Protection Magic with DIY Witch Bells

There are so many ways to celebrate the season of Samhain, and protection magic is a common theme. With the veil between the spirit and physical realm at its thinnest, it offers us a time to connect with loved ones in spirit, but it can also give rise to unwanted energies and spirits. Taking time to bring in additional energetic protection for yourself and your home is an easy way to address this and honor the season. 

I love to do a full house cleansing and blessing for Samhain, which you can learn more about in this past post. After performing a house cleansing and blessings is a great time to introduce additional protection magic like witch bells. 

Bells have been and still are used by many cultures for various spiritual practices, and they’re a standard tool for most witches and folk magic practitioners. Bells are a common cleansing tool, and the loud sound is said to scare off malevolent spirits. 

My favorite thing about witch bells is that you can be so creative with them and customize them, both in appearance and in intention, in so many ways. I’m going to share general steps to craft your witch bells so that you can create protective witch bells that work for you and your space. Here are some general considerations for all magic making. 

The efficacy of your spellwork and magic will consistently increase when you co-create with items with which you have an established relationship. If you’re wondering how to have a relationship with a tree or a stone, here are some simple options. 

• Meditate to connect with the energy of the plant or item.

• Spend more time with the plant or object. 

• Give offerings to the plant or item.   

• Always ask permission before taking things from a living plant or tree. 

You don’t need to use the same items I use for my witch bells. I encourage you to use items unique to your environment and needs. If there are plants, stones, or things that represent safety, protection, and clearing to you, that is great. Use those. 

DIY Witch Bells

You’ll need the following: 

• 30-90 minutes

• String, yarn, or ribbon of choice

• 5-10 bells 

• Optional: incense or herbs to energetically cleanse your items

• Optional: Something to hang your bells from, like a wooden circle, a pentacle, or something else that fits your needs. 

• Optional: Any additional items (crystals, beads, stones, plant items, etc.) that correspond with your intention.

Watch the steps in action here.

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Steps: 

1. Take some time to plan your specific intentions for your witch bells and prepare all of your items. Consider energetically cleansing your items before you begin with smoke, incense, or something else in your practice. 

2. If you’re crafting something to hang your string from, do that now. I used fallen apple tree twigs to make a circle and a pentacle. This was the most time-consuming part for me! I am pleased with how it turned out, but wood circles or mini wreaths can be purchased at most craft stores if you want to go an easier route. You can also opt to make a loop out of your string and skip the circle. 

3. It’s time to attach your strings or ribbons. I made simple loops to secure mine, but you could also tie them onto your circle. As you begin knotting and tying, it’s an excellent time to start focusing on your intention for your bells. You could visualize an auric energy field growing around your house, offering greater protection and peace. You could also envision inviting any healed and well ancestors into your home and blocking any who are not. 

Tip: Consider your color choice for your string and ribbon. Each color carries a different energy. I used black and a deep red for grounding and protection. 

4. Now, you can attach your bells. Use any bells you prefer. You may need to tie them on or use pliers. Add as many as you like, and keep your intentions in your mind. You could even repeat a chant to increase the energy. 

5. If you’ve opted to add extra items like stones, beads, or plant items, do that now. I tied Rowan tree berries and Hawthorne tree thorns into my ribbon and strings for additional protection and grounding. 

6. When your witch bells feel complete, hold them in your hand, focus on your intention, and consider reciting a particular phrase like, “Protect and bless this house, so it is,” or anything else that feels good to you. 

7. You’re all done! Hang your bells on your front door knob. Consider charging it under full moons or giving it a good energetic cleanse every once in a while to keep them happy. 

Wishing you a magical Samhain! Check out more posts about Samhain here.

Connecting With the Archetype of Death for Samhain

Samhain ushers in the third and final harvest and shifts us into the darker half of the year. Samhain is situated in between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This season is our annual invitation to explore and honor not only the need for death and decay but acceptance of death and decay.

As we embark on the season of the dead, the crone, and returning to the cauldron to be transformed, we're faced with the fact that no person, animal, or plant can depart from the inevitability of the death and rebirth cycle. We see the flow of this cycle in the seasons and nature, yet so often, our human minds recoil when we think about the death phase of the cycle of life.

In this post, we'll be exploring the archetype of death in relation to the witch's new year, also known as Samhain. I'll offer some insights around why Samhain is considered the witch's new year, the importance of honoring the dead and death this season, and some ways to tune into this season through ritual and common correspondences. 

Content warning, I will be discussing death and themes of death within this post, so if you are actively grieving or recently lost someone, this is a gentle notice to proceed with caution.

Listen to this article on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, here.

Why is Samhain the Witch's New Year? 

Early in my practice working with the Wheel of the year and the seasons, It confused me that Samhain was considered the new year. Here in the states and many other places around the world, there's a hyper-focus on the new year being a time of celebration and newness. Why then does Samhain, our descent into darkness, mark the new year for those honoring nature-based spiritual practices?

Samhain is the ever-important gestational period before the return of the light. It is the part that's so often overlooked in the patriarchal and linear-driven society we currently live in, just like as the fetus transforms in the womb, the natural world retreats into decay and death during this time. We are also given the same opportunity to withdraw, allow parts to fall away, and alchemize from within. 

Nature-based spiritual practices are rooted in neverending cycles, not starting points and finish lines. The witch, and anyone living alongside the seasons, not only understands but welcomes the need for decay and death. At the time of Samhain, the season calls us inward to begin this process of rest, death, and alchemy. 

One of the greatest gifts of this season is the opportunity to face and learn from our relationship with death and decay, which is what we'll explore here. 

Connecting with the Archetype of Death for Samhain

How do you feel in your body when you hear the words death and decay? Do you embrace these words, do they roll off of you with ease, or does something within you want to disassociate with these words? 

It's easy to see how disconnected we are from death, especially in the West. We see celebrities that refuse to age, food with signs of decay thrown out, and many of our wise elders placed in homes outside of the family unit. Samhain is an opportunity to feel into all of this and become more comfortable accepting death and decay. It's an opportunity to heal our wounds around death to be more accepting of it when faced with it, whether in your own life or the life of a loved one. 

If you're willing to meet this season where it is, in decay and death, it has so much to teach you, so much to teach all of us. Learning how to be in this world with more acceptance around death and even aging are some of the most freeing and empowering feelings we can cultivate. Here are common ways our ancestors connected to death and a few ways I like to connect with the archetype of death during this season. 

1. Honoring loved ones and ancestors in spirit.

One of the most common themes of this season is honoring loved ones who've crossed into the spirit realm. Samhain is a time in which the veil between the physical and spirit realm is thin. If you've lost loved ones, it's an ideal time to honor and connect with them. It's also a time to connect with your ancestors. We do this at Samhain to acknowledge the lives our loved ones lived, and continue to live in spirit. Honoring deceased loved ones and ancestors can also help you tune into the archetype of death within yourself. 

As someone who's lost a lot of family members, I've found that fear of death can make it challenging to connect with loved ones who've crossed over. Facing the fact that loved ones are no longer here, in physical form, brings forth an undeniable recognition of death, which can be hard. 

It's important to note that everyone's grief process is unique and that denial is a natural part of grieving. I went through a long phase where I could not even look at pictures of my father and grandmother early in my grief process. If you have experienced deaths in your life, what I'm encouraging here is a curiosity around your relationship with honoring loved ones who've crossed over. How does it feel when you take time to sit and think about the people in your life who've died? Perhaps you're not ready to do that, and that's okay, but maybe it's something you are ready to do, but the fear of facing death has prevented you from such activities. If you've experienced deaths in your life, I invite you to be open and curious about where you are with this. 

Some common ways to honor loved ones who've transitioned into spirit are to create an altar for them with pictures, offerings of foods and treats, and items they loved. Doing this creates a sacred portal of honor, remembrance, and connection with your loved ones in spirit. A silent or dumb supper is another way to connect with loved ones in spirit. On the night of Samhain, consider creating a meal in honor of deceased loved ones, then create place settings for them to honor them and invite them in for this season. Lastly, and especially if you dabble in psychic work, Samhain is a great time to connect with your loved ones in spirit. You could do this through any number of ways that could include tuning in psychically, tarot or oracle cards, scrying, pendulums, or any other divination tool you prefer. 

Of course, this work can go far beyond that of deceased friends or immediate familial connections and can extend to your ancestors as well. If information about your cultural heritage and ancestral past is available to you, consider placing some items on your altar in honor of them as well. There's also a great past blog post from Eryn Johnson on my blog with suggestions for a guided meditation to help you connect with your ancestors for Samhain here.

2. Connecting with symbols and imagery of Death

Samhain is an opportunity to cultivate more acceptance and reverence for death. Here are some different ways to connect with the archetype of death in this way. This can be deep work. Trust that whatever suggestions you do feel called to are perfect for you at this moment. 

Explore the death card in the tarot. Dig deep into the symbology and imagery of this card. Any deck you feel called to or have handy will do. Read different interpretations of the death card. Consider journaling on the card, notice what comes up naturally, how it makes you feel, etc.?

Connect with items or symbols associated with death and decay. Some options are crystal skulls, animal bones, snake sheds, or animals often associated with death like owls, crows, moths, etc. There are so many ways to connect with these items and their inherent connection to death and decay. You could simply place any of them on your altar and notice how you feel as you engage with them regularly. You could also consider meditating with them, or if journeying is a part of your practice, you could journey to them in spirit to learn from them. 

Lastly, I invite you to be more open and curious about death and decay. When you interact with an elder or see an elderly person in public, what comes up for you, and how do they make you feel? When you come across fruits or vegetables in the grocery store with signs of decay, how does it make you feel, and do you pass over it for an item that appears more pristine? What comes up for you when you think about your death and the deaths of your loved ones? 

Though these can be difficult questions to grapple with, they each hold seeds of wisdom and ultimately growth. If you feel the call to explore death more deeply, this is an ideal season to do so. 

3. Explore and Reclaim your relationship with the dark

Even our modern interpretations of Samhain with Halloween have held onto cozying up to the dark. However, it wasn't until our early departure from Goddess-based and cyclical practices that we started to attach negative associations to darkness and death. The dark and death have not always been feared and associated with evil. It was the influx of linear patriarchal thinking, God-based religions, and white supremacy that have each deeply affected our relationship with the dark and death in harmful ways. Demetra George talks about this in her book Mysteries of the Dark Moon, which I highly recommend. 

The Wheel of the Year itself is broken into a dark and light half. The dark half of the year and Winter begins with Samhain, and the light half and Summer begins with Beltaine. Even though the Wheel itself is a relatively modern interpretation of how our ancestors celebrated, we can see in the Coligny calendar of the Celts that there was deep and equal reverence for both the light and the dark. 

I encourage you to notice what feelings arise when you think about the dark, whether it be the literal absence of light or black objects. You might even find it helpful to spend more time in the dark, outside or inside, simply to notice how it makes you feel and what it brings up within you. Once you start digging, it's hard to unsee all of the ways we've been trained to associate the dark with negativity. I don't offer these invitations to say that the light is bad, but it's our often dysfunctional relationship with the dark that cuts us off from the wisdom of death. 

Shadow work can be a great place to start when exploring your relationship with the dark, and this season is a great time to dig into some shadow work! I've got a few past blog posts all about shadow work that you can check out here. 

Common correspondences for Samhain

Here are some of my favorite common correspondences for Samhain. Most of these come from my new book, Understanding the Wheel of the Year

Themes: Ancestral connections, releasing, cleansing, death, divination, protection, the underworld

Moon Phase: Waning Crescent Crystals: Amethyst, labradorite, obsidian, onyx, hematite

Colors: Purple, black, silver, orange

Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, skulls shapes, bones, any items that remind you of death, salt, divination tools (pendulums, tarot cards, scrying mirrors, etc.)

Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, mullein, garlic

Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, squash, nuts, seeds, meat

Runes: Algiz (protection, especially in the psychic realm), Ansuz (receiving wisdom), Perthro (hidden secrets and mystery), Othalo (ancestry), Isa (halt or freeze action)

Zodiac: Scorpio

Goddesses: Cailleach, Cerridwen, Hecate, Lilith, Persephone

Tarot card: Death, Wheel of Fortune

If you're looking for some less grim rituals than what I've offered here, haha, I have you covered too! This is indeed a season to celebrate, even if it centers around death. One of my favorite activities at Samhain is to do a thorough house cleansing and to add some extra protective layers to my space. I have an in-depth past blog post all about this that you can check out here. It's also a great time to perform psychic work of all kinds, which I touched on with connecting with your ancestors, but any kind of psychic work for any purpose can be incredibly potent during this season. Find more rituals for Samhain here. 

Wishing you a magical and blessed Samhain! xoxo Cassie

5 Samhain Rituals + Samhain Correspondences & Card Spread

The ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated on October 31st and November 1st, marks the end of our seasonal cycle on the Wheel of the Year. This is why it's often referred to as the witch's New Year. Seasonally speaking, Samhain is the third and final harvest of the season or the last rally to store and prepare for the coming Winter season.

This sacred celebration reaches much farther than harvests and is also a time when the veil between the physical and spirit world is at its thinnest. The Celtic people believed that spirits walked among them during this time, so Samhain is accepted as an ideal time to communicate and connect with the spirit realm. Here's a fun drawing I created with ritual suggestions for Samhain. Keep scrolling to learn more about each one. 

Time to pull out all of your favorite intuitive and protective tools! Let's dig into four different ways to connect with this season through ritual. I'll also share correspondences for Samhain and a card spread to use with your favorite tarot or oracle card deck. 

1. Create a Samhain Altar + Samhain Correspondences 

Switching up your altar or sacred space for the seasons is an easy way to bring in each celebration's energy on the Wheel of The Year. Get a quick look at how I do this in this video I shared on Instagram for Mabon. 

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When it comes to changing out your altar, understanding the correspondences (items that carry the similar energy) of Samhain will be helpful. Here's a list of tools and symbols that correspond with Samhain. 

Samhain Correspondences:

• Themes: Releasing, cleansing, divination, protection, the underworld, offerings for ancestors

• Moon Phase: Waning crescent moon

• Crystals: Labradorite, obsidian, onyx, garnet, hematite, amethyst

• Candle Colors: Purple, black, orange, silver

• Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, any kind of divination tool

• Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli

• Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, nuts, meat

• Runes: Algiz, Daggaz, Ansuz, Perthro, Othalo

• Gods and Goddesses: Persephone, all crone Goddesses, Callieach, Cerridwen, and Hecate

To create your altar, select items and symbols from the list above and anything else that personally connects you to this season. Clear and cleanse (both physically and energetically) your altar space, then place your altar items with care and intention. I like to end my altar creation by lighting a candle and saying a prayer for the altar's intention. It could be something like this, but feel free to tailor it to your liking. 

With this altar, I welcome the final harvest season and the thinning of the veil. I remember my loved ones crossed over and all ancestors before them and share this offering as a sign of my gratitude. Myself and my space are protected from any beings that do not have my highest good in mind. So it is. 

2. Sweep away negative energy with a besom

With the thinning of the veil between spirit and physical, it's essential to clear out and protect your space from unwanted energies. I shared a thorough post a few years ago with steps to perform a Samhain house cleansing and blessing; check it out here. Because I already wrote all about performing a house cleansing, I'd like to dive a little deeper into using a besom for Samhain. 

A besom, or broom, is a tool used by witches to cleanse a space energetically. Though your besom can clean physically, it doesn't touch the ground when used as an energy cleansing tool. Simply open a door in your house, sweep right above the floor, and visualize negative energy leaving your space. 

You can make your besom or find them for purchase at certain stores. I usually get mine from Trader Joe's and like to add my own decorations to it. 

3. Connect with your ancestors and give offerings to loved ones in spirit. 

There are cultures worldwide who believe that our loved ones come back at certain times to walk among us. We see this in the Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, Hungry Ghosts day in China, and in Samhain (to name a few.) 

Samhain offers us a special time to connect with, honor, and remember all those who have come before us. You can do this in various ways, including by connecting with your ancestors for guidance through your intuition, remembering loved ones and ancestors passed on, or giving loved ones in spirit an offering. 

Your altar is a great place to give an offering to any loved ones who've crossed over. An offering to your ancestors could be pictures of them or favorite foods and drinks. You can also connect with ancestors in spirit through meditation and breathwork. Check out this past blog post for steps to work with your ancestors through meditation and breathwork.

Find a guided journey to your ancestors here.

4. Protect yourself!

The thinning veil is a double-edged sword for Samhain. Yes, it is lovely to connect with spirit so easily, but it also leaves you more susceptible to all energies, which may not have your highest good in mind. Because the veil is so thin during this time, take care to protect yourself and your space from any unwelcome energy. 

The featured oracle card deck is The Ritual Deck.

A protection tool that works exceptionally well during Samhain is burning dried mugwort. I shared all about this plant here. Some other favorites are salt for banishing, black candles, and the Rune Algiz. Find even more protection tools and rituals in a previous post here. 

5. Pull out your intuitive tools + Samhain Card Spread

If you want to connect with spirit, set the wheels in motion for a new desire, or want to learn more about yourself from a higher perspective, now's the time to pull out all the stops and dive deep into your intuitive practice. With the thinning veil between spirit and physical, the doors are wide open for profound intuitive growth, shadow work, and spiritual connections. 

Here's a suggested card spread to try out with your favorite tarot or oracle card deck. Samhain tarot or oracle card spread.

1. In what areas of my life do I need more protection?

2. What bonds do I need to break free of in my life?

3. What areas of my life are seeking renewal?

4. In what areas of my life do I need to allow grieving?

5. What messages do my ancestors have for me?

There are endless options for performing intuitive work, but some of my favorites for Samhain are candle spells, scrying, oracle and tarot card readings, and journey work.

Samhain is a truly magical time, and I hope you can feel how special it is with everything I've shared here. Remember, there's nothing to fear. At our core, we are spiritual beings too. This unique time offers us the opportunity to connect with a realm we already know so well, even if we've temporarily forgotten. Samhain blessings, dear one!

3 Goddesses to Call on for Samhain

Samhain pronounced So-win is considered the Wiccan New Year. It’s a powerful time of the year that is steeped in ritual and magick. During this special time, the veil between our physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest it will be all year. The thinning veil makes it the ideal time to practice magick and ritual of all kinds, it also makes it the ideal time to call in the energy of Goddesses associated with Samhain.

Most Goddesses associated with Samhain are considered dark Goddesses, they’ve been cast out, forgotten over the years, and sometimes unfairly associated with evil deeds. This “casting out” was often provoked by the patriarchy. The meaning and power behind these Goddesses have been twisted into something undesirable. Why? Because these dark Goddesses are extremely powerful women.

There are several Goddesses associated with Samhain but I’ll be focusing on three that I believe cover the greatest variety of needs. Today I’ll be sharing tips to invite the energy of Oya, Hecate, and Lilith into your Samhain rituals.

Keep reading for more information on each Goddess, what she can offer you, and techniques to invoke her energy. The cards shown here are from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky, it’s my favorite Goddess Oracle because it contains several dark Goddesses. I recommend this deck for anyone wanting to become more acquainted with different Goddesses and their energy.

Oya for Transformation

If you’re looking to create an internal transformation this season Oya is your Goddess. Mighty Oya, a Yoruban Goddess, controls the rain, winds, and storms. She’s mothering, powerful, and has a strong desire to help women through their struggles to transform.

Oya represents the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is closely associated with death and rebirth, another symbol of transformation. Sometimes parts of us must die or be let go of in order to transform into something greater. Allow Oya to blow her winds of change around your life to bring about something greater.

Tips for invoking Oya

• Wear wine or purple-colored clothing to honor and connect to Oya.

• Place purple flowers in your home or on your altar.

• Place a picture of Oya on your altar or somewhere you’ll see it regularly.

• The number 9 is Oya’s sacred number. Place an offering of 9 coins to Oya on your altar or in a sacred space.

• Meditate imagining the winds of change from Oya surrounding you daily until your transformation is complete.

• Light a purple and red candle for Oya. Purple for her and red to inspire action on your part.

Hecate for Magick

Hecate is considered the mother of all witches and of witchcraft. Her energy is ideal for Samhain because she is queen when it comes to performing spells, rituals, and magick of all kinds. Hecate is also the Goddess of the crossroads and is said to be connected to the physical world, the spirit world, and the underworld. Her connection to other realms makes her ideal for magick that concerns connecting with loved ones passed on.

If you’re planning to take advantage of this special time by performing magick or spiritual connections of your own, you’ll definitely want to call on the energy of Hecate to guide and protect you. Consider her the loving grandmother figure over your magick as you work. That said, Hecate is also extremely fair and just. She will give you exactly what you need and what is best for you, which may be different then what you have in mind!

Tips for invoking Hecate

• Hecate is represented by the waning moon or crone in the Triple Goddess symbol, so the ideal time to perform spells with her guidance is during a waning moon.

• Have an image of Hecate or the waning moon placed nearby you as you do your spellwork.

• Place a cauldron on your altar or wherever you perform magic work to represent Hecate’s magickal energy.

• Before beginning any magick or when trying to connect to the other side verbally call upon Hecate to guide and watch over you as you work.

• Represent the presence of Hecate with the number 3 or a depiction of a three-headed animal.

• Burn candles, especially black candles to represent her protection over you during spellwork.

Lilith for Unleashing Your Inner Wild Woman

Get in touch with our inner wild woman through Lilith. Often branded as an evil Goddess she did not start out this way. Lilith is a Goddess not afraid to be wild, sexual, or speak her truth which quickly puts her in the category of being “bad” and “evil.” Her name quickly became synonymous with Satan and cruel and deviant acts. Lilith was blamed for anything undesirable about women and became associated with any woman not willing to conform to her wifely duties, or desiring to live an alternative lifestyle.

Lilith is not bad or evil. Lilith is the voice inside of you telling you to act when you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by the patriarchy. She is the voice that says it’s not only ok but good to enjoy sex and your sensuality. She is the voice calling for all women to stand up and fight for our power. If Samhain has inspired you to get in touch with your inner wild woman Lilith is here to let it come roaring out. Tread lightly with invoking Lilith, her energy is very powerful!

Tips for Invoking Lilith

• Place a picture or Lilith on your altar or sacred space to remind you of your ability to take your power back.

• Place symbols or replications of snakes on your altar to honor Lilith.

• Meditate on the energy of Lilith filling your being before doing anything you find scary or intimidating.

• Light a red or orange candle to honor Lilith. Light an orange candle for more sensuality or red for power and passion.

• Write down ways in which you’ve been suppressed and burn them in Lilith’s honor.

• During a full moon allow yourself time and space to call on Lilith’s energy to perform a dance or sensual act to allow her powerful energy to flow through you.

I hope you take advantage of this special time to connect with these powerful Goddess. You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

What is the Wheel of the Year & How to Use It // With Free Printable

Learning more about the Wheel of the year will not only help you feel more in-tune with nature, but it will give you rituals to use year-round to connect with yourself and Mother Earth. This topic can seem a little overwhelming when getting started, so I will provide you with a quick overview with this post. I'll cover what the Wheel of the Year is, who uses it, how to use it, and some resources, including a free printable of a wheel that I created. Keep scrolling to read more and find a link to your free copy.

What is the Wheel of the year?

The Wheel of the year is comprised of eight Sabbats or festivals that occur on or around the same day each year. The eight Sabbats include four solar events, i.e., the Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, and Fall Equinox. The remaining four festivals are based on seasonal changes and farming. Here's a rundown of the eight Sabbats, what they align with, and their dates:

Yule: December 21st - January 1st // Winter Solstice

Imbolc: February 1st // Holiday is known as Candlemas, which signifies the first signs of Spring

Ostara: March 20th // Spring Equinox (first day of Spring)

Beltane: April 30th - May 1st // A fire ceremony that signifies the midpoint between Spring and Summer

Litha: June 21st or 22nd // Summer Solstice

Lughnasadh: July 31st - August 1st // Marks the first harvest of the year

Mabon: September 21st - September 23rd // Fall Equinox

Samhain: October 31st - November 1st // Samhain is considered the witch's New Year. It is the third and final harvest season and ends the seasonal Wheel.

© Cassie Uhl 2015-2022. Please properly credit when sharing.

Who Celebrates the Wheel of the Year?

You don't have to subscribe to a specific religion or label to use or observe the Wheel of the year. Most notably, Wiccans, Pagans, Neo-Pagans, and practicing witches reference the Wheel of the Year for festivals and rituals. If you don't identify with any of these labels, but like to dabble in ritual or spellwork, that's perfectly fine! You'll still be able to find many uses for this powerful tool.

Where did the Wheel originate?

The Wheel of the year is rooted in several cultures and combines festivals from Romans, ancient Greeks, Germanic cultures of northern Europe, and the Celts. It's for this reason that you'll see a variety of names for some of the festivals and differing dates. For example, Lughnasadh also goes by Lammas or Lughnasa, and Litha also goes by Midsummer.

The full Wheel of eight festivals is a relatively new creation that came about in the 1950s. The groups listed above each celebrated some of the eight Sabbats, but the evidence is lacking that any of them celebrated all eight. Combining all eight into a wheel was a way to honor and streamline all of the celebrations that many Pagans and Wiccans hold dear.

How to Celebrate The Wheel of The Year

Learning to implement the Wheel of the Year can feel overwhelming, but the way that you work with it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. There are countless ways to celebrate each celebration on the Wheel of the Year. Check out the list below for a general list of ways you can enjoy the Wheel of the Year. For specific rituals and celebration suggestions, check out The Goddess Discovery Book V2 or search our blog for the Sabbat you'd like to learn more about.

• Spend time outside in nature.

• Attend a local celebration or create your own for some or all festivals.

• Conduct a ritual for each Sabbat. You can find several ritual examples for each Sabbat by searching the Sabbat on our blog.

• Add decor and scents to your house based on the Wheel of the Year.

• Cleanse and update your altar or sacred space for each Sabbat.

• Cook specific foods for each of the Sabbats.

• Enjoy crafts with your Goddess circle or kiddos based around the Sabbats.

• Go within and try journaling for each Sabbat.

• Perform a unique tarot or oracle card spread.

Here's an example of how I often perform my altar update for a new Sabbat.

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Additional Resources

Want to dig deeper into using the Wheel of the year in your practice? Here are three ways to learn more:

1. Click here to get access to the free Wheel of the Year printout.

2. Click here to purchase Understanding The Wheel of The Year, which goes into detail about the Wheel of the Year and contains wheel images for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, rituals, card spreads and journal prompts for each Sabbat.

3. Find links to blog posts specifically for each Sabbat below.

• Samhain

• Yule

• Imbolc

• Ostara

• Beltane

• Litha

• Lughnasadh

• Mabon

Here are other books that I love about the Wheel of the Year: The Magical Year by Danu Forest, The Great Work by Tiffany Lizac, and The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year by Judy Ann Nock.

I hope you find the Wheel of the year as special and magical as I do! It has so many positive and powerful applications to bring life to your sacred practices.

Tap Into the Wisdom of Your Ancestors with Meditation and Breathwork

Samhain, the sacred festival of the dead, occurs on October 31st and the 1st of November. It marks the beginning of winter and the season of the crone. This holiday reconnects us to the cycle of death and rebirth.

It is believed that the veil between the spirit world and our world is thin during Samhain, making it easier to communicate with spirits. That’s why it is the best time to honor the wisdom of your ancestors during this time.

This meditation and breathwork will take you within, to honor the wisdom you possess inside and the wisdom from those whom you come from. 

1. Set the stage for your meditation with crystals and EO’s (optional)

There are many different crystals you can use to help you connect with your ancestors. Your energy is unique, so choose the crystals that have worked for you in the past or that you feel drawn to.

Here are 8 crystals that can help you connect to your inner wisdom and wisdom from your ancestors. Choose one or several of these stones to wear or place next to you for your meditation.

Lepidolite will help you get into a calm state and connect you to your third eye chakra, the center of intuition.

Celestite opens your energy to connect with the spiritual realm by helping you relax and transition into a dream state. Rose quartz a crystal of love, creates a safe and welcoming space for both you and the spirits.Amethyst helps to open your third eye chakra and can help you connect to your intuition.

Charoite will help you connect with your ancestors. It is another powerful stone for communicating with and channeling spirits. It helps you receive information from them using your intuition.

Blue Lace Agate raises your vibration to make a connection with the spirit world easier. It helps you connect with the spirits as it keeps you balanced, allowing you to receive messages without getting overwhelmed.

Selenite increases telepathy and opens the crown chakra, making it a great stone for spirit communication.

When using any of these crystals, make sure you also have obsidian, hematite, black kyanite, or black tourmaline for grounding and protection. These crystals will keep you safe and rooted to the Earth, leaving your mind and spirit free to wander.

You can also use essential oils in your meditation. Mix them with water for a mist to spritz around the area, dilute with a carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil, and massage into the skin, or even burn these scents as candles.

Here are a few essential oils to recruit for this meditation. Use one or all of them during your meditation.

Clary Sage for connection to the divine.

Rosemary for remembrance and love.

Cedarwood for purifying, grounding, and calming.

2. Start with the breath

Start with Nadi Sodhana, also called alternate nostril breathing, to balance the nadis, or energy channels, in the body. This breath brings you into the present moment, calms and centers the mind, and helps you release fear.

Sit in a comfortable seated position and place the left hand on the knee with the palm facing upward. This hand position creates an energy of receptivity. Place the index finger and middle finger of the right hand on the third eye center between the eyebrows, with the ring finger and pinky finger on the left nostril and thumb on the right nostril.

Throughout this breath, use the thumb to open and close the right nostril, and the ring finger and pinky finger for the left nostril. As you exhale, close the right nostril and breathe out of the left nostril. Inhale through the left nostril, and then close the left nostril to exhale through the right. Alternate breathing in this way for ten cycles of breath, holding your inhales and exhales steady and even.

3. Sink into Meditation.

Once you’re centered in a place of presence and balance, begin the meditation by taking a few deep, cleansing breaths. Follow these steps to tap into the wisdom of your ancestors for this meditation.

1. Visualize the support of the Earth underneath you, connecting you to the vast wisdom of Mother Nature. Feel her energy enter your body as you inhale, and run down the spine as you exhale.

2. Think about who you are and where you are in this moment. Remember that every part of you has been woven together by the fabric of your ancestors, the good and the bad. Their blood, their experiences, their pains, their joys all run through you and shape you.

3. Begin to visualize your family line, starting with a parent. Traditionally this is the father, but allow either parent to come to mind. Visualize them in front of you. As you inhale, they breathe the white-hot light of their wisdom within you. As you exhale, you breathe the white-hot light of your gratitude into them.

4. Ask if this spirit has anything they need to share with you.

5. Continue moving up your family line with this conversation, receiving knowledge, and offering gratitude by exchanging breath, taking as many breaths as you need with each spirit.  

6. When you reach the end of your family line as you know it, sit in silence as long as you like and allow the messages to come to you. These can come in the form of images or sounds in your head, a feeling, or even a smell.

7. End with this simple phrase: “I thank all those who have helped shape and create me. I honor your divine wisdom.” Take a few moments after your meditation to let out your thoughts and emotions in a journal. Release anything that came up for you onto the page, and continue to sit with your crystals for as long as you need

.You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

How to Perform a Samhain House Cleansing & Blessing

Around Samhain and Halloween is the most magical and powerful time to bless and cleanse your house. So, if you haven’t performed a house cleansing and blessing ceremony, now is the time to do it! If you’ve stumbled upon this blog during another month, don’t worry, you can still perform a purposeful house blessing and cleansing any time of the year. Just be sure to perform another one at the end of October for Samhain.

Why Cleanse & Bless for Samhain?

With winter slowly creeping in, it’s the perfect time to move out any stagnant, stale, or negative vibes before the cold sets in.

October 31st and November 1st, this year, ushers in the pagan celebration of Samhain pronounced Sow-win. Samhain is the birthplace of Halloween. Modern-day Halloween has taken a bit of a different turn with its kitschy decor. Samhain is still celebrated by many and is considered by most to be a more solemn time and reflective time, perfect for divination, cleansing, and blessing.

During Samhain, the veil between the spirit world and the physical world is at its thinnest, so it is believed that spirits and ancestors come back to visit during this time. Performing a house cleansing and blessings gives a welcome space for all of your ancestors. You want to come back and protective energy for any spirits you want to keep out.

How to Perform a House Blessing & Cleansing

This is a thorough house blessing and cleansing. Give yourself adequate time and space to fully devote yourself to this exercise. If you have a large house, you may want to chunk your house into floors or rooms to perform this spread out over a couple of days.

What You'll Need

• Cleaning supplies

• Cleansing herb of choice (frankincense, mugwort, lavender, or sagebrush make good options)

• Besom (optional)

• White candle for cleansing and a black candle for protection

• Saltwater in a spray bottle or a bowl

• Altar offerings

• Optional: protection symbols, crystals, cauldron, broom, herbs, etc.

Steps

1. Clean physically: First, you’ll want to clean your space physically. Remove things that are no longer serving you. Objects that don’t bring you joy anymore are most likely carrying old and stagnant energy that you don’t need cluttering up your energetic space. Try gifting, recycling, or finding a purposeful way to reuse these items.

2. Cleanse with smoke or incense: Use your preferred smoke cleansing tool for this step. I suggest using an herb or plant that's in alignment with your cultural heritage. If you're using something outside of your cultural heritage, like palo santo, I encourage you to ensure that it's sourced from an ethical supplier. I like to use mugwort, lavender, and frankincense.

With your cleansing smoke of choice, walk from room to room to let the smoke float through your space. As the smoke touches, each area of your house asks it to cleanse any energy that isn't aligned with your highest good or something similar.

3. Cleanse with a besom: A besom is a tool used by witches to cleanse a space's energy. You can make one yourself or purchase one around the season of Samhain (Trader Joe's always sells affordable cinnamon brooms!) For the practice of energy cleansing, you're not intended to use the broom as a physical tool, although you can if you'd like. Open a door and begin sweeping, holding your besom slightly above the floor. Visualize any negative energy not serving you being whisked out the door.

4. Cleanse and call in with candles: Using a white candle in a fireproof vessel, walk around your house, shining the light in each room. Imagine each room filling up with white. Ask the light to clear the space and bring in energy that serves your highest good. This is also a good time to call in any ancestors or loved ones who have crossed over into your space. Once you’re finished, place your candle on your stove to burn all the way through. The hearth (our modern-day stove area) is an important area of the home, which aids in transformation, so this is a great place to let your candle(s) burn as you complete your house cleansing blessing. If you'd like to call in a specific kind of energy, you can also light a candle for that as well. Black candles are ideal for this season and offer protection. 

5. Protect with salt water: Just like salt can protect your aura, it can also protect your space. Doors and windows are important areas to focus on with your saltwater because it’s where energy comes and goes in and out of your house. Spritz a bit of your saltwater in each room, focusing on windows and doors. As you do this, ask the salt to protect you and your space from unwanted energies. I like to visualize an energetic forcefield being enveloping my space during this step. 

6. Add symbolism for protection: If you’re looking for a fun and effective way to add an extra layer of protection, you can decorate with protective symbols. Runes, specifically the Algiz Rune or a protective charm bag, are potent options. Learn more about making a protective charm bag here or click here to learn how to make a protective Rune hanging.

7. Cleanse and consecrate tools: If you have tools you often use for rituals, this is an ideal time to cleanse them as well. You can take a few extra moments with your cleansing smoke, white candle, and saltwater to cleanse your tools. 

8. Create a welcoming altar for yourself and your ancestors: Once you’ve completed your house cleansing and blessing, prepare an altar space as a reminder and sacred container of the energy you shed and invited in. This altar will also serve as a welcome invitation to any ancestors or loved ones who have passed on. If you don’t have an altar space, you can also do this on or near your stove, which is our modern hearth. Here's a video of how I cleanse and prepare my altar for the season of Samhain.

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A post shared by Cassie Uhl (@cassieuhl)

Place items on your altar that would attract ancestors that have passed on, like foods or drinks they liked. Light your remaining candle in the color of your choice. Adorn your altar with any crystals, jewelry, herbs, or symbols that you see fit. Here are some options:

• Crystals: Labradorite, obsidian, onyx, garnet, hematite, amethyst

• Candle Colors: Purple, black, orange, silver

• Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, any divination tool

• Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli

• Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, nuts, meat

• Runes: Algiz, Daggaz, Ansuz, Perthro, Othalo

• Gods and Goddesses: Lilith, Persephone, all crone Goddesses, Callieach, Cerridwen, and Hecate

9. Say a prayer or invocation: When your cleansing and blessing is complete, and your altar is set up. Grant yourself a few quiet moments at your altar to reflect on this experience. Offer a prayer to ancestors that have gone before you, an invocation to a deity that is important to you, or both.

Sleep soundly and perform your intuitive work confidently during this season, knowing that your house has been cleansed, blessed, and protected. Find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

Create Your Own Protection Rune Wall Hanging with Free Printable

With Samhain and Halloween around the corner, it is the ideal time to perform spells and divination of all kinds. The veil between the physical world and the spirit world is at its thinnest during this time.

It’s also a time that communication between you and the spirit realm will be the easiest, because of this some believe that it’s an important time to build in extra protection from unwanted spirits.

Using Runes can cover all of these magical bases! You can use them for spellwork, divination, and as a protective tool.

What are Runes?

I’m sure you’ve seen these interesting symbols before, maybe you even know what a few of them mean, but beyond wearing them you’re not really sure what to do with Runes. While wearing them is a great way to utilize their power, their uses go far beyond that.

Their roots can be found in Old Norse, and they make up an ancient runic alphabet containing 24 symbols. Rune symbols have been found to date back as far as 150 AD. They have been discovered on spearheads, charms, and even on headstones in the form of spells! It is said that the word “rune” has come to mean “secret, something hidden,” and many people believe the symbols were used as a form of divination. Some people continue this practice today.

How to Use Runes for Spellwork & Intention Setting

Simply carrying or wearing a Rune symbol can hold great meaning. Place your Runes together though, and you’ve got a powerful magical tool. Many wear talismans like this with Runes together, but for this time of year, a banner for the home can not only serve as a meaningful reminder and spell but also a timely decoration!

Rune symbols can be placed together in different orders to mean different things, create a spell, or set an intention. Placing Runes in a particular order for magical purposes is called a Runescript. They can serve as a powerful reminder of what you need help with the most.

To use a Runescript for creating a spell banner, you simply need a basic understanding of what some of the Runes represent, appropriate ordering of your Runes, and some time to get a little crafty. I have created a free printable of Rune images for you to use to create your very own Runescript wall hanging! Click here to grab yours now.

How to Make Your Wall Hanging

To create your wall hanging you’ll need:

• Printer or drawing tool

• Paper (white cardstock recommended)

• Scissors

• String

• Glue or tape

• Optional: salt, herb or smoke tool of your choice for cleansing, candle, water, stick, and protective crystal or stone

1. Print Your Runes

Click here to get your free printable Rune images to use for your Runescript. Alternatively, you can draw your own if you’d like. If you’re using our free printable I suggest printing them on white cardstock.

2. Gather Your Supplies & Prepare Your Workspace

If you want to keep this a simple crafty decoration you can leave out all of the optional tools listed above. If you want to bring more magical meaning and ritual to this project, I’ll outline how you can use the salt, herb or smoke tool for cleaning, candle, and water while you create your wall hanging to bring each of the earth elements in the next step.

3. Prepare the Four Elements

Place your bowl of salt North of your workspace, your herb or smoke tool East, your candle South, and the bowl of water West. Each element coordinates with a direction, and by placing each element in its cardinal direction you invoke their protective powers as you create your Runescript hanging.

4. Select Your Runes

The number of runes in your script should also be well thought out. Runescripts are usually made of 3, 5, 7, or 9 Runes, so if one of these numbers is particularly meaningful to you that would be a good number to go with.

Creating your Runescript is a very personal act. Though you can use a pre-made script they always hold more meaning and power when you create it on your own. Use the guide below to select the Runes that you feel you need most for the kind of protection you are seeking. You can learn more about the meaning of each Rune on the website www.RuneSecrets.com or in the book A Practical Guide to The Runes by Lisa Peschel. I reference the website and the book very often and find them to be helpful resources.

That being said, If you do want to borrow my Runescript shown in the pictures you’re welcome to!

5. Order Your Runes

According to Lisa Peschel, author of A Practical Guide to The Runes, your first and last Rune placed are the most important ones.

The first rune says “this is how I want the operation to start,” the final rune says “this is how I want things to end up.” The runes in between elaborate on the subject … [it] must start out right and end up right in order to be truly effective. Making a correct choice is not really something that can be taught in a fixed sense. It must be very a personal choice based on the needs and wants of the Individual.

6. Cut Out Your Runes for Your Desired Runescript

7. Place your Runes in Order on Your String, Spacing Them Out Evenly

Your Runescript can hang simply on your string or you can use a stick or dowel rod to wrap the string around. This makes it easier to hang and adds a nice earthy element.

8. Tape or Glue the String to the Back of Your Runes

9. Incorporate the Four Elements into Your Runescript

Once your Runescript hanging is complete sprinkle a bit of salt over it, waft the smoke of your herb over it, pick it up and pass it over the top of your candle taking care to not get it too close so it doesn’t catch fire, and sprinkle a few drops of water on it.

10. You’re Ready to Hang Your Runescript!

Your Runescript is now imbued with the power of the four elements and the combination of Runes. Place it in a prominent place in your house or room as a symbol of protection. Add some extra protection to your Runescript wall hanging with a protective stone like hematite, lava stone, or smoky quartz.

Love this craft and want to create more? You can use this same set of steps to create any kind of Runescript. And I would love to see your own Runescript wall hangings, so please tag @cassieuhl on Instagram!

Tea Leaf Reading // How to Do Your Own in 7 Steps

Looking for the perfect divination tool to get a glimpse of your future and entertain guests with for Samhain and Halloween? Tea leaf reading, or tasseography is the art of using tea leaves for divination purposes. Many cultures believe that around the end of October the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is thinned, so it’s the best time to perform divination of all kinds.

What is Tea Leaf Reading?

Doing a tea leaf reading involves you indulging in a delicious cup of tea and putting your sharp intuitive skills to work. After you enjoy your warm cup of loose leaf tea, you’ll leave the loose tea leaves at the bottom, where some of these leaves will form symbols, each having its own meaning. That’s where your keen intuitive abilities come in! Anyone can see a triangle at the bottom of a teacup, but your job is to intuit what it means for you or the person you’re reading for.

Where Did Tea Leaf Reading Come From?

You might be wondering where this unusual form of divination came from, so here’s a short history about tasseography. Shortly after tea was introduced to Europe, tea leaf reading, as it’s now recognized, was born. Similar divination tools had been used with an assortment of other materials, but tea leaves seemed to be the favorite! The art of tea leaf reading spread through Europe, especially in Gypsy cultures, and is now practiced throughout the world.

What You Need for a Tea Leaf Reading

• Tea cup with a wide brim that’s light enough to easily see your tea leaves. There are a variety of specialty tea leaf reading cups available, they are beautiful but unnecessary. I created mine at a local pottery painting studio. Keep it simple, buy your own, or get crafty with it, any option will work!

• Saucer

• Loose-leaf green or black tea, preferably organic.

• Napkins

• Pen and paper

• Water

• Enough time to savor a cup of tea and get lost in the maze of tea leaf symbols!

How to Perform a Tea Leaf Reading

1. Brew Your Tea

Gather all of your materials. Boil your water. Place about a teaspoon of loose tea in your cup. Pour your water in and steep tea to your preference.For the next 3 steps, if you’re doing a reading for someone else, have them do the following steps.

2. Sip & Swirl

Before you take your first sip, gently swirl the tea counterclockwise three times. Sip and enjoy your tea, but don’t drink it all! When there’s about 1 tablespoon of tea left in your cup, swirl it again 3 times counterclockwise and think about or speak your query aloud.

3. Create Your Tea Reading Canvas

Turn your cup upside down onto your saucer to remove the remaining water, allow it a minute or so to drain, then turn it back upright, and you’re ready for reading!

4. Look for Symbols

Look over your loose leaf tea pieces and see if any symbols or shapes jump out to you immediately. Don’t fret if you don’t see anything immediately, similar to scrying with a crystal ball, it can take some time for imagery to form for you. Try looking at the inside of the cup from different directions to see shapes. Keep in mind the images formed are formed from tea leaves, so you will really need to use your imagination!

5. Record & Decipher Your Findings

If you do start to see some shapes, begin writing them down on your piece of paper so you can decipher them later, note wherein the cup they are too. Now you’re ready to decipher your findings! Here’s a guide for the most common symbols found during tea leaf readings:

6. Understand the Timeline

Where your tea leaves are situated in your cup relate to when they will happen. This is why some of the tea leaf reading cups you find have circles inside of them. Timing is broken into thirds as follows:

• Bottom third: farthest away from happening, think 3-5 years out.

• Middle third: will happen in about a year from now.

• Top third: will be happening in the near future, think within the next few weeks.

7. Form Your Reading

Like most divination tools, a honed intuition is key for success, so be sure to lean on any gut instincts as you form the story for your reading. Once you understand the meaning behind the symbols it’s time to put all of the information into a story that makes sense for you or the person you’re doing a reading for.

This divination tool is so much fun to do with friends and family! Setting in on a fall evening with some loved ones and sip, laugh, enjoy, and maybe get a little glimpse at what’s to come.