INSECT REPELLENT
2 oz. vegetable oil or vodka
1/4 tsp each citronella and eucalyptus essential oils
1/8 tsp each pennyroyal, cedar and rose geranium essential oil,
Combine ingredients and apply mixture directly to all exposed skin. Keep oil
away from eyes and mouth – take care not to rub your eyes right after applying
the repellent with your fingers
I don’t know if you have the same problem that we do. You can’t sit out at night without the bugs trying to carry you off. Then while you are swaying at this one, there is another one biting the crap out of you. Then you scratch yourself to death the rest of the night. This oil recipe below is simple but it good. It takes the itch right out of those bites.
INSECT BITE OIL
1 tsp Lavender Essential Oil
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Combine essential oil and vegetable oil and dab mixture directly on bite as
needed. Store in a bottle with a tight lid.
2 c Rose petals
1 t Allspice
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 c Lemon peel
1 c Orange peel
1 c Honeysuckle blossoms
1 c Lily of the Valley blossoms
1 c Lavender
1 c Sweet William blossoms
4 c Orris root powder
Here is how to make your own extra strength worry dolls using your poppet. Make some tiny little poppets as above – 7 would be good! – and find 7 different coloured pieces of string or thin ribbon (tip – you can pull a string from a piece of fabric). Assign one topic to each colour – let’s say:
Purple: Magic/Spiritual/Religious worries
Blue: Work/Study worries
Green: Money problems
Pink: Love problems
Red: Physical/health/self esteem body problems
Orange: Emotional Problems
Yellow: Thought/Intellect/memory worries.
Tie one of these around each moppet’s neck, line them all up and one at a time, give them your worries to worry about. They will not only worry for you, but also in real voodoo doll fashion set to work and go and resolve these worries for you. There’s one thing though. If you start worrying about a worry you have given over to a worry doll, you are taking the worry BACK to YOURSELF and the spell is broken. Should this happen accidentally, go back to the doll and give it the problem afresh. When the problem is resolved, you can take the ribbon off the voodoo doll and it returns to a neutral waiting state until you want to use it again for something.
Example of poppets made of felt and fashioned from the gingerbread pattern. Poppets have been used for centuries as tools of magical intent and most often for healing purposes. When people hear of poppets they oftentimes associate them with voodoo dolls. In recent years, pagans have helped to refine the poppet’s tarnished reputation. For the purpose of this, we will work through the basic poppet construction for a healing purpose.
You’ll Need:
Green material
Natural filler (ie: cotton)–nothing synthetic
Spearmint
Needle
Thread (made of natural material)
Scissors
Straight pins
Simple human pattern (the generic “gingerbread man” form works well)
pen or pencil
marker(s)
Step 1
Before you begin, sit for a few minutes and relax. Take some deep breaths and focus on the purpose you envision for this poppet. The emotional energy you put forth will resonate from the poppet along with the magical intent. If you wish, ask Spirit (or whichever Power you feel most comfortable working with) to be with you and to guide you as you make this poppet and that your purpose be accomplished as you intend. Keep healing, positive thoughts as you start this working. Picture the person healthy, happy and energetic with no sign of the illness, or remnants thereof.
Step 2
Basic gingerbread pattern for a poppet. Cut material to the dimensions needed in order to make the size poppet you wish. Remember to cut the material large enough that you leave some material along the outer edge.
Step 3
Cut the gingerbread forms from the material. Line up the edges of both forms so that they are even. Use the straight pins to hold the forms in place.
Step 4
Stitch the two pieces of material together leaving a large enough opening to insert the filler and spearmint.
Step 5
Fill the poppet with the spearmint and filler (alternating one then the other until the doll is filled). Once you have filled the poppet, you can use the straight pins to hold the area together until you stitch it closed.
Step 6
Use a marker to write the person’s name, your intent or to even draw the person’s features. Get creative! But ALWAYS have positive intent and purpose while making the poppet. This goes for all poppets, not just those for healing.
Step 7
If you asked for the guidance of Spirit at the start, be sure to thank Spirit.
Tips & Warnings
Keep your intent in mind, and in focus, from the moment you start the poppet til you finish.
For the purpose of this, depending on the size of the poppet you are making, use your discretion as to the amount of filler and spearmint used.
Other possible herbs for healing: Eucalyptus, Rowan, Cinnamon, Sage, Peppermint, Hops and Sandalwood. (Use alone or in combination.)
Choose the color of the material and herbs used for future poppets based on your intent.
You can use one herb alone or in combination with others.
Feel free to include stones associated with your intent as well.
NEVER imbue a poppet with anger, spite or any other malignant intent. Remember, that which you send out will return to you in time.
NEVER conduct any workings that would impose your will onto another person. DO NOT become involved in that person’s life without their asking you to and giving their consent. Harm none.
Such workings as above should NEVER be used in place of seeking the help of a medical doctor. All diagnoses should come from a licensed professional.
Items You Need:
Gentian
Marigold
Passionflower
Rue
Sumbui Root or Violets
Brew a tea from one of the above components. Strain and add some to your bath water for seven nights in a row. Then wait and see just what you may attract.
LUST BATH SALTS
1 cup Epsom salts
2/3 cup table salt
1/3 cup baking soda
14 drops orange oil
14 drops lime oil
10 drops rosemary oil
8 drops cinnamon oil
~ Cleansing in the Shower ~
When we awaken for the day, our energies are ethereal and our minds saturated with the energy of the dreaming. Begin your day by hopping into the shower or bath, yet don’t let it be a physical or bodily cleansing alone. We are blessed to have access to clean and purifying water and should pay attention to this, honor this, and utilize it for the most spiritual purposes possible. As the bathwater is draining, or as the water from the showerhead cleanses you for the day, meditate on water and what it represents as an element. Water is attuned to emotions, the psychic body, and the astral plane. Allow the morning routine to be a profoundly cleansing, spiritual process to prepare you for the day. While cleansing, say something like:
I connect to the undines and the element of water. May this cleansing purify my body and mind, preparing me to dance with the spirals of reality throughout the day. I honor water, and this cleansing ritual between the dreaming and waking life. So mote it be.
by….. Raven Digitalis
Witch Balls
By Amber K
Folklore gives us many ways to protect and bless our homes, from a
sprig of rowan fastened near the entryway to the brightly colored
hex signs of the Pennsylvania Dutch, to the inverted horseshoe
nailed above the door to “catch the luck” and hold it. The “Witch
Ball” is one more protective device.
A Witch Ball is a hollow glass sphere hung at a window, or in a
corner of a room near the ceiling, that averts or traps evil before
it can bring harm to the occupants of the home. It may only a couple
of inches in diameter, or large as a pumpkin.
Some writers have said they were called “Witch Balls” because they
were made to protect a home from Witches. It is just as possible,
however, that the balls were used by Witches to ward their own
homes, and those of their clients.
No one knows exactly when these talismans first were used. The
manufacture of glass and the ability to make blown-glass vessels are
very old skills; the Roman Empire had a lively trade in glass two
thousand years ago. We know that Witch Balls were used in Old
England, but whether this was a legacy of the Roman occupation or a
later custom is uncertain. Certainly Witch Balls were common in
colonial America.
Many witch balls were coated inside with silver nitrate. It was said
that these reflected the “evil eye” or any negative spell back on
the sender. Also, any demon seeing his face reflected in the silver
ball would be frightened and flee, or maybe seeing the world
reflected in a curved, distorted way was enough to confuse him.
Other balls are created with slender threads or pillars of glass
inside to catch any evil spirit that ventured within. Yet others
were simply the glass balls, clear or green or blue, used by
fishermen to float their nets. Perhaps these were reflective enough
to work the same way as the silver balls.
Witch balls have also found their way into the garden as a form of
the large “gazing globes” on pedestals that adorned many Victorian
gardens and are still seen occasionally today. If a flower garden is
a place of beauty and serenity, a refuge from the cares of the
world, certainly it deserves protection as much as the house itself.
Another place where Witch balls turn up is on the family Christmas
tree – or more accurately the Yule tree, as the custom of dragging a
tree indoors is doubtlessly Pagan in origin. The tree may be a
variant on the Yule log, which was originally a huge dead tree (and
phallic symbol), conveyed to the manor house by the men of the
village with much singing and ribald horseplay. Their one end was
placed in the great hearth, and a fire kindled. Over several days of
feasting and festivity the Yule log was gradually pushed into the
fire as the end was consumed.
The Yule tree may also have been a representation of the World Tree
of old Northern Europe. The whole universe was imagined as a great
ash tree, called Yggdrasill. Its roots reached down into the Norse
underworlds, Niflheim and Muspelheim; its crown stretched up to
Asgard and the halls of the gods; and in its branches deer and other
wild creatures browsed. This great tree is akin to the Tree of Life
of the ancient goddess civilizations of the Near East.
On our Yule trees today we place lights and stars and candy canes,
carved animals and elves and Santa’s and – of course – little glass
spheres. Witch Balls. Gold for the reborn Sun god, and silver for
the Moon Goddess, whose blessings and protection we ask for the
coming new year. In Ancient Ways, Pauline Campanili suggests that
the “shiny glass balls catch the light of the new born Sun and send
it back as a magical means of enhancing the Sun’s energy.”
You can have your own Witch ball up year ’round. Buy a large and
beautiful Yule ornament, or seek out a glass fisherman’s float in an
antique shop, or look in a catalog of garden statuary such as
Toscano’s for a “gazing globe.” Give it a special place of honor in
your home or garden, invoke the gods of your choice, and consecrate
it to its protective purpose. Dust it frequently to remove any
negativity from its surface. Perhaps it will make your home that
much more of a safe have.
How To Make A Protection Witch Ball
glass ball or Yule ornament with an opening
bottle of silver paint
a spool of read thread
few drops of frankincense or patchouli oil
scissors
Cover you working space with newspaper to protect against spills.
Take the metal cap off the ornament. Carefully pour a little of the
silver paint inside the ball and swish it around until the inside is
completely covered with the silver. Set it aside to dry.
When the paint is totally dry, cut the red thread into three inch-
lengths. Carefully poke this thread into the open end of the ball.
Continue cutting and putting the thread into the ball until the ball
is nearly full. Put in a few drops of oil. Then put the end back on
the ornament. If it has no end, seal it with candle wax.
When you hang the protection ball, chant:
“Symbol of the Moon, symbol of the Lady divine,
Reject all negativity, defend this home (car), me and mine”.
This protection ball can be hung in the window of your home or in
your car. Any negative thoughts or ill wishes directed against you
are reflected back to the sender. You can also decorate the outside
with appropriate designs. You can put them onto wreaths or make them
part of a dried flower arrangement. Programmed for protection, these
little Witch balls do a very good job.
Witch’s Rosary
If these beads sound familiar, it is because they have been borrowed
from The Christian Rosary. And why not? Christians have always
borrowed from Pagans when it comes to spirituality, so why not
borrow back? Remember, all the Gods are One God.
The Rosary was invented in the Middle Ages as a devotion to Mary,
the mother of Jesus. Although the Church is quick to define Mary as
simply “first among the saints,” it is clear the common people from
the first century CE onwards saw Mary as the continuation of the
Queen of Heaven: Astarte in Palestine, or Isis in Egypt. It is
fitting, then, to adapt a Marian devotion for honor to the Goddess,
the Queen of Heaven. These beads honor the Goddess in her three-
fold, or triple, nature as Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
The components of a Witch Rosary are:
1) Moonstone (The Moon)
2) Hematite (Fire)
3) Crystal Quartz (Air)
4) Earth Stone (Earth)
5) Lapis Lazuli (Water)
6) Amber (Sun)
7) Birthstone (Stars)
8) Ankh, as pendant or buckle
Substitutions may be made as follows:
Substitutions may be made as follows:
1) Opal, Mother of Pearl
2) Flame Agate
3) Crystal
4) Emerald
5) Blue Amethyst
6) Chrysolite
7) Gem with a Natural Star
8) No substitute for the Ankh
If worn as a necklace, the stones may be separated by knots in the
cord, or there may be three silver beads between each stone.
If it is worn as a belt, there may be three wooden beads between
each of the leather pouches that holds a stone; these wooden beads
may in turn be separated by knots in the leather cord (usually), if
a cord is used.
You will need:
13 white 8mm beads for the Maiden
13 red 8mm beads for the Mother
13 black mm beads for the Crone
1 silver 10mm bead representing the Full Moon
52 silver spacer beads
(class “E” 6/0) representing the Moonlight.
Nylon thread: white or ecru, or color of choice
You may begin and end stringing anywhere in the loop, but the tie-
off is
less visible in the midst of the black beads.
The silver Moon bead is separated from the White Maiden beads by
four (4) silver spacer beads. Each white Maiden bead is followed by
one silver spacer bead, but the thirteenth bead is followed by four
(4) spacer beads. Then come the red Mother beads, each followed by
one silver spacer, but the 13th bead is followed by four (4)
spacers. Then come the black Crone beads, each followed by one
silver bead, but the 13th is followed by four (4) spacers. And so we
are back at the silver Moon bead. In other words, beads of the same
color are separated by one spacer. The three sets of beads and the
larger Moon bead are separated by four spacers. Thirteen (13) beads
are used in each set to signify the thirteen months of the lunar
year. The silver spacers represent moonlight issuing from the Full
Moon bead throughout the life cycle of Maiden, Mother, Crone.
Prayers are said on each bead, while meditating on the mysteries of
the Triple Goddess, and the experience of the human life cycle. Men
may wish to make a devotion to the Horned God, and honor the life
cycle of Youth, Father, and Sage.
Prayers for your witch’s Rosary
On the silver Moon Bead say:
Blessed Mother, come to me,
and cast your lovely, silver light.
Un-cloud your face that I may see
unveiled, its shining in the night.
Triple Goddess, Blessed Be,
and Merry Meet, my soul’s delight!
On the space say:
I bind unto my self today the
Fertility of the Maiden.
Meditate of the Presence of the Maiden. On each Maiden Bead say:
Maiden daughter, sister, lover,
White-light, Night-light, love’s embrace;
Seeking love, we find each other
By the radiance of your face.
On the space say:
I bind unto myself today the
Power of the Mother.
Meditate on the Presence of the Mother. On each Mother Bead say:
Mother of all, radiant, beaming,
Full and heavy womb with expectation bright;
Be present here, full moonlight gleaming,
And bless your child with truth and light.
On the space say:
I bind unto myself today the
Wisdom of the Crone.
Meditate on the Presence of the Crone. On each Crone Bead say:
Crone now stands in moonlight gleaming,
Starlit night and silver hair;
Peace and wisdom from you streaming,
Goddess, keeper of our care.
On the space say:
I bind unto myself today the
Fertility, Power, and Wisdom of the Goddess.
On the silver Moon Bead conclude:
Blessed Mother, stay by me,
and cast your lovely, silver light.
Un-cloud your face that I may see
unveiled, its shining in the night.
Triple Goddess, Blessed Be,
and Merry Meet, my soul’s delight!
So Mote it be!
Items needed:
A lump of Yellow Ochre
Gum from the Pinyon pine
3 cups of black Sunflower seeds. (The little ones)
3 Tablespoons ground Native Alum
Start by burning the lump of yellow ochre with an equal amount of the pinyon
gum. This will make a nice black soot. (Catch the soot on a cool ironstone plate
that is held over the burning mixture.)
Save the soot.
Next, take the sunflower seeds, still in their shells, and boil them for twenty
to thirty minutes in 8 cups of water. Remove the seeds just after splitting
open. (Do not allow them to soak in it.)
Add the native Alum after toasting it in an iron pan. Stir and simmer so that
the Alum is completely dissolved.
Simmer the liquid until it is reduced to six cups of liquid.
Dip out a cup of the liquid and scrape the soot into it. Stir until it is
dissolved.
Add the soot-dye mixture back into the greater dye.
Gently simmer until it is reduced to a desired consistency.
Use with a ‘quill’ pen or fine lined paint brush.
Items You Will Need:
1 part of powdered Dragon’s Blood Resin
12 – 15 parts of Alcohol
1 part of Arabic Gum
A few drops of essential oil of Cinnamon or Myrrh
Make all your resin a powder and add the ground Arabic Gum. Then add the alcohol just a little bit every time, till all the powder is dissolved completely. This might take some time.
Filter through a strainer on which you have attached a piece of cloth (clean piece of cloth, a cloth you will not need again).
Store the ink in a bottle and inscribe on it the name of the ink. Keep on your altar ready to be used.
Best time to make this ink is during the Waxing Moon.
If you’ve got more to worry about than a mild case of the blah’s, this is an excellent bath to use as it tends to increase focus and personal productivity.
Materials needed:
1 T. lavender flowers, dried
1 T. rose petals, dried
1 T. salt
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
Place the dry ingredients in the filter cup of an automatic drip coffeemaker, add a full pot of water, and allow to brew. Mix in the lemon juice, and add the contents to a tub of warm water.
Once the bath is ready, sit in the tub, and completely immerse yourself seven times, allowing the mixture to flow into all body openings. (Swish it around in your mouth as well, but do not swallow it.) Stay in the tub for seven minutes, then get out, allowing the moisture on your body and hair to dry naturally.
Long known for its healing and curative properties, vinegar also has the capacity to slice through psychic grime, making it perfect for this bath.
Materials needed:
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 T. salt
Add the ingredients to a warm tub of water, then stir clockwise with your index finger until well mixed.
Once the bath is ready, sit in the tub, and completely immerse yourself seven times, allowing the mixture to flow into all body openings. (Swish it around in your mouth as well, but do not swallow it.) Stay in the tub for seven minutes, then get out, allowing the moisture on your body and hair to dry naturally.
This is a great little psychic cleanser with added perks: It relieves mild depression and is actually good for your skin and hair.
Materials needed:
1 12 oz. can of beer
1 T. salt
Add the beer and salt to a warm tub of water. Using your index finger, stir the water clockwise until thoroughly mixed.
When the air gets chilly, it’s time to dig out your sweaters, hats, and scarves and bundle up. Don’t let all those extra clothes get you down, though — make the most of it by adding a dash of magick to your cold weather wardrobe. Draw pentacles on clothing tags to attract wealth, anoint zippers with magickally attuned essential oils, decorate sweater buttons with meaningful sigils. Pin small pieces of herbs onto hats: pine for prosperity, holly for protection, fir for extra energy and a youthful flow. You can even charm your favorite scarf to encourage good cheer — choose beads in a happy color like blue or yellow, add your own symbols to the beads using a permanent marker, and tie them onto the scarf with yarn.
Reference:
Sweater Magic By Melanie Marquis Llewellyn’s 2013 Magical AlmanacBy Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the days get shorter, the skies become gray, and it seems as though the sun is dying. In this time of darkness, we pause on the Solstice (usually around December 21st, although not always on the same date) and realize that something wonderful is happening.
On Yule, the sun stops its decline into the south. For a few days, it seems as though it’s rising in exactly the same place… and then the amazing, the wonderful, the miraculous happens. The light begins to return.
The sun begins its journey back to the north, and once again we are reminded that we have something worth celebrating. In families of all different spiritual paths, the return of the light is celebrated, with Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, bonfires, and brightly lit Christmas trees. On Yule, many Pagan and Wiccan families celebrate the return of the sun by adding light into their homes. One of our family’s favorite traditions – and one that children can do easily – is to make a Yule log for a family-sized celebration.
A holiday celebration that began in Norway, on the night of the winter solstice it was common to hoist a giant log onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year. The Norsemen believed that the sun was a giant wheel of fire which rolled away from the earth, and then began rolling back again on the winter solstice.
As Christianity spread through Europe, the tradition became part of Christmas Eve festivities. The father or master of the house would sprinkle the log with libations of mead, oil or salt. Once the log was burned in the hearth, the ashes were scattered about the house to protect the family within from hostile spirits.
Because each type of wood is associated with various magickal and spiritual properties, logs from different types of trees might be burned to get a variety of effects. Aspen is the wood of choice for spiritual understanding, while the mighty oak is symbolic of strength and wisdom. A family hoping for a year of prosperity might burn a log of pine, while a couple hoping to be blessed with fertility would drag a bough of birch to their hearth.
In our house, we usually make our Yule log out of pine, but you can make yours of any type of wood you choose. You can select one based on its magickal properties, or you can just use whatever’s handy. To make a basic Yule log, you will need the following:
All of these – except for the ribbon and the hot glue gun — are things you and your children can gather outside. You might wish to start collecting them earlier in the year, and saving them. Encourage your children to only pick up items they find on the ground, and not to take any cuttings from live plants.
Begin by wrapping the log loosely with the ribbon. Leave enough space that you can insert your branches, cuttings and feathers under the ribbon. In our house, we place five feathers on our Yule log – one for each member of the family. Once you’ve gotten your branches and cuttings in place, begin gluing on the pinecones, cinnamon sticks and berries. Add as much or as little as you like. Remember to keep the hot glue gun away from small children.
Once you’ve decorated your Yule log, the question arises of what to do with it. For starters, use it as a centerpiece for your holiday table. A Yule log looks lovely on a table surrounded by candles and holiday greenery.
Another way to use your Yule log is to burn it as our ancestors did so many centuries ago. In our family, before we burn our log we each write down a wish on a piece of paper, and then insert it into the ribbons. It’s our wish for the upcoming year, and we keep it to ourselves in hopes that it will come true.
If you have a fireplace, you can certainly burn your Yule log in it, but we prefer to do ours outside. We have a fire pit in the back yard, and on the night of the winter solstice, we gather out there with blankets, mittens, and mugs full of warm drinks as we burn our log. While we watch the flames consume it, we discuss how thankful we are for the good things that have come our way this year, and how we hope for abundance, good health, and happiness in the next.
About.com Guide
4 lbs lard
13 oz lye (1 can)
5 cups cold water
1 tbsp lavender oil
1tbsp patchouli oil
1 cup fresh strawberry juice
1/4 cup dried soap bark herb (optional
In a large enamel or iron kettle, melt the lard over very low heat. (Never use metal) In a separate pot, stir together the lye & the water. Heat lard until small bubbles begin to appear – do not boil.
Remove from the heat & slowly pour the lye solution into the lard. With a big wooden spoon, stir in the lavender & patchouli oils, the strawberry juice & soap bark herb. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour into 2-inch deep greased pan & allow to cool overnight. Cut the soap into squares and leave in the pan for at least 3 days before removing. Place the Soap bars on waxed paper & allow them to age in a draft-free area approximately 4-6 weeks before using.
For silver cutlery, lay a sheet of aluminum foil in a pan, cover with a few
inches of water, and add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of
soda. Bring to the boil, drop in the cutlery, simmer for five minutes, then
remove and rinse.
For silver jewelry, shred aluminum foil until you have enough to half-fill a
jar. Add a teaspoon of salt and fill with water. Drop in Jewelry, cover the jar
and leave for five minutes, then remove and rinse the jewelry.
Purchase a Green Man magnet or acquire a copyright-free image of Green Man and make your own. The Green Man is such an old figure that there are many cool, classic images of him in the public domain available for you. You can put a picture of Green Man on a printable magnet available from any office supply store, or glue a round magnet on the back of a wooden disk and pain or glue a Green Man on the front. In a small envelope, place a one-dollar bill, a sprinkle of basil, and a leaf from your favorite tree, and then seal the envelope. Using the magnet, stick the envelope to your fridge. Empower it with the following charm:
“Draw to me the mighty green
Prosperity shall come to me.
Open my opportunities
Drawing forth magnetically.”
Witches Of The Craft® 
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