The Book of Shadows of a Broom Closet Dweller *EDITING*

Celestial Bodies

For as long as human civilization has existed, people have looked up at the sky and felt the powerful, whimsical presence of the planets. These celestial objects have inspired millennia of folklore, superstition, and religious beliefs. Witches today can still call upon the power of the planets to guide their practices and assist their magick.

How to use planetary magick in your craft

> Employ planetary energies in your spells
> Observe planetary retrogrades
> Schedule spells with planetary hours
> Work with plants & crystals associated with planets
> Practise astrology

Planetary Retrogrades

Put simply, when a planet is in retrograde it appears to be moving backwards through the sky. This is due to the earth's orbit overtaking the other planet's orbit in the solar system.

If you don't understand, don't worry. All you need to know is that when a planet's apparent motion goes backwards, some witches believe that this can have various side effects in our lives, or open up pathways that lead to introspection and further self-discovery.

Mercury Retrograde: The planetary retrograde you will most want to keep an eye out for is Mercury. Because Mercury has the shortest orbit, it enters retrograde the most often, about 3-4 times a year. However, the magickal associations of Mercury include communication and travel, so all sorts of things can go awry when Mercury is in retrograde! Internet connection issues, traffic jams, missed flights, arguments, and conflict are to be expected. Even communication with your spirit guides or your own inner voice can be negatively affected. Thankfully, Mercury retrogrades are also the shortest in length, only lasting around 2 weeks.

The Sun

The sun gives life, it determines the length of the day, provides warmth & energy, and without its gravity the earth would cease to exist. In Wicca, the sun is associated with the God and is considered the second most powerful celestial body in witchcraft (after the moon).

The sun is extremely powerful; it dictates the separation between day and night, provides light so we can see, provides warmth for our survival, and can be the difference between abundance and famine. Life on earth is completely dependant on it. Because of this, the sun is connotated with public influence, powerful leaders, strength, abundance, career, law, and money.

The sun is associated with growth, as without it plants and crops would not grow. In witchcraft, the sun can be connected with any kind of growth including business, finances, children & family, and personal growth.

The sun is also known for its bright, illuminating light during the daytime. Things are much easier to find when you can see them. For this reason, witches can associate the sun with illumination, enlightenment, clarity, and truth. Sun magick is useful in spells to find lost objects or to uncover the truth.

Finally, the sun is a commonality between all life on earth. Every food chain leads back to the sun as the great source of energy, and all the planets in the solar system orbit around it; the sun is the one thing that connects all of us. Because of this, the sun's magick is useful in friendship, partnership, and communication spells, particularly regarding business. The sun's power can be invoked when there is great need to find common ground between people or organisations.

☀️ Sun Associations: Health, success, career goals, ambition, money, wealth, law, buying, selling, strength, leadership, men's mysteries, children, career, family, public influence, friendships, love, general abundance, employment opportunities, business, illuminating lost objects, growth, confidence, clarity, commonality, abundance, truth, harmony, partnerships, divine masculine, your masculine side.
💎 Stones/Crystals/Metals: gold, diamond, ruby, chrysolite, yellow topaz, citrine, chrysoprase, and amber, corundum, yellow Tiger's Eye, sunstone.
🌿 Plants: Any plants that resemble the sun in shape or colour, that open during the day and close at night, that follow the sun's movements during the day, as well as those that provide winter nourishment such as grains and nuts. Examples: Sunflower, calendula, marigold, daylily, orange, citron, saffron, pine, mistletoe, rosemary, buttercup, heliotrope, bay laurel, daisy, walnut, acorn, maize, wheat, hops, cloves, cinnamon.
🖐️ Body parts: the heart, circulatory system, the spinal cord, thymus gland.
📆 Day: Sunday
♌ Zodiac: Leo
🌈 Colours: Orange, amber, gold, yellow, red
🛐 Deities: Helios, Sol, Ra, Amaterasu, Sunna, Tonatiuh, Aditi, Ah, Kinchil, Apollo, Aten, Brighid, Dhatara, Frey, Itzamna, Lucifer, Mithra, Mystere, Nitten, Paiva, Savitar