Manifestation Spell Bottle & Good Luck Incense

Today I'm bringing you a lovely manifestation and luck spell of my own creation!

It includes a spell bottle and some handcrafted incense that are both packed with herbs, crystals and oils to manifest your desires, bring about good luck, and banish financial issues!

We've been house hunting for a little while now and on Friday we found a lovely little house that really wanted. So we put our offer in on the Saturday, I completed this spell on Sunday, and by lunchtime on Monday we'd been notified that our offer had been accepted!
AND our offer was under the asking price too!

This is one potent little spell!

You don't only have to use this spell if you're looking for a new home, it can also be used if you're after a new job, or a holiday, or anything else you wish to manifest for yourself!

REMEMBER:
Working magic and spells is all about what feels right to you!
If you want to do something different to how I've set the instructions out here, then feel free to change things up to suit you!
This is the same with the ingredients I've listed here. Feel free to change them up, add new ones, take some away.
Whatever feels right to you!

INCENSE

We'll start with the incense part of the spell.
This is ideally made 24 hours before you complete the spell bottle part of the spell. This is to allow the incense time to dry properly.
The incense isn't necessary to complete the rest of the spell, so feel free to skip this step and head straight to the bottle part if you want to.
It'll just give a nice extra boost of luck to your workings :)

YOU WILL NEED:

• dried rosemary (luck)
• dried sage (protection)
• Chamomile (luck)
• ground nutmeg (money)
• ground cinnamon (success)
• sandalwood powder
• cinnamon essential oil
• lemon essential oil (money)
• rosemary essential oil
• guar gum powder
• a little cold water

- Take the dry ingredients first, place them all into a mortar and pestle and grind them all together. It's doesn't have to be perfectly smooth!

- Add about 6 drops each of the oils and mix together.

- Add a tiny amount of water a a time and mix until you have a thick paste.

- Press the incense paste into a flat, thin disk on a sheet of baking paper and leave to dry for 24 hours.

*You can surround the drying incense by crystals if you wish, so that it can charge while drying*

- Once dry you can burn this incense while completing the spell bottle. You just need to light a charcoal disk and crumble some of your incense onto it.

SPELL BOTTLE

This is the main part of the spell. 

If you made the incense above then light it before starting work on this part.

YOU WILL NEED:

• small glass bottle with lid/cork
• green candle (luck & financial success)
• red candle (love & relationships)
• paper & pen
• chamomile ( luck)
• sage (protection)
• rosemary (luck)
• ground cinnamon (money)
• ground nutmeg (money)
• small crystal chips of your choice
  (I used smokey quartz, rose quartz, and turquoise)

- Sage the space you're working in to clear away any lingering negative energy, and light your green & red candles.

- Write a list of all the things you want from your new home (or job or holiday, etc). For example I wrote down what price we wanted to pay, how big, that we wanted a nice garden, quiet neighbours, to be in by Christmas, etc.
Write down as much as you can possibly think of, as you won't get 100% of your list.

- Take your list and burn it in a cauldron or on a fire-proof surface. As it burns imagine yourself living in this dream home.
Keep the ashes.

- Next take another piece of paper and draw a picture of a house onto it.
Write the names of everyone who will live there inside the house and write "NEW HOME" on the roof.

(If you're using this spell for a new job you would draw something the represents the job you want, for a holiday you'd draw something that represents the place you want to go, etc)

- Roll the paper up and put it into your small glass bottle.

- Tip some of the ashes from your list into the bottle and fill the rest up with the chamomile, sage, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg and chosen crystal pieces.

- Close the bottle with the lid or cork and then seal it with green wax from your candle.

(I also used some wax from the red candle too, to represent the love I want to seal into our new home)

- Leave your completed spell bottle next to your candles and let them burn down until they go out.

- Keep the bottle in the heart of your current home (for me this is the living room, but it could be any room at all) until you get the home you're after.

If you made the incense as well, then burn a small piece of this each night until you've used it all.

- Once you're all moved into your new home (or got your new job), you can get rid of your spell bottle.
I'll be burying mine in the garden of our new home! But you can get rid of yours in any way that feels right to you.

And that's it!

Please drop a comment below if you'll be using this spell and let me know if it works for you!
It's my first time sharing one of my own personal spells, so I'd love to know what you think!

Happy manifesting witchlings! ✨

Personal Growth Spell

Today I have a very lovely and very simple personal growth spell for you all!

This spell came with a previous White Witch Box but I also added a few small tweaks of my own as well.

As Samhain has now passed and we’re in a time of new beginnings, I wanted to share this simple spell with all of you!

✨✨✨

YOU WILL NEED:
- a green candle (I used three as I feel everything is always better in threes, but one is fine)
- a small bottle or container with a lid (I used a small glass bottle with a cork)
- jasmine
- marjoram
- some paper
- a pen

✨✨✨

🔹set out all your items and clear the space with sage if you wish.
🔹light your candle/s and as you concentrate on the flame imagine a personal trait or habit which you would like to loose and cast away.
🔹imagine how you would be and feel if this was to happen and write it down on a small piece of paper.
🔹I also wrote down the trait/habit I wanted rid of on a separate piece of paper too with a line drawn through it.
🔹roll your pieces of paper up and put them into your small bottle or container.
🔹fill the rest of your bottle up with the jasmine and marjoram.
🔹seal your bottle by dripping green wax around the cork or lid.
🔹carry this bottle with you or keep in it a place where you can see it every day until what you have written has come to pass.

✨✨✨

Once you feel that your spell has been completed and you've manifested your wishes, you can dispose of the bottle in a way that feels right to you.
For example, I'll be burying mine, but you could also burn the contents and reuse the bottle or throw in into a body of water, or anything else you can think of!
As long as it feels right to you.

✨✨✨

I'd love to know if you decide to try this spells for yourselves and if it works for you or not!

BOOK REVIEW - I Am Right Behind You

Title: I Am Right Behind you
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Published by: Riverrun
Publication date: September 7th 2017
Format: Kindle
Source: ARC (Netgalley)

I have no idea what happened here.
I spent the entire book either confused, disgusted, disturbed or anxious.
And I enjoyed it.
I think I really enjoyed it actually.
But I'm not sure.

It confused me utterly, but I don't think I mind.
You'd have to read it to understand this.

The story follows four very different families as they wake up in their caravans one morning and are not where they should be.
In fact, they're not even sure they're still in the same world.
This new world is a strange one.
Where the grass goes on forever, worryingly familiar figures can be seen in the distance, and a dark ominous cloud lurks on the horizon. 
Each person has been brought here for a reason.
And the journey to understand why is a disturbing one.

I loved learning about all the characters and how vastly different all of their lives and experiences were.
They were all so interesting, with wildly different and fascinating personalities. They were loveable, hateable, brave, weak, innocent, and evil.
It was a wonderful and intriguing mix of people.

The story itself was incredibly interesting, as well as disturbing and very odd.
I'm not too sure what happened in the end or what it was actually all about, but I really enjoyed the journey through this strange world, and how the story was written.
It kept me gripped right until the very end.

This is a story about human nature and how we act when everything we know is taken away.
And it is truly terrifying.

BOOK REVIEW - Godsgrave

Title: Godsgrave
Author: Jay Kristoff

Published by: Harper Voyager UK
Publication date: September 7th 2017
Format: Kindle
Source: ARC (Netgalley)

"The heavens grant us only one life, but through books, we live a thousand."

I never thought anything could compare to my fierce love of Nevernight.
I have been proven wrong.
Very, very wrong.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and so much more!

It was brutal, beautiful, bloody, and brilliant!
There was so much more suspense, lashings more danger, mountains of violence, and whole bucket loads of sass and sarcasm!

Be prepared for blood, fights, betrayal, mystery, passion, death and darkness!

I was so sure that nothing would ever beat the setting of the first in this series; a dangerous school for assassins where nothing is as it seems.
Thankfully I was proven wrong again and this time around we get to follow Mia as she sells herself into slavery in order to compete in vicious battles to the death as a Gladiatti.

Throughout this book Mia manages to become an even more fascinating character (if that is even possible?)
She grows so much, having her strength of character, bravery and resolve tested constantly.
Mia has even more Darkin mysteries thrown at her in this installment, and even more questions about who and what she really is.
The other characters we meet along the way are all equally as fantastic.
We get to make friends, enemies and maybe even a lover or two?

The writing was just as stunningly beautiful as in Nevernight, though maybe with slightly less flounce and over-the-top descriptions.
There were definitely no weird and strange metaphors this time around, and the book is so much better because of this.

Just as in the first book, the pace of this book was pounding and perfect!
I literally could not stop reading as I was so desperate to find out what was going to happen next.
There were twists and turns on every page, keeping you hooked and immersed right until the very brutal end.

And that ending gentlefriends! 

THE ENDING 

All you need to know about that is - oh my god!

"That's the power of words: twenty-six little letters can paint a whole universe."

BOOK REVIEW - Odd & True

Title: Odd & TrueAuthor: Cat WintersPublished by: AbramsPublication date: September 12th 2017Format: KindleSource: ARC (Netgalley)

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one quite as much as I did.But it was actually quite wonderful!

It's a tale about family bonds , myths & legends, the everyday struggles of life, and magic.

The story follows two very close sisters and each chapter alternates between each of their points of view. The chapters by Tru happen in the present and take us on an adventure across America where well face dangers, hunt monsters, and uncover family secrets.Od's chapters tell us about the past; how the two sisters grew up, the real truth about their family history and what happened to Od when she was sent away from home and her sister.

I was expecting more magic, myths and monsters in this book if I'm honest, but I'm actually not mad about how it turned out.There was just enough enchantment, folklore and mythical creatures to keep me interested, but the story was mainly about family, the love the two sisters share, overcoming adversity and being brave enough to carry on when life throws everything it has at you.

I really enjoyed learning about the girls' family history and the truth behind Od's tall tales.I loved both of the sisters fiercely! They were both so vastly different from each other, but equally strong and brave in their own way.

Tru suffered from Polio as a child and, as a result, one of her legs has withered and is unusable. She gets around with the help of a cane or wheelchair, but doesn't let this stop her from living her life and having adventures! She is delicate, quiet, smart, strong and brave.

Od, on the other hand, is a bit of a wild-child. She loves adventures, stomping around the woods following monster tracks, and looking after her sister. She suffers through quite a lot as she grows up, but her vivid imagination and thirst for magic always stays strong.

This is a fantastical adventure into dark family secrets, impossible stories and the unbreakable bond between sisters.

Could the magic actually be real after all?!

BOOK REVIEW - The Girl In The Tower

Title: The Girl In The Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Published by: Del Rey
Publication date:  January 9th 2018
Format: Kindle
Source: ARC (Netgalley)

Sequel to The Bear And The Nightingale 

This sequel to The Bear And The Nightingale does not disappoint!

Though different in a few ways, this charming, magical story still holds the same enchantment as the first in the series.
In this installment, however, we get more adventure, more action, more daring, and much more bravery!

This time we get to follow Vasya as she leaves all that she knows behind and travels across the deadly frozen landscape of Russia. Running from the memory of her dead father and a village accusing her of being a witch, Vasya finds hope in her dream of freedom.
Refusing to be confined by marriage or a convent Vasya disguises herself as a boy and rides her horse off into the woods and towards adventure!

And there was so much adventure in this book!

We get to brave snowstorms, fight bandits, race horses, encounter even more spirits, meet The Grand Prince of Moscow, be reunited with lost family, and attempt to save the Kingdom from danger.

And of course there's plenty more of Morozko the winter demon/God too!

This is less of a cosy tale of family, snow and folklore such as The Bear And The Nightingale, and more of a grand, daring, frosty adventure.
It still contains plenty of magic, but has a healthy dose of danger too!

If you enjoyed the first book in this series then I think you'll be more than thrilled with The Girl In The Tower!
Get ready for magic, folklore, adventure, and lots of snow!

BOOK REVIEW - Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance

Title: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
Author: Ruth Emmie Lang
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication date:  November 7th 2017
Format: Kindle
Source: ARC (Netgalley)

Magical realism that I actually enjoyed?
Surely not???
Though this gem of a book does feature far more of the 'magic' than the 'realism', so that's probably why it was a winner for me!

During this tale we follow the life of Weylyn Grey through the memories and stories of the people that knew him.Weylyn isn't like other people.
He has lived with wolves, can stop storms, owns a horned pig, collects light in jars, and is under the impression that his very presence puts the people he loves in danger.

We get to visit dense woodland, travel through thick snow, and enter a house covered in spiders webs.

This book is such a magical, fantastical, touching story.

I really connected to every character we met along the way and was facinated with the life of Weylyn.
I couldn''t wait to turn the page and find out what was going to happen next!

I really enjoyed the way the story was told - from the POV of different characters and their views of the things that happened around Weylyn.It was lovely to see how Weylyn had touched peoples lives and how they each coped with having to change their views about reality and how the world worked.

We also get to see how Weylyn himself deals with being different, his struggle with the fact that he possibly puts the people he loves in danger, and how he ultimately copes with that fact.
I loved his character so much and just wanted to give him a big hug!

It was magical, funny, touching, and at times quite sad.

It was perfect.

M is for... Mouse, Bird, Sausage

Once upon a time, in a little cottage in the woods, there lived a mouse, a bird and and sausage. They lived together for many years in harmony and friendship, all helping each other and sharing the daily chores.

The bird flew out into the woods every day to fetch wood. The mouse would set the fire, collect water and set the table for meals. The sausage would cook all the meals.

One day, while out collecting wood, the bird came across an old friend who laughed at him for working so hard when his friends did so little. The bird thought about this and became quite mad, so he flew home and insisted that they all swap jobs the very next day. The mouse and the sausage argued against the change, but the bird would not back down, so eventually they all agreed.

The next morning the sausage headed out to collect wood from the forest but he did not return. Fearing something may have happened to his friend, the bird flew out to see if he could find him. He eventually found the sausage in the mouth of a dog. The bird begged the dog to let his friend go, but the dog claimed that the sausage had been carrying forged papers and so would have to die.

Filled with grief and sorrow, the bird flew back home again to tell the mouse what had happened. However, when he got inside he found that while trying to cook a meal the mouse had accidentally fallen into the pot and boiled to death.

The bird was devastated and flew about the house in a rage. In his carelessness he scattered the wood from the fire around the house and soon the little cottage was engulfed in flames. The bird quickly rushed to get some water to douse the flames, but he fell down the well along with the bucket and drowned.

This strange tale was collected by the brothers Grimm and included in their published collection 'Kinder- ind Hausmärchen' in 1812. 
It went on to be featured in all seven editions.

L is for... Leshii

The Leshii is the sprit of the forest in Slavic folklore.

Every forest has its own Leshii who lives deep within the trees with his wife and children. The Leshii normally takes the form of a man with hair and beard of leaves, grass and vines, but he can also take on the shape of any animal or plant - from a tall tree, to a single blade of grass.

The Leshii is the guardian of the forest and protects all the animals living there. He is thought to be an evil spirit by some but is, in fact, more like a tricksy fairy in nature. 

He does enjoy misguiding travellers and leaving them lost within the woods, but if he is befriended, however, he will pass on his vast knowledge of magic.

If there is more than one Leshii in a single forest then they will fight violently to claim the territory as their own, leaving a trail of fallen trees and scared animals. 

When travelling through the forest it is sensible to take a gift of bread for the Leshii to ward off his troublesome nature.

K is for... Kodama

Kodama (木霊) are small forest spirits from the folklore of Japan.
They are thought to inhabit trees and make strange echoing sounds. If you hear the sound of a falling tree at night, this is also thought to be the sound of a Kodama. 

They are said to take on the appearance of atmospheric ghost lights, beasts, and sometimes they can even take on human form.
Some believe that Kodama look just like real trees and are rooted to the ground.

Kodama are beilieved to have magical powers and if someone tries to cut down a tree in which one of these little spirits lives they will be badly cursed.
However, if a Kodama is treated well it will be kind and protect houses and villages.

In some areas of Japan small shrines are created at the bases of trees to honour the Kodama. These shrines are still worshipped at today by some people - showing that a belief in the little tree spirits still exists in some places.

In Hachijo-jima, in a village called Mitsune, they still celebrate the "Kodama-san" with an annual festival where they give thanks and show their respect. During this festival they ask for forgiveness and the Kodamas blessing when they cut down trees.

Kodama also appear in the anime movie Princess Mononoke which was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

In this movie they are shown as cute little bobbled-headed creatures who run around in the forest. (as shown above)

All of Miyazaki's movies are really beautiful with wonderful storylines and characters, with Princess Mononoke being one of his very best! So definitely check it out if you haven't already seen it.

J is for... Japanese monsters

For the letter J we're heading back to Japanese Yōkai!

These interesting illustrations come from the book Yōkai Daizukai by manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, and they show cross sections from 85 'Yōkai' - the traditional monsters and demons from Japanese folklore.

The illustrations show each of the monsters internal organs and gives information about their functions and about the creatures themselves. 

I only wish that I was able to read Japanese so that I could buy myself the book, and read all of these fascinating entries!

Here are a few translated exerts for you to enjoy:

The Hyōsube, a child-sized river monster (a relative of the kappa) from Kyushu that lives in underwater caves, ventures onto land at night to eat rice plants. The monster has a relatively small brain, a nervous system specialized in detecting the presence of humans, thick rubbery skin, sharp claws, two small stomachs (one for rice grains and one for fish), a large sac for storing surplus food, and two large oxygen sacs for emergency use. A pair of rotating bone coils produce an illness-inducing bacteria that the monster sprinkles on unsuspecting humans.

The Mannen-dake ("10,000-year bamboo") is a bamboo-like monster that feeds on the souls of lost travelers camping in the woods. Anatomical features include a series of tubes that produce air that causes travelers to lose their way, syringe-like fingers the monster inserts into victims to suck out their souls, and a sac that holds the stolen souls.

The Kuro-kamikiri ("black hair cutter") is a large, black-haired creature that sneaks up on women in the street at night and surreptitiously cuts off their hair. Anatomical features include a brain wired for stealth and trickery, razor-sharp claws, a long, coiling tongue covered in tiny hair-grabbing spines, and a sac for storing sleeping powder used to knock out victims. The digestive system includes an organ that produces a hair-dissolving fluid, as well as an organ with finger-like projections that thump the sides of the intestines to aid digestion.

The Kijimunaa is a playful forest sprite inhabiting the tops of Okinawan banyan trees. Anatomical features include eye sockets equipped with ball bearings that enable the eyeballs to spin freely, strong teeth for devouring crabs and ripping out the eyeballs of fish (a favorite snack), a coat of fur made from tree fibers, and a nervous system adapted for carrying out pranks. The Kijimunaa's brain contains vivid memories of being captured by an octopus - the only thing it fears and hates.

Which Yōkai is your favourite?

BOOK REVIEW: The Girl of Ink & Stars

Title: The Girl of Ink & Stars
Author: Kiran Millweed Hargrave
Published by: Chicken House
Publication date: May 5th 2016
Format: Paperback
Source: Own copy (Amazon)

I was so excited to read this one. 
I was hoping for magic and adventure, myths and legends, friendship and bravery. 
And while a did get all of that (ish), there just wasn't enough of it. 

Not enough magic by far. 

I understand that this was kind of a magical-realism novel, but apparently that genre is just not for me. 
They always leave me wanting so much more. 

The plot was intriguing but ended up being a bit dull unfortunately.
We follow Isabella as she embarks on a dangerous journey to find her friend. 
She travels through unknown territories, getting attacked by strange creatures and eventually finds out that the whole island is in danger of being destroyed. 
I LOVED the idea of an ancient fire demon living under the island and how the stories and myths that Isabella loved so much seemed to be coming true. 

But it fell flat. 
(I hate the 'realism' part of magical-realism!)

I did enjoy the friendship between Isabella and Lupe though. 
I thought it was sweet and fierce and they were just so lovely together!
And I'm glad there wasn't any romance featured in this story. I panicked that it would be for a second there, but it's all clear! *phew*

I also really enjoyed the cartography - the information given about it, the stories that were told, the design of the pages which featured beautiful cartography illustrations throughout, and both of the maps at the beginning and end of the book.
This book really is very pretty.
Cartography has always facinated me, so it was nice to see it featured in a book.

Unfortunately, I just felt like this book was lacking that special something. 
It didn't ever grab me.
Some parts dragged. 
It shouldn't have been as dull as it was. 

I wanted more!