Hearthcraft

The word hearth is of old English origin, meaning the floor around the fireplace or the lower part of a furnace where molten metal is collected during the smelting process. Throughout the ages, Hearth has come to represent domestic comfort and the entire home, perceived as the heart of the centre of the living space. Therefore someone who practices hearth craft is someone whose spiritual practices revolve around the hearth and home.

Hearth Craft like other aspects of the house withes and other forms of kitchen and green witchcraft, revolved around practicality, with little ritualistic guidelines or necessary formality

When thinking of Hearthcraft a few words that may be an idea to keep in mind are the following:

Simple, practical, family related, domestic, everyday, household.

For a list of Herbal Folk Names

## Spirituality

Nurturing the spiritual elements of the home can be key to the path of a hearth based house witch. The answer to how you can do this depends on how you define your spirituality.

Attempting to define spirituality can at times be challenging, frustrating and faith-testing. It may be the case that when you recognize something as spiritual, you acknowledge that something about it moves you or touches you deeply in a very specific way, evoking feelings that may be indefinable.
Once you have started to realize what kind of things you find spiritual or what kind of events or actions evoke that response within yourself, then you may have some idea of there to focus on your practice of home-based spirituality. This may include how to identify with everyday activities that can support you as a spiritual person. With all this, you may be able to begin to recognize and reinforce your commitment to making the home a spiritual place. One way of doing the above is to use certain moments and activities as an opportunity to think about things that are important to you as a person.

Maintaining healthy spirituality means keeping yourself focussed, relaxed when practising something. I may also mean keeping the lines of communication open between you and something greater than you. The term practice is often used to describe what one does with respect to a spiritual path. It also can mean physically or intentionally acting on a theory associated with the path. By actively seeking out or defining spiritual activity you create an opportunity to develop a deeper connection with the world around you.

## Herbs

Herbs provide us with an abundance of medicinal, as well as magickal substances. Most herbs are easily grown and cared for because in reality, they are weeds. Herbs will grow in the shade, in between rocks, thrive in sandy soil, and can go for long periods of time without water. Once planted, herbs return year after year and serve as a useful as well as decorative ground cover.

Along with their physical and medicinal qualities, herbs are filled with natural energy and power. Through ritual, Witches will focus and direct this energy toward a desired goal. Once magickally charged, the herb will then actively attract or repel incoming vibrations as designated. Because of their life force and energy, plants make wonderful psychic conductors, as well as powerful talismans.

## Garlic

A protection against witches, demons, vampires, the evil eye and other dark supernatural forces, and an ingredient in folk healing remedies. Garlands of garlic worn around the neck or hung in a house are said to ward off evil spirits, creatures and spells. In Mexico, the ajo macho is a huge garlic, sometimes as big as a baseball, used exclusively as an amulet against evil in general, but not against specific curses, which require their own special remedies. According to custom, the ajo macho will work only if it is given as a gift, not if it is bought. In Europe, the phrase “here’s garlic in your eyes” is said to ward off the evil eye.

In times past, garlic was used to prove guilt. Suspects tossed garlic cloves into a fire; the one whose clove popped was guilty. In healing folklore, garlic is widely reputed for its ability to cure and prevent colds and other ailments. It is baked in bread, ground into powder and made into liniment.

Ancient Roman soldiers wore garlic into battle for extra courage. In ancient Greece and Rome, garlic was placed at crossroads as an offering to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and the night. Odysseus used garlic as protection against the witchcraft of Circe, who turned his men into swine