Category: All Regular Daily Posts

Old Customs

OLD CUSTOMS

The first water drawn from any well or stream on New Year’s morning used
to be called the Flower of the Well, or the Cream of the Well. This water would bring good luck in the new year.

In Mid-January (depending on the area) the apple trees were wassailed.
The word “Wassail” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “Wehal” which means “be of
good health”. Farmers and their families went to the orchards after dark, carrying horns and a large pail of cider. Cider was poured around the roots of a chosen tree, and a piece of toast or cake, soaked in cider, was placed in the branches. A wassailing song was sung to the tree.

Girls can discover their future husband on the Eve of St Agnes by scattering a handful of barley under an apple tree saying: “Barley, barley, I sow thee; That my true love I may see; Take thy rake and follow me.” It is said that the figure of her future husband will follow and take up the seed the girl has scattered.

The cuckoo is considered a lucky bird. Money should be turned in the pocket when the first cuckoo is heard, but never look at the ground while this is done.

Morris Dancers may be seen at Whitsuntide. The Dancers stamp, kick and
jump to waken the earth spirit and bring the crops out of the ground.

On Old Midsummer Day there is a procession in the Isle of Man to Tynwald
Hill. The Governor follows the Sword of State at the head of the procession. They process through lines of guards to a platform. Here the Governor sits on a crimson velvet chair. The Chief Justice reads a list of the Acts of Parliament passed at Westminster during the year. This ceremony shows that the Isle of Man accepts English Acts as law.

On 8 July, the Burry Man walks through the streets of South Queensferry,
West Lothian, Scotland. He is covered in thistle, teazle and burrs, with a head dress made of flowers. He covers his face, and carries a staff in each hand. He talks to no-one but is said to bring good luck to houses he visits.

On the Sunday after August 12th there is a “revel” in Markhamchurch, in Cornwall. The village children chose the “Queen of the Revel” who then leads a procession through the village, riding a white horse.

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance takes place on the first Sunday after September 4th. This is probably one of the best known of all the “Dances” in the British Isles.

General Superstitions

General Superstitions

It is unlucky to wash a baby’s head for the first twelve months.

Washing a child’s hand’s before his first birthday will take away his riches and
would live and die poor.

Nails should be bitten, not cut, for the same time, for that would make them
thieves.

Hair at no age must be cut at the waning of the moon, that would prevent it
growing luxuriantly.

Hair cut off should always be burned; it unlucky to throw shorn hair away;
otherwise, birds might make a nest of your hair, weaving tightly, so that you
would have difficulty rising on your last day.

Children’s first lost teeth are burned in order to prevent snaggle teeth from
coming in.

Coral necklaces are worn to ensure easy teething.

Coral beads are said to change color indicating whether the wearer is ill or
well.

All locks in a house are unlocked at birthing to ensure an easy delivery.

Cornishmen of the west are born with tails; they drop off when the Tamar River
is crossed.

When a boy is born under the waning moon, the next birth will be a girl, and
vice versa.

When a child is born under a waxing moon, the next birth will be of the same
sex.

A child born at the interval between the old and new moons is fated to die
young.

Babies with blue veins across their noses will not live to see twenty-one.

SUPERSTITIONS

A WORD ABOUT SUPERSTITIONS

I guess most of us are just a tad superstitious, at least to the point where we
don’t take unnecessary chances. You know, better safe than sorry.
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There are certain superstitions that I go along with, but breaking a mirror
brings seven years bad luck ain’t one of ’em. Heck, I know a man who broke one
and he didn’t have seven years bad luck at all. He was run over by a train and
killed the day after he broke it.

Here is a list of southern superstitions I’ve heard all my life. I’m sure you
will remember a number of them:

– If you sweep dirt out of the house on Friday, the house will burn down.

– Wash your hair in the first rain in May, and it will grow faster.

– Cross your eyes and jump over a ditch at midnight, and your eyes will stay
crossed forever.

– See a cardinal, make a wish, and pinch someone to make it come true.

– Make a wish on a redbird before it flies, and your wish will come true.

– Sleep with a mirror under your pillow, and you will see your future husband.

– When a man’s second toe is longer than his big toe, he will be henpecked.

– If a bride goes to the altar with some salt in her pocket, she will always be
happy.

– When fish jump above the water, look for rain.

– Run into a cobweb, and you’ll get a letter.

– If your palm itches, you are going to get some money.

– If your nose itches, it means you are going to have company.

– Carry in your pocket a button you’ve found, and it will bring you good luck.
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– Walking on the other side of a post from a friend will bring on a quarrel,
unless you say “bread and butter.”

– Snakes will not come around a place where gourds are growing.

– It will bring much bad luck if you sleep on new, unwashed sheets.

– To become beautiful, get behind a door and eat a chicken foot.

– A woman who drops her apron will lose a friend.

– If your left foot itches, you will walk where you’re not welcome.

– Look under a bed, and you’ll never marry.

– It’s bad luck to lean a broom against a bed.

– If someone sweeps under your feet, you’ll never marry.

– If your initials spell a word, you will become rich.

– If your shoestring becomes untied, someone is talking about you.

– Shaking hands over a fence will bring bad luck.

– Those whose teeth grow wide apart will be travelers.

– Always step into a courtroom on your right foot when you have business there.

– A woman with short fingers makes a good manager.

– If you sneeze before breakfast, you’ll see your sweetheart before Saturday
night.

– If you can see the sunshine through a man’s ears, he’s a rascal and can’t be
trusted.

– Whistle in bed and you’ll cry before the next night.

– You can be sure of rough weather if the grape or pecan crop is heavy.

– It’s bad luck to climb over anybody in bed.

– It causes bad luck if you bring an old broom into a new house.

– It’s bad luck to take up ashes from the fireplace during the Christmas season.

– If a fly flies around your face continually, a stranger hopes to meet you.

– Cut your fingernails before breakfast on Monday morning, and you’ll get a
present before the week is over.

– Forget to wash a skillet and you can expect a guest for the next meal.

– When hornets nests are low, it will be a cold winter.

– The first thunder of spring wakes up the snakes and tells you that winter is
gone.

– It’s good luck for a butterfly to light on your shoulder.

– A wish made in a bed that’s never been slept in will come true.

– You can utter any untruth your heart desires as long as your fingers are
crossed.

A WITCH’S BREW FOR CLAIRVOYANCE

A WITCH’S BREW FOR CLAIRVOYANCE

Into a cauldron of boiling water, add a handful each of 3 herbs(shredded) that have long been associated with the arts of divination and prophecy.

  • laurel leaves

  • cinquefoil

  • mugwort

Cover with a lid, and boil for 13 minutes.

Lift the lid of the cauldron and deeply inhale the vapors of the bubbling brew 3 times.

Take a normal breath of air, and then once again deeply inhale the vapors 3 times.

Repeat this for 3 minutes, and if you have allowed yourself to properly enter a psychic state, you may begin to receive prophetic visions, either in the form of pictures or symbols, or perhaps in a combination of the two.

To Attract Others of Like Mind

To Attract Others of Like Mind

To surround yourself in love!

Items You Need

Orange candle

vanilla oil

needle & thread

6 sunflower seeds (soaked overnight in water to soften the outer shell)

Anoint the candle with vanilla oil and light it.  As it burns, chant

Come from here and come from there

People whom my ideals share

Come one, come now, come all to me

By Sun, Wind, Earth, and Shining Sea!

Thread the needle and string through the first sunflower seed Say:

With seed one, the spells begun

String the second seed, saying:

With seed two, my wish comes true

With the third:

With seed three, it comes to me

Fourth:

With seed four, it’s at my door

Fifth:

With seed five, it grows and thrives

And with the sixth seed:

With seed six, the spell is fixed

Knot the ends of the thread together to form a ring Rub a little vanilla oil into the center of the seed ring, and leave It by the candle until it burns out. Carry the ring with you as an attraction charm!

To Attract Customers to a Business or Visitors to a Home

To Attract Customers to a Business or Visitors to a Home

Make a fine powder out of some basil leaves and sprinkle them around the main entrance to the home or place of business. It is believed that only good and friendly people will enter, since it supposedly repels those who intend harm toward the workers of a business or the occupants of a home.

Aid In Financial Difficulty

Aid In Financial Difficulty

Materials:

Green Candle
Purple Candle
Sage Oil
Scribing tool such as a crafters exacto knife, athame or kitchen knife

On a Thursday (you can do it on any day but Thursday is associated with Power, Success, Fame, Wealth etc.)

Begin by meditating as you normally do, in addition I always use white light as a protection around my circle before I cast any spells. Inscribe on your candles money symbols, Success, Wealth.  Begin inscribing at the bottom of the candle, rotating it to the left in a spiral method. So your inscriptions will rotate up to the right and around. While you inscribe your candles, visualize your goals; see yourself succeeding be clear on what you want. Rub your candle with the Sage oil from the bottom up while asking for what you want.

Ask the Earth (As an element) to grant your spell use words that are meaningful for you. I face North and light the candles:

By the power of the Earth and the Grace of her body
I ask for Success in obtaining wealth
I ask that I be given focus and ability
To earn with love and light on this
Thursday Night I thank thee spiritually,
Emotionally, mentally and physically
As it harm none
So Mote it Be
 

You may also burn incense alone or in combination Honeysuckle, pine, musk, cedar, patchouli or jasmine in honor of earth. While the Candles burn, continue to meditate and or visualize your specific goals or you may visualize the earth guiding you to success.

Seven Day Desire Spell

Seven Day Desire Spell

You need:

Black seven day candle
Water
Saucer
Paper

Fill your saucer slightly with some water. On a piece of paper write the things you most desire, (like love, money, a job). Fold that up and put it on the saucer (yes, in the water) Now put your seven day candle on top of the paper and light it.

Each night before you go to sleep visualize your desires being obtained.

On the seventh day, snuff out the candle and dispose of it by getting it away from your property.

This spell can be customized by using different colored candles, pink or red for love, purple for spirituality, and so on. The black candle is used for “breaking through” those obstacles that are preventing you from your desires.

Moon Spell

Moon Spell

Materials:

  • A small globe of crystal or clear glass.

Initial Preparation:

The first time you starts this spell and every time you wish to use it for a new special purpose, you have to clear and consecrate the globe of crystal/glass by holding it up to the light of the Full Moon, so that the lunar image is caught therein.

Monthly:

After this has been performed, the globe may be used as a charm to procure the secret wish of the owner.  On the night of each New Moon, hold the sphere in the left palm, by candlelight, gaze upon it, and chant:

Crescent be full

and crystal fill:

Thus my eye and

thus my will:

Fiat Voluntus Abdita!

Fiat Voluntus Abdita!!

Fiat Voluntus Abdita!!!

 

The globe should then be kept in a small bag of leather inscribed with figures of the Moon’s phases, and worn about the neck during those days and nights between the crescent and the full.  While it is not being worn, the globe should be wrapped in a black cloth and hidden away.

We would like to take this moment to apologize

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If you didn’t notice, we abruptly stopped posting. It was not due to anything we could help. There was a major car accident down on the main road. A telephone pole was hit and our cable was knocked out. We are now back on the net and we are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. But truly we could not prevented this from happening. Thank you for understanding and your patience with us.

Since it is now so late in the day, I am going to forget the dailys and put on some spells and other material. I hope you enjoy it.

Today’s Tarot Card for Friday, Oct. 4th is The Sun

The Sun

Friday, Oct 4th, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self — who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person’s life, a fact we celebrate on our birthday.

The Sun card could also be titled “Back to Eden.” The Sun’s radiance is where one’s original nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls.

Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It’s as if this card is saying “You can do no wrong — it’s all to the good!”

Weekend Love Horoscopes for Oct. 4 – 6

Weekend Love Horoscopes

October 4-6: Trials and Tribulations

Maria DeSimone   Maria DeSimone on the topics of love, horoscopes, astrology

This Friday, a stressed-out New Moon in the relationship sign of Libra will set the tone for a difficult weekend when it comes to love and partnerships. New Moons are usually about a fresh start, and this one is no exception. The trouble, however, is that the new beginning will be excruciatingly painful to reach.

The Moon in Libra will square Pluto and oppose Uranus, causing a cosmic flare-up that you’ll feel personally. A relationship you’re in can no longer keep going “as it was,” and you know this. If you’re not ready to evolve with your partner, then a series of events are likely to occur that make it clear that you’ll need to write the next chapter of your life alone.

If you are strong enough to endure the radical change necessary to make your relationship viable, however, there is potential. Use Sunday’s penetrating sextile between Mercury and Pluto to have a deep discussion with your mate.

Daily Horoscopes for Friday, October 4th

We may feel as if we woke up on the wrong side the bed today as an anxious Sun-Venus alignment prompts emotional stress. Relationships are in for a bit of rock and roll this afternoon when the normally pleasant Libra Moon bumps into some pretty tough aspects with potent Pluto and rebellious Uranus. The socially astute Libra New Moon at 8:34 pm EDT marks a turning point as we consider what’s negotiable and how to get along better with others.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You instinctively know what others need today and can make them feel at ease before they are even aware of your swift intervention. Your attention shifts from your personal ambitions toward those of your friends because the Libra New Moon emphasizes your 7th House of Companions. Don’t be overly intrusive by assuming everyone wants your help. There may not be a valid reason to get involved unless you are asked. Sometimes good intentions aren’t enough. Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with letting people know that you care.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

You can turn on the charm now, enabling you to collaborate with your coworkers as the agreeable Libra New Moon lands in your 6th House of Employment. It’s easier to prioritize your tasks and negotiate which jobs could be delayed and which must be done right away. Fortunately, you’re capable of keeping up with everything that happens today, even if your efforts aren’t appreciated until later.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

The next few weeks provide you with a chance to revitalize a current relationship or may bring you a new love interest, instead. The social Libra New Moon reignites your 5th House of Romance and Creativity, which is a propitious sign for you to express your artistic nature today. Don’t hesitate; getting started quickly will free up even more time later on for pleasurable pursuits.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Strolling down Memory Lane is a familiar experience, and today your mental journey raises significant issues that you have already considered once before. Luckily, you can manage your emotions in order to avoid a difficult situation. Nevertheless, don’t get lost in your nostalgic meanderings just because the Libra New Moon falls in your 4th House of Roots. Instead, strive to concentrate on the present moment, rather than slipping off into dreamland. Your future is calling and there’s no time to waste.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

Although you want to believe that you know what’s best for you now, it’s still necessary to take time to consider the wishes of those around you. Even if you are striving to demonstrate your independence, it’s pointless to set your schedule before you talk with the people in your group. Today’s Libra New Moon activates your 3rd House of Communication, motivating you to engage everyone within hearing range. Once you know what others want, you can set your agenda for the day and determine how to meet your needs, too.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You may think you need to make a decision about money today, but your options aren’t as definitive as you wish. Unfortunately, the ambivalent Libra New Moon in your 2nd House of Finances makes it difficult to find the perspective you are seeking. You might go back and forth without being able to choose, but nothing positive will stem from being too hard on yourself. Wait a few days before completely committing one way or the other. In the meantime, listing the pros and cons is the next logical step.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Channeling your ideas into practical goals is exciting, but enthusiasm isn’t the only thing that counts. There’s no getting around that you must follow through on your plans with perseverance and good old-fashioned hard work. Today’s New Moon in your sign signals a sudden break from your past if you are ready to place your new intentions into action. But first you must express your desires clearly enough so they can have the impact you wish.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Although you can usually keep a secret at any cost, a particular issue may be the source of trouble today with the Libra New Moon falling in your 12th House of Privacy. However, you want to tell someone everything you know because you believe it will increase the intimacy between you. Unfortunately, you could go against your promise and impulsively spill the beans. Postpone your conversation until later this evening when you will have more objectivity and discretion at your disposal.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Your social calendar is jumping and you have the opportunity to kick the energy up another notch now since the Libra New Moon emphasizes your 11th House of Friends. Give yourself plenty of time to bask in stimulating discussions with like-minded people. But don’t wait too long to gather a group together, for everyone benefits when you share your dreams and optimistic visions about the future. Your love for life is contagious; pass it on.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Today’s Libra New Moon occurs in your 10th House of Public Responsibilities, stirring your ambitions and reminding you of all the amazing things that you have accomplished. But there may be more chores for you to finish before you can start a new project. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of taking on more work prior to saying yes on a job that could leave you exhausted. Creating a healthy balance between work and play is ultimately the most effective way to reach your goals.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You have an exciting opportunity to expand your horizons now by investigating an innovative idea. Gathering information about different courses of study should help you decide about attending school or additional on-the-job training as today’s Libra New Moon occupies your 9th House of Higher Education. Just don’t limit the possibilities to practical subjects; go ahead and break out of your self-imposed restriction and discover a wildly different world.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Your heart-centered approach to other people’s problems can open a door to the possibility of greater intimacy now that the gracious Libra New Moon falls in your 8th House of Deep Sharing. Don’t let your fear of the unknown stand between you and feeling compassion for someone else. Instead, maintain a balanced approach to the mysteries of love. Exploring the uncharted shadows of a relationship isn’t as scary as it might seem at first.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for Friday, October 4th

With the New Moon approaching and forming exactly at 5:36PM (energizing 12 degrees of Libra), all of the hours beforehand represent the dark-of-the-moon monthly cycle when the lunar orb is depleted of solar light and is striving to once again unite with the Sun in order to start a 29.5-day forward-moving cycle of dynamic energy. During the dark-of-the-moon cycle, it is best to keep a low profile and focus attention on completing projects begun during the last four weeks.  Love vibrations are tilting more toward the challenging than the easygoing due to the Sun making a frictional, 45-degree tie with Venus (9:18AM). Nevertheless, some tweaking is possible regarding this Sun-Venus contact that can result in making progress on the creative artistic horizon.  The Libra New Moon (5:36PM) is certainly welcome for all earthlings as it can become a resourceful launching pad for many artistic ventures that require a major boost. In addition, primary partnerships can bask in a new glow thanks to the solar and lunar orbs merging their influences. However, as often happens in our solar system, the universal mischief-makers like to toss in a cosmic monkey-wrench into earthly proceedings to see how we respond as an evolving species. Thus, only 4+ hours after the New Moon, Saturn in Scorpio and Uranus in Aries form the third of three, off-kilter, 150-degree aspects (9:47PM).  They already formed this type of alignment in November 2012 and April 2013. This Saturn-Uranus clash pits the past against the future, the conventional against the revolutionary, and the status quo against radical change. Does it have to augur bad tidings? Not necessarily if you are willing to adjust your thoughts, feelings and attitudes to the vital situations confronting you and your family members at this time. While risk-taking and shots in the dark can backfire and lead to instant karma, well-reasoned and intuitively-sound approaches to problem-solving may guide you to eventual success and achievements. [Note to readers: All times are calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Calendar of the Moon for October 4th

Calendar of the Moon

Ivy Month

Colors: Light blue and dark green
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of dark green lay pots of ivy twined up around posts of gold with suns, three blue candles, a vine-painted chalice of water, and a feather fan.
Offerings: Pray for enlightenment, and to be lifted up.
Daily Meal: Sheep, goat, or vegetarian using the fruits of the local harvests.

Gort Invocation

Call: Hail the month of the Ivy!
Response: Hail the month of twining for the sky!
Call: Where the vine yielded forth the blood of the earth…
Response: The ivy yields up the winds of the sky!
Call: Where the vine dulls the mind with happiness…
Response: The ivy opens the mind with terror and light!
Call: Hail to the chains of the Maenads!
Response: Hail to Dionysos and his torrent of madness!
Call: Hail to the Lady that mates with the Oak!
Response: She has entwined him, she has wrapped her limbs about him!
Call: Even his great strength is not enough to stay her!
Response: She shows that not all strength is standing tall!
Call: Hail to she who is supported by others….
Response: Yet reaches as high as they themselves!
Call: Show us, sacred Ivy, what it is to rise with the aid of the strong.
Response: Show us what it is to be borne up by branches.
Call: Show us what it is to be borne up by hopes.
Response: Show us what it is to be borne up by the Gods.
Call: We cannot reach the sky without aid…
Response: So we entreat you, Ivy, beg for aid for our earthbound hands.
Call: Teach us that the sky can be gained not only by the straight path…
Response: But also by the path of the spiral!
Call: Dance that spiral for us, Ivy, and we shall follow you!
Response: We shall follow you toward the blessed realms of the Gods.

Chant:
Turn turn turn again
Turn wind turn leaf
Twine o’er the last sheaf
Turn turn turn again

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for October 4th

Calendar of the Sun

4 Winterfyllith

Jejunium Cereris: Fast for Demeter

Color: Brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of brown place a clay cup of water, empty bowls, plates, and an empty cornucopia.
Offerings: Give food to the hungry.
Daily Meal: Fasting today, from the night before until Hesperis.

Jejunium Cereris Invocation

Demeter weeps.
She mourns all losses,
All that passes from our hands
Into the gaping earth of the Mother’s womb.
Across the land, there are places
Where the Earth is barren, and no mouths
Shall be fed from Her soil.
The people starve, they cry out, they fall,
But there is no mercy for them
Until the Wheel turns yet again.
So if we cannot feed them all,
If we cannot be Demeter Herself,
For our hands are too few,
Our work is too little,
Our efforts fall like a drop into a wasteland,
Let us still be that drop of hope
And let us, for one day, mourn with them.
For all that we have not, there are others
Who have less, and on this day
We give out some of what we have,
For true wealth is counted only
By how much you can give away.
For today, we shall fast with them
And we shall remember.
Blessed be Demeter in Her weeping,
Blessed be Demeter in Her mourning,
May we be blessed with Her tears.

Chant: By the dust of the Earth we live
By the work of our hands we give
By the work of our hearts we open the world.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for October 4th – New Moon

New Moon

(waxing/0-45 degrees)

The New Moon is a time best suited for new beginnings! For the first 48 hours following the exact time of the New Moon each month, a window of opportunity opens for making wishes that, if noted, come true in the days and months ahead. There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in the atmosphere, making it a great time to go forward and begin projects that you feel instinctively attracted to initiating. Follow your impulses and let yourself make new starts in areas that are important to you.

The Witches Spell for Oct. 4th – So Much to Do, So Little Time

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The Witches Spell for October 4th

So Much to Do, So Little Time

No matter how hard you work, you never seem to get caught up. If stress and frustration are getting you down, this spell offers a welcome respite from workplace demands.

Tools:

Lavender incense
An incense burner
A light blue candle
A candleholder
Matches or a lighter
A bathtub
Essential oil of vanilla
4 good-sized chunks of amethyst

When: Any time

Cast a Circle around your bathroom. Fit the incense and candle into their respective holders, then light both. Fill the bathtub with pleasantly hot water. Add a little essential oil of vanilla to the bathwater.

Wash the amethysts with mild soap and water, then set one on each corner of the bathtub. Climb into the tub and make yourself comfy. Feel the amethysts drawing off your stress and neutralizing it. Feel your frustrations and anxieties dissolving into the bathwater. The trick is not to think about anything outside the walls of the bathroom.

When you worry about the past or future, you block receptivity to new ideas and guidance that could help you resolve problems. If a troublesome thought pops into your mind, send it into the water or give it to the amethysts. Soak for as long as you like until you feel calm, rested, and confident that all is well.

When your peace of mind is restored, get out of the tub. As the water drains away, visualize your cares flowing away with it. Pick up the amethysts and thank them. Then wash them with clean water (not the bathwater) and mild soap and pat them dry. Extinguish the candle and incense, or allow them to burn down in a safe place. Open the Circle and emerge renewed.

Let’s Talk Witch – Incorporating The Animal Element Into Your Magick

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Incorporating Animal Elements Into Magick

Anyone who’s read Shakespeare is familiar with the idea of using animal parts in magick: “Eye of newt and toe of frog, / Wool of bat and tongue of dog …” (Macbeth, Act IV, sc. 1). Where did this tradition come from Quite simply, humans have always trusted animal spirits (and the spirits of plants and inanimate objects) for their powers. A Magus (the singular form of Magi) who needed courage looked to nature’s blueprint and found a lion, whose heart may be carried or otherwise used in a spell (thus the phrase “heart of a lion”). When a Witch needed stealth, it made sense to use the chameleon’s skin as a spell component. When he needed perspective, a variety of birds came to mind, and he might harvest the eye.

Over time things changed, however. Only animal parts found in nature and properly cleaned are fit to be used magickally in Witchcraft. Modern Witches honor nature and her needs in their methods; eco- consciousness is a top priority. Here’s a brief list of animal components and applications you would likely find on a random walk in nature:

Antlers: Sliced antler makes a very sturdy carving surface, and may be used in making a personal set of runes. Alternatively, antlers can be carried to honor Artemis, Cernunnos, and Bacchus, or used as virility charms.

Eggshells: Traditionally, shells were buried or burned in healing spells (often after having been carried by the patient so the eggshells “absorbed” the illness). Eggshells also make a good womb symbol in which energy can be nurtured to maturity. Be sure to consider the color of the eggshell in the final application. For instance, use blue eggshells to nurture peace and joy.

Feathers: Use feathers for divination, for moving incense around the sacred space, or as a spell component in magick directed toward liberation and release. They’re also good for meditations in which you wish to connect with bird spirits or the air element.

Fur: Tufts of fur can often be found on burrs or other prickly bushes. If you can determine the animal that lost the fur, you can apply the fur as a symbol of that creature and its attributes in spells and rituals. For example, a bit of rabbit fur would be a good component to put in your power pouch for abundance and fertility. (Any small pouch will do as a power pouch. Use it to keep special items, like small stones given by friends and those that carry personal meaning.)

Nails: Nails serve utilitarian purposes (for gathering food) as well as defensive ones— when in the clutches of a foe. With this in mind, animal nails could be carried as amulets and talismans for providence and safety.

Teeth: One of the longest-lasting parts of any body, teeth have natural associations with longevity and durability. Furthermore, teeth affect the way a lot of creatures communicate, so use them in different communication spells, depending on the type of creature involved. For example, if you were going into a meeting where clever discourse was needed, carrying a fox tooth might be apt.

Whiskers: According to an old bit of folklore, cat’s whiskers that you find somewhere can be used in a wish-fulfilling spell. For this to work, burn the whisker and whisper a wish to the smoke. This spell might be accomplished with the whiskers of other animals too, like using a dog’s whiskers to inspire devotion and constancy.

The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (p. 104).
Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

Celebrating Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Oct. 4th, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

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4 October

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is one of the most revered of the Christian saints. He was distinguished for his joyous piety, asceticism, and compassion that extended to all living creatures. Francis was the son of a prosperous merchant who had him disinherited because of his extravagant gifts to the poor. Soon after this, Francis began to minister to the lepers near Assisi and then rebuilt a ruined chapel for them. In 1209, he received papal permission to begin his own order and established the Franciscan order. He traveled extensively throughout France and Spain, where his compassion for Nature spread. One legend has him preaching a sermon to Sparrows at Alviano, and another tells of him saving bees from freezing to death. On this day, many Christian schools allow the students to bring their pets to class so they can be blessed by the resident priest.