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Samhain might be behind us, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to put your cauldrons away. In fact, with the cold winter months approaching, this is the perfect time for potion-making.

The idea of potions suggests magic, but you really experience the power of ‘potions’ every day, when you sip on an herbal tea for relaxation or drink a nutrient-rich smoothie for your health. Potions are a result of combining natural ingredients together into a brew or blend to reap the physical and spiritual properties they contain.

Potion making is a big part of Wiccan and other spiritual practices. Potions can have physical health benefits, but they can also be used to attract metaphysical energies into our lives, such as love, wealth, or protection.

Read on to find out more about potion making, including common potion ingredients and their properties.

An Introduction

Potions should always be made mindfully. You might have specific rituals attached to how you make potions, such as specific vessels to use, places to brew, or times of the day/moon cycle/season you prefer. 

Be clear about the intention of your potion and what you want it to achieve throughout the process. You might include a verbal incantation or mantra as you brew your potion to imbue it with your intention.

Remember that, as with most magic, potions can’t necessarily influence other people’s actions. A love potion can’t make someone fall in love with you, but it can help you to get in touch with your own emotions and improve your relationship with others. A wealth potion can’t help you win the lottery, but it can help you to harness the talents you already have that might lead you to a windfall. 

Types of Potions

• A ‘potion’ is traditionally a mixed brew of different ingredients that can be drank directly
• An ‘infusion’ is like a tea or tisane, whereby ingredients are steeped in a liquid - can also be drank directly
• An ‘ointment’ is a topical potion that is intended for external rather than internal use

Tools for Potion Making

Potions can be made with regular kitchen tools, but you might have ritual tools you use instead.

These might include:

• Ritual vessels, such as cast iron cauldrons for brewing or ceremonial chalices for serving
• Wooden spoons or utensils, to harness the earthy elemental qualities of wood
• A boline (ceremonial Wiccan knife) for cutting up herbs or other ingredients
• A mortar and pestle for crushing or grinding ingredients

There are also ways to bless and charge the water you use in your potions. You might decide to only use fresh rainwater, to charge your water with specific crystals, or to bless a bowl of water with moon energy by leaving it outside under a full moon.

Potion Bases

Water is a common base for your potion, but isn’t the only one. Here are a few common potion bases and what they’re good for:

• Water - for cleansing and healing
• Syrup (e.g. honey, agave, molasses) - for happiness and joy
• Alcohol - for virility and longevity
• Vinegar - for change and transformation
• Milk (or whey) - for love and nurture

Common Potion Ingredients

Learning what ingredients to use in your potion-making can be an infinite study. Nature gives us so many edible gifts with powerful physical and spiritual properties, it’s hard to know where to begin! To help you start, here are some more common ingredients used in popular potion types:

For protection:

Rosemary - for protection against mental ills
Blackberry leaf - for warding off evil spirits
Black pepper - for protection against disease
Garlic - for intense cleansing

For love:

Apple - for sensuality and romance
Vanilla - for pure love
Cinnamon - for heat and spice
Rose - for self-love

For beauty:

Orange - for youth and zest
Jasmine - for attracting beauty into your life
Eggs - for fertility
Honey - for sweetness

For good fortune:

Pine - for resilience
Ginger - for good luck
Allspice - for attracting money
Peach - for abundance

For healing:

Mint - for cleansing and digestion
Cayenne Pepper - for clearing ill energies
Salt - for purification
Lemon balm - for healing

For meditation:

Lavender - for calming
Hibiscus - for divination and intuition
Chamomile - for relaxation
Licorice root - for easing bodily pains and tensions

Potion making is a wonderful way of harnessing the magic of the natural world. From herbs to fruits, spices to flowers, earth gives us an abundance of natural cures and gifts! Remember to brew your potions with mindfulness and intention, and enjoy reaping the benefits all winter long.

If you want to know about potion making and nature magic, we've got a number of useful books on the subject below!

      

View All Our Wiccan Books

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No matter the season, our mythical creatures figurines and statues are always one of our most popular products. From dainty figures that can perch on your bookshelf, to large looming statues that take pride of place in your garden, we’ve got creatures of every size and shape. Many collectors visit the store looking for a new unique piece to add to their growing treasure trove of fairies or dragons, and we’re always more than happy to help! 

We recently received a new shipment of stunning fairy figurines and statues that we’re particularly enamoured with. The most spell-binding thing about these pieces is that they all have distinctive personalities and seem to tell a deeper story - the more you look at the details, the more your imagination starts to whir!

In this month’s blog, we shine a spotlight on a few of our most unique fairies. All our statues are cold-cast in polyresin and are individually painted.

Mirtesse Fairy with Snow Leopard

This gorgeous statue is the perfect adornment for the approaching winter months. Like many of our fairies, Mirtesse has an animal companion alongside her - a formidable snow leopard. We think that the intriguing thing about this piece is the contrast between the snow leopard’s snarl and Mirtesse’s serene expression, which seems to beautifully capture the contrasts of winter itself. Hand-painted details like the fur texture and tattooed curlicues on Mirtesse’s arms all add to the charm and realism of the statue.

Measurements: 16" tall to wing; 16" base

Fairy and Unicorn

This elegant piece is definitely an eye-catcher, and is perfect for all the unicorn lovers out there. The beautiful lavender-clad fairy and her unicorn companion seem to mirror each other - both have their eyes cast down to the ground, and the fairy’s gown drapes onto the grass in an identical fashion to the unicorn’s tail. This careful design implies that the fairy and her unicorn are reflections of each other. More intriguing still are their sombre expressions - are they sad, thoughtful, remorseful? Like all the pieces in our collection, there’s a deeper story to be found here.

Measurements: 14" tall; 13" wide

Celestial Star Fairy

We can just imagine this dreamy piece perched by someone’s bedside table! This celestial star fairy looks like she’s come straight from the heavens or the world of dreams, draped in midnight blue with moonlight-gold adornments. The gold star she sits on gives the impression it can grant wishes or bring good luck. This piece would definitely evoke an atmosphere of peace and positivity to any space it’s placed in, and could serve as a good luck charm or summoner of sweet dreams.

Measurements: 15" tall, 9" across the base

Fairy and Undead Dragon

This is the perfect piece for those who like their fairies a little more Gothic. This fairy’s dragon companion is no ordinary dragon - it’s been resurrected from the depths of the underworld! Skilled hand-painted detail has brought this spooky dragon skeleton to life, and you can almost hear its mighty roar as it opens its jaws. In contrast, the elegant fairy is clad in delicate wispy blues and casts her eyes upwards, which suggests an interesting link between the underworld and the heavens. If you can’t decide where your allegiance lies - in the world of fairy or the world of dragons - then this piece lets you have both.

Measurements: 10.5" tall

Kateri Animal Spirit Fairy

While we often see Celtic animal symbols in our fairy pieces, this gorgeous fairy is a special embodiment of North American spirituality. Kateri’s animal companions are a wolf and an eagle, proud symbols of North America and its ancestors. Kateri is carefully dressed in earthy autumnal colours, looking as if she’s sprung from the ground herself. This piece would speak to people with a connection to animals, nature and the legacy of the land, and would look gorgeous on a mantlepiece or seasonal altar.

Measurements: 12.5" tall, 10.5" wide

Pregnant Fairy with Rabbit and Squirrel

This sweet piece is the perfect gift for expectant mothers. It’s quite rare and special to find pregnant fairy statues, and this one perfectly encapsulates the joy and anticipation of new life. The fairy mother-to-be appears to be contemplating something serenely, perhaps imagining the beautiful future she’s going to have with her little one. The accompanying baby animals, green grass, flowers and bright purple details are all symbols of spring, a season connected with birth and new beginnings. 

 These are just a few of the distinctive pieces we've got in our Fairy collection, and we truly believe there's a perfect statue for every personality - summery or wintery, ethereal or Gothic, joyful or fierce. We've also got fairy trinket boxes, bubble riders, and more. You can take a look at our full collection below, and please get in touch if there's a particular type of fairy you're looking for that might not be in stock.

View All Our Fairy Figurines

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At first glance, pendulums might not seem like magical objects. In fact, they're commonly found in the world of science - used in clocks, metronomes and even earthquake prevention devices for measurement and balance.

But for the more spiritually inclined, pendulums are ancient instruments of divination. In their most basic form, pendulums are weights suspected from a pivot that swing freely to and fro. The movement of a pendulum can be used to divine and scry, heal and balance, and much more.

Here, we take a closer look at how pendulums can be used in your magical or spiritual practice.

Choosing Your Pendulum

The material: Pendulums are commonly made of wood, metal, glass or gemstone. The majority of the pendulums we have at Dragonspace are made of gemstone, as we believe each unique gemstone imbues its own special energy into the pendulum. However, some people prefer wood or glass pendulums for the opposite reason - they don't transfer any kind of external energy into the pendulum practice, which means you can start with a clean slate. There's no right or wrong material; it will depend what speaks to you.

The shape: Pendulums can come in various shapes, from diamonds to arrows to teardrops, but they will almost always end in a clear point. This pointed shape is vital to the motion of the pendulum, and also acts as a director for the pendulum's energy.

As is the case with choosing most divinatory tools, it’s up to the user to determine which pendulum they're connecting with. Many people believe the pendulum chooses the user - when you touch the pendulum, you might find that it feels particularly warm or cool, or gives off a physical vibration. You might get an internal feeling rather than an external one - a sense of calm or clarity. You might have a pre-existing connection with a type of gemstone or a particular colour, which will influence your choice. Whatever way you choose, remember your pendulum will become a very personal tool, so it needs to feel right.

Programming Your Pendulum

Due to their physical design, pendulums will naturally swing in a certain direction when they're held upright: vertical, horizontal, circular, and sometimes even a zig-zag. Each different direction your pendulum swings in will come to signify a different 'response' or meaning. However, these meanings aren't pre-determined. You actually need to programme these meanings into your pendulum, based on your own internal energy.

Once you’ve chosen the right pendulum for you, sit with it in a calm, quiet space where you can focus your energy. This might be somewhere out in nature, or by your altar if you have one. Hold one of your hands out flat with palm facing upwards, and hold the top of the pendulum’s chain in the opposite hand, so that the pendulum’s point swings over the centre of your upturned palm.

Now it’s time to assign responses to the pendulum’s movements. Close your eyes and ask the pendulum to show you what an ‘affirmative’ or ‘yes’ meaning is. The pendulum should swing in a clear direction (e.g. vertically up and down, or in a clockwise circle), which means that direction now indicates an affirmative answer. Next, ask the pendulum to show you what a ‘negative’ or ‘no’ meaning is, and record that direction (e.g. horizontally back and forth, or in an anti-clockwise circle). It also helps to ask the pendulum what a ‘neutral’ or ‘mixed’ response might be, and record those directions too.

Using Pendulums for Divination

Once your pendulum has been programmed, you’re ready to use it for divination. As pendulums are designed to give ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to questions, it’s best to use your pendulum when you have a straightforward question or decision you’re looking to work through. For example, you might be wondering whether to pursue a relationship, a job offer, or a travel opportunity. These are all situations in which you’ll be looking for a clear affirmative or negative answer.

As pendulums work with your own internal spiritual energy, the answer your pendulum gives you will reflect your unconscious fears, hopes and desires. Like with most divinatory tools, pendulums don’t necessarily magically tell the future. Instead, they help us to identify what we truly want deep inside or the direction we’re subconsciously heading in.

To use your pendulum:

1. Find a place where you can be focused, calm and undisturbed

2. Hold your pendulum in the same manner as you did when you programmed it - with the top of the chain in one hand, and the point of the pendulum above the other open hand

3. Touch or cup the pendulum with your open hand while you ask the question

4. Slowly unfurl your hand that's holding the pendulum and steadily rise the pendulum up until it's hovering about 5-10 inches above the centre of the palm

5. The pendulum should start to swing in a specific direction, which will give you your answer

The motion of the pendulum might be subtle, or it might be strong. This will be an indicator of how clear your answer is.

Using Pendulums for Healing

Pendulums can also be utilised in healing practices. They can be used to dowse the body and identify areas of energy blockage or spiritual pain. They can also be help to balance chakras and cleanse auras. There is a great post about the multiple ways you can use pendulums for healing and cleansing on the Journey to Ascension website here. 

Other Tips for Your Pendulum Practice

• Make sure you cleanse your pendulum regularly as you would with other crystals. You can do this by soaking it in cold water or saltwater, energising it in sunlight, or leaving it out under a full moon.
• You might want to use a notebook or your Grimoire/Book of Shadows to record your pendulum readings 
• Most people believe it’s difficult to use your pendulum to read for other people, as your pendulum is attuned to your own internal energy
• You could also try using a pendulum chart or map if you’d like to explore more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. These are charts where you map out any multitude of answers or outcomes. We've got a beginner's map kit available here, or you can create your own. 

And if you'd like to learn more about pendulum magic and divination, we've got a number of books on the subject below.

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