Ash is usually the easiest to obtain throuhg incense ash and smudge ash for example but you can pick up charcoal and use that easily as well

I used the ash that was inside my cauldron from burning mini charcoal discs, and when I realized it wouldn't be enough I used some wood and took my cauldron outside to make a fire in it to mix with the ash already there... My fire pit was inconveniently rained on, so that was a no go! lol incense ash would be pretty easy to get though.

I'm happy to share my ash "recipe" with you! It's nature-filled, and I'm sure there are faster ways to do it, but here it is...

I use my Weber BBQ, taking the rack out and wiping the bowl clean. I line the bowl (which is the lower half of the Weber) with foil to make sure the ash I create doesn't fall down through and into the ash catcher and I can lift it out easily later.

For my fire I use:

Very dry small pieces of wood - these can be collected from your garden pruning, firewood bits and scraps, hikes, or you can purchase a box of hardwood from your grocery store and chop a log into smaller, thinner pieces so they will burn quickly and completely down to ash.

Saved sticks from my incense that I've already burned down to the end. I just save them in a baggie so I can put them into my fire.

Sage bundles - I take a couple of sage bundles and pull them apart.

Palo Santo sticks - I take my sticks and stand them upright and use my boline to shave them into smaller, thinner sticks for quicker burning.

Dried leaves, flowers, anything you can think of that is available and DRY and combustible.

Multiple sheets of paper that I write empowerment statements on, things like SO MOTE IT BE!... sigils for strength and power, or if you're making ash for a specific use you can write statements of intent that are directed toward its intended use. You'll just want to mark the container you store your ash in with the intention so that you know what its purpose is later.


How I set up my fire:

First, you'll take the pieces of paper that you've written your intention and empowerment statements on and tightly crush them into balls. Set them in a tight bunch at the center of your Weber (currently in use as a cauldron!).

Next, you'll set your lighter-weight combustibles on top of your paper - sage and the woody stems, dried leaves, flowers, etc. Make sure it's all kept in a compact pile as best you can.
*** Keep some set aside in case you need to add more on the fire through the process in order to keep it red hot while it consumes the wood.

Next, set your palo santo pieces in an upright, bonfire shape all around and on top of your paper and dried combustible pieces.

Lastly, add your pieces of wood. Remember, you want this wood to be in smaller pieces so it doesn't take hours and hours to burn it all down.


Starting the fire:

Focus on the magickal intention of creating a powerful ingredient for your spellcasting. As you focus, channel your energy from your core outward and down through your arm and into your hand then out your fingers and into the match or lighter (I use a long-handled lighter that I call my bonfire wand haha), and start your fire by lighting the paper. Keep an eye on this and keep lighting the paper until you have a fire that is going well and has caught the lightweight combustibles on fire and has started to consume the woods. Once you know your fire is well underway, simply let it burn and ensure that it keeps alight throughout the process until you are left with nothing but the ash. After it has burned down, put the lid on the Weber and let the ash cool completely. After several hours your ash should be cool and you can scoop it into a container so it is ready for your use whenever you need it.

#ash #spells #