Working With Nature’s Gifts

Spring Is Here, Considering Making Your Own Staff or Wand?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by mistressofthemyst

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Since Spring has finally arrived you might be considering making yourself a new wand or staff. When Spring arrives everyone’s to-do list grows instantly. We figured one of those items on the to-do list might involve making you new Craft tools.

You will see we have provided you with a brief history on wand and staff making. The important information I would take away from the article is about the types of woods and their properties. If you don’t already knows these, take time to print them out or write them down. This list of woods and their correspondences will come in handy for the future

 

From the Ancient Egyptians to the Druids, Moses to Shamans, wands and staffs have always been a favorite tool of spell casters. Energy (or Magic/ Magick, if you prefer) flows naturally everywhere; a wand or staff simply helps to channel that energy for a desired purpose. Truly, energy can be channeled through anything except insulators such as some crystals and glass, which would, in most cases be used to store energy, not transfer it.

Wands and staffs aren’t really much different, save that one is larger than the other and may be used as a good weapon. They are often both carved from the same kinds of trees (with the consent of the tree of course) and with pretty much the same purpose. They are both largely ceremonious, unless you intend to lob around a huge staff or hide a wand in your robes on a daily basis.

Following is a list of some popular trees used for the carving of wands and staffs:

Hazel Tree (Corylus avellana) Grants wisdom, virtue and inspiration.

Willow Tree (Salix alba, Salix candida, Salix herbacea, Salix planifolia)Powerful intuition, mystery and grace.

Elm (Ulmus americana, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Ulmus minor) Tree Nobility, memory, secret knowledge and resilience.

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus nigra, Fraxinus ornus) Power and magnitude, possesses curative properties.

Beech (Fagus orientalis, Fagus japonica, Fagus grandifolia) Beauty, strength, communication.

Birch (Betula aetniensis, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Betula occidentalis, Betula lenta) Protects against death and malevolent fires.

Cedar (Cedrus libani, Cedrus brevifolia, Cypressus lucitania) Healing, cleansing and protection against malevolent forces.

Chestnut (Castanea sativa, Castanea crenata, Castanea ashei) Fertility, longevity, abundance and invigoration.

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus, Carpinus orientalis, Carpinus japonica) Straightforwardness, strength, determination and loyalty.

Maple (Acer saccharum, Acer negundo, Acer platanoides) Success, wealth and prosperity.

Oak (Quercus montana, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, Quercus nigra) Power, endurance, nobility, energy and strength.

Olive (Olea europaea) Peace, victory,purification and fruitfulness.

Poplar (Populus alba, Populus tremula, Populus ilicifolia, Populus nigra) Elegance, courage and wit.

Rowan (Sorbus Americana, Sorbus cashmiriana) Dignity, friendliness, and self-control.

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Categories: Articles, Daily Posts, The Witch's Tools, Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Living As The Witch – Omen, Superstitions & Folklore

Posted on March 26, 2013 by mistressofthemyst

Witchy Comments  

Omen, Superstitions & Folklore

Let your furniture predict your future? The idea may sound strange, but for centuries-from Babylonian times and even earlier-household objects and occurrences have been prized for glimpses of future events.

Many of these ancient ideas are odd, alien or amusing, but they do reflect the sacredness of all existence in early times. You could trudge over to the seer or stand in line to visit the Oracle at Delphi-or you could watch your furniture.

For instance, if you are rocking in your rocking chair and it starts to move along the floor, company will show on your porch before nighttime. A chair that rocks by itself signifies the

imminent arrival of bad news. If you knock your chair over when rising from the table, it is a sign that you lied while seated there. Turning a chair on one leg so that it pivots usually presages a household fight.

Any large piece of wooden furniture-such as a wardrobe, table or chest-that starts to dry out and crack is signaling a change in the weather.

If you are dreaming away one night and suddenly feel like the world’s falling, perhaps one of the slats of your bed has fallen out. If so, don’t worry; this is a sign that riches will soon be coming your way. Also concerning beds, climbing out of bed over the footboard when first rising in the morning portends a fortunate day.

The kitchen has its share of portents, too. If apples burst while baking in the oven, good news is on the way for the cook. Eggs that crack while boiling are a sign that visitors are expected.

Many people around the world abhor Americans’ bland, precooked rice.

Real rice stick to itself; it has a different texture. When this type of rice forms a ring around the edge of the pot while cooking, the cook will become rich.

Knocking over the sugar bowl is another sign of money, probably harkening back to the days when sugar was prohibitively expensive. Spilling pepper signifies a coming fight, while upsetting the salt shaker is a well-known signal of trouble. Throw a pinch of pepper or salt over the left shoulder to avoid the hex.

Accidentally mixing up salt and sugar in a recipe is a sweet sign, regardless of the taste of the finished dish. It presages good news. Forgetting to add spices while cooking not only decreases the flavor of your food, it also signifies trouble ahead. Remedy this by adding the spices as soon as possible.

Bubbles in your morning coffee presage money. If they are near the side of the cup you drink from, the money will come soon; if on the far side, it will come more slowly.

Silverware dropped at the table indicates the impending arrival of a visitor-a fork represents a man, a spoon a woman. Dropping a knife also means a visitor-if the blade sticks into the floor.

Animals are frequently watched to predict the future. A bird flying into a house for no apparent reason is a sign of good luck and fortune for the owner (but perhaps not for the bird). It may also portend news from a distance.

Swallows settling in at your home mean that it will never want for luck. The same is true of martins. If you hear a mockingbird while falling asleep, good luck will be yours.

Snakes were once kept as household guardians, and a snake in the home is still considered lucky. If a snake crawls up your doorsteps, it may mean that someone from another country will enter your house. A snake in the garden also brings good fortune.

Wild animal tracks in the snow, completely encircling the house, are another sign of good luck.

Seeing a spider in the house in the morning, or anytime, is good luck; killing one brings bad luck. A spider or bee entering your home through an open window indicates news on the way.

Doors opening by themselves signal the impending arrival of company. Cracks in the ceiling and soot dropping from the chimney indicate bad weather ahead. A falling picture presages a journey for someone in the family.

If a broom drops across a doorway, you will soon go on a journey. (Make sure to pick it up quickly; don’t step over it.) When your cupboard doors are left open, people will gossip about you.

If your garden gate bangs open and shut at night, you will have many visitors the next day. And finally, if the doorbell rings and you don’t answer it, you will lose a friend. (This was probably invented by traveling salesmen and bill collectors.)

The Magical Household: Spells & Rituals for the Home, Scott Cunningham

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Making Moon Water

Posted on December 13, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Making Moon Water

 

Moon water is at its most potent when made on the night of the full moon or during a partial or total lunar eclipse. You can also make it in the two or three days before the full moon if the skies are clear and the moon is shining brightly.

1.   On the night of the full moon (it rises around sunset) set a silver colored or clear crystal bowl outdoors where the moonlight can shine on it.

2.   Half-fill it with still mineral water, if possible from a sacred source, and, if you have any add a few drops of water from a holy well. You can substitute bubbling tap water.

3.   Surround the bowl with pure white flowers or blossoms or small moonstones.

4.   If you have a small silver bell, ring it three times, saying for each ring:

“First the Maiden, now the Mother, then the Wise Grandmother.”

5.  Raise your arms on either side of your head, your hands facing upwards flat with pal uppermost and repeat the same words three times.

6.   Stir the water nine times moonwise (anticlockwise) with a silver colored paper knife (silver being the color and metal of the moon) or an amethyst crystal point. Ask the moon mother to bless the water and those who use it.

7.    If you are not carrying out a moon ceremony, leave the bowl in position, covered with fine mesh, overnight.

8.  Ring the bell three times more before leaving and say:

“Blessings Be.”

9.   If you don’t have a bell, kneel and put your hand round the bowl, saying:

“Blessings Be.”

10.  Using a glass jug and filter, pour the water if possible into small blue, silver or frosted glass bottles that you can seal and keep in your fridge or a cool place until the next full moon night. If you use a plain bottle label it so you don’t mistake it for another magickal water.

11.  Any water left at the end of the moon period should be poured into the ground before moonrise on the next full moon night.

Categories: Magickal Boosters, The Sun, The Moon, etc., Tonics/Tinctures, Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making A Moon Altar

Posted on December 13, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Making A Moon Altar

 

1.   Outdoors, use a rock or a table and on it either set a silver tray or make a circle with white stones, shells or clear glass nuggets. Thirteen stones for the 13 moons is most symbolic unless you are superstitious, in which case use nine (for the three by three of the triple moon goddess).

2.   Set the stone circle anticlockwise if following moon lore or keep to the normal clockwise direction if you prefer.

3.   If you are using an indoor altar, place a white or natural beeswax candle at the four main direction points. If you decide to work outdoors,  you can use small, glass enclosed white night lights that will not blow out in the wind or you can rely on the moonlight.

4.  In the center of the altar place a dish of moon water (in beach rituals you can collect sea water, the water ruled by the moon).

5.   Circle this bowl with moonstones of white shells (13 or nine), creating an inner circle.

6.   Position a moon incense to the right of the dish of water as you face west, still within the moonstone inner circle.

7.   You will also need a metal or ceramic oil burner with a night light underneath it to the left of the water bowl with the middle circle as you face west.

8.   You can enclose just the bowl in a third even smaller circle of three small white stones, shells or moonstones, thus giving one circle for each phase of the moon.

9.  The bowl of water will act as the medium for raising the power.

10.  If you have a willow wand (or a pointed twig willow twig), lay this directly in front of the bowl with the tip facing west (outside the innermost circle if you make one).

 

Categories: Magickal Boosters, The Sun, The Moon, etc., The Witch's Tools, Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Phases of the Moon In Magick

Posted on December 13, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

The Phases of the Moon In Magick

 

The different phases of the moon offer differing energies that can help not only the timing of a spell, but add power to strengthen a wish (waxing) or can or banish sorrow or bad luck (waning).

The full moon is the most powerful force of all for change and for action. You can follow the different moon phases in the weather section of the paper or a diary or here on this site. But what you see in the sky and what you feel are always your best guides to using moon energies in spell casting. The best way to follow the monthly journey of the moon is to watch her in the sky, not just for one month but for several. Each day in your Book of Shadows write just a line or two on the way you feel and over the months you may detect a pattern that explains hitherto seemingly random mood patterns and energy flows. Even in town you can use building as markers and will not slight variations in position on ensuing months, because of the moon’s irregular path.

Men as well as women are affected by the moon, emotionally and perhaps also physically. If we can tune in with the ebbs and flows then we become more harmonious and able to use natural energy surges as the moon waxes and not try to force ourselves more than necessary or to take risks when the moon is waning.

There are many ways of dividing the moon cycle. In magick there are three main divisions: the waxing or increasing period, the time of the full moon and the waning period. The waxing period is usually calculated from the crescent moon to the night before the full moon. The time of the full moon is calculated as anything from the second the moon becomes full (by purists), the day of the full moon and the period until the next day or even the week of the full moon. the waning period extends until the moon disappears from the sky. The intervening two and a half to three days are called the dark of the moon and while this generally is not used for magick, it is a powerful period for divination and meditation and for allowing the seeds of the future to grow.

The triple divisions accord with the Maiden, Mother and Wise Woman mythology.

Other practitioners have the dual waxing and waning periods with the full moon in the center as the waxing reaches a climax of power.

 

 

Categories: Magickal Boosters, The Sun, The Moon, etc., Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Chinese Moons

Posted on December 13, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

The Chinese Moons

 

Chinese tradition tells how once there were 12 moons, one for each month of the year. Their mother Heng O, who was also mother of the ten suns washed her 12 moon children in a lake at the western edge of the world and each traveled for their month’s journey to the East where the sun children waited.

In one version the divine archer Yi killed nine of the sun children and was punished by their father (whom he also killed)by being made mortal. Yi then married Heng O, who agreed to spare her life and those of the moon children, if she became his wife. But he tricked her and killed 11 of the moon children as well. She stole from him the herb of immortality and fled with her youngest child to the skies where Yi could not follow her. Here she took the form of the toad who can still be seen in the moon and who is a symbol of prosperity and good luck in China. In some versions all the moon children were saved and they went to the physical moon from which each still flies his moon chariot on his appointed month high across the sky so that Yi cannot harm him.

Categories: Esbats, Magickal Boosters, The Sun, The Moon, etc., Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mythology of the Moon

Posted on December 13, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Mythology of the Moon

 

In legend, the Moon was seen as the home of the Goddess or as the Goddess Herself and like the Sun was among the first things to be created.

The Creation Of The Moon

The Navajo legend tells of the creation of the Sun and Moon. The first people emerged from the Underworld to live on the surface of the Earth. But the Earth was dark and cold and so First Man and First Woman fashioned two disks from glowing crystal quartz to form the Sun and Moon so that there would be light by both day and night.

First the Sun disk was adorned with a mask of blue turquoise with red coral around its edge and it offered warmth as well as light. First Man and First Woman next attached eagle and lark feathers to the Sun so that its light and heat would be cast to all four corners of the Earth. The Sun disk was fixed in the Eastern sky with lightning darts. First Man and First Woman paused to admire the great beauty they had created for the day and then turned to the night.

The moon disk was decorated with clear shimmering crystal and pearl white shells, and like the Sun was fixed high in the sky. But to the sorrow of the first people, their creations were static and lifeless.

Two wise old men offered their spirits to the disks that they might live and move forever. First Man and First Woman then marked out the daily path of the Sun by fixing twelve eagle feathers at equal points. At dawn, the Sun began to move across the sky, warming and illuminating all in the blackness beneath. At dusk, the Sun returned tired from his journey, and the Moon, also adorned with eagle feathers began his course.

However, Wind Boy, who thought it unfair that the Moon should have to travel so far by night alone, blew his strong breezes so that the moon might glide effortlessly across the darkened heavens. However, the moon’s eagle feathers blew across his face, temporarily blinding him and so to this day the moon follows an irregular passage across the night sky.

Categories: Esbats, Magickal Boosters, The Sun, The Moon, etc., Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Magickal Hours of the Day

Posted on December 11, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Magickal Hours of the Day

 

As analogy of how the hours of the day influence magick can be drawn to a day in the life of a flower.With the first rays of sunshine, the flower begins to open. The, it fully opens, and stays open until closing again at dusk. The flower quietly sleeps, yet it still continue to grow and develop all through the night, until the dawn comes once again.

Magickal timing by the hour of the day follows the flower pattern. Although some of us are morning people, while others are night owls, you will discover that there are certain times during the day and night that you do your most successful magick. Pay attention to you own natural rhythms, and honor them, choosing the times when you have the most energy for magick making. The following is correspondences for the daily timing of potions and spells.

Dawn

A time of renewal, rebirth, new ideas dawning, new beginnings, and consecration. Over the centuries, people have collected the dew on the grass and plants at dawn to use as a magick love potion.

Morning

This is a good time for setting patterns in play for preparing potions, and casting spells for attaining goals. The day’s light is growing strong and your magick grows accordingly. Mid-morning is a good time to harvest flowers.

Noon

The solar energy is most powerful at high noon, and there is a tremendous amount of energy for magick making. Noon is also a good time to gather flowers for magickal uses.

Afternoon

This is a time of harvesting magickal goals. The heat of the afternoon sun is a good time for harvesting herbs for potions.

Dusk

A powerful junction point between solar and lunar energies, dusk is the time when the portals to all worlds are thrown open and you can freely enter them. This is a very potent time for any magick making because the portals are open and communication with Divine energies is particularly strong.

Dark of Night

The lunar and stellar energies are strongest at night. Throughout history, witches have always cast their spells under the cloak of night. This is also a good time to map out magickal potions and spells.

Midnight

Traditionally called “the witching hour,” midnight is a good time to let go of old habits or negative relationships and banish negativity from your life. This is also the time for updating your life patterns and practicing dream magick.

The Hour Before Dawn

This is the time of the Otherworld of fairies and when many predators hunt. It is a good time to stay indoors.

 

Categories: Ritual Working, Spellcrafting, Working With Nature's Gifts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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