Many spells use multiple ingredients to help support and direct intention. Herbs, crystals, candles, colors, symbols, and other objects act as energetic anchors, helping to carry and reinforce the purpose of the work. This approach allows you to focus on your intention without relying entirely on your own energy, creating a more balanced and sustainable practice.
When choosing what to include in a spell, correspondences play an important role. But what exactly are correspondences, and why do they matter?
Correspondences are the symbolic and energetic associations linked to specific objects. These associations can come from many sources, including historical use, folklore, medicinal or culinary applications, color symbolism, planetary influences, and the natural properties of the item itself. Over time, these patterns of meaning have been observed, recorded, and shared, forming the correspondence lists you’ll often find in books on witchcraft—especially for commonly used herbs, crystals, and tools.
While correspondence lists can be incredibly helpful, particularly for beginners, they aren’t meant to replace understanding or intuition. It’s still important to research any ingredient you’re unfamiliar with, especially when its properties don’t obviously align with your goal. You probably wouldn’t reach for sunflowers in a spell meant to encourage sleep, or rosemary in a working focused on forgetting—those choices would work against the intention rather than support it.
Correspondence lists are tools, not rules. They offer guidance, structure, and a starting point, but they aren’t infallible or universal. Which naturally raises an important question: if correspondences aren’t fixed, how do you adapt them? And what do you do when you don’t have access to the “right” ingredient—or when something simply doesn’t feel aligned?
That’s where substitutions, intuition, and personal meaning come into play
Writing Correspondences
When determining the correspondences of an object, there are five core methods you can use to build a clear and meaningful understanding:
- Practical use(s) of the object
- Historical use(s) of the object
- Scientific nature of the object
- Intuition with the object
- Consulting the spirit of the object
Each of these methods offers a different lens. Some are rooted in observable facts, others in tradition or personal experience, and some in direct spiritual engagement. You can use these methods individually, but combining them often results in a richer, more balanced correspondence profile. Together, they help you understand not just what an object represents, but why it carries certain energies and how it behaves within magical work.
Practical and historical uses ground your understanding in real-world context—how an object has been used, what it’s known for, and how people have interacted with it over time. Scientific properties add another layer, offering insight into how the object behaves physically or chemically, which often mirrors its energetic qualities. Intuition allows space for personal resonance, acknowledging that your lived experience and perception matter. Finally, consulting the spirit of the object brings in direct relationship-building, treating the object not just as a tool, but as something with presence and agency.
These are the same methods I use when writing my Herbarium posts or creating crystal infographics. They allow me to approach correspondences thoughtfully rather than relying solely on inherited lists. Over time, this process builds confidence, discernment, and a deeper connection to the materials you work with—making your practice more intentional, adaptable, and personal.
Practical Uses
One of the most accessible ways to begin writing your own correspondences is by looking at the practical uses of an object. Ask yourself how it functions in everyday life. What role does it play in your home, your body, or your environment? These real-world functions often translate naturally into magical meaning.
Take a broom as an example. Its primary purpose is to remove dirt and debris from a space, so it easily aligns with cleansing, purification, and energetic clearing. That practical action—sweeping away what doesn’t belong—becomes the foundation for its magical correspondence.
Plants offer especially clear examples of this method. Consider how they’re used in cooking or medicine. What flavors do they bring to a dish? What effects do they have on the body? Cayenne pepper, for instance, adds intense heat and stimulation to food and is also used medicinally to support circulation, digestion, and pain relief. From these uses, it’s reasonable to associate cayenne with activation, intensity, and movement.
Practical uses can also help you infer elemental correspondences. Cayenne’s heat, color, and stimulating nature naturally align it with the element of Fire. A broom, which is grounded, physical, and tied to maintaining the home, aligns more closely with Earth. This approach keeps correspondences logical, intuitive, and rooted in lived experience rather than memorization.
By starting with how an object actually behaves and functions in the real world, you create correspondences that feel coherent and reliable. This method helps ensure that the tools you choose genuinely support your intention, rather than working against it.
Historical Uses
After exploring practical use, the next step is to look at the object’s history. Folklore, myths, regional traditions, old medical texts, and even modern urban legends can all shape the symbolic meaning we associate with everyday tools. In other words, history adds layers—sometimes surprising ones—that practical use alone won’t reveal.
Using the broom again as an example: in many stories and historical references, witches are depicted using brooms for flight. That cultural image naturally connects the broom to themes like astral travel, spirit flight, and movement between worlds. Even if you don’t interpret those stories literally, they still influence the symbolic role the broom has taken on in magical tradition.
History can also highlight more earthy or human associations. In some eras and communities, broom handles were reportedly used as improvised sexual aids when other options were restricted or taboo. This contributes to the broom’s association with sexuality, lust, and fertility in certain strands of folk magic. It’s a reminder that correspondences don’t only come from “mystical” sources—they also come from real human behavior, needs, and cultural context.
This part of determining correspondences takes time, and it benefits from critical thinking. Not every source is reliable, and not every tradition applies universally. But when approached thoughtfully, historical research adds depth and nuance, helping you understand not just what an object does, but what it has meant to people across time.
Scientific Nature
Next, examine the scientific nature of the object. This method works best with natural materials such as plants, stones, fungi, animals, or insects—especially those found within your local environment. Looking at how something behaves biologically or chemically can reveal correspondences that are consistent, observable, and often surprisingly intuitive.
Start by asking simple questions. Where does this object grow or live? What conditions does it thrive in? How does it interact with other organisms? What role does it play in its ecosystem? These factors often translate directly into magical meaning. For example, mint is a plant known for its rapid, resilient growth and tendency to spread aggressively. Because of this, it is commonly associated with abundance, prosperity, fertility, and expansion.
Some scientific correspondences are easy to recognize, while others require deeper research. Understanding a plant’s chemical properties, defensive mechanisms, or effects on the body can add valuable nuance. The chokecherry tree, for instance, produces toxins as a natural defense against herbivores. That trait makes it a logical candidate for protective workings—or, when approached carefully and ethically, more baneful applications such as warding or cursing.
Using scientific observation grounds your correspondences in reality. It helps ensure that the energetic qualities you assign to an object align with how it actually behaves in the world, creating correspondences that feel coherent, reliable, and deeply rooted in nature rather than arbitrary symbolism.
Intuition
While the first three methods rely heavily on observation, research, and logic, intuition works in a different way. It draws from your inner landscape—your emotions, memories, instincts, and subconscious associations. Intuition is often undervalued in modern culture, but in magical practice, it is a powerful and legitimate source of information.
To use intuition when determining correspondences, spend quiet time with the object. This might involve meditating with it, holding it, placing it on your altar, or simply sitting with it intentionally. Pay attention to what arises naturally: gut reactions, images, emotions, bodily sensations, memories, or sudden insights. These responses can reveal how you personally relate to the object, which is just as important as how it’s traditionally understood.
Personal correspondences often form this way. For example, if you once had a negative experience with basil pesto while sick, you might intuitively associate basil with nausea—even though basil is commonly used medicinally to ease digestive discomfort. That association may not align with traditional correspondence lists, but it is still meaningful and valid within your own practice.
These intuitive, personal correspondences can be incredibly effective, precisely because they are rooted in lived experience. However, they are often unique to you and may not translate well into shared reference materials like a Herbarium or correspondence chart. That doesn’t diminish their power—it simply means they belong to your personal magical language.
It’s important to remember that correspondences are not fixed or universal. They can—and often do—vary between individuals. By exploring multiple methods and allowing intuition to play its role alongside research and observation, you create a practice that is both informed and deeply personal. Trusting your intuition doesn’t mean abandoning logic; it means allowing your own experiences to shape how magic works for you.
The Objects Spirit
Finally, another way to determine correspondences is by communicating directly with the spirit of the object itself. This method is rooted in animism—the belief that all things, living and non-living, possess a spirit or consciousness that can be acknowledged and engaged with. Through this lens, objects are not just tools, but participants in magical work, capable of relationship and response.
It’s important to note that this method requires discernment. Before attempting spirit communication, it’s essential to learn how to distinguish between intuition, imagination, and mental chatter. For many witches—especially those newer to their practice—this can be challenging, and that’s completely okay. This approach isn’t a requirement; it’s simply one possible avenue for growth, exploration, and deeper connection.
To begin, ground yourself and meditate with the object. Hold it, sit near it, or place it in front of you. Rather than projecting your expectations or thoughts onto it, focus on being receptive. Quiet your inner dialogue as much as possible and allow space for impressions to arise naturally. Closing your eyes or softening your gaze can help narrow your focus and encourage attentive listening. This is the same technique I personally use when listening closely to another person—it’s about presence rather than effort.
Communication may come in many forms. Some people experience clear words or sentences, while others receive subtle impressions, such as colors, emotions, physical sensations, or fleeting images. There is no “correct” way for an object to communicate, and it’s equally valid if no response comes at all. The object is not obligated to engage, and silence is not failure.
That said, relationship matters. Just as with people, connection deepens over time. Offering care, attention, offerings, or even conversation can help establish rapport. Tending to an object respectfully—cleaning it, storing it thoughtfully, or acknowledging its role—can strengthen that relationship. Approach the object as you would a new acquaintance: with patience, respect, and no expectations of reciprocity.
When these five methods—practical use, historical use, scientific nature, intuition, and spirit communication—are combined, they create a well-rounded and deeply informed understanding of an object’s correspondences. This not only strengthens your spellwork, but also deepens your relationship with the tools you use. When an object is understood, respected, and approached as a collaborator rather than a resource, it naturally becomes a more responsive and potent part of your practice.
Finding Substitutions
There will be times when you want to perform a spell but don’t have every ingredient listed. This is especially common when working from books, guides, or online sources. Not everyone has access to rare herbs, expensive crystals, or obscure tools—and magic should never be limited by budget, geography, or availability. This is where substitutions become both practical and empowering.
Before diving in, it’s important to address a common oversimplification: the idea that clear quartz or rosemary can replace anything in a spell is fundamentally flawed. That belief contradicts the very foundation of correspondence magic. While it’s true that clear quartz and rosemary are versatile due to their broad associations, they are not universal stand-ins for every intention or working. Substitution is not about convenience alone—it’s about alignment.
That said, general substitutions do have their place. For many everyday spells, the following substitutions work well because of their wide-ranging correspondences:
- A white candle can replace any color candle
- Clear quartz can substitute for many crystals
- Rosemary can stand in for many herbs
- Table salt can be used instead of specialty salts
- Tap water can be used in place of other waters
- A rose can substitute for many flowers
- An apple can be used in place of many fruits
- Olive oil can replace many carrier oils
I personally rely on several of these substitutions—especially tap water and table salt—because they are accessible and already carry multiple correspondences. However, accessibility does not make an item universally appropriate. Context always matters. For example, rosemary would not be a good choice in a money-focused spell, as it doesn’t align with financial correspondences. A white candle may not be ideal for banishing work, and a rose would be an odd fit for astral travel.
When choosing a substitution, return to the correspondences you’ve already established. Ask yourself: What role is this ingredient meant to play in the spell? Then look at what you already have that fulfills that same role. If you don’t have mugwort for astral travel, dandelion may be a better fit than a generic replacement. If you don’t own a chalice, an ordinary cup can serve the same symbolic purpose. Creativity is encouraged—but it should be informed creativity.
For this week’s exercise, take a few moments to sit with a plant or crystal you already love. Begin developing its correspondences using the methods outlined earlier, and make note of potential substitutions as well. Once you’re comfortable, choose three to five objects you frequently use in your practice and repeat the process. Finally, select one unfamiliar object—something you own but haven’t worked with, or something you encounter outdoors—and do the same.
By gradually moving from the familiar to the unknown, you’ll build confidence, discernment, and a flexible foundation for writing correspondences and substitutions. Over time, this skill allows you to adapt your practice to any situation, using what you have on hand while staying aligned with your intentions.