Cottage Witchery

About the Author

Ellen Dugan, also known as the Garden Witch, is a psychic-clairvoyant who lives in Missouri with her husband and three teenage children. A practicing Witch for over eighteen years, Ellen also has many years of nursery and garden center experience, including landscape and garden design. She received her Master Gardener status through the University of Missouri and her local county extension office. Look for other articles by Ellen in Llewellyn's annual Magical Almanac, Wicca Almanac, and Herbal Almanac. Visit her website at: www.ellendugan.com

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home
© 2005 by Ellen Dugan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author's copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition © 2012

E-book ISBN: 9780738717425

Book design and editing by Rebecca Zins

Cover design by Lisa Novak

Cover image © Richard Cummins, Superstock

Interior illustrations © 2005 Kerigwen

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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Acknowledgments

This book was written during a transitional period in my life. One of my kids graduated from high school and then went off to college. My second son hit his senior year of high school and started his own college preparations. My youngest turned sixteen and started learning how to drive. And if that wasn't enough excitement, I switched to a part-time job to focus more on my “second job”—writing—and I turned the big 4-0.

During all of the upheaval, excitement, challenge, and change in my life, a few friends stood by to encourage and support me. They listened, held my hand and, most importantly, made me laugh. A very special thank-you goes to Paula, Gwen, Colleen, Heather, Scott, Jennifer, and Nicole for all of the reasons listed above, and for so much more.

To my writing buddies Christopher and Dorothy, thanks for the camaraderie, the fun, the good advice and, most importantly, for your friendship.

To Natalie Harter, acquisitions editor extraordinaire, who was enthusiastic about the idea from the beginning. To Becky Zins, my editor, for letting me bounce ideas off of her and who is always a pleasure to work with. And to Megan Atwood, just because you're so much fun. Thanks to Kerigwen for the lovely artwork.

Finally, for my family, who keeps encouraging me. To my sons Kraig and Kyle, who are both growing up into such fine young men. To my witchy teenage daughter Kat (watch out, witching world, she's going to knock your striped socks off!). And last but not least, to my wonderful and loving husband of twenty-three years, Ken.

I love you all.

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction
: The Modern Witch's Cottage

Chapter One

A Witchy Welcome

Chapter Two

Natural Magick All Around the Home

Chapter Three

Kitchen Cupboard Conjuring

Chapter Four

Deities, Faeries, and Magick
of the Hearth Flame

Chapter Five

Seasonal, Natural Decorations
for the Magickal Home

Chapter Six

Outdoor Rooms and the
Magick of Houseplants

Chapter Seven

Protection for the Home

Chapter Eight

Prosperity for the Home

Chapter Nine

Happiness and Harmony in the Home

Closing Thoughts

Glossary

Bibliography

I knew by the smoke that so gracefully curl'd

Above the green elms that a cottage was near,

And I said, “If there is peace to be found in the world,

A heart that was humble might hope for it here.”

Thomas Moore

Introduction

The Modern Witch's Cottage

If you were to ask someone how to describe a Witch's house, they would probably describe a fictional and funky stone cottage set back along the edge of the woods. Perhaps they would visualize a gothic and grim mansion complete with fancy lattice ironwork and mysterious moss-draped trees. They would never imagine a cosmopolitan apartment or stylish condo, a rambling farmhouse, a simple duplex, a tidy two-story, or even a ranch-style house in the 'burbs. A Witch's home would have to be far outside of the average or mundane world, wouldn't it?

Well, yes and no. You can't spot a Witch's home by sight as much as you can identify it by sense. It's not the style or structure of the building that will tip you off. It's the feeling that resonates within you as you walk up to the front door. Witches, natural magicians, and other magick users typically make their homes into sacred and protected places for themselves and for their family and pets. You can certainly look for magickal clues but they are much more subtle than most folks would imagine.

Perhaps there is a hex sign attached to the outside of the home. Is that a stone gargoyle making a hideous face at you while he guards the flower beds in the yard? Are there pots of deep red geraniums for protection on the porch arranged on either side of the front door? Look for window boxes or a hanging basket that spills over with magickal flowers and scented foliage, or silvery, celestial wind chimes that sing out on a breeze. These are enchanting clues to the natural magick that may be practiced within the home.

Expect that you will feel the tingle as you cross the threshold. As you enter, you discover a broom displayed bristle ends up, and an old horseshoe nailed open ends up over the inside front door. Perhaps there are a few clusters of crystals arranged in the living room to help keep the energy of the house and all those who live there on track. A few pots of fragrant green herbs are thriving in a sunny kitchen windowsill. A large iron cauldron perches on the hearth of the fireplace. Natural, seasonal decorations that change with the Sabbats are artfully displayed along a shelf or the mantel—perhaps at Lammas there is a bundle of wheat for fertility or golden-yellow candles to celebrate the first harvest. As the seasons progress, this may change into an arrangement of gourds or fall leaves at the autumnal equinox for abundance, and so on. Welcome to the simple enchantments and potent natural magick found in and around a Witch's home.

The Natural Magick
of Hearth and Home

The natural magick of the home-based Witch is uncomplicated and down-to-earth. There is wisdom and spirituality evoked by the very earth that we live on. Why not take that basic energy and direct it into your home? Applying the subject of natural magick to your home is a great opportunity to get in touch with your sense of enchantment and to link back into the tides of nature to celebrate the cycles of the earth, the moon, and the seasons.

You may call yourself a cunning man, wise woman, hedge witch, kitchen witch, garden witch, or maybe you think of yourself as a natural magician. Perhaps you don't give yourself a title at all. A Witch's inner power comes from connecting to the influence and secrecy of the natural world that surrounds their home, family, and life. Natural magick is elemental, quiet, and spontaneous. I am a firm believer in the power and positive force of natural magick and the tradition of practicing a more down-to-earth and elemental- themed spirituality.

Working with the influences of nature to boost the power and security of our homes is not a new idea. Author Scott Cunningham described a magickal home as being a “pool of protective energy” and “a shrine to the deity of life itself.” This is an elegant way of pointing out that your home is a sacred and influential magickal place. So now that you've wrapped your mind around this idea, what are you going to do about it? How can you apply this idea to your lifestyle in a natural and practical way?

If you are thinking
Well, I just live in a apartment, I don't have anything fancy,
let me point out that it's not about how much you spend or how fancy of a residence you live in—that matters not in the slightest. I am not expecting your home to look like a photo shoot for
Better Pagan Homes and Gardens
. Cottage witchery is about making magick with what you have, or can acquire affordably. Look at garage sales and flea markets for fun and charming decorative pieces. Watch for sales or make magickal and creative accessories yourself. Remember, natural and magickal décor and supplies do not have to be expensive. It is not about how much money you have or how big the place you call home is.

My mother is a pro at taking whatever she has on hand and turning it into something stunning. When I grew up, money was very tight and whatever seasonal decorations or furnishings we had was typically sewn, arranged, created, or reupholstered by my mom. I never appreciated how much her do-it-yourself style influenced both myself and my brother and sister until we were all grown and raising families of our own. That sense of
welcome and practicality shows up in each of our homes, and that type of common sense is a magick unto itself.

The idea behind cottage witchery is to encourage folks to look at their homes in a new magickal way and to connect to a simpler time. No, I'm not asking you to give up your computers or to start washing your laundry on a rock down at the creek. I
am
encouraging you to reconnect to the energies of the natural world—to cherish, celebrate, and then to direct these magickal forces into your homes and everyday lives.

Go ahead and arrange a few sunflowers in an old glass canning jar and set it out on your table this summer. It will brighten up the whole room, just like magick. This autumn arrange a few mini pumpkins and gourds on a shelf and scatter a handful of oak leaves around them to celebrate wisdom and the earth's abundance during the harvest festivals.

How about setting a rustic basket of pine cones and pretty twigs that you gathered and arranged yourself on your hearth this winter? This would invoke an earthy type of enchantment, as the pine cones are symbols of fertility and the pine itself encourages prosperity. This is the essence of simple, affordable, and practical magick. Try looking at things from a natural magick perspective. Nature is beautiful. Imagine what fascinating energies you could incorporate into your life by bringing natural and rustic items into your home.

Cottage witchery is meant to inspire you to add a little old-time charm and down-to-earth magick into your everyday
life. This book is filled with witchy ideas, all of them no-nonsense and easy to incorporate into your magickal lifestyle. In
Garden Witchery
I took the reader outside into the garden to focus on how it affects your life and magick. This time I am bringing the reader inside, to encourage you to nest in and to create an enchanting and wonderful home where you can practice your natural witchcraft in a quiet and practical way. (You'll also learn a few tricks on how to create your own personalized spells and charms while we are at it.)

Together, we will explore deities for the hearth and home, and how to create some natural magick throughout your house. We'll whip up a little kitchen cupboard conjuring and explore fireplace magick. There will be ideas for celebrating the four seasons at home and magickal ideas for outdoor rooms. Finally we'll close up with three specialty chapters, each full of spells and charms that focus on creating protection, prosperity, and happiness for the home and family.

So, pull up a comfy chair and sit with me for a while. Enjoy the crackle of the logs in the wood-burning stove and have a cup of tea. Let's explore the idea of the thoroughly modern Witch's cottage and let's discuss magickal ideas for hearth and home. We'll weave a few elemental spells, conjure up some home-style enchantment, and give you lots of ideas on how to transform your abode into a place of comfort, contentment, and magick.

Cottage Witchery Charm

Whether apartment, condo, or house in the 'burbs,

Elements four gather 'round; Witches, hear these words;

For your homes are magickal places, as you will soon see,

Look to nature to provide the supplies that you will need.

Create happiness and harmony with simple, natural things;

Success, prosperity, and joy may this cottage witchery bring.

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