Tag: Health

Daily OM for February 3 – Redefining health

Redefining Health
Throw Away Your Scale

by Madisyn Taylor

No matter what our weight, we can use the cues from our physical and mental selves to judge how healthy we are.

Health is not a numerical concept and cannot be defined using statistics. Human beings, however, tend to want to quantify well-being into easily understandable figures. We feel compelled to ascribe numbers to every aspect of wellness, from the qualities of our food to our f

itness levels to the physical space we occupy. As a consequence of social pressures, we turn our attention away from health and focus instead on the most contentious of these figures—weight—checking our scales to see how we measure up to our peers and role models. Yet each of us is equipped to gauge our relative healthfulness without any equipment whatsoever. When we have achieved a state of wellness, we feel buoyant and energetic. Some of us are naturally slim, while others will always be curvy. No matter what our weight, we can use the cues we receive from our physical and mental selves to judge how healthy we really are.

When you throw away your scale, you commit to a lifestyle that honors the innate wisdom that comes from within your body and within your mind. It is logical to examine how you feel while considering your health—a strong, fit, and well-nourished individual will seldom feel heavy, bloated, or fatigued. If you have concerns regarding your weight, remind yourself that at its proper weight, your body will feel buoyant and agile. Movement becomes a source of joy. Sitting, standing, walking, and bending are all easy to do because your joints and organs are functioning as they were meant to. When you are physically healthy, your mind will also typically occupy a place of well-being. Mental clarity and an ability to focus are two natural traits of whole-self health. Surprisingly, promoting this type of easy-to-discern wellness within yourself takes no special effort outside of satisfying your hunger with nourishing, wholesome foods and moving your body.

The numbers you see on the scale, while nominally informative, can prevent you from reaching your healthful eating goals by giving you a false indicator of health. You will know when you have achieved true health because every fiber of your being will send you signals of wellness. When you choose to listen to these signals instead of relying on the scale, your definition of well-being will be uniquely adapted to the needs of your body and of your mind.

Daily OM

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Quiz of the Day – What Is Your Soul Type?

What Is Your Soul Type? Quiz

Are you a Hunter or a Visionary? A Peacemaker or a Bright Star? Find out with  this fascinating quiz that helps you understand more about who you truly, deeply  are.

You may want to share this quiz with friends and loved ones. Learn more about  your own soul-nature here:

If you are a FIRE SIGN, do you

* Sometimes feel negative and often  find something to complain about?

* Find that you are either extremely  encouraging or extremely discouraging of others and their actions?

* Dream  of the perfect mate even though you are disappointed again and again when others  let you down?

If this sounds most like you, then you are a RETROSPECTIVE  SOUL. (Retrospectives get their name from their tendency to look backward,  sometimes holding on to old hurts.)

Or do you

* Feel compelled to express your artistic temperament?

*  Think you are sometimes unrealistic in your expectations of people and  situations?

* Find that you often look through rose-colored glasses to try  to see only the best in someone? If this sounds most like you, then you are  a DREAMING SOUL.

Or do you

* Think of yourself as positive and outgoing, especially in  difficult circumstances?

* Love to be center stage, even if it is at the  expense of others?

* Need accolades and a partner who gives you their full  attention? If this sounds most like you, then you are a BRIGHT STAR SOUL.

——————————

IF you are an EARTH SIGN, do you

* Love a challenge  and strive to conquer it at all costs?

* Motivate others with your  enthusiasm but move on if they hold you up or disrupt your plans?

* Need  freedom and flexibility in any personal relationship? If this sounds most  like you, then you are a HUNTER SOUL.

Or do you

* Take a while to decide on the right career path?

* Think  of yourself as a social organizer who will call others even if they don’t call  you?

* Need reassurance and security, as you’re not always sure of your own  value? If this sounds most like you, then you are a VISIONARY SOUL.

Or do you

* Naturally take charge of most situations?

* Find that you  are usually the first one to volunteer?

* Need to be involved with your  partner and have real communication? If this sounds most like you, then you  are a WARRIOR SOUL.

——————————

IF you are an AIR SIGN, do you

*  Very often wonder if the grass might be greener someplace other than where you  are?

* Not really need the security of a house, home, or family?

* Consider yourself romantic and love the idea of romance but find it difficult  to commit to a single relationship? If this sounds most like you, then you  are a TRAVELER SOUL.

Or do you

* Feel content to be wherever you are at any given moment?

* Avoid conflict of any kind in order to keep stability both at home and at  work?

* Need a stable partner who is totally committed to you, even if the  relationship is not perfect? If this sounds most like you, then you are a  PROPHET SOUL.

Or do you

* Need the opportunity to try out new and innovative ideas?

* Value stability and almost always feel like things are stable?

*  Openly and easily share your emotions, and need a grounded home life? If  this sounds most like you, then you are a NEWBORN SOUL.

——————————

If  you are a WATER SIGN, do you

* Always find yourself interested in  others?

* Like to involve yourself with worthwhile projects, and love to  philosophize and intellectualize things?

* Want a relationship, but like to  hold back, and find it hard to share inner feelings? If this sounds most  like you, then you are a SEEKER SOUL.

Or do you

* Feel like your main focus is on marriage and family, even on  social occasions?

* Work with children, or in a teaching, caring, or  nurturing profession?

* Enjoy nurturing your family? If this sounds most  like you, then you are a PEACEMAKER SOUL.

Or do you

* Like company, but feel you can be just as happy doing your  own thing by yourself?

* Get involved with several projects at once, finding  it hard to say no?

* Like to make the rules in your relationship? If  this sounds most like you, then you are an OLD SOUL.

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‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for January 31st

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Everyone is a collector of something. And everyone’s collection looks peculiar to someone else. And yet, who knows why an item may have a certain appeal to one particular person. The shape, the color, the whole idea may have a hidden background, but it is most definitely there!

It may be old books, or magazines. Perhaps it is pill bottles, fishing hooks, or something “I may need someday when…” Who knows the reason old calendars continue to hang, and scraps of this and that may someday be just what I need.

But more dear than any of these are the happy thoughts we collect to use along the way. We can use them to cheer someone, to pass along a word of courage, a simple prayer, a smile. And when someone has time to share with us an experience that we may profit by the pain they felt – yes, these are collector’s items. These priceless bits of life’s fabric, woven by someone’s cares and offered to us in hopes that it will help.

Whatever it is that we collect, we must never forget the dearest collections are the kindnesses, the thoughtful acts, the smiling faces that can be ours by giving the same.

What could be so priceless as true friendship? Friends for which time and space do not exist! It is written, “What a great blessing is a friend with breast so trusty that thou mayest safely bury all thy secrets in it, whose conscience thou mayest fear less than thy own; who can relieve thy cares by his counsels, thy sadness by his good humor, and whose very looks give thee comfort.”

All of us have had many friends, but the special ones remain forever in our memories. The dearest are those who believe in us and are willing to trust us with their friendship.

We cannot force friendship. It is something mutually understood and silently accepted. It is our opportunity to demonstrate our very best selves – to as no questions and to pass no criticisms.

“Before us is a future all unknown, a path untrod;
Beside us a friend well loved and known –
That friend is God.

_________________________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

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Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 31

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 31

“In sharing, in loving all and everything, one people naturally found a due portion of the thing they sought, while in fearing, the other found need of conquest.”

–Chief Luther Standing Bear, SIOUX

There are two systems of thought that are available for us to choose from. One is the love-thought system and the other is the fear- thought system. If we choose love, we will see the laws, principles and values of the Creator. If we choose fear, the results will be so paralyzing that it will cause us to take over and not rely on the Great Spirit. The fear-thought system will automatically cause attack, conflict, need to control over others. The love-thought system seeks peace of mind, unity and causes us to be love seekers.

Great Spirit, today let me see only love.

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January 31 – Daily Feast

January 31 – Daily Feast

Sensible people do not get ruffled easily and are known to be reliable in a crisis. We want these stable people with us as friends and team members when the game is terribly important. We have heard the calm voice and felt the strong hand when our knees wobbled and our hands shook. It is easy to recall those who sustained us with their words, their caring. And sadly, we remember those who did not. Whatever common sense is, the heart has it, not the head. It is having the right priorities, knowing what is important, and giving as much as, or more than, we have received. Indians of old has this stalwart strength to stand like straight arrows to give support. They reached out to lift someone before they stopped to think whether he deserved it. The price is the same now as then – patience, love, loyalty – those things that seem so scarce.

~ I learned many English words….could recite some of the Ten Commandments….I knew how to sleep in a bed, pray to Jesus, comb my hair, use a toilet….I learned that a person thinks with his head instead of his heart. ~

SUN CHIEF, 1890

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Daily Motivator for January 31 – Fulfilling journey

Fulfilling journey

What matters much more than where you are is the direction you are going.  That’s something you can change instantly if you wish.

You cannot create an instant achievement, yet you can instantly be headed in  the direction of whatever achievement you choose. From wherever you are, there  is a path and a direction.

Your task for right now is not to get all the way there. Your responsibility in this moment is to keep yourself moving in the direction that will eventually get you all the way there.

No matter how long you’ve been off track, or how far away from the path  you’ve wandered, you can begin right now to get back on track. Your very next  action sets your direction, so wisely choose that action and go with it.

Don’t waste your time with regrets about where you’ve been or empty wishes  about where you’d like to be. Use this very moment to firmly establish and  maintain a positive, meaningful direction for your life.

Whatever the challenges may be, however ambitious the goal, your direction is  yours to choose in each and every moment. Choose the direction that most  authentically expresses your unique value, and enjoy a truly fulfilling  journey.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

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Your Charm for January 30th is The Eye Agate

Your Charm for Today

The Eye Agate

Today’s Meaning:    

The eye represents your will to be loved. The strength of your will controls this aspect. You have neglected needed emotions of love in your life. You cannot expect to be loved if you do not show it.

General Description:  

These enati (eye stones) were first worn for protection in the East, but soon the custom of wearing these charms spread to almost all countries. Implicit faith was placed in their reputed magical power to guard the wearer from the dreaded influence of the evil eye. From the very earliest times the imagined influence of the evil eye has struck terror into the hearts of the weak minded, ignorant, and superstitious. The uncanny effect of the eye is produced by cutting through the parallel bands, or layers of the different colours which form the agate.

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WOTC Extra – A Step-by-Step Guide for Using Your Pendulum

WOTC Extra – A Step-by-Step Guide for Using Your Pendulum

Here’s a step-by-step process for conducting a session of divination with a pendulum. From lighting the candle to closing the circle.

Set-up your ritual space. Select an area where you’ll be left alone for about 30 minutes to an hour. Clean the space, dust, vacuum, whatever is needed. Make a small ritual table or alter. Something for you to place your tools and your focus during the ceremony. It can be a box covered with a lace cloth, a small table, TV tray, or even the floor. What ever feels right for you. Place it in the north section of the circle.

Select a white candle, a crystal, a sage and lavender smudge stick or a special incense you like. Don’t forget the matches or a lighter. Prepare a tape or CD with some soft spiritual music you like to drown out any background noises in or around your spiritual space. Lay out your pendulum, pendulum board, a notebook and something to write with. Find a pillow or something that you can use to support your arm while you hold the pendulum. You want to make your hand as steady as possible. If you have to build a little platform for your hand and wrist out of boxes, an upside down glass or cup, figure it out now. Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of your reading when your arm gets tired.

Once you have all your tools and preparations in place, you’ll be ready to begin. Turn on you music and step into your ritual space.

Light the smudge stick, or incense you’ve chosen. Stand facing North holding it up in both hands about shoulder level and say a prayer. Something like:

Great Spirits, Creators of All That Is, I ask for your protection, your wisdom and your blessings as I open this spiritual circle today. Blow out the flames, if they haven’t gone out themselves.

Lower the incense, turn to the right and face East. Hold up the smoldering incense and call upon your spiritual guide or guidance. Say something like:

(State their name if you know it, otherwise call them your guide) I call upon the wisdom and energy of my guide, and ask for your assistance here within this circle as I seek for answers and guidance.

Lower the incense, turn to the right and face South. Here you need to state your purpose for opening this circle. You can use as much or little detail as you like. But the intent must be clearly defined. Don’t just say something like, I’m going to use my pendulum. Hold up the incense and try something like this:

I call upon the Great Spirits, my spiritual guides, and the higher divinity within myself for the purpose of divination by pendulum. This tool is new to me and I ask for your guidance and protection as I search for answers regarding – my job, relationship, whatever. For this I give my thanks and gratitude.

Lower the incense, turn to the right and face West. Now that you’ve called in all this energy, you can use it to clear and protect your circle. Hold up the incense and say something like this:

I set this circle in divine light and protection. I bind any negative or earth bound energies from entering this ritual space. I empower myself, my tools, my mind and spirit with positive and balanced energies to perform this task of divination.

Lower the incense, turn to the right and face North once more. Some people like to close of the top and bottom of the circle once it has been drawn. If you’d like to do that too, raise the incense in the air over your head, make a large circle (clockwise) so the smoke makes a bit of a trail, then do the same thing near the floor. As you do this say something like this:

To the Father Sky, To the Mother Earth, I protect this space and ask for your balancing energies to keep me focused and clear.

0Now sit down in front of your alter and place your incense in a holder on the table. Let it continue to smolder while you’re conducting the reading. Don’t light it again, if it goes out on it’s own that’s fine.

The next thing to do is to prepare yourself for divination. After all you’ll be holding the pendulum and therefore you will be part of the tool. With your left hand, light the white candle you’ve selected. As you light the wick, imagine the flame being part of your inner being. A symbol of the divine light within you. As you imagine this, say something like:

I call upon the Great Spirits, my guide (say their name if you know it), and the positive forces around me this day/night to help me find the answers I seek at this time.

Pick up your pendulum and pendulum board and say:
Protect and use these tools to guide me in my search for spiritual growth, awareness and clarity. In return I give my thanks and gratitude, my love and light.

Place the pendulum board on the table. As your holding your pendulum, use your free hand to log this session in your notebook.

Note the time, the date, who you called upon to help guide you and it might be interesting to note the weather and the phase of the moon. You’ll notice patterns after a time, for which conditions seem to work best for you.

Compose your first question. Remember to write it in a format that can be returned in a yes or no answer.

Hold your pendulum at the top. Most often there will be a holder for you to grasp comfortably, much like the one in the picture above. Make your arm comfortable as possible as you hang the pendulum over the board. When you’re ready, you can make your agreement with your spiritual guides that have come concerning the movement of the tool.

Holding the pendulum over the board, gently move the weighted end so it swings from top to bottom and say: “This will be Yes.”

Stop the movement and let it hang in the center of the board. It doesn’t have to be perfectly still, but it shouldn’t be moving very much at all. Gently move the weighted end so it swings from left to right and say: “This will be No.”

Stop the movement and let the pendulum hang in the center again. Gently move the weighted end so it swings diagonally from the bottom right to the upper left and say: “This will be a Don’t Want To Answer.”

Stop the movement and let the pendulum hang in the center. Gently move the weighted end so it swings in a clockwise circle and say: “This will be Probably Yes.”

Stop the movement and let the pendulum hang in the center. Gently move the weighted end so it swings in a counter-clockwise circle and say: “This will be Probably No.”

Ok, take a deep breath and focus on your pendulum. Imagine it being engulfed in white and purple light. Holding it as still as possible in the middle of the board, ask your question. The pendulum will move on it’s own, do your very best not to influence it’s motion. Otherwise you’ll have a false reading and this will be pointless. Just trust in yourself and your abilities. You can do this!

If you still don’t receive an answer, calm yourself a little bit. Have faith that this type of divination is possible if you believe in yourself and the forces around you. Position your arm again, try to restate your question just a little bit and wait for an answer. Once you receive one, record the answer in your notebook and compose your next question.

Reposition the pendulum over the circle and ask another question. Keep doing this until all your questions have been answered.

Close The Circle

It is just as important to spend time on closing you circle as it is for opening one. You want to thank your guides and close the energy within the space. You want to balance your own energies and get grounded again. And you want to clean and clear up your alter so it’s ready to go for the next spiritual event.
No matter what your ceremony is for, you should add a moment of meditation to the event. In this altered state, you can contact your guides and review the answers you received. Ask for clarification or further insight into how the events might unfold. You can use this time to thank the forces that have helped you this evening. Or you might ask for clarity of vision or a better understanding in the situation at hand.
Before you conclude your ritual, you should formally thank the spirits, deities, guides and anyone else in spirit you called upon, for their assistance. Typically this is done through an offering of some type. Bread and wine is a common offering, you might offer seeds for planting, or a seedling tree that will be planted in the honor of the spirits. There are as many different types of offerings as there are practioners around the world. Be true to your heart and your emotion, and select an offering that will have the most meaning to you.
Conclude your ritual by closing your chakra centers. When you have completed this step, stand inside your circle. Face north and give thanks once more for this sacred space and close the circle by saying something like this:

Great Spirits, Guides, and all the unseen forces who helped me this day/night. I send you my heart felt thanks and gratitude for your presence, for the guidance you have given me and the answers you have helped to uncover. I ask you now to close the energy within this circle, returning it to it’s original state. I ask that this sacred space, my home and my physical body continue to be protected in the loving glow of the Divine. I ask that my feet, my body and my mind become firmly planted and grounded as the energy of this circle subsides. For this assistance, protection and graceful company, I once again give my thanks.

Clean up your space, starting with the extinguishing the candle. Place your pendulum back in its protective pouch and return it and any other tools to their rightful place within your home.

That’s all there is to it.

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January 29 – Daily Feast

January 29 – Daily Feast

New life comes in only as we turn loose of the old. There must be a place for what we want or need. If there is not a place prepared, the new circumstances flow on by – and we are left with the same things we have always had. If we think we cannot bear to part with an old way of life, we are not ready to accept anything new. Instead we can make a personal decision, a firm commitment, to forget what is behind and push forward to what is ahead. Our mental and spiritual attitudes make room for new life when we set them in motion with our words. Nothing will overtake us, not love, not prosperity, not peace and joy – until we make a place for them and ask them to come in. Hope, alone, does not do it, but a firm decision for a new life will clear the way.

~ My people, before the white man came you were happy. You had many buffalo to eat and tall grass for your ponies – you could come and go like the wind. ~

WOVOKA

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Daily OM for January 29th – Owning Your Emotions

Owning Your Emotions

Name It and Claim It

by Madisyn Taylor

Whatever the nature of your feelings, carefully define the reaction taking place within you.

Our feelings can sometimes present a very challenging aspect of our lives. We experience intense emotions without understanding precisely why and consequently find it difficult to identify the solutions that will soothe our distressed minds and hearts. Yet it is only when we are capable of

naming our feelings that we can tame them by finding an appropriate resolution. We retake control of our personal power by becoming courageous enough to articulate, out loud and concisely, the essence of our emotions. Our assuming ownership of the challenges before us in this way empowers us to shift from one emotional state to another—we can let go of pain and upset because we have defined it, examined the effect it had on our lives, and then exerted our authority over it by making it our own. By naming our feelings, we claim the right to divest ourselves of them at will.

As you prepare to acknowledge your feelings aloud, gently remind yourself that being specific is an important part of exercising control. Whatever the nature of your feelings, carefully define the reaction taking place within you. If you are afraid of a situation or intimidated by an individual, try not to mince words while giving voice to your anxiety. The precision with which you express yourself is indicative of your overall willingness to stare your feelings in the face without flinching. Naming and claiming cannot always work in the vacuum of the soul. There may be times in which you will find the release you desire only by admitting your feelings before others. When this is the case, your ability to outline your feelings explicitly can help you ask for the support, aid, or guidance you need without becoming mired in the feelings that led you to make such an admission in the first place.

When you have moved past the apprehension associated with expressing your distressing feelings out loud, you may be surprised to discover that you feel liberated and lightened. This is because the act of making a clear connection between your circumstances and your feelings unravels the mystery that previously kept you from being in complete control of your emotional state. To give voice to your feelings, you must necessarily let them go. In the process, you naturally relax and rediscover your emotional equilibrium.

The Daily OM

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Invocation to Brid, Celtic Triple Goddess

Celtic & British Isles Graphics
Invocation to Brid, Celtic Triple Goddess

Brid, I call you.

Oh, Bright One! I call you.

Goddess of Fire, Healing, and Inspiration, Hear my cry.

Help me stand strong like the Rowan, that I may become your Brigand and rise up against the darkness.

Oh, Bright Arrow! Guide my judgment, protect me in my wanderings.

I will remember always—Brigantia

—-by Dettie Em Freefoot

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Daily Feng Shui News for Jan. 29th – ‘Seeing Eye Dog Day’

I’m going to put a little twist on today’s ‘Seeing Eye Dog Day.’ If your dog loves to ride in the car with their head hanging out the window, from time to time you may notice that their eyes will get inflamed. Dampen a soft and lint free cloth and carefully clean out the dog’s eyes. Then place a drop of castor oil in each eye. Do this twice a day until the inflammation has gone away and the dog’s eyes are normal again. See, I told you — a new spin on ‘Seeing Eye’ dogs.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

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WOTC Extra – A Simple Herbal List

Witchy Comments & Graphics
WOTC Extra – A Simple Herbal List

I’ve compiled a short list of some very beneficial herbs to keep in your Witches’ Cupboard if you have one, or if you want to start one.

I’ve also listed “The Witches’ 3 X 3” – a list of nine healing herbs, indicated by an (***) sign.

CAMPHOR

Pain reliever, heals skin – lips, nose, burns. Sacred to the Godess, used in full moon rituals as an offering to the Goddess, purification, promotes celibacy, heightens physical energy.

CATNIP***

treats colds, reduces fever, aids indigestion, curbs flatulence. Strengthens the psychic bond between humans and animals; for courage, true love, lasting happiness.

CAYENNE***

Very important first aid herb. Does not burn the skin or inner tissues, but feels hot. Helps coagulate blood, internally and externally. Can be sprinkled directly onto a bleeding cut. Good for heart disease.

CHAMOMILE***

Soothing to the body & mind, sedative before bed as a tea, mind pain reliever as a compress/ For good luck or changing your luck, prevents lightning strikes to your house or person, prosperity, meditation aid.

CLOVE

Eases toothache pain, calms stomach pain, relieves gas. Banishes hostility or negative energy, increases personal gain, clears a cloudy mind, increases friendship or love.

COLTSFOOT***

Pain relief, allergy & cough suppressant. Used in spells for wealth, prosperity & love.

COMFREY***

Very nutritious. Sooths the stomach, heals sprains, strains, fractures, sores, arthritis. Used in protection spells and safety when travelling.

DIAMIANA

Aphrodisiac, improves digestion, relieves cough. Use in sex magick spells, for clairvoyance, divination.

DEVIL’S SHOESTRING

Protection, luck, for a raise or new job; invisibility.

FENNELL

Aids digestion, can be chewed or brewed to tea for weight loss, gas relief, halitosis. Imparts strength & sexual virility. Prevents curses.

GALANGAL ROOT

Cleanses system internaly. Take at the onset of colds or flu. Doubles money in gambling, use to win in court. Sex magick, hex breaking, aids psychic powers.

GARLIC***

Good for hair, skin, digestion, lungs, blood health. Lowers cholesterol & blood pressure. Good for ear infections. Heals colds, flu. Tincture by steeping in olive oil. Use for magickal healing, protection, exorcism.

GINGER***

Relaxing stimulant! Use after large meals to settle stomach, induces perspiration while sweating out a fever, aids the liver. Powerful aphrodisiac when sprinkled in steeping raspberry leaf tea.

GINSING

Rejuvenates & promotes longevity. Andi-depressant. Use with St. John’s Wort. Equalizes blood pressure & digestion. For use in love spells, beauty & healing spells.

HEAL ALL

All purpose healing. Gargle with cold brew for a sore throat, use as a poultice for cuts, abrasions, minor contusions. Use in spells for success in gambling.

HIBISCUS

Ant

i-spasmodic. Remedy for itchy-skin or mild hives. Apply fresh brew or tonic to skin. Sweetens breath. Attracts love. Use for dream work or divination.

HIGH JOHN THE CONQUEROR

To conquer any situation. To win at gambling, in court. For good luck, money, love, health, protection. To find lost items.

JASMINE

Calmes nervous tic, use as a poultice for snakebite. Attracts money & love. For use in divination, charging crystals, moon magick.

KAVA KAVA

Powerful when used as an aphrodisiac. Potion to induce visions, use in astral travel work, for protection in travelling.

LAVENDER

ALL PURPOSE. Stomach problems, nausea & vomiting (used as a tonic) healing, inner peace, peace of mind, anti-stress, finding love, money, protection, attracting good spirits & faeries, purification, peaceful sleep, headache relief, menstrual cramp relief (when inhaled).

LOBELIA***

~~POISONOUS – USE EXTREME CAUTION~~ FOR USE IN SMALL DOSES ONLY!

Anti-spasmodic, anti-convulsive for epileptic seizures or temper tantrums. Calms pain in small doses, muscle spasms, tension headaches, menstrual cramps. Helps to end addictions & sooth withdrawls symptons.

MUGWORT

Appetite stimulant, digestive aid. Visions, dreams, clairvoyance, protection, strength in travelling. To consecrate divination tools, to add or boost power in tools of scrying.

PATCHOULI

Reverses spells, peacefully gets rid of trouble makers. Use in clairvoyance, divination, sex magick. Use to manifest & draw money.

PENNYROYAL

~~CAUTION – USE IN SMALL DOSES ONLY~~

Repels insects, calms skin itch or nervous itch. Treats & soothes nausea, treats colds & flu. Use in consecration rituals, exorcism.

PEPPERMINT

Soothes nausea & upset stomach, heartburn, colds, flu. Calming, good for motion sickness. Promotes peaceful sleep, visionary dreams. Boosts psychic abilities.

PLANTAIN***

Blood detoxifier for treatment of poison ivy, snakebite, bee stings, mosquito bites, etc. Apply juice of crushed leaves to bites & stings. Reapply often, drink brew of leaves made into tea, eat & chew on fresh leaves.

RASPBERRY LEAF

for kidney strength, infections. Diarreah, nausea, colds and flu. Calming to the nerves as a tonic. Promotes peaceful sleep. Use for visionary work, protection, love spells.

ROSEMARY

Nerve stimulant, digestive aid. Aids memory, soothes headache, eases depression when inhaled. Use for protection, exorcisms, purification, healing, stimulate lust. Powerful fumitory.

ROSE HIPS

Very nutritious, high in Vitamin C. Take for colds or flu, reduces fever. Mild laxative, good for acne. For spells concerning good luck, use to summon good spirits.

SAGE

Use as an antiperspirant, healing to wounds. Aids digestion, relieves muscle and joint pain. Gargle to heal sores of the mouth & gums. Healing to colds & flu, reduces fever, preservative. For use in spells for wisdom, healing, money, protection, longevity, powerful fumitory for ritual.

SANDALWOOD

Use a poultice for bruises & minor contusions, reduces fever. For use in clairvoyance & protection spells, purification, meditation. Burned in rituals, aids in magickal work, stimulates sexual urges, aids in healing spells.

SKULLCAP

Tranquilizer & anti-insomniatic. Sedative (mild to moderate) Eases nervous tension, drug & alcohol withdrawl symptoms, eases menstrual symdrome. Use for fidelity, commitment. Relieves anxiety. Promotes relaxation & peaceful feeling.

ST. JOHN’S WORT

Wound healing, immune system booster. Anti-insomniatic, headache relief, eases menstrual cramps. Powerful anti-depressant. Use for protection, exorcism, courage, divination rituals.

TONKA BEANS

~~CAUTION! USE EXTERNALLY!~~

For guud luck, draws money, attracts material desires. Wish magick.

VALERIAN

Calms nerves, sleep aid. Treats nervous conditions. Antispasmodic. Reduces blood pressure. Use in love magick, purification, divination, black magick.

VERVAIN

For minor pains and headache, tooth ache, arthritis, other inflammations. For restful sleep, calming nerves. For protection, purification, consecration, potions for love, creativity.

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Because so many herbs are potentially poisonous in various amounts, take extreme caution when dealing with a plant or herb you’re unsure of. Consult a physician, pharmacist or horticulturist before ingesting anything you are uncertain of!

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Let’s Talk Witch – Herbal Preparations

Witchy Comments & Graphics

Let’s Talk Witch – Herbal Preparations

An herbalist’s definition of an herb differs from that of a botanist. The botanist defines an herbaceous plant as one with a fleshy stem that dies back in the winter. The herbalist, however, considers all medicinal and cosmetic plants as <!=-1″>herbs. This broad definition of <!=-1″>herbs includes trees, shrubs, mushrooms, lichens and, of course, fruits and vegetables that have medicinal properties. In many of my recipes, you will find items that you consider food rather than herbs, such as apple juice or <!=214″>shiitake mushrooms.

There are countless different herbs and combinations of herbs that are used for health and healing. But even the most potent herb can become worthless if not properly prepared. Fortunately, there are only a few basic kinds of preparations that are used in treating illnesses and wounds herbally; these are the delivery systems for the healing powers of <!=-1″>herbs.

These preparations transform dried or fresh herbs into something that can be taken internally, such as a tea or capsule, or applied externally, as in a skin salve or a massage oil. In many cases, more than one preparation is applicable for a specific treatment.

Some preparations, such as tinctures and body oils, can be made from either fresh or dried <!=-1″>herbs. The best method for extracting an herb’s properties varies from herb to herb. For example, <!=222″>Saint-John’s-wort, oat berries and <!=99″>feverfew lose most of their properties when dried. A significant portion of the <!=-59″>essential oils in fragrant herbs such as <!=183″>peppermint and <!=61″>chamomile is lost in even the most careful drying process. On the other hand, herbs that contain a great deal of water-<!=75″>comfrey and <!=54″>calendula flowers, for example-are sometimes best when used in dried form; otherwise, the final product will be too diluted.

Whenever one type of preparation is better than another to treat a specific condition, the reason is explained in that chapter. For example, if an <!=13″>aloe vera lotion is better for a burn than a salve is, you will find out why this is so.

Most of these preparations can be bought ready-made from natural food stores-either as individual herbs or in blends of several different herbs. If you feel ambitious enough to make your own concoctions, I have also provided a number of recipes. When deciding which preparation is the most suitable for you, consider availability, cost, convenience and, of course, effectiveness.

Many herbal recipes will use as their basic ingredient not herbs, but <!=-59″>essential oils derived from <!=-1″>herbs. These oils carry many medicinal properties of the herbs from which they are extracted. They are easy to use but are also highly concentrated, so they must be diluted and used moderately to prevent overdoses. As a result, they are mostly used externally, and appropriate cautions are given throughout this book. Do not confuse <!=-59″>essential oils with vegetable oils such as olive oil, which are used as carrier oils in skin products.

Treatments are divided into internal preparations and external preparations, as the nature of the ailment generally determines the nature of the treatment.

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Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 28

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 28

“We call it the `sacred’ red road because it is the road that will lead us to living the good life, an honest and healthy life.”

–Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA

The Red Road is the path we walk on when we want a direct relationship with the Great Spirit. This requires sacrifice. This requires us to have our beliefs tested. To walk this path is really an honor. The returns for doing so are exciting, not only for ourselves but for the effect that will be felt for three generations. This means your children will see the benefits as well as your grandchildren. Do I want to walk this sacred road?

Great Spirit, guide myself and my family on the Red Road.

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Daily Motivator for January 28th – When the challenges are great

When the challenges are great

When the challenges are great, so are the rewards. If the journey is long,  there is much value to be gained in making it.

When people criticize what you’re doing, it means you’re making a difference.  When you keep encountering obstacles, it means you’re moving forward.

Just because you experience life’s difficulties is not a reason to be  dismayed. Keep in mind that the more solidly you’re making progress the more  resistance you’ll feel.

Feel the resistance, and realize that the very fact you’re feeling it push  against you means you’re pushing forward through it. Feel the palpable sense of  progress, and keep going.

Just on the other side of challenge is achievement. Just on the other side of  the obstacle you’re facing is your next step on the path forward.

Persist through one challenge, and another, and another. You’ll emerge as a  much stronger person, having created great new value in your world.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

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Your Animal Spirit for January 28th is Green Woman

Your Animal Spirit for Today
January 28, 2014

Green Woman

Green Woman has magically floated into your life to remind you of the energy of fertility–fertility for a project, a garden, a love affair or conception. If there is fertile ground, it WILL bear fruit.  Green Woman encourages you to practice your own brand of magic, and to appreciate the talents you have that will, in the near future, give birth to a magical creation.

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Your Ancient Symbol Card for Jan. 28th is Strength

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Strength

Strength denotes an inner power, mastery of will, development of inner might, and the ability to lead effectively. Through mastering one’s emotions and learning from both success and failure the person Strength represents has reached a place where they are influential without applying physical force, able to weather the roughest of storms, and not likely to abandon the less fortunate. Strength also denotes a large capacity for forgiveness and compassion. Strength is not as much about winning as it is about overcoming hardship, and using well crafted persuasion to ease others to your side.

As a daily card, Strength indicates a period in which your psychological powers are extremely strong. Your mental endurance may well astound even you at this time. Possibly it is time for you to stand up and take command of any loosely run situations in your life. If you take the lead others will follow.

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The Witches Magick for January 27th – Easy Heal All Spell

Witchy Comments & Graphics
Easy Heal All Spell

An easy to do All Heal Spell … to aid in the healing of all conditions, or to soothe the symptoms of serious illness.

You Will Need:

2 Bowls warm water

The Spell:

Bless or empower the water as you see fit… Lie upon the bare earth (if not possible, floor is OK).

Have each hand in a separate bowl of warm water, arms stretched out to the sides.

Visualise roots sprouting from the base of your spine, going down into the earth.

Breathe deeply, and with each deep, slow inhalation, feel the roots burrow deeper into the earth. see a bright light at the centre…see your roots penetrate it… now with each slow, deep breath, draw up the energy from this light into you.

See two streams of light begin to come from the sky, one stream into each bowl… feel the love of the God fill the bowl to your left, feel the love of the Goddess fill the bowl to the right.

Draw this love from the bows into your body through your hands.

Collect the love energy from the bows and the energy from the earth into your heart, where your most personal energy is kept.

Build all the energy here…until you can contain it no more.

When you can no longer contain the energy in your heart, release the energy to flood your entire body, and shout as loud as you can “HEAL ME!!!” at the same time as the release.

Continue to draw the energy for a while, letting it flow through your body, and spilling onto the ground…relax, and enjoy the peace that will settle over you.

After you have relaxed for a while, draw up your roots into your body, remove your hands from the water, and sit up.

Take a sip from the bowl to your left, and thank the God for his love, then spill it at the base of a tree.

Then take a sip from the bowl at your right, and thank the goddess for her love, then spill it upon the same tree. In the future, care for this tree…it has been blessed by the love of the gods (the water) and it will aid you in your health.

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