July 2026

July Month of Abundance, in the Midst of the Chaos. 2026.

Yes, a couple of days later.

Click here to read JULY (2025) Month of Abundance.

The Chaos that started a week ago.

    A day like today, a week ago, on Wednesday, 24, one of the biggest earthquakes hit my home country, Venezuela, which is not prepared for something like this; we haven't had an earthquake or catastrophe of this magnitude in over two decades, never two massive earthquakes one after another in the same week. For the past two decades, the “Socialist” government has been focused on “training soldiers” and publicly preparing them for an invasion, never for rescue or for what else to do in an earthquake. As a veteran myself who started with three years of Military school, did college, and then closed the cycle with two years of service, I can admit and assure you, we were never trained for something like this, to assist or to attend to anybody in a scenario like this one.

    A catastrophic situation like two earthquakes, leaving over 2,290 people dead, over 12,000 people injured (many of them in permanent ways), and “tens of thousands” people missing, is not something small. Is a traumatic event; there have been entire days of calls, messaging, asking for donations, watching the news, as if it is not enough to be aware day by day of everything happening in the USA, Ukraine vs Russia, Israel vs Palestine, and a long list of similar and equally important issues, add to that two earthquakes and over 782 aftershocks in a week. It is simply not easy to process.

    To give you some more context. My mom lives on the 8th floor of a 24-story building, in the literal top of a mountain’s valley, surrounded by over two equally tall buildings, and many cerros (smaller mountains packed with little houses). Immediately, I called her. I obviously suspected the worst, but she is a lucky witch, and she escaped without any problems. The building, miraculously intact, her nerves, destroyed completely, but alive and safe.

Now, let's get more personal in the context.

    One of my sisters is alive, but it was a different story. Between 2016 & 2019 I hold many different job positions around the City, first as a Visa holder your options are limited, so essentially I worked for myself, with a smaller LLC, I did practically everything I could to help my family from here, I sell charms for entire long days of winter in a plaza, I sold hundreds of charm bags in a street of NYC, I offer consultations, equally on tarot as in marketing and media business, I worked as a freelancer media manager and marketing consultant for two different companies, all that while I was creating content, writing books, and attending events, all that, without breaking any rules, even when I was constantly teased about, consulting every step with two different lawyers, always taking the non-risky, but long and boring path.

    Anyways, money was flowing in a positive way everywhere, and I was not working for any companies, so I was legally fine, money was flowing so well, that for over 18 months, while my partner was finishing his Master Degree, with a student visa, reason why he could not legally work either (anyway he did not have the time for that), I was the one paying rent, food, travel, subway tickets, more food, clothes, electricity, telephone services and internet, everything, I was exhausted, and literally in the bones, but I was financially okay. I was so financially okay that I did a little business to buy my sister a little apartment 2 hrs from my mom’s place.

    After the earthquakes, that little apartment no longer exists. At least not completely; half of the apartment is damaged, and the columns appear to be permanently damaged. Immediately the earthquake started the place start coming down, she run out with her two kids, and less than a minute later, in front of her eyes, the entire little house we worked so hard to have just was turning into a nightmare, pieces came down, the ceiling broke, walls to the floor reduced to pieces, her bed, table, fridge, cabinets, tv, computer, phones and chargers, cash money, practically everything lost, water pipelines broke, gas pipelines broke, she lost everything, except what matter most, her life and her children, well protected by something bigger than her, not even a scar, and yes, she was, just like my mom, one of the lucky ones, her neighbors, many of them, they did not have the same luck, and as many people in the city, they are now with their ancestors, some of their bodies have not been even collected yet a week later.

But that day started very differently.

    That day, June, Wednesday 24, I was working out in the gym. Normally, I work out around midnight until very early in the morning, then I go home, sleep until midday, and start my day normally between 12-1 pm. That day I was actually in a very good mood, better than usual, cuz I just finished with an amazing impressive rating my 12 weeks ISSA course as personal couch, I was very glad about it, I studied so much for that, entire books of anatomy and I learned to name bones I did not even know that existed, I was just having one of those “everything is possible” kinda feeling.

    I have this bag I carry with myself everywhere, where I have my gym gloves, moisturizer, sunscreen, antihistaminic, my tablet, hand sanitizer, a bunch of notebooks, pencils, my wallet, and a long line up of stuff, between them, this particular blue notebook I just carry with me every year between June & July, to write down money spells, rituals, good fortune sigils, everything I go planning to share during July, cuz every July, as celebration for the release of my book ‘Manifestation Magic’ I hold a virtual #MonthOfAbundance and just share tips and easy-to-do little rituals for everybody in my socials. As planned, I should have started sharing the content I had prepared just a couple of days later.

    Not too many hours later, the news arrived, and the catastrophe started unfolding. One earthquake, wait, is it two earthquakes? Wait, how can they be saying in the news that there have been 25 aftershocks already? The earthquake literally just happened… All plans came down. 

Priorities in order

    Immediate reaction, even before confirming what is true and what is not, called mom, called my sister, called my nephews, called my besties from Venezuela, those living there, and those living outside, just like me, checking on everybody. Then, when I know they are okay, the next thing, now I can sit to check the news, do the proper research, in different media channels, see what pages and companies are collecting money and donations to help, and ignore bunch of toxic influencers been pushed by the algorithm trying to take advantage of the situation, and see how grave is the situation, how dangerous are the conditions for each one of them, a couple long-time friends are present no more after the earthquake, so the entire week have turned into a constant process of grief, awareness, grounding, virtual activism, all that mixed with work, daily responsibilities, personal life on hold, just so much to process.

- My mom (in Spanish): “Oh, wait, mijo, ay, is not next week when you start your abundance thing every year? Or is that in August? I don't even remember”.

- Me (also in Spanish): priorities woman!! Priorities!!!

    As mom says, well are so many priorities right now, not just to help and rebuild, if my mom have two characteristics, those are; the most accomplished bruja in the entire world, she is not even in socials, she dont need it, she is too busy helping people, she remain silent in silly discussions about who knows more, who read more, who “is more traditional” or “who have more ancestral bloodline”, she never fall into “I know more than you” or as she teach me very young, the biggest no-witch-red-flag, that “Is not magic and no power in there”, between santeros and other communities is very common that “is not magic there”, “is not any power in that people”, is how normally insecure people talk about others in public to dismiss what they know or do, my mom never fall on that. 

    My mom took her first initiation in Spiritism, and then years later in Palo Mayombe, and then a decade later in Santeria, all that, many, many, but many years after been a very accomplished bruja, she was a very successful folk practitioner, very respected in her community, a wise curandera and herbalist, a great diviner helping and healing with her tobacco and blends of plants. She was always the living evidence that you don't need to take initiation to be a witch. She did it after many years from a place of authentic curiosity and search for wisdom; she has never talked about that as “an upgrade”, but more like “a specialization" in a more specific form of magic. 

    A second characteristic of hers is that she's gonna help even her enemies without saying anything whenever it's needed. And about that, I have so many stories to tell, specifically 29 stories I lived next to her, where I found myself questioning her ways, and she just focus on her mission, help who needs help, even those who cursed her, those who “hex her”, those who tried to hurt her or her children, she would ignore all their vitriol and just assist them, not shaming them, not with an attitude. She could know that, that very miserable person who was threatening her constantly and calling her names, and trashing her in the building, and calling her diabolical and all kind of stuff, was very sick at home, and she would make a warm and fresh bowl of soup for her, bring it to her, and make her eat it in her bed if necessary, and she would not even ask or wait for a ‘thank you’, and then will call me down to make a reading of that person, to be sure it was a medical thing and not some form of curse she could cure, and they will clean that neighbor’s house while she is recovering, and go back home like nothing happened, and pray for her and light a candle for her recovery.

    Days later that woman will recover, will act like nothing, will treat her poorly in front of everybody downstairs and “praying to the lord” very loudly in front of my mom while we are all waiting the elevator, and my mom would not say a single word, we will walk inside home, and she would just said “Im happy she is doing very well”, and start cooking.

    She has her priorities. A witch’s priority is to honor the craft and help others, whether they believe in you or not, whether they support you or not. Making content, debating stupid things for ego trips on Facebook, responding to posts about folk magic she disagrees with and gets overstressed about, she is just above everything else and would normally remind me “at the end nothing of that matters”, what matters is what you do with your craft, are you here to impress simple minds or to inspire your own to be better?. So simple like that.

Those are the priorities.

    So based on that, I needed to take a couple days off to restart, to reset, and I did, as this famous mexican actress which name I can not recall right now used to say “when the man leaves you, you cry for one or two days, then you put your high shoes and walk out, not need to cry more than one day for anyone”. Following that, yes, I could just sit to cry and complain “oh my, all that money and effort spend in making that house possible for my sister, then years helping to buy paint, and chairs, and a laundry machine, and so much more, all that wasted”, or I could just, move forward, focus on what truly matters, help, heal, and rebuild.

    Just as my mom is doing right now, doing cleansings at home and praying to help all those souls to elevate without remorse and without sadness, without shame and without worries, let them advance to the light to find themselves in the next step. That’s the purpose now. Help, heal, support, rebuild. As witches should do.

Then came July 1st.

    And here I was, for a moment that little ego-trip teasing me in the morning… “is July 1st, you need to start now, because…”, wait, wait, breathe deep, wait, because nothing, nothing will happen. I’ll start 1 or 2 days later, and we will continue doing effective money magic that actually works, like always, and we will rebuild everything, and we will be even prettier and bigger now, and we gonna create a giant wave of good fortune moving in all directions to help each other, and more importantly, to help raise more donations for Venezuela, and for many other countries, and many more people that needed.

    And then, at the same time, we will continue helping, and healing, and building, and supporting each other, and we will do a ton of healing, and pray to our different pantheons to help believers and non believers equally, and not let a single lost-soul walking alone in darkness and sadness, we will process the grief collectively, and we will heal in the process, each other, and yes, we will be also collectively exhausted, I for example, my agenda is packed for July,  and this agenda will demand from me to have just 6 hours of sleep a day, and I do not consume any kind of drugs and I don't even know how those works, jajajaja, but Im highly motivated by high doses of caffeine, my three daily cups of green tea with lemon, and a ton of healthy soup.

So,  it’s time to start.

    Sounds like self-promotion, but I promise you this is not; if you have my book Manifestation Magic (published in 2021), you know what to do. If you don't, you can order it wherever you buy books (your bookstore, B&N, Amazon; I recommend Bookshop, etc.), or you can skip it and just take notes.

    Money magic is full of taboo and prejudices, nobody wants to admit we need money, we see money as something nasty or dirty, or even corruptive, and it is not like that, money does not corrupt people, corrupted people having tons of money is a different problem. There are also tons of good people with a ton of money doing a lot of considerable charity work, helping foundations worldwide, building homes for people in need, and creating entire little ecosystems and conservatories to protect animals and trees. Money is not the problem; it is just the tool. And immediately, you get rid of the shame, and you can start to let it flow in your way as energy; let money come to you easily, without remorse for having it, without remorse for succeeding in what you do. Let go of any money thoughts that you feel don't belong anymore in your system.

    Breathe deep, clean your space, light incense, light a candle, any candle don't go in specifics right now, you’ll have time for that, open the doors, walk outside, close your eyes and visualize the money, the good fortune, the financial abundance, the prosperity, and from a deep place of gratitude, visualize your personal deity, whatever if for you is called God, Mother, Oshun, whatever it is an Angel of money, or a wood dragon with a bag of golden coins, give it the form to manifest and materialize, and let them walk into your home, invite him inside, walk too, close the door behind you, and now inside, serve a glass of water, repeat “everything mine comes to me, everything good destined to me, is unblocked and walk to me, and hug me, and stay with me, and everything else, just walk in another direction”.

    Then you gonna sit, grab a chair for your friend, money, invite her to sit (yes, is she and is fabulous, not him, deal with that!), and let her sit, and then just tell her exactly what you need, what you expect, what you could use right now,  how you expect to receive it, and all important information you need to share about it. And it is not about imagining her trapped at your home as a prisoner, but about inviting her to live with you, as your loyal and faithful funny roommate, that roommate who sometimes has good days, and sometimes has very bad days, but whatever happens, always has your back.

The Next Step is Always the Most Important

    The next step shows your resilience. Many people start things and never finish them; that’s why having order and a plan is important. So the next step is to write down a plan. A magickal plan. In a notebook or a piece of paper, and you're gonna write down 12, just twelve, not need to be 500,  you never need 5,000, just twelve, twelve money spells, you know. 

    Can be, lighting up a green candle on monday morning covered in honey, can be, lighting some ceylon sticks in the kitchen and move the smoke around the corners, can be, perfuming a dozen coins and putting them in your pocket to walk the apple around your house with the coins in your pocket, can be, make an infusion of rue and rosemary, mix it with rose water, let it cold, and shower with it, can be, make a bonfire and throw some money herbal bundles in it, can be, make a wish to a star at midnight while you hold a golden $1 coin with your left hand, can be, preparing a money bowl full of coins, rice, and anise star and keep it in a very illuminated place of your house, can also be, take the tarot card of The Star and The Empress, and put them together in your altar with a good amount of cash, can even be, just adding five bay leaves to your wallet. 

    Write down twelve easy-to-do money spells that you can actually do, and then, checking your calendar, write down which days you can put into practice each one of these spells. Scheduling stuff is always helpful.

_ You want to join us next Thursday at noon to watch movies?

_ I can't make it on Thursday at noon. I have a thing I can't ignore.

The thing: Next Thursday at noon, I am going to prepare a money bowl with the cute crystal bowl I ordered online that just arrived yesterday.

    And what to do next? Continue doing each spell you compromise to do, on different days, just one per day, so you have a month to realize these 12 spells, and practice gratitude. Many people think that practicing gratitude is just saying “thanks life,  cuz I am alive, thanks”, but try to write down a list of things why you are truly grateful, cuz I did it, and I ended filling 8 pages, and crying like a baby, even the most simple things you give for granted, like the fact you have internet to communicate and research, the fact that you have friends who check on you, the fact that you have air to breath, and hot showers, many people don't have that, the fact that your pet is with you and show you love everytime it see you, all that matters.

    Now, below I will give you some links to check, use them, ignore them, share them, totally on you, and with no obligations.

Thanks for reading, love Elo.

PS: Remember to follow me on Insta, where I will try to make some non-priority but important, money magic content during the month of July. And do not waste time arguing with people over the internet, cringing, and people literally dying, or being rescued right now from being below a wall for an entire week after an earthquake.

Easy, Practical, and Effective Money Spell.

New Year Rituals x Prosperity & Abundance

Abundance Class on Money Magick from 2023.

3 Easy Spells for Money & Abundance.

Click Here for all my Links and to Donate to Venezuela

• Other books of mine:
• The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags.
• Manifestation Magic.
• Dream Witchery (a book on South American Folk & Indigenous Magic).
• Pagan Portals: Maria Lionza (upcoming in October 2026).

Holding the Center: María Lionza, the Divine Feminine, and the Roots that Cross Oceans.

Holding the Center: María Lionza, the Divine Feminine, and the Roots that Cross Oceans.

Living in the city, you get used to a constant backdrop of traffic, concrete, and modern noise. It is incredibly easy to feel a bit disconnected here. But whenever I slow down and take a breath, my mind goes right back to the damp earth of the mountain, the rustle of the canopy, and the fierce, protective presence of the Queen. María Lionza isn't just a myth; she is a vital part of my cultural and spiritual identity, and I want you to feel that connection too.

My path with her started when I was just a child, marked by my very first initiation into her mysteries. Growing up under her watchful eye teaches you early on that the spiritual world isn't something abstract or tucked away in a textbook. It breathes through the trees, flows in the rivers, and speaks directly through the old currents of the land.

When life took me far from my birthplace, being an immigrant added a whole new depth to this relationship. Anyone who has had to pack up their life and move across oceans knows that specific, quiet ache of separation. Keeping her rituals alive and tending to her altar became my bridge across the distance. She is the steady thread keeping me tied to my roots, making sure that no matter how many miles or borders stand between us, I am never truly cut off from the soil that shaped me.

Santana, Becky G ~ Mi Gran Amor

Through her, I learned what the Divine Feminine really means, not as a passive concept, but in all her raw power, beauty, and sovereignty. María Lionza is a potent regional, indigenous deity, but she is also a magnificent face of the Great Goddess. She represents a wild, untamed force tied directly to justice and the earth. She showed me that the divine is a living reality that protects and grounds us through a massive battalion of ánimas (souls) and forest spirits. That spiritual army stays with her devotees, even as we navigate crowded city streets.

Over the years, my practice has naturally evolved. I have explored other traditions, studied different systems, and integrated new insights into my life. But I have found a comfortable, sacred balance in the space between them all. I never had to walk away from my connection to her to grow; instead, she remains the steady trunk that feeds every other branch of my practice. Spending my whole life practically on this path has taught me that spiritual maturity isn't about rigid boxes. It is about knowing exactly where your roots are anchored while letting your perspective expand.

I have poured this lifetime of devotion, altar whispers, and deep personal research into my upcoming book, Pagan Portals - Maria Lionza, coming out with Moon Books this autumn.  The timing for October 2026 feels incredibly right. October has a natural magic for anyone who practices; it is a threshold month right after the Equinox, leading us into the thinning veil of All Hallows’ Eve, where we honor the ancestors and the unseen realms. But just as importantly, it sits right during Hispanic Heritage Month. Having a book dedicated to the Queen of the Venezuelan soul drop at the exact intersection of ancestral magic and cultural celebration means the world to me.

I don't want this just to be a dry, educational text about her history and cultus. My deepest hope is that it serves as a guide to recognizing the sacred in your own environment, whether through indigenous goddess traditions or local spirits. Every stretch of earth, whether it is a tropical rainforest or a small city park, has a voice. Every river and valley holds a face of the Goddess waiting to be noticed. You do not need to travel to a specific mountain to find the divine; you just have to learn how to listen to the spirits of the place you are currently standing in.

Writing and publishing a book like this is a massive undertaking, especially in an industry where marginalized voices often have to work twice as hard to be heard. If you feel drawn to this history, or want to support the preservation of these grounded traditions, please consider pre-ordering a copy. For an independent, BIPOC, and proudly openly gay author, pre-orders are everything. They prove to publishers that these diverse perspectives matter and help keep these voices alive.

As autumn gets closer, I look forward to sharing more of her history, beauty, and magic with you. Until then, take care of your own sacred center, and may the Queen and her spirits keep you steady and protected, no matter where you stand.

Blessed be.

Other posts of mine on the topic:

~ Maria Lionza: The Queen of Witches & Fairies. 2017

~ María Lionza: Goddess of Witches (As contributor x Tess Whitehurst). 2021

~ Maria Lionza, A feminist and indigenous cult of Latin American origin. 2022

~ Marialionceros, the Tradition, Cult, and Spiritism of the goddess Maria Lionza. 2022

~ YARA Lady of the Spirits and Animas. 2023

You can Pre-order my Book in the links below:

~ Amazon USA

~ Amazon UK

~ Moon Books

~ Bookshop Org

Our Sorcery Hour. This weekend.

    When organizing Our Sorcery Hour, the vision was clear: to create an accessible, deeply diverse space where the quality of knowledge always comes before commercial scale.

    This coming weekend, we are hosting a virtual gathering of 13 distinct workshops led by practitioners who bring genuine depth, respect, and experience to the Craft.

    We intentionally kept the registration price low because true community spaces should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation or physical location. This approach aims to make everyone feel welcome and valued, fostering trust in our commitment to accessibility.

    In many standard events, attendees are charged steep ticket prices, yet the presenters themselves are rarely paid for their labor, research, and energy. We choose a different, more sustainable model. By keeping our overhead minimal and focusing on what matters, your low-cost ticket directly ensures that every single presenter is fairly compensated for their valuable time and wisdom. It is an act of mutual respect and solidarity.

Click Here to Grab your Ticket and Save your Spot

Our Sorcery Hour is not another very expensive/inaccessible event for many members of the metaphysical community seeking a safe learning space, but rather a series of workshops, collectively hosted, organized, and promoted, in webinar format, for members of the LGBTQIA community and other minorities within the esoteric community.

The low costs of each ticket, although accessible to most, will help us cover the work of the designers, coordinators, rental platforms, presenters, and webinar services used, making possible a series of short classes (50~60 minutes per class) of the hand of different sorcerers, brujas, witches, and expert teachers on the subject, with a variety of presenters who are here to represent different faces of the community.

Creating a series of virtual classes accessible to the majority on various topics of magic and sorcery, where diversity, respect among our members, collaboration, and a safe space for all are vital.

Featuring this Year: Yvla Mara Radziszewski, Jezmina Von Thiele, Emma Kathryn, Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani, Laura Davila aka Daphne la Hecchicera, Laura Gonzalez, Elhoim Leafar, Ian Allan, RJ aka Magica Guajiro, Ron Padron, Jonathan Ramirez, Shanice Ariel, and Lilith Dorsey.

    To help us meet our goal and support fair pay for presenters, but also to raise the same donation numbers as a year ago, we need just a couple more attendees over the next 24 hrs. Your support empowers our community and sustains this space.

    If you believe in supporting a community that values fair exchange, labor ethics, and genuine accessibility, your presence fosters a sense of shared purpose and belonging, making a tangible difference. Secure your spot in the link in bio and stand with our community of presenters.

    Grab your tickets and save your spot here: https://elhoimleafar.com/oursorceryhour/

Magic for the Holidays

12 Rituals to Put Into Practice This Season.

Edit Note: This year I took more time than usual to share this post, every year I share a holiday post just in time for November/December, but this year writing have been a real struggle for more than one reason, this world is just not the same, anyway, I felt motivated to rewriting and finish the post after remembering "magic is the final goal, you craft the magic, and let the magic manifest itself and do the work." I truly appreciate your patience, thanks for reading and sharing, hope you find this helpful. And Happy Holiday season to whoever celebrates it.

A Little Note on Finding the Light

Hey everybody! If you're anything like me, you've been feeling that heavy weight of the world pressing down lately. It's easy to get lost in the overwhelming static of the news and that little inferno of the political landscape. When the outside world feels chaotic, our most profound need is to cultivate a garden of calm and optimism right where we are, in our homes, in our hearts, and within our communities.
 

(picture from 2020) Red candles are significantly symbolic in this season, whatever you buy them,
or make them yourself using different oils to channel joy, protection, and prosperity this season.

This time of year has always held a special kind of magic. It’s a moment when the veil between the practical and the profound feels thinnest, inviting us to pause and consciously sow seeds of intention for the coming cycle. Forget the pressure of complicated, expensive spellwork. The most actual magic is found in the everyday; in the herbs in your kitchen, the forgotten objects in your drawers, and the simple act of choosing peace (oh yes, please!). These rituals are designed to be simple, accessible, and practical, allowing you to perform them with ease and confidence.

This year, let's turn our attention inward and upward. I have put together 12 simple, effective rituals that work, perfectly designed to be incorporated into your daily life using things that you already have. These are acts of hope, grounded in humility and practicality. They are for your calm, your abundance, your home, and the gentle protection of your loved ones and neighbors. These rituals have been proven effective in bringing peace, abundance, and security, so you can perform them with confidence and joy, knowing the results will be positive.

 

exist many valid and beautiful Yule altars instructions on internet, the best advice, is probably make it by yourself with items and elements you not just associate with the energy of the season, but that also feels joyful and happy. For mine a year ago, I used branches from the tree I cut, and homemade candles with olive oil and myrrh oil.

Before diving into any magic, remember these two essentials, which I usually forget to mention to everyone.

1. Cleanse and Declutter First: A clear space is a clear channel. You can't invite new energy into a stagnant container. (See Ritual #1!)

2. Light Your Flame: In every ritual, always light a candle. The flame is the element of intention and action, transforming your wish from thought into energy. A simple homemade candle or a white pillar is perfect.

Our 12 Potent Holiday Rituals

1. The Great Declutter & Energy Renewal (Cleansing & Peace)
Before inviting any new magic, we must sweep out the old. This isn't just cleaning; it's a symbolic act of making room for abundance.

What you need: Your favorite cleaning supplies, a homemade candle, a piece of paper, and a pair of scissors.

The Ritual:
Light your candle, stating: "My hands cleanse this space; my will cleanses its spirit." Go through one drawer, one shelf, or one corner of your home that feels particularly "stuck." Remove anything that doesn't serve you, isn't beautiful, or reminds you of struggle.

On the piece of paper, write down the single most significant source of emotional "clutter" you are letting go of this season (e.g., "Worry about money," "Past conflict," "Resentment"). Cut the paper into tiny pieces with the scissors, visualizing the clutter being permanently broken apart. As you discard the pieces (burn them safely if possible, or bury them in the dirt), say the following charm:

Charm for Renewal:

Dust to dust and fear to ash,
The old energy leaves in a flash.
This home is clean, the mind is clear,
Only calm and peace reside here.

 

casual photo with the Christmas spirits a year ago in Upstate New York.

2. The Abundance Coin Jar (Prosperity & Financial Flow)
This ritual uses the concept of 'seed money' to plant the intention for financial growth.

What you need: An empty wine bottle (clear is best), seven coins (any denomination), three dry leaves collected from autumn, a pinch of cinnamon or rosemary (kitchen herbs), and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Hold the coins in your dominant hand and visualize your desired financial stability for the coming year. Be specific, but grounded (e.g., "Security to pay bills," "Funds for a much-needed trip"). Drop the seven coins into the wine bottle one by one. Sprinkle in the cinnamon or rosemary for speed and protection, and add the dry leaves to ground the wish.

Place the bottle on a high shelf or in the corner of your main living space, reminding yourself that your abundance is actively brewing.

Optional: Every time you find a stray coin, add it to the jar.

 

Not everybody have the time to create homemade ornaments, you can anyway  enchant your tree ornaments using a blend of myrrh & frankincense incense, or keeping them in an altar with light-on candles the night before to move them into the tree.

3. Protection Wreath for the Threshold (Community Protection)
A powerful, visual spell to protect your neighborhood and home from conflict.

What you need: Branches or twigs you spotted and collected on an autumn walk, three threads of different colors (e.g., black for banishment, red for strength, white for peace), and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Gather the twigs into a rough circle or crescent shape—a natural mini-wreath.

Begin weaving and wrapping the three threads around the twigs, focusing your energy on a specific local street, a difficult neighbor, or your entire community. Visualize a protective, harmonious light spreading out from your door.

As you wrap, say: "Black thread binds all harm; Red thread holds my arm; White thread brings the peace, and makes all tension cease." Hang the finished wreath on your front door or above the mailbox.

 

are not wrong ways to do your magic, always that the intentions and actions taken are aligned with the final purpose.
In one of my first Yule altars I just perfum the ornaments and candles with a drop of pine and cedarwood oil each one,
and light a candle every night rubbed with cinnamon oil.

4. The Olive Oil Lamp of Illumination (Mutual Understanding & Communication)
Olive oil has long been a symbol of light and wisdom. This ritual invites clarity and flow into difficult conversations.

What you need: A small dish or jar, a bit of olive oil, a cotton wick (or a small piece of cotton tied to a tiny stick), a piece of paper, moon-blessed ink, and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your central candle. In the small dish, pour the olive oil and set your wick.

With your moon-blessed ink, draw a simple sigil for "Clear Communication" on the paper (a continuous, flowing line works well).  Place the paper under the dish. Light the olive oil lamp (it will burn slowly and gently) using the flame from your central candle.

As the minor lamp burns, speak your intention for better understanding with a specific person or within a particular group. The flickering light represents the illumination of a clear mind.

 

On my own book 'Manifestation Magic' (published in 2021) are 21 effective rituals to channel the money energy and financial abundance in your way, including different charms and amulets you can craft for yourself and for others.
Hope you find my book really helpful, is available in stores and Amazon.

5. Anchor of Joy Charm Bag (Joy & Happiness)
A simple, portable charm to keep your spirits high during the busiest or most draining moments.

What you need: A small piece of fabric or drawstring pouch, dried peels from an orange or lemon (for joy), a few grains of rice (for sustenance/plenty), a small dry root from your garden (for grounding), and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Gather the ingredients and hold the pouch in your hands.

Fill the pouch while speaking your intention: "May the sun's joy (citrus) fill me; May my cup overflow (rice); May my feet stay firm and grounded (root)."

Tie the pouch closed with a simple knot. Keep it in your pocket or attach it to your key ring. Every time you touch it, remember to take a breath and re-center in the present moment.

 

Visit places, go to parties, drink punch, take pictures, text your friends, donate to local charities,
get a library card, everything that manifest joy, do it!

6. Water from the Source Offering (Emotional Calm & Flow)
Connecting your personal energy to a natural, flowing source invites peace and adaptability.

What you need: Water collected from a local river, lake, or even rain, a homemade candle, and a small amount of wine.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Pour a small amount of the wine into the water you collected. This is a humble offering of "sweetness" to the spirit of the water. Walk to the furthest, most hidden corner of your garden or backyard (or a houseplant).

Pour the water slowly onto the dirt while reciting this verse:

Charm for Stillness:
Source of calm, flow through me now,
Wash the worry from my brow.
Like the river finds the sea,
Let the good life flow to me.

 

The first time I decorated a real Yule tree (finally not a plastic one) I found this beautiful horns on a local market, remind me the horned God Kernunnos, and those vintage illustrations of Father Winter, so since then every year I have made some for myself with real wood from the backyard, golden paint blended with cedarwood oils, and eco-friendly glitter. Little actions have big power.

7. The Kitchen Hearth Blessing (General Prosperity & Sustenance)
Your kitchen is the heart of your home and a potent center for manifestation. What you need: A homemade candle, a small dish of sea salt, a bay leaf, and a small sprinkle of dried thyme.

The Ritual:
Light your candle on the kitchen counter or near the stove. Mix the salt (for purification/preservation), bay leaf (for wishes/success), and thyme (for courage/health) in the dish.

Place the dish subtly near your pantry or spice rack, declaring: "By the salt of the earth and the heat of the flame, our pantry is full and our table blessed. We shall not want." Use this mix as a special seasoning for one holiday meal, consciously infusing the food with your good intentions.

 

Many years ago (2009) I started making charm bags filled with aromatic herbs and flowers from the kitchen, even some spices, and put them inside my trees, since the publication of my book 'The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags' in 2017, this have turned our collective low-key magical tradition to keep, while obviusly in my book are over 100 recipes to use, you can do it also with kitchen ingredients, dry smashed flowers, and little mineral pieces, to bring joy, money, protection, and love.

8. Family Photo & Key-Chain Knot (Love, Allieship, and Protection)
A spell to strengthen the bonds and protect the pathways of those you love.

What you need: A family photograph (or a photo of friends/allies), a sturdy thread or ribbon, a meaningful keychain or small ornament, and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Place the photo face up.

Take the thread and tie a simple, strong knot, to bind the keychain/ornament to the edge of the photograph. As you tie the knot, visualize the people in the picture moving safely through the world, always finding their way back to love and support.

Say: "By this knot, our love is tied; Our paths are safe, our hearts abide."

Place the photo and charm in a private, loving space, such as a bedroom drawer or a personal shelf.

 

I started making this little Yule charm bags with dry flowers as sunflower, white and red roses, chamomile, and herbs like coriander and mint, tons of cinnamon sticks and anise stars, and keep a little piece of rose quartz and lapislazuli inside, as gifts for visitors to the house. If you carry a copy on my book on charm bags, you can check the different properties of diverse plants, herbs, oils, colors, and minerals to use for different purposes.

9. Sigil of Financial Protection (Financial Abundance & Security)
A quick, powerful act of drawing your personal energetic shield over your assets. What you need: A piece of paper, moon-blessed ink, a small drop of olive oil, and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Clearly define your intention (e.g., "All my savings are protected," "My work brings sustainable income").

With the moon-blessed ink, draw a personal sigil or symbol that represents this financial protection on the paper. Keep it simple and fluid, be creative, let the lines flow in their own way.

Rub a single, small drop of olive oil over the drawing. The oil seals and nourishes the intention. Fold the paper and place it inside your wallet, near your computer (where you handle bills), or in your checkbook.

 

Red, golden, dark green are associated with the energy of the season, use them around to channel the joy and Prosperity we are all looking for. Burn herbal incense to cleanse the spaces, light candles (carefully), and enjoy your favorite meals, take time for you, and for your loved ones.

10. The Feather of Light Retrieval (Restoration of Calm)
For those moments when the outside noise gets too loud, this ritual helps retrieve your inner calm. What you need: A feather you spotted and collected (a symbol of lightness and communication), a thread of a calming color (blue, white, or green), and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Sit quietly and hold the feather. Breathe deeply, imagining all the stress and noise of the day collecting into a dark, heavy ball in your chest.

Tie the thread loosely around the quill of the feather. Focus on the feather's lightness. Inhale peace, exhale the dark ball. Repeat until the dark ball dissolves. Untie the thread. Hold the feather up, visualizing it absorbing all the good, light energy of the candle flame.

Place the feather somewhere you can see it easily, like a desk, a windowsill, as a reminder that you can always choose to be light.

 

For protection and win the local spirit's favour in this season, carry in your pockets a little green or blue pouch (or mojo bag) filled with anise star, cinnamon, brown sugar, apple seeds, rose petals, pines, and dry pieces of orange slices.

11. Garden Dirt Wishing Mound (Flow of Communications & Growth)
Using earth and nature to ground and grow your intentions for positive social interactions. What you need: A small pile of dirt from your garden, a pinch of dry basil or parsley (kitchen herbs for peace and protection), a nail clipping or a snip of hair, and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. Place the pile of dirt on a plate or in a small pot. Mix your personal sigil (nail/hair) into the dirt, connecting the earth's growth energy to your individual desires for better social flow.

As you mix, recite this charm:

Rooted deep in the soil so brown,
My honest words travel out of town.
May all my friends and allies hear,
And all connections grow right here.

Keep the dirt mound safe and watch over it. The spell is active as long as the dirt is contained.

 

Writing new stories for this season and stay creative, art is also an active form of protest, years ago I self-published this little book ok winter stories illustrated at hand by my partner. You can also write stories and poems, make draws, paints, music,
whatever you feel inspired to create.

12. The Ornament of Intent (Attracting General Good Fortune)

The final ritual is a crowning touch, integrating your intentions into the traditional decorations. What you need: A plain, inexpensive ornament (new or one you're repurposing), a few dry flower petals (from a dead bouquet is perfect!), a piece of paper, and your candle.

The Ritual:
Light your candle. On the small piece of paper, write one word that summarizes everything you hope to cultivate in the new year (e.g., Sovereignty, Balance, Health, Success).

Place the dry petals and the word into the ornament. As you hang the ornament on your tree or in a place of honor, visualize its simple beauty radiating the energy of your intention throughout the entire home. It is now a secret beacon, drawing good fortune to you until it's time to take the decorations down.

 

Go outside, grab the snow in your hands, hugs the trees, collect a bottle of snow water, cut the dry branches from the trees to make art and house artefacts, or simple to do a bonfire, connect with the nature of your region as just you can do. The craft we honor comes beyond the fancy altars and overrated useless "traditional" protocols of witchcraft, connect with nature, let the air outside fill your lungs, see the reinders and deers, follow with your eyes the birds migrating, build safe spaces for the local fauna, are many more things a witch can do, than just read books, collect crystals, attend events you can barely pay for, and make unnecesary online discourse, Is the season of Joy. The world need your joy right now.

If you enjoy my work, and you want to support it, my latest book of spells 'Bloom & Shadow' is available on eBook/Kindle and paperback, in THIS LINK and if you have it; while reviews these days are just crucial for white american authors as a way to convince their publishers to do more books, you can always write and leave a positive review for mine on Amazon or Goodreads, so the algorythm can push the book in the direction of more readers. Thank YOU and Happy Holidays.

Below, my past Holiday posts in this blog:

~ Yule (Updated x 2023) Books & Links.

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2022/10/yule22.html 

~Reclaiming Prosperity & Magick in 2025

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2024/12/NewYear2025.html 

~ Enchanted Ornaments on our Holiday Tree this 2021.

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2021/11/enchanted-ornaments-on-our-holiday-tree.html

~ Our Christmas Tree 2022

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2022/11/our-christmas-tree-2022.html

~ HOLIDAYS INCENSE FOR HOME

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2022/11/holidays-incense-for-home.html

~ Holidays Altar Magick

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2022/12/holidays-altar-magick.html

~ 8 Homemade Easy-to-do Rituals for Abundance and Prosperity to put into practice this Holidays.

https://abundanceandmagic.blogspot.com/2023/11/8-homemade-easy-to-do-rituals-for.html

Working with Hedge Bindweed, Goldenrod, and Dandelion.

Some local plants I've been magically working with recently. PART I.

 

For the past two years, a new location outside of New York City has forced me to move out of my comfort zone. While the new world offers us the opportunity to acquire almost any exotic herb or flower we're looking for completely online, I tend to romanticize (maybe a bit too much) the fieldwork. I mean, I grew up in the rainforest, cultivating, planting, and cutting our own ivy, vines, and flowers for magical uses and preparations. From how to properly dry and store different types of snakeskins according to their colors and various medicinal uses, to hand-preparing a bundle of ayahuasca in a couple of days, or a "sahumerio" (a bundle of dried plants to burn) with bejuco, flor del paraiso, and dreamcatchers (vines).

 

Living in the USA allows you to purchase everything online, that's a new and different experience, now you have been over 10 years doing it, but nothing is more magical than working with what you have around you. of paying an expensive shipment of exotic herbs because an author says it in a book, working with those plants growing next to your neighborhood, and in the local parks close to you, nurturing and connecting daily with the same energy that you, that's completely different, have a more powerful meaning and grants you access to craft the old art of Witchcraft with a more personal connection, just like in the old times.

 

To give you just a bit more context into the topic of this post, I am located in New York, just two hours from the border with Canada, which means I am in a very cold area (most of the year) and also have a great spring-summer time. I have been diving deep into herbal magic now more than ever, trying to formulate my own oils and tinctures based on the plants growing around, from green sage and mint, to goldenrod and hedge bindweed, which beautifully blooms every morning with the first light of the Sun.

 

THE PLANTS I HAVE BEEN USING.

I have been experimenting with a couple poisonous plants with Hexing and Healing purposes, we can't talk too much about it here, cause this is a public mail/blog and rather to avoid legal persecutions about it for obvious reasons, we don't want the crocodile skull collectors bought on Etsy, to complain they have a rash cuz I mentioned how to use a couple plants.

 

Hedge Binweed (Calystegia sepium). 

When we moved here two years ago, the enormous shrub only had a few blooms. With a little care, and after removing the enormous vines trapping the plant's roots and preventing it from breathing, it has begun to grow, reaching almost two meters in height. It produces more and more seeds, and the flowers, particularly short-lived, are increasing every day. 

According to botany textbooks, each flower lasts only one day after blooming once, and immediately afterward, it leaves only a seed for another flower. It is a beautiful and silent representation of the daily cycle of life: one blooms in the morning light, closes at dusk, falls a couple of days later, and leaves space for another to bloom.

Because it grows easily around doorways and stairwells, it is associated with protection. Although I haven't used the fresh flowers for any purpose yet, this is the morning charm for them, and the dried fallen flowers stored in a bottle with seven shards of a broken mirror and nine nails from the basement walls are used as a protective talisman.

Charm

"At morning's first, I see you there,

a white star blooming in the air.

Hedge Bindweed, you greet the day,

to keep the wicked things away.

You guard the house, you bless the sill,

a creeping watch against all ill.

You wake at dawn, then rest at night,

my woven shield of morning light."

 

I tried burning the dried flowers as a protective incense at first last year, very close to the Autumn Equinox, the fragrance was not precisely likable, so I tried experimenting some more times mixing it with dry roses and copal. At the end, a perfect mix to use was three spoons of Bindweed, one spoon of copal, and a few petals of rose to make it sweeter (important for the spirits present in the house) to smoke around windows and doors in and out  the place.

 

Goldenrod (Solidago)

If you follow me on Instagram, there's a chance you've seen some of my past posts about this plant. I get really excited about it. I moved to this house two years ago in April-May. There's this unused space between the driveway and the yard, which is only accessible from the sunroom. It's a green space approximately 12 meters x 12 meters, like a sort of second private yard, enclosed by two walls that overlook the back of the neighboring yards.
 

At first, this space was filled with weeds, lots of poison ivy, long vines from the berry plants, small mushrooms, and some spots of wildflowers.

Suddenly, around September, these long, thin, leafless branches began to peek out above all the others. I could see them every day from the kitchen, but I didn't pay much attention. Until one day I saw all these giant rods of yellow flowers covering it, so heavy that the branches drooped to the ground. It was goldenrod, all over the place.

 

Goldenrod is associated with good fortune, fairy magic, good omens, and is used in charms with jars of honey to "sweeten" people. It's not uncommon to guess that it's associated with good fortune. Unlike roses - except for their magical uses, they've never been one of my favorite plants - with long, thorny branches tipped with a large flower, the goldenrod is abundant, and once the autumn breezes begin to arrive, the entire ground is covered in these flowers, forming a huge yellow carpet.

Also, it's one of the few plants in the area that still attracts abundant pollinators during the fall. I haven't worked enough yet with this plant beyond caring for it and learning how to properly nurture it. I've since dedicated this plant to the local spirits and deities, and I'm in the process of building another small altar/shrine in the middle for the spirits that inhabit the area, which will be easier to do around Samhain, once most of the weeds have naturally disappeared.

 

Anyway, in most of my videos and online workshops, you can see a handful of these goldenrods holding out from the windows in my personal temple, and guess what, they last a long time. Now that we're in August 2025, the handful I made with this plant in September 2023 is still beautiful and intact. A good representation of longevity, hardiness, and good fortune.

Next experiment (for Autumn 2025)

 

My next little project (one of so many) is making a Sorcerer's bottle for good fortune, consisting of a crystal jar filled with dried goldenrod, a heart of sunflower, and those dry petals I collected months ago from an orange-yellow Liliaea that bloomed for the first time this year (I sowed it in November 2024 before the cold season).

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelions grow all over the house, especially in the front yard. The first year, we could easily count a dozen flowers around, but now there are so many we can't count them, and we can collect them for teas and infusions.

Dandelions represent durability, dexterity, ingenuity to act silently and with discretion, to grow and evolve under the worst circumstances. Also, their sunny colors represent joy and kindness, making it the perfect flower to represent the beautiful act of remaining kind and warm even in difficult times.

These flowers are commonly burned over charcoal as incense to bring protection and the kind guidance from spirit allies. The dried flowers smashed as dust act perfectly well for incense if you combine them with rosemary and peppermint to keep away the evil spirits. 

A little charm bag filled with dried dandelion and the heart of a tulip makes a nice amulet to carry with you and summon good feelings of kindness and self-love.

Until our next post, to talk about my orange Lilies, honeysuckle, and hyacinths... 

With Love, Elo.

To support my work or learn more about different uses for your magical/local plants, check my book on AMZN or in your favorite local bookstore. Also, my new book coming soon in 2025.

Including (and not limited) to 'The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags' AVAILABLE HERE 'Manifestation Magic' AVAILABLE HERE and 'Dream Witchery' AVAILABLE HERE.