To celebrate the launch of ‘The Modern Craft’ Edited by Claire Askew & Alice Tarbuck and our fabulous giveaway*
The Digital Coven ‘Witchy Type Book Club’ are super excited to announce that we will be interviewing the fabulous Editors Claire Askew & Alice Tarbuck. Of course, as a coven we want to offer you the chance to ask them your question too.
We will be sending over our questions on the 30th June 2022, so make sure to send us your questions before then.
About ‘The Modern Craft’:
Offering inspiring glimpses from the brink of the contemporary Craft, these essays show how anyone, no matter who they are, can find positivity and the force for change in the subversive unknown.
Dr Claire Askew is the author of three novels: All The Hidden Truths, What You Pay For and Cover Your Tracks. A fourth, A Matter of Time, is out this year. Also a poet, Claire’s second collection How to burn a woman features voices from the European Witchcraft Hysteria. Claire’s accolades include the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, a Jessie Kesson Fellowship and the McIlvanney Debut Prize.
Dr Alice Tarbuck is a writer, author of A Spell In The Wild and academic specializing in witchcraft and environmental humanities. She has been featured in Nasty Women and The Dangerous Women Project, and she has spoken on witchcraft at Scottish PEN, Freedom TV and the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
With courage, conviction, and a fierce love and respect for the craft, this fiery collection is poised to spark vital conversations and radical change in the world of witchcraft and beyond.
If you’re new to the craft you may have started spotting new celebrations you have never heard of starting to appear on your News Feeds, especially on TikTok. Don’t be fooled by thinking the Wheel of the Year is something only used by Wiccans but also, if you don’t want to follow the Wheel of the Year, you don’t have to either. Everyone’s practice is personal.
As you’re here at Digital Coven to learn and discover, it would have been remiss of us to not at least introduce you to the sabbats. As a caveat before we get into the nitty and gritty, the dates I’ll be using are for the Northern Hemisphere as that is where I am and is what I know and I wouldn’t want to get anything wrong.
The Wheel of the Year, is a medley of fire festivals, chief solar events, equinoxes and solstices. Almost a calendar for the working pagan / witch / Spiritual Person™ . The Sabbats and a lot of Magic is seasonal and an easy way to connect to your path as a beginner, especially if you’re still not open about your craft yet.
This post in particular is more of a ‘starting point’ or a snapshot to the sabbats and the Wheel of the Year, throughout the year we will include more detailed posts for you so you can learn as much as you can in one place.
Now, let’s get cracking.
Yule – 21st December
Everyone knows this one. Associated with Christmas, the Wild Hunt, the deep midwinter. It’s actually a 12 day long celebration too so no need to worry if you miss the first day.
Witch making a wreath and Yule
Here are a couple of starters for ten in terms of rituals and celebrations:
Bring green into the home. If you’re still in the broom closet that can simply be a wee christmas tree. At this point of the year, there is little to no natural growth so bring that life inside to encourage a healthy winter. Also, some pagan traditions suggest that by bringing in a tree to your home, you’re providing somewhere warm for the woodland spirits during the winter and they will thank you with abundance in the spring.
Personally, I like to gather local holly and hang it through my home.
Welcome back the sun. As Yule starts on the Winter Solstice, this is the beginning of the astrological winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the point where the nights can reach their darkest.
Light candles, hang fairy lights, I like to light a candle as I cook.
Yule Log: There are actually a couple of variations of this.
If you have an open fireplace, you can burn a specially chosen log on Christmas eve. You can ‘scent’ with cinnamon as well for the vibes and protective qualities.
You can create a Yule Log display for your altar / space. Find a log, decorate it how you feel with candles, greenery runes and sigils.
Eat a chocolate Yule log, great if you’re still not open with your craft.
Imbolc – 1st February
Meaning ‘in the belly’, imbolc is a celtic festival originating in Ireland and represents the stirring of new life. This is where the earliest signs of rebirth appear, sometimes in the form of new leaves and buds. The world is getting ready to wake up again.
Snowdrops on the mossy ground
Imbolc is also associated with the Goddess Brigit / Brigid/ /Brighid Bríg. Some may already know her as St Brigit. Brigid is a fire goddess and often associated with protection, healing, smithcraft, and poetry.
In the Christian calendar, this date is also marked by Candelmas so some of the traditions may be the same or similar.
Things you can do to celebrate imbolc:
EAT: As with all festivals of the Wheel of the Year, this is a time to feast. Foods associated with imbolc are those that would traditionally be available when it was still winter. Dairy products like milk, cream and butter as this would be the time of the ‘first milk’ since winter, baked goods, dried foods. What you would have been able to store in your pantry to get through until spring.
Bake bread, pies and cakes and look for foods that are associated with sun and rebirth, eggs are a nice easy one if you’re low on energy you can just scramble an egg in the microwave as a way to honour the festival.
Leave an offering for Brigid: traditionally the first milk would have been poured on the ground for Brigid.
When it comes to food offerings, especially in the current climate where the cost of living is soaring, this may not be the most practical. Instead, pour yourself a glass of milk (plant based counts too), or make some buttery toast. Toast Bridgid before you consume instead of leaving out / pouring away. This way she has been thanked and you have been nourished at the same time.
Plant seeds: This is the time to start sewing your seeds (but do look at an Almanac to be sure depending on what you’re planting). If you’re like me and don’t have access to an outside space,I treat myself to a herb plant around this time or try and regrow things from scraps (leeks, ginger and garlic are really easy to do this with).
Beltane – 1st May
Beltane is the first Fire Festival of the year and where celebrations really start to begin. Beltane originates in Ireland from the celtic god Bel. Traditionally, bonfires would be lit to honour Bel and also to celebrate the return of the sun and spring with longer days coming ahead. You may also be thinking May Day and May pole and you’d be correct!
Maypole dancers gather around the Maypole
Beltane is around the time of year where everything has really sprung to life and as such is also associated with fertility and the idea of ‘everlasting’.
The bonfires lit for Beltane were often public bonfires that people would ‘jump’ for protection and fertility and before they were extinguished, the people would take some of the fire with them to light their hearths.
Things you can do for Beltane:
Have a BBQ / Bonfire if you have the space: You can’t really have a fire festival without fire, can you? If this isn’t possible for you, lighting a candle works just as well.
Dress in Beltane colours: Green, red, white. Green for regrowth, fertility and abundance, red for passion and vitality, white for cleansing and clearing of negative energy. Now’s the perfect time to practice your colour magic.
Make a flower crown: Even a simple daisy chain will do!
Summer Solstice: 21st June
Probably the most famous solstice, the one you see on the telly every year where people flock to Stonehenge to take in the vibes. This is Midsummer (like Yule is midwinter) and also the longest day of the year. Many will make a pilgrimage to Stonehenge or other spiritual sites, but if this is not possible for you, there is plenty you can do at home too.
Stonehenge at night with starry milky way sky on winter solstice.
Sunrise and Sunset: As the longest day, we celebrate the sun. Watching both the sunrise and sunset means you can experience the most of the day. To be honest, even opening your curtains and staying in bed can work too if it’s not possible for you to be up and about at this time.
Sun Symbols: a simmer pot or even food made from lemons and oranges as we honour the return of the sun. I make an orange drizzle cake (mostly because i don’t really like the taste of lemon!) and you can easily buy things like lemon cakes if you can’t make them.
Colour Magic: dress, display or even use coloured candles in your rituals. Yellow for the sun, green for the earth and blue for the sky.
Lammas / Lughnassadh – 1st August
Lammas literally translates as ‘loaf mass’ and is the time we celebrate the first grain harvest (basically, the first of many harvest festivals). Lammas is also known as Lughnassadgh and Lugnasad.
bread on a wooden table
As with many dates on the wheel of the year, particularly those that follow Lammas. This is a time where we give thanks for the harvest and feast as well as honouring Lammas, our harvest queen.
Things you can do for Lammas:
Eat bread: Whether you have baked it or bought it, just… bread.
Make a corn dolly / mother: these are traditionally made out of wheat but this isn’t always easy to come by, especially if you live in a big city. If you can’t access wheat you can use straw, which you can find in pet shops, or even draw one for your altar.
Colour Magic: Dress in oranges golds and yellows to represent the harvest
Autumn Equinox / Mabon – September 19th – 22nd
Another transitory time where the days start getting colder and shorter. The leaves are starting to turn red and orange, occasionally there will be a little bite in the air… Autumn in my favourite.
Misty wood
The Autumn Equinox is also known to some as Mabon, you’ll see this more often in American Wicca or witchcraft practices. This is the time of Mid-Harvest, particularly for fruit. As the seasons change we would traditionally start preserving food for the winter and long night ahead.
Things you can do for the Autumn Equinox:
Jam: like to go to my nearest woods to gather blackberries around this time and make jam with them. I like to plan the foraging and making around the full moon where I can as well. If you don’t have access to blackberries, buy the fruit you like and make some from that. If you can’t make jam, get some jam for jam on toast… Say jam again.
Decorate your altar: Basically lots of Autumn-y things! Acorns, pine cones, leaves, the colours of autumn! Also, if you happen to find an acorn during this time… save it for Imbolc and plant it under the first tree that blossoms.
Stew and Kitchen Witchery: Autumn is the time the Kitchen witch THRIVES. Making stews with seasonally appropriate food, ‘canning’ for the winter and basically living our best lives. I have previously shared my ‘mabon’ casserole on TikTok, and Emma has her own go-to stock recipe that can be utilised at this time. Anything hearty and warming. As you cook, you can include your intentions and wishes for the season too.
Samhain / Hallowe’en – 31st October
Also known as AJ’s Christmas… Samhain is the point where the nights are at their darkest, the veil is thin and spirits can wonder again, not only that… it’s the Witches’ New Year.
pumpkin
Any Scorpios here, this is where you are at your most intuitive. Some of us feel the energies of the spirits as they come and go, we can celebrate the cycle of life and death as the Witches’ year and the nature around us has ‘passed’.
Samhain has its roots in Celtic practices, particularly in Ireland. We have the legend of Stingy Jack and how he lead to the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern, bonfires would be lit and costumes would be worn to ward off unwanted spirits.
Anyway, surely you know a lot about Samhain / Hallowe’en so let’s get down to what you can do…
Jack – O – Lanterns: It would be remis of me not to include these, sure they seem a little obvious but let’s remember they have been used for centuries as a way to light the path home for family spirits and also to ward off unwanted energies. As you carve your pumpkin, you could make it a ritual. I like to ‘set a vibe’ with incense and music as I turn my pumpkin into a protective ward for the evening. No energy or ability to carve a pumpkin? That’s OK. I have a collection of Pumpkin tealight holders that work just as well, they’re only £1 from Poundland!
Soul Cakes: Soul Cakes are generally a gift for the spirits and can be left as offerings on Samhain night. I have used my own amended version of this recipe for a couple of years now. Baking not possible for you? Get yourself your favourite cookies or biscuits. You can even get some of those little icing pens and add sigils to them or even names for the dearly departed you’re leaving them for.
Bonfire on a dark night
So, there we go. A little snapshot into the Sabbats, be sure to add them to your diaries and celebrate the old ways with us.
If you want to follow Aj check out her fabulous social accounts:
Ahhhhhh we are sooooo excited to share this with you, Coven!
The Celebrate the release of the launch of ‘The Modern Craft’ Edited by Claire Askew & Alice Tarbuck we have partnered with Watkins Publishing to offer 3 lucky Digital Coven followers one of their ‘The Modern Craft’ Book Lunch Bundles.
How To Enter:
The bundles include a copy of the book which is released 14th June 2022. To enter please leave your details below (Don’t worry we won’t use them for anything else) to enter the prize draw. To get a futher entry please visit our instagram to take part in our Instagram giveaway.
Two books are on offer in a prize draw so Just fill out this form to enter. You can get a second entry into the competition by following digital coven over on Instgram and commenting on this post what The Modern Craft means to you.
An eclectic and radical collection of essays on witchcraft practice and the ethics of magic, The Modern Craft gives that much-needed modern context to timeless wisdom. It offers a fascinating snapshot of Powerful voices on witchcraft ethics and contemporary occult practice viewed through an intersectional lens.
Touching on a number of timely conversations, essay topics include:
the ethics of decolonization
meditations on what it means to honour
Mother Earth during the Anthropocene
the reclamation of agency for workingclass & queer witches through spellwork
Offering inspiring glimpses from the brink of the contemporary Craft, these essays show how anyone, no matter who they are, can find positivity and the force for change in the subversive unknown.
With courage, conviction, and a fierce love and respect for the craft, this fiery collection is poised to spark vital conversations and radical change in the world of witchcraft and beyond.
Due to popular demand, here is where Bunnypudding gets her teaware from…
Well hello there Coven, I’ve been pretty active over on my Tiktok and Instagram recently making lots of fabulous everyday witchcraft and lifestyle content and well, I hate to say this but the breakout star of my labour isn’t me. Oh no, it’s my bloody Rose Enamel Glass Tea Pot that I treated myself to as a moving in present.
Here she is in all of her glory. I call her Roseline after my grandmother and well, it has a bloody rose on it and some days I am more creative than others.
I’ve been asked about where I get my supplies and homewares on my videos and DMs so here is the list of kitchenware items used in my April Social Videos below. Some of the items are from different stores so if you are looking for a specific colour click the link below the picture 🙂
Of course, I will also be sharing recipes and how to’s for my tea blends in another post so watch this space (or check out my social media!)
Please note that there are some affiliate links on the copy on this page, this means that I get a commission for any purchases made via this post.
Tea Pots and Tea Pots Sets:
You can get my stunning rose tea pot in either red (Picture above) or blue. I am not going to lie, I want them all. It’s an issue, it really is.
One thing I need to stress though is that the tea pot is pretty small, so great for those who want to make one or two cups for tea or herbal spellwork but not so good if you are want to pour for several people at the same time. Great excuse to get two, otherwise, pay heed!
This is a rare set to get cheap, thus why I haven’t had it yet as these weren’t on offer when I was getting mine. I am truly gutted about this fact but it is also why I have two links below as I am sure they will be gone pretty quick.
Now if you really cannot help yourself, and I clearly cannot, you can also get the matching cups, and mugs (and there are even wine glasses but that is another post!) So I have listed the options for the blue and red designs below. They are honestly so beautiful and so much fun. Leave me to my life of staying at home drinking tea out of my fancy cups.
Phew! Be still my beating heart….Let me know if you have taken up any team making or decided to treat yourself to some new magick tea brewing kit below or via our social channels as we love to hear from you:
Witchcraft Around The World: The fabulous Tanja, shares her insight into Walpurgis Night.
We love learning about all different type of Witchcraft here at Digital Coven and today we have the fabulous Tanja, sharing her insight into Walpurgis Night.
Take it away, Tanja!
Greetings fellow witches! You may or may not be prepping to celebrate Beltane this weekend, so I thought I would make you familiar with what I like to call its “German goth counterpart”, – Walpurgisnacht, or the Night of the Witches, which takes place on the night of the 30th of April.
About Beltane
As you may know, Beltane is the pagan festival held halfway between the spring and summer equinox, celebrating the blossoming of trees and flowers and the days getting warmer. It takes place between 30th of April and 1st of May and therefore traditionally includes May Day celebrations which span across many different cultures – Celtic, German, Hawaiian and Greek, to name a few. They include dancing around a May Pole, making flower crowns and crowning a May queen (not to be confused with the customs of Midsommar – neither the Swedish festival nor Ari Aster’s horror masterpiece).
Beltane, from the Gaelic Bealtaine, can be roughly translated to “bright fire”. On the eve of May 1st, Pagans would gather to light bonfires and dance around them – since fire typically stands for purification and new beginnings, this ties in with Beltane’s themes of renewal and summer returning.
Like on Halloween (Samheim) and Midsummer, the veil between the realms of the living, dead and spirits is supposed to be especially thin this time of year. It is therefore no wonder the night became associated with witchcraft, its literal Dutch translation being “Heksennacht”, the night of the witches, which in German folklore became associated with a night where evil witches gather to plan their mischievous schemes.
For this negative association, we can thank the Catholic Church – as pagan beliefs did not fit in with the Christian religious ideals, during the Middle Ages they attempted to stamp out any other religion’s customs, including those of Beltane, throughout Europe. Walpurgisnacht i.e. “Walpurgis Night” derives its name from the Catholic missionary turned Saint Walpurga, who was celebrated for succeeding at putting an end to “pagan sorcery”.
Ironically, the image I associated with Walpurga until researching this date stems from a popular German children’s cartoon about a teenage witch – In this, she is the leader of the coven and looks like this:
As someone who grew up Catholic, that doesn’t look very pious to me, which goes to show that Walpurga today is associated way more with witches than she would have liked. Sorry, gal!
To give her credit, Walpurga actually did see to it that the pagan rituals didn’t completely die out: She was canonised on the 1st of May, and therefore, likely by accident, Christian and Pagan customs became entwined. Pagans could continue their celebrations without fear of being condemned, by doing it under the guise of honouring Saint Walpurga (article).
So, these practices could be continued quite freely in Medieval Germany, until the 16th century, which saw a massive hysteria about witchcraft followed by one of the most gruesome and bloody witch hunts in history taking place in Germany.
During that time, hysteria led people to believe that witches would gather on Mount Brocken, the highest peak in Germany’s Harz Mountains, to have orgies, dance, and meet with Satan to discuss how they could bring the most mischief and evil to the coming year (no, really).
According to some legends, witches would gather in the valley and then ride up to the mountain’s peak – not just on broomsticks, but even on cats or goats!
In an attempt to protect themselves from evil spirits and witches, locals would gather on April 30th to light bonfires, burn straw men and make loud noises to chase away evil. The joyous pagan rituals for fertility and summer returning therefore morphed into a gathering driven by fear. Well done, Catholic Church!
Luckily, those superstitions began to gradually die out and Walpurgis Night celebrations carried on but became more light-hearted, as people would gather around the fire, celebrate, and sing folk songs. The festival might not still be part of the German Zeitgeist today had it not been for Goethe’s famous poem Faust, published in the 19th century, which sees the protagonist travelling to Mount Brocken and taking part in the witches’ celebrations.
This poem, loathed by German highschoolers throughout the country, re-popularised Walpurgisnacht and is likely to thank for why it is still popular today.
Modern Day celebrations
Today, Walpurgisnacht remains part of German popular culture, with many other stories about the Witches’ mountain gatherings having sprung up in the century following Goethe’s Faust.
As for the celebrations, most that remains of them is the lighting of and gathering around bonfires, although this is now being celebrated under the new motto of Tanz in den Mai – “Dance into May”. Turns out, pagans, legendary witches and normal human beings alike love a bit of revelry and dancing around a fire! Due to the first of May being a bank holiday, Labour Day, people still traditionally like to go dancing at clubs which do “Tanz in den Mai” themed nights. I have taken part in many of these club nights and regardless of alcohol levels, the night has always felt special to me. Maybe there is something to the veil between the worlds being more permeable. Or maybe I just feel very seen as a witch on this holiday which is, in a way, dedicated to us.
Thanks, Tanja!
You can stay in touch with Tanja and find her shitposting and creating other digital content about drag, queer and witchy stuff on Instagram @tanjaktx and Tiktok @tanjatix
If you wish to write an article for Digital Coven please get in touch on our contact page or just pop an email over to us on digitalcovenuk@gmail.com or you can always reach out via our social channels:
If you like to use smoke to cleanse, enhance a ritual or even just set a vibe, when you’re just starting out it can be confusing to work out which is best for you and your purpose.
In all honesty, it really is a personal choice but some can really enhance your magic and your rituals when you choose the correct correspondences.
Image credit: Caroline Attwood via Unsplash
Peace and tranquillity
Lavender
For calming vibes, especially to help with sleep and stress, lavender is your best friend. Lavender in general has a lot of magical properties from healing to sleep and really helps you step back and just *be*.
Love, self love and romance
Rose
Rose is actually one of my favourite incense types. It smells and feels positive and like everything is lit up (for me). I use rose for a lot of my self-love rituals, bonding with tarot decks and so much more.
I have also previously used rose incense as part of a ritual to enchant a piece of jewellery so I can have a confidence boost throughout my day, but more on that another time.
Cleansing
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is an old favourite and has been used in ritual practices for thousands of years from the ancient egyptians to modern day pagan and buddhist practices.
You can use sandalwood to cleanse your space and your self and prepare your tools for rituals and spell work. Personally, I use Sandalwood for almost everything.
Sandalwood is also used in Ayurvedic practices but as this is not my practice, it’s not something I can teach you so do look out for Ayurvedic teachers if you want to learn more about this realm.
Protection
Dragons blood
Protection magic, healing magic and cleansing are three things you should master before you delve into anything more serious on your witchcraft journey and it’s because of this that Dragons Blood incense will be your best friend.
It has long been used for protection and banishing rituals and is also great for cleansing if there’s an energy sticking around that you don’t vibe with.
Glamour Magic
Rose
Yes, yes, I know we have already mentioned rose but it is really an all rounder. PLUS, glamour magic and self-love go hand in hand so it only makes sense that we can use rose here as well.
With my glamour magic, I use rose incense to not only ‘cleanse’ my face products but also keep it burning while I get dressed and ‘put my face on’. You’ll be surprised at how much power a little bit of rose can have on your morning routine.
As mentioned, selecting your incense is always a personal choice depending on your practice and your preferences. If you have pets, always check the incense you’re using is suitable as some kinds can be toxic so our furry friends.
We speak to the fabulous ‘Witchy Freelancer’ and Word Witch, Emma Cownley in todays Working Witches interview!
We love everyday witchcraft here at Digital Coven and we know you do too, so we partnered with some fabulous real life witchy types to dicuss how they bring witchcraft into their daily lives. Today’s interview is with the fabulous Emma Cownley, or as we like to refer to her, The Word Witch! She is not only kicking ass in life but also in the business word, we love a Witch who means business!
Let’s get started shall we?
First, tell us about yourself!
My name’s Emma, and I’m a freelance writer from London. When I’m not busy being a pen monkey, you’ll find me playing the drums, riding horses, turning dead animals into works of art, or sitting in seat J13 at The Prince Charles Cinema.
And now…what you do and your career journey up until now
I’m a freelance writer for B2C brands in the music, fashion, and lifestyle space. I mostly write for alternative brands or super luxe brands. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a client who’s a mix of the two!
I started in a customer service role for an online aquatic retailer, and I slowly edged my way into the copywriting side of the business. Once I got a taste for writing, I went for my first proper copywriting job at printed.com.
After about four years, I realised I’d gone as far as I could with that company, and I decided to go solo. I’m a bit of a wimp and don’t have a lot of confidence, so I thought freelance life would help me own my power a bit more. And boy, has it. Trial by fire!
I’ve been freelance for five years now, and it’s been a real journey. In the best way, of course. One look at my website will show you how much of a hoot I’m having.
What is witchcraft to you?
It’s a grounding force and a guide. I’m a real dreamer — a romantic prone to floating away into space like an untethered balloon! I’m also a worrier. My practice gives me a sense of control and helps keep me rooted in the here and now. By reconnecting with nature, the cycle of the moon, and the turn of the seasons, I find firm and tangible grounding. It’s real, and it’s right there to enjoy.
Witchcraft is also a great lens for self-growth and self-examination. By moving with the seasons, journaling with tarot cards, and meditating with spirit guides, I can look at myself truthfully and gently course-correct towards being happier, kinder, and more content.
How do you use witchcraft in your day to day life?
I start the day by setting my intentions with a daily devotion (always gotta be walking in love and light!). I usually write in my dream journal each morning and I like to draw an oracle card for the day before I start work (I use The Literary Witches Oracle Deck). I also draw a tarot card at the full moon each month.
I’ll finish my day with a gratitude devotion where I think about how fucking lucky I am. I think about all the small delights I enjoyed during the day, the things that tested me and what I learned, and I take a minute to think about all my loved ones. It helps me decompress and unpack everything that happened, rather than letting each day slip past without a second thought.
My practice is mostly rooted in the practical, day-to-day side of things. I’d probably call myself a hearth witch — I’m very invested in cultivating good energy in my home and using it to help others.
Emma Cownley – Professional Word Witch
And professional life?
When I’m writing, I work with a muse spirit, and I sometimes light a candle for her. Whenever I sit down to work, I take a quick minute to think about how it feels when I’m struck by the excitement of a cool idea — your heart flips, and you get a sudden flush of energy. That’s the spirit of my muse! By making that small connection with the spirit of inspiration, I’ve ‘invoked’ her, and I’m ready to work.
I also use sigils for everything. As a writer, they’re my favourite magickal tool. I have sigils for my Filofax, for client jobs, and one that I use to ‘activate’ my home office. I’ve carved the office sigil into the side of an orange pillar candle, and I light it each morning to open up my office energies. I also smudge my office with sage once a week to clear out the nasties — I see my desk as a writing altar, so I like to keep it sacred.
How have you used witchcraft to support in shaping your career?
Tarot cards have played a huge part in shaping my career. I do a full yearly spread every Samhain and pay special attention to my business during that.
I also use Esbats and Sabbats to perform any magickal nudges needed to get me back on track. As a freelancer, a huge part of my business success comes directly from my own mindset and confidence levels. If I’m stuck in a pit of self-doubt or trapped in a scarcity mindset, I can really hurt my own progress. Magick helps me refocus and tap back into my personal power.
The Witchy Freelancer
Does your work know about your practice?
Absolutely. It’s become part of my brand at this point! Last year I came out of the broom closet by launching an mini eBook called The Witchy Freelancerand, to my delight, the freelance community rallied to support me. I was surprised by some of the people who bought it, too — people I’d never have suspected would be into all this ‘woo-woo’ stuff.
A few freelance colleagues recently called me out on Twitter asking for a witchy newsletter. After giving it some thought, I realised there actually was a lot of interest and a gap in the market for something like that. So I launched a monthly newsletter called The Copy Coven. It’s packed with writing exercises, creativity boosting ideas, and a section on the moon cycle of the month and how to work with it. I’d never have thought of the idea without my colleagues!
I’d love to make my practice a bigger part of my work life by joining forces with Wiccan and new age brands. It’s actually one of my goals for the year! Someone like Witchy would be great. I adore their products and their brand tone of voice.
How do colleagues/clients respond?
Really bloody well, actually! I try not to be preachy with my beliefs because I understand they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. I’d never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. But, to be fair, I don’t think anyone was surprised when I ‘came out’! I even had two of my clients download my eBook — that’s how you know you’re working with the right people!
UK Tarot Reader AJ teaches us how to bond with our shiney new tarot deck!
So you have got your first Tarot Deck, hooray! What a journey you are going to have.
One of the main questions we have received over the years is ‘how do I connect with my cards’ and, in all honesty, that’s entirely up to the reader. You can go as big or as small as you want and it really doesn’t HAVE to be complicated.
Image Credit: @SoulfulStock via UnSplash
Cleanse your deck
You don’t HAVE to do this one straight away but I like to so i can set a vibe with my cards. I (AJ) pass my cards through rose incense smoke as I love my cards and I’m sure they’ll love me too. If you want to go ‘all out’, Emma has a whole New Tarot Ceremony too!
If you don’t use smoke to cleanse you can use crystals. I have a piece of clear quartz in my tarot box and I give them a shake in the morning / when I’m ready to read.
No crystals? That’s OK too. Just knock three times on the cards and say hello.
Witchcraft and Tarot don’t need to be expensive, use the tools you already have.
Intro yourself
Introduce yourself to your cards. While you’re having an initial shuffle, tell them your name, how you want to work with them, what your favourite colour is, does pineapple really belong on pizza?
Tarot cards are more than just a tool, they can become a life-long friend and they need to know you as you, not just as a tarot reader.
Card of the day
If you’re new to the cards in general, a card of the day is a simple way to learn and become familiar with not only your deck, but all the little nuances of each card.
Draw one card of the day, and before you even look up the meaning in a book or online, really look at the scene presented to you, what do you see? Are there any plants, are they alive or dying? Any animals, are they standing alert or lying peacefully by the subject’s feet?
This can help you work out what you see before you read, so make notes of all of these in your book of shadows / grimoire / random notebook with the nice pages and then write down the meaning descriptions from books / online. Highlight the areas that match between the two and learn those parts first. Then you can start looking into beginner tarot spreads and build your skill, knowledge and intuition from there.
Carry your cards with you
All of my friends, family and colleagues know I always have a Tarot deck on me. This isn’t just so they’re always available if someone needs a reading at the office Christmas Party but it’s also so my cards *know* what has happened throughout my day, they come with me on every journey so they know each feeling I have.
This method is particularly useful if you want to do readings on self growth because the cards will have experienced everything you have.
Sleep with your cards under your pillow
When we sleep and when we dream, we are our most intimate and vulnerable selves. Sharing this part of you really helps your connection with the cards, in my experience, and is also recommended by many other readers. If you’re unable to carry cards around with you everyday like I do, maybe this is a better solution, especially for a ‘still in the broom cupboard’ witch.
And there you go, a handful of ways I like to bond with a new deck, do you have any more recommendations? Let us know in the comments or on my social channels:
Uk Tarot Reader and Professional Witches Emma Carney and AJ have launched their online Witchy Type Book club. Join now!
Well hello there, Coven!
How art thou? I know we’ve been quiet for a ‘wee’ bit as our beloved North London Witch would say but we assure you it’s because we’ve been manifesting some fabulous projects to share with you.
Our first project, Witchy Type, is very close to our hearts as we are both avid readers and learned the majority of our knowledge about the craft via books. Both of us have curated extensive libraries of Witch related material throughout the years and these are available for loan to Digital Coven Followers over on the Witchy Type Book Depository along with ourWitchy Type Book Club List.
We will be performing regular book reviews on titles that we simply love and recommend that you read alongside newer releases. We will make sure to highlight when these books are gifted or if there are any affiliation links featured.
Will we be reviewing anything else? Of course, Tarot and Oracles decks will be featured alongside other fabulous printed witch products. If you have any recommendations, let us know!
Find out more about our Witchy Book Reviews here
Witchy Type Book Club
Well, this is a Coven after all and we don’t want to be doing this on our own as that would be rather boring! So we will be holding regular book clubs on zoom for selected titles where we can all discuss the book and share ideas. Want to take part? Just fill in this form and we will email you details we will of course be sharing all dates via our digital coven social channels.
Want to submit a book for review? Simply email us the details to digitalcovenuk@gmail.com or leave a comment below.
We’re super excited to share this with you and make sure to let us know your thoughts and ideas below in the comments or you can always reach out via our social channels:
Come and meet us in person and get a free tarot reading at one of our #Witchywednesday events this Spooky season
Free Tarot Readings and Witch Workshops at the Old White Lion This October!
The Old White Lion (OWL), East Finchley is celebrating Halloween in style by offering free Tarot readings and witch workshops every Wednesday throughout October.
#WitchyWednesdays will be hosted from 6pm every Wednesday and all events will involve the opportunity for Old White Lion clientele to have their questions answered via free tarot card and pendulum readings. Nice.
On October 6th 2021 the OWL will be celebrating the New Moon as the Witches will host a New Moon Ritual workshop where you will be taught how to set your intentions and to work with candles, teas and herbs.
13th October will involve free divination readings and visitors will also be able to enter a spooky Halloween pub quiz with just £2 per person entry. All entry money will be going straight into the OWL Tip jar in support of the hard-working bar staff who have brought the public houses spirit back in spades post-lockdown. There will be plenty of prizes to give away so do make sure to revise everything Halloween related in order to win!
For the 20th of October, the witches will be continuing their Moon workshops by teaching everyone how to release their intentions and work with the all-powerful full Moon. They sure do like that Silvery Orb and so will you after these magickal workshops!
It’s preparation time on the 27th of October where pumpkin carving will be the main event with the winning pumpkin on the night getting a spooktacular prize. The Digital Coven gals will also be teaching those taking part about traditional Halloween decorations and their history including the opportunity for people to make their very own ‘Witch Trees’….
The finale of the Spooky season is on Saturday the 30th of October where there will be a Halloween party and costume competition along with live music from Luke Carey and others. So make sure to get your spookiest outfit on in order to win big.
Venue Manager, Mike King states “What better way to enjoy the aesthetic of Autumn than to invite people into our old majestic pub and garden, to enjoy great food, drink and company under the moonlit garden & candlelit interiors. Now that we can celebrate Halloween again, let’s do so in proper style”.
Not into the spiritual stuff? No worries, the Old White Lion has plenty to offer on top of the #WitchyWednesday workshops with its fantastic selection of beverages including extensive real ale and spirit selections as well as its delicious food menu. Get in.
Digital-coven.com’s Emma Carney states “We adore our local The Old White Lion and can often be found in our favourite spot in one of the huts in their beer garden, now christened ‘Witchy Corner’ pulling Tarot cards. So when we were invited to share our knowledge and educate on modern witchcraft with the Old White Lion customers we jumped at the chance. Come down, with an open mind and a few questions for the tarot cards and we promise you’re going to have a very magickal time!”
All events start at 6pm, with the quiz starting at 8pm
Event Dates:
6th October: New Moon Workshop and Tarot readings
13th October: £2 Entry Halloween Pub Quiz and Tarot readings – Quiz Starts at 8pm
20th October: Full Moon Ritual Workshop and Tarot readings
27th October: Pumpkin Carving, Halloween decoration making and Tarot readings
As someone who grew up Catholic, that doesn’t look very pious to me, which goes to show that Walpurga today is associated way more with witches than she would have liked. Sorry, gal!
Digital Coven 