Clearing the Way for a Successful New Year

We've had a little trouble accessing Blogger today. Probably me in retrograde, again!

It is New Year's Day, so, of course, I wanted to talk about cleaning and clearing and welcoming in new, positive changes.

This site is all about resolving problems, so, throughout the year, I am bringing in everyone's spiritual "dirt." We all collect our own problems and those of people we care about, and not clearing results in challenges building up and creating blocks, illnesses, and chaos.

It looks like my hosting platform has some cleaning and clearing to do, because it is glitchy today. I can't sign in! So, here are a few of the tips covered:

1. Clean and clear -- Sweep the floor, clean and re-arrange altar areas, dust, and go through those old boxes for things to recycle or donate. I did a load of laundry and got all my rugs. Adding some magickal ingredients is a great way to remind yourself this is more than just cleaning--I used lemon and vinegar, as wel as lavender and eucalyptus.

2. Clean your cleaning implements (some say buy new) -- Now is a good time to replace brooms and garbage cans and other cleaning implements. I've heard some say it is time to buy new, but, I like to avoid over-consumption (and it has been too cold where I live to get out to buy new items for nearly two weeks now!). If it is time to get rid of something, now is the time, but also: clean. I ran all my floor cleaning supplies and garbage can through hot water with cleanser today. Get rid of all that build-up from the year! I threw out an old sponge--if it is time for something to go, now is definitely the time to do it!

Look at all the stuff that collects your dirt as you go--dish drainer, strainers, drains. It may be time to clean those areas!

Don't forget magickal implements. If your herbs tend to be as out of sorts as mine tend to be, it's a great time to organize and sort.

3. Make new cleansing potions! I started my year fresh with a new bottle of quick cleansing wash (coffee grounds, lemon, salt) to use on my self, pets, and floors/house as needed.

4. It's time to eat traditional foods--for me, cabbage is the most important. I have some lentils going with a little spinach, quinoa, and seasonings in it. Later, I'll cook up some potatoes and cabbage. If I get lazy, I can eat the cabbage cold in a salad or slaw. It is a good time to share with your ancestors through an altar offering or scattering some of your bounty outside for critters!

5. We are living in modern times with things to clean and clear our ancestors didn't have. Take a look at getting rid of extraneous apps, websites, and unused services!

6. This isn't Oprah . . . but look at those habits! Just this past week, I was able to resolve a chronic pain problem by adding a breathing exercise. Undisciplined breathing, habitual/pain-avoiding movement patterns, and my habit of being tense and not relaxing combined for a lot of pain. I made a lot of progress using yoga, but wasn't able to get rid of the last bit of pain until I changed these habits.

Witch Balls: Holders of intention

Briefs and Brooms usually focuses on justice, and often that means looking at the ugliness that shows us there is a need for justice. It is easy for me to forget that magik can be . . . magical!

Witch balls allow focusing energy and intention. The round globe is continuous and a perfect container for long-term vision. Hanging in a window, the ball shows off beautiful selections of herbs or other materials and emits beautiful scents as the sun's warmth come through . . . a reminder of intentions set yesterday or months ago!

My first three witch balls were made on a whim. I had three globes from a chandelier. A little research refreshed my memory on the use of witch balls. One ended up packed down with herbs for protection, one with general prosperity herbs, and one with fun reminders of a friend who moved away (herbs associated with her ancestral path). They hang in my window today, and are a focal point--spurring discussion about my craft.

Later, I made a witch ball as part of a course. This ball incorporated a piece of money (prosperity), a charm, a written intention, and herbs. The ball was smaller and more portable, of the "Christmas" variety. Today, its lavender scent encourages me as I write and plan.

This weekend, I introduced witch balls to a new crowd--planning to take this modality on the road to a party, I realized it would be attended by children. I packed down a supply of beads, sparkles, and fun supplies for kids. The results were amazing as the kids dug in, eager to exhibit their creativity. I told them to pack the balls with things that made them feel happy--and they did!

One packed her ball to the brim--it was so heavy, I had to design a reinforced holder rather than relying on string:

Larger charms that didn't fit inside the balls were tied to the outside!

True to my heart, several chose purples for their balls--here, two bffs made nearly-matching balls:

Stickers can further embellish the exterior of the balls!

The flurry of hands as the kids worked was amazing; they thought of new ideas and reached for new colors and shapes more quickly than I could replenish supplies!:

Beads, glitter (the big kind, so the parents wouldn't kill me), ribbon, stickers . . . .

Making a witch ball is easy and can be fun and profound. 

On my own, I begin with gathering some of my favorite materials and setting an intention. I then add materials charged with my intention and, if possible, associated with the qualities I seek. Some of my favorite herbs are listed here.

Fun add-ins include essential oils like bergamot for attraction or lavender for cooling out. These can add to the scent and intention of the herbs. Written intentions (in corresponding colored ink or on corresponding papers) can add to focus. I even have one ball that includes a folded piece of money--for prosperity! 

Although making the ball can be meaningful when done alone, it is fun is groups (as the above pictures prove). If you would like to "Witch and Wine"--making witch balls or other crafty tools in a group, contact me via personal message.

For those who are more solitary, here's a partial list of supplies to get you started (wine not included!):

Balls or shapes (try fun shapes or designs!):

Don't forget fun fillers and add-ins!:





Nice scents enhance the balls (be sure to leave the top unsealed or otherwise provide ventilation):
Don't forget pretty ribbon or string to hang the ball!:

If the Creek Don't Rise (Book Review)

CONTAINS SPOILERS

If the Creek Don't Rise isn't a "witchy" book, unless you consider the high level of faith it takes to keep going with absolutely nothing. The title sentiment was also expressed by my Grandma as, "If I live . . . ". (Perhaps hearing, "If I live, we'll . . . " as the condition under which we would do things as mundane as making cornmeal mush made me prone to reach for a protection amulet and some lavender salt!)

However, magik is more expressly present in the book in the voice of Birdie Rocas, the neighbor (and protector) of the protagonist, Sadie Blue. Sadie Blue is in an abusive marriage, and, as such, needs a bit of help with details like delivering the baby her husband killed in utero or whipping up some hemlock root poison for . . . those who need it. Birdie Rocas tells us that her last name means crow, and that some folks call her a witch--a good thing for hunting ginseng (apparently because her appearance scares those who would steal her valuable harvest). When Birdie scrys for a dead body and the killer turns up dead himself, one begins to suspect she uses her magik for more than hunting ginseng.

Magik is sprinkled throughout the book as charms, amulets, potions, and folk wisdom. However, Birdie does share her scrying method:

--Fetch shallow bowl the color of blood

--Put on tree stump

--Pour spring water one finger width deep

--Kiss and put on personal amulet (Birdie's is a horn-shaped amulet)

--Make repeated "X" with thumb on forehead until coated with oil from skin

--Rub oil on item belonging to person you seek (handy to have crows to retrieve these for you!)

--Drop item into water

--Watch for answer to form

Although Birdie seems to get her answers, she leaves us with some lingering questions and an observation:

"Why are young girls dumb and men surprised?

"What does evil look like to crows from up in the sky?

"They're brave to play hide-and-seek with the dead."

While by no means a craft "how-to" book, this novel includes a few pages worthy of any book of shadows. It is a respectful window into the misunderstood and sometimes-popular world of granny magik or hoodoo, and deserves to be read.

The dialect in the book is southern Appalachian. It will sound "off" to readers from Kentucky or West Virginia. It does not seem to be intended disrespectfully.

Those of us not apt to find a hag stone shaped like a horn might appreciate a commercially-produced amulet like Birdie's:




(Note: links are designed to make me richer than a moonshiner with a revenuer cousin!)

Completion of Clarity Spell

A few weeks ago, I posted a clarity spell.

Original Clarity Spell Here

The purpose of the spell was to get clear on intentions and desired outcomes for hexing, cursing, binding, unleashing flying monkeys, or even blessing. I experienced a career setback--a needlessly abrasive, embarrassing, and public court order--and needed to decide my response.

A few weeks later (with the spell, originally intended to be completed in about seven days, delayed by illness and travel), I feel more clear. When the order came out, I calmly felt a door shutting and knew my career path would change. Rather than my typical raging anger, I felt more like someone who had taken abusive behavior for the last time--like my safety plan was in place and my bag packed, and I just needed to go.

As I burned the candles, supplemented with lavender blooms and incense, I felt stronger and firmer in my resolve.

Clarity spell. 

Now, it is time for me to wrap up the spell, release it, and feel gratitude for the change it brought. The burned candles made lovely pools of lavender wax, and many color variations co-mingled. Throughout the spell, I decided I wanted four candles burning at all times--four for the four corners and at least four directions I could go. My original votives were replaced several times with votives I already had and with chime candles. The High John the Conqueror candle (with its label with space for my intentions folded and now ensconced in the wax) and the Flying Monkey candle (whose whimsical label I will probably keep) burned longer and slower, effectively making 7-day candles.

Partial list of materials:

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I will cleanse my space and open a circle, then fold my materials together, probably replacing the foil with something more biodegradable. I will then plant this spell, since it is positive and for me, near my front stoop.

Completed clarity spell materials.

(Please note that some of the products above may contain links that pay me a percentage for actual purchases.)

10 Most Effective Herbs for Justice

When I have an upcoming court date or due date, I have success with the following herbs (and related) items:

1.  Galangal -- I chew and spit pieces of root into a bowl (these can be used to make a mojo packet to carry with me later) for three days (if time allows). I also am a dedicated burner often mix some into a burning bowl with my intention or coat a candle (ashes and leavings can go in a mojo). Galangal brews into a delicious (ginger-ish) tea, or can be slurped up in wonderful Thai soup.

2.  Witch's Ball -- Sweet gum. This amazing herb helps keep people and problems away. For example, I might use it in a ritual where I ask a person's efforts against me to be ineffective. Setting it on top of something representing a person (image, business card, a pleading they submitted) keeps them and their energies at bay. 3. Devil's shoe string -- Where was this powerful herb all my life? It can banish and hex. A bit tied around my ankle, under my pants, does not set off courthouse metal detectors. I charge it with a protective intention, and wear it to court.

I use it with specific intention in workings, keep it near my altar as a passive aid in warding off the bad stuff, and put it between me and those I experience as having negative energy or intention. A friend puts it on the business card or something representing someone she wants to keep away. The picture below is a sweet gum ball I placed on a tarot card that stood in for a person who was causing a friend troubles (and he asked my help).

My Tarot deck is Visconti-Sforza

3. Devil's shoestring. Where was this herb on my life?! I use it for binding, hexing, and protecting--it can do all of these at once! A bit around my ankle makes it through security for court, and jar of it stands guard over my altar area.

4. Graveyard dirt -- This is not an herb, but a great helper. The dirt I select, with permission, is from the grave of my dog, who was particularly protective of me. I once came under attack from a dishonest client. I took the dirt and used it to draw a circle around my waist. An anticipated antagonistic court appearance turned entirely in my favor; I was beyond the reach of the grasping, angry client. I also keep some of this pure, protective energy near my bed and altar in small salt shakers.

5. Witch's salt -- My purple salt (blended with lavender and salt) brings truth and clarity. In addition to keeping it on my altar and around my work area, I like to wear some in a poison ring (making "poison ring" a bit of a misnomer). It is a wonderful gift for those needing to clear a space or call in positive energy.

6. Solomon's Seal root -- in addition to burning or setting on my altar with intention prior to court dates, I find a little of this carried with me brings truth forward in the courtroom or meetings.

7. High John root -- the same as above, when we had a local Solomon's Seal shortage!

8. Custom blend -- I think we should each create our own and will post my recipe in another post, but mine is hot pepper (magnifier), garlic, black pepper, salt, and other herbs according to specific intention. I carry it in my ring, put a little in a mojo bag, or carry some in a tissue where I can allow it to scatter. 

9.  Rosemary -- rosemary is the go-to protection herb for me and many others. A sprig can be attractive and not call attention when tucked into a calendar or into the top of a purse. It cleanses and protects.

10. Mother-in-law's tongue -- going by snake plant and many other names, this plant works powerful magic. I keep some as a houseplant, and snip off a piece with permission. I then roll it and tie with string, strips of slippery elm bark, or raffia to bind the tongue of someone who just will not speak truth. I find it both binds the tongue (of the opponent) and closes the ears (of the would-be audience). This can be helpful for stopping gossip as well as stifling dishonest parties in litigation.

None of the above are presented here in relation to any specific intention. Of course, it is important to be clear on the intended recipient/outcome of any spell. A spell on clarity is here.