The Door to Witchcraft: A New Witch's Guide to History, Traditions, and Modern-Day Spells

by Tonya A. Brown

Meditate and be grateful for how fruitful the year has been for you. ∴ Clean house: Spring cleaning gets all the attention, but cleaning during Lammas not only helps you clear out items to sacrifice, but it also prepares for upcoming Mabon. ∴ Use rosemary, the scent and flavor of this sabbat.

MABON (AROUND SEPTEMBER 22) Mabon is the sabbat when the harvest is complete. The earth is starting to cool down, and we begin making more plans within the home. Symbolically, Mabon is about feasting and the hearth.

use up all that leftover fruit, make stews, and prepare to save. Your goals should be coming to fruition at this point, so now it’s time to think about saving.

Samhain is in late fall, and it is the final sabbat before winter comes. The harvests consist of sturdy vegetation like gourds, squash, and potatoes. Samhain is all about appreciating those who have come before

A witch’s favorite things to do during Samhain: ∴ Create an altar for ancestors.

Host a silent dinner for visiting spirits. ∴ Leave offerings at a crossroads (a place where two roads meet) for lost spirits, since they often wander in these types of spaces.

Use pumpkin, the scent and flavor of this sabbat.

The waxing moon is a great time to work on moving forward, creating a plan of action, or initiate change slowly, over time. Spell work done during this phase requires patience when it comes to forward movement.

The full moon is charged with a lot of energy, which can be overpowering, so it’s best to be wise about what spells you perform during a full moon,

Spell work that requires a blast of energy at once is also appropriate during a full moon.

The waning moon is when the moon is moving from full to new and it becomes thinner each night. This is a time to focus on what you’ve accomplished, what loose ends need to be tied up,

Reversal spells may be best during this phase because you can use the moon to watch the magic of something dissipate.

For instance, you could set it up based on the season you’re in, what holiday is upcoming, what spell you’re working on, or what god or goddess you like to work with. You could even create an ancestor or spirit altar to gain a closer relationship with the spirit world.

One common way to create an altar is to use a compass to determine which part of your altar faces north, south, east, and west. You can set it up accordingly: North typically represents earth, so that is where you may put your earth element such as dirt, flowers, or crystals. South represents fire, usually signified by a candle. East is the air, so you can put chimes, a bell, or incense in that space. And west is the water, so a small container of water or salt can be placed in that area. The center is usually saved for an item of spiritual significance or for the focus of your spell work.

performing a ritual is creating a protected and sacred space (sometimes called “casting a circle”).

If you have found success meditating, you can do so while implementing the white light protection technique described earlier here

Some witches will raise energy and power by chanting, by calling on spirits or gods/goddesses, or by welcoming the energy of different elements through words.

Margot Adler once said that the tools we use are simply props. We use these tools to heighten our energy and power so that we can create magic.

The pentagram is a five-pointed star that represents earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.

triquetra are typically used to represent the trinity. Within Wiccan traditions and many others, it is most widely recognized as the goddess lifecycle—maiden, mother, and crone.

the father, son, and holy spirit.

past, present, an...

Alchemy is usually represented by four symbols associated with the physical elements of earth, air, fire, and water. It can also represent the four elements.

Animal totems represent the qualities the wearer associates with a particular animal.

example, if someone has an owl totem, it means they seek to obtain the knowledge and wisdom of owls. A wolf

the wild freedom of wolves resonates wi...

Sigils are symbols that are created in order to capture and house a certain energy or intention.

Wiccan practice may be for you, check out Celtic and Norse gods and goddesses. Or, if you have a connection to hoodoo or folk magic,

try exploring African or folk gods and goddesses.

Still unsure? Look at your ancestry. Where does your family stem from? Researching gods/goddesses that have a history in those geographic areas may bring a special connection.

Connect to the energy of the world however you would like. Now is the time to make use of the energy tapping techniques we learned about in chapter 3 (here to here). Do you prefer visualizing? Meditating? Moving energy with Reiki? 2.Heighten your power by wearing or engaging with whatever makes you feel a power surge through your body. Earlier, we talked about setting your space and wearing things that make you feel powerful. Now is the time to implement this. Do you like the idea of a circle of salt and candles? Does a special garment make you feel powerful? 3.Perform your spell using whatever your preferred method is—oil creation, crystals, herbals, folk magic, crafting, petitions, or stating intentions. This is where the spells that follow fit into the witchcraft cycle we discussed. 4.Complete the spell and release the energy. You can do this by either grounding, pushing it into the world, or releasing any spirits or gods you’ve called in. 5.Follow through with any actions you’ve declared in your spell work. This could include keeping a charm on your body, giving an offering you promised to your spirits, or using oils regularly.

Some of these spells may not align with the stereotype of spellcasting that you’ve seen in the media. They may seem too simple or they may seem too complicated. I implore you to come to these spells with an open mind and to use your intentions and the power of your mind to direct your energy and create the changes you desire. Some of these spells involve making charms out of herbs and oils that you carry with you. Some involve making tonics that you ingest, while others involve simmering aromatherapy blends. As I’ve encouraged throughout this book, trust yourself and do what feels right. Some methods may appeal to you more than others. 2.It’s never a good idea to reuse ingredients from your spells that are perishable. Do not reuse food, spoiled herbals, or anything that has been changed by a spell.

Popularized by writer Scott Cunningham, mugwort tea and its variations have become staples for those who want to work with spirits or receive psychic abilities through their dreams.

Hibiscus aids in dream work, too, as does star anise.

goddess Hecate, the Greek goddess of witches, the dead, and the homeless.

This oil is meant to heighten your divination readings.

Sage and salt water clears the space and the energy, while the herbs simmer on the stove, pulling in new energy to replace the cleared energy. This helps you completely refresh your space.

BOOK OF SHADOWS: This is a witch’s personal record of their spell work, private thoughts, and spiritual secrets. It is sometimes coded using the Theban alphabet.

CROSSROADS: A crossroads is a place where two roads meet. Lost spirits often wander in and around a crossroads. For this reason, crossroads are often used as a place to leave offerings to spirits in witchcraft practices.