candle magick – Melusina The Green Witch

Gorgeous Gorse

Gorse bushes, or Furze, are often seen around Ostara and is another of Mother Nature’s bright and beautiful announcements that Spring is here.

It is a perennial evergreen shrub belonging to the pea family, which forms multi-branched, stunted shrubs, usually no taller than six feet high, but it is still considered to be a tree.

The flowers are deep yellow in colour and have a beautifully aromatic coconut scent and, although the main flowering period is from March to August, flowers can be found on the furze throughout the year.

It’s wickedly sharp thorns and its dense habit make it an excellent hedging plant, which can also be used as a barrier to protect young tree seedlings in coppices from grazing.

Due to it’s thorny nature, it is often viewed as having protective powers. In Wales, gorse bushes are even said to guard against Witches and can protect the home against The Fae, who cannot pass through the hedge.

The bark and flowers of the gorse can be used to produce a yellow dye. In Ireland, the flowers were also used to flavour and add colour to whiskey and they’ve been known to be used to make beer in Denmark. The flowers can also be used to make wine and tea.

Medicinal properties

There was a Bach Flower Remedy (Edward Bach was an English homeopath in the 1930s) called “Greenman Essence of Gorse”, which was said to help to ease frustration, restlessness and anxiety, and also helped to promote emotional security and feelings of joy.

Gorse flowers are high in proteins and can be eaten raw in salads or made into tea, cordial or syrup. They can also add extra flavour and colour to beer, wine or spirits and even ice cream!

The buds can also be pickled in vinegar and eaten like capers.

**CAUTION: Do not ingest to excess, as the plant contains slightly toxic alkaloids, which can have a cumulative impact.**

There are surprisingly few medicinal uses for gorse, although its flowers have historically been used in the treatment of jaundice, scarlet fever, diarrhoea and kidney stones.

Magickal properties

Gorse is known as the ‘herb of love’ and is associated with love, romance and weddings. It is also known to protect against evil, negativity and dark magick.

It can help to restore faith, hope and optimism and enable you to gather your strength. It also attracts gold, so it is very useful in money, wealth and abundance spells.

Gorse Spell

Carve the word “Gorse” into a gold or yellow candle, then face east and light the candle. Then meditate on the light, whilst asking for for protection, money, love or whatever it has to offer that you desire.

Full Moon in Virgo Career Spell

Back on February 27th 2021 the full moon was in Virgo. At that time this reminded us that we must learn to organise our lives, accept that not everyone is perfect and to compromise.

Suitable activities that could have been undertaken during that full moon included:

• Editing, completing or finalising a project;
• Organising your kitchen, workplace, home or bedroom;
• Cleaning up the loose ends of a relationship matter;
• Making a plan for long term success; or
• Delivering an important message.

With regards to long term career success, I have big plans for my job this year. I have submitted my application to become a Chartered Environmentalist and am awaiting an interview. If successful, my work will hopefully promote me to Associate Director. I also did the same ritual for my husband at the same time, to help with his long term career goals.

Therefore, I decided to do a ritual on the might of that full moon, to ask the Universe to assist me with obtaining my career goals.

Here are the items I used (I needed two of everything, apart from the pen, as the spell was for two people).

• Two pieces of green paper;

• A gold pen;

• Six fresh mint leaves;

• Two teaspoons of dried sage;

• Two gold candles;

• Jasmine incense – for success, luck in general and good fortune. Jasmine also opens up the natural force of attraction and consequently helps us attract prosperity and success, in addition to helping live a life of beauty, through which our life circumstances naturally follow suit;

• Citrine – This crystal is commonly referred to as the abundance stone and it has powerful properties that attract career benefits, financial success and prosperity. Citrine is also useful for encouraging new opportunities and possibilities for the improvement of your career. The stone also helps promote joy and inner peace, blocking out negative energy and keeps you confident and positive. Citrine can also provide an extra boost of confidence to take with you on promotional reviews or job interviews. It also keeps you emotionally balanced in order to overcome any work challenges, whilst bringing good luck to any task or project you’re working on;

• Sodalite – This crystal enables you to harness your self-esteem, in order for you to take your career to the next level and also helps you to follow your instincts and have self-confidence. It is also known for its capability to inspire the confidence to make your dreams come true. It is also associated with the throat chakra, so provides great benefits for giving important presentations or speaking in public; and

• Selenite – This is one of the best crystals for career success, as it can penetrate any stagnant, stale or negative energy and completely remove it. Selenite can also help with connecting with your intuitions, to listen to your inner voice and push you to follow its guidance towards career success. Also, the crystal works wonders if you are sensitive, providing you with balance for your professional life and workspace.

Here are the steps for the spell. I will be doing this process twice, once for each of us.

• Light the jasmine incense.

• Draw a large pentacle in the centre of the green piece of paper with the gold pen. In the centre of the pentacle write the word JOB, making sure the star is pointing upwards not downwards.

• Around the word JOB, write the specific job each of us is pursuing.

• Tear up the three mint leaves and put these, along with the dried sage, onto the pentacle (keeping the herbs within the outer circle).

• Draw (or carve, if you’re using a pillar candle) with a Sharpie the bindrune ‘Provide energy for success’ onto the side of the candle. I actually couldn’t find gold candles, so I used yellow jasmine scented ones and scattered some gold heart shaped glitter on the top of the wax.

• Place the candle on top of the herbs and light it.

• Place the citrine, sodalite and selenite on the paper around the candle.

• Chant the following words three times (for each spell). I will do mine and my husband will do his:

Universe wide, hear my plea,
Send me the job, that’s just for me,
Grant me the job, that I will love,
I send this message, to you above.

• Allow the candle to burn down completely, then carefully take the paper with the herbs on it to the nearest window, open the window and blow the contents from the paper into the air.

• Then we just patiently wait to hear that we’ve been successful.

New Moon in Pisces Goals and Dreams Spell

The New Moon occurs when the sun, earth and moon come into alignment (align at approximately the same degree astrologically). The moon is positioned between the earth and sun and, therefore, the entire illuminated portion of the moon is on the back side of the moon, the half that we can’t see.

The New Moon tomorrow (Sunday 14th March 2021) is in Pisces.

When this happens it’s time to vanquish all self-doubt and reflect upon and put into action your dreams, desires and long term goals.

This is a ‘Get it Done’ spell, to help finalise and push forwards with your dreams, desires and wishes.

For this spell, you will need the following:

• A red candle (any candle will do, votive, tealight, birthday candle….whatever you have to hand);
• A green pen to signify growth, prosperity and personal goals; and
• A piece of paper.

On the evening of the New Moon, light the red candle on your Altar or Sacred Space and write on the paper with the green pen the following spell:

‘With this pen I do inscribe,
Desires and wishes as described,
Bring me, Luna, all that I think,
And secure my future with this ink’.

Then write your desire/wish below the spell, again with the green pen.

Once you’ve written everything, place the candle on top of the paper and focus on your intended goals for a few minutes.

Let the candle burn down and leave everything in place until the next morning, to let the energy from the New Moon in Pisces charge your spell and bring the desired results. Then, take the piece of paper and bury it somewhere on your property.

My Witchcraft Journey

I have been fascinated by witchcraft, forteana, the paranormal and cryptozoology (I had a subscription to the Fortean Times from about 11/12 years old onwards) for as long as I can remember (I am 44 now). There’s a bit of paranormal history in my family too, with both my mum and my grandma on my dad’s side having had encounters with Spirits on a couple of occasions. My mum was also once told by a psychic medium that she had latent psychic abilities that she should develop, but she never did as far as I’m aware. I was also one of those kids that had an imaginary friend. Mine was a pony called Poppet and he was with me for years!

Looking back, I think my journey into witchcraft started when I was about 12 or 13. I found some dream books and books on herbs in the loft at my parents house that were my mum’s. I started foraging for the herbs in the books, or finding them in our garden, and made teas, tinctures, soups and condiments, anything I could really. I once made my dad nettle soup, which was truly awful, but, bless him, he ate every drop and pretended to love it! I also persuaded my mum to buy me more herb and natural remedy books from the garden centre too.

I also had what I now realise as being an altar of sorts, from about 13/14 onwards (without actually realising what it was), which was a big shelf above my radiator, over which I painted a big Mandala on the wall with a Yin Yang symbol in the middle.

On this shelf I kept interesting stones, fossils and minerals I’d found, shells and feathers, bits of plants and dried flowers. I also burned incense, had candles and drank herbal teas, sometimes with added herbs from the garden or spices from my mums spice rack. Here I’d make wishes on candles to do well in a test, or to get that boy I liked to notice me, which were in essence my first spells. I’d also write things down on paper and burn them, which I now know is a way of manifesting your desires.

I used shufflemancy with my CDs, and my own version of bibliomancy with my books, to make decisions, long before I found out these were forms of divination. I would also have little fires at the bottom of the garden and just sit out there, watching the moon and stars whilst drinking my tea.

We didn’t have the internet at home when I was younger and the local librarian was loathed to lend me Stephen King books, let alone anything to do with witchcraft or the occult, so I had no choice but to make things up as I went along. Even at university there was limited access to the internet! It’s so much easier nowadays for people to do research, watch videos and join online groups and communities to learn about witchcraft. I wish there’d have been something like that when I was younger.

It’s only really been since my mid 30’s that I realised the things I’ve been intuitively doing since I was a young teen could be classed as witchcraft. I just didn’t realise, because these things just came naturally to me. As I’ve got older, the pull towards properly learning and researching has become stronger and our house has become more cluttered with stones, feathers, shells and dried flowers I’ve found, in addition to crystals.

Over the years I’ve read so much more into it and got so invested in the idea and history of witchcraft, that to NOT develop it was becoming impossible to resist!! So here I am! I’ve only recently started to refer to myself as a Witch, or even been comfortable in telling people about it.

However, I found a few communities for Witchcraft online and became an active member, writing blogs and articles on things I’d researched, or spells/rituals I’d developed/undertaken and hosted/co-hosted chats on crystals, nature, kitchen witchery and candle magick etc. I also found out, through helping and advising the younger or more inexperienced members of these communities, that I knew a lot more about witchcraft than I realised.

For me, the next logical step was setting up this website, and associated social media, as a way of recording what I know and have done and to help others starting out in their journeys into witchcraft

Travel Altar

Following on from my post yesterday about my Altar, I wanted to show you a way you can still have an Altar, but for it to be a bit more discreet. So this will be perfect if you’re in the Broom Closet, don’t have the room, travel frequently, not allowed by your parents or, like me, enjoy taking your practice out into nature.

I found this cute oblong metal tin (I think it’s supposed to be a pencil case) in IKEA a while back, which is decorated to look like a little snake!!

On the inside, I personalised it with some stickers on the bottom part of the tin (from the top down):

• Triple Moon Fertility Goddess to represent my lifelong struggle with infertility;

• A beautiful and colourfull beetle to represent my love for nature; and

• A Mandala to represent my spiritual journey.

Inside the lid, I have three metal flower of life Metatron’s cube stickers, to represent the journey of energy throughout the universe, and of balance within the universe, to aid with meditation. (I am a bit annoyed I put them on a bit wonky, as they’re so thin, I can’t get them off again without ruining them). The contents of my travel altar are as follows:

• Mini besom to symbolically cleanse and purify wherever I decide to do any work;

• A lighter for my candles and incense;

• Mini green, yellow, white, orange, red and black rolled beeswax candles, for any spells, rituals or to signify the fire element when casting my circle;

• A metal disc incense holder;

• The tiniest bottle of Himalayan pink salt to represent the earth element when setting up a protective working space;

• Small glass jar of Samhain Blue Moon water to signify the water element when circle casting;

• ‘Meditation’ scent incense cones to represent the element of air;

• Clear quartz teardrop, to use as a substitute for any other crystal I may need;

• Rosemary essential oil, as Rosemary can be a substitute for any other herb/essential oil I may need;

• Pine cone to signify health and prosperity, healing and protection; and

• Chamomile tea bags, because they’re just lovely.

I just love how cute and organised it is (and that it all fits!) and I can’t wait for the warmer months to use it outside!

Self Love and Acceptance Crystal Grid and Dressed Candle

I’ve not been feeling 100% today and with that comes feelings of not being good enough, guilt and just generally being down in the dumps.

I decided to do a self love and acceptance crystal grid and dressed candle.

CRYSTAL GRID

I’ve used a Metatron’s Cube crystal grid, which is a mystical three dimensional cube which is thought to have been used by the Archangel Metatron to watch over the flow of energy connecting earth and the divine. Metatron’s cube also contains all 5 Platonic solids hidden inside it’s structure, symbolising the underlying patterns of the universe.

The Metatron’s Cube spins with energy to help you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, so it’s a perfect basis for my crystal grid.

I used tumbled and chips of rose quartz crystals, as rose quartz is the best stone for self-love, as it’s the emotional crystal known for unconditional love. It also helps you to practice self compassion and love yourself, regardless of any perceived flaws or imperfections! I also used a sweet rose quartz carved angel to remind myself I’m watched over and protected.

I also used a number of different types of amethyst too (tumbled, raw, druzy, double terminated point and elestial crystal point), as amethyst is a great crystal for spiritual self love. It helps you to connect to your higher self and develop the self awareness needed to grow into the best version of yourself. Amethyst also helps to work through shame, fears and dispels all negative energy from your life, including negative thoughts towards yourself!

The last type of crystals I used were a couple of clear quartz tumble stones too, as amplifiers. Clear quartz is also known as the “master healer” and I’ve used it in this grid to amplify the energy and effect of all of other crystals, by absorbing, storing, releasing and regulating their energy. I’ve also used it to draw off any negative energy and to balance and cleanse the energy of the grid.

I cleansed each crystal with Dragons Blood incense, as it is know for increasing the potency of spells for love and said to enhance health. It is also associated with strength, courage and fortitude. I also gently blew the smoke over the whole grid, once complete.

To activate the grid, I set my intention to link the energy of all of the crystals within the grid, so that they work cohesively towards my intention for self love and acceptance. I moved from the outside, towards the centre, to “draw” a visualised line of energy from crystal to crystal, moving clockwise. I continued in this fashion until I connected all of the crystals and until I reached the center of the grid.

I also placed two jasmine tea lights on either side of the grid for love and peace.

DRESSED CANDLE

For the dressed candle, I used a pink candle as pink is a color of love, but it’s softer and gentler colour than red, so therefore great for self-care. Pink is incredibly healing, especially in matters of love.

I dressed the candle with rose essential oil, as this is fantastic for balancing you, strengthen your inner being, supporting the Heart Chakra and encouraging patience and love.

Onto the dressed candle I sprinkled dried dark-pink rose petals for love and happiness.

Before I lit the candle, I meditated for a short while and visualised myself feeling better, but also reminding myself that it’s OK to have bad days and I shouldn’t be too hard on myself when I have them. I am still the same person, just as worthy of love from myself and others and that those days always pass, with better ones coming along.