Putting the Mini Free Spells Series Together...

Free Spell 1 - The Romance Smile Spell

Free Spell 2 - Apple Pips 

Free Spell 3 - Memory Spell

Free Spell 4 - Social Confidence

Free Spell 5 - Full Moon Spell

.. so it's all in one place now!

Cambridgeshire Witchcraft

A little bit of Cambridgeshire witchcraft and folklore (mostly around plants and their uses) - but it's where I'm from so it interested me!!

Mini Free Spell Series Part 5 - Full Moon Wish Spells

This is a little wish spell for the full moon that’s coming up in a few days (30th) and it is the last in my mini free spells series. Whatever you are aiming for is obviously personal to you. Feel free to spare me a little thought if you like though! ;) Full moon spells generally work best when you are working with the cycle but this is just a little one so you can relax that for now. 

All you’ll need are some moonstones, white cloth and a glass of water. 

Stand outside, or at least at an open window, so that you can catch the powers of the full moon. Place the glass of water on the cloth and place the moonstones around it. 

I bask in the beams

And send you my dreams

Oh moon as old as the earth

My wish is but swift

But I worship as my gift

Your might, your power and worth

Take a moment to picture your wish and then leave the water and moonstones to absorb the energies. The next morning, give some thanks to these energies as they do their work. 

The Joys of Being a Ridiculous Witch!

Yesterday, a friend of mine dropped by and glanced over at my witchy accoutrements and the look on her face said it all. She's never judgmental or sneering but she finds a lot of what I do absolutely ridiculous. And you know what, so do I! 

The difference between us is that I find it liberating and a great contribution to my life. 

Of course this does not mean that I do not take my beliefs seriously. I do. And I take all of the work involved seriously, respect what I see to be the divine wisdom and energies around us and am humbled by any gifts and powers that are sent my way. It is all an integral part of who I am. 

However, there is another side to it that I've always enjoyed. While to many 'normal' people, what we witches do is strange, inconsequential or fey, I would argue that it is a gloriously child-like cast off of inhibitions! Who needs to worry about what others think all the time? Children are blissfully unaware of what people think of their playing. They're totally engrossed and having the time of their lives. 

Is it wasted? No! Think of the energies they build up for starters. But most importantly, they are learning so much as they play. Their imaginations are working away, their creativity shows them new meanings and helps them make sense of the world around them. 

I see witchcraft in a very similar light. I reject the opinions and criticisms of others so that I can be free to enjoy what I do and follow a higher power than their cynicism. I approach my practices with a healthy sense of humour so that I avoid arrogance and to allow pure energies to come to me. The more creative I am, the more open my mind becomes and the more I seem to understand my path as a witch. 

In short, I'd rather be ridiculous than closed minded. Does anyone feel the same???

There's a Witch In All Of Us! But then we knew that anyway ;)

An article in the news about witchcraft that isn't judgmental and calling us all nutters! Blessed be to that :)

Mini Free Spell Series Part 4- Social Confidence Spell

It seems to me that there are very few people who wouldn’t describe themselves as shy. Even those who I view as extroverted confess to having doubts about themselves deep down and worry about what others think. So seeing as this is a problem that affects us all at some point, I thought I would include an adaptation of a social confidence spell I have used in the past. It can be done just before you set off to a party or even if you are meeting a bunch of people that you want to impress. 

All you’ll need are 2 yellow candles and some carnelian tumblestones. Not only are there great confidence boosting energies coming off these items they are also a fantastic colour combination too. 

I am standing tall

I am smiling with pride

I am equal to all

And have nothing to hide

Candle, you’re ablaze

To symbolise my glow

The energies I raise

To make it so

Take a piece of carnelian with you and touch it if you feel uncertain. The energies of your true potential are locked inside and will give you some gentle encouragement. 

Pagan Tolerance

A great article on thinking about how tolerant you are to others and accepting all as being 'Pagan Enough'. 

Mini Free Spell Series Part 3 - Memory Spell

No joke, no irony. Someone asked me this morning for a spell to help the memory and by this afternoon I’d forgotten. I had to text her to ask her what she’d asked me! Needless to say, I’m in need of this spell more than anyone at the moment. 

It’s another simple one, as promised in my mini free spells series. All you’ll need is something to represent a memory that will remain with you always or something that you treasure from the past. I like to use a copy of a book, such as To Kill a Mocking Bird, as words are tangible. It helps with visualisation. 

You’re going to use it to be the core of your memory and from this point try to reach it beyond what you currently believe are its limitations. So placing your memory object in front of you say:

You remain in my mind

Enriching my soul

But these memories I find

Can reach a new goal

Stretching and reaching

Encompassing more

My thoughts are now teaching

What I’d remembered before

Blessings

Fran xx

Mini Free Spells Series Part 2 - Apple Pips Spell

I might have mentioned before that my friend is from an apple farming family - not relevant to you I know but it does mean that I  get an almost endless supply of apples and invariably they end up in my spells! She bought the last of the cooking apples over the other day and so I’ve been doing a little baking today and have apple pips left over. 

There are a few reasons that I would use apple pips: job interviews, love spells, cash flow problems. Anything where you can picture the results you want. You may want adapt the simple spell below for your own needs by including a few words to make it that bit more relevant. However, the main purpose of it is to give to the earth in order to receive a little something back. I don’t dictate, any help is always appreciated! If there is a number associated with your goal, such as there being 4 days until the interview, then count out this many pips. 

These seeds of esprit

I return to the ground

I look forward with glee

To what comes round!

Bounty, beauty, substance and growth

To cherish your gift, I give you my oath. 

Take the pips and then scatter them outside with humble acknowledgement of the help you will receive back. 

Mini Free Spells Series - The Romance Smile Spell

I am in an incredibly upbeat mood today! So it rained briefly today. So I happened to choose that moment to be out shopping! The rest of the day has been glorious, the daffodils are now out in force (my current obsession) and I managed to get loads done today so I consider it proof that my Ostara spell is kicking in and I'm, quite literally, full of the joys of spring. 

It occurred to me earlier that a lot of the free spells on the blog of late have been about general energies - designed to try and provide a bit of pep when you're feeling decidedly lackluster. So, I'm going to put together a mini series of free spells for the little things. Spells that I use to to get me through the day or provide a bit help for specific problems. If you have ANY requests, please feel free to let me know :)

The reason I don't generally include too many of these spells is that I'm more a fan of the big picture in spell casting. If you are too specific I feel you miss out on the chance of greater wisdom guiding you in the right direction. What we want is not always what we really need. 

However, sometimes we DO know because the issue is right in front of us! So, my first spell is what I call the Romance Smile Spell. Use it for someone special or even for when you're walking down the street - if you're lucky you may even get a wink ;)

Carry a heart with you, something like a rose quartz heart is perfect but it can be a piece of jewelry such as a heart pendant. 

Your eyes venture my way

I aim to beguile

I treasure what you convey

And capture your smile!

Fran xx

I'm on Twitter...

...so please feel free to come and say hello. Even better would be if you could show me how to use it! I'm Witchy_Fran and I've put feeds on the right hand side if you wanted to follow me. See you there!

Fran xx

Ostara Plant Pot

Honestly, honestly, honestly my picture doesn't do my Ostara pot justice! It's actually quite nice and bright and I'm looking forward to getting it full of herbs on the full moon of the 30th. 

Hope you had a great day yourself in whatever you chose to include in your celebrations. 

Fran xx

Happy Ostara!

Just a quick post to wish you a Blessed Ostara. I'm off to do my spell and will let you know how I get on.  Best of luck in all your own spell casting or celebrations!

Fran xx

Ostara Spell Diary 6 - Incantation

For my Ostara incantation I have decided to focus especially on love and emotional expression - this being a festival of fertility. Be it the economic climate, the winter climate or a New Year that has lacked cheer these have been trying times for myself and many of the good friends around me. Hardly the right circumstances for love, romance and being open with your feelings is it? So seeing as this is also a time for new hope I thought this would work well all mixed up together. 

So for relationships that have felt the strain, this will strengthen the bond and for those looking for new love, this will lift your spirits and bring back your spark. 

Not much needed for this spell. Just an altar bell, 1 yellow candle and 1 green candle and whatever spring decorations for your altar or workspace you fancy. 

My feelings were sleeping

And now can awake

The cobwebs I’m sweeping

A clear path I make

For the love that’s within me

To move forward once more

Communication is my key

So I open the door

Ring the bell once

‘Tis ajar

I go through it

And forwards I go

My courage in hand

My words will aflow 

I give my love freely

At the chime of the bell (ring once)

And welcome it back to me

And let my heart swell

Ring the bell a 3rd time and make it nice and loud! 

Ostara Spell Diary 5 - The Walk (With Pics!!)

Yesterday was the day for my traditional Ostara walk and, tired and a bit snuffly though I was, (I've got a cold) we couldn't have had a better day out! We headed off to the Cotswolds which, for those of you who are not familiar, is one of the most beautiful areas of England. It has rolling hills, country walks and lots of sheep! In other words, it was made for a spring stroll. 

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you a blow by blow account of everything we saw - and I shall definitely keep the details of our chattering to myself! So briefly, we started here in the exquisite village of Swinbrook:

As you can see from my picture at the top, no daffodils are out as yet which is down to all the late snow we've had but nevertheless, other flowers were and there were snowdrops everywhere - I salute their hardiness! But for those with a daffodil obsession, the bottom pic is what this spot will look like when the daffs come out. No magic involved, I just Googled it!

Within minutes we came across our first field of sheep and there were a handful of new born lambs stumbling and quivering. It was lovely! But we didn't want to get too close and make the mothers nervous so I've helpfully pointed out the dot in my photo that happens to be a lamb:

We walked to Burford which is as catwalk model level pretty as the rest of the region:

And failed to resist afternoon tea in the wonderful Huffkins. I like to justify this decision on the basis that the ingredients are fresh and wholesome and definitely in keeping with festival celebrations!

We also rooted around a few little shops and I've picked up some cute decorations for my Ostara altar and of course, collected some twigs, leaves & interesting stones for future use/inspiration in my spells. 

Hopefully I'll have my incantation ready for later on today or tomorrow.

Blessings!

Fran x

Ostara Spell Diary 4 - The Wiccan Altar Bell

I mentioned before that I will be using an altar bell in my Ostara spells and rituals and it’s something I like to include in spells that are about new beginnings or new hope. This is because there is something so charming about the combination of sharpness and beauty in the sound and it really grabs your attention. Bells are also used to alter the vibrations around you and so this is why they are great for bringing in changes. 

You don’t need to go mad with your bell ringing though. However much you might need change in your life, you don’t want to stand there flinging it about like a woman possessed! One chime is usually good for completing a section of a spell, 3 ends it nicely. 

I’m thinking of writing a spell that not only includes a bell ring in it but also one that has it as part of the pace and the rhythm. I may come to regret this decision!

Ostara Spell Diary 3 - Moon Phases and Planting Herbs

Planting herbs at Ostara is something I have done to satisfying effect in the past. Depending on what my general aims are for the festival I either hang on to them or have also given them away as gifts if I want to replenish energies around me (it’s important to remember that energies are all about balance - giving and taking). However, I do not plant them on Ostara itself but at the full moon which this year on the 30th. 

While using moon phases is an old Pagan method, it is still used in many agricultural areas today so is far from being restricted to witchcraft spells! It’s about the gravitational pull of the moon as well as the amount of moisture in the soil. So consequently, this part of my Ostara spell and ritual will be delayed until the full moon. 

However this does not mean I do not have a few plans for beforehand. There has been a lot of rain for us lately and so if this continues I will be collecting rain water a couple of days before I plant the seeds which I’ll use to water them. 

I also like to decorate the pots and trays on Ostara itself so that I get the feel of the festival right. If I manage to come up with something half presentable, I may even post my efforts! 

As I mentioned before, I’ve opted for mint, parsley and basil for my herbs this year. I’ve chosen them on the basis that I like them to be honest but mint is a very popular herb to plant at Ostara or to use in cooking if your rustling up a feast. It has just the right fresh taste to represent the feel of this time of year :)

Easter/Ostara Diary 2

Right, I’ve been head spinningly busy over the last week and so I haven’t been able to update my Ostara ideas - and figured I’d better get a wriggle on! So…

…ideas for Ostara:

• Plant seeds - I’m going for basil, mint and parsley.
• Ring bell - I often like to include a bell for times when change is important
• New hope - I want to draw in lively, fresh energies. Without them hope isn’t so possible.
• Yellow and green candles - colours of spring. Ostara is a solar festival so fire is important.
• Walking - regardless of the weather, I have a walk planned! This is to give me the opportunity to take in the season’s change and to see the evidence in nature around me.

More to follow!

Blessings xx

Frosty Spell - Chills and Thrills!

First we had the snow, then the rain - and now it's back to being cold, so the morning's are crisp and frosty! I adore the sparkly, sharp beauty of the frost and always take a moment to enjoy it. Here's a little incantation to do quickly as you start your walk to work or to defrost the car. It's about embracing the simple pleasures, the childlike thrill at seeing something a little out of the ordinary! Open yourself up to these feelings. The more practised you get at them, the more they enrich your life. And who doesn't need that?! But seriously, these energies are more precious than you think and you'd be surprised at how you can use them.

Behold the frost
As it grips the day
The ground is glossed
And on it I play!
Sparkles and twinkles and shimmering delights
Magic around me from the elves and the sprites!

If I'm walking I like to find a frost covered leaf to carry with me as it's nice to feel like I have a part of this mini 'event' in my hand.

Ostara - Anything's Possible!

Well bless my soul, haven’t the evenings suddenly got lighter!? Maybe it hasn’t come as such a shock to you but I just noticed it yesterday and it gave me a real warm feeling and a pang of excitement. It means that spring is nearly here! And of course with this comes Ostara - heading this way on March 20th. I’m going to do another series of diary entries as it helps me to plan out my thoughts better and I really enjoy doing them :) So, here are my general thoughts (and a few facts) so far.

• Colour of Ostara - yellow
• Flowers and herbs - daffodils, honeysuckle, sage, thyme, violet and mint
• The Goddess of this time is, funnily enough, Ostara.
• Concentrate on spells of new hope (which are distinct from the new beginnings spells of Yule). This is about starting to feel anything is possible, to really feel the power within.
• The egg and the hare - needless to say! These can be part of your rituals directly or just used symbolically to help you with the right mood and tone. Or have fun with activities like painting rune signs onto the eggs!
• It’s a time of fertility. Can be for the conception of new ideas if you are not looking to get pregnant.
• You may have noticed that I’m a great fan of rhyming spells and this is because I feel it gives a buzz and a momentum to the spell in itself. And why work harder than you have to, is also my motto! But if you don’t normally go for rhymes, I recommend it this time of year. It is playful and almost childlike in its innocent joy and this will give your Ostara spell the right feel.

So, all I need now is a focus for all my ideas!