mrs-k-cottage-witch

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Cold Moon - December 26, 2023

Bundle up, witches! It's time for the Cold Moon!

Cold Moon

The Cold Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of December, particularly appropriate this year as the full moon will occur late in the month, smack in the middle of the bleak midwinter.

This will be another month when the moon appears full for two nights in a row, so we'll have a full moon for Christmastime, with peak illumination on Dec 26th at 7:33pm EST. (A perfect aesthetic for those who are fans of the classic poem "A Visit From St Nicholas" aka "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Personally, I'm holding out hope that we'll have the snowy conditions to match, though it's a long shot.)

Like most full moon names, the Cold Moon takes its' moniker from an English translation of a traditional name used by one or more North American indigenous groups. There are a number of indigenous names that reference the wintry conditions when this moon occurs, including Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), Winter Moon (Tunica-Biloxi), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), and Long Night Moon (Mohican). More evocative names include Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree) and Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), both of which refer to a phenomenon which occurs during extreme cold, when the sap inside a tree freezes and the expanding pressure causes portions of the bark or even entire limbs to "pop" with loud cracking sounds that can be heard for miles.

Other names for the December moon include Yule Moon (Norse origins), Oak Moon (Celtic origins), and Bitter Moon (Chinese origins).

What Does It Mean For Witches?

The year is winding down. It's time to wrap up our projects and put aside what we haven't finished or no longer need. Rather than berating ourselves for the things we didn't finish or didn't accomplish, this is a time to give ourselves some grace and celebrate our successes and triumphs and the things we DID accomplish.

With only one page left on the calendar, many of us are already looking ahead to the new year, making plans and setting goals. This is a good time to brainstorm and engage in a bit of broad-view planning. Sketch out the things you'd like to see or do or try in the new year. Give voice to your dreams and start thinking of ways to make them happen.

The Cold Moon also falls soon after the winter solstice this year (Dec 21), which could be a boon for anyone looking to time their seasonal rituals in optimal fashion. A working could be begun on the solstice and built up to culminate on the night of the Cold Moon, just before the start of a new calendar year.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

Have a small supper gathering with friends or family (holiday themed or not, it's up to you) to share joys and fellowship and enjoy good food and drink. Make wishes together for the new year. (Wish jars can be done individually or as an informal group ritual. Sharing wishes anonymously can be a fun party game.) A "White Elephant" gift exchange with inexpensive or homemade witchy goods for your circle could be fun too!

Make a wish jar for the new year on the winter solstice and put it out to charge under the Cold Moon. Cleanse any of your tools or crystals or accoutrements that you use moonlight for one more time this year.

This is the perfect time for divinations and goalsetting for the coming year. Pull out your favorite divination tools and your 2024 planner and sketch out the coming year. You can also try candle wax divination with holiday candles, if that's something that interests you.

Also, save those seasonal bayberry candles for future use! They're great for debt repayment and money-drawing spells.

If you need some ideas for a fun family activity, you can feed the birds for good luck, either with scattered birdseed or pinecone birdfeeders. String dried fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, holly leaves and berries, and other seasonal faves to make garlands. Stick apples or oranges or clementines full of cloves in pretty patterns to make pomanders.

Use those fibre arts skills to create a special piece to keep your home warm and safe and well-supplied until spring. It doesn't have to be anything big - a simple weaving or single square will do. Crochet or cut out snowflakes for your home decor. If you want to get fancy, pick up a ball of cotton warp thread and look for old doily patterns - they look great as hoop weavings hung on the wall (or make a witch web in winter colors).

Make one more batch of moonwater to carry you through to the new year. If it happens to snow or freeze where you live, you can save clean snow or icicles for special (non-drinkable) elemental water, which can be a fun base for moonwater as well.

And speaking of elements, make sure to remember in all your seasonal decorating that fire safety is paramount. Be careful with your candles, warmers, light strings, plugs, extension cords, and cables. DO NOT "daisy chain" your extension cords or power strips. Never leave candles or wax warmers or simmer pots unattended, and turn off your holiday lights before bedtime. Safety first, witches!

Thanks for joining me for this exploration of full moon magic. See you next year!

Happy Cold Moon, witches! 🌕🧊

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts

Moon Rise Calculator - The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Cold Moon: Full Moon in December 2023, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Full Moon December 2023: Illuminating the Cold Moon's Spiritual Meaning, The Peculiar Brunette.

How Do Trees Survive The Winter?, National Forest Foundation.

How to Make Pomander Balls, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Fun Kid's Activity: Winter Pinecone Bird Feeder, Audubon Southwest.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

My favorite simple wards to guard the home

Hanging rosemary above the doorstep, and/or above doors of the house for protection.

Sprinkling a line of dried red pepper on a windowsill, to counter a curse.

Placing a mix of dried & ground eggshells and black pepper in every corner of a room to keep out unwanted spirits.

Placing a decoration representing a witch in the kitchen, to keep away illness and to favor health.

Crafting an effigie (no matter how crude!) and make it into the guardian of your home by charging it with your intent of protection and placing it near the front door.

Crafting small witch ladders to hang around the house.

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

The Green Witch's Oracle Deck is finally here!

A few favourite cards.

This is a 50 card deck. It's a pretty standard large oracle card size. Cardstock could be a bit thicker. The backs are busy: flowers and herbs on a black background.

The art is by Sara Richard. Her art is inspired by "Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Victorian funerary imagery, and the beauty of the natural world." If you're wondering if her art looks familiar, it's because she also illustrated the Midnight Magic Tarot (a mushroom deck) and she's also done the illustrations in The Green Witch's Garden. I wouldn't call the art in this deck minimalist but it's not exploding with symbolism either. The first deck that came to mind when I saw the art was the Anatomy of a Witch Oracle (another favourite of mine).

The cards aren't divided into "suits" or anything like that but you can see how cards could be grouped together. You have herbs, gardening tools, the seasons, parts of plants, sowing and harvesting, the weather, etc. There's a cauldron card and a watering can card.

The guidebook is in full colour and includes five spreads + the one card draw. I haven't really looked at the book.

I don't have any complaints. At first I was going to complain about the empty space but actually I kind of like it and it's not that bad.

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Holy shit there are so many birds

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Let me tell you about Sockstice

We made up a holiday in my house…

For Sockstice, all of my housemates buy socks for each other. It becomes a weird psychological experiment to see what my housemates think of each other due to their sock purchases. I have ended up with several pairs of socks with cats on them. We started this because everyone (well, adults) like to get socks, but no one wants to buy them for themselves. They are relatively inexpensive and are a small gift to give.

After our house sock exchange we have people over who bring their orphaned socks (because their match was lost in the dryer) and see if there is a match in our pile of orphan collective socks. This is also an amnesty for housemates who may have ended up with each others socks over the year.

Guests also bring a wrapped pair of new socks for the general sock exchange white elephant. This is like your normal white elephant where you can choose a wrapped pair from the pile or are permitted to steal particularly intriguing socks from the fellow guests. it’s silly and it is fun.

We drink mulled wine and cider, we write bad things from the past year on paper and toss then in the fire and sometimes we play Apples to Apples because that games always makes everyone laugh, and laughter is very important in the wet and dark days of winter.

A few people I know have started celebrating sockstice (od SockMas) in other cities and that makes me really happy to spread such a fun and silly thing) I think next year I’d like to combine Sockstice with some sort of sock drive for a charity but I’ll have to wait and see how that pans out.

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

New in the PBW Witch Shop catalog: Hex You Ex zine!

Added this fun zine from @eterniapress to the catalog: Hex Your Ex a collection of spells to grt back at (or with) that fucker. I also forgot I @upthewitchypunx ) had contributed to this! It's a cute little zine that is exactly what the title says.

Check out this zine and lots of other zines and books on witchcraft, magic, and occult topics at the PBW Witch Shop!

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Hex Positive - Year One

On May 1st, 2020, I embarked on a new project - a podcast based in practical secular witchcraft which combined advice for practitioners, discussion of the modern witchcraft movement, and the history behind our practices. Needless to say, it's been a RIDE!

Starting in June, we begin Year Two, so now's a great time to get caught up. Whether you're just beginning to listen or want to revisit some old favorites, here's the episode listing for Year One of Hex Positive and the Witch Ways minisodes. All of these (plus lots of bonus eps) are available on your favorite podcatcher and the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network site.

Remember to rate and review on Apple Podcasts, check out my Patreon, and recommend the show to your witchy friends and neighbors. The more, the merrier!

Hex Positive Episodes

Ep. 001 - Welcome to the Table

Ep. 002 - What Is A Witch?

Ep. 003 - Hex Positive

Ep. 004 - Advice for Beginner Witches

Ep. 005 - They Blinded Me With SCIENCE...Denial (Guest Host: Trae Dorn)

Ep. 006 - Come In For A Spell, pt. 1

Ep. 007 - Come In For A Spell, pt. 2

Ep. 008 - Things That Go Bump, pt. 1 (Guest Host: Jenn aka The Ouija Girl)

Ep. 009 - Things That Go Bump, pt. 2

Ep. 010 - Personal Traditions with Kai (Guest Host: Kai of Witchcraft For The Restless)

Ep. 011 - Secular Celebrations

Ep. 012 - Witching From The Broom Closet

Ep. 013 - Consent and Modern Love Magic

Ep. 014 - American Druidry with Dana O'Driscoll (Guest Host: Dana O'Driscoll)

Ep. 015 - Let's Get Wyrd with Lozzie Stardust (Guest Host: Lozzie Stardust)

Ep. 016 - Listener Questions Episode

Witch Ways Episodes

Witch Ways 01 - Bree's Banishing Powder

Witch Ways 02 - Seven-Year Bath

Witch Ways 03 - The Water of Life

Witch Ways 04 - Sickroom Salt

Witch Ways 05 - Don Thy Armor

Witch Ways 06 - Blackberry and Thyme

Witch Ways 07 - More Flies With Honey

Witch Ways 08 - Ornament Charms

Witch Ways 09 - Threshold Powder

Witch Ways 10 - Apple Of My Eye

Witch Ways 11 - Simple Joys Powder

Witch Ways 12 - Not On My Watch Vinegar

Witch Ways 13 - Straw Into Gold

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

help me. i wanna curse someone who bullied me my whole life and made me suicidal. i dont care what happens, i just kinda wanna ruin his life. (is that bad?) anyway, where do i begin?

*slides list of curses over to you* You begin with anger, and use one of these. Pick what suits you, and if you have questions from there…ask away.

Hatred Bound Hex 

Curse of the Golden Chrysanthemum

Kitchen Witch Cursing 

Heart of My Enemies Curse- No Meat Version

Heart of My Enemies Curse

Pins and Needles Curse

Unlucky Penny Curse

Eat Your Words Curse

Curse Jar

Quick Curses

You Have a Heart Curse

Curse of Storm Cradle

“Loaded Dice” Curse

The Dead Match Curse

Cursing Powder

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Jars & Bottles

I think it’s been established on tumblr that witches tend to love dem bottles and revel in collecting empty jars & bottles to use them for witchcraft. I have grown to have an assortment of different types of jars & bottles and this got me thinking about how I could incorporate the type of bottle into my workings.Here is my list so far (I would love suggestions for more associations xD):

Olive jar- peaceful resolution, successful court case/legal matters, finding what you are looking for

Honey jar- love, sweetening works

Pickle jar- souring jars, curses

Hot sauce bottle- hexes (“shut your mouth spells”), domination work

Baby food jar- developing or growing, work for family or loved ones

Coconut milk can- cleansing/purification work, beauty

Jam jar- squashing family fighting, uniting work

Coffee can- money work, increasing power

Bean can- prosperity work, good luck

Olive oil bottle- blessings, protection work

Wine bottle- confuse/disorient enemies, offering work

Whiskey/rum bottle- spirit or ancestor work, protection work

Salsa jar- domination work, passion

Maple syrup bottle- to slow yourself or others, sweetening works, binding work

*I also included cans because I find empty cans are lovely to work with as you can keep your work all within the can by putting in your candle and then sprinkling in herbs/ash/offerings/ect around the bottom of the can

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

🗡️ Jinxes, Hexes, & Curses 🗡️

🗡️  JINXES -  quick-lasting, harmless but mean-spirited.

nox - a spell to end a source of light or positivity

your heart in my hand -  to send someone nightmares and to feel a general sense of being lost in life

burn your wishes - a simple curse to destroy someone’s wishes

spell of shattered sight -  a spell that makes a person only see the most ugly aspects of themselves and others around them

🗡️ HEXES - mal-intended spells with temporary effects. 

burst your bubble -  a simple curse to destroy someone’s ego/hope

hex for a player -  a curse from scorned lovers to the one breaking hearts, to give them difficulty finding anyone to be with romantically/sexually

cerberus hex - attacks what hurts things under plutonic protection spell

breezeblocks curse -  to affect someone you resent for leaving

pumpkin head - seasonal hex to “burn” those who wrong you

bad moon rising - a revenge curse, general misfortune for a month

🗡️ CURSES - intense, powerful and long lasting.  

to sink a sailor -  to symbolically drown someone 

marooned sailor curse -  a curse to strand them alone in life. 

avada kedavra - a curse not to kill, but to make the target feel death’s presence in their life. 

imperius curse -  to make the intended feel helpless, that things in their life are out of their power and control

cruciatus curse  - to create pain in the life of the intended, whether physical or emotional

seven devils curse -  a curse to burn the kingdom of and haunt the target

thorn in my side - a curse for abusers

red in your ledger - to return the hurt someone has done

if you take issue with cursing, jinxing, or hexing, that is your craft, but please do not add onto this post telling witches not to curse because “karma”, “the three fold law” or whatever.  mind your own craft. 

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

All-Purpose Cursing Powder

Intent: To really fuck up someone’s day. Useful for all types of curses from casual to severe.

Ingredients:

Cayenne

Black Pepper

White Pepper

Jalapeño Powder

Bloodroot

Black Walnut Hull

Cinnamon

Cramp Bark

Nettle

Paprika

Onion Powder

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle (or spice grinder)

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

Note: Powdered versions of most herbs are available online. I recommend such sites as Starwest Botanicals and Penn Herbs for the quality products at reasonable prices. Also, if you can get your hands on a good spice grinder, you can make your own powder from dried herb products. Grind each ingredient separately to produce fine powder. Sieve the material through the mesh strainer into the collection dish; this removes the larger unground pieces and gives you cleaner powdered herb. (Pro-Tip: Putting a funnel under the mesh strainer reduces lost material and makes collection much easier.) Combine the component powders in the collection dish, mix well, and bottle immediately. For volume, go heavier on the less expensive or more easily available materials like Cayenne, Black Pepper, Paprika, Cinnamon, and Onion Powder. Otherwise, combine in more or less even amounts. This mix is all-purpose. Add to curse jars or toxic person removal spells for an extra bite. Drop a pinch in your enemy’s yard or on their doorstep for instant casual cursing. Whisper the name of a person you want to curse and blow a small amount of powder downwind (so it doesn’t come back in your face). Sprinkle into burning bowls or incenses for crossing, hexing, and ill-wishing. (Please note that some of these materials are irritants; do not inhale the powder or the smoke that rises from it, and do NOT add it to food or drink as a method of delivery.)

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Instant Magic: Using Prepackaged Spice Mixes

Adobo Seasoning Mix: Adobo is a traditional Mexican spice mix containing paprika, black pepper, onion pepper, oregano, cumin, hot chilies, and garlic powder. Magical uses include protection, banishing, or hex breaking. Combine half a jar of adobo seasoning mix with two cups of corn flour. Sprinkle around the outside of your home to get rid of negative energies.

Apple Pie Spice: A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom, apple pie spice is the perfect mix for spicing things up with your partner! Dress a red candle in grape-seed or olive oil- avoiding the wick- and roll it in apple pie spice. Burn while spending time with your lover. Or sprinkle this mix over a self-lighting charcoal instead.

Cajun Seasoning Mix: Generally a blend of paprika, salt, black and white peppers, garlic, onion powder, thyme, and cayenne, Cajun seasoning is perfect for strong protection. Use this mix to form circles when doing important works. Sprinkle just a pinch in the hoes of someone who needs a little watching over.

Chili Powder: Made with salt, hot chilies, onion, oregano, and garlic, chili powder is great for keeping away illness. Leave out tiny bowls of chili powder- out of reach of pets and children- during cold and flu season to help ward off illness.

Chinese Five-Spice Powder: Chinese Five-Spice Powder is an amazing blend of star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, hot peppers, cloves, ginger, and licorice root. This mix lends itself to several kinds of herbal magic, including love spells, spells for igniting passion, and even spells for retaining information.

Cinnamon Sugar: With sugar sweetening a person or situation and cinnamon speeding up a spell, the two work great together when you need to get someone on your side quickly. Serve cinnamon toast to someone who could use some convincing. Sprinkling a little of the mix where you know a person will walk might influence them to look more kindly on your situation.

Curry Powder: Curry powder recipes can vary greatly brand to brand, so it’s helpful that the mix already has some traditional uses! Turn to curry powder for protection, memory retention, and fertility spells.

Montreal Steak Seasoning: A combination of paprika, black and red peppers, garlic, salt, onion, dill, and coriander, this spice mix contains many of the individual ingredients you’d need to protect yourself or your home from ghosts or other negative energies. Create four small cloth pouches, fill them with this blend, and hang one in each of the farthest corners of your home.

Pickling Spice: Pickling spice can contain a wide variety of herbs and spices, but most are a mix of mustard seed, coriander, black pepper, dill, fennel seed, celery seed, and bay leaf. This combination can be used for many different intents, such as protection from ghosts or luck, lust, and wish magic.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice is one of my all-time favorite blends. I usually carry a small container of this mixture of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in my on-the-go kit to add to almost any spell to “speed it up.” It’s also a great blend for business ventures, money draw, and simple healing spells.

Source: Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery- Kris Bradley

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Judaism: "Magic is technically not allowed unless you have a PHD in Judaism. Even then it's kinda its own thing. Listen, it's complicated, it starts with neoplatonic-"

Christianity: "Magic is definitely not allowed but it's existence is a little...devious...risque... Christ can command demonic forces you know...c'mon, let's be a bit bad today. If we aren't, Christ died for nothing."

Islam: "Our prohibitions against magic are at constant odds with our deep respect for a well constructed Quranic loophole." [Brushes 400th mystic sect under the rug]

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

I am apparently working on becoming a local cryptid at the store. Talents include:

Monitoring the changing of the seasons via mozzarella

Predicting the weather by picking up a piece of cheese and mysteriously saying “oh, the storm is gonna be bigger than we thought...” just before thunder

Mind reading, e.g. “Can you help me find a cheese? It’s called, uh... [starts fishing out shopping list]” “Gruyere?” “...yes O_o”

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Let the obsessive research begin!

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

hey yall I'm looking for witch blogs that are active, if you are a witch please reblog this and I will follow you, I need mutuals ✨️