Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: herbal magic

  • Litha Sabbat Guide: Fire & Bloom Altar, Rituals, and Self-Love Spell Bag Recharge

    Litha Sabbat Guide: Fire & Bloom Altar, Rituals, and Self-Love Spell Bag Recharge

    Litha: Fire and Bloom

    Your Ultimate Sabbat Resource 🌞🔥

    Welcome bright souls to Litha, the peak of summer and the fire festival honoring the sun at its strongest. Litha is also called Midsummer or the Summer Solstice. It marks the longest day of the year. This is when daylight reaches its height and begins to wane. Rooted in ancient pagan traditions, it celebrates the power of the sun, growth, fertility, and abundance.

    This guide will walk you through Litha’s origins and common celebrations. It covers altar setups, ceremonial ideas, and offerings. You will also find tips for recharging your self-love spell bag with the season’s vibrant energy.

    🔥 Origins and Meaning of Litha

    Litha traces back to many European pagan cultures including Celtic, Germanic, and Slavic peoples. It was a sacred turning point in the Wheel of the Year. It symbolized the sun god at his strongest and the earth abundant with life. Bonfires were lit to honor the sun and keep away dark spirits. People celebrated fertility, protection, and the balance between light and dark.

    Today, many witches and pagans honor Litha as a time of joy, illumination, and gratitude for nature’s gifts.

    🌿 Common Litha Celebrations and Traditions

    Bonfires and Fire Rituals:
    Lighting fire symbolizes the sun’s power and cleansing energy.

    Dancing and Singing:
    These communal celebrations often include music, dance, and storytelling around fires.

    Gathering Herbs and Flowers:
    Flowers like St. John’s Wort, yarrow, and daisies are collected for magic and medicine

    Altar Swaps:
    Refresh your altar with bright colors (yellow, gold, orange, red) and sun symbols such as sunflowers or sun wheels

    Feasting:
    Seasonal foods including fresh fruits, grains, and honey are shared

    Offerings: Leaving out bread, wine, honey, or flowers for spirits and ancestors to honor their guidance and presence

    🔥 Building Your Litha Altar

    Set up an altar that radiates the sun’s energy and the fullness of summer:

    Colors:
    Gold, yellow, orange, red

    Candles:
    Beeswax or yellow candles to represent sunlight

    Herbs:
    Calendula, lemongrass, lavender, St. John’s Wort

    Crystals:
    Citrine, amber, sunstone, tiger’s eye

    Symbols:
    Sunflowers, sun wheels, fire symbols, shells (for the water balance)

    Offerings:
    Fresh fruit, honey, nuts, flowers, herbal teas

    🌞 Honoring the Sun and Ancestors

    Use Litha to express gratitude to the sun’s life-giving energy and to honor ancestors who guide and protect:

    Light a candle or bonfire in their memory Leave offerings on your altar or outside in nature Write a letter to an ancestor or spirit and burn it safely to release intentions or messages

    💖 Recharging Your Self-Love Spell Bag for Litha

    The powerful sun energy at Litha makes this a perfect time to refresh your self-love spell bag:

    Place your spell bag in direct sunlight for at least an hour to charge it with vibrant energy Speak or meditate on your intentions for self-love, confidence, and inner strength Optionally, leave the bag under the full moon the next night for balance and calm Keep the spell bag with you throughout the day in your purse, car, desk, or pillowcase to carry the sun’s warmth and self-love energy with you

    Lilith’s Fierce Self Love at Litha 🔥🖤

    Alongside the blazing sun of Litha, we honor Lilith. She is the primal and powerful feminine force of independence. Lilith embodies courage and unapologetic self-love. Lilith reminds us that true self-love is not always soft, sometimes it’s fierce boundary setting and wild.

    At Litha as the sun reaches its peak strength call on Lilith’s energy to:

    • Reclaim your personal power and autonomy

    • Embrace your shadow self without shame or fear

    • Set bold boundaries in love and life

    • Celebrate your wild untamed spirit

    You can add a small symbol or image representing Lilith to your altar. This could be something like a crescent moon or a black rose. Additionally, include her in your self love intentions as you recharge your spell bag. This is a time to love yourself fully light and shadow alike.

    ✨ May your light shine bright this Litha and your heart bloom with love and power.

    Lilith cheat sheet red and black for digital and physical grimore
    Free to save or print cheat sheet.
    Free Download/ Print Gumrode Free Download/Print Payhip
    Litha cheat sheet printable or downloadable for use in your grimore
    Free to save or print cheat sheet.

    Free Download/ Print Gumrode Free Download/Print Payhip



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  • 🌿 Leaf of Intent: A Simple Bay Leaf Manifestation Spell

    🌿 Leaf of Intent: A Simple Bay Leaf Manifestation Spell

    Focused, grounded, and ready to bloom.

    Sometimes, all it takes is a single leaf to shift our path forward.

    This spell is one of my favorites for when I need clarity, direction, or a little universal nudge. This ritual uses a bay leaf as the vessel. It invites you to focus your intentions. You can declare and release them with both gentleness and fire. Whether you’re calling in healing, focus, confidence, or opportunity, this spell keeps it simple, sacred, and portable.

    🧹 What You’ll Need:

    1–3 bay leaves (fresh or dried will work) A pen or marker A fireproof bowl or dish Clear quartz (optional, but powerful)

    🔮 Step-by-Step Ritual:

    Center & Breathe Sit in a calm space, hands open, and breathe. Focus gently on one specific desire or goal, make it something that feels grounded and achievable. Write It Down Using your pen, write your intention directly on the bay leaf. Keep it short, just a word or a few. Examples: “Confidence”, “Safety”, “Open doors”. Charge the Leaf, hold the leaf between your palms. Visualize your wish blooming into reality. Pour your clarity and hope into it. Let the Fire Speak, Carefully burn the bay leaf in your fireproof dish. As the smoke rises, imagine your intention being carried out into the world. This is the release, the trust, the moment you let it go. Amplify (Optional) Hold a clear quartz crystal during or after the burn to amplify your focus and energy. Keep it near you for a few days as a touchstone. Give Thanks Whisper a thank-you, to your guides, the universe, the elements, or simply to yourself. The act of gratitude is the final seal.

    ✨ Optional Chant or Affirmation:

    “Leaf to flame, wish take flight,

    Bring my dream to clear sight.”

    Say this aloud or whisper it as the smoke curls. Let it ground your belief and light your path.

    🌙 Ideal Timing:

    Best days: Monday (for inner clarity). Thursday is best for expansion. Best moon phases are the waxing crescent or waxing gibbous. These are the times when energy builds and intentions gain momentum.

    🧺 Aftercare – Closing the Spell:

    Let the ashes cool and gently bury them in the earth or scatter them outdoors. Keep your quartz nearby or on your altar to remind you of your intention. You’ve planted a seed, now let it grow.

    Manifest with Bay leaves in yellow font line art bay leaves on parchment paper

    🕯 Final Thoughts:

    Not every spell needs complexity. Sometimes a leaf, a flame, and a moment of presence are all you need. Use this whenever you’re ready to speak your truth and let it take root in the world.
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  • The 8 Pagan Sabbats: Dates, Themes, Deities, and Sacred Correspondences

    The 8 Pagan Sabbats: Dates, Themes, Deities, and Sacred Correspondences

    1. Yule – Winter Solstice (Dec 20–23)

    Theme: Rebirth of the Sun, inner reflection, hope Colors: Red, green, white, gold, silver Crystals: Garnet, clear quartz, bloodstone Herbs: Pine, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, rosemary Symbols: Yule log, candles, evergreen wreaths, sun wheels Deities: Holly King & Oak King (dueling seasonal forces) Frau Holle, The Dagda, Isis, Sol Invictus, Mother Goddesses

    2. Imbolc – (Feb 1–2)

    Theme: Purification, inspiration, new beginnings Colors: White, light blue, pale yellow Crystals: Amethyst, moonstone, selenite Herbs: Chamomile, basil, bay, snowdrop, angelica Symbols: Candles, Brigid’s cross, seeds, snowdrops Deities: Brigid (Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, healing) Vesta, Hestia, Gaia

    3. Ostara – Spring Equinox (Mar 20–23)

    Theme: Balance, fertility, growth Colors: Pastels (pink, green, lavender, baby blue) Crystals: Rose quartz, aquamarine, moss agate Herbs: Dandelion, violet, lavender, clover Symbols: Eggs, hares, flowers, seeds Deities: Eostre (Anglo-Saxon spring goddess) Persephone, Freya, Flora

    4. Beltane – (Apr 30–May 1)

    Theme: Fire, fertility, passion, union Colors: Red, green, white, gold Crystals: Carnelian, garnet, emerald Herbs: Hawthorn, rose, thyme, mugwort Symbols: Maypole, bonfires, flowers, ribbons Deities: The Green Man, Cernunnos (horned god) Flora, Aphrodite, Pan, Maia

    5. Litha – Summer Solstice (June 20–23)

    Theme: Power, abundance, illumination Colors: Gold, yellow, orange, red Crystals: Citrine, sunstone, tiger’s eye Herbs: St. John’s Wort, basil, sage, chamomile Symbols: Sun, fire, oak, honey Deities: Ra, Apollo, Hathor, Lugh, Amaterasu

    6. Lughnasadh / Lammas – (Aug 1)

    Theme: First harvest, sacrifice, gratitude Colors: Orange, yellow, brown, gold Crystals: Amber, peridot, citrine Herbs: Wheat, corn, sunflower, rosemary Symbols: Bread, grain, cornucopia, scythe Deities: Lugh (Celtic craftsman and warrior god) Demeter, Tailtiu, Ceres

    7. Mabon – Autumn Equinox (Sept 20–23)

    Theme: Balance, second harvest, giving thanks Colors: Deep red, brown, gold, dark green Crystals: Jasper, smoky quartz, labradorite Herbs: Apples, sage, marigold, cinnamon Symbols: Apples, wine, grapes, pumpkins Deities: Mabon ap Modron, The Crone, Dionysus, Pomona

    8. Samhain – (Oct 31–Nov 1)

    Theme: Death, endings, honoring ancestors, the veil Colors: Black, orange, purple, silver Crystals: Obsidian, onyx, labradorite Herbs: Mugwort, wormwood, rosemary, sage Symbols: Skulls, bones, pumpkins, candles Deities: The Morrigan, Hecate, Anubis, Hel, Cailleach, Osiris

    If you want to explore the physical & digital side of Poeaxtry, the stores are always open. Physical items like handmade pieces, ritual tools, and select creations live only on Etsy. Digital books, zines, and downloads are available through Gumroad, Etsy, & Payhip. As well as some being available on Kindle & Amazon. The same fingers click the keys across all shops, just different formats for different hands, needs, and screens.

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