Grind the ingredients up as fine as you’re able. (The shells took me three days! đ)
Use to sprinkle onto your workspace during spellwork, on or around the items you want to charge with the moon’s energy, onto your deck for a full moon reading, or wherever else you wish to!
Sometimes I think that my house is boring and bland. But then I look around, and on top of the closet we have the wooden cat that my mother in law gave us, my momâs old typewriter, my partnerâs grandfatherâs antique radio, the rainbow ampersand that we used in our wedding, and an entire row of jars with dice in them because theyâre colourful and they make me happy when I look at them.
We donât have a lot on our walls, but two were a gift from me to my partner, one was a gift from him to me. We have a wedding gift given by my grandparents which is an artpiece we both love, a poster of our favourite poem which was a birthday gift, and an amazing papyrus print that my mother in law got us in Egypt.
In front of the TV part of my seashell collection that I’ve been collecting since I was a young kid is displayed together with a beautiful ceramic tealight holder that my dad and second mom got us. In the bookcase is a crocheted dinomonster that a friend designed made based of my drawings.
Our house might not be decorated in any way that would pass muster, but it is filled with love.
When they ask you what youâve learned during these unprecedented times,
What skills you have developed,
My hope for you is that you can say,
I learned to put myself first.
I learned that my health is important,
more important than the grind.
I learned that âI love youâ can be said
in a thousand small and new ways.
I learned to find love in the smallest things,
and to find wonders right outside my front door.
I learned to rest.
I learned that the cruelty of the few
doesnât outshine the kindness of the many.
I learned many new things about my inner world,
away from the eyes of society.
I learned that I have the strength
to survive even the darkest of days.
I learned that I am enough.
An artpiece I made yesterday! Paint pen on black paper.
Featuring rosemary and juniper for protection and rememberance.
Even though it isn’t without its flaws, I’m quite proud of this one.
I believe the Gods are the mirror of ourselves. Created by our ancestorsâ need for answers and meaningfulness (zingeving), which weâve fed through the years with worship and sacrifice and stories. We gave them their power and through it they became both the collective of all the people who helped maintain them, and grew beyond it. And because they came from us they are a mirror of us. They show us the parts of ourselves that we need, that we wish to emulate, or that we missed in our interactions with others. But it is all within us. They are within us.
However, simply because they live within the realm of the imagination doesnât mean that they do not have power, quite the opposite. Human inventiveness, creativity, and imagination, our love and compassion and kindness, are the most powerful things we have. They are the source of our power. They are the source of the power of the Gods. Divinity is found within.
When I call upon deity I call upon this collective archetype that we built together, for ages and ages, and I call upon this power within myself. I use the mirror that is the collective stories and the art and the experiences and rituals of others, to call forth my own power. That power that has been with me since birth, but that I have kindled and nurtured and made grown.
I think the Divine is something that weâve created ourselves. With our own sense of imagination and wonder at the world around us. We saw the beauty of nature and Named it, and we told its stories, and made it sacred. We had so much love for the world around us, and so much love for ourselves, that we made it powerful. That we lifted it above and beyond us and made it mighty. And isnât that the most amazing thing?
The power of humanity, the power of love and curiosity. The Divine is not somewhere far removed from us, on a different plain of existence looking down upon their creations. It is us. All of us. Throughout all of time and space. All coming together, living life, looking for answers, being hopeful, seeking spiritual meaning, loving each other and the world around us, being kind. That is what builds and sustains Gods.
When building your worlds, donât forget about museums! A fun and easy way to get your players involved and more immersed into the world you have built.
In bigger cities and towns they can be an amazing alternative way to get information. Your players could go to the library and study to find out more about a subject, or they could visit the exhibit at the local museum. Think about museums of history, natural history, science, botanical gardens, zoos, or the fine arts.
In the zoo they could learn about weaknesses of monsters roaming the countryside (and perhaps help round up an escaped giant chicken without hurting it for a fun side quest).
In the botanical gardens they could learn about which plants they could forage for their alchemy or herbalism kit.
In the history museum they can learn about a specific historical event or -figure that ties into their current quest. (For the Critical Role fans, how amazing would an Aeorian history museum be?)
Then, think smaller. Often small, more quirky or specialized museums can be found in smaller towns and villages. These can often be broken up into different categories:
Niche collection, a collection that got so out of hand that it now turned into a museum. Think teapots, chicken figurines, papercutting art, miniatures. A great way to add some whimsy to your setting and to ground it a bit more. And of course, these would have great NPCs attached to them, perhaps with a quest for that one teapot that they has been eluding their grasp.
Historic events and -figures, usually specific landmarks or homes. With famous writers or artists for example their houses often get turned into museums. Think Casa Azul, where Frida Kahlo used to live or the Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden.
Here in the Netherlands we of course have many museums dedicated to the second world war, including specific buildings that were used as hiding places or for the resistance. We also have a museum dedicated to the witch hunts, because Oudewater was known far and wide as the place to get weighed, because they were fair. So don’t be afraid to get specific, and let your players learn about the history of your world.
Crafts, things that this area is known for. Oudewater was not only known for weighing witches, but also for making rope, so there is a rope museum. Schoonhoven is known for producing the best silver, so they have a silver museum. Including crafts museums is a simple and great way to show more about the region your players are in. And with regional pride comes the opportunity to add things like local festivals or heroes, all tied to these crafts. (annual rope pulling contest, with all sorts of food made into ropes, anyone?)
So when building your world, donât neglect the museums. They are a great and easy way to show your players things about your world and the people living in it. And they can be great hooks for new sidequests, or provide information needed in bigger story arcs.
You stand tall within your sacred grove,
The sun’s rays shining through your antlered crown
I feel your call, oh, Cernunnos
You stand rooted deeply within the Earth,
Connected to all things living and passed,
I hear your call, oh, Cernunnos
You lead the dance âround the blazing bonfire,
The drums echoing the beat of your heart
I feel your call, oh, Cernunnos
You lead the hunt through forest deep,
The spirit of hunting wolf and hunted stag both,
I hear your call, oh, Cernunnos
You stand firmly âpon the threshold,
The liminal of body and time and place is yours,
I feel your call, oh, Cernunnos
You sit cross-legged between the standing stones,
The power of tree and root and fur and fang is yours,
I hear your call, oh, Cernunnos
You wear the torc of sun-bright shining gold,
The wealth of coin and wealth of life are yours to give,
I feel your call, oh, Cernunnos
You hold the horned serpent within your grasp,
The keeper of ancient knowledge and lore long forgotten,
I hear your call, oh, Cernunnos
Look at this beauty! I worked together with the lovely people of Godsnorth to create a custom statue for the Goddess Nehalennia. They were such a pleasure to work with and I am absolutely in love with the end result.
Some close-ups:
Some of the details that I wanted included: her loyal dog companion, grain/wheat for the harvest, water/the sea, her having one foot on the boat which is something that is also on a lot of the altar stones, as well as a symbol for her as a psychopomp.
Her signature cloak of course! As well as a basket of harvest abundance. I also love how her hair and clothing seems to flow in the sea breeze. I am in love!
Bonus! The final sketch!
The process went smooth and easy. We talked about what I wanted. She sent a sketch and we went over what I loved and what I wanted to change. Then when I gave the green light they made this beautiful statue (which is now also available to everyone!) I will definitely work with them again for statues of Cernunnos and Baduhenna.
Yesterday there was a pretty unique event. We had a partial solar eclipse, which coincided with the peak of the new moon. A perfect time to do some powerful and heavy-duty spellwork. I’ve had the idea for this jar in my mind for a while, and this new moon/solar eclipse felt like the perfect time to make it. I had to make some black salt, as well as the banishing powder that you see as the layer on top of the sand, and I had supplies enough to make some pretty big batches, so I feel I have some pretty powerful new stuff added to my witchy toolkit!
I call this jar my binding and banishing jar. Whenever I perform a binding, like we will next week during the Pride Witchcraft event, I like to use a simple spell format. I write whatever I wish to bind on a piece of black paper, fold it up and bind it with twine, wool or cotton cord. After leaving it on the altar to charge for a period of time, I would do the banishing part and toss it in the trash. Lately I’d been toying with the idea of burying it, interring it into the ground so it can decay, desolve, and its energy used to grow something new. However, I didn’t want to keep digging holes in my (overgrown) garden and litter, even if it is biodegradable. So, the idea for this jar was born! I will bury my bindings and banishings in here, and when I feel it is time to renew the energy, I will toss out the old and remake it anew.
Now it is ready for use, and I’m excited to start using it for the first time next week, to banish and bury the things that negatively impact our beautiful queer community!
Pride Witchcraft
Happy Pride everyone! Itâs the rainbow time of the year again⌠This will be the first time for me where I will incorporate Pride month actively into my witchcraft practice. As Iâve written about before, self-discovery and self-love is a big part of my daily and monthly practice and exploring gender- and sexual identity has dominated that over the past two years or so. I learned a lot, not just about myself but about queer history and the queer community as well. Which is why I decided that this year, in a year where everything still sucks, I will take Pride month as a sacred celebration, not only to celebrate my own identity and the journey that Iâve made, but also to celebrate how far weâve come, as a community, and the things that weâve already achieved.
But there is still quite a way to go. Homophobia and especially transphobia is on the rise again. There is a lot of infighting in the community as well with the rise of TERF ideology and purity politics based on white, Christian values ingrained in our societies and cultures. Which is why a friend commented that for her Pride had a very double feeling this year. We talked about how we both looked forward to it, and didnât, because of these issues and struggles. We also talked about doing some community magics, where we as a community practice our witchcraft to better the queer community, which I will talk about below.
So, what are my plans for Pride? (My Pride bucketlist, if you will)
So letâs talk about the community magic. We invite everyone to join us on a witchy Pride weekend! June 18 to 20 we will be doing various spells to help the queer community, and the more people who cast them, the more powerful they will be! We’ve also chosen this date because we can harness the potent energies of the Summer solstice into our workings.
Binding and banishing
On June 18 we will perform a binding and banishing spell to bind queerphobia, harmful laws, and any other personal things you might want to include. Use your own binding/banishing method, or use the following, which is my preferred method. Take a piece of black paper, or paint one side of a white paper black (protection/banishing). Write down the things you wish to banish, think of things like homophobia, police brutality, job inequality, the names of certain laws, TERFs, or more personal things like people using your deadname or the name of a homophobic uncle (for example). Make sure the black side is on the outside. Focus on binding and banishing every point as you write them down. Now fold it up in a way that the black is the only colour thatâs shown. Wrap your folder paper in some black twine, wool, thread, laces, whatever you have. Focus on binding the things youâve written, say some words if you wish. I like to bury my bindings/banishings, but you can also dispose of them by simply tossing them in the trash where they belong.
Protection Sigil
On June 19 we will cast a protection spell for the queer community. I designed a sigil for this to function as a focal point for your magic. You can print it out or redraw it yourself. Place a candle over it, use it as a base of a crystal grid, place it on your altar and meditate, make it the centre of a (digital) moodboard, whatever feels right for you. The centre of the sigil is the Pride flag, symbolizing our community (you can redraw the sigil and place a different flag inside, if you wish to focus on a specific part of the community). Around it is a circle (protection, community) which is made by five stickfigures holding hands (people, community). Around them is a square (protection) and then a ring of intertwined briar branches with the thorns pointing outwards (again, protection). On the right side I also snuck the rune Thurisaz (briar, protection) into the ring of briar branches. The pentacle in the centre stands for magic as well as, surprise, protection. Customize this for whatever you need, the pentacle is optional, place more stickfigures, change the flag, whatever makes it work for you.
Celebrate and Remember
On June 20 we will celebrate! Celebrate our own identities as well as the community and all weâve achieved so far. Watch a fun movie, shop for some fun merch, eat and drink something rainbow, dance to music of queer artists, whatever you want! We do also want to acknowledge and remember those who weâve lost, those who have paved the way before us. You might want to do this by making a toast to your queer ancestors (by blood or â more often â not). By saving a place for them at the table and inviting to join you. Or by using a Beloved Dead sigil and burning a candle in remembrance. I will also be making a list of names of those I wish to honour, which is at the same time a nice excuse to dive deeper into queer history!
So please join us for a witchy Pride weekend! Share your thoughts and experiences with #PrideWitchcraft and share this post far and wide so we can have as many witches adding their magic and power.
marjolijnmakes.com 