Blessed Yule!

Blessed Yule!

Yule, Yuletide or the winter solstice, happens usually around the 21st to the 25th (it depends for each year!) The winter solstice is a celebration of the longest night and shortest day of the year: after that, days will get longer again! It's a great time to celebrate home, family, friends, and reflect on ourselves. It also celebrates the eternal cycle of light and dark, life and death.

Crystals that are good to have for Yule are Ametrine, Orange Calcite, Ruby, Turquoise, Garnet, Bloodstone, Snowflake Obsidian and Onyx

For food, you can think of fruit (like oranges!), dried fruit, nuts, or even drink cider!

Colors that go well for Yule are, of course, red, green, white, silver and gold!

What to do for Yule

Decorate a Christmas/Yule tree. It's also a great activity if you are still in the broom closet

Bake a Yule log (the cake!), gingerbread cookies, plum pudding, or other recipes you usually make for the holidays. For example, fruit pies are always a big thing in my house during Christmas, so I also bake some for Yule!

Since Yule is a great time for reflection, make sure you take some time for that. Sit down and think about what happened in your life this year, meditate on it, try to see what was good and what was bad, and how to fix/change the latter. Do shadow work. Be grateful, make bullet points of your year's highlights. Using divination tools, like making a tarot spread about yourself/your situation, is also a great way to do that. Sometimes, it's even easier because the tool might bring up points you would've never thought of.

Have fun with family and friends! Yule is about the love and warmth around you, that also goes for the people you love.

Take a cleansing bath or shower! It's time to let go of things that you don't need anymore: and cleansing yourself helps to move on, to get rid of energies that no longer serve you. It will make some space for new things to come!

Go take a walk outside! Go appreciate the cold and how calm winter is.

Watch the sunrise and sunset. Afterall, it is the shortest day of the year, and it's nice to really see it.

With all that being said, I wish a blessed Yule to all! Take care of yourselves and have fun :)

If you're seeing this, it's a sign to claim your energy ✨️ hit like & claim your manifestations ☆

Witches in History - Podcast Recs

If you prefer your history lessons in podcast form, here’s a list of audio treats about witches, witch trials, and witch panics, from antiquity to the modern day. Check out these shows on your favorite podcast app!

I will update this list as I find new examples. Feel free to add your own!

(Last Updated October 16, 2023 - Full post under Read More)

Witches & Witch Trials in History

Hex Positive

Ep. 3 - Hex Positive June 1, 2020 Bree delves into what it means to be Hex Positive, as well as discussing and dismantling some of the confusion surrounding the use of hexes and curses. Just what IS the Threefold Law, anyway? The answer may surprise you.

Ep. 19 - The Trouble with Tarot August 1, 2021 Tarot and tarot-reading have been a part of the modern witchcraft movement since the 1960s. But where did these cards and their meanings come from? Are they secretly Ancient Egyptian mystical texts? Do they have their origins among the Romani people? Are they a sacred closed practice that should not be used by outsiders? Nope, nope, and nope. This month, we delve into the actual history of tarot cards, discover their origins on the gaming tables of Italy and France, meet the people who developed their imagery and symbolism into the deck we know today, and debunk some of the nonsense that’s been going around lately concerning their use. The Witchstorian is putting on her research specs for this one!

Ep. 20 - Witchcraft and the Law September 1, 2021 A discussion of the history of witchcraft-related laws and how changing views on magic, religion, and superstition first denied the existence of witches, then panicked over their alleged activities, and finally settled into something resembling common sense. This is a long slog, encompassing over 3000 years of history from a broomstick-height view, and I get off on a few tangents where history crosses paths with modern issues. But if you’re a history buff, you’re gonna love this episode!

Ep. 21 - Witchcraft and Modern Law September 21, 2021 A follow-up to Ep. 20, this time dealing with modern legal codes that may affect our practices even if they don’t deal with witchcraft directly. There is also some discussion of 20th-century events missed in the previous episode, as well as a brief overview of witch hunts still occurring in some parts of the world today.

Ep. 22 - Bree and Lozzie vs the Witch Hunters October 1, 2021 Bree NicGarran and guest host Lozzie Stardust run down the history and many misdeeds of notorious witch hunters Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne.

Ep. 23 - The Name of the Game November 1, 2021 Bree delves into the history, myths, and urban legends surrounding Ouija boards. Along the way, we’ll uncover their origins in the spiritualist movement, discover the pop culture phenomenon that labeled them portals to hell, and try to separate fact from internet fiction with regard to what these talking boards can actually do.

Ep. 28 - The Easter-Ostara Debacle April 1, 2022 Bree puts on her Witchstorian hat once more to delve into the origins of both Easter  and Ostara and to finally answer the age-old question: which came first  – the bunny or the egg?

Ep. 036 - Margaret Effing Murray with Trae Dorn July 1, 2023 Margaret Murray was a celebrated author, historian, folklorist, Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, first-wave feminist, and the first woman to be appointed to the position of lecturer in archaeology in the UK. So why so we get so annoyed whenever her name is mentioned in conversations about witchcraft? Well, it all has to do with a book Margaret wrote back in 1921…which just so happened to go on to have a profound influence on the roots of the modern witchcraft movement. Nerd & Tie senpai and host of BS-Free Witchcraft Trae Dorn joins me in the virtual studio to discuss the thoroughly-discredited witch-cult hypothesis, Murray’s various writings and accomplishments, and why modern paganism might not have caught on so strongly without her.

BS-Free Witchcraft

Ep 03: The History of Wicca October 06, 2018 On this episode Trae digs deep into the history of Wicca, and tries to give the most accurate history of the religion as they can. I mean, yeah, we know this is a general Witchcraft podcast, but Wicca is the most widely practiced form of Witchcraft in the US, UK, Canada and Australia… so how it got started is kind of important for the modern Witchcraft movement. (And trust me, there aren’t any pulled punches here.)

Ep. 28: The Burning Times May 30, 2020 On this installment of the podcast, we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual “Burning Times,” where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft? It’s a heavy one, folks.

Ep. 33: The Wheel of the Year March 27, 2021 After two fairly depressing episodes, it’s time to move on to something a little less bleak. This time around we’re talking about the Wheel of the Year! Well, at least the basic idea. Where did it come from, who slapped these eight holidays together, and are they really something every witch needs to give a crap about? (Minor spoiler, the answer to that last question is a firm “no.”)

Ep. 39. - Mabon and Aidan Kelly Sept. 25, 2021 In the last few years there has been some minor push back against using the name “Mabon” for the Autumnal Equinox. In this episode we’re going to talk about how Mabon got its name, who came up with the name, and why exactly a small group of British Traditional Wiccans are so mad about it. (Spoiler: it’s because a bunch of Gardnerian Wiccans are mad at Aidan Kelly.)

Ep. 43 - “Lilith” Jan. 29, 2022 As long as I can remember, people have been debating whether or not it’s okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There’s so much misinformation in new age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it’s hard for some witches to get a clear picture. Like I’ve run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a “Goddess,” which she very much isn’t. Let’s dive into the origins of the folklore surrounding this figure, and I’ll let you decide whether or not it’s okay to work with Lilith. But, uh, spoiler – I don’t think you should.

Ep. 53 - Modern Witchcraft History Nov. 26, 2022 This episode of BS-Free Witchcraft is actually a panel from CritWitchCon 2022 this last October. Spend an hour with Alex Wrekk, Bree NicGarran, Lozzie Stardust, and Trae Dorn as they talk about the history of modern witchcraft. Also you get to list to Trae speed run like 130 years of history in under five minutes. [It was epic.]

Ep. 54 - A Conversation with Aidan Kelly Dec. 31, 2022 Trae sits down with Aidan Kelly (yes THE Aidan Kelly) to discuss the September 2021 episode listed above and set the record straight about Kelly’s new Wheel of the Year.

Keep reading

Things I do for work as a witch in the service/restaurant industry ✨💵

Hi, so I am a hostess/waitress but I am also a pagan witch so here are some things I do for work. Both before, during, and after

Before work

I typically will light the abundance candle that is in my money bowl and sit with it as I get ready, this helps me focus on manifesting abundance through my routine

I love glamour magic, and have charged some of my makeup that I wear for work to help manifest money and abundance in my life. I did this specifically with my highlighter, but you can do this with any part of your routine whether that be makeup, or skin or hair products

Some of my jewelry is charmed for abundance, the silver hoops I wear in my first lobes at work are charmed for abundance and money.

I carry citrine and Smokey quartz in my wallet to draw money in but also keep it safe and encourage smart spending

I carry a pouch in my bra(you can carry it in your pocket as well, I just wear tight jeans at work and it’s more comfortable for me to carry it there) in this I have bay leaf, marjoram, Rosemary, pyrite, amazonite, and moss agate. These all have their specific uses. But the general over arching property is abundance.

I use my abundance oil and draw sigils on my throat and on the inside of my arms. I also use my protection oil on my chest

My perfume is charmed as well and I spray that before work

I sometimes will do a tarot reading to get a feel for the energy of my upcoming shift

After work

First thing I do when I get home from work is cleanse myself, both physically and energetically. I typically with take a shower, I use products that contain herbs like rosemary and lavender to benefit both from their medicinal uses and their magical properties

While I shower I typically with think about how the night went, practicing mindfulness is a important part of manifesting

After I’m out of the shower I apply my skincare, which I find is a useful tool in building up a good foundation for the night. It makes me feel completely reset

I will then recount my tips from the night and right down my hours. I do this while sitting at my altar and burning my abundance and protection candles.

Then I put any money I want to save into my money bowl. This allows me to sort of recharge its energy at the end of each night

If you have any questions or have a topic you want me to cover feel free to leave a comment or send me a dm 🖤✨

✨🍂🪔 Blessed SAMHAIN 🪔🍂✨

May your honor those who passed this year and all the ancestors 

May the thinning of the veils allow for the wisdom of the ancestors to imbue you

May you be intimate with your darkness and find inspiration and resilience in it

May recollections of what has been fuel your attunement to and excitement for what is to be

May the turning of the year shower you with peace, clarity, strength, vision, and joy

May your Soul's wishes manifest as plentiful as seeds of a lush pomegranate

May the new cycle come bearing abundant fruits, gifts, and rewards for you

May you find wholeness and bliss in honoring all your relations, mother Earth, and Self

May you joyfully embrace the infinite cycles of life - birth, death, rebirth

May this Samhain cleanse your mind, heart, and being!