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Water and the Moon have always been connected; many of us learn early on in school the connection between the moon and the earth's tides. The Moon pulls the tides, stirs the oceans, and it is even thought subtly influences the waters within our own bodies. For many witches - and certainly water witches - lunar cycles aren’t just abstract timing tools or a calendar we use to plan our magical workings, they’re felt experiences. Our shifts in emotion, intuition, dreams, and energy often mirror the Moon’s changing face.
To practice water witchcraft alongside the Moon is to align with rhythm rather than force it, to listen to its changes phases and follow the flows of the tide as they respond to the moon's movements across the sky. The Moon governs the tides and oceans, cycles and repetition, intuition and subconscious awareness, and emotional ebb and flow When the Moon changes, water responds - and so do we. Rather than seeing lunar phases as “rules,” water witches experience them as currents, as ebbs and flows, like the tides themselves. It is very easy to fall into the trap of just focusing on each phase, to the point where we forget that these phases don't just suddenly appear fully formed; they flow into one another, building gradually until they are at their zenith, and then easing off to make way for the next phase. Again, this may sound like common sense. But how many of us are so busy focusing on our day to day lives that we forget about the moon phases altogether - then we check the almanac and think 'crap! I forgot it was the full moon tonight?!' and scramble to throw a ritual together? I have definitely been guilty of that! But when we make an effort to truly connect with the flow of the moon, we deepen our connection to the element of water, and to the cycles that govern it. So below, let's take a look at how each phase of the moon can represent a water witches practice: The New Moon: Still Waters and Deep Listening: The New Moon is a time of darkness, quiet, and inner reflection. In water witchcraft, this phase is like standing beside a deep, calm lake at night; nothing moves on the surface, but everything stirs below, whether we can sense it or not. Water magic during the New Moon focuses on, rest and restoration, balancing our emotions, cleansing, intention setting, and listening to inner waters. It represents the low tide. Activities I personally perform include meditating, having a cleansing ritual bath, divination around my path ahead, and using the new moon energy to set my intentions for the lunar month ahead. The Waxing Moon: Movement and Flow: As the Moon begins to grow, energy slowly builds. This is the phase of accumulation, like rain pouring and filling rivers and streams. We start gently, increasing our efforts as we move towards the full moon, using the power of this phase to fuel our workings. It is akin to the rising of the tides. For me personally, I use this time to work magic pertaining to my goals whatever they may be. For example, if I want to focus on creating financial stability that lunar month, I will do things such as hold an abundance ritual bath, or create an 'abundance wash' to clean my front door with (as this is where energy flows into the house), or create a money bowl. Magical efforts should always be accompanied by physical efforts, such as building a budgeting spreadsheet, reviewing my accounts and maybe speaking to an accountant, etc. Think of this phase as learning to swim with the current rather than against it. The Full Moon: Heightened Energy and Power: The Full Moon is often associated with heightened emotion, intuition, and psychic sensitivity; all things that water witches feel strongly. It is representative of high tide, when the waters are at their most powerful. At this stage, we can review our achievements and how we have faired in relation to our goals. We might use divination to assess our progress and understand where we are now compared to where we were when we performed our divination at the new moon. It is a great period for connecting with our intuition in general, as this is when it is at its most powerful, which for me can include working with guides and spirits. Personally, I use it to honour the element of water and give gratitude for all that it has blessed me with, as well as perform any magic which may aid in the culmination of my intention for that cycle. Full Moon water magic is not always gentle; this heightened period of energy and intuition can be overwhelming. Sometimes, rather than stepping into the waters, it is safer stay on shore and instead focus on bringing peace and balance to ourselves during this time. The Waning Moon: Letting the Waters Recede: As the Moon wanes, energy turns toward release and rest. This is the phase of ebbing tides and quiet shores, and is unsurprisingly associated with the falling tide. This is a great period to focus on releasing that which is holding us back, whether that is through cleansing water rituals, cord cutting, etc. We can reflect on what maybe didn't go so well for us and integrate those lessons into ourselves. It is a time to be gentle with yourself, to focus on self-care (whatever self-care means to you), ensuring that we are well rested before the cycle starts again with the new moon. Many water witches work with “moon water,” often collected at the full moon. But you may want to consider creating moon water at the different phases; for example, you could leave water out to be blessed during the waxing moon, and use this in your tea in the morning whilst you focus on your intention for the day. You could collect moon water at the new moon, and use this in ritual baths throughout the lunar cycle if you need some extra cleansing. Each phase carries a different quality of water energy, and learning to feel that difference is part of the craft. Remember, our emotions are associated with the element of water, and so the moon phases can affect our emotional states. Make sure that you respond to your emotional needs throughout these phases. The best way to do this is to keep a 'moon journal' for several lunar cycles. Everyone responds to energy differently, and this includes the energy of the moon cycles. Just because I am telling you that traditionally the waxing moon is a building of energy, doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you if you feel flat during this period. Understanding how these cycles affect you, personally, is the best way of learning how to harness their power to improve your life. Make sure you record the moon phase, how you felt, and any reflections on the day. Once you have spent two or three months recording these, you can start to look for patterns and determine how these cycles influence you. For example, I actually find that I sense the energy of the full moon more strongly a day, maybe even two, before the full moon, so I tend to stretch my full moon workings over those two or three days. It is what works for me, and so that's what I follow. The relationship between water witchcraft and the Moon is about balance and harmony. When you align your practice with lunar cycles, you stop fighting your own rhythms. You learn when to flow, when to rest, and when to let go. Let your practice move like the tides, and find a rhythm that truly resonates with your own.
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15/2/2026 4 Comments Glamour Magic BasicsGlamour magic is often misunderstood. It is often thought that glamour magic is purely about looks, and can be seen as deceptive or manipulative. But at its core, glamour magic is about what we call 'intentional perception'. I prefer to think of it as not lying about who you are, but rather deciding on how you are experienced by others. We control the narrative, which can be very empowering!
Whether you realize it or not, you already participate in glamour magic every day—through clothing choices, posture, tone of voice, even the way you enter a room. Glamour magic simply brings conscious intention to those choices. So What Is Glamour Magic? Glamour magic is the practice of influencing how you are perceived, both by yourself and by others. It works on subtle levels; we focus on confidence, presence, charisma, allure, and ensuring we are authoritative yet approachable. Rather than forcing change or 'tricking' others into seeing something which isn't there, glamour magic amplifies what is already there. Despite what many think, glamour magic is not illusion. We aren't creating a false version of ourselves. In fact, glamour magic works best when it is used to highlight genuine traits, support our self-expression, and reinforce our inner truth. If you try to use glamour magic to force a perception of yourself that doesn't exist in some respect, then chances are it won't work. The most successful glamour magic comes from authenticity. Ethical glamour magic should focus on confidence without being manipulative. It should respect other's autonomy, and should not override consent or seek to control others. Over time, glamour magic can help us feel more confident, help us set stronger boundaries, be clearer in our self-expression, and feel less need for external validation. Glamour magic is supported by three pillars: 1. Self-Perception: How you see yourself, as this often shapes how others respond to you. 2. Intention: What do you want to communicate to others and to the world? 3. Embodiment: Glamour lives in the body. Posture, movement, breath, and tone can carry far more power than spells alone. It is a very physical way of working magic. Because of this, glamour magic requires very few tools or elaborate rituals. We use what we have to cast our glamour. For example:
Below are some easy exercises to help you get started with glamour magic. Mirror Alignment Practice: Stand before a mirror. Make eye contact with yourself. Think about what you want to project, what your intention is. Do you want to appear more beautiful? More confident and authoritative? Mysterious, or spiritual? Focus on your specific intention and say (silently or aloud): “This is how I choose to show up today.” Name that quality you want to embody. Notice how your posture and expression change when you say it. With this exercise, we are aligning our inner and outer perception, so repeat this as many times as you feel is necessary. Getting Ready as Ritual: When dressing or preparing for the day, take your time. Stay present, and choose your clothing and accessories with intention. Remember, this is more than just 'getting ready' - you are setting the tone for how you are perceived. Ask yourself, 'how do I want to feel when I leave this space?' Keep this intention in mind as you get ready, and truly embody it. Glamour Through Breath: Before entering a social situation, focus on your intention - again, this may be beauty, confidence, humour, etc. Take one deep breath in and visualise yourself breathing that quality into yourself. As you exhale, visualise this quality flowing from your body, radiating out into the world around you. Presence is one of the strongest glamours there is, so ensure that you are grounded in your intention and ready to embody it. Glamour magic isn’t about becoming someone else or tricking others into thinking you're something you aren't. Rather, it’s about choosing to be seen clearly, and on your own terms. Every little thing we do affects how people perceive us; doing it with intention is glamour magic! One of the reasons that I - and I’m sure many other people - resonate with paganism, is the fact that it allows you to explore and build a practice that is truly yours, rather than forcing you to follow strict rules or religious dogma. There are some traditions that are more structured, such as needing you to work with specific deities, cast circles in specific ways, etc. These have many benefits; they can provide a framework through which we can learn, unite us in shared experience, and are great for beginners. However, personal pagan rituals allow us to express our devotion and connect to our spirituality in ways which truly resonate with ourselves, shaped by who we are, our beliefs, and how we move through the world around us.
Personal pagan rituals are intentional spiritual acts you create for yourself, rooted in pagan values such as connection to nature, connection to the elements, honouring specific deities, spirits, ancestors, etc. In fact, you may already have several of these you perform without even realising it! These rituals could be daily or seasonal. They can be as simple as saying a little prayer, or performed as elaborate rites. Whilst they are called ‘personal’ rituals, you don’t necessarily need to perform them alone, you may wish to perform them with other people. What makes them personal is how deeply they resonate with your own spiritual language and how you connect with them. Focusing on personal pagan rituals helps strengthen our spiritual confidence, and can help deepen our relationship with our spirituality. It allows us to adapt spirituality into our everyday lives, helping it truly become a way of life rather than something we feel we need to carve out separate time for. Through personal rituals we can create a consistent practice without rigidity. But by far the biggest benefit of personal rituals is that it allows our practices, and our connection to our spirituality, to grow organically, rather than being borrowed from books or other peoples Instagram posts. They evolve over time, and reflect our beliefs and the stage of our life or spiritual journey we are at. General rituals definitely have their benefits; as well as providing that framework for our learning, they are designed to be accessible and repeatable. They provide a structure that works for many different people across many demographics. They often use widely recognised symbolism and established correspondences, and often follow a predictable order. As well as being useful for beginners, they are great if you wish to connect with a wider tradition, or if you are working in a group by ensuring that everyone is aligned with the same information. However, I believe that if you really want to deepen your practice, then personal rituals with all of the benefits I have listed above, are the way to go. Below is some guidance to help you in forming your own personal pagan rituals. Reading through these, you may feel that some of it is overkill - in fact, I myself don’t usually put this much structure into coming up with my own personal rituals! But these are some good starting points if you are wanting to delve into personal rituals for the first time. Creating Your Own Personal Pagan Rituals: First, consider your intention - why are you doing this? Is it to connect with a specific element? With a particular deity? Is it to honour a particular animal guide? Or perhaps it is for protection, cleansing, abundance, etc.? A ritual without clear intention becomes performance, and whilst fun, will most likely not have the outcome you are wanting. Next, think about the timing, and use your intention to help inform this. If you are creating a personal ritual to aid you in cleansing, perhaps you want to perform it daily, before you go to bed? If you are using it to connect with a particular deity, is there a certain moon phase that is connected with that deity? If the intention is protection, perhaps it is one you just want to use as and when you need it? Think about whether there is any symbolism you wish to incorporate into your ritual. This doesn’t need to be a drawn symbol, but can extend to objects in general. For example, if you are using it to connect with a deity, is there a particular symbol associated with that deity, or even a crystal or a piece of jewellery you wear that you could incorporate into your ritual? Remember, choose items which have meaning to you. Let’s say, for example, you want to create a personal ritual to help you connect with a deity. In every book you read on this deity, it says that they are associated with the rose quartz crystal. However, you just can’t get on with rose quartz, and whenever you work with this deity, you feel obsidian is more aligned to them. Now, if you were following ‘general’ ritual, you might be tempted to suck it up and use the rose quartz because you want to make sure you do it right. However, personal ritual emphasises that personal aspect, and would encourage you to use the obsidian. Remember, there is no such thing as ‘wrong’ when using personal rituals; if it helps you feel connected with your intention, then it is right. Make sure that you use words that sound like you. This may sound like an odd piece of guidance, but trust me on this one. How many of us have taken an incantation out of a book and struggled to remember it because the language is one we don’t usually use? Or tried to read a dedication we got off the internet but stumbled over the words because the cadence just doesn’t feel natural to us? It can be very distracting! Make sure that if you are using words in your ritual, they come from the heart, and again resonate with you. Next, ensure that you keep it simple! These rituals will likely change and grow as we ourselves change and grow. When you are starting out, small and simple rituals are a lot easier to integrate into our daily lives than long or complex rituals. It’s alright to admit if something isn’t working for you, to play around and change it. Finally, trust in yourself. One of the biggest challenges in pagan practice is unlearning the idea that spirituality must be externally validated. But you can be as wild and creative as you want! For example, I have a bobblehead Frankenstein figurine and a bobblehead skeleton figurine that I bought from a supermarket at Halloween about 7 years ago. Whenever I am leaving the flat for an extended period of time, I pat them on the head and ask them to protect my home whilst I am gone. I’m not even sure when I started doing this, but now I actively use them in protection rituals, and it just feels right to me, as bizarre as it may sound to others! Personal pagan rituals are very common, but not often shared because of their personal nature, so it can appear as though they aren’t that popular at all! Considering the many benefits of these sorts of rituals, it is well worth taking the time to think about how you can build your own and integrate them into your everyday life, and use them to deepen your connection to your own spirituality. |
The Weekly Witch:Once I week I talk about something 'witchcraft' related I have done with my week. How we incorporate witchcraft into our every day lives is always a topic that has interested me, so I wanted to start this blog to explore it further! Archives
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