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This isn't exactly a spell, but it is a delicious treat that will help vanquish dreary thoughts or appease an angry fairy. Here's the recipe for "Pots o' Love," a traditional Beltane cookie-like cake:

Ingredients:

1 stick of very soft butter (less, for dryer cakes)

3/4 cup brown or raw sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, mixed with a bit of blue cornmeal

1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds

rose petal jam

Directions:

Mix everything (except the jam) together until smooth, adding flour as needed so the cakes will keep their shape. Form the dough into balls using about 2 tablespoons of the dough for each cake. Space them out on a greased cookie sheet, and press a good-size "pot" into the middle of each with your thumb or the handle of a spoon. Bake at 325 degrees until done, but not brown. If the pots rise out of the center of the cakes, press the center back down with a spoon. Cooking time varies with altitude. Check after 6-8 minutes. When the cakes are done (no gooey insides), let them cool and then fill the center "pots" with rose-petal jam or a light, fruity strawberry jam. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar. If you want to add a little magic to this recipe, get up early on Beltane morning and gather the dew from the leaves of plants. The magical dew is said to enhance a woman's beauty. Add the dew to your recipe or to the jam. If you wish, make up a magical intention, or, perhaps you should recite something decidedly Celtic as you cook.

This is a spell for a calm and compassionate heart. It's a good spell to soothe frayed nerves and to help you be there for someone who is sick or troubled and needs you. The spell is part kundalini yoga and part witchcraft. First, use a ceremonial besom to "sweep" negative energy from the room. Gather ivy (which wards against negativity) and spring flowers, preferably white and yellow flowers like forsythia, daffodils, and Star of Bethlehem, and use them to make a circle large enough for you to sit inside. Light a white candle and place it so that it is at eye level when you are seated on the floor. Light a stick of your favorite incense and then be seated inside the circle with your legs comfortably crossed in front of you. With your left hand, pick up a blossom (and/or a piece of amethyst) and press it to your heart. Lift your right hand up by your shoulder and form the Guyan Mudra (a hand gesture where your index finger touches your thumb). Let your eyes rest gently on the candle flame, but let your mental focus be in your heart. Breathe slowly and deeply through the nose. After each inhalation, hold the breath for a moment and "lock it in" with this thought: "May compassion fill and illuminate me." After each exhalation, hold the breath out and banish negative energy with this thought: "May love banish doubt and darkness." Continue the meditation for at least three minutes. Imagine stress and fear and sadness flowing out and away from you with each exhalation. Imagine love and compassion flowing into you and through you and into the circle with each inhalation. Imagine the energy within the circle becoming more golden, more calm, more pure. That energy mingles with and becomes a part of you and of the vegetation surrounding you. When you are through meditating, gently tap your chest above the heart three times and say "Blessed be." Gather up the flowers and greenery and use them for a bouquet either for yourself or as a gift for someone who needs you.

February is a wonderful time for ritual love magic and for garden renovation. This year, consider combining the two projects! Here's a way to capture you magical intent and to let it grow: First, select a special herb, flower, or other plant to be the "vessel" of your magic. Primrose tubers, a cherry tree, or perhaps a flat of tomato seedlings. (If you don't have a greenhouse, be sure to pick a plant that you can put in the ground in February. You may need to do some research on this.) Prepare the ground (or seed flats or pots) for your plant(s). As you work the soil, concentrate and imagine that the dark earth is the holy repository of you magical intent -- the ground is a sacred matrix. Work the soil with love and affection, feeding it with fertilizer, loam, or compost as needed. When the moon starts to wax again (around February 14), write a short letter to yourself. In this letter, identify the kind of relationship you want. Be specific about the qualities you want in that relationship or person, but don't make it about any particular person -- remember, that is manipulative and could backfire on you. Once you've written your letter, put it in a glass or ceramic bowl, not metal. The bowl is symbolic of the element earth. Take the bowl and letter outside to a place that is shielded from the wind. Also, have a glass of water on hand to use at the end of the ritual. Put the letter in the bowl, set it on fire, and let it burn to ash. This part of the ritual uses the elements earth, air, and fire. As the letter burns, think of your intentions being concentrated by the fire into the ash as you say this incantation: "Heart's desire, caught in fire, turned by thought to earth." Your intention corresponds to the fifth element, spirit. After the fire has burned out, mix the water with the ash. As you do so, say this incantation: "Earth and sea, blessed be, your bounty springeth forth." The water completes the ritual so that all five elements are used. With water you invoke the power of that element and its strong emotional-psychic correspondences. Take the ash-water and mix it with your potting soil, pour it in the hole you've dug for your plant, or use it to water your plants after they are in the ground or pot. Tend your plant(s) lovingly. They are the vessels of your heart's desire. As your plant matures, use it's fruit, leaves, or seeds in foods or decorative arrangements to continue the magical cycle. For example, if you've planted tomatoes, make a spicy salsa to serve at a party and watch the joy unfold! Blessed be!

Many witches practice divinitory arts -- methods of predicting the future. Some read tea leaves, tarot cards, ouija boards, and runes. Some study the patterns of nature -- clouds, animals, swirling leaves, and flowing rivers -- in search of clues to the future. Others use mirror, candle, or crystal scrying to induce visions. There are many methods of looking beyond this present physical reality. It's important to understand, however, that these methods are just tools for tapping into natural human psychic powers. Everybody has some degree of psychic ability. Experiencing psychic phenomena can be scary, so it is important to train your mind and to learn some of the secrets of psychic self-defense before you start toying with the supernatural. Dion Fortune's classic Psychic Self-Defense offers interesting insights as does Melita Denning's Practical Guide to Psychic Self Defense & Well Being. I've found, however, that Kundalini Yoga is one of the best foundational practices for expanding your awareness of self and cosmos. One way to protect yourself from negative energy is to strengthen your eighth chakra -- your aura. In kundalini practice, there are many exercises routines (kriyas) that help you to do this. Other disciplines, including the martial and healing arts, also give guidance on strengthening your natural esoteric energy field. Here's a simple exercise that you can do to "feed" your aura. Relax, breathe deeply, and imagine white energy flowing into your hands and feet. As you breathe in, let this energy flow through you and accumulate at the top of your head. Then, imagine that energy flowing out of the top of your head and around your body in an energy balloon. Imagine the energy circulating in through your feet and out through your head, making an ever-flowing circuit of protective energy -- your personal force field. When ever you feel emotionally depleted, do this exercise. When you are in a crowd of negative people, protect yourself by imagining yourself surrounded by this energy balloon. The more you do this exercise, the stronger your aura will be.

Almost every magical tradition requires the practitioner to "raise energy" in order for a spell to work. Not many people talk about this. It is the "secret" to effective magic. To help yourself become aware of your own internal energy, teach yourself how to do an "energy massage" with your "awareness hands." Lie down and make your self comfortable. Imagine that you have an extra set of hands that float free from your physical body. Move this pair of hands to your feet and focus on massaging your big toe. Use your imagination and try to feel your imaginary hands massaging your toe. You will be surprised at the sensations this exercise will generate. You may feel tingling or warmth. The feet and toes and well as the hands and fingers are the body's "energy exchange ports." Reiki masters use their hands to heal. The science of reflexology takes advantage of acupressure points on the feet to stimulate healing. Take time every day to explore these energy ports as well as the energy nodes, the chakras, that store energy within you. Learning to draw spiritual energy into and through your body will not only help you with your magical and spiritual practices, it will stimulate your immune system and help you remain healthy through the cold winter months.

Drawing Life's Purpose to You: I found this spell in Susan Bowes' delightful book, Life Magic. Keeping in the spirit of the theme for autumn, this spell is to help you discern your calling in life. This spell is best done during the waxing phase of the moon and on a Wednesday, the day of communication. After taking a ritual bath and preparing a clean, sacred space -- preferably one within a magic circle - sit facing the south (the realm of inspiration). Focus your mind on the flame of a candle. If you have a piece of amber or quartz, hold it in your dominant hand. Sit quietly for a few minutes and breathe deeply to the count of seven - seven counts in; hold one; seven counts out. This "master breath" resonates with the esoteric heart center of the earth. After doing this breath for awhile, pause and breathe normally. Relax. Then recite this mantra five times: "Spirit of the fire, speak to me. Show me the way through flame. Show me the way through water. Show me the way through earth. Show me the way through air. I draw my vision of my path, which now manifests in love and peace." After you have said this, let your mind rest. Keep it quiet and open. When distracting thoughts arise, let them dissipate. You may flash back to memories of your childhood dreams and ambitions. Strange images may pop into your mind. Take note of these and then let them pass. If nothing comes to you, don't be concerned. If you are new at meditative practices, it will take a while to learn to quiet your mind. Don't be discouraged. Try again in a week or so and be sure to keep a journal of the thoughts that come to you.

Many witches, shamans, and magicians believe that in order to make your magic potent, you must find your totem animal, spirit guide, or Holy Guardian Angel. These entities, considered emissaries of God, will guide you in finding and fulfilling your life's purpose. October is a grand time to begin this spiritual quest. Your totem animal is not always one you readily identify with or are even especially fond of. For example, I've never liked birds, yet my totem is the hummingbird. Several years ago, one flew into a forest service fire tower that I was camping in and bounced against the glass windows of the structure. I caught the tiny ruby-throated creature and released it just as the sun was setting beyond the mountains of northern Idaho. Since then, the hummingbird has visited me in dreams and visions. And, when shopping, I seem to find myself attracted to things with hummingbirds painted on or engraved into them. To find your totem animal, think back on those incidents when some creature has touched you. Maybe a turtle crawled into your lap while you were napping by a lake; or maybe spiders seem to build webs around your house all the time. What images appear frequently in your dreams? Think about these things and see what comes to mind. Your spirit guides will find you in the same way. One may even be an ancestor. A friend of mine is regularly visited by the spirit of her beloved grandmother. Grandmother always guides her to really good yard sales where, oddly enough, my friend finds pieces of a china pattern that matches what her grandmother bequeathed to her. Finally, finding your holy guardian angel is an act of devotion. It requires you to fall in love with your spiritual mentor. The moment of meeting, of being raised up in the knowledge of angels, can be one of sudden inspiration or the culmination of a long ceremonial process.

This is a good time for "spiritual house cleaning" so that you can enter the witches' new year (November 1) with your house in order. Start by literally cleaning house - take those old clothes and furnishings and donate them to your local house of religion or charity. Discard dry goods that are out of date. (Hey, Y2K has come and gone!). Dust, scrub, and polish everything. When your house is clean, consider these rituals: (1) Sweeping out "bad luck" and sweeping in "good luck." A witch's broom ("besom") is a magical tool used to gather and discharge spiritual energies. Here's how. (2) Smudging and asperging - use incense and fragrant water to create sacred space. (3) Learn how to do the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram - a ceremonial magical method of blasting away accumulated negative energies. (4) Learn some feng shui. How you arrange your furnishings within your home affects the flow of "qi" or "chi" - spiritual energy - and can affect your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Once you've created this sacred space, take some time to experience it. Now is a good time to start a regular prayer or meditation practice.

I found this odd little love spell in a book of Romany gypsy rituals. This is to attract a spouse: On midnight at the new moon, take a long pink cord or ribbon and tie one end of it to a salt shaker and the other end of it to a pepper shaker. Imagine the salt as a bride and the pepper as a groom and then visualize yourself as one of the two. Imagine the cord is destiny drawing your true love to you. Each night for seven days, untie the cord and move the salt and pepper shakers closer together; then, retie the cord. On the seventh night the shakers should be touching each other. Leave them bound together with the pink cord for another seven nights. By this time, a new love will have entered your life or an old love will have drawn closer. Hopefully, you won't have to season anything in the meantime. Also, if you want to dream of your future spouse, put a sprig of St. John's Wort beneath your pillow.

Honor the Great Mother Goddess at Lammas by making a bouquet of faux "corn silk" trilliums from corn husks. Put the bouquet in a special place: near photographs of friends and family, on an alter, or, if you are trying to conceive, in the bedroom. Let it be a reminder of all that you hold dear. Next year at Lammas, burn the bouquet as a good luck offering.

To protect your home from evil energies, hang a sprig of holly by a red ribbon near your main entrance door. Anoint it with olive oil infused with lemon, lavender, and rose geranium oils. As you rub the oil on the holly leaves say this incantation: "Holly dark with berries bright, ward my home both day and night; let the wicked pass by me, and thank the Goddess, blessed be." Or, make up something to that effect.