Wren Maple - The Thrifty Witchs Book of Simple Spells: Potions, Charms, and Incantations for the Modern Witch

WREN MAPLE

POTIONS, CHARMS, AND INCANTATIONS FOR THE MODERN WITCH

F or me, witchcraft is a practice in self-care and spirituality. It is a way for me to assert control in an uncontrolled environment. It is a path forward, a means to an existence characterized by reward.

I cast spells for my best life. I cast what I need to or what the moment calls for in order for me to feel good and live well.

Ive cast spells with a coven and alone in the dark at 3 a.m. I cast healing spells for loved ones. I cast confidence spells, love spells, protection spells, psychic spells, banishing and binding spells, chakra spells, sleep spells, and so many, many more spells that Im sure I cant recall no matter how long I sit here.

In short, witchcraft is the manifestation of how I picture my greatest life.

THRIFTINESS

Thrifty witchcraft means something different for everyone.

Some witches may exclusively use whatever is already in their home or garden for spells, while others feel comfortable setting a budget for materials relative to their income.

Whatever you decide, my goal for these spell is to keep the ingredients easy to find and fairly low cost.

And while I want to keep my spells interesting by not using the same materials over and over again, youll find that many do, in fact, cross over.

There are other ways to stay thrifty in your craft: You neednt use an entire candle for one spell, and if you dont have one of the materials, you can skip it.

Plus, clear quartz is the universal substitute, so if you arent willing to spend money on a stone, just stick with the master healer.

Witchcraft knows no age, gender, or sex. The general public tends to associate witchcraft with adult women, but I know plenty of male and nonbinary witches.

Witchcraft itself is not a religion; it may or may not be a facet of a religion such as Wicca. It is an ancient spiritual practice; it was here long before Christianity came about. It has origins in countless cultures and traditions. Unlike many religions, witchcraft is personal and customizable to the witch.

In a sense, its hedonism; we witches follow our hearts and cast spells to get what we want. It does not follow the guise of most religions in that the participants must sacrifice their desires to fit the moral bill of some higher power.

Despite what many of my followers believe, I am not a Wiccan. In fact, I dont subscribe to any religion. You dont need to, to practice witchcraft.

Meanwhile, ethics within witchcraft vary. Wiccans, for example, believe in the Rule of Threewhatever is put out in the world will return threefold. Wiccans believe in the karmic effects of spells.

I simply follow what feels right; something Ive dubbed my witchy intuition.

Before we go any further, let me just say: Witchcraft is, on the whole, not like the movies. Your favorite pop media witches are fun, but dont let Hollywoods imagination interfere with how you practice. Definitely dont buy into the negative portrayals out there: Witchcraft is neither shameful nor evil. Actually, if done properly, witchcraft heals and uplifts.

Along those same lines, unlike in the movies, there are no mistakes in witchcraft. And though you may feel like an imposter sometimesI know I do!this feeling doesnt detract from your innate power. When you get in a rut or doubt your abilities, remember that witchcraft is a learned skill. Forgive yourself. Take all the time you need to get back on the horse. When you do, this book will be here to help guide you.

There is no right or wrong way to cast a spell. There is no right way or wrong way to be a witch. There are no requirements to witchcraft; if youre reading this book, you are inherently witchy.

You may simply call yourself a witch. In fact, there is great power in announcing it.

You may practice once a week; you may practice once a month. I like to practice at least once weekly, because I believe the more often I cast, the better I become at witchcraft as a whole. The greater the frequency at which I cast, the greater the success rate of my spells; practice makes perfect applies just as well to witchcraft as any other craft.

And so, no need to dwell on this or that, what you need, what you dont haveuse what you do have, and just cast. If you dont have any ingredients, you may simply walk beneath the light of the moon and pray. Remember, a witchs most valuable possession is their intention.

You already have what you need. So, lets get started!

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GETTING STARTED

W itchcraft is 90 percent intention and 10 percent using tools in a ritual way. Those tools may include candles, cauldrons, food items, herbs, salt and pepper, stones, twine, water, and more. Well explore these materials and their purposes in this chapter. But first, lets look at the types of witchcraft and what witches do.

Types of Witches

What type of witch are you? Knowing the answer to this question is not just about the religious and symbolic elements of witchcraft you are drawn to. Identifying the type of witch you are can also help you decide what practices and tools you want to explore, and it can help you connect withand grow withyour community. Here are some of the types of witches you may encounter.

• Eclectic witch: An eclectic witch draws inspiration from a variety of practices. Im an eclectic witch because I dont subscribe to any single genre of witchcraft. As an agnostic, I tend to pray to the universe as a divine entity, leaving room for whatever may be. When I call on deities, it is as a form of symbolism. I also pray to my dad, who passed away in 2019. Communing with the dead is not my specialty, but it feels nice to call on him in spells. Eclectic witches pray to whomever they choose, and they mix various elements of differing practices. An eclectic witch may not subscribe to the Wiccan Rede, for example, but may celebrate the Wheel of the Year (Wiccan holidays).
• Elemental witch: An elemental witch casts a circle before spells and works heavily with the elementswater, fire, air, Earth, and Spirit (the fifth element).
• Folk/traditional witch: Folk or traditional witches practice in alignment with their heritage or the deep traditions entrenched in the culture of their geographical area. For example, my lineage is mainly Celtic, so Ive begun to look into Celtic practices within witchcraft. I tend to associate the fold or traditional witch with Appalachian witchcraft.