by Witchyways | Nov 5, 2025 | Witchcraft Basics
The Beaver Moon in Taurus: Grounding Under the 2025 Supermoon
Tonight the sky glows with an ancient promise. The Beaver Moon rises full in Taurus, and she’s closer than usual, swelling into a brilliant Supermoon. It’s the biggest and brightest full moon of the year, her pull strong enough to stir tides and spirits alike.
In traditional lore, this moon marked the time when beavers built their lodges before the freeze, a reminder to prepare, to fortify, to create something that lasts. In astrology, Taurus rules stability, comfort, and the tangible world. When the Beaver Moon meets Taurus energy, it invites us to ground ourselves, secure our roots, and take quiet pride in what we’ve built.
This moon doesn’t ask for chaos or release. She calls for steadiness. Under her light, the air hums with the rhythm of the earth itself. She tells us to trust our senses, to touch the materials of our craft, to build beauty that endures. For witches, makers, and dreamers, this is the time to align with the physical — to charge our tools, tend our homes, and honour the body as sacred.
At Witchy Ways, this energy resonates deeply with the copper we work, the stones we set, and the grounding pieces we create. Copper hums with Taurus frequency: warm, patient, reliable. It channels energy through the body, keeping the spirit anchored while the mind wanders to the stars. When the Supermoon lights your copper talismans tonight, let that glow remind you of strength built slowly, intentionally, by hand.
If you’re feeling scattered, bring yourself back to the senses. Light a candle, hold a grounding bracelet, or step outside and breathe in the cool November air. Let the moonlight rest on your skin. Ask yourself what is worth keeping. What foundation do you want to strengthen before winter deepens? The Beaver Moon teaches that what we nurture now will carry us through the darker months ahead.
Ritual for the Beaver Moon in Taurus
- Lay your jewellery or talismans beneath the window where the Supermoon shines.
- Place your hands over them and whisper what you want to protect and preserve.
- Breathe deeply, feel the weight of the earth beneath you, and know you are held.
This Supermoon is not just a spectacle in the sky; it’s a mirror. It reflects your craftsmanship, your resilience, and your quiet determination to create meaning in the material world.
So tonight, let the Beaver Moon in Taurus remind you of the beauty of building — in art, in spirit, and in the soul.
by Witchyways | Oct 17, 2025 | Myths
When frost still bites the soil and the sun creeps low across the hedgerows, the old spirits stir beneath the plough. Long before engines and iron, farmhands and labourers walked the furrows singing for luck and life. These were the Ploughmen of the North, the keepers of winter’s first ritual, and though their hands were rough from toil, their work carried something older than they knew.
The Roots of Plough Monday
Each January, when the land still slept, rural communities marked Plough Monday—the ceremonial start of the agricultural year. Groups of young men, often farm labourers, would drag a decorated plough from door to door, collecting coins or ale, singing rhymes, and blessing the soil for fertility.
Some dressed as jesters or animals, others as the “Old Woman” or “Bessy,” a symbolic nod to the earth’s fertile body. Beneath the laughter and ale lay an ancient understanding: the plough broke the skin of the land, and through that wound, life would return.
As historian Ronald Hutton notes, these rites “bound the men of the soil to the turning of the year,” preserving fragments of pre-Christian fertility customs well into modern times.
From Ploughmen to Plough Witches
The term Plough Witch is a modern reimagining. No records describe witches performing these rites, yet the symbolism of plough, furrow, and seed speaks deeply to those who work with earth magic today.
Modern witches have reclaimed the plough as a sacred tool of transformation—a reminder that magic begins where soil meets hand. The Plough Witch honours the same cycle once kept by the ploughmen: death and renewal, darkness and thaw, effort and harvest.
The Tools of the Modern Plough Witch
- The Ploughshare: Symbol of labour and intention, representing the act of turning one’s life toward new growth.
- The Furrow Cord: A braid buried or tied around a plant pot, binding your hopes to the earth’s pulse.
- Offerings of Milk, Honey, and Ale: Gifts for the land and its unseen keepers.
Copper, blood, and ash remain sacred symbols—life, toil, and fire feeding the field’s heart.
A Ritual for the Turning Year
- Blessing the Blade (Imbolc)
At dawn, wash your working tool—spade, trowel, or knife—with milk and ash. Whisper:
“Wake, earth, wake. I turn you in light and life.” - Sowing Charms (Ostara)
Mix your seeds with crushed eggshell and salt. Speak your intentions into the soil as you plant. - Harvest Offering (Lammas)
Gather the first herbs or blooms of summer. Dry them by your altar as a sign of gratitude and return.
The Spirit of the Plough Witch
To be a Plough Witch is not to mimic the old farmhands but to carry their rhythm forward. It is to see your garden, your allotment, even a single pot of herbs, as sacred ground. It is to turn the soil with purpose and trust that the land remembers every kindness.
The old ploughmen broke the earth to bring life. The Plough Witch does the same in spirit, turning intention into growth.
A Charm for the Year’s Turning
Turn the soil and turn the year,
Bless the hands that hold it dear.
Wake the roots, the hidden flame,
Earth remember my given name.
Further Reading and Sources
- E. C. Cawte, Ritual Animal Disguise (Cambridge University Press, 1978)
- Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 1996)
- Christina Hole, English Traditional Customs (Batsford, 1941)
- T. F. Thiselton-Dyer, British Popular Customs, Present and Past (1876)
- Emma Restall Orr, Living Druidry (Piatkus, 2004)
- Gemma Gary, The Black Toad (Troy Books, 2013)
- Nigel G. Pearson, Treading the Mill (Capall Bann, 2004)
by Witchyways | Aug 1, 2025 | Witchcraft Basics
Greetings, fellow seekers of enchantment! The cosmic dance of the universe brings us a celestial spectacle that is sure to awaken the magic within us all. On this enchanting night, we are graced with the rare and captivating phenomenon of the August Blue Moon. So, gather ’round, as we delve into the depths of this mystical event and explore how to harness its potent energy using our witchy ways.
What is the August Blue Moon?
As we know, a Blue Moon is not truly blue in color, but it is a term used for the second full moon within a single calendar month. This celestial occurrence is as rare as a phoenix feather, happening roughly once every two to three years. This August, as the velvety night sky unfolds its tapestry, we are blessed with the magic of a Blue Moon on the very last day of the month.
Embracing the Energy
Every full moon is a time of heightened energy, a time to release what no longer serves us and to manifest our desires. The August Blue Moon, however, holds a unique essence that calls upon us to step into our power and align with the universe’s rhythms. Its energy is one of transformation, shedding light on the hidden corners of our lives and inviting us to embrace change. Rituals and Witchcraft
As the moonlight cascades over the Earth, we can weave our spells and rituals to amplify the energy of this powerful moon. Here are a few witchy ways to make the most of this occasion:
- Moon Bathing: Charge your crystals, tarot cards, and magical tools under the moon’s gentle rays. Let the moonlight cleanse and renew their energy.
- Release Rituals: Write down what you wish to let go of on a piece of parchment. Burn it in a cauldron or a fire-safe bowl, letting the flames transmute your intentions.
- Full Moon Divination: The veil between realms is thin during this time. Engage in divination practices like tarot readings or scrying to gain insights into your path.
- Spellwork for Transformation: Craft spells that focus on personal growth, change, and empowerment. Use herbs, oils, and candles aligned with the moon’s energy.
- Moonlit Meditation: Find a tranquil spot under the moon’s glow and meditate, connecting with your inner self and the universe. Visualize your desires manifesting.
Setting Intentions
The Blue Moon is a powerful canvas upon which we can paint our dreams and intentions. Use this time to set clear intentions for the next chapter of your journey. Whether it’s a new venture, a personal transformation, or a shift in energy, the universe is poised to support you.
Embrace the Magic Within
As we gather around the cosmic campfire of the August Blue Moon, let us embrace the enchantment that dwells within us. The universe has gifted us this rare occasion to tap into our innate wisdom, to dance in harmony with the stars, and to amplify the potency of our witchy ways. So, dear kindred spirits, let the magic of this August Blue Moon guide your intentions and illuminate your path.
May your spells be potent, your intentions pure, and your heart forever attuned to the celestial rhythms that shape our existence.
Blessed be,
Autumn Rains.
by Witchyways | May 26, 2025 | Personal, Witchcraft Basics
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what modern spirituality really means in a British context, not the sermons or dogma, but the older rhythms that still hum beneath our feet. Christianity reshaped these islands, yes, but it didn’t erase the bones beneath the churches. The stories, the symbols, and the quiet kindness of the land, all of it survived, woven into every hymn, harvest loaf, and ritual. This post begins an exploration of how ancient pagan traditions, Christian ethics, and modern witchcraft converge to shape a spirituality that honours the past while nurturing our present lives.
Why We Still Feel the Pull of the Old Ways in Modern Spirituality
There’s a reason so many of us are craving simplicity, ritual, and something intentional again. It isn’t just nostalgia. It’s instinct. For most of human history, our sense of self was stitched directly into the land. The fields told us when to rest, when to sow, when to celebrate. Our gods were never far away, they lived in the hedgerows, the wells, and the hearth.
When Christianity spread through Britain, it didn’t completely silence that heartbeat, it just changed the tune. The same festivals continued under new names, the same herbs were gathered under the blessing of new saints. For centuries the old ways survived quietly in kitchen gardens and folk songs, carried mostly by women who were called healers, midwives, or sometimes witches.
Now, centuries later, that pulse is rising again. We’re burnt out from concrete, algorithms, and the churn of production. We long for something slower and more sacred. It’s not about rejecting Christianity or idealising a past that wasn’t perfect, it’s about balance. Spirituality once grew out of relationship, not rules. The divine was something you met in the wind, the soil, and in your own hands, not a sermon.
Maybe the pull we feel isn’t regression at all. Maybe it’s evolution, the soul trying to find its way home after a long detour through industry and empire.
How Christianity Absorbed Pagan Wisdom: Lessons for Modern Spirituality
It’s easy to imagine Christianity arriving in Britain like a conqueror, but the truth was quieter, more intricate. Conversion took centuries, and along the way the Church learned something essential, people would not surrender their seasons. So instead of destroying the old ways, it folded them in.
The winter solstice became Christmas. Beltane’s fires turned into May Day celebrations. The goddess Eostre lent her name and symbols, hares, eggs, rebirth, to Easter. Even the saints began to resemble the spirits they replaced. St. Brigid was once Brigid the goddess of the forge and poetry. St. Michael took up the dragon’s role from older myths of sun gods conquering chaos.
In the process, Christianity inherited more than rituals, it inherited the moral backbone of the old world, reverence for life, reciprocity, compassion, and the understanding that what you take must one day be given back. The Sermon on the Mount and the laws of hospitality found their roots in older soil than scripture admits.
That syncretism, pagan breath inside Christian lungs, is why these islands never fully lost their enchantment. You can feel it in hymns that still mention the harvest, in cathedrals built where stone circles once stood, and in the way we still hang holly in winter and weave flowers in spring. The stories changed their language, not their purpose.
What Humanitarian Spirituality Looks Like Today
If the old ways rooted us in nature and Christianity taught us empathy, perhaps the next chapter of faith is about integration rather than opposition. We don’t need new gods so much as new metaphors, ones that honour both the sacredness of the earth and the dignity of the human spirit.
A humanitarian spirituality begins not in temples or doctrines but in relationship, to one another, to the planet that holds us, and to the quiet inner compass that knows kindness isn’t weakness. It’s the understanding that the divine isn’t above us but within us, and that moral courage grows best in ordinary acts of care.
We see fragments of it already. In the rise of community gardens and herbal collectives. In people choosing to make their food, medicines, and charms with intention. In modern witchcraft practices such as spell work, home rituals, and herbalism. Spirituality through practice rather than preaching, a return to the idea that work done with love is devotion.
The commandments of such a faith are simple and human, make more than you consume, heal more than you harm, listen more than you speak. It is not anti-Christian, nor strictly pagan. It is the continuation of both, evolved for an age that needs connection more than conquest.
How Modern Witchcraft Keeps Spirituality Alive
Every age leaves its wisdom in the practices we perform. Long before scripture, people gathered herbs, brewed potions, and prepared food with intention. Symbols and charms were placed in homes, worn, or carried for protection, love, and memory. Each act was a conversation with the world, a devotion that connected the maker to nature and spirit.
That is why modern witchcraft still matters. In a world obsessed with speed and efficiency, preparing herbal remedies, crafting charms, cooking with care, and performing simple spells is a gentle rebellion. Each ritual or creation declares that meaning cannot be mass-produced. Beauty, intention, and purpose are not luxuries, they are how we stay grounded, present, and human.
When I work with herbs or set up a home altar, I feel that lineage. Pagan healers, Christian mystics, mothers weaving charms into children’s lives, all spoke the same language of care. Modern witchcraft is the bridge between ages. It keeps the sacred visible, tangible, and alive.
Perhaps that is our quiet task now, to act with intention, to live with awareness, and to honour the past without becoming its prisoner. The thread has never broken, it only waits for willing hands to pick it up again. In doing so, we are not returning to the old ways, we are letting them evolve, just as we do.
Reflection
The thread of humanity’s meaning has never truly broken, it waits in our rituals, in the herbs we gather, in the meals we prepare, and in the spells we craft with intention. What practices, charms, or rituals speak to you? How might you weave them into your daily life to honour the past while shaping your own modern witchcraft? Share your reflections below. The conversation between old wisdom and present practice is alive, and it only continues when we pick up the thread and work with it ourselves.
by Witchyways | May 29, 2024 | Witchcraft Basics
Witchcraft and the phases of the moon have always been intertwined. The full moon, in particular, has been revered as a time for powerful magic and manifestation. Harnessing the energy of the full moon is a significant part of many witchcraft practices and can help you unlock your inner power. In this article, we will explore the magic of the full moon and how you can tap into its energy to enhance your spellwork.
Moon Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Witch with Full Moon Rituals
The full moon is a time of heightened energy and power. It is a time when the veil between worlds is thinnest, and magic is at its strongest. For witches, this is the perfect time to perform full moon rituals that help to release negative energy, manifest positive intentions, and connect with the divine.
Full moon rituals can vary depending on the witch and their practice. Some may choose to perform a simple meditation under the moonlight, while others may incorporate crystals, herbs, and candles into their ritual. Whatever your choice, full moon rituals can be a powerful way to connect with yourself and the energy of the moon.
Illuminate Your Spellwork: How to Tap into the Energy of the Full Moon
The full moon is the perfect time to charge your crystals and enhance your spellwork. Before performing any spells under the full moon, take some time to connect with its energy. Spend time in meditation, set intentions, and visualize the energy of the moon flowing through you.
To enhance your spellwork, consider using crystals that correspond with the moon’s energy. Moonstone, clear quartz, and selenite are all excellent choices for full moon spells. You can also incorporate herbs that are associated with the moon, such as lavender, jasmine, and chamomile.
Remember that the full moon is a time of balance and completion. Use this energy to release any negative energy or emotions and manifest your positive intentions. Trust in the power of the moon and allow it to guide you on your witchcraft journey.
Harnessing the power of the full moon in witchcraft can be a transformative experience. By performing full moon rituals and tapping into the energy of the moon, you can unlock your inner power and enhance your spellwork. Remember to approach the full moon with an open heart and mind, and trust in the magic of the universe. Happy witching!
