witchcraft

At the Threshold of Autumn: What I Am Calling In

/ Freya Bishop / Leave a comment

Good morning, dear Reader and happy Monday!

As I begin this new entry in my ‘electronic grimoire’ (I absolutely love calling it that– it makes me chuckle), I am with my loyal companion: a cup of pumpkin coffee in my favorite mug: a pumpkin.

  • Do you happen to have a particular cup that you enjoy drinking your coffee or tea out of? For me, it’s like a hug in the morning… or afternoon!

Summer has not yet released us from its heated hell and yet if you pay close enough attention, you can already feel autumn stirring beneath it. Just walking around yesterday, I picked up several red, orange and yellow leaves, signifying that autumn is drawing near.

The sunlight is beginning to change. The evenings are also arriving a little differently than they did at the start of the season. The cicadas sing their ancient songs from the trees, gardens grow heavy with what they have spent the summer creating and somewhere beneath all that green, the first leaves are quietly considering gold.

It is a season between seasons, a threshold. And perhaps that is why the Lion’s Gate feels especially powerful to me this year. I do not want to approach manifestation as though I am standing before the Universe with a shopping list of things I would like to receive. I want to approach it as a declaration.

I am ready: Ready to become, ready to receive, ready to release the versions of myself that were necessary for previous chapters but cannot accompany me into the next one.

There are things I planted earlier this year that have yet to break through the soil. There are dreams I have whispered about, written about, prayed over, worked toward, doubted, returned to and refused to completely abandon.

And as summer begins its slow descent toward autumn, I find myself thinking less about what I want and more about what I am willing to make room for– you see, manifestation requires space. You cannot endlessly call things into your hands that refuse to put anything down.

Beneath the energy of the Lion’s Gate, I am opening my hands:

I release the need to know exactly how everything will unfold.

I release the fear that I have somehow missed my moment.

I release the belief that struggle must always precede abundance.

I release what has exhausted its purpose in my life.

And I make room for transformation.

Not the delicate sort that changes a few things around the edges, but the kind that reaches down into the roots and asks:

Who are you becoming now?

I am becoming someone who trusts herself more deeply. Someone who does not shrink her dreams simply because they frighten her. Someone who understands that peace is not something I must earn after everything is finished. Peace can exist while I am still building. I am calling in spiritual alignment—not because I expect every answer to suddenly become clear, but because I want to recognize the quiet voice within myself when it speaks.

May I know what is mine.

May I recognize what is not.

May I have the wisdom to understand the difference.

And then there is abundance.

I welcome it.

Fully.

Without apology.

I am calling abundance into my work, my creativity and the things I am building with my own hands.

I want my ideas to find the people who need them.

I want my work to grow.

I want the seeds I have faithfully planted to become something tangible.

I want opportunities that align with who I am rather than requiring me to become smaller in order to receive them.

I welcome financial growth.

I welcome creative growth.

I welcome expansion.

I welcome the beautiful surprise of discovering that something can become larger than I originally imagined.

There was once a version of me who might have whispered those desires cautiously and hid them away.

Today, I write them plainly.

I am allowed to desire a life that flourishes.

And perhaps that is the lesson I am carrying from summer into autumn.

Summer teaches us expansion. Everything reaches toward the sun. Gardens spill beyond their borders. Flowers open unapologetically. The days stretch themselves as far as they possibly can.

But autumn teaches something different.

Autumn says: ‘Now decide what you are taking with you.‘

Soon there will be pumpkins on doorsteps and smoke curling from chimneys. The air will sharpen. Trees will turn themselves into fire before surrendering their leaves to the earth. And I will change with them.

I do not fear the shedding.

There are pieces of myself I am ready to leave among the fallen leaves.

Old doubts. Old expectations. Old stories. Old fears dressed as practicality

They may have belonged to me once, however they do not belong to where I am going.

So beneath this Lion’s Gate, standing between the golden abundance of summer and the first whispered promise of autumn, I set my intentions:

May what is meant for me find me.

May what I am building prosper.

May my intuition become louder than my fear.

May I remain aligned with the life I am creating.

May abundance enter my life through doors I have opened and doors I never knew existed.

May I have the courage to walk through them when they appear.

And may I remember that manifestation is not merely asking the Universe to change my circumstances.

Sometimes manifestation begins when I decide to change.

The wheel is turning.

Summer is beginning its farewell.

Autumn waits just beyond the threshold.

And this time, I am not standing still and watching the season change around me.

I am crossing the threshold with it.

Until we meet again, my friends, may your coffee be delicious, your intuition be louder and a little magick find you wherever you roam.

FB.

“The Trend I Would Banish from History:”

/ Freya Bishop / Leave a comment

Good day to you, fair Reader.

Every generation has its fashions. Hemlines rise and fall. Hairstyles change with the wind. We trade one color for another, one song for the next, one curious invention for something shinier.

Those trends? I would leave them be.

But there is one trend that has a lingered through centuries– changing its face, but never its nature. If I could wave my wand, stir my cauldron or whisper an old charm into the wind to erase one trend from history, it would be this:

The trend of making people feel as though they are “less then.”

For as long as humanity has walked this earth, there has always been someone eager to decide who is worthy and who is not.

Too old.

Too young.

Too loud.

Too quiet.

Too strange.

Too magickal.

Too different.

As witches, many of us know this feeling immediately. Our ancestors knew what it meant to be misunderstood. They were labeled before they were ever listened to. Feared before they were ever known.

Yet, this isn’t simply a witch’s burden.

It belongs to every soul who has ever been told they were too much or not enough.

It is woven into beauty standards that convince us that we must shrink ourselves to be loved. It hides in social circles where kindness is mistaken for weakness. It appears online where strangers judge lives through tiny glowing screens, forgetting there’s a beating heart on the other side.

What a curious thing that we’ve made comparison into a pastime.

A flower never apologizes for blooming beside another flower.

The moon never envies the stars.

The raven does not wish to sing like the robin.

Nature understands something we often forget: diversity is what makes the forest beautiful.

As witches, we spend so much of our practice remembering what the world asks us to forget. That every herb has a purpose. Every crystal has a vibration. Every season serves its own sacred work. So, why wouldn’t people?

If I could erase one trend, it wouldn’t be a hairstyle or a fashion statement. It would be the habit of measuring another person’s worth against our own.

Imagine the energy we’d reclaim!

Imagine the healing!

Imagine the magick that would return to the world if people simply allowed one another to exist without judgment.

Perhaps that is the real spell our world needs.

Not one cast beneath a Full Moon.

But one practiced every single day– in kindness, in curiosity and in remembering that every soul has its own path through the woods.

Until next time, dear Reader…

May your kettle stay warm, your spirit stay curious and may you always find magick in the ordinary.

FB.

“Where Flour Meets Fate:”

/ Freya Bishop / Leave a comment

Good day to you, fair Reader. I hope that this entry finds you well and that a little magick has found its way into your day.

After penning my last entry, I knew almost immediately what tale I wished to tell next. Before long, I found myself returning to these pages of my ‘electronic grimoire’, eager to share another lesson from my hearth.

Whenever one wanders across social media these days, it seems impossible not to stumble upon the wonderful world of sourdough. Some fortunate souls appear to master the craft with remarkable ease, while others find themselves puzzled by the curious science of creating– and keeping alive– a humble sourdough starter.

If you find yourself among the latter, take heart. Every seasoned bake was once a curious baker.

Sourdough is one of the great loves of my life and a Craft that has become deeply woven into my days. My own journey began in 2023 and from the moment I nurtured my very first starter, lovingly named ‘Lady B’, I was utterly enchanted. There was something wonderfully magickal about combining nothing more than flour, water, time and patience only to watch them awaken into a living culture!

It felt less like baking… and more like tending to an old friend whose wisdom had been quietly passed from hearth to hearth for generations.

So, pull up a chair by the ‘fire’, pour yourself a warm cup of coffee or tea and let’s explore together the ancient art of sourdough.

Many believe that a sourdough starter is simply flour and water. While this is true in the most practical sense, I have always thought it deserved a far more poetic description.

A starter is alive.

It breathes, it grows, it changes with the seasons and it rewards the hands that tend to it with patience and consistency. It cannot be rushed, commanded or neglected for long without consequence. In many ways, it behaves much like the oldest forms of magick– it asks for intention rather than perfection.

For centuries, families guarded their starters as treasured heirlooms. They were carried across oceans, tucked into wagons, wrapped in cloth and lovingly passed from one generation to the next. With each humble jar lived not only wild yeast, but stories of home, resilience and the comforting promise that no matter how difficult life became, there would always be bread upon the table.

Perhaps that is why sourdough captured my heart so completely.

In a world that urges us to hurry, sourdough gently whispers another way. Slow down. Pay attention. Learn its rhythm. Trust the process.

Every bubble tells a story.

Every rise is an act of faith.

Every loaf is a reminder that extraordinary things are often born from the simplest of beginnings.

So, before we even mix our first dough or speak of ‘stretch and folds’, let us first become acquainted with the true heart of sourdough- the living starter, the faithful companion that quietly waits upon the kitchen counter, asking only for flour, water and a little kindness in return.

Creating a sourdough starter is a simple act, yet there is something wonderfully enchanting about the process. Within the flour are naturally occurring wild yeast and friendly bacteria, patiently waiting for the perfect conditions to flourish. When flour and water are brought together, a small world begins to form. Day by day, with each feeding, this tiny ecosystem grows strong, learning the rhythm of the hands that care of it.

To begin your starter, you only need a few humble ingredients:

Flour: the foundation of your creation, full of natural nutrients that will nourish your starter.

Water: the element that brings everything together and allows magick to begin.

Time: the most important ingredient of all.

On the first day, you may simply see a mixture of flour and water resting quietly in a jar. Do not be discouraged by its stillness. Much like a seed planted beneath the soil, the greatest transformations often happen before we can see them.

Each day, you will offer your starter a little more flour and water– a small ritual of care and consistency. In return, your starter will begin to show signs of life. Tiny bubbles may appear. A pleasant aroma may develop. The mixture will slowly rise and fall, whispering that the unseen work has begun.

There may be moments when you wonder if anything is happening at all. Trust the process.

Sourdough teaches us a lesson that modern life often forgets: beautiful things cannot be hurried. Growth requires patience. Creation requires trust. And sometimes, the most magickal things are happening quietly beneath the surface.

When your starter is ready, you will know it. It will be lively, bubbly and eager to help you create your first loaf of bread.

And when the moment arrives, remember this: you did not simply make a starter. You welcomed a piece of the ancient art of bread making into your home.

May the hearth forever be warm, the kettle ever full and your bread always rise with blessings.

Until our paths cross again, dear Reader…

FB.

Magickal Housekeeping 101:

/ Freya Bishop / Leave a comment

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.

Seasons of Love: Self-love practices through periods of change

/ Freya Bishop / 2 Comments

Greetings, Friends! (:

I thought for a while about the topic for my next entry and felt like it was appropriate, with Valentine’s Day being tomorrow, to compose an entry about self-love and self-care. We can all be better for ourselves and after all, love begins with establishing a sense of self.

Whether you are ‘celebrating’ Valentine’s Day as a single person or as a taken lover, the tips within this entry will help anyone and everyone who wishes to open themselves up to healing.

  • Plus, this healing is ongoing and is not limited to a day where people buy stuff for each other to proclaim their affections towards each other.

If you would have asked me 10 to 15 years ago if I loved myself, I would have straight up said, “no.” From when I was in the 5th grade, in elementary school, I battled an aggressive eating disorder along with body dysmorphia and that lasted well into my late twenties. It took many years of working on myself to re-calibrate my mind and learn to appreciate me for who and what I am. At 37 years old, I cannot say that I have cracked the code on how to love thy self, but I have learned incredible lessons along the journey of coming home to myself.

As the seasons change and as we age, growing wiser with each passing year, we become more in tune with ourselves. We being developing a taste for what our soul hungers for and do what we must to have more of what we crave in our lives. The bottom line is that we all deserve to find happiness. If you are a magickal practitioner, it’s normal to get swept away by life and get carried away from our practices and rituals. They help cement a solid foundation for us and create that stability. When we come back to ourselves, man, does it feel wonderful to come back home.

  • And on a personal note: this is where I am in my healing journey.
    • I am finding an appreciation to do actions from my heart and the result is profound joy.

Here are some of my tips and rituals to help benefit those who have an open heart and wish to heal:

1.) Put on a happy face:

Fran Drescher, one of my all-time idols, once said in an episode of “The Nanny” that “When you look good, you feel good.” She was definitely onto something quite awe inspiring!

  • For me, part of my beauty ritual is to put on my rose water toner and massage my face with a Rose Quartz roller.
    • Then, I will put on some moisturizer, some make-up, spritz on my favorite perfume (Givenchy’s L’Interdit or Amarige for those curious) and put a few pieces of jewelry from my ‘Tiffany & Company’ collection.
      • I am dolling myself up for me, despite working from home each day.
  • I also will take a moment, in the mirror to look at myself and will smile to myself.
    • Back in the day, THIS task was difficult for me to do.
      • When you are learning how to love yourself, it’s daunting to look at yourself in the mirror and smile at yourself. It takes time, practice, patience and an open heart.
  • To add an element of witchcraft into this practice, all of my makeup and my RQ roller are cleansed and charged under the moon.
    • Certain intentions have been set for each beauty item that I will use as well.
      • It adds power and intention!
  • My favorite beauty item is my lipstick and lately, I have been playing with different hues. I am known for wearing a bold red lip and have adopted a soft pink/coral into my makeup bag. I wear lipstick all day long and have gotten to a point where, “A girl can’t (fill in the blank) that sort of thing without her lipstick.”
    • A wee nod to my favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn who played Holly Golightly in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s.“

Being able to get myself ready for the day helps me feel better and more productive. I feel like I can conquer anything that is thrown in my lap throughout the day. It gives me confidence!

2.) Drink out of a fancy glass when you eat, just because you can:

My grandmother has a closet full of Waterford crystal and I was lucky to inherit some pieces from her collection. I adore using a champagne flute and a goblet when I prepare a meal for myself.

  • Why wait for a special occasion to drink out of a beautiful glass?
    • I never understood why these beautiful glasses will sit, upon a shelf, in a cabinet, collecting dust and not be used… ever. They deserve to be used and appreciated!
      • Celebrate each moment within your life, even the smallest of moments– they count too!

It has become a ritual to break out my special glass and use it whenever I cook a meal for myself: whether it’s breakfast or dinner, it allows me to appreciate the cooking that I have done and savor it.

Here’s my wee blessing for you, my Dear Friend: I toast to you! May you always appreciate and value yourself! Celebrate you on this day. May your goblet be hydrating and full and as you drink from it, may it replenish your spirit! Slàinte Mhath!

3.) Create a ‘feel good’ playlist!:

Music is the ultimate connector of souls and the healer of wounds.

Within my studio and in my home, music is a constant force within it. Whether it’s Billy Joel, Enya or Mozart, having music dance around my living space is beautiful. I even created a playlist for when I am putting on my ‘happy face’ in the morning. It makes all the difference in the world.

Get creative and make a playlist! You can make one for just about anything. For myself, I have playlists that are dedicated to: meditations, Avalon-inspired music, rituals, songs that get in touch with my inner-witch, music for when I am composing my book- the list goes on!

Creating a playlist will help motivate you to do what you wish or need to get done.

4.) Adopt a self-care practice:

This year, one of my goals was to learn how to tend to my nails– both hands and feet. Each week, I tend to them and can say that it’s been a fun experience to learn how to care of them. I now have a new appreciation for my hands.

Other self-care practices that you could incorporate would be journaling, meditating, exercising, Reiki treatments, taking baths, cooking healthier meals, get a weekly or monthly massage, craft a magickal simmer pot (I love these!), take a yoga class.

The sky is the limit! Be bold and adventure into different ways that you can care for yourself. Remember, you are worthy and deserving of this! Caring for yourself and making that time is important. You need it.

5.) Candle Magick:

Pink is the color of love– love of self and love of another.

In my studio, I like to burn a dressed pink candle to remind myself that I am worth that love and its energies that I am manifesting. Sometimes, we forget that and this is a great way to remind yourself that you are deserving of the love that you wish for.

6.) Daily mantras and affirmations:

I started adopting this into my practice several years ago and I found this to be quite profound. For this ritual, you’d stand in front of your mirror and speak to yourself, from the heart.

Some mantras and affirmations that you can use… and you can create your own as well:

  • I am healing myself.
  • I am beautiful and worthy of love.
  • I am a radiant being.
  • I love myself.
  • I am worthy of success and greatness.
  • I deserve to be happy.
  • The life that I dream of is within my reach.

7.) Buy yourself flowers:

If Miley Cyrus taught us anything last year with her Grammy winning hit song “Flowers” it was that we can buy our own darn flowers and love ourselves, unapologetically.

Why wait for someone else to buy them? Personally, I think it’s rot. I find it lovely and empowering to buy them for myself (especially if I am going to be working with them, magickally).

If you have a lovely vase to put them in to admire, even better! AND when you are finished admiring your roses, if you are a fan of roses, that is, you can make Rose Water, my favorite magickal water!

8.) Take yourself out for a date:

It could be a cup of coffee, which happens to be my favorite date, especially when I have a book or a tarot deck in hand. You can even take yourself out to the beach or park. Spend the day being outside with yourself, enjoying your life.

9.) The Healing Energies of Crystals:

In my previous entry, I covered some of the magickal properties and uses of this powerful crystal. Rose Quartz is a powerhouse crystal and it can help someone who is struggling with low self-esteem.

Here’s that entry for those who are curious:

Crystal series- Rose Quartz
And sure, this can open up the door to working with other amazing crystals and believe me, you will expand on your collection in no time! Maybe part of your self-love and self-care practice is to gift yourself a new crystal every now and then! (:

When working with crystals, just make sure that you cleanse and charge them regularly, especially if you are going to be wearing them daily as jewelry or carrying them on you.

10.) Burn shit up:

My cauldron is my sacred tool. When I need to release energies and tension, I light it on fire and create a ritual out of it.

11.) Craft a sacred bath:

As a Water Witch, I gather strength and find solace within the healing element of the water. I enjoy infusing my bath water with fresh rose petals, sprigs of rosemary and other herbal/floral additions that I fancy. Before stepping into the water, I will give the water Reiki to infuse the water with healing energies and with each ingredient, I will continue to infuse Reiki energy into the tub.

On days when I am feeling quite drained, I will do this. When I step out of the tub, I am refreshed and invigorated.

To the Anti-Valentine’s Day Souls:

Now, if you are someone who is against Valentine’s Day as a whole entity, I am right there right you. We all have our reasons for disliking the day and yes, it brings up traumas for different people.

In fact, I will share with you a personal story that not too many people know about me and my family:

Valentine’s Day has been somewhat of a cursed day within my family. My grandfather passed away on Valentine’s Day and growing up, children in elementary/grade school were quite cruel to me on this horrid ‘holiday’. I was avoided at all costs by the majority of my classmates and rumors about how ‘if Freya had a Valentine, you’d die just like her grandfather’ circulated throughout the school and the hallways. Goddess forbid if I had a crush and attempted to give him a Valentine… I was ridiculed in front of the entire class– and that happened, twice! I avoided the day throughout my entire life (including my adult life) but this year, I plan on celebrating the day a wee bit differently.

In my life, I have two people who I love more than anything in the world: my child and my grandmother. We have adventures each day and show our love for each other all day long. Our love is not limited to one day of the year, it is ongoing! On Valentine’s Day, we plan on having a wee party. I am going to make a strawberry cake, some heart cookies and we’ll have some ice cream floats. Maybe I will make a heart shaped pizza too!

I want to teach my child that we show our affections and appreciations constantly towards the ones that we love, not just a day marketed to people to buy a bunch of flowers and candy.

  • Since my child is the next generation, and I do not want my trauma of a stupid, silly holiday passing onto them, it’s important for me to be better and to teach my child about what the day represents.
  • We will also talk a wee bit about my grandfather, their great-grandfather.
    • I have some pictures that I have pulled out that I will show them.
    • Later on, we will light a candle for my grandfather.

Self-love practices are ongoing and we will cultivate different modalities of healing as we go through life. Sure, it’s normal to get discouraged, at times, but never forget that you are worthy of this time. Like with many things in life, this is a practice and you’ll get the hang of it. I believe in you <3

Sending you much love!

FB.

2024– The Come-Back Year!

/ Freya Bishop / Leave a comment

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.