Nostalgia Magick & the Gardens of Memory
“You might have heard witches describe their magickal journeys as lessons in remembering. Which is a beautiful way to say that our roots endure, perhaps stretching wider and reaching further back in time than we ever imagined possible. Every so often, those ancient roots spiral back to the surface in the form of memories, and a longing for something that was nearly (but luckily not) forgotten.
We can work with that yearning, our remembering, to support the foundation of our craft. Think of it as a form of nostalgia magick – a way to reconnect with the inner child or previous version of yourself. This person is curious, receptive, and sees magick in everyone and everything around them, which is why I call them the inner Little Witch. We might also know her as the Maiden or crescent moon, the Page in tarot, or the optimistic, eternal student of life. She goes by many names, but her mission remains the same – remember.”
- Nostalgia Magick: Spells for Little Witches of All Ages, Pointy Hat Press for Witchology Magazine, The Shadow Issue
Nicknamed the Snow Moon, Milk Moon, Hungry Moon, Storm Moon, Eagle Moon, and our favorite, the Budding Moon, February's moon rises over the Gardens of Memory.
Held by the moon, the earth softens, and our inner Little Witch tends to the plants. She presses her palms into the dirt and forages for nostalgia and purpose through play. She digs up our well-loved Polly Pockets, our favorite books from yesteryear, and spreads out our memories like trinkets on an altar.
Arranging the fossils of our youth into a foundation for our creative and magickal practices is a spell for the soul. Because while we've hopefully matured since our tender teenage era, the things we loved during our formative years have a way of showing up again and again. And each time, the grounds of inspiration acquire a new layer of meaning. Not surprisingly, for as long as mine and Caitlyn's childhood memories serve, books and enchanted artwork have been lighting up our skies like shooting stars.
From a magickal perspective, reuniting with the things we loved as children can be a potent potion, a doorway into the creative catalyst we call nostalgia magick.
There, at the altar of our remembering, our younger selves serve as creative companions, mirrors through which to scry, and unassuming alchemists, expertly taming the minotaur within the soul's labyrinth.
In the Gardens of Memory, there is purpose in play.
Little Witch is the protagonist in our series of fairy tales with Little Witch Books, but she's more than a character – she's our archetype for wonder. Our inner Little Witch is curious and intuitive, and she's likely the one who first showed us magic was real. She can also be a muse for our creative spells, and a reminder to play.
Through the lens of cartomancy, the archetypal Little Witch is the Page in Tarot. As the herald of new tidings, new ventures, dreams, and possibilities, the Page is a quest-driven student.
They're energetic and curious, and much like the inner Little Witch, the Page is a messenger and storyteller.
