A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft Read online

  About the Author

  Bobbie Hodges

  Deborah Blake is the award-winning author of The Goddess is in the Details, Everyday Witchcraft, and numerous other books from Llewellyn, along with the popular Everyday Witch Tarot kit. She has published articles in Llewellyn annuals, and her ongoing column, “Everyday Witchcraft,” is featured in Witches & Pagans magazine.

  Deborah’s also the author of the paranormal romance Baba Yaga series from Berkley Publishing, as well as the Veiled Magic urban fantasies. She can be found online at Facebook, Twitter, and www.deborahblakeauthor.com.

  When not writing, Deborah runs the Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 130-year-old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with various cats who supervise all her activities, magickal and mundane.

  Llewellyn Publications

  Woodbury, Minnesota

  Copyright Information

  A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft: 366 Ways to Witchify Your Life © 2017 by Deborah Blake.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

  Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

  First e-book edition © 2017

  E-book ISBN: 9780738753966

  Book design by Rebecca Zins

  Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

  Cover illustration by Jennifer Hewittson

  Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Blake, Deborah, author.

  Title: A year and a day of everyday witchcraft : 366 ways to witchify your

  life / Deborah Blake.

  Description: Woodbury : Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2017. | Includes

  bibliographical references and index.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017035678 (print) | LCCN 2017022832 (ebook) | ISBN

  9780738753966 (ebook) | ISBN 9780738750927 (alk. paper)

  Subjects: LCSH: Religious calendars—Wicca.

  Classification: LCC BF1572.F37 (print) | LCC BF1572.F37 B53 2017 (ebook) |

  DDC 133.4/3—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017035678

  Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

  Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to current author websites.

  Llewellyn Publications

  Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

  2143 Wooddale Drive

  Woodbury, MN 55125

  www.llewellyn.com

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  To Blue Moon Circle, past and present, and to my readers because y’all rock. Thanks for asking for this book.

  Contents

  Introduction

  January

  February

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  Bonus Day

  Recommended Reading

  Introduction

  Welcome to a year and a day of everyday witchcraft. Why a year and a day instead of 365 days like so many other books? In part because a year and a day is a traditional length of time used in contemporary witchcraft. Sometimes for study, as in those paths that follow a degree system, so that a person would study for a year and day to reach a certain level. Sometimes for a commitment or vow, like a handfasting ritual where the couple chooses to bind themselves for a year and a day, rather than a lifetime.

  But there is another reason for the extra day in this book, one which you can choose to use or not, as you desire. I hope that by the time you have finished the rest of the book, you will be inspired to start your next year off in magical style, either with the ritual I’ve given you or one you write for yourself.

  The book is set up to follow an entire year, starting with the first of January, although you can really start with whichever date you happen to pick up the book and circle through from there. And, of course, there is nothing stopping you from simply opening a page at random, if that’s the way you roll. There are no rules here, and no one will look over your shoulder. My main intention is to give you simple ways to connect with your witchy self every day—in short, to enable you to witchify your life in small, easy, educational, and (I hope) fun daily bites.

  If you choose, however, you can use this book as your own personal “year and a day” journey. Beginners will find the entries helpful as an introduction to a personal magical practice, where more experienced witches and Pagans can use the entries as ways to renew or deepen their existing practice. My readers have been asking me to write a 365-day book and a devotional for some time; this book is a little bit of both—there are suggestions for how you can use that day’s snippet (if you want to), and there are also poems and words of witchy wisdom from the authors who inspire me, which I hope will touch you as well.

  The book follows the Wheel of the Year and the general seasonal cycle, although depending on where you live, some aspects of it may apply less or more. Feel free to make adjustments to suit your own living situation and style.

  The book also touches on various aspects of a modern Pagan practice, including connecting with nature and the Goddess and the God, holiday and lunar observations, easy crafts and recipes, questions to ponder, and, of course, the occasional simple spell, ritual, and affirmation.

  Some of these things will appeal to different readers more than others, but it is my hope that you will find most of them helpful, meaningful, and useful. As witches living in the modern world, many of us find it hard to carve out the time to focus on our magical practices as much as we would like. This book is a way to make it easier to witchify your life one day at a time, getting more in touch with your own path, whatever form it might take.

  Many blessings on your journey, and thanks for taking me along on the ride.

  Deborah Blake

  [contents]

  January 1

  Intent and Commitment

  The first day of the New Year is the perfect time to figure out what you want to focus your time and energy on in the coming months. Many people do that, and most of them, frankly, fail to follow through. As witches, one of the first things we learn is the importance of intent; it powers our magic and is the driving force behind our own personal journeys. This year, rather than making a New Year’s resolution, come up with a statement of intent instead.

  To arrive at your statement of intent, take a moment to think about what works for you in your life
and what doesn’t. What do you want to change? But more than that, what is your goal? How do you want to be different at the end of the year? Do you want to be stronger, healthier, wiser, more spiritual, a better parent/child/partner/friend/human being? Write down your intent for the year. Make sure it is a positive statement: “I intend to become a stronger, healthier, happier person” rather than “I will stop being weak and unhappy.”

  try this: Put that intent out into the universe by making a commitment to yourself and to your deity. Concentrate on your intent, focus all the power of your will on it for that one moment, and then say it out loud.

  January 2

  The Focus Board

  Human beings tend to be visual creatures. Things we see become imbedded in our brains. That’s why one good way to reinforce your commitment to the intention you made on January 1 is to create a focus board.

  A focus board is exactly what it says: a board that helps you to focus on a goal or goals. It uses a combination of words and pictures to create a visual reminder of what you are working toward, plus the act of creating the board puts more of your energy into the intention itself. Win-win!

  Don’t panic if you’re not artistic. Use photos, cut pictures out of magazines, print images off the internet, or use clip art from your computer. Get the words or phrases for your focus board in the same places or use markers or crayons to add them directly to the board.

  Choose pictures and words that symbolize those things you are working toward. For instance, if you want to bring more love into your life, use pictures of loving couples, a mother and child, a coven dancing together under the full moon—whatever says “love” to you. Then add words such as “togetherness,” “love,” and “hugs and kisses.”

  try this: Finish off the board by decorating it any way that adds extra energy and suits your style. Some folks will use glitter and others dried flowers. There is no wrong way. Focus on your intent as you work on your board, and then hang it up somewhere you will see it often.

  January 3

  Holda

  Holda—also known as Hulda, Holle, Mother Holle, and Frau Holda (among other names)—is a Teutonic goddess long associated with both winter and witches. As with many other goddesses who were originally seen as beneficial, she was eventually demonized by Christianity into a wild-haired old woman who snatched up misbehaving children. But long before that she was seen as a protector of nature (followed by an entourage of torch-carrying rabbits, no less) and a hearth deity.

  Always associated with the weather, it was said that when Holda shook out her feather bed, it caused snow to fall on the earth below. Her festival is celebrated in winter, and she is also associated with the twelve days of Christmas.

  try this: Walk outside in the snow, if you have some, or visualize it if you don’t. See it as the feathers from a goddess’s bed, and thank Holda for watching over all the creatures of nature, including us.

  January 4

  Book of Light

  It is common for witches to have a Book of Shadows, in which they write down spells, herbal recipes, and anything magical that they use along the way and want to remember. You might or might not want to keep a Book of Shadows for your magical work, but even if such a thing doesn’t appeal to you, consider having a Book of Light. (Yes, I just made that up. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea.)

  A Book of Light can be something you create for yourself—it is fun to make your own book and decorate the outside—or use a journal or notebook that catches your eye. If you can, write something in it every day as you walk this witchy journey (but don’t worry if you miss a day or two…no one is keeping score). What you write in your Book of Light can be magical or not, spiritual or mundane, as you choose—but it should definitely be positive (hence the name).

  try this: Let your Book of Light help you focus on the bright side, even if for just five minutes out of every day. Here are some suggestions to get you started: Write down a poem that inspires you or describe some tiny creature you saw out your window or on a walk. Write about something you did that worked for you, so you won’t forget to try it again. Add a picture of a special day or write down an affirmation.

  January 5

  A Calendar for the Year

  One of the things I do at the beginning of every year is sit down with my calendar and make note of all the important dates. (I usually have a cool Llewellyn calendar just to look at and a cute cat calendar for everyday use; that’s the one I mark up.) I write down things like birthdays and anniversaries, but I also take a yellow highlighter and circle all the full moons, and I write the sabbats in with a red pen and circle them too.

  This way, when I turn over the page to a new month, I can see right away which nights I want to leave space for spiritual work and when I might want to plan for a special ritual or get together with like-minded friends for something magical.

  try this: Make your calendar into a magical tool. You can do what I do and circle/highlight the witchy days or mark them with stickers or symbols or anything else that suits you. If you aren’t out of the broom closet, use a small private datebook or small subtle symbols that won’t mean anything to anyone but you.

  January 6

  Twelfth Night

  Twelfth Night is a traditional holiday more often celebrated in Europe than in the United States. It marks the day when the wise men visited the baby Jesus, but it is also the end of the twelve days of Christmas. Some people believe that it is bad luck to leave your holiday decorations up after Twelfth Night. And of course, it is the name of a famous Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night, or What You Will.

  Its origins go back to an earlier medieval English holiday of the same name that marked the end of a winter holiday season that started on All Hallows’ Eve. On Twelfth Night all the rules were turned upside down and the peasants ruled the royalty in a tradition that dates back as far as the Roman Pagan holiday of Saturnalia governed by the Lord of Misrule.

  try this: If you were the Lord (or Lady) of Misrule, what would you do with your power? Make a list of twelve things you would change if you were in charge—and then do something to work toward changing a few. As Shakespeare might say, “Do what you will.”

  January 7

  Janus

  Janus is one of the rare Roman gods who has no Greek counterpart. It is believed that the month of January gets its name from him, so it is only fitting that we take a moment to meet him.

  Janus is the god of beginnings and endings, passages and transitions, doorways and gates. He is usually depicted as having two faces, one looking toward the past and one toward the future. If you are going through major changes or transitions in your life, he is a good god to call on for help and guidance. He is also associated with births, since that is the ultimate new beginning, as well as marriages, harvests, and even deaths.

  try this: As you look forward toward a new year, light a candle to this god of new beginnings. Ask him to guide you and help you let go of anything that will hold you back as you set off on your path.

  January 8

  Witchy Words of Wisdom:

  Starhawk

  Here is an inspirational quote to get your Book of Light off to a good start. This is from Starhawk’s book The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess, one of the classic books on witchcraft that I recommend to everyone.

  To work magic, I need a basic belief in my ability to do things and cause things to happen. That belief is generated and sustained by my daily actions…to a person who practices honesty and keeps commitments, “As I will, so mote it be” is not just a pretty phrase: it is a statement of fact.

  try this: Think about what you believe is necessary for the practice of magic. Do you agree with Starhawk or do you look at things differently? If you haven’t thought about it, take a few minutes to do so today.

  January 9

  What Do You Want

  from the Year to Come?
br />   Most of us are so busy running from place to place in an attempt to keep up with our busy lives that we rarely have a moment to think about anything more crucial than “What am I going to make for dinner?” or “Where did I leave my phone this time?”

  But when you walk a spiritual path, whatever form that path takes, it is a good idea to occasionally make the time to ponder what is important to you. Since it is the beginning of the year, now is a good time to look ahead and ask yourself this: What do I want from the year to come?

  try this: Sit in a quiet space and visualize how your life will look a year from now. Will it be exactly the same? If so, is that a good thing? If it isn’t, what do you want to change? What are your goals for the next twelve months? If you’re a list-maker, write down the things you wish to achieve in the coming year and post it where you can see it, so it will remind you of where you are going. If you’re not, just close your eyes and see the things you want as clearly as possible. Make them real in your mind. Plan both the magical and mundane actions that can bring them to fruition.

  January 10

  Spell to Acknowledge and Release Fear

  One of the biggest obstacles in our way as we make our journey through life is the hardest to overcome: our own fear.

  Fear is sneaky. It hides in the back of our heads, telling us lies to keep us from moving forward. While there are times when fear can keep us safe, mostly it holds us back, telling us we can’t or we’re not good enough or that we’ll fail if we even try.

  Nuts to that.

  The thing about the sneaky aspects of ourselves is that they don’t do well when we shine a light on them. Once we face them, we often find they’re not as scary as we thought. And even if they are, it’s okay to ask for help from the God and Goddess or whatever source you draw strength from. Here’s a spell to help you acknowledge and release the fear that holds you back, so you can put more of your energy into walking your path in a positive way.