Witchery: Embrace the Witch Within - Juliet Diaz 2019

New Beginnings
The Witch’s Garden of Herbal Magick

Spells for new beginnings can help you restart, reset, and open new paths for yourself. New beginnings can seem scary; we’re wired for comfort after all, and even when comfort is painful, we sometimes accept it because we’re used to it or believe it’s what we deserve. However, you, my dear, are precious, and you deserve to live a precious life. It isn’t always going to be perfect, but it can be a lot easier than it is now. Life can be whatever you want it to be, and feel how you want it to feel (or at least feel close to that desire).

I love new beginnings. They’re a reset button, a fresh start, a do over, a chance to try again with something that isn’t working. New beginnings are everyone’s birthright. So here are some Magickal workings that are all simple yet effective and will help you to start anew.

Lotus New Moon energy oil

This spell moves old energy out of a room and replaces it with new energy. It’s great for those who have recently finished a relationship, a job, or a friendship, or who have suffered the death of someone living with them. This oil can also be used for anointing candles, tools, and crystals for use in other spells with the same purpose.

What you need

A mixing bowl

1 cup (250ml) safflower oil

2 tablespoons dried blue lotus flower

1 tablespoon dried chopped birch bark

1 tablespoon dried elderberries

1 tablespoon dried white horehound

A jar with a tightly fitting lid

What to do

✵ Before you make the oil, open at least one window in the room you’re working in to allow old energies to move out and new ones to come in. If possible, open a window in every room of the house, even in a hallway or staircase.

✵ In the bowl combine all the ingredients, then put the mixture in the jar.

✵ Pour some of the oil into the palm of your hand and rub your hands together quickly to raise the energy.

✵ Stand in the middle of the room, ground yourself, and focus on your intent.

✵ Now, with lots of energy and exaggerated movements, clap your hands three times, each time saying out aloud, ’Out with the old and in with the new.’

✵ The shift in the air will happen immediately. If you’re sensitive to feeling beyond our Earthly realm you’ll feel the peace flowing into your home or space.

✵ When you’ve finished the spell, replace the lid on the jar and store the mixture until you next use it.

Wood betony new-beginnings foot oil

This oil aims to imbue the feet with inspiration to move forward, breaking the chains from them so that you can walk freely again. It’s also great for anointing candles, crystals, and tools for similar spells. You’ll need to wait for a New Moon before you can actually use the oil.

What you need

A mixing bowl

1 cup (250ml) grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons dried wood betony

1 tablespoon dried yarrow

1 tablespoon dried blessed thistle

Enough plantain leaves to wrap around your feet

What to do

✵ In the bowl combine the oil and herbs.

✵ During a New Moon phase, rub the oil all over your feet and wrap them in the plantain leaves. Let them soak for 20 minutes so that the oil can work its Magick, then remove and discard the leaves.

Ashwagandha cacao drink

Think of this drink as a Magickal hot chocolate. It allows your presence to move in different energy levels, conjuring winds to push and guide you to new beginnings and new journeys.

What you need

A mixing bowl

2 teaspoons dried ashwagandha

½ cup (70g) raw cacao powder

1 tablespoon dried shatavari

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 whole star anise

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

A jar with a tightly fitting lid

1 cup (250ml) milk (preferably plant-based, such as oat or almond)

What to do

✵ Mix the dry ingredients together in the bowl. Put the mixture in the jar and screw on the lid.

✵ In a small saucepan bring the milk to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to the milk, then stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Allow the drink to cool a little, stir in sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar to add sweetness if you wish, then enjoy!

✵ Keep the mixture in the jar until you next want to perform this spell.