Cottage Witchery (2 page)

There is an emanation for the heart in genuine hospitality

which cannot be described but is immediately felt,

and puts the stranger at once at his ease.

Washington Irving

1

A Witchy Welcome

Welcome and make yourself at home. Have a seat and let's you and I sit and chat. Hmm? What was that? Oh, thanks. We like our house too. I watch as your eyes dart around the living room, looking for signs of witchery. I smile to myself as, for the most part, the magickal accessories are pretty subtle. But I will admit there are a few things that jump right out at you.

Where did I get the stained glass pentacle, you ask? Oh, I made that years ago when I worked at a stained glass shop; everyone thought it was a hex sign. The big old cauldron sitting on the brick hearth? Found it for next to nothing at an antique shop, rusted and stuck in a corner. A little steel wool and black spray paint and it's as good as new.

Your eyes continue to search the room as the family's two cats come strolling in to check out the visitor. They may or may not grace you with their presence by sniffing you over and then perching behind you on the back of the sofa. Other than a few crystal clusters, to you everything looks pretty normal and lived in. Well, this isn't what you were expecting.

You rise and follow me into the kitchen at my question as to whether you'd like something to drink. As I pour your beverage into the glass, you look around the kitchen and check out the mossy-green painted walls and a crafty kitchen witch collection centered on a painted shelf. The herb prints hanging on the walls draw you in for a closer look. Mounded on the counter is a variety of seasonal produce from our family's farm. I tell you to expect to take some home with you. There is way too much there for us to possibly eat.

We make our way back to the living room and you curl up comfortably on the couch, thinking to yourself that you are going to have to do a complete revamp of what you thought a real Witch's house would be. Hmm . . . so now that you are all snug on the couch, how do you feel? Safe, calm, happy, and at ease. Good, that's exactly how you should feel.

Disappointed at the lack of drama? Don't worry, I get that reaction a lot. I have had students come to my home for the first time expecting some suburban-type of Addam's family mansion. They were pretty uptight until they saw that we lived in a ranch-style home in the 'burbs. As they came in and sat on the couch I could see that they were scanning everything as fast as possible. When my three kids came flying down the hall engaged in hand to hand combat, they started to smile. When I excused myself to ask the kids . . .
okay,
to go and yell at the kids to knock it off, my guests started to laugh.

As I came back into the living room to join them, they were grinning. I could only smile back at them and say that what really makes a Witch's home different is the way that it makes you feel. The magickal home carries a particular type of positive psychic vibration. This type of enchanting energy is often expanded upon and refined by the Witch who dwells there. This sort of magickal emanation puts welcomed guests and family at ease. It is both a strength and a comfort. If you think about it, a home that exudes a sense of hospitality and welcome is a type of natural magick all of its own.

So you're here because you'd like to learn a few natural magick practices for your own hearth and home? Great, you've come to the right place! The tips and techniques of bringing a little witchery into the place where you live are both simple and down-to- earth. These are subtle types of magick: think handmade and homegrown—a leaf from a tree, a flower grown in the yard, herbs and spices, candle spells and color magick. The enchanting household accessories, charms, and spells may not be glaringly obvious to the casual observer, but they are powerful magick nonetheless. Many of the ingredients cottage witchery calls for are, more often than not, already readily available to you, possibly lurking about in the spice rack or outside, compliments of good old Mother Nature.

Now before you think to yourself
Oh, she's just going to talk about kitchen witch stuff,
let me point out a few things to you here. For starters, I really hate to cook. I
can
cook, I just would prefer not to. So don't worry, I will not be bombarding you with recipes. I'll leave that to the culinary magicians. Also, something else you may want to consider is that traditionally much of the spellwork of the wise women/cunning men originated from the hearth. And the hearth is where the family of olden times prepared herbal remedies, cooked their food, and gathered together. It was the natural place for magick, as the hearth exuded light and warmth and was literally the heart of the home.

Where we love is home,

home that our feet may leave,

but not our hearts.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Magickal Heart of the Home

Alas, today very few homes have a central hearth. They may lay claim to a fireplace or a wood-burning stove if they are fortunate, but for today's modern Witch the hearth area is actually the kitchen. Think about it. Dinner is prepared there, kids do their homework at the kitchen table, bills are paid, crises are faced, and games are played as the family gathers around the table. Whenever there is a gathering of family and friends, folks usually hang out in the kitchen. At circle meetings at my house, the ladies usually all end up crammed into the kitchen, laughing and snacking. My first thought was because that's where the food was, but nope, they always seem to congregate in the kitchen.

Where do you suppose the heart of your magickal home lies? Is it in the kitchen? Or is it in the living room, gathered around the coffee table, eating pizza with your kids and watching a movie? Is your favorite spot in a chair next to your fireplace? Or is it sitting out on your deck or back porch? Everyone's heart of the home will be unique, and that's as it should be. So while you're thinking about this, get up and take a walk around your place. Close your eyes after you enter the rooms and cast out your senses. Really try to get an impression for what type of energy you have going on in there. Typically you will find a couple of places that pull both visitors and family members alike.

Home is where the heart is, they say. And keep in mind that the most powerful magick always comes from the heart. That makes a modern Witch's home a powerful magickal place, to be sure. There is actually a spiritual connection between ourselves and our homes. When the energies of nature are welcomed within and our homes are blessed with magickal purpose, they do become sacred spaces. Within your magickal sanctuary, you'll always feel a bit of serenity, no matter where you live, how rotten your day at work was, or how much your kids drive you crazy.

If you want to start turning your place into a magickal sanctuary, you can begin by cleaning house. Think of this as cleaning not only on the physical level but also on the astral plane. The astral level is where magick lives. The astral can't always be seen but it can, with practice, be sensed. So we should not overlook this important aspect while we prepare to clean house. If you approach this task with magickal intention, then it becomes an act of magick. Let's send those dust bunnies and old negativity on their way! Haul out the vacuum and the broom, and get out the dust rag. Visualize that you are capturing old hurt feelings and unpleasant emotions while you sweep. As you dust and polish, imagine that you are wiping away grime and bad luck. Here's a cottage witchery tip: If you use a lemon-scented furniture polish, the scent of lemons will help dispel bad vibes and negativity. How about those curtains—when was the last time they were washed? What about the shades or blinds, could they stand to be wiped down? Add a drop or two of lavender oil to your cleaning water and cleanse those blinds or shades while you freshen things up.

Clean your house from top to bottom, get rid of the clutter, and then take out the garbage. Take a hard look at what's lying around and see what you can dispose of. Toss out old magazines, recycle the old newspapers and aluminum cans, donate old clothes or kid's outgrown ones to a shelter, and clear all of that extra junk out of your home. Try burning a little incense while you clean. Sandalwood's a good choice—typically this scent is used to promote spirituality and to remove negativity. Or—weather permitting—open the windows and let the fresh air in.

Finally, go take a look at your magickal bookshelf or cabinet. Could it stand to be reorganized and straightened out as well? Yup, I thought so. Mine always manages to become untidy too. I don't know how it happens, but I always seem to be straightening it back up. How it manages to get so messy in the first place is a constant mystery to me.

Once you've gotten the clutter and the mess under control, we can begin to work our cottage witchery. By taking control of your surroundings you can begin to trigger the natural magick of your hearth and home. Those elemental energies are all around you anyway, why not direct them toward creating harmony in your life? Now that your place is clean and sparkling on both the physical and astral planes, we are ready to begin. Where do we start, you may wonder? We start by blessing the heart of your home.

a natural magick blessing
for the heart of the home

Here is a natural magick blessing to try out. Why am I diving into this so quickly? Because I am a hands-on type of Witch. I want to give you some magick to perform right away. You are going to be very busy for a while getting your magickal home in order . . . so, let's get to it! Pick the room or rooms that you feel are the heart of your home and gather these simple and elemental supplies.

* A small dish of salt to represent the earth and prosperity

* A stick of incense (your choice of scent) and a holder; the scented smoke represents air and knowledge

* A red candle and a coordinating candleholder for fire and courage

* A small bowl of water for water and love

* Matches or a lighter

Straighten and clean the room or rooms to be blessed. Then light the candle and the incense. Place the candle in the center of the room. Beginning in the east, and moving in a deosil (clockwise) motion, work your way slowly around the room. First sprinkle a bit of salt in each corner. Then carry the incense around, waving a little of the smoke to help it flow. Next sprinkle a bit of the water around the perimeter of the room. Then settle in front of the candle and visualize the blessings from each of the four elements.

There is the gift of prosperity from deep in the earth. Knowledge is sent along a fragrant breeze from the air. Courage is rewarded to you from the bright, dancing flames of fire, and love embraces you from the emotional element of water. Picture these elemental gifts in your mind and then visualize both you and the people or pets who live with you receiving an equal share of these offerings. When you are ready, center yourself and repeat this blessing:

Elements four I call, release now your power,

As I bless my home in this magickal hour.

No negativity can enter, no spirits shall roam,

As I consecrate and protect the heart of my home.

As you finish the charm, draw a circle in the air above the candle flame with your finger. Spiral it up faster and faster, higher and higher, until you fling the energy off and out into the room. Then close up the spell by saying,

This home is now blessed by my will and desire,

I close this spell by earth, air, water, and fire.