🚦Magic at the Crossroads 🚦 (Patreon)

Here is some more information about magic at the crossroads! This can be useful for the New Years Bath Spell and if you are interested in working with Hecate. This article is by Black Moon Coven!

The point where the roads meet, a place where the veil is thin and a threshold to the other side appears, a place of undeniable power. The magic of the crossroads can be seen in various aspects of the craft. In this blog we will take a closer look into what the crossroads are and how to utilize them properly in your craft.

What are the Crossroads?

Funnily enough it is actually exactly what it sounds like, a crossroads essentially is an intersection of roads or roads that cross each other. Done that was easy enough, however in terms of magic the crossroads are the epicenter of magic. The crossroads are a symbol of choice, a symbol of coming and going with people, energy and magic. It's a place where the spirits call home, it makes a threshold meaning that the veil in this particular spot is thin. This is a great spot to work with spirits, make offerings, meet deities, do spell work basically anything regarding magical work.

Crossroads in Folklore

Commonly in folklore and folk magic the crossroads refer to a place between the worlds, a place of neither here nor there a place of the in-between. From American folklore we get the famous Devil appearing at the crossroads, offering fame, fortune, love whatever you desire for the simple price of your soul. That is where we get the saying “selling your soul at the crossroads”. Along with the Devil, animals also appear at the crossroads from Belgium we get the folklore of the Oschaert, a huge black dog (it's the grim!! Sorry couldn't help it) that haunts the center of the crossroads. A huge trickster, those who were unfortunate enough to stumble into his territory were subjected to tricks that mess with the mind the only way to stop this spirit is to stand in the middle of the crossroads and wait for it to leave. Another European folklore is the money cat, an offering is placed at the crossroads until a physical cat appears you supposedly take this cat home and if you keep it happy it will bring you fortune however if its not happy your house is cursed. Among the devils, spirits and animals of the cross roads it is a popular spot for deities as well. The deities of the crossroads are vast, I will mention only a couple for the sake of this already lengthy blog. Let us start with Papa Legba, known as the king of the crossroads he is an African trickster god. Legba is also a liminal being with the power to open the way between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Without Papa Legba no rituals or spell work could be done he opens all doors and clears away roads, if you honor him properly that is. The next deity id like to mention is Hecate the queen of the cross roads. A deity of Greek origin one of her symbols is the key, a sacred tool of the crossroads. Devotes leave offerings of fruit, gold, keys and candles for Hecate at the crossroads where she appears followed by her animal familiars and grants wishes and services to those who are worthy enough. The folklores of the crossroads appear in every corner of the world, I encourage everyone to research their own folklore and symbolism of the cross roads.

Different Crossroads

Like I mentioned above the crossroads are any roads that cross or intersect into each other. They can be found anywhere and everywhere I guarantee you live within walking distance of a crossroads. Think of a street intersection, that technically is a crossroads however it would look pretty funny to leave offerings in the middle of a busy intersection not to mention dangerous. The best type of working crossroads are those that are isolated, giving a little privacy to the practitioner. However the meaning of the crossroads depends on the location the lay in, for example a forest crossroads will have a different power then a cemetery crossroads. The number of roads also plays a factor in the power and magic of said crossroads. The more roads intersecting into each other the more power or movement a crossroad will have, the most popular crossroad is of course the cross. The cross is a four way intersection your typical street probably has one, each side represents an element and a directional path making them the easiest and more fundamental crossroads to work with. There is a five way crossroads being called the star cross, or the seven way crossroad named the devils crossway, these roads are more powerful and are harder to find. Let us talk about the symbolism of each crossroad, so again depending on the location of each crossroad it will hold a different type of magic. Crossroads located in the forest would be great for any nature, healing and manifesting work. Cemetery crossroads do the opposite they kill things, banish or end things. Railroads, streets or places with high foot traffic serve well for spell work pertaining to movement, coming or going, speeding things along. As you can see there are many types of crossroads, the creativity with symbolism and meaning is really up to you.

Working the Crossroads

Involving the crossroads in your craft can not only be extremely beneficial but can add that extra power to your spell work, however keep in mind that working at the crossroads comes with some guidelines. Not rules, because every craft is different but some general tips to help you get the most magic out of using the crossroads. First decide on your motive, so depending on the spell work you will have to find a corresponding crossroads (use the section above and your own associations to figure out which crossroads will serve your purpose). Next bring an offering for the guard of the crossroads, no matter what you believe there is a guardian at each cross road just like with bridges, cemeteries, forests or any magical place. The offerings can include food, jewelry, spell sachets, charms, ribbon or liquor. This offering will act as payment so you can perform your spellwork at this threshold. Next, do your intended spell work and leave the spell remains there do not take anything back with you, meaning any candles, crystals, talismans you use you leave there, keep that in mind when deciding on the materials for your spell work. Lastly, always respect the spirits of the crossroads, its their home or doorway so treat it as you are a guest there.

There are many tales and folklore associated with crossroads. This article is based on my own opinions, practices and craft meaning that there are different ways to go about working with the crossroads. I believe it's a great way to strengthen rituals and utilize the power of spirit and nature into your craft. Thank you all for joining me tonight and for reading the article by Black Moon Coven!

Sources:

https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-crossroads-choice-way-2573111/

https://aminoapps.com/c/thewitchesden/amp/blog/magic-at-the-crossroads/xBnk_jzH2uwDMJRapoE5qgbPVnRo7pp2Yx