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Praise for Sacred Magic of the North “If we step back and behold the whole of our ancestral story, if we go back far enough, we inevitably find ourselves rooted in earth-based traditions. When Tahverlee says, ‘This is where your journey begins, rooted in the Earth,’ she names a timely truth. We all share the same origin story. Of the Earth, we are. In Sacred Magic of the North, Tahverlee masterfully guides us through the secrets of our original blueprint, allowing the Otherworld to participate, making simple spells and everyday rites accessible to all who feel called to honor their kinship with this blue-green rock we call home.” —Danielle Dulsky, author of The Night House, The Holy Wild, and Sacred Hags Oracle and founder of the Hag School “For years, Tahverlee Anglen has been supporting souls with her deeply profound magick woven with both kindness and strength. In Sacred Magic of the North, she gently opens the door for the new and seeking Witch and takes the hand of the adept on their path home; to both, she offers the invitation to return to the greatest tool of the magickal person: the self. This book’s delicate but powerful passages, rituals, and practices will resonate with magickal seekers of all backgrounds and experience. Tahverlee has offered the world an indelible gift through her words. And the world is better for it.” —Courtney Weber, author of Sacred Tears and Hekate “The foundational first in a new series of Witchcraft books, Sacred Magic of the North takes the reader on a heartfelt, contemplative, and grounded expedition into self-awareness, stillness, and empowerment. Brought to you by a highly influential priestess and metaphysical educator, this radiant, earthanchored offering is uniquely beneficial for magickal beginners and experienced practitioners alike!” —Raven Digitalis, author of The Empath’s Oracle, Esoteric Empathy, and Shadow Magick Spellbook

SACRED MAGIC OF THE

NORTH

About the Author Tahverlee Anglen is the heart of the Moon Temple Mystery School, guiding seekers through the mystical landscapes of self-discovery, witchcraft, empowerment, and spiritual awakening. As a High Priestess, ritualist, initiate of the Sacred Way and the Eleusinian Rites, and a practitioner of the Celtic Mysteries, she works alongside a wise circle of fellow guides to offer transformative experiences and practices. She is also an accomplished speaker, social impact entrepreneur, and host of a top-rated podcast. With a large social platform, as a business expert and spiritual teacher, Tahverlee merges the mystical and the practical, showing that magic belongs not only in sacred circles but also in the everyday world. Learn more at Tahverlee.com and MoonTempleSchool.com.

SACRED MAGIC OF THE

NORTH Rituals, Spells, and Gifts of Earth

Tahverlee Anglen

Sacred Magic of the North: Rituals, Spells, and Gifts of Earth Copyright © 2026 by Tahverlee Anglen. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. First Edition First Printing, 2026 Book design by Donna Burch-Brown Cover design by Shira Atakpu Tarot Original 1909 Deck © 2021 with art created by Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Edward Waite. Used with permission of Lo Scarabeo. Llewellyn Publications is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Anglen, Tahverlee, author Title: Sacred magic of the north : rituals, spells, and gifts of earth / by Tahverlee Anglen. Description: First edition. | Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn Worldwide, 2026. | Series: Sacred magic ; 1 | Summary: “Step inside a living circle of earth and spirit, where every breath roots deeper and every sensation hums with meaning. Tahverlee teaches you how to build altars, work with cards, and make meaningful offerings to spirits before guiding you through a landscape of living earth magic”— Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2026007987 (print) | LCCN 2026007988 (ebook) | ISBN 9780738783666 paperback | ISBN 9780738783710 ebook Subjects: LCSH: Magic Classification: LCC BF1611 .A555 2026 (print) | LCC BF1611 (ebook) LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2026007987 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2026007988 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public. All mail addressed to the author is forwarded but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number. Any internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources. Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Printed in the United States of America GPSR Representation: UPI-2M PLUS d.o.o., Meduli eva 20, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia matt.parsons@upi2mbooks.hr

Other Works by Tahverlee Anglen Sacred Magic Oracle

Forthcoming Books in the Sacred Magic Series Sacred Magic of the East Sacred Magic of the South Sacred Magic of the West

Other Forthcoming Books by Tahverlee Anglen Becoming Dangerous (Llewellyn, 2027)

Dedication This book is dedicated to my muses and spirit allies, the witches of the swamp. They draw me into their depths when I need sanctuary, nourish my roots when I seek healing, and reveal the way back to myself when I feel unmoored. Every word within these pages, every teaching, is devoted to those who walked this path before me—the ones who sacrificed so I could live this magic in my lifetime.

Contents Disclaimer

xiii

Introduction

1: Foundations of Sacred Magic

2: In the Arms of the Earth Mother

3: Root to Ritual: Earth’s Living Magic 4: The Sacred Vessel

5: Winter of the Soul

6: Sacred Sanctuaries

105

7: The Stillness That Opens Worlds

127

8: The Hidden Language of the Senses 9: The Keepers of Sacred Stillness

143

161

10: Traveling the Path Beyond the Veil 181 Conclusion

197

Index of Rituals, Spells, and Exercises From the Author 205

201

Disclaimer This book provides practical tools and knowledge based upon my own life and study. The teachings, rituals, plant allies, oils, and spells shared here are offered as inspiration and guidance for your personal spiritual and witchcraft practice. It is not meant to replace advice from doctors, therapists, or other licensed professionals. Always use caution and common sense when working with plants, oils, and fire. Do your own research before ingesting or applying any herbs or oils, as individual reactions may vary. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes responsibility for any outcomes resulting from the use of the information provided. Your path is uniquely your own—take what resonates, leave the rest, and walk with wisdom.

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INTRODUCTION

Life is full of unanswerable questions. Ignore them too long and you face living without ever feeling fully alive. These questions will pull you into unknown places where you might find yourself unrooted, adrift from the life you thought you knew, or bound so tightly to one way of being that you’ve forgotten how to move at all. These questions don’t arrive politely. They seep in through sleepless nights, in stirs during the quiet hours when the world is still, or strike in moments when everything you thought was solid begins to shift beneath your feet. They are the questions that, once asked, cannot be unheard. It is here, in this space between what you know and what you long to know, that magic begins to stir—the kind of magic that lives deep in the marrow of your bones, in the pulse of the earth beneath your feet, and in the rhythm of your breath that connects them together. The path of sacred magic does not start outside of you. It starts when you turn inward, gathering the whole of who you are, your scars and your strength, your grief and your joy, your desires and your doubts, and choose 1

Introduction

with intention how you wish to live. When you take those choices and weave spells, rituals, and the call of magic into them, it becomes a living, breathing force that shapes your world. We begin in the north, where the connection between your body and every other living thing is remembered. The north is the keeper of your secrets, the place where the hidden parts of you wait, buried in shallow shadows, ready to be reclaimed. It is abundant and ancient. It holds the quiet wisdom that will bring you back to yourself if you have the courage to follow the unanswerable questions. This is where your journey starts, rooted in the earth, surrounded by the quiet whispers of the trees, the scent of a newly blossoming rose, and the stillness of winter. While here, we will rest a while and move slowly as everything begins to change, just like a seed buried deep in the earth, gathering nutrients and slowly growing while still in the darkness. Slowly, when you find your way back to yourself, you begin to remember why you chose this life in the first place—not the surface reasons of buying more stuff or having the right job, but the soul-level purpose that hums beneath your skin. To uncover it, you must peel away the layers of expectation, the ideas that have twisted you to fit in and be liked, and the voices that have told you who you should be. Then you will be able to see the truest version of who you are. In that seeing, you remember. You remember that the magic was never missing, only buried. It still lives in you beneath the weight of false beliefs, waiting for the moment when you are ready to reclaim it by watering it with your own truth. When you weave rituals into your daily life from this place, knowing the magic is already there, transformation begins. Life rearranges itself around your truth. The person you were always meant to be steps forward as if waking from a dream you can finally grasp. We’ll wake from this elusive dream together in this book’s journey. The journey is more than words on a page; it is a bridge, a doorway, a living transmission between your inner world and the magic that longs to be awakened. It is meant to be lived, felt, and embodied. Within these pages are stories, teachings, and invitations (spells and rituals) that will lead you from where you were to where you are going.

Introduction

The bridge is one you will cross again and again on the spiral path of transformation, for the spiral is not a single journey from here to there but a living pattern that will carry you through the cycles of shedding, remembering, and reclaiming. And as you walk it, you will learn that every turn of the spiral draws you closer to the untamed truth at your center. To get to the center, we will explore your inner magic by moving through the cardinal directions, the natural elements, spirits, and the energy that surrounds us all. The inner magic we are seeking is a quest for the meaning of life, an ever-changing quest for your soul’s purpose and your own unique form of magic. On this journey you will learn to live more fully, finding greater joy, passion, contentment, and expression. Once you uncover that deeper purpose within yourself, we will cast it out into the world through rituals and spells as rooted as an ancient willow and as tenderly beautiful as a rosebud just beginning to bloom. Asking for the meaning of the unanswerable questions of life is a deep dive into why you were incarnated here in the first place.

The First Stop on the Spiral Path You might wonder what spiraling into your soul’s purpose has to do with magic, especially sacred magic. The answer is found in the elements already woven into your life’s path. When you study magic, you are studying your own cycles of transformation, the experiences and years that have shaped you into the person you are today. And who you are now will continue to transform. This journey is about consciously choosing how you wish to evolve next, as evolving is an ever-present part of this thing called life. As we spiral through each element, one by one, we’ll discover the parts of you that have been shaped by societal expectations that have tamed you, pruned your spirit, and molded your desires to fit what’s deemed “good.” The elements will show clearly where your soul is nourished and where it hungers for freedom to grow wildly, authentically, and magically. The signs that reveal whether parts of you are thriving or starving are found within your own living, breathing body. You will move through the earth element to start, going deeper into this stop on the path and what tools the earth will provide you along the way. We’ll connect the tools and magic to your body, where the magic originates

Introduction

from and is right now, begging to be remembered. We’ll visit the winter of your soul—which is the north—and what gifts can be harvested with a slower pace. Then we’ll set up your spaces, altars, and physical energy to support this time. From there, we’ll call in spirits and ancestors and journey across the veil into the unseen worlds for wisdom, guidance, and practice. When you get to the end of your time in the north, you’ll be ready to move to the east and the element of air (which I cover in the second book of the Sacred Magic series). Imagine drawing a circle like a compass in your mind, with north at the top, east to the right, south at the bottom, and west to the left. These directions form an ever-moving spiral of elements through which you continuously travel with every experience, whether filled with joy or shadowed by pain. Now picture yourself—your magical being—at the center of this circle, constantly interacting with these directions and elements from within your body. As you deepen your connection with your body and the earth, incorporating ancient spells and rituals, your life will take on profound new meaning. The circle around you will grow brighter and fuller, like the moon at its peak illumination. You will witness your inner self unfolding and blooming, petal by magical petal, until you realize that true magic isn’t reserved only for magicians or confined to fantasy. It has been inside you all along, waiting patiently for your awakening.

Mirroring Truth I’m here to show you that you are the magic you’ve been seeking. I’ll be your mirror each time you wonder if you really have what it takes to cast spells that actually shift your life. I’ll illuminate the path for that wild heartbeat inside you, the one that craves mystery, freedom, and the courage to go deeper. But to uncover it, to awaken the power within to create a life fully on your terms, you’ll need to start questioning everything you’ve been taught to believe about yourself, about the world, and about what’s possible. The questioning will show you what lies beyond the material world and will provide you entrance into the nonmaterial worlds. By nonmaterial, I mean the unseen worlds, like the places of the energy of your heart and soul and the places where spirits live. The spiritual world is

Introduction

all the empty space around you. But the space isn’t actually empty; it’s filled with energy of all kinds: computer signals, cell phone signals, ghost and spirit signals, and plant and other nature signals. Your essence exists in the nonmaterial world, and spirits and the energetic vibration of the elements live in the nonmaterial world. The material and nonmaterial worlds are both created entirely out of energy. Learning how these energies are connected in tangible and intangible ways is the basis of the spells and rituals we will cast. Knowing yourself inside and out and understanding how your energy shapes the life you’re creating is the foundation of this journey. When you connect with the energy of the natural world—plants, trees, stones, rivers, and lakes—and then cast from that connection, you begin to witness how the nonmaterial world expresses itself in the material one. Everything in your daily life can become a ritual when you learn to spiral between these realms. Every act can become sacred when these realms open. Exploring the elements one at a time in each direction and how each plays out in our lives is the key to unlocking the inner truth of what we truly desire. This is the path of sacred magic. You can find this way of life mirrored in nature by looking at a tree that can grow all by itself on the side of the road and that stands tall amid the sweeping motion of the cars that fly by. You can choose to go to that place any time, and as cars fly by, you can stand tall like the tree, rooted to the earth, enjoying the sun on your face. The tree does not care what type of clothes you buy or the color of your car. The type of tree you are is based on how well you tend your soil, providing it with nutrients and water, standing tall in the storms, and spending time facing the sun. These towers of nature’s beauty show us how to take care of our own roots and find strength on stormy days.

The Lie of the Right Life I’ll be your guide in this process with part storytelling and part teaching. The combination is needed to show you what is possible when we dive into sacred magic. You’ll experience both the wild and the painful along the way,

Introduction

because they are both components that led me to be here and bridge the worlds between your spiritual inclinations and the magic of witchcraft. To experience the magic of transformation, though, you’ll first need to consider where you’ve assumed it’s been up until now. Have you tried spells and rituals to transform your life that fell short? Have you looked for magic and growth in the material successes of the world? Have you sought the right job or right relationship and hoped it would bring peace and magic? If so, I understand, as I too spent many years chasing what I thought would make me happy. We’ve been taught to believe that striving for material gains will give us the gold star of success in life. Many times in my life I have sacrificed the development of my own soul for material gains because I thought that was what I was supposed to do in order to be happy. From the time we are young, we are taught that the way to happiness is through more money or the right car, house, relationship, or job. We’ve been conditioned to believe that once we reach a predetermined definition of success, we’ll be happy and live life the way we are meant to. In the Western world, we certainly aren’t taught the importance of meditation or breathwork, using our intuition, or casting spells. We’ve been told that buying the thing or having the right job title will create the sought-after feeling of life being okay and good, as if we’ll earn a prize when we die called “#1 Prize for Achieving Success” and a ribbon will be pinned to our cold corpse. Meanwhile, our spirit will seek another opportunity to return and be a human again if not one ounce of its purpose is felt when it leaves our body. When you feel that tug of just knowing something more is out there for you and it keeps tickling your senses with questions that on the surface seem unanswerable but give you butterflies of curiosity, then you know a new bridge to the unseen worlds is about to appear. If you hear the word witch and the butterflies are amplified, then you know you are ready to reclaim magic as a way of life. There is never a wrong time to say yes to working on yourself and the magic I’m speaking of. I will teach you how to find that place inside where your soul speaks in a forgotten language that is buried under trauma, fear, and society’s conditioning. It’s a place that can be found only when you experience the magic

Introduction

of dreams and the possibility of actually being able to take life into your own hands and mold it like a lump of clay into anything you desire (which is the spellwork we’ll do). Here’s a bold statement I want you to know, feel, and hear right now: Anything we desire to feel can come only from inside of us, not from any source, thing, or achievement around us. It cannot be found in another person, another job, or another town—it can be found only inside us. Heaven on Earth can be found in this place inside us, waiting to be awakened.

The Great Work Searching for your truest, most alive self is what I call the Great Work: exploring the elusive meaning of it all and remaining deeply rooted to each real, human moment we have along the way. The magic becomes a magical ritual of exploration that will lead you to ask yourself what you want to feel and who your soul wants to be. Exploration and rootedness can coexist like a wild vine that grows freely in nature and wraps itself around the base of another plant that is deep-rooted, living divinely free to grow however it wants. The vine and the plant begin to grow as one, yet one part is solid and rooted and one can go wherever it wants. You are both the vine and any plant you desire to be and can hold rootedness deep in your body and also be wild in your dreams and desires. You can trim the vine or plant new roots, which is what we’ll do with spells and rituals. You can simultaneously be connected to your daily human life and open yourself to receive messages from the spirits. You can be spiritually aligned and focus on developing your mindset and cast powerful spells to boost your goals. Both the magical and the mystical are real and meant to be experienced as a human. Your body is the source of power that creates rituals that change both yourself and your life, as well as the vessel you use to cast spells that work. Yes, you can and will be aided by spirits, the elements, and the tools you use, but it still all comes from inside your body. If you are disconnected from your body, then you are disconnected from your power.

Introduction

I will show you how to see the big c that sits between the b for birth and the d for death. The big c is choice. We’ll straddle the lines between day-to-day human life and the wonder of magic. But we must choose to change our lens and see ourselves and our purpose here and how much bigger it is. Once you realize it’s all connected—every experience, every person, every single magical synchronicity—you learn not to hold on too long to what happened yesterday or the day before. When you realize it’s all connected and what happened yesterday impacts today, you also know that what you do today will impact tomorrow. That is the basis of the most powerful spells you will cast, the ones that change you today for a better tomorrow. Combining the understanding that it’s all connected and we are always choosing with what we want to experience and making changes based on these concepts is magic in its raw form. And this combination of how everything is connected and we are always creating and choosing is the baseline we’ll use to cast spells and use rituals to move our life in the direction we want.

Initiation Through the Ache I didn’t suddenly wake up one day and decide to pursue my soul’s purpose. It wasn’t a single moment that led me to shed the layers of my conditioned beliefs about happiness and fitting in. It was a series of experiences and initiations into the unseen, nonmaterial world that took me off the hamster wheel of chasing success and into the liberating sacred path of the witch. The experiences I had weren’t always as pretty as a blooming rose. The experiences that led me to the greatest change were the type that caused a lot of tears and time spent in self-reflection, such as catching my husband in an affair with one of my closest friends. Each time I shed tears was a type of initiation into the depths of who I really am. By initiation, I mean learning the lessons of resilience and choosing to re-create myself and carry the lessons forward. Initiation creates resiliency and wisdom. Every tear of pain I shed was an initiation into a new level of my own resilience and steadfastness, which led to learning where my power exists.

Introduction

It started with the questioning stage of a single thought that swirled for years: Is this all there is? This question played out in my mind regarding the job I had, the way I was spending my free time, and the relationships I had or didn’t have. This questioning didn’t leave me until the day I finally had enough courage to speak it aloud. My own life experiences have awakened deep layers of wisdom and remembering times when I’ve lived before in past lives. The wisdom that awakened inside me led me to remember the fact that choice is our superpower. Choosing how I wanted to live led me to the path of my inner power. The inner power awakened the witch inside me. The witch awakened the spirits. This awakening led to an ongoing quest for liberation and reclamation of glorious joy that I live by and teach. I am a witch and a woman and I cast spells that create every aspect of my life. My life is a continuous journey of letting go in order to see new connections and magic in what’s to come while being firmly planted in today. I commune with spirits and use my psychic gifts to teach me what my human life means and how to make the most of my time here. I spend time in nature every day as a way to explore the journey of the cycles I am living and the teachings I create. I will show you how to do the same. As a High Priestess and founder of the Moon Temple Mystery School, I began my own formal training in several mystery schools and through direct teachings from shamans, oracles, shadow walkers, wisdom keepers, witches, and teachers who all showed me that the path I was seeking led back to myself. I continue to work with mentors who are sorcerers, shamans, oracles, druids, mediums, and ministers and countless other wisdom keepers who guide me on my own path. When I share with you how deeply hidden under my skin I carry the scars of this lifetime and how I have learned to transmute pain into power, I do so because I know you can do the same. I will teach you how to view your scars as the sacred creation of who you are today. This vulnerable part of me that holds these secrets close inside has been cracked open in this

Introduction

book in order for you to see that you are not alone in the scars you carry. I know you have them. I can feel them. We will take the spiral path together, one step at a time, starting here in the north. When you are ready to move out of the north, I will lead you in the next three books in the Sacred Magic series through the east, south, and west and then back to the center, where you will find yourself. And so it will be.

FOUNDATIONS OF SACRED MAGIC

This chapter will guide you in how to work with the book itself as a magical tool. You’ll learn how to prepare altars, make offerings, and determine if you want to proceed with any of the rituals or spells included. But before all that, you’ll be invited to consecrate this book, to claim it as a living companion on the spiral path. Each time you open it, you are stepping deeper into your soul’s sacred question—how to know yourself, live with fierce intention, and cast powerful spells into the world. Here are the steps to make the most of this book: 1. Read all the way through once, making notes along the way of anything you’ve learned or questions that arise inside you. You can mark the pages with a pen or fold down the corners you want to return to. 11

12 Chapter 1

2. Read each chapter one at a time, and at the end of each one, read through the rituals and spells and choose one or two to begin with. 3. Each chapter has a corresponding tarot/oracle card reading for you to get started. You can use oracle or tarot cards and follow the steps to get a baseline reading of yourself and how the teachings of that chapter will integrate for you. 4. Use the journal prompts in each chapter as a way to reflect on where you are during this time in your life. Journal often on how you feel visiting the north. Some questions will resonate deeply and some not so much; it’s all welcome. Be aware that the questions you brush off as not for you are often the ones that will provide the most clarity. Start by writing out the question and why you think it’s not for you.

Journaling Start with a journal of any kind: a blank notebook, an old sketch pad, something leather-bound and sacred, or something simple and messy. What matters is that it’s yours. Use it to track what you’re learning about yourself, the energy you’re working with, and what’s shifting in your life as a result. Document the rituals and spells you perform, the signs you notice, the resistance that arises, and the breakthroughs that follow. This work will change you, and writing it down anchors the change in your body and your psyche. I’ve included journal prompts in each chapter to help you begin, but don’t treat them as homework. Let them be doors. Walk through the ones that call to you and skip the ones that don’t. Most of all, listen to what wants to be written, even if it doesn’t make sense right away. The pages you fill will become your personal book of shadows, woven with your own truth.

Consecration To consecrate something is to mark it as sacred and intentionally change the energy from an ordinary object into a vessel for magic. Start with the journal you will use as part of this journey we will take together and consecrate it. When you claim your journal as yours, you infuse it with meaning.

Foundations of Sacred Magic

You begin a relationship with it. This journal will become a witness to the process of redefining yourself and your magic. Hold it in your hands and breathe your intention into it. Write your name inside the cover and add a mark, a symbol, a word, or something from nature, such as a petal, a bit of ash, or a few grains of salt, to make it yours. This is no longer just a notebook; it is a container for your magic. If you’re working with the printed version of this book, you can also write your name on both the front and back covers and consecrate the book itself. Beneath your name on the front, add an “I am …” statement—something that feels true in this moment. When you reach the end of the book, return to the back cover and write a new “I am …” statement shaped by everything you’ve learned. If you’re using a digital or audio version of this book, then your own personal journal is the sacred connection, and you can write the “I am …” statements at the top and back of your journal.

Altars An altar is a living ritual and a physical space that holds energy, intention, and reflection. In this book you’ll see altars mentioned often as tools for anchoring your magic, tuning into the element of earth while we are in the north. Altars will shape your environment to support how you want to feel. We’ll cover several options in the sacred spaces section of this book (chapter 6). For now, think of an altar as an extension of yourself, a space that evolves as you do. There is no single way to build one. The ideas shared here are a starting point, not a prescription. Whether you’re setting up a full elemental altar or tucking a single sacred item on a shelf, what matters is that it feels alive to you. Altars connect you to the earth—literally and energetically—and remind you that your home can be just as sacred as the forest floor. Bring nature indoors. Add plants, stones, offerings, or anything that reflects your intention. Refresh them often. Cleanse them. Sit with them. Over time, you may create altars for each direction or keep one central space. Either way, let your altars become places where your spirit can land. One practice I use to refresh and keep my altars connected to my current energy is to make it a habit to visit each altar on a full moon.

14 Chapter 1

Rituals Versus Spells The true power of everything I share here can be known to you, inside your body, by trying it and putting it into practice for yourself—to see it, feel it, and experience it within your own body. Knowledge is only one piece of the sacred magic path. The second piece is knowing for yourself how it feels, how it changes you as you work on each ritual or spell. I’ve created the order of the chapter and spells/rituals as a way for you to know where to start and what to do in an intentional way that will support the spiral movement of the north. Ritual: A ritual is a set of actions, often ceremonial and performed according to a prescribed order. Rituals can be part of your daily routine without you even realizing it, such as how you make your coffee and where you sit to drink it. Or they can be intentional rites of passages for events or transitions to invoke blessings or protection or to express devotion or gratitude. Rituals can also create a sense of connection with the powers outside of us. Rituals are typically characterized by their symbolic significance and may involve prayers, chants, gestures, offerings, and other symbolic acts. Spells: A spell is a specific form of ritual intended to bring about a particular outcome or change through magical or spiritual energy. Both rituals and spells involve intentional actions performed for spiritual purposes. The critical difference lies in the intent and focus. Rituals are often broader in scope, serving to connect individuals with the sacred or to mark significant moments, while spells are more specific, aiming to manifest outcomes through shifting energy. Rituals can be adjusted and molded to fit what feels right to you, but spells are more of a recipe that should be followed in order to see the full impact. The intended outcome of a ritual is harder to track and will result in more of a shift in feeling, thinking, and being. Spells should be followed with the intention of tracking the outcome to know if it worked. All spells are a type of ritual, but not all rituals are spells.

Foundations of Sacred Magic

I often speak of spells as being a form of prayer, but there is a difference between praying and spellcasting. When we pray to God, the Goddess, a deity, or any outside source, we ask an entity outside of ourselves to bring us aid or comfort. Working with outside entities is powerful, and we will touch on that in the spirits section of this book (chapter 9). Yet when we leave it up to them to show us the way, to create the change, or to grant our request, we often leave our own power on the table. Spells can rely on both an outside support and your own powerful will to enact a change. The point is to know which you are using and how to make the most of it. Your will is a powerful creation tool, more powerful than relying solely on an external entity. You are already creating all the time through your energy and thoughts. The idea with a spell is to make it intentional so that what you create aligns with what you’ve discovered about yourself and what you desire. Remember that when you change, your circumstances will change, and when you add a layer of spellcasting along with the change, you are bridging all the energy that the north (or any direction you are working with) has to offer you. At any point, you may choose to work with just one area and focus on it for a period of time, or you may choose to go deep into each area and implement each facet of what I’m providing, in the order I provide it. You are a sovereign being and this is your path, and you should move at the pace that feels comfortable to you.

Divination Divination is the sacred practice of uncovering hidden knowledge and receiving guidance from the spiritual realm, spirit guides, or even your own intuition. It is the art of interpreting symbols or patterns to unlock truths about yourself or a particular question you might have. Divination bypasses your mind. Whether through tarot or oracle cards, scrying, astrology, runes, or other ancient methods, divination serves as a pathway to deeper spiritual and magical exploration and connection. It allows us to transcend the ordinary and open ourselves to the wisdom of higher powers, guiding our life’s journey with clarity and intention.

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For this book of the north, we will explore two types of divination. The first is working with an oracle or tarot deck. If you are new to this and do not have a deck to start with, you can find my Sacred Magic Oracle, which was made specifically to support this work. You can also visit a local metaphysical store or shop online and choose a deck that speaks to you. There are many options, and I suggest you choose one based on the colors and symbols that align for you. There are several divination spreads in each chapter to use to anchor in the section of the path we are walking in the north. Most oracle decks will be great to start with, as they contain instructions and ideas on how to work with the deck. If you are interested in learning tarot, I recommend finding a good book or class to help you get started. You can use tarot cards in the spreads in this book, but you may want to spend a little more time after the reading to dive into each card for deeper meaning interpretations.

Baseline of How to Do Each Reading in This Book Each card reading in this book follows a sacred rhythm. Here’s how to move through it.

Step One: Choose or Cleanse Your Deck Begin by connecting with your deck, either by bonding with a new one or clearing a used one of past energy. This attunes the cards to your current frequency. Step Two: Create the Container Set aside some quiet, uninterrupted time. Light a candle, include an element of the earth nearby (such as a stone, soil, or plant), and center yourself with breath and intention. Step Three: Ask Your Questions and Pull the Cards Ask your questions (as provided in each reading) aloud or silently as you shuffle. Pull one card per question and lay it before you. Allow the imagery to speak before reaching for outside interpretation.

Foundations of Sacred Magic

Step Four: Interpret with Your Intuition First Notice the symbols, colors, emotions, and sensations. Tune into what your body and spirit are telling you before reading the guidebook interpretations. Step Five: Journal the Insights Write down what you received. Let your reflections flow freely. The second type of divination that we will explore in this book is using the body as a pendulum, a tool used to ask yes-no questions. I will cover this when we practice learning your body’s “yes” and your body’s “no” in chapter 4. You hold a hanging item on a string and, depending on which way it sways, an answer is gained. For this book we will do that with our body and not an outside tool.

Offerings You will often hear me speak of providing an offering—to a spirit, an ancestor, a guide, or a being from the spiritual world that is nonhuman. I’ll also reference offerings when you take something from nature to use in your practice. Whether you’re calling in a land spirit, leaving a token of thanks to a tree, or connecting with your lineage, an offering is foundational. Offerings can be complex and ceremonial or as simple as a whispered breath. It’s the energy that matters. This sacred act is about entering into relationship: acknowledging that you are not the only force present and offering something in return for what you receive. Think of offerings the way we leave flowers at the graves of loved ones— not for function but for reverence. Leaving an offering is a way to say, “I see you, I honor you, I’m grateful.” Whether it’s a seasonal piece of fruit, a glass of water, a poem, a song, or a handful of herbs from your garden, your offering becomes a gesture of respect and welcome. The spirit world responds to reciprocity. If you’re asking for guidance, protection, or simply connection, then giving something in return strengthens that bond. As you move through the rituals in this book, I’ll often suggest offerings—not because the spirits need them but because relationships flourish when we give as much as we receive.

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Here are some other ideas when considering offerings: • Research the history of who has lived on your lands and what they farmed or what they had at that time. It’s often tobacco or grain alcohol. These make great offerings. • If you are connecting with a specific spirit (such as an ancestor), think of the time period when they were alive and what was a common food or beverage at the location they came from. • Focus on fresh fruits that are in season so they have significance to the time of year. • Consider what you have that represents the various elements. For example, for earth you may have a special crystal or item made of wood that you would like to offer. • If nothing feels just right or you aren’t sure, your voice is one of the most powerful offerings you can give, especially when you use heartfelt words, poems, or songs. Singing to a spirit is a gift of devotion. Remember that once you provide an offering, it’s no longer yours and you should treat it as such. If you desire to keep an item, use the item as a token of remembrance or honoring on an altar but not as an offering.

Candles Let’s take a quick look at working with fire magic and candles. You’ll see them used in several rituals throughout this book, though we’ll dive much deeper into fire and its mysteries in the third book of this series, which is rooted in the south. For now, consider this an introduction to using candles in your magical practice—a way to begin cultivating a relationship with the fire element, which is all about transformation, action, and embodied power. Candles are often used to hold intention, ignite energy, or mark sacred time. You don’t need anything fancy to begin. A small chime candle, a tealight, or even a birthday candle will do. What matters is your focus, not the size or price of the tool. That said, color does carry symbolic meaning in

Foundations of Sacred Magic

magical work, and choosing your candle color intentionally can deepen the spell or ritual. Here are a few simple guidelines: • White for purification, truth, and clarity. • Black for protection, shadow work, and banishment. • Red for courage, lust, and bloodline work. • Green for abundance, fertility, and Earth connection. • Blue for peace, communication, and emotional healing. • Purple for spiritual power, intuition, and psychic connection. • Yellow for confidence, intellect, and creativity. • Pink for self-devotion, softness, and relationships. Don’t get stuck on matching the color perfectly. If all you have is a white candle, that’s more than enough. Your intention is the true flame. As we begin working with embodiment and calling in fire as a transformative ally, always keep fire safety top of mind. It’s easy to drift into an altered state and forget a candle is burning. Always place your candle on a heat-safe surface, especially if it drips, and stay physically present with anything that’s lit—candles, charcoal, incense, or burning plants. Fire deserves both respect and reverence. With care, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your magical practice.

Incense Burning incense is one of the most ancient ways to work with plants as allies. Whether you’re calling in a specific energy, cleansing a space, casting a spell, or opening your senses before ritual, the smoke of plants carries your intention between worlds. You’ll see incense recommended in many of the rituals and spells throughout this book, and I’ll include suggested combinations of plants and resins to use. For now, here’s what you need to know to get started. The easiest way to begin working with loose incense—meaning a blend of dried herbs, plants, resins, or roots—is to use incense charcoal discs, which are easy to find at your local metaphysical store or online. After lighting the disc, give it a few minutes to heat fully. You’ll know it’s ready when

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it turns gray and forms a soft layer of ash. Then gently sprinkle your incense blend on top. Be aware that the incense will burn quickly at first. When you have used one or two charcoal discs and they’ve cooled, you will have extra ash in your container. From the leftover ash, you can light the next charcoal disc on top and when it’s ready, scoop the ash onto the glowing heat of the disc, creating a layer between the disc and the incense, which will allow it to burn slower and longer. Burning incense slowly not only makes it last longer but also gives the plants time to release their scent more gradually. Make sure you’re using a heat-safe bowl, ideally a cauldron or one made for incense or firesafe burning. Always place it on a surface that can handle heat. Let the ash from each burn gather in the bowl until it’s full. When it’s time to clear it out, take the cooled ash outside and offer it back to the earth. You can sprinkle it under a tree or bury it gently, saying, “Please receive this sacred offering.” Over time, the act of burning incense won’t just shift the energy of a space; it will shift you. Let the smoke rise and follow where it leads.

Sourcing Supplies One of the most common questions I get is where to buy supplies. My answer is always to start by shopping local if you need anything new. Find a local metaphysical store, magic shop, or occult store. Most shops will help you find the supplies you are looking for, such as dried plants, heat-safe bowls, candles, or even a pre-blended incense. Remember to ask where the supplies come from and do your best to find ethically sourced ones. Another option to source items is Etsy. Many handcrafters on Etsy make incense by hand from their own gardens. There are also many types of journals and custom products you might like available to purchase on the site. You should take the same approach to sourcing local for crystals, candles, premade teas, or seeds. Find a local store first before shopping online. Crystals especially are good to hold and touch before you buy them. I will not provide a list of what crystals to use. Instead, I encourage you to find a place to go to in person and test them with your own body. Choose what gives you a little tingle when you hold it or find ones of a color that draws your eye. There is no wrong way to use crystals.

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Now let’s begin with the divination questions in this first tarot/oracle spread to honor where you are in this exact moment.

First Card Reading: Who Am I Right Now? This is a foundational practice to open a channel between you and your cards. Whether you’re using a deck for the very first time or returning to an old friend, this reading is your invitation to begin a sacred dialogue. STEP ONE: CHOOSE OR CLEANSE YOUR DECK

• If your deck is brand-new, unwrap it with care and presence. Hold each card for a moment to feel its energy. This process bonds you to the deck. • If your deck is one you’ve used before, clear it of past readings. Here are some methods to do that: – Knock on the top of the deck three times. – Waft smoke from incense or burning herbs over it. – Hold the deck against your body, sleep with it, or keep it near you to begin calibrating your energy to its energy. – Hold it to your heart and say, “I clear this deck with love. I welcome only truth and clarity.” STEP TWO: CREATE THE CONTAINER

• Set aside 20–30 minutes of uninterrupted time. • Light a candle, place a crystal nearby, or prepare a small space that feels grounded. • Take three deep belly breaths and center yourself in your body. Whisper, “I am ready to see myself. I welcome guidance. I open to remembering.” STEP THREE: ASK YOUR QUESTIONS AND PULL THE CARDS

Shuffle the deck with presence. As you shuffle, ask these three questions aloud or silently:

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1. Who am I right now in this season of my life? 2. What truth is ready to rise within me? 3. What support do I need from the earth as I walk forward? Pull one card for each question. Lay them face up and take your time looking at them. Don’t rush to the guidebook—let the symbols speak to you first. STEP FOUR: INTERPRET WITH YOUR INTUITION FIRST

Look at the colors, images, facial expressions, animals, symbols, or numbers on each card. • What emotion do they evoke? • What part of your body responds? • What surprises you? • What feels obvious? Only after sitting with the imagery should you read the guidebook interpretations, if needed. Trust your own voice more than anyone else’s. STEP FIVE: JOURNAL PROMPT INTEGRATION

Write the date at the top of your journal page. Then respond to these prompts: • What did each card say to me in my own words? • How do these cards reflect what I already know but maybe haven’t fully named? • What felt uncomfortable or surprising? • What is one way I can honor this reading with action today? • Bonus: End your entry with “I am … .” Write your current truth. Let this be the first of many “I am …” statements you’ll collect through this book.

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FINAL NOTES

There’s no wrong way to do this reading. If the cards don’t make sense to you yet, that’s okay. You’ve opened a door, and sometimes the messages echo slowly. Try this same spread again in a few weeks and see how the answers evolve. This isn’t just a reading; it’s a mirror. Let what you see reflect your magic back to you.

Let’s Begin Much of what you will need for the rituals and spells in this book can be found in nature around you. Even if you live in a city, there is likely a park close by or a garden center where you can walk through, touch, and find items that will suit your needs. A rock you find on a hike can be just as powerful as any crystal you might buy. When it comes to sacred spaces and altars, you likely already have what you need to create these. The goal isn’t to go buy more things but instead to find the items you already have that carry the most meaning for you. Items that have the most meaning for you will create a more powerful altar, as they already contain the energy of you and your emotions. When you buy something new, it has someone else’s energy or is void of any connection, so start with what you have before looking for items to buy for an altar or sacred space. Now let’s slowly and purposefully move into the depth that the north has to offer, starting with the element of this direction: the element of earth.

Sacred Magic of the North, by Tahverlee Anglen