magick

Hello Friends and Happy Thursday!:

Come sit with me for a while. Pour yourself a cup of coffee– or tea, if that is more your style– and let’s talk about how to magickally cleanse, care for and protect your home.

The techniques and practices within this little ‘electronic grimoire’ are simple, accessible and beneficial for anyone looking to reset the energy of their space, whether you’re just beginning your path or have been walking it for years.

This is one of my favorite classes to teach. When I offer it in person, I dive much deeper into these practices and share many of these little techniques, traditions and discoveries I’ve gathered throughout my own Craft. There is always something new to learn and there is always another layer of magick waiting to be uncovered.

For those who are interested, I will be offering a Zoom class this autumn that explores these topics in greater depth. It’s still in the works, but I’ll be announcing the details soon, so stay tuned!

So, without further ado…

A Gentle Disclaimer:

Magick is a practice, and like any Craft, it grows stronger through consistency, patience and intention. It isn’t an instant fix or a quick solution. Rather, it unfolds overtime as your relationship with your practice deepens. Trust the process. Stay committed. The more intention you pour into your work, the more naturally your practice will begin to flourish.

“Breathe with your home.”

In a book that I am currently writing (aye, yes– a book! I have been a busy witch!), I talk about the relationship we share with our homes.

I truly believe that our homes absorb our energies. They witness our celebrations, hold our tears and quietly stand besides us through seasons of uncertainty. When we are grieving, our homes grieve with us. When we are joyful, they seem to glow a little brighter. Our living spaces become extensions of ourselves, collecting the emotional echoes of our daily lives.

Because of this, it’s important to give your home opportunities to breathe and release what it has been carrying.

One of the simplest ways to do this is by opening your windows and doors for a short while each day. Invite the element of Air into your home with intention, asking it to carry away stagnant, heavy, or unwanted energy while welcoming clarity, renewal and fresh possibilities.

On a practical level, you’re improving the ventilation throughout your home. On a spiritual level, you’re allowing yesterday’s energy to leave for today’s blessings have room to enter.

To deepen this simple yet powerful ritual, put on a favorite song- or three that empower you. Burn a little incense if it aligns with your practice. Dance while you tidy the room. Laugh. Stretch. Let your home witness your joy just as it has witnessed your hardships.

When you’re ready to close the windows, ring a bell to signify that the cleansing is complete. Bells have long been associated with clearing spiritual residue and marking sacred transitions, making them a beautiful way to conclude the ritual.

If you feel called to do so, speak an affirmation aloud. It can be as simple as:

“Only peace, love, abundance and blessings may dwell within these walls.”

Or create words that feel authentic to your own practice. This is your magick. Your home. Your relationship with spirit.

There isn’t a strict time requirement for this practice but I find that leaving the windows open for about 10 to 15 minutes is usually enough to allow both the physical air and the energetic atmosphere to refresh,

“Caring for your thresholds:”

Pay close attention to your doorways and windows! If you look carefully, you might find leaf carcasses from season’s past, dead bugs, salt from this past winter– yeah, you can say that I am reaching but am I far from the truth?

Also, if you’ve experienced conflict with former friends or lost someone you once envisioned as a potential lover, even if they’ve completely walked out of your life their energetic imprint can still linger in your space. Think of it this way: they entered your world, moved through your energy and then left– but traces of that connection may remain. It’s time to clear out what no longer belongs, release their lingering energy and make room for peace, renewal and the life that is meant for you.

Keep these areas free of dirt, clutter and debris. Your entryway is the first point of contact between your home and the outside world, so treating it as a sacret threshhold can make all the difference.

Once a week, I like to cleanse my foyer (or “foy-ay”) with a mixture of Florida Water and Holy Water to wash away stagnant energy and refresh the spiritual atmosphere. I’m fortunate to have a small ledge where I keep protective statues, LED candles and carefully chosen crystals, each serving as another layer of spiritual protection and intention.

For an added layer of defense, I’ll sprinkle black salt along the doorframe. I allow it to sit for about a day, giving it time to absorb any heavy or unwanted energy before sweeping it out of the front door. As I do, I also remove the crystals so everything can be cleansed, refreshed and returned to its place with renewed purpose.

Above my front door hangs a small bell that chimes whenever someone enters or leaves. Before hanging it, I programmed it with intention: each ring clears away unwanted energies that may try to cross the threshold while inviting blessings, protection and peace into my home. Each chime serves as a gentle reminder that only what is for my highest good is welcome to enter.

A game changer for me was bringing in some old school moon magick and seasonal cycles in my cleaning rotations as I magickally enhanced my home.

“Incorporating the Moon and the Seasons into your Home Practice”

Working in rhythm with the Moon and the changing seasons is one of the easiest ways to keep your home spiritually refreshed. Just as nature moves through cycles of growth, rest, release and renewal, so can our homes– and so can we!

New Moon: Declutter and Setting intentions:

The New Moon is the perfect time to clear away both physical and energetic clutter. Sweep away the cobwebs, organize your spaces and create room for new blessings.

As you clean, as yourself: What am I making space for?

This is an excellent time to tidy your altars, refresh your sacred spaces and reconnect with your intentions.

Offer fresh water, flowers, herbs or whatever is customary within your own practice to your spiritual council, ancestors, or the Gods and Goddesses you work with. Wash your altar cloths, cleanse offering bowls, candle holders and ritual tools. Give everything a fresh start.

Full Moon: Celebrate and Release:

The Full Moon invites us to pause and acknowledge how far we’ve come.

Spend a little extra time at your altar reflecting on the victories– both big and small– you’ve experienced throughout the month. Sometimes simply making it through a difficult week is something worth celebrating.

Stay grounded.

Take inventory of the blessings that surround you.

Gratitude is a form of magick all on it’s own.

Then ask yourself: What am I ready to release?

Write it down. Speak it aloud. Offer it to your altar. Offer it to the Moon. Allow yourself the permission to let it go so that it no longer occupies space within your heart or your home.

Creating Moon Water:

Moon water is one of my favorite magickal tools because of its versatility.

Charge a clean container of water beneath the Moon according to your own tradition and intention. Once charged, you can use it in countless ways throughout your practice.

I love using moon water for:

Floor washes to spiritually refresh the home.
Simmer pots to add another layer of intention.
Cleansing ritual tools or altar spaces,
Drinking during personal reflection or meditation (provided you’ve prepared it safely with clean, drinkable water with a covered container– safety first, friends!)

As you sip your moon water during these quiet moments, spend time journaling. Notice what thoughts arise. Pay attention to the messages that seem to flow effortlessly from pen to paper. Often, our greatest guidance arrives when we simply create the space to listen.

Welcoming the Seasons:

Each change of the season is an invitation to renew your home.

Rotate your decor, donate items you no longer use, clean forgotten corners and refresh your living space. Just as Earth transforms with each season, our homes benefit from these intentional moments of transition.

A seasonal refresh isn’t simply about decorating– it’s about allowing your environment to evolve alongside you.

“Let it Simmer:”

One of my favorite weekly rituals is crafting a simmer pot.

There is something deeply comforting about a home filled with fragrance of herbs, fruits, spices and intention. As the steam rises, I envision it carrying blessings into every room while gently lifting away stagnant energy.

Depending upon the ingredients I’ve chosen, I’ll sometimes reserve a portion of the cooled liquid to use as a floor wash. If you decide to do this, craft with care. Some simmer pot recipes contain sugars, fruits and spices that can leave behind a sticky reside, so always test a small area first before using it throughout your home.

There are countless other techniques we could explore– and trust me, I happily could– but why overwhelm you?

Magick is meant to be experienced, not rushed.

Takes these practices one at a time. Experiment with them. Adapt them to fit your own path. Discover what resonates with your spirit and your home. After all, the most powerful practice isn’t the one that looks the most elaborate. It’s the one you’ll return to, again and again, with intention, presence and love.

May your path be guided by wisdom, wonder and a wee bit of magick.

FB.

Happy New Year, My Friends! I do know about you, but 2023 has been a year of struggles and rising from the ashes for me. Between having emergency surgery (and almost losing my own life) in July to having family struggles, I am waving good-bye to one of the hardest years of my life. Though, upon reflecting on it, 2023 did teach me how resilient I am. So, that’s a blessing and if I have learned anything, it is to count your blessings! (:

Last night, in the wake of welcoming in this glorious New Year, I was preparing myself for weeks to welcome in the New Year properly! I gathered each herb and artifact that I was to use and kept it safe in my studio, away from tainted energies. I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my magickal tips and rituals! In the past, I have done several different things: between cooking and baking to burning a list of what I was leaving behind in the previous year. Whatever works for you, you do! There is no wrong way to do it! The rituals and magickal practices that I am listing are ones that I have done last night and wanted to share with you! Perchance, these rituals may kindle a fire in someone to inspire one to try…and may even help someone (:

1.) Save your laundry (and dishes) for January 2nd!: Okay, so I will admit, I am being a wee bit superstitious about New Years after what I endured last year, but I started off my 2023 by doing several loads of laundry and dishes. Legends and superstitions claim the following:

When it comes to laundry and dishes, you do not want to wash away good luck or good fortune. You may potentially sweep away upcoming money.
There is also a superstition that you may potentially wash away a loved one.

2.) Blow Cinnamon through your front door: Cinnamon is a power-house spice that you can find in any grocery store! It is used in rituals involving money, protection, prosperity, good luck and abundance workings. A ritual that I started to do after my surgery is on the first of the month, I blow cinnamon through my front door and into my home.

I keep a jar of cinnamon by my front door that I have blessed it specifically for blessing my home on the first of the month. I will charge it under the Full Moon’s rays to ensure that it is working to its full potential.

3.) Create a Manifestation Jar: My favorite ritual! In my personal jar, I have money/abundance/prosperity drawing herbs, coins, and other personal magickal items to open doors for opportunities! The intention as you are constructing this is to think about what you wish to manifest.

As I created mine, I lit incense, listened to joyful and uplifting music and I wrote from my heart. That is the true essence of magick– when you craft from your heart, you are in true alignment with your soul and its desires.

The herbs that I used are the following:

Tonka beans.
Cinnamon sticks.
Orange slices with anise stars glued onto them.
Allspice berries (though you can use ground!)
Whole Nutmeg (you can use ground!)
Patchouli.
Yellow mustard seeds.
Crushed rosemary.
Bay leaves to write your wishes on.

Before closing it, I breathed life into it and spoke to it. Each day, give it a little shake and speak to it. Remember, this is your hopes and dreams… and the intention is to allow it to come to life!

I also lit a green chime candle to fuel my spell.

4.) “Out with the old, in with the new.”: In Irish folklore, what I have read (and have done this every year for decades) is that at Midnight, you open up your back door/window and allow the old/precious year to exit. Then, you open the front door.

Over the years, I tweaked it:

I open my back door at 11:59PM and visualize the year and all of the hardships that I endured, escaping my home. Usually, I burn incense– it adds a degree of ritual and this is what that is!
At midnight, I open my front door and allow the New Year’s air to whip through my home in a cleansing sweep.

I go through my home, with smoke and will cleanse my home. Then, give my floors a lovely wash.

(Yes, this is all done at Midnight.)

5.) Don’t forget to ring in the New Year!: Take out your bells, whistles, pots and pans! Make noise! Yell, shout! Have joy and hope for a brand new slate! My family “rang” in the New Year at Midnight and it was wonderful!

6.) New Year’s Simmer Pot: I simply adore simmer pots! I plan on making on later this afternoon! It’s a great way to fill the house with a divine scent and you can magickally craft it. You can use whatever you have in your cupboard, depending upon what it is.

For my simmer pot, I will be using the following ingredients:

Cinnamon sticks.
Orange slices.
Frozen cranberries.
Rosemary.
Sunflower petals from my garden.
Calendula petals.
Bay leaves with intentions, written on each individual leaf.

7.) Burn a candle to light the way into a better tomorrow: Colors have power and intention. I mentioned a green chime candle but I also lit an additional green candle in my home. Green is the color that represents money, prosperity, healing, balance, peace, tranquility and hope!

8.) Dress for what you want to manifest: Piggy-backing on what I said about colors, for New Years, wear red for good luck and/or green for prosperity and abundance! I took it a step further (:

I wore one of my older Salem sweatshirts, that represents my home- a place that I will be moving back to… a place that my Ancestors have lived and died– my roots! I also wore my most colorful Finfolk mermaid leggings!
For my child, I dressed them in ‘Spiderman’ Pj’s: Spiderman is strong, brave, courageous, honest, helpful and a faithful and loyal friend. I wanted my child to emulate those treasured characteristics and embrace them in 2024!

Tonight, we will be doing the same thing! I have on my Finfolk mermaid leggings called ‘Sanderson’s spell’ which has colors of red and gold, perfect for ringing in the new year! And my child will be wearing Buzz Lightyear PJ’s!

My Friends, this is our year– it’s our come-back year! May all of your dreams come true. I wish you all great health, flowing of abundance and to be surrounded by those that bring your heart great joy.

Much love. Until next time.

-FB.

Goody Bishop's™ Grimoire

May your path be lit by starlight, your heart guided by Spirit and your soul ever touched by magick.

Magickal Housekeeping 101:

2024– The Come-Back Year!