There are thousands of ways to break a curse. But the other day I was thinking about curse breaking with ordinary items. The humble egg is the most common hex breaking tool in your average kitchen. But what about an apple?

Apples are great for love and healing spells. They’re used in binding spells too. And no one can forget the apple curse that trapped Snow White. But breaking a curse with an apple? Absolutely.

I can think of several ways to make this work, the most obvious being simply using the apple as a poppet – which is actually something of a traditional substitute. But we’re going to go a different way with a hex breaking spell today.

This spell is intended to break a hex or curse that you think has been placed on you. With an ingredient as common as an apple, you can easily do this…

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Witchcraft: Timing

Magic Wand

A Fire and Smoke Ritual for Land Healing and Blessing

The Druid's Garden

A few years ago, I led a smoke cleansing (smudge) stick making workshop at the OBOD’s East Coast Gathering event. As that event often has upwards of 100 attendees, I spent months growing and harvesting materials for the event so that everyone could make 1-2 sticks. Sure enough, everyone got to make some smudge sticks and the workshop went great. After the workshop, one of my friends and event fire tenders, Derek, came up to me and asked me about the leftover materials. I had been placing them in a paper bag, and had planned on taking them home to make more sticks or return to the land. He said, “I want to make a smudge bomb and send healing smoke to this entire land.” I said, “Yes, what a great idea!” So we tightly bundled up the remainder of the material, which filled at least 1/3 of the paper…

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TAURUS NEW MOON CRYSTALS: A RITUAL FOR YOUR LUSCIOUS LIFE

This new moon in Taurus invites you to look at the quality, not quantity, of your life.

Slow down, smell the spring flowers, wriggle your toes in the mud after a fresh, spring rain.

Reconnect with the Earth and all her splendorous glory.

There’s great magic in the Spring: the energy of fresh starts, the maiden goddess sowing her seeds of life, the feeling of hope that springs eternal.

We’re reminded to enjoy our lives, the world around us, in great ways and small. For life is fleeting, and precious.

Did any of you dance ‘round the Maypole on May 1st? Weave a wreath of flowers in your hair? Prepare your gardens for the growth of summer?

The old sabbat, Beltane, occurs on the 1st of May, and it initiates a powerful cycle of mysteries and magic – a portal that stays open until the summer solstice in June.

AND, we’re in a time when the sun is now waxing to full – there’s plenty of success vibes to go around, it’s all in how you direct them!

Taurus, ruled by the planet Venus, is a sign of wealth, abundance, beauty, earthiness, simplicity, love, sensuality, and grounding.

It’s interesting to note, too, that cows and bulls were often held sacred by the gods and goddesses of old. Zeus would transform himself into a bull. Brigid was accompanied by two white heifers. Helios had a sacred, beautiful herd kept by two of his daughters.

In runic lore, Taurus can be found in the symbol of fehu – again representing wealth, growth, plenty, status, fulfillment.

So, how can all of this glorious energy in this magical time find embodiment in your own life?

Read the remainder of the articles at: Krista Mitchell ~ TAURUS NEW MOON CRYSTALS: A RITUAL FOR YOUR LUSCIOUS LIFE

Stop & Smell the Flowers | New Moon in Taurus Moonthly Energy Report

The month of May began with the celebration of Beltane with the New Moon following close behind. This New Moon in Taurus is all about cultivating and seeing tangible growth from your past efforts. This New Moon holds potential for progress and growth that you can actually see and enjoy with all of your senses, not just the physical!

In fact, this entire month ahead holds so much opportunity for both productivity and celebration! We have the ability to see our progress and growth as well as take the time to revel in it.

As the New Moon waxes towards full, our own energy grows and amplifies as well. We are able to focus on our goals and bring our dreams into the physical realm. This month ahead also holds a Blue Moon; a unique opportunity for renewal and growth. Soon after, the moon wanes back to last quarter and then back into the shadows once again turning towards new.

The moon controls the tides and water on this planet… being made mostly of water ourselves, the moon phases hold significant power over our moods and emotions. She represents the goddess and her ever changing and fluid nature.

When you are in tune with the moon, you will find that you too feel similar ebbs and flows! You can use this to your advantage by following along with the moon phases and taking notice of how you feel. (Check out our Tune to the Moon planners! They are currently on sale!)

Each new moon, together with our planner & Spirit de la Lune decks, using the four main phases of the moon as our guide, we put together our Moonthly Energy Report. For each main turning/week, we pull a card from the deck to further help us navigate the waves ahead!

Please keep in mind… we are considering this a Blue Moon cycle though some people may relate to this cycle as the Flower Moon or Honey Moon. Call it whatever resonates with you the most!

Read the remaining article at: Spirit De La Lune ~ Stop & Smell the Flowers | New Moon in Taurus Moonthly Energy Report

Severing Draining Energy Connections: Waning Moon Crystal Magic w/ Black Obsidian

The new and full moons have become powerful focal points in our community, but when we tune into the additional moon phases (the quarter moons), the magical rhythm of our lives can take on greater form and meaning.

We’ve now entered the 4th quarter or waning crescent moon (until the new moon on May 4th at 6:45pm).

This phase is a deep and internal time of facing that which we need to heal or release, or cultivate in the darker or more hidden parts of ourselves (psychic + intuitive development, past life or karmic healing, and banishment).

It’s timing is elegant and purposeful, because if we use it wisely, it empowers us for the new moon and our intentions.

Manifestation tip: The art of manifestation requires energy + focus. If your energy is split in too many directions in your life, or if it’s being too drained, there’s less potency available to help activate and manifest your intentions into being.

I’ve included a ritual below that will guide you through working with the energy of the waning crescent moon phase, and using a piece of black obsidian to sever draining energy connections that are pulling you away from your potential, holding you back from positive co-creation.

Read the complete article at: Krista Mitchell ~ SEVERING DRAINING ENERGY CONNECTIONS: WANING MOON CRYSTAL MAGIC W/ BLACK OBSIDIAN

Embracing Ancestral Fires and Fire-starting at Beltane

The Druid's Garden

An awen-shaped sacred fire, created from my flint and steel

The tiny sparks from my flint and steel shower down on my char cloth. This flint and steel set was a gift from a fellow druid from almost a decade ago, a gift that has long offered me a connection with my ancestors. It takes me a few moments to remember the technique he taught me, striking the steel against the flint in a particular way with a particulary angle to my body. Starting a fire in an ancestral way isn’t just a mental act; its an emboded one. I breathe deeply and remember, and the tiny sparks fly from my tools to the char cloth. After a few more attempts, a single spark lands on the cloth and starts to glow orange. I carefully pick up the char cloth and blow on it to increase the ember size, then…

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The Druid’s Crane Bag

The Druid's Garden

A druid’s crane bag is a special bag, a magical bag, that many druids carry with them. Often full of shells, rocks, magical objects, feathers, stones, Ogham staves, representations of the elements, ritual tools, and much more, a crane bag is wonderfully unique to each druid! A few years ago, I shared a post about how to create a crane bag and a description of my bag at the time; today’s post revisits and deepens the treatment of this topic. In this post, we’ll look at the concept of the crane bag and where it came from, four potential purposes for bags, and some tips and tricks for how to put them together and what they might include. This is a wonderful part of the druid tradition that anyone, including those walking other paths, can enjoy!

My "ritual in a bag" crane bag, designed and created by me! My “ritual in a bag” crane bag, which I recently completed.