Hello witches! After a couple of weeks without internet while I moved into a new apartment, I am happy to be back to share some witchery – even if today’s topic is a little bittersweet.
Easter weekend – as well as Ostara in March – has me thinking about my little bunny friend Jimmy Hoppa, who passed away last year. Being a fluffy white bun, we was my own little easter bunny! I thought of him, too, while I was writing Green Witchcraft. I dedicated the book to him, and also included a special little spell with him in mind that makes those fake rabbit’s foot charms actually lucky!
It’s called the Lucky Moon Rabbit’s Foot Spell, paying homage to the moon rabbit who mixes the elixir of life in Chinese mythology, and helps you create magical good luck charm! Now you don’t really need to use a fake rabbit’s foot if you don’t like, all these things can be put into any sort of charm or mojo bag, but this particular symbol has such a cute kitschy charm that even I love. I do not IN ANY WAY endorse the taking of feet from rabbits for the purpose of a good luck charm! (We, as a people, move farther away from animal torture and senseless murder every day and I’d love to continue that trajectory!)
The Lucky Rabbit’s Foot
I never understood how a severed foot could be lucky – especially since it didn’t seem too lucky for the rabbit – but in a world where birds pooping on you is also a good omen the why never really seemed to make sense anyways. When it comes to luck, trying to make sense of it is your enemy – lady luck is a very chaotic force! The rabbit itself is an animal associated with magic and fast luck (and fast fertility!!) in cultures all over the world, and many witch tales claimed rabbits were a common familiar and that shapeshifting witches could transform into rabbits on the night of the full moon. The lucky rabbit’s foot charm, though, seems to be a purely North American tradition originating with Hoodoo in the southern US. (OF COURSE! HOODOO FOREVER!) Depending on who you ask, the foot needs to be taken from a live rabbit, one you’ve specifically caught to eat and already killed, caught on a friday the thirteenth or good friday, in a cemetery in the middle of the day when most rabbit wouldn’t be out or under the light of a particular full moon. You have to be the one catching and killing the rabbit for the foot to be lucky, or maybe you have to be given it by the one doing the deed? The methods all differ! Sometimes the one creating the charm has to be a cross-eyed man or a beautiful witch, and the foot must be from either the left or the right depending on how you plan to use it.
The exact origins of the charm and why the foot is considered lucky are relatively unknown, but it’s possibly tied to African spiritual practices and legends before slavery brought people here. Br’er Rabbit is a folk tale character from the southern US about a trickster rabbit who find himself in scrapes and trouble and is usually saved by his wits and his natural speed. These were some of my mother’s favourite stories to tell when I was a kid and showed how fear can act as our natural security system and how the way we behave may have to change in extreme situations in order to survive. The trickster is always an interesting character because while his tricky nature can save him one minute and make him the hero, the next it can get him into a lot of hot water – or tar. Lots of Br’er Rabbit’s stories are actually those of Anansi, an african trickster god, who takes the form of a spider in his OG tales but became the elusive and strong rabbit here in North America who granted luck to those who knew his stories and his symbol.
Lucky Moon Rabbit’s Foot
So the luck of the foot mostly depends on it being real and even cut from a LIVE rabbit? Gross. NOT MY STYLE. My version uses a fake rabbit’s foot and adds in real magic and energy with herbs, crystals, and your own intention.
You Will Need:
- Fake rabbit’s foot or materials to make your own
- scissors
- dried basil, patchouli, and alfalfa
- a small piece of moonstone
- fabric glue or needle & thread
- cotton batting, tumbled jade, naturally-shed rabbit fur (optional)
It’s common now to also dress your charm with Van Van oil before you use it and you can find a recipe for that as well in the same chapter of the book.
If you want to make your own foot do me a favour and DO NOT search instructions for that online – you will get videos of people chopping actual feet off actual rabbits – instead check out this awesome tutorial I found that makes a gorgeous keychain complete with little nails made of crystals beads. I love the turquoise and that’s also a very lucky crystal! The tinfoil they use to provide structure for the foot can be left out if you’re including a crystal or two in yours.
The big magic here is in the ALFALFA, a really powerful magical herb that also happens to be a favourite snack for rabbits. The joy and excitement that this herb elicits in our bunny friends translates to it being a very magical herb to bring on good luck, good fortune, happiness, and safe place to park your fluffy tail. It’s a great addition to any magic meant to improve your life and the vibes of your home. In life, alfalfa produces adorable little purple flowers that look great in gardens and wild fields and feed pollinators as well as wild bunnies. Consider working with it this weekend to bring in some positive energy for you and the rest of your warren.
I hope you all have a happy and lucky Easter weekend, witches. I know things are weird right now, but hopefully you’ve still got room in your life for a little magic! 💛
Learn More:
Rabbit Foot in Hoodoo – Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Brer Rabbit – Encyclopedia Britannica
Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit – Project Gutenberg
Get your copy of Green Witchcraft from my Bookshop.org store and support the podcast as well as bricks and mortar bookstores!
The Fat Feminist Witch Podcast