Thesoftestwitch - A Soft Witch

Daily Witchiness

This is for all the witches who don’t feel like they are doing enough. You don’t need to enchant things, cast spells all the time, or write sigils everywhere to be doing witchy stuff! You are witching all over the place! You got witch everywhere!

Jewelry: this is the easiest witchy thing to do, in my opinion, because it’s so low energy. You can wear different crystals and minerals, seashells, pentacles, crosses, or other symbols pertaining to your beliefs. Pendants, bracelets, or rings are usually the most popular way. Whether you enchant them or not is up to you. I’ll set my bracelets and mala beads in full moonlight but I haven’t gotten around to enchanting anything yet. I do wear certain gems to correspond to my needs. If you study palmistry, you’ll know that wearing certain rings on certain fingers work with different energies. There is so much to this category.

Stirring anything: your food when cooking, the cereal in your bowl, your coffee/tea, the straw in your cocktail, the direction of your stirring is either conjuring up happiness and health (clockwise), or you’re banishing negativity (counterclockwise). Focus on your stirring and set some intentions for the day. Depending on your drink and if you chant a few words, it could turn into a spell 😉

Tea Drinking: I love a hot tea in the evening. Some witches correspond different herb and flavors to their needs. Some like to drink kombucha throughout the day. Some make sun tea. There are so many ways you can direct your energy with tea. Not to mention teas helpful for divination, and tasseography (divination through tea leaf readings).

Aromatherapy: Whether with fresh flowers and herbs, incense, candles, or an essential oil diffuser, it’s not that hard to enjoy some daily aromatherapy. You will experience benefits that include reducing anxiety, easing depression, boosting energy levels, speeding up the healing process, eliminating headaches, boosting cognitive performance, inducing sleep, strengthening the immune system, reducing pain, improving digestion, or increasing circulation. To pair aromatherapy with your jewelry, you can get a pendant oil diffuser or a bracelet with some lava beads to hold some skin safe essential oils.

Walking barefoot: Earthing/Grounding connects you to the earth’s free flowing electrons. I am unable to do this because I live in the city and there is too much broken glasses and the danger of needles. But when I go camping, I definitely run around barefoot like I did growing up on the farm. It’s so energizing!

Humming: “Humming combined with breath is a powerful way to release and let go of stuck energy and tension.  Great for clearing and refreshing your throat chakra” It also improves your sinus health! Humming slows down your breathing rate significantly.  Research shows, we normally breathe 15-17 times in a minute but with humming you can bring it down to 4-6 a minute which helps to slow down your heart rate and brings down your stress level. I like to hum when I’m cooking, driving, and I’ll hum along to the music at work. I tend to just hum the base notes so they are long, in rhythm, and in harmony with the tune. Lots of witches will hum during circle casting or while in the kitchen to help raise the energies.

Anything involving nature: going on a walk, watering your plants, stopping to admire some flowers, hanging out with animals, watching the sunset/sunrise, stargazing, etc. are all witchy and connecting yourself to Mother Gaia and/or the Cosmos.

Listening to Music: It’s part of the Quadrivial Arts, the Crossroads, the very core from which all paths of knowledge cross.

Working with numbers: Numbers and geometry are also part of the Quadrivial Arts, so whether you are an accountant, a cashier, or just doing your homework, you are doing some witchy stuff.

Your daily horoscope: Astrology is the fourth part of the Crossroads of the Quadrivial Arts. All four are the basis of the skeleton key to unlocking all spell craft. But checking in to your personal journey in the cosmos is a helpful guide along your journey through the universe.

Checking the weather: yes, it’s witchy. Knowing what is going on with the climate around you is an act of attunement to nature. And then you know how to coordinate your witchy outfit for the day.

Witchy Master Post

ok u little twerps I get asked this sm I’m making a master post for this

Basics

Beginner Witch Tips

Witch Terminology

Basics of Astrology

Rituals of Power for the Eight Sabbats

Star Signs

How to do a sigil

Important Lists

Poisonous Herbs

Tarot cheat sheet

Moon Magick Prompts

A List of Basic Herbs

A-Z Incense List and Usage Spell

Witch Tools Meanings, Correspondences, and Uses

Witchy Sources

Christian things (bc the dood who asked me to do the thing is a Christain witch and I don’t wanna make two posts)

Imbolc verses for Christian Witches

Prayers for the Christian Witch

Correspondences

Candle Scent Correspondences

Colors in Magic

Random Stuff

Write Rhymes Easy Peasy

DIY Essential Oil

Grimoire Organization Ideas

How To Clone Your Herbs

Easy Beginner Spells 

A School Spell Jar

Masterpost of Simple Beginner Friendly Potions

Ways to feel more energized

Witch Tip

Memes

Christian Witches be Like:

I’ll update it if yall send me more things to add - last updated Nov. 1, 2017

Astrology Basics- THE PLANETS

SUN Governs individuality, distinct style, and drive or motivations that fulfill your life. Delineates general character, and the broad strokes that define the self. Vital force, individuality, willpower.

MOON Stands for emotions, instincts and the unconscious. Represents the instinctual reactions one has to the world. The mecca of the inner world governing how we feel emotionally and respond to certain situations. Unconscious force, personality, instinct.

**Whereas the sun represents the will, the moon represents the instinct**

MERCURY The planet of mental activities, communication, and intellectual energy. It rules perception, intelligence, reason, memory, and communication. It reflects the way you see, hear, understand, and assimilate information.

VENUS The planet of love and pleasure. It rules over one’s capacity to express affection and interact with the idea of beauty. Represents your allure and desire. Rules over love affairs, art and beauty, fashion, social harmony and friendship. Gateway to higher emotions.

MARS The planet representing what drives your passions, the strength of your willpower, forcefulness, aggression, and the way you handle conflict. Rules over energy, boldness, and force. The courage and strength one cultivates to get their way.

JUPITER The planet of good luck, optimism, success, and generosity. Associated with where you’ll find expansiveness and abundance. It rules over philosophical knowledge, the extent to which you’re a visionary, higher learning, and honesty. Whereas mercury governs a clever intellect, Jupiter governs deeper wisdom and philosophy.

SATURN The planet of responsibility, ethic, and hard work. Teaches discipline and remains influential until self discipline is understood. It is associated with diligence, self control, limitation, patience, stability, maturity and realism. Governs how trust and respect, along with discipline, are integrated in the self. Are you self disciplined, or does the world deliver these lessons to you?

URANUS The planet of change and originality. Brings and symbolizes the manifestation of awakening, shock, and revolution, the “flash of genius.” Associated with both scientific and humanitarian movements. Similar to Mars, but relating to inner will and secret power. Unconscious purpose revealed over a lifetime.

NEPTUNE The planet of mystery and illusion. Represents power of imagination. It’s the planet of idealism and spirituality. The realm of the subconscious world, hidden memory, intuition, and psychic clairs. The ideals, goals, and lifestyle of the higher self detached from ego.

PLUTO The planet of epiphany associated with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Signifies death and rebirth, regeneration along with destruction and annihilation. Pluto wipes the slate clean. Strong and dramatic changes, especially to collectives, have a significant influence from Pluto.  

Rainwater 

Rain from a lightening storm

this has the greatest energy

used in a bath to re-energize your being and aid in a ritual of clearing and cleansing your energies of negativity by soaking in it

used to clear and cleanse an object or area 

store in a white glass bottle

Rain from thunderstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes

Used to empower spells for moving things forward such as letting go of the past and moving forward in life

used to help move a project forward and get beyond current blocks in life

used to change a pattern or habit you don’t like

store in a blue glass bottle

Sun and Rain

Used to balance energies when feeling weighed down

helps gather your thoughts when they are flighty and scattered

store in a dark green bottle

Hail storm

collect in a metal bowl but dont let it sit in the bowl for more than 6 hours

allow the hail to melt before bottling it

store in a black or dark brown bottle

used to dispel psychic attacks or negative energies

best used for black magic to get rid of your enemies or negative forces that stand in your way

Spring Rain

used to empower new ventures such as new relationships, new business ventures, a new job

rain collected on the spring equinox or the first rain after the spring equinox is good for empowering spells for relationships

stored in a light green bottle

Summer Rain

used to encourage growth whether it be personal, spiritual growth or growth of a business venture or relationship

used to break bad habits

great to water indoor plants

rain collected on mid-summers eve and day is especially mystical

store in a sky blue bottle

Fall Rain

used for giving thanks and showing gratitude for the abundance the year has given you

store in an orange or fall colored bottle

Winter Rain

can be used for blessing a person, relationship, family or object

can be used to bless an event such as a birth, wedding or new business venture

to be able to survive the hardships of winter one is able to survive the hardships of life

Full Moon Rain

Used to honor the Goddess

a small glass can be added to a cleansing bath

add a couple of drops to your bath before an important event or ritual

used for a blessing during a full moon ritual

used for blessing a child or pet 

rain collected during the full moon according to that season will have the energies of that moon according to month and season

clean altar spaces and other things by putting an ounce of rain water into your cleaning products

also very good for divination

Waning Moon Rain

good for getting rid of things, banishings, and purging negative energies

used like a banishing oil

also can be added to your bath for relaxation, clarity or promoting self love

use to prepare for lunar rituals

anoint your money with it to increase your wealth 

anoint yourself to increase your psychic awareness

New Moon Rain

good for workings in which something needs to be brought in 

used when starting a new project

Waxing Moon Rain

used to bring in good energies and blessing

used at the start of a new project or a new beginning

Rain collected from trees or roses will have different energies depending on the type of tree or color of the rose you collect it from

Use 1 cup of rain water to 1 tub size of water

For rituals use 1oz of rain water in a glass bowl or cauldron, to add effects to the water pour over crystals energized with your intent

For a spell place all your spell items in your bowl or cauldron and add 1tablespoon of rainwater

For cleansing or anointing ritual take 1/2oz of rainwater into a glass bowl and as you recite your incantation dip your fingers or wand/athame into the water then mark your physical body, the mark can be any spiritual symbol that has meaning to you

To anoint a tool, pout 1oz of rainwater onto the tool as you state your incantation to empower the tool for its intended purpose.

@autumnwitchesx i hope this helps you some!!!

also the bottles you store in dont have to be a specific color unless you want them to be, im all for using what you have first and foremost 

I’m not goblin myself but this feels like peak goblin to me…think of all the things you can fit in this baby…think of the ease of gathering…the power…

EDIT 1:

For everyone asking for a link!

Here is the original version I posted ($26.99): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B12MBDS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VwtMDbZH81Z57

And here is a more affordable but less aesthetic option that I personally impulse bought ($7.89): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OZHIZO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qttMDbJKTVBDB

If you look up foraging pouch on amazon or in general you should be able to look through all of the options. If you’re uncomfy going through amazon you can usually follow the listing to the external vendor that sells the item!!!

EDIT 2:

I did NOT expect this post to get so much love but since I have the goblins’ attention – you’re all funky and wonderful and you’re doing great!!!

Hello, witches! Since I’m always harping on about learning your history and checking your sources, I thought I’d help folks get a head start by compiling some source material.

To that end, I’ve started a Dropbox folder with a stash of historical texts on witchcraft, magic, and related topics. Nearly everything I’ve managed to find so far is public domain (thank you Project Gutenberg), with the exception of a very thorough herbal grimoire I found online some years ago and a book of witchcraft from the 1970s that appears to be out of print.

I will be continuing in this vein with future texts that I find. Everything will be public domain or cited to the source that it came from, in PDF format. I will NOT be including PDFs of any book currently in circulation with a copyright linked to a living author or estate. The point of this folder is that everything in it should be free for sharing and open use as research materials.

Below is the initial list of titles. I tried to include as many as I could find, with a focus on some oft-cited classics. I will be adding new texts as I find them.

A Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight, by David Webster (1820)

A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718, by Wallace Notestein (1909)

British Goblins, Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions, by Wirt Sikes (1880)

Curiosities of Superstition, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1882)

Daemonologie, by King James I/VI (1597)

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats (1888)

Irish Witchcraft and Demonology, by St. John Drelincourt Seymour (1913)

La Sorcière, or The Witch of the Middle Ages, by Jules Michelet (1863)

Lives of the Necromancers, by William Godwin (1834)

Magic and Fetishism, by Alfred C. Haddon (1906)

Magic and Witchcraft, by Anonymous (1852)

Modern Magic, by M. Schele de Vere (1873)

Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, by Richard Folkard (1884)

Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing, by William Walker Atkinson (1908)

The Devil in Britain and America, by John Ashton (1896)

The Discoverie of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot (1594, 1886 reprint)

The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire (date unknown, internet publication)

The Golden Bough : A Study of Magic and Religion, by Sir James George Frazer (1890)

The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, by L.W. de Laurence (1918)

The Magic of the Horse-shoe, by Robert Means Lawrence (1898)

The Mysteries of All Nations, by James Grant (1880)

The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy, by Charles John Samuel Thompson (1897)

The Superstitions of Witchcraft, by Howard Williams (1865)

The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut by John M. Taylor (1908)

The Wonders of the Invisible World, by Cotton Mather and A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches, by Increase Mather (1693, 1862 reprint)

Witch Stories, by E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn) Linton (1861)

Witch, Warlock, And Magician, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1889)

Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, by John Gregorson Campbell (1902)

Witches’ Potions & Spells, ed. by Kathryn Paulsen (1971)

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that these texts are (with few exceptions) more than a century old, and may contain depictions, references, or language that are outdated and inappropriate. The point of including these documents is to provide access to historical texts for research and reference. Inclusion in the collection does not equal unconditional agreement with or wholesale approval of the contents.

Take everything with a grain of salt and remember to do your due diligence!

Happy Witching!   -Bree

ADHD GRIMOIRING

As an ADHD witch, I’ve started three different grimoires that’s didn’t work and one that did (and still does) so I compiled a list some tips if you, like me, just can’t seem to do the whole ‘grimoire’ thing the way you think you should

DONT PICK A FORMAT YOU CANT REALISTICALLY MAINTAIN.

If you can’t spend hours getting out your paint and scissors and collage supplies and glue, don’t use it. It’s a surefire way to lose interest and fall out of love with your book. It should not be a chore to work in it.

DONT PLAN EVERYTHING OUT AHEAD OF TIME.

It’s great to keep a running list of topics you want to include, but if you block off pages and spreads through the entire book, you’ll hit a rut when you don’t want to finish a page you started and you will (again) fall out of love with your book

IF YOU WANT ORGANIZATION, MAKE AN INDEX AT THE BACK.

Tables of contents are great, but can’t anticipate your writing. Put an index at the back so you have the rest of the book to play around, but maintain that organization

KEEP A SEPARATE NOTEBOOK

By keeping a separate notebook to jot down notes, sketch out page ideas, draft spells, etc, you have a space to make mistakes, but most importanly you have a place to go when you lack the motivation/the executive dysfunction is off the charts to actually Work On Your Grimoire

IGNORE THE CALL OF SOCIAL MEDIA

This is really more general than and ADHD-specific tip, but try not to think of your book in terms of “how will this look during my grimoire tour on YouTube.” That will just trip you up and make your day sad. Trust me.

REMEMBER: THINGS CHANGE

What has been the biggest help to me when I was struggling with my grimoire was the idea that your aesthetic, your beliefs, your general magical interests will change, and that’s a good thing! Give yourself room to grow in your book—it takes a lot of the pressure off, and (bonus) it makes for a wonderful little time capsule so you can see how far you’ve come

I guess “to conclude,” make sure that your book makes you happy, if nothing else. I hope you found any of these helpful, and...wash your hands + drink water.

—fixisawitch 🧿🧿🧿

When NOT to Trust Your Intuition

“Trust your intuition” is a phrase we commonly see thrown around in witchy spaces, and in many cases it’s good advice. Part of practicing witchcraft (especially if your craft has a focus on divination or psychic abilities) is learning to trust in your intuitive promptings. In a lot of cases, going with your gut feeling is the right call. But not always.

Our intuition can be wrong, or can give us an incomplete picture of a situation. It can also sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between intuition and subconscious programming. The human brain is designed to find patterns. Because of this, it can sometimes be hard to tell if we are genuinely receiving a psychic prompting or just connecting dots that are actually unrelated.

There are a few common thought patterns that often get mistaken for intuitive messages by new and experienced witches alike. It’s a good idea to read up on these and to keep them in mind when determining the validity of intuitive messages.

Cognitive Distortions

According to Rebecca Joy Stanborough, MFA, writing for Healthline, cognitive distortions are “thought patterns that cause people to view reality in inaccurate — usually negative — ways. In short, they’re habitual errors in thinking.”

Like a computer error, cognitive distortions cause us to misinterpret information and draw incorrect conclusions. Cognitive distortions are common symptoms of mental illnesses [see below], but all of us experience them at some point, even if we’re 100% neurotypical. Research suggests that cognitive distortions may have evolved as a survival mechanism, and that they’re usually tied to trauma or negative experiences.

This is way too big of a topic to cover in a single post, but here are a few common cognitive distortions to look out for:

Black and White Thinking (also called “All or Nothing Thinking”): only thinking in extremes, framing every situation as either/or. (Example: “I have to do this ritual right or I’m a failure as a witch.”)

Overgeneralization: applying a conclusion based on a single experience to a whole group of people or things. (Example: “People who cast curses and hexes are all evil.”)

Catastrophizing: assuming the worst in every situation; turning everyday worries into major catastrophes. (Example: “I didn’t feel the gods during my ritual — the gods must have cut me off because they’re angry with me.”)

Personalization: taking things personally when they have nothing to do with you. (Example: “My friend cancelled our lunch plans for today — they must have decided they don’t like me anymore.”)

Mind Reading: making assumptions about what other people are thinking or feeling, usually projecting your own feelings onto them. (Example: “My partner is being quiet tonight — they must be angry with me.”) This cognitive distortion is especially important for witches to look out for, as it can be mistaken for empathy or claircognizance.

Mental Filtering: excluding positives and focusing only on negatives OR excluding negatives and focusing only on positives. (Example: You draw the Tower, the Sun, and Death in your tarot spread. You become fixated on the negative messages in the Tower and Death cards, ignoring the positivity and blessings heralded by the Sun.)

Labeling: reducing yourself, another person, a group of people, or a thing/activity to a single, one-word label. (Example: “I’m lazy.”)

I strongly encourage all witches to do research into cognitive distortions and learn to recognize them, especially if the nature of your magical practice has you leaning heavily on your intuition. A cognitive distortion is not an intuitive message — your intuition should be logical, and can often be fact-checked.

Prejudice

The prejudice I’m talking about here isn’t just the obvious kind, like blatant racism or homophobia. We all have prejudices, whether we realize it or not. Merriam-Webster defines prejudice as a “preconceived judgment or opinion” or “an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.” Prejudice simply means thinking we know what to expect from something, even if we’ve never experienced it before.

You may have an image in your head of what “real” witchcraft looks like. You might feel like emoji spells, for example, aren’t “real magic” because they seem silly, they don’t take a lot of time and effort, there’s no historical precedent for them, etc. etc. In short, you feel like they aren’t “real magic” because they don’t fit your idea of what magic looks like. This is an example of prejudice, and buying into that prejudice prevents you from having access to an easy, fun form of techno magic.

If you find yourself receiving an “intuitive message” that someone else is faking it, is lying about their spiritual experiences, or is only imagining those experiences, take a step back and seriously examine that thought and where it might be coming from. It’s possible that the thought came not from your intuition, but instead from your own prejudices. It doesn’t matter if the way someone practices magic or experiences spirituality is different from your path — it’s the right way for them, and that’s what matters.

When you bring your prejudice into a tarot reading or other form of divination, you bring a set expectation for what the cards are going to tell you. The cards are going to pick up on that, and they may very well tell you what you want to hear — or you may twist the meaning of the cards to fit your expectations. This prevents you from getting clear, accurate readings.

I know it’s hard, but witchcraft requires us to leave our prejudice at the door. There is no “right way” to be a witch or to practice magic. There is no “right way” to communicate with the gods or the universe. Prejudice, biases, and expectations will only keep you from fully exploring your spirituality. Work on letting them go and opening up to the full spectrum of possibilities.

Stereotyping

This one goes hand-in-hand with prejudice and is closely related to overgeneralization (a cognitive distortion). Stereotyping is a necessary coping mechanism that we use to simplify our social interactions — but it is also the root of serious social issues like racism and misogyny. We all use stereotypes without consciously thinking about it.

While it’s important to be aware of stereotyping in order to avoid contributing to social issues, it’s also important for witches to learn the difference between an intuitive hit and a stereotype. This is especially important for witches who use claircognizance, where information often comes in the form of “downloads” that can sometimes be difficult to tell apart from our own thoughts.

For example, you might “just know” or “have a gut feeling” that a man you know is gay. But if that man talks in a higher pitch, acts effeminately, and puts a lot of time and effort into his appearance, then your gut feeling may have less to do with intuition and more to do with applying stereotypes to your friend.

Mental Illness

Many common mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, can cause you to feel like you know that something bad is about to happen. “Anticipating disaster” or feeling like something is going to go wrong, is one of the most common symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and other anxiety disorders. Hyperfixating on details and worrying over small things are also common symptoms of these and other mental disorders.

As a witch with two anxiety disorders, I’ve had to learn to tell the difference between my intuition and my anxiety. Here’s a very recent, real life example: Last week, the entire staff at my workplace was tested for COVID-19. The results were expected to come back on my day off, and I found myself constantly watching my phone. Now, I do have some claircognizance, and when my phone goes off I usually know who the message is from before I even look at it. But on this day, every time my phone dinged I was just sure that it was my boss texting me to let me know that I’d tested positive. After the first couple of “false alarms,” I realized that this was an anxiety thing, not an intuitive thing. I was anxious about the test results, so that was the first thing my mind went to every time. (For the record, when my results did come back, they were negative.)

If you have or suspect that you have a mental illness that affects your thoughts and emotions, I highly recommend seeking out a good therapist or counselor. A trained mental health professional can help you sort out your symptoms and learn to recognize them, so you can differentiate them from genuine psychic experiences. (I’ve personally had really good results with CBT and DBT.)

Journaling has also been really helpful for me, as it helps me keep things straight and allows me to go back and read over my experiences when I’m having a better mental health day. (In my experience, it’s much easier to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition when you’re not in the moment.)

Resources:

“What Are Cognitive Distortions and How Can You Change These Thinking Patterns?” by Rebecca Joy Stanborough, MFA, medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph.D., CRNP, published through Healthline

“50 Common Cognitive Distortions” by Alice Boyes Ph.D., published through Psychology Today

“Stereotypes” by Saul McLeod, published through Simply Psychology

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Facts page on the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website

New World Witchery Podcast, “Episode 65 — The Slender Man Discussion”

This took me fuckin ages and killed my hand but it looked cute so here you go bitches 🔮✨

Witchery for the hearth.

Lay thorny branches on your doorstep to drive away evil.

Put thyme in your last meal of the day to have pleasant dreams.

Place coins and cedar chips in a box for an easy money spell.

The bark of the willow tree is a natural painkiller.

Put almonds in your pocket to recover a lost object.

Light candles throughout the house regularly.

Sprinkle oats over your garden (especially herbs) to ensure good growth.

Honey is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial. Got a cold sore? Put that stuff all over that. Got a cold? Eat a tablespoon every few hours.

Place lilacs all over the house to get rid of unwanted spirits.

Drink cranberry juice to get a good detox when in need of grounding.

Hang dill over your door to keep people who wish ill on you out.

Place half an onion in the room with someone who is sick to draw out disease.

Place morning glory seeds inside your pillow to get rid of bad dreams.

Pour salt in your bath (or shower floor if you don’t have a bath) to cleanse and ground yourself.

Use chili peppers to break a curse.

Plant rosemary next to your front gate or door for a little good luck.