Being a Eclectic witch means you don't follow just one certain path. You choose to learn magical things from various cultures. Let's explore this idea. I'm as white as it gets - Scandinavian, blond (now grey) with blue eyes should I even attempt Hoodoo? Some would admittedly say NO, I don't have the right to do an African based magical system. Okay, I see your point, but what if their way of handling herbs and roots is of great interest to me as I work with the spirits of herbs/roots regularly in my practice? I start by respecting every aspect of their culture, deities and spirits and learn all I can before I attempt to use any herbs. I'm limited because there's no way for me to connect with their ancestors, but I want to learn all I can from the ones who can. The way Voodoo and Hoodoo practitioners use the spirits of the herbs is far different then how, say, Cunningham would use them. Cunnigham is a bit "fluffy bunny", not all my magic is "fluffy...

Have you even been drawn to gathering or harvesting herbs, flowers, roots, etc and had NO IDEA why?  Yeah, that just happened to me. I was outside with Asher, my tiny Hell hound, and had the irresistible urge to pluck acorns off our neighbors tree. Now, in the 16 years we've lived here I've never been "inspired" to pluck acorns from their tree. Strange? Then I couldn't help myself, I had to harvest all the seed pods off our Iris Oriental bush. So I got a bowl and scissors and gathered a bunch. Then took all the seeds out, keeping the pods in tact so they still made a 3 pointed star. Good grief. Why?  I looked up the magical meaning for Iris, here's what I found:  "Iris species. A Moon plant, orris root is good for digging deep into the Moon-ruled subconscious and uprooting what is hidden. Like any Moon herb, it can also be used in divination and dream work. The iris is also called the fleur-de-lis, so this Moon plant has often been associated with dom...

 Ravens Once upon a time and long ago, Odin was walking under the branches of Yggdrasil when two ravens swooped down and settled upon his shoulders. The raven on his left was white as the mists of Niflheim (for back then, all ravens were white), and his eyes mirrored the clouds. The raven on his right glistened in the sun like the snows of Jotunheim, and looked at him with bright clear eyes. And Odin called the raven to his right Hugin, which is Thought, and the other one he named Munin, which means Memory. As the days passed, Hugin and Munin matched the Allfather’s curiosity for everything in the Nine Worlds, flying around and watching and listening to whatever they could, and in the evenings, they returned to him to tell him all they had seen and heard in the long hours of the day. They told him about the slow thoughts of the mountains, the colorful and ever-changing memories of men, and the sound of the song in the heart of everything that lives. And though Odin ...

This is something that comes up a lot. What do I do to protect myself from mischievous spirits? This one is easy, so easy in fact you probably already have it. Ready for this: Sodium Chloride. Yup, regular ole' salt. What's so special about salt you say? It's so mundane. It's also in everything: the Earth, the seas, our bodies, our food. Besides water - salt is a life force. Without it we would die, too much of it and we die.  Down through history in just about every culture around the world you will find stories about the history of it's use in magical rites of purification and protection. In the Jewish culture it is said you should put kosher salt in every corner of a new home or one that has been standing empty for a while to keep the spirits at bay. If your Catholic, salt is an essential ingredient in Holy Water and it's used in exorcisms. In Armenia, you put salt in all your doorways and windowsills to keep out the Evil Eye. In Buddhist tradition, salt repe...

That is probably one of the most asked questions I get. Truth is, I was always different so it started for me as far back as I can remember. When I was in my 20's I really started delving into the craft and picked up some essential books that really sent me on my way. Here's a short list of books I suggest for those of you just starting in the Craft: 1.) "Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" by Scott Cunningham. One of my personal favorites and the first book I purchased. It explains the herb along with hand drawn images of the herb for identification. It gives you ideas of what you can use for different spells and explains in simple English the magical preparation for an herbal spell. A must for beginner witches interested in herbal magick or Hedge witchery. 2.) "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews" by Scott Cunningham. Again one of my favorites. So many useful recipes and how to use the energy from the different elements. A true gem...