I´m not in a hurry.

It takes time to learn and to incorporate it into a daily practice. It demands patience to research witchcraft and to keep on writing each day. And it can be a lonely place to be, when everything is new, and you don´t know where to begin.

But it is worth the efforts, especially if you take the necessary time to take care of yourself. Some lit candles, perhaps scented, a little bit of incense, a nice cup of tea or whatever your favourite drink may be, and some music, bells, drums or silence.

And you are winning that day. Celebrate the small victories and claim your day. Then even the worst of days seems tolerable.

This little evening ritual was made during the time it took to gather the ingredients and light candles and incense.

Have a nice evening, dear reader, and remember to seize the day. So Mote It Be !

Orange flower incense and golden candles to attract prosperity

Book of Shadows

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

First of all, let me point out that there are as many ways of creating and working with a Book of Shadows as there are magickal people. Therefore, I do recommend that your make your Book of Shadows suitable for you and nobody else, since it is you who are going to work with it.

For a thorough examination of what a Book of Shadows or a grimoire is, I would like to recommend The Witch of Lupine Hollow ( https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/483574078733958147/), where there is a link to her site), who has inspired me to work more focused with my Book of Shadows, so it is integrated in my daily work with witchcraft.

My choice is a mix between handwritten and printed material. I have multiple Book of Shadows and ritual books, because I work both online and offline. I have handwritten notes, rituals, spells and a lot more than that. But in order to keep myself on the right path for practical work with a Book of Shadows, I´ve also by necessity and to be able to get in touch with like-minded people a Book of Shadows on my laptop, on my cellphone and on Pinterest. Then I have a Ritual Book of the Year, where I record all my ritual workings and ritual books for sabbats and spells.

So you see, I have a pretty busy schedule when working with my Book of Shadows.

My Book of Shadows is structured like this (for my Book of Shadows on Pinterest click : https://www.pinterest.dk/thenorthernwitch/ ) :

  • 1-8 The Book Of Shadows (ideas for a Book of Shadows, index for my online boards and my physical ring binders, history of witchcraft, shadow work and ethical rules). It also includes good examples of work sheets, ideas for colouring pages and links to nice resources online.
  • 9-23 Traditions And The Old Ways (old traditions and inspiration)
  • 24-31 Mythology And Folklore (the deity world and different beliefs
  • 32-35 Spirituality (spiritual guidance, angels and the fairy world)
  • 36-51 Divination 1 (different kinds of divination)
  • 52-57 Divination 2 The Tarot (Tarot and divination)
  • 58 Divination 3 Lenormand (Lenormand and divination)
  • 59-78 The Northern Witch´s Den (the daily cottage witch)
  • 79-97 Correspondences (correspondences, familiars and spirit animals, symbols and sigils)
  • 98-107 Sabbats (the Wheel of the Year)
  • 108-115 The Moon (all about the Moon)
  • 116- 120 Spellcasting (the art and magick of casting spells)
  • 121-133 Rituals (rituals and practical stuff)
  • 134-135 Witchy Tips (good ideas and a collection of advice)
  • 136-142 Creative Magick (affordable witchy art and inspiration)
  • 143-144 The Grey (between white and dark is the shadows, I´m a grey witch)

I develop it on an ongoing basis, because as with everything else in witchcraft, in my opinion, it is an evolving process that never stops. We are never too old or too young to learn something new or something old.

My Book of Shadows or grimores

My Book of Shadows is my life line to my daily magickal practice. I use it to plan rituals and spells, to record my personal journey in witchcraft and my Tarot spreads and for many, many other purposes.

I keep it close to my ritual altar, because it and my understanding of what magick and witchcraft can be are the basic tools in any of my magickal workings.

In a future post I´ll return to the subject of magickal tools. There are as many possibilities as there are creative ideas. It is easy to buy, but it is also both magickal and fun to try to make your own tools. And it´s up to you what you need, as long as you remember that the most important tools in any kind of witchcraft is yourself and your intentions with your magickal workings.

Becoming a Crone…

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Maiden, Mother, Crone. 3 stages in a woman´s life. Corresponding for the male readers it is the Boy, the Man and the Elder (www.TheOrganicWitch.com).

I´m now 10 days from my 50th birthday. So I´ve passed the gates for a maiden and a mother (3 cats and a dog). And now I´m about to enter the stage of the Crone. The elder, wise woman, who know a couple of things that most people have lost their connection to in this hectic modern world of today.

Becoming a Crone is not an easy path at all. Nothing else in my life has been easy, however, so I´m well prepared for this. This time I´m going to enjoy every step of the way.

Because I feel free, grateful and happy. All my fears have been reduced to tangible things to handle in due time and not a moment before that.

I still have many fears, but my work with witchcraft has been a channel of release from the past. Now I dare to face even my most terrifying inner fear, because when I face it, it becomes a little bit easier to handle the consequences of it.

Living in the moment is the only answer.

And one key to being able to actually live in the present moment is to realize that not all gold that shines is worth the work.

To be happy and content with what you already have. To only wish for what you truly need, not every whim and desire. And to be grateful just to be alive.

Another is to take good care of your health and your dreams. Always with a positive outlook, which will boost every confidence.

Becoming a Crone is fun, though. I still feel young, I´ve learned to live with my mental wounds and my physical back disorder, gained by an exiting, ever flexible life, and hard work around the golden calf.

So, oh yes, I´ve been there. I once thought I was not good enough. I did all the right things, I was told to do. But did it get me further than where I am today, did it make me happier, did I hit the golden jackpot ?

No. It frustrated me, it haunted me, it laughed at me.

Today, I think different, money is a means of survival in a modern world, but not my one and only desire. And people around me need to be free spirited, since I´m a free-thinker, a heretic, a pagan, a witch. And I´m proud of it.

I despise any kind of constraints, limits and expectations that come from bigotry, hatred and fake news.

So sometimes my pen is sharpened, although in person I´m quite easy-going.

Becoming a Crone is also followed by a wealth of knowledge that I look forward in sharing with you. Tomorrow I will therefore show you my interpretation of a Book of Shadows, which to me is essential in order to keep track of journals, inspirational material and spells and rituals etc.

Akasha – the fifth element

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When speaking of the fifth element, I think of Akasha as the glue that fits all the pieces together in this big puzzle called life. I believe there are natural forces beyond human touch, and nature is my “church”.

And we are a part of them, even though only infinity knows how to rule them together with the Universe.

But getting closer than that is impossible to me. We are not supposed to know everything all the time. Thank the gods and goddesses for that.

The keywords for Akasha are :

  • Center, universal directions, the pentagram, to walk the path
  • Consciousness and mystery, space and source of all energy
  • Binding the elements together (balance)
  • The human aura, new paths and harmony
  • Inner life, infinity, the inner voice, clairrecognizance
  • Animal spirits : the sphinx,the white buffalo and mythological creatures
  • Western Zodiac : the Major Arcana
  • Divination : all or no Zodiacs
  • Divination : all kinds or no kinds
  • Crown Chakra, Third Eye Chakra
  • The upper part of the pentagram
  • Out of time, the Wheel of the Year, path activities
  • Pentacle, cord
The Pentagram and the Elements and Akasha

The element of Earth

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Gigantic forces are at play when volcanoes erupt and earth quakes shatter our world as we used to know it. At the same time, it is gently sustaining our physical needs.

The keywords for that are :

  • North, soil/salt, to be silent
  • Perseverance and stability, practicality and reason
  • Prosperity, foundations and renewal
  • Responsibility, growth and nutrition
  • Health, restoring energy, tasting and clairsentience
  • Manifestation, authority, creativity
  • Animal spirits : the wolf, the stag and the buffalo
  • Western zodiac : Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
  • Divination : Tarot suit of Pentacles
  • Root Chakra
  • Lower right on pentagram
  • Midnight, night, grounding activities
  • Pentacle, crystals, boline, herbs
A bowl of salt resonates with the element of Earth

The element of Water

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Soaring, all-destructive waves during a tsunami or a cooling feeling all over the body after a bath in the sea. Water knows no borders when first pressured to the breaking point. But Water also carries all our hopes and fears, and it heals when least expected, as tears releases our emotions from falling apart when we feel sad about some kind of loss.

For Water, the keywords are :

  • West, bowl of water, to dare
  • Emotions and dreams, fertility and compassion
  • Attunement to change
  • Empathy, purification and balance
  • Relationships, trust, peace
  • Sensitivity, the unconscious, taste and clairsentience
  • Cycle of life, death and rebirth
  • Animal spirits : the salmon, the bear and the dolphin
  • Western Zodiac : Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio
  • Divination : Tarot suit of Cups
  • Sacral Chakra
  • Upper right on pentagram
  • Evening, sunset, twilight, reflective activities
  • Chalice, cauldron, mirror, cups
A cauldron with water is connected to the element of Water

The element of Fire

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Raging, roaring flames around a piece of wood in a bonfire or the enigma of life energy arising after a devastating fire in the forests. That is the element of Fire, dear reader.

And my keywords are as follows :

  • South, candle, to will
  • Passion and courage, willpower and strength
  • Determined transformation
  • Confidence, empowerment and banishing negativity
  • Illumination, destruction and desire
  • Cleansing, healing. sight and clairvoyance
  • Realistic dreams
  • Animal spirits : the phoenix, the dragon and the lion
  • Western Zodiac : Aries, Leo and Sagittarius
  • Divination : Tarot suit of Wands
  • Heart Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra
  • Lower left on pentagram
  • Midday, noon, transformative activities
  • Wand, censer, sword, altar candle
Candles symbolize the element of Fire

The element of Air

The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

This is my interpretation of this intangible element. Its powers are mighty, it can either refresh your thoughts on a cloudy day or tear your world apart as you knew it when a storm is hurling around all corners of it.

The following keywords is my way of working with elemental magick and the best possible tool is a compass. Because Air like the other elements is associated with the cardinal directions, and if you learn to use a compass (diy on e.g. Pinterest) you can always find your corners when casting your magickal circle, if you do use the circle in your workings) :

  • East, smoke, to know
  • Intellect and wisdom, communication and inspiration
  • Needs, not wants
  • Thinking, concentration and imagination
  • Intuition, knowledge and memory
  • New beginnings, clarity, hearing and clairaudience
  • Messages from the Universe, sky, Sun and Moon, fairies
  • Animal spirits : the eagle, the raven and the butterfly
  • Western Zodiac : Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
  • Divination : Tarot suit of Swords
  • Throat Chakra
  • Upper left on pentagram
  • Dawn, morning, sunrise, outside activities
  • Athame, incense, bell, broom, feather

As I´m writing, the weather has not changed for the better. So I´ll put on an extra shirt and some socks, and then I´ll serve a pot of fresh coffee to my husband and offer my little wise dog a treat, because it is his 9th birthday today. Happy birthday, little dog.

Tomorrow I´ll continue working with the elements, this time Fire, where there is a split second between fury and rebirth, Water, which has both awesome powers and soothing qualities, and Earth, where the distance between disruption and the feeling of being grounded is very short. And last, but not least, I´ll bind the elements together with the fifth element, Akasha or Spirit.

Feathers symbolize the element of Air