wantingtolearn wrote:I am new to wicca, and I have a few questions about potions and spells.
1) What are some of the basic ingredients that are used most often in potions? Are they common ingredients that I can buy at the grocery store?
2) Is there a type of material that is the best for brewing? i.e. cast iron?
3) Are spells more effective if you write them yourself?
4) If you don't write them yourself, is there a reliable source for spells?
These are just a few of the questions that I have on the subject.
Use only safe to consume kitchen herbs with the magical properties you want for your intent. Add a spoonful of each selected herb to a pot & cover with water, simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/2, then cool & strain. Discard spent herbs. Add brandy or vodka or apple cider vinegar in 1/4 volume to the remaining liquid to preserve it. Use a teaspoon of this final brew in a cuppa tea or wine. Add honey to taste.
Brews for purification as aerosols usually are added strained & cooled to rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Brews that get poured across door stoops to wash away energy footsteps of unwanted visitors for example, or poured around the foundation for protection usually have lots of salt, garlic and hot peppery "go-away" ingredients & no preservatives. The simplest brew is a cup of tea, like chamomile to relax, mint to calm the stomach, rosemary for recall after trance. Charge a potion as you would any spell.
And as Ashrend said, the spells we write ourselves work best for us because we connect more intuitively since we know why we chose one ingredient over another. Use other people's spells to get ideas. I trust the works of Ann Moura "Green Magic Grimoire" & she has a website.
Iron releases the vital energies of what it contacts which is why it protects & the Fae dislike it. However that also makes it useful for brewing as it releases those vital energies of the plants into the brew but can pick up a stain from tomatoes. Stainless steel saucepans like their name indicates don't stain, & uncoated aluminum pans will stain. Corning Ware is heat safe ceramic/glass.
Use Correspondences to plan your own spells:
Element - Intent - Associated color - Tool - Herbs - Planetary Influence - Best Day for Spell
Air - beginnings, intellect; yellow; Wand, incense; marjoram, mint, sage; Mercury; Wed.
Fire - vitality & partnerships; red; knife, candle, oil; bay, basil, rosemary; Sun & Mars; Sun. & Tues.
Water - love, psychism; blue; Cup, bowl, broom; lemon, rose, thyme; shells; Venus & Moon; Fri. & Mon.
Earth - prosperity, home, endings; green; Pentacle, mortar-pestle; grains, stones, salt; Saturn & Jupiter; Sat. & Thur.
See the potion topic
Potion Book Titles for reference books. Find herbs at grocery & health food stores, grow-your-own gardening stores, on line.