Ex Penna

Witchcraft Perfume Recipes


What an exciting secret it is to carry a magical item on you and have others under its influence without them even realizing it.  It is, perhaps, the most consistently enjoyable part of being a witch!

Now imagine that doing just that was as simple as putting on a few drops of your signature scent each morning.  It can be just that easy, and this weeks link offers a few good places to start!  Whether you're seeking to add another dimension to your spellwork or to have every day guarded and enhanced by magic, perfume is an option that anyone can enjoy!

Dream Bible: the Online Guide to Dream Interpretation


Keeping a diary of your dreams can be a good way to keep track of the hidden things, the broken things, and the undigested knowledge we gain every day.  Some dreams are straight-forward replays of the waking world but others require some delving to understand their true meaning.

To aid you, I offer today's link: an expansive listing of dream interpretations for you to check against the wonderland of your dream world.

Secret Writings for Spells, Magic, and Witchcraft


Oh, how I adore grimoires!  If you've been reading this blog with any regularlity, you'll know that nothing pleases me quite so much as books, and occult books are, naturally, the very apex of that love.

To wit, this week's link is nothing but grimoires and occult texts.  It's an excellent resource if you'd like to understand the classics or if you've run dry on inspiration from modern reads.

Healing Spells


One of the best and most accessible uses for our magic is healing.

No matter what you practice, your background, your training, or what books you have--or have not--read, everyone appreciates magic that protects wellness, undoes the wicked work of disease, and speeds recovery.   Though there is still a low simmer of debate over the ethics of healing without consent, I really doubt anyone would object to you doing your best on their account.

Life is a long chain of opportunities to bring ourselves out of the seed shell which bound our soul at birth.  Good heath is fertile ground, warm sun, and plentiful rain to take that little potential we carry and raise it to unimaginable height, blooming in the full glory of summer.  Make this happen for you and those you love.

Traditional Witchcraft Articles and Information


The occult community in the modern day has much to thank Wicca for.  And yet, it was an imperfect announcement that the Wiccan tradition made to mundane society, and because of that, Wicca will forever be linked in the minds of many people with the "authentic" practice to which all others aspire.  That is definitely not the case.

The world of magic is vast and varied, with many traditions veering off into their own space and bearing almost no resemblance to others in the same area.  There is definitely no "one true way" when it comes to magic.

Traditional Witchcraft is one of the many paths taken pre-Wicca--as well as post--and it's particulars are unique and rich.

If you've ever been expected to conform to rules that work for Wiccan practitioners but no one else, you will certainly enjoy this elucidating read!

Free Natal Chart Generator



Whether you normally follow the course of your stars or not, having a natal chart cast for you is a deeply meaningful and useful method of bringing awareness to the influences of the very underpinnings of your personality and lifeline.

If all this seems overly complex, it's because it is, in a general way.  There are many calculations that must be made to create the chart, a good deal of information that one must have about the intended person's birth, plus books, lists, and time.

The reason that astrologers undergo such effort is because either they A) are simply in love with facts and figures, or B) in the past have had a successful chart of their own.   To become one of the second group, look no further than today's link!  Here you can have a computer-generated chart of your own to chart your course today.

Advice for Beginner Spellcasters


The period of "beginner" actually lasts quite a bit longer than most witches will admit.  Indeed, moving beyond it requires study and careful practice that might take years to achieve.  If you know just what to do when a problem arises and where to find the ideal spell to combat it, then you have managed this.  Otherwise, take a long look at today's link and receive some guidance to that which you didn't know you didn't know.

7 Weird and Wonderful Medieval Facts 


It's such a shame what little credit most people give our predecessors, especially the further removed they are from the current era.  This is painfully true of the age of so much of our occult traditions, the Medieval Period.

Though we still had a long ways to go in terms of social and political issues, there was a lot more than we realize that was inspiring and inspired in the middle ages.  Enjoy this quick list for starters.

Critter Bits


This is a hot-button topic, but definitely a traditional part of what we do as magic makers.  To that effect, I hope this article will inspire thought and conversation.

As you may know by now, I am not against the use of animal parts in my own magic as long as the animal's death was accidental.  Roadkill is my main source of fur and bones, and I go to great lengths to respectfully collect and clean them for my spells.  As a vegetarian, this is a tricky topic for me to successfully find solid footing, but I'm willing to to accept that witchcraft--like most other areas of life--doesn't always offer up easy answers.

Oh how I love Aeclectic Tarot!  If you read the cards ad somehow haven't been there yet, stop what you're doing (except for reading my blog, of course) and go there straight away!  Deck reviews, card images (for those of us who like to see more than the box's one or two sample images before we buy), tons of articles, and discussions make this the perfect hang out for tarot lovers.  But this is especially fun: new and unique spreads!

If you're ready to branch out and try something different from the same old Celtic Cross, give these a go!

Unusual Tarot Spreads

Graphology, in case you weren't aware, is the study of one's handwriting (also called "handwriting analysis") to determine the writer's personality.  Every nuance of the script holds information about one's outlook, goals, and secret feelings.  Though not actually a form of divination, it does have similarities with skills familiar to the occultist like tea leaf reading.  If you'd like to give it a try, the Internet Archive has uploaded this 1922 classic from Clifford Howard.

What's more, because it was scanned page by page, you can see the original handwriting examples as they actually appear in the book while also enjoying a true to life paper experience (something in which book-lovers like myself take a special delight).

Graphology: How to Read Character from Handwriting, with Full Explanation of the Science, and Many Examples Fully Analyzed

Whether you're a newcomer to the practice or this piques a long-time interest, Graphology is a fascinating read that should not be missed!

Free Dictionary of Occult Symbols PDF


A classic of its kind, The Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic, and Alchemical Sigils is a must-have for your magical library.


In this orderly (and you know how I love that!) collection of symbols can be found not only a great deal of rarely discussed information and origins but also all known variations, several magical alphabets, and an extensive bibliography for further reading.  You will want a printed copy of this, post haste!*







*Note, however, that in a scanning quirk, page 291 appears upside down.  If you make your own, switch it before binding.

Free Vintage Label Download


A beautiful room deserves beautiful things and your magical room is no exception.  Organize in style with these classic--and original--labels for all your herbs, formulae, and spell components!

I won't keep you here chatting; go print these now (and you can even add the original font included, as well)!

13 Tips for Being the Best Witch You Can Be


I found this list some time ago and absolutely fell in love!  Take some quiet time with it and see how it relates to you and your current practice.  Write a short version on a post-it note for your car dashboard, your bathroom mirror, your office desk.  Write about it in your BoS.  Talk with other practitioners about it.  Journal and expound on your thoughts of each of the thirteen points made.  How can you make this advice work into your life? What can you add to it?

No matter what you decide to do with what you see here--keep it, toss it, ruminate or rage about it--let it get you thinking.  That is, after all, the highest activity of seeking betterment of any kind.

10 Websites that Will Help Drown Out the Noise So You Can Stay Focused



I am fortunate to have a room that I can dedicate to my practice.  There, I can carefully craft every aspect of the way it looks, smells, and feels to be exactly what I need to feel confident and competent as a witch.  The one thing I can't always control is how it sounds.  And there are times when that is all that seems to matter.

You see, I have a husband and kids and pets and they all have lives that create varying levels of noise in our house.  There's phone conversations, running in and out of the house, pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, talking, laughing, radio music, and movies playing on TV.  We live near a road which connects to a highway, so there's traffic noise as well as the occasional emergency vehicle on their way to the hospitals in the city. 

When I lay it all out like that, it makes this place seem like an endless chaos, which it is not.  But when I'm trying to concentrate, that's all I can think.  When the noise is all I hear, the chances of me making effective magic--despite having every other prerequisite--go right down to nothing.  And your own household might be far louder than mine!

To that end, I offer these helpful and creative sites that have but one goal: instantly block out the world so you can get things done.  And they do it well.  I'm a longtime Coffeetivity user for writing manuscripts, but have become a recent fan of Soundrown and Focus@Will for magic as well.  

Give one a whirl the next time you're working spells, writing in your BoS, trying out mental exercises, creating magical items, or compounding formulas.  You'll be amazed at the results!

For both relaxation and inspiration, I share with you today this delightful collection of witchcraft themed images, and each one is a purchasable item on Etsy (*ahem* Quill's was featured in July '15)!  I highly recommend clicking on the Archive and just taking a wander around, gazing and tasting the flood of colorful, evocative, enticing modern magic.  Enjoy!



witch//craft

That's right, I had to read it twice too, but it's for real--the Free Herbalism Project is an organization dedicated to sharing and spreading knowledge of our wild plant heritage through free events, seminars, workshops, and more. 

If I sound like I'm gushing, it's because I am!  Not only have I had years of excellent experiences as a customer through the project's host Mountain Rose Herbs, but also (as you all knowby now) I'm a big advocate of wild flowers and herbs, so this speaks directly to my heart.  If you are in or around Eugene, OR this October, you can check out their events live but the rest of us can enjoy a rich podcast online yearound.


The Free Herbalism Project

Voynich Manuscript


This book has fascinated me since I first heard about it several years ago.  And who can argue that it's mystery only grows more captivating the further we investigate--an unknown author, an indecipherable language, charts we don't understand, and images of plants that don't exist in this world.

Now you can download this precious manuscript and pore over it's secrets for yourself.  There is no telling if this was intended to be a magical book, an herbal, a medical guide, or something else we couldn't guess but it has been an inspiration to my work in many ways.  Perhaps it will stimulate your own.

21 Ways to Use Florida Water Cologne


Ahh, that old familiar scent of Florida Water!  The smell that says "Something magical is about to happen!"  If you're like me, you've come to know and love this easily-accessible formula and it's beautifully decorative label on every occult shop shelf.

But did you know how very many uses there are for it?  Have you bathed in it, cleansed stones in it, or used it to win the lottery?  No?  Then get on over to this week's Quick Link and read on!

Azure Green


To many of us this might seem all too obvious, but I've run into many practitioners who were as yet unfamiliar with this incredible seller (and a few who were bizarrely against it) so I thought this would be a good time to revisit it.  No matter what you're looking for, Azure Green has it.   Even if you haven't shopped there before, you're most likely familiar with their green dragon logo because of the many independently owned shops which carry their brand.

Azure Green is not only an amazing place to buy everything you could need, it's also a fun place to daydream.  Your task for this week is to peruse their website (or flip through a print catalog, if you can get one) and make a list of the things you would like to have.  Make this list based on your ideal self, your ideal practice, the kinds of things you want to do and to know, the tools and objects that make you feel powerful.  Keep this list close to your heart; it is a map to your dreams.

Please don't think that this is all just about materialism or flashy outward displays.  I am the last person to suggest that people buy magical items en masse just to feel "witchy."  Rather, I support the idea that one thing at a time, carefully studied, well learned, and put into good practice is worth one hundred unread books and unused tools.  If you are able, choose one or two things from your list, buy them, invest time and effort into them, and fold them into your life.  There is time enough to explore the rest of your map later.