Oh, the plant contains a cyanide compound that’s only released when it’s burned. The smoke is toxic. It can cause anything from dizziness to fainting spells to symptoms of poisoning if you breathe it in.
And that applies to pretty much all the Hydrangea species, so it’s best just to keep them away from your fire spells. Better safe than sorry!
(And yes, that means side-eyeing the articles claiming that Panicled Hydrangea can be safely smoked like cannabis. Spoiler alert: No. Do not do the thing.)
I love the witchblr community but sometimes witches share spells, recipes and “how-tos” without doing the proper research first. So I just wanted to share some of my safety tips when it comes to witchcraft.
✔️ Always research any herbs or other plants that are in spells, recipes, or rituals that you find online. Sometimes witches (unintentionally) share information that isn’t correct or that they haven’t researched themselves. It’s always best to do your own research when it comes to anything that you will be ingesting or putting on your skin.
✔️ Be wary of purchasing spells or anything related to witchcraft or the occult that is “intangible” online. I’m not saying don’t buy them but make sure you do a little background checking (check the seller’s social media accounts, blogs and shop) before you commit to any purchases.
✔️ Don’t bury jars. This is more of an earth safety tip but just don’t bury any plastic or glass containers. They don’t biodegrade. Instead opt for something made from organic materials like cotton, wool or paper. And make sure whatever you bury is safe for the earth 🙂
✔️ If you’re burning incenses or herbs make sure your in a well ventilated area. Open your window, or back door (if you can). And it’s advised that you don’t burn anything around small animals, their little baby lungs can’t handle the smoke.
✔️ If you want to start a garden, or get indoor plants and have pets be sure to research and make sure the plants aren’t poisonous to your fur babies. Just because a plant isn’t poisonous to us, doesn’t mean it’s not poisonous to your pets.
✔️ Also research crystals, if you plan to work with them. If you plan to make elixirs with them be sure they aren’t poisonous and that they are suitable to be in water. You don’t want to ruin your shinny pretties lol.
✔️ Always, always, always do your research. Make sure that whatever you’re putting in your body or on your body (or your pets body) is safe.
✔️ Never leave a candle unattended <— this is just common knowledge but I wanted to throw this in here because I ruined many altar clothes because of this lol.
That’s all the witch safety tips I can think of right now. If you have more, feel free to add on to the list. And please be safe.
When burning anything always keep a glass of water near you, unless you are working with burning oils, then keep a fire extinguisher or baking soda on hand.
When working with essential oils(EO), do not burn them they are highly flammable
Never leave anything burning unattended, be it a burn bowl, candle, incense. DON’T LEAVE IT!
Please remove anything flammable such as paper or string from the candle, it will ignite and you will be alarmed.
Make sure that what you’re burning your candle in is fire safe, metal and cast iron are good bets. Do NOT burn in a glass, if you have to put it out and dump water on it, it will explode.
Make sure you tie back loose hair and don’t have any floppy sleeves or necklaces to get in the way.
When putting out a candle it is best to use a candle snuffer and do not use water.
Don’t burn kitchen sage, it gives off a toxic smoke. Not something you wanna inhale.
Essential Oil Safety
Please, please dilute them properly. I have a chemical burn scar I can never get rid of due to undiluted cinnamon bark oil. The proper dilution is one drop per teaspoon.
Never ingest EO, there are some that are now generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but the quality of EO are not regulated. Who knows what a bad quality EO could do to your internal organs, not something I wanna test.
Essential Oils are photosensitive, meaning they deteriorate in light store them in a dark area to prevent them from spoiling.
DO NOT put them near on your skin and get in the sun or a tanning bed, especially citrus oils, they will blister.
Water will not dilute essential oils, only other oils(canola, olive, sweet almond, olive will all dilute). If you want to use them in a bath it is one drop per a teaspoon of oil.
Please seek medical attention if anything seems off after using EO, they seem harmless but can be very dangerous
Pets can be very sensitive to essential oils(particularly cats) and it is almost impossible to cover all my bases here. The sources provided below have some great resources.
Always go by the scientific name, German and Roman chamomile are very different products.
Kitchen Magic Safety
Wear shoes if you’re doing anything, I nearly lost a toe the other day cause I dropped a knife. I got lucky I was wearing boots.
Wear correct clothing, and tie back hair. No matter if you have a gas, electric or induction stove, I’ve caught a lab coat sleeve on fire thanks to a torch while making a creme brulee.
Use your knives correctly, learn about the pinch grip and use the correct knife for the job. Using a paring knife for chopping potatoes is asking for trouble. There are tons of videos online, I like the ones from Alton Brown and Jamie Oliver.
As a side note use sharp knives, a blunt knife will do more damage than a sharp one.
Don’t leave knives in the sink, someone could begin to wash dishes and cut themselves.
Watch the steam. Steam can give a worse burn than dry heat, open pot lids away from you and don’t stick your face and phalanges in steam.
Don’t leave food products unattended.
Use your damn pot holders, they protect you and your counters.
Store raw meat on the lowest shelves, and never store cooked meat on the same shelf
Wash your hands before, wash your hands after handling raw meats, wash your hands after.
Don’t leave food that is meant to be cold or hot out for more than 2 hours, this is to decrease foodborne illness.
When using the store turn handles in, to keep yourself from bumping them off the stove.
Cook meats to proper temps(there is a chart in the sources)
If you are using herbs be sure to use kitchen grade herbs, those that are not kitchen grade are not held up to the same purity standards and could have more pesticide residue.
Herbal Safety
Please be aware a lot of herbs can work against prescription medications, or should only be taken in very specific doses( St. John’s Wort I’m looking at you.) Check in with your doctor or a licensed herbalist or naturopath before ingesting herbs.
Crystal Safety
Identify your crystals, some are water solvent some are not and it matters
Some that aren’t safe in water include malachite and selenite. They have copper and if aren’t sealed they can become toxic. There is no way to know for sure if it was sealed or not keep -ite crystals dry as a good rule of thumb.
Some crystals fade in sunlight like rose quartz, amethyst and citrine, in order to prevent fading try cleansing them with sound, flower petals, moonlight and energy.
Since contracting a snake as my familiar, I have learned many valuable things that are worth being passed on! Familiar or not, we must keep our slithery friends safe, and make sure we are doing the best we can for them.
Animal safety is just as important in witchcraft as human safety is!
1) Do not light candles, incense, or burn anything around your snake!
Snakes have some of the frailest little respiratory systems in the animal kingdom! The smaller the snake, the more sucsceptible they are to respiratory problems. If your snake is sneezing, coughing, or breathing heavier/faster, you should stop whatever you are doing immediately and call a vet if it persists.
2) Try not to expose your snake to anything highly scented.
For the same reason above– you don’t want to do anything that will put stain on their breathing. Try to avoid scented perfume or lotions on your hands if you’re holding them, and never spray anything near them.
3) Keep them contained if you don’t know how they’ll react.
Not only are snakes very fast and slippery– and could get out of your hands especially if you’re distracted by a spell– but they are curious creatures and like to investigate. They will get close to whatever you’re doing if given the chance, and could injure themselves or someone else. If their heads coil back and their neck forms an ‘S’ shape, that meants they’re scared or startled, and are getting ready to strike if they feel the need.
4) Never put them with other animals.
Unless it’s another snake, and sometimes not even then, do not leave them with other animals. Even if you have another familiar or animal you’re using in whatever you’re doing, don’t! They’re natural prey and are scared of bigger animals like cats.
5) Keep your snake warm!
They’re cold blooded creatures, and need to be held by someone warm or kept in a humid, warm, preferrably dark place. If they’re too cold they might try to get to a burning candle or the like, and injure themselves!
6) Everything about snake skin as an offering.
Snake skin, once it has been fully, naturally, and healthfully removed, can make a great offering for not only snake deities, but animal protection, wisdom, and rebirth deities. Snake skin does not have to be placed in an airtight container, however the longer it is exposed to (especially dry) air, the more fragile it can become. If you or someone/thing eats your offerings once you are done with them, make sure the snake skin does not touch it!
Thank you for reading this post! It’s important to keep all animals safe during magical practicies! My askbox is always open if you have more questions about snakes in witchcraft & as familiars.
teakepp 