Day: December 28, 2011

Candle Annointing

Candle Annointing

Annoint your candle with the oil that you have chosen. This is done by placing a little of the oil on your fingertips. Grasp the candle at its midpoint with your left index finger and thumb, and use your right index finger and thumb to stroke oil on the candle from the midpoint up to the top of the candle. Next, grasp the candle at its midpoint with your right index finger and thumb, and use your left index finger and thumb to stroke oil on the candle from the midpoint down to the bottom of the candle. Continue in this fashion until the entire candle has been annointed.

 

All-purpose Candle Annointing Oil
1 cup rose petals
1 cup violets
1 cup water
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon clove oil
2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered myrrh
1/4 cup wild fennel seeds
Charging a candle with your personal energy.

 

While ritually annointing your candle, visualize a pure white beam of light coming up from Mother Earth, entering your body through the soles of your feet and another beam of white light coming down from the Universe and entering your body through the top of your head. Envision the energy of these beams of light flowing throughout your body and mingling together, finally concentrating in your hands, causing them to feel warm and to tingle. Now continue to stroke your candle until you feel the energy from your hands transfer to the candle. Your candle is now charged with your personal energy and magickal intent.

Candle Magick: Inscribing

Candle Magick:  Inscribing

If you inscribe a candle you should use your Athame. The same principle as dressing the candle is used…
To draw something to you, write from the top to the middle, and then from the bottom to the middle.
To repel things, write from the middle to the ends.

Candle Magick: Dressing Candles

Dressing Candles

Dressing the candle with oil is as important as any other step. Use whatever oil you prefer or what a specific spell asks you to use. Personally, I use lotus a lot… but again that is my preference. what is important is the direction you dress the candle. To bring something to you, rub oil on the candle in a downward motion from the top to the middle and then from the bottom to the middle.
To send something away from you…you rub the oil from the middle of the candle out to the ends. Never make a back and forth motion as this defeats the purpose. Dab the remaining oil from your fingers onto your third eye and on your breast bone. Then say the following:

“I cleanse and consecrate this candle in the name of the Lord and the Lady. May it burn with strength in the service of the light.”

Then state your intent or the purpose of the candle.

Candle Magick: Cleansing & Consecrating The Candle

Cleansing & Consecrating The Candle

This is a very important step and should not be omitted. Cleansing removes all the negative energies that the candle has picked up along the way. As with all supplies you want your candles to to be as free of psychic debris as possible. Submerge the candle in sea salt and the ask The Lord and lady to bless it. I could give you the phrasing but I think it is better when it comes from your own heart.

Candle Magick: Types of Candles

Candle Magick:  Types of Candles

 
Any type of candle can be used for candle magic as long as it has been cleansed and consecrated prior to use. Although beeswax candles are higher in price than store bought candles, they are more powerful because they are produced from nature. As with any other tool, the candle made by the practitioner for a specific purpose captures the energy of the practitioner. Many experienced Witches will use only candles they have crafted themselves because of this.

Candle Magick: Incense

Candle Magick: Incense

There are some who believe that incense is unimportant in candle magic. I cannot imagine performing candle magic without the incense. The type that you use may be specified in a specific spell, if that is the case by all means use that. Generally, I use three kings incense as well as vervain. Vervain gives the spell working a little umph. But then again nothing is set in stone.. Be creative.
Incense symbolizes Air… as the smoke rises our thoughts are carried up into the universe.

Candle Magick: Your Altar

Candle Magick:  Your Altar

You may use anything that has a flat top.. I use an old trunk with a piece of plywood on it. Be creative.. As for a cover I use white because of it’s kind of a multipurpose color. Although some magic specifies a color then what ever color is specified should be used. Again, be creative… Keep in mind that candle magic is usually done in condensed areas so keep things as simplistic as you can, especially your candlesticks and censors.

Candle Magic

Candle Magic

Candle Magic has been around for many, many years, being traced as far back as the Palaeolithic era. It is a very powerful form of sympathetic magic.
There are many factors that play into the art of candle magic. As we know any type of magic that is performed will return to you three fold, whether it be positive or negative. Always keep the Wiccan Rede “An harm to none do what thou wilt” in mind when considering your work. Always keep in mind that magic effect’s the entire world around you. Be very careful what you ask for, for it may well come true. The wording in any type of magic must not be taken lightly, be very careful, concise , and precise, make sure you have covered all possible bases.

Keep in mind that some candle magic has to be repeated over a period of days. Therefore, you will want to place them in an area that will not be disturbed. Do not choose a place where there is a tv, radio noise or disturbances of any kind. Keep in mind to not put candles near curtains and such, as you would not want to burn your house down. Candle magic should always be performed in a low traffic area. That is why a bedroom is really nice for such work.

Garlic Spells

Garlic Spells

Garlic cloves tucked into the corners of the threshold of entry doors keep out negative energies and unwanted visitors.

On Hogmany Eve (New Year’s Eve), braid or string thirteen garlic bulbs and hang them in the kitchen to absorb undesired energies. (Be sure to throw out the ones from the previous year.) Roasting and eating garlic with supper aids digestion and keeps the skin young. Cutting a garlic clove and wiping the juice on a knife empowers it to deflect negative energies. Do this on a paring knife and stick it in the ground to deflect bad weather from coming to the house. Add a clove of garlic to a mojo bag to strengthen the spell and ward off negative external energies.

By: Ann Moura

 

Potion of the Day – Special Mixture of La Pompadour

Truly Lustful Potion – Special Mixture of La Pompadour

La Pompadour was the deep love of King Louis XV, and her spirit can still be felt in the walls of Versailles. She organized
festivities, suppers, and shows to entertain the King. But more than that…what were her little hidden secrets?

Prepare the following aromatic mixture in a 1-oz bottle. Pour the essential oils first and then add your massage oil. Massage
the potion on the spine, the sacrum (lower back), abdomen, and heart. Anoint a few drops along the neck (almost behind the ears).

· 5 drops Rose otto
· 7 drops Jasmine
· 10 drops Orange
· 10 drops Mandarin

Copyright Françoise Rapp

December 28th – Childermas

 

Childermas

(Old English) Childermas (Mass of the Holy Innocents) (Bloody heath, Erica cruenta, is today’s plant, dedicated to the innocents massacred by King Herod)

Matthew, ii, 16-18: Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

“… Herod’s massacre of the innocents. It used to be the custom on Childermas to whip the children (and even adults) that the memory of Herod’s murder of the Innocents might stick the closer’. This practice forms the plot of several tales in the Decameron.” (Evans 1988) King Herod, having heard that a god-child had been born, put thousands of babies ton the sword. Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with the baby Jesus.

Childermas is supposed to be a day of bad omen, and one should never marry on it. Nor put on new clothes, pare the nails, or begin anything important. The coronation of King Edward IV was postponed till the following Monday.

It was considered once to be about the unluckiest day of the year. No work or undertakings were begun today, and one was not to marry.

Cornwall: housewives and cleaners refrain from scrubbing on this day, as late as 1860s.

France: people believed that spectral huntsmen in the sky on stormy evenings (a motif found throughout Europe, known in Britain as the Wild Hunt) were the spirits of the Holy Innocents being pursued by King Herod.

Belgium: Children play all sorts of tricks on their elders, including stealing their keys and locking them up.

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast and Wilson’s Almanac

 

Celebration Around The World Today, Dec. 28th

Witchy Comments & Graphics 

Card Playing Day
National Chocolate Day
Cross Day (Ireland)
Inocentes (Mexican April Fool’s Day)
Holy Innocents Day (Childermas; patron of Belgium, babies, choirboys) See below
Proclamation Day (South Australia)
Childermas Day – See below
Runic half-month of Eoh (yew tree) begins
Kwanzaa, Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility)
Bairns’ Day (Unluckiest Day of the Year)
Nepal National Day
Dyzemas Day
Eat Vegetarian Day
Fairy Academy of Window-Frosting Winter Exhibition (Fairy)
Indonesia Independence Day
Throw Away Your Subliminal Motivation Tapes Today Day

Last of the Halcyon Days (December 14- 28)

 ~Magickal Graphics~

Feng Shui for the New Year

By
Betsy Stang, practitioner of Healing by Design Feng Shui.

A new year is like a new doorway. A new year offers a new chance to bring who we truly are into manifestation. Each turn of the wheel has its wisdom. What does the wisdom of the New Year hold for you? Your home? Are there obstacles in your way?

In the Northern Hemisphere the New Year follows shortly after winter solstice, the time of year with the longest night, the time of the Great Yin, the Dark Feminine, when the energy of all growing things goes deepest into the ground. We are each given this time to dream of what we might become as the light and growth return.

In the ancient Chinese traditions this is the time of K’un—The Receptive, Earth

The Receptive brings about sublime success,
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable to find friends in the west and south,
To forego friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.

The elements of spring are sleeping in the dark with the bears and moles and many other animals. In Native American traditions this is a time for dreaming, storytelling, coming together as community and of contacting the spirits of the Earth.

This is not a time to reach outside for answers, but to go deep within.
As we go in, we notice.

Notice your home. What patterns are outmoded? Where are the obstacles to your realization of self? Look at piles of what is not being used. Is there a tool, a skill you have, clothing, computers, cameras that you no longer use? Are they outmoded? Will you use their gifts? If not they need to move along, so give those possessions away. If you are not willing to pass them along, then use them.

Do you have old obligations and debts you have not dealt with? It’s time to clear them too, at least begin to gather the information you will need. It is not possible to truly move into prosperity and abundance, until you are in full integrity with yourself.

All traditions celebrate this time as new birth and the return of sun from its journey to the southern hemisphere. Be gentle with your new beginnings they are infants and need to be nourished until the sap starts to flow in early February.

Make small movements. Allow yourself quiet time. Listen. Clear, clean, restage resting and work places of your life. And bring sustainable light into the time of dark.

In the new year, as you sit cozy in your home, remember there are always those who are cold and hungry or in the dark. Can you pass along something you no longer need to someone who may need it more? Not just people, the animals need your help now too. Can you find a way to share your wisdom and prosperity with those who have no voice? The ancient Chinese masters said: “Feed the Earth, feed the fish and the birds and your world will be abundant.”

May you be a steward of the earth and have a new year full of abundance and joy.

—The Rev. Betsy Stang

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 28th

In some betting circles the joker might be wild but this next empowering tip sure isn’t. Today is ‘Card Playing Day’ and I’m about to tell you how to stack the success deck squarely in your favor, as long as you play your cards right! Remove a ten of diamonds from a new deck of playing cards and place it on a dish. If you don’t have a standard deck of playing cards, can use the ten of coins card from any Tarot deck. Sprinkle some local dirt on top of the card and place a silver coin beside it. Next, with a small and sharp object, carve both your name and birth date into a red candle. Then place the candle atop the playing card. Light the candle and allow it to burn while clearly visualizing all the luck, fortune and success that is soon to be showered upon you. When the candle has burned all the way out, place the card and the silver in a small pouch or bag and carry it with you. You might also position this pouch in a place where you will see it for the next 27 or 49 days before adding the card back to the original deck. Either way, you hold the winning hand here. You can go ask Alice, she knows that the Queen of Hearts will be so jealous when she finds out that the Ten of Diamonds aced her out! All the while, though, you’ll be smiling like a Cheshire cat! Purrrfect!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

The Meaning of the Number 3

The spiritual meaning of number Three deals with magic, intuition, fecundity, and advantage. The number Three invokes expression, versatility, and pure joy of creativity. Three is also a time identifier as it represents Past, Present and Future. Consecutive Threes in your life may symbolize the need to express yourself creatively, or consider your present directional path in relation to past events and future goals. Three may also represent promising new adventures, and assurance of cooperation from others whom you may require help. Three typically symbolizes reward and success in most undertakings.

Spiritual Meaning of Numbers

Your Daily Number for December 28th: 3

You’ll have a chance to impress others today. You should be feeling optimistic and upbeat about life in general. There will be plenty of communication in your world today, and you might feel slightly scattered as a result. Take advantage of today’s creative surge to make positive changes.

Fast Facts

About the Number 3

Theme: Expansive, Sociable, Dramatic, Diversified, Creative
Astro Association: Venus
Tarot Association: Empress

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for December 28th is 46: Pushing Upward

46: Pushing Upward

Hexagram 46

General Meaning: The forces of growth in springtime demonstrate advancement, as new life pushes upward through the earth’s crust, and the sap is rising. The emphasis is on upward motion, from obscurity to influence, with growth fostered by adaptability and the absence of opposition. Constant, flexible growth is the key attribute of a plant pushing upwards. This reading suggests a period of new promotion and prosperity in your life.

A wise person, in harmony with fate, is sensitive but determined. Make a sincere effort to apply resolute effort. Break through inertia, and good fortune will follow. By remaining flexible and tolerant, you will be able to retain the kind of conscious innocence that fuels growth and advancement. Will power and self-control are necessary to manage this growth skillfully, but the natural enthusiasm of the life force is behind everything.

Today’s Runes for December 28th is Ansuz

Today’s Runes

Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Ansuz refers to a god or the spoken word of God. It is the voice of reason, law, prophecy and truth. It is the truth heard in the wind. This rune represents wisdom obtained or knowledge delivered. It is the rune of absolute good advice and true council – the message we all must strive to hear.

Today’s Tarot Card for December 28th is The Magician

The Magician

This Tarot Deck: Cat People

General Meaning: Traditionally, the Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic — as in healing, transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine ‘gold’ within her or himself.

At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.

Waite’s image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements — with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures — is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It’s best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.