Tag: Health
The Witch’s Wedding Altar
For the ceremony, a lavish full-size altar adorned with a purple cloth is set up outdoors, often near water or a stream. Upon it are placed two large white candles representing the male and the female, and an elaborately decorated broomstick is popped up at the front. The cake, typically fruitcake, is placed in the center of the altar, along with a chalice of red wine, a plate of biscuits and a tiny pot of honey. The wine represents a creative union, The biscuits are a symbol to ensure that the couple will never starve, and the honey is to keep the union sweet. Crystals, such as amethyst and rose quartz, are scattered around the table, along with lots of seasonal flowers and petals. The altar can accommodate almost everything the couple chooses, such as photos, trinkets and personal items, but salt, water and incense are always included. These symbolize the elements and purify the space.
Beyond the Smudge Stick
Beyond the Smudge Stick
Author: Amy
Do you find the smoke of smudge sticks to be, well, wimpy? Is what you need a truly cleansing smudge? Then try some Hibachi Herbal Magic. Tossing loose herbs on hot charcoal is style of smudge favored by the Mesoamerican indigenous for a few thousand years, like this recent experience of mine in the Mayan Yucatan:
A red glow danced across Paloma’s dark skin as she leaned toward the modest bonfire, using a small stone rake to draw steaming embers to the edge. She deftly a large terra cotta chalice with one hand to scoop up hot charcoal and tossed on copal granules from a bowl with the other, quickly rising up and walking toward me in a cloud of thick white smoke. With a few swift motions up my body, she enveloped me in swirling copal fumes.
To become immersed in smoke is a baptism, a complete submission to another world. The animated smoke feels alive with strong aromas that can transport the mind and liberate the spirit. If you have herbs, a fire container and charcoal, you can do this, too.
More Than Sage
In making a smudge stick you’re limited to herbs still on their stems. But with loose herbs on hot charcoal, the possibilities are boundless, with not only leafy herbs but resins such frankincense, sandalwood and other woods, plus seeds, flowers, berries and a plethora of essential oils.
Ooomph up a sage smudge with super purifiers like blue vervain. Add in protective herbs so that the vigorous cleansing doesn’t leave you vulnerable. Tailor the smudge for your event, using a rich, sweet myrrh and mugwort-based blend for the emotional openness of Moon ceremonies. Salute the Sun with a mix emphasizing rosemary and bay laurel for a sharp aroma that will quicken the mind.
A smudge can be fashioned for any sabbat, with Beltane and Summer Solstice bonfires having strong herbal traditions. A male-honoring smudge might be musky with highly spiced overtones. One for women could reflect their complexity, with sweet and warm aromas brightened with elements of green herbs and grounded with earthiness.
Here’s an example of a woman-honoring smudge:
Feminine Focus
Aroma: resinous – sweetly musky with spicy overtones
Ceremonial Use: purifications; Venus, Moon and women’s ceremonies
Significant Days: New and Full Moons; goddess and divine feminine days
Preparation Notes: Crush the cardamon pods, myrrh, sandalwood and valerian root, if necessary, and grind into a rough powder. Add thyme and blue vervain and blend.
cardamon (or cardamom) pods1/2 cup 1 part
myrrh resin 1 cup 2 parts
sandalwood 1/2 cup 1 part
thyme 1/4 cup 1/2 part
valerian root 1/2 cup 1 part
vervain, blue 1/2 cup 1 part
The warm aroma and purifying qualities of the lunar myrrh and sandalwood are paired with purification punch of blue vervain and thyme. Valerian provides relaxed grounding, while cardamon adds spice and pays tribute to Venus, the goddess of love. (See note about balancing with solar blends in Lunar Purification, below.)
More Than Smudge
You can push smudges a step further with adult-only blends that I call immersents. The smudges are done naked or lightly clothed. Active ingredients in the smoke are absorbed through bare skin and inhaled into the lungs. They should only be done with lung-buffering herbs like coltsfoot and great mullein to counter the stress of inhaling smoke.
Immersents are ideal for situations when you want to create a mind-altering effect in participants in a mild and gradual way so the gathering doesn’t go all wacko. Hibachi Herbal Magic is not for parties, but can be used to take your mind to new places.
Psychotropic herbs can be used to foster passion and induce trances, deepen divination and cause prophetic dreams. Some facilitate deep meditation. None should be used if driving within three hours of partaking.
Even if mind altering is not what you seek, you can guide your gatherings with non-ceremonial inhalants for sharpening the mind when folks have gotten too loose or chilling out when overly revved up.
It’s Better Together
One of the cool things about Hibachi Herbal Magic is the way it puts the herbs and their power at center stage. When being blessed with a smudge stick, I’m always aware of the person who’s doing the smudging. But with loose herbs on a hibachi of hot charcoal, it’s just the smoke and the smudgee.
Everyone’s been through the interminable wait while the circle is smudged with a stick. But with Hibachi Herbal Magic, to smudge a group of people they just have them stand downwind, or use large hand fans to direct the smoke. Using the Mesoamerican chalice technique you can still smudge people individually, while doing it quicker and with a more potent smoke.
Hibachi Herbal Magic can also sub for a Beltane or Summer Solstice bonfire in places where open fires are not allowed. A leap through the smoke of special seasonal herbs can be a perfect conclusion to a ceremony. It’s very tactile and memorable!
But the technique also excels for individuals and small groups. It’s an awesome experience to do Hibachi Herbal Magic alone; it’s like a dance with the smoke. Either way, you can even straddle the hibachi and smudge the goods!
Fire Up!
The whole igniting-charcoal-in-the-hibachi thing can be intimidating for the barbeque-impaired. It all depends on the charcoal you use. Self-lighting charcoal briquettes are a breeze; one flick of a Bic will get them started.
Natural charcoal or regular briquettes are by far the more environmental option. Both use waste from lumber processing, with pre-charred wood scraps making natural charcoal and sawdust mixed with binder for briquettes. Or look for treeless briquettes made from coconut shells, which have a great aroma.
Use ethanol a plant-derived lighter gel, which is essentially liquefied Sterno, for the complete green approach. Using a charcoal chimney can will help the lighting process immensely.
Charcoal fires can a bit of an art, and a messy one at that, but worth it. The poised glowing fire of the hot embers provides a powerful focus point for any gathering. The clouds of smoke redolent with complex aromas can focus and entrance a crowd, quickly transporting them out of the ordinary in a very whole-bodied way.
Enchantment
Run your fingers through the herb. Still strongly visualizing your need, send it into the herb. Feel your fingertips charging the herb with energy. If you find trouble holding the image in your mind chant simple words that match your need, such as:
“Yarrow, yarrow, make love grow.”
Chant this endlessly under your breath. As you run your fingers through the herb feel the infusing the plant with your need.
When the herb is tingling with power (or when you sense that the enchantment is complete) remove your hand. The plant has been enchanted.
If there are other plants to be used in a mixture, add them one at a time, re-enchanting the mixture with each addition.
If you wish to enchant herbs to be used separately, remove the enchanted herb from the bowl and wipe it clean with a dry towel. Replace the candles with colors appropriate to the new herb and repeat the procedure.
When making incense, infusions, sachets, poppets and the like powder or grind herbs (if needed) before enchanting.
If roots or branches are to be enchanted, simply hold in your power hand, visualizing and/or chanting, or lay it on top of the bowl between the candles.
In earlier days to “enchant” meant to sing or chant to. Once you have sung your song of need to the herbs, they are ready for use.
Of course enchantment isn’t absolutely necessary, but it is a method of obtaining better results. The wise herbalist will never omit enchantments.
Happy Sunday Afternoon All!
Good afternoon, everyone! I hope you are having a great Sunday. After the last couple of days of sadness, I have to admit today was brighter. After I brought the kitten in the house, by the way the kitten’s name is Razputin. For short, he occasionally gets called “Raz.” I have no idea why I named him after a Russian mystic but I did. And it didn’t really dawn on me that Razputin was a mystic till I looked up how to spell the name on Google. Razputin had always fascinated me in history. But when I named the kitten, it just blurted out.
Anyway this morning, I felt something bouncing up and down on me at 6:00 a.m. It was Raz, of course. He is so cute and every time I look at him I smile. But I still miss the other two and see pieces of them in him. But today, he acts like he owns the place. I have made him, his own little bed. He has a set of Stinker’s old ear plugs he is playing with. When my husband would go to work he would bring home a set of ear plugs everyday for Stinker. He would keep them in his lunch box and Stinker figured out how to get in there and get the ear plugs out. But Raz has chased them all over the place. Stinker has stopped hissing at him. Now they are smelling of each other. Raz is still young enough, you can’t tell if he is a boy or girl. I am betting on a boy, if he is a girl then I will call him “Razzy.” I will have to get something close to his name now because he already knows his name. But I had forgotten how sweet kittens are. I took him once to the litter box to see if he had to use it and ever since he has been running in there by himself. It is amazing how smart he is and how fast he catches on. He was jumping last night because of the noise from the TV. Today he jumped once or twice and I told him it was the TV and he laid down and went back to sleep. Kiki and him had a run in. I was getting ready to run to the store. I looked in the bedroom and they were sitting side by side on the bed. Then all hell broke loose. Raz made a drive for her paw playing and she run him off the bed. He got up on the chest at the end of the bed and just sit and looked at her. He wants to be friends with them so bad. It breaks my heart when I stop to think about the poor little thing having no one. Just depending on the mercy of the world, I got to thinking it is a good thing their mother made their home here. It just made me think how cruel the world can be, especially nature. All three of those little kittens should be outside right now, playing not having a care in the world. Running to momma to clean them up or feed them. But unfortunately fate didn’t have that in store for them. Just a harsh reminder how quickly life can be snuffed out. Don’t take your love ones for granted. Tell them everyday you love them.
*I need to re-phrase myself before you all think I am a total idoit, lol (that might not be funny!). What I meant about naming the kitten Razputin and being fascinating with him in history. But not knowing until now he was a mystic. I totally misspoke. I knew Razputin was a mystic from history but it just dawned on me that I had named a kitten after a great mystic. I hope I made that clear, lol!*
Anti-Evil Eye Conjure Bag (1)
Anti-Evil Eye recommendations from India suggest filling a red bag with some or all of the following:
- Crocodile teeth
- Pottery shards or bits of terracotta pottery found in a cemetery
- Protective verses and sacred texts
- Chili peppers, lemons or limes, to be replaced with fresh ones weekly or as needed.
Wear or carry the bag with you.
Travel with Daydreams
Travel with Daydreams
Adapted from The World Dream Book
by Sarvananda Bluestone
Inner Traditions, 2002
While most of us cultivated the fine art of daydreaming as an escape
from boredom in school (a practice which serves some of us well at work,
too!), daydreams can be used to bring us to new places, teach us more
about ourselves, and enrich our lives.
Your daydreams are magical passports. Here’s how you can travel with
them:
1.) Find a place and time where and when you can do nothing. This kind
of daydreaming requires your full attention, so find a place and time in
which you have no responsibilities. Unlike ordinary daydreaming, this is
not about escaping from something. It is about going to something.
2.) Close your eyes. If you have your own way to relax, feel free to
employ it, but definitely close your eyes. Our eyesight can be a
distraction, and we don’t want to be distracted from our daydreaming.
You might want to take a few deep breaths, inhaling slowly through the
nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth.
3.) Think of something you have wanted to do and have not yet done.
Don’t just think about it–actively imagine what you want. The more
specific the images, the better.
4.) Do what you have wanted to do. Here’s the key. In a dream we can do
anything, we can be anywhere. We can travel through time and space. We
are not bound by logic or practicality. We can visit the dead, speak to
the unborn. There are no limits here other than those that you impose
upon yourself.
Again, be as concrete as you can be. If, for example, you’ve wanted to
visit France, be specific. France is a large place, but the waterfront,
at, say, Marseilles is more specific. I’ve never been there, but I can
conjure up a breeze from the sea and the smell of fish. Which leads
to…
5.) Pay attention to all of your senses. The problem with visualization
alone is that it focuses on one of the five senses–the sense of sight.
We do more than see when we dream. We feel, and sometimes we smell and
touch. Surely in our dreams our sense of sight is foremost–that’s how
we’ve been trained. But in a daydream we can use all our senses.
In my Marseilles daydream, I’d allow myself to imagine not only the
sight of the harbor but also the smell of the fish, the feeling of the
sea breeze on my skin, and the sound of the seagulls. The more senses,
the merrier the daydream.
6.) Let yourself explore. Now that you’ve reached the place where you’ve
wanted to go–explore. Walk, fly, swim if you want to.
7.) Do this more than once. Daydreaming takes practice. The more we do
it, the better we get at it. Once again, more of what we call
daydreaming is about getting away from a particular situation. In
imaginative daydreaming we create something to go toward. It takes
practice. The sky’s the limit!
The World Dream Book
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892819022/caremailgreeting
Copyright © 2002 by Sarvananda Bluestone Reprinted by permission of Inner Traditions.
from boredom in school (a practice which serves some of us well at work,
too!), daydreams can be used to bring us to new places, teach us more
about ourselves, and enrich our lives.
Your daydreams are magical passports. Here’s how you can travel with
them:
of daydreaming requires your full attention, so find a place and time in
which you have no responsibilities. Unlike ordinary daydreaming, this is
not about escaping from something. It is about going to something.
employ it, but definitely close your eyes. Our eyesight can be a
distraction, and we don’t want to be distracted from our daydreaming.
You might want to take a few deep breaths, inhaling slowly through the
nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth.
Don’t just think about it–actively imagine what you want. The more
specific the images, the better.
anything, we can be anywhere. We can travel through time and space. We
are not bound by logic or practicality. We can visit the dead, speak to
the unborn. There are no limits here other than those that you impose
upon yourself.
Again, be as concrete as you can be. If, for example, you’ve wanted to
visit France, be specific. France is a large place, but the waterfront,
at, say, Marseilles is more specific. I’ve never been there, but I can
conjure up a breeze from the sea and the smell of fish. Which leads
to…
alone is that it focuses on one of the five senses–the sense of sight.
We do more than see when we dream. We feel, and sometimes we smell and
touch. Surely in our dreams our sense of sight is foremost–that’s how
we’ve been trained. But in a daydream we can use all our senses.
In my Marseilles daydream, I’d allow myself to imagine not only the
sight of the harbor but also the smell of the fish, the feeling of the
sea breeze on my skin, and the sound of the seagulls. The more senses,
the merrier the daydream.
wanted to go–explore. Walk, fly, swim if you want to.
it, the better we get at it. Once again, more of what we call
daydreaming is about getting away from a particular situation. In
imaginative daydreaming we create something to go toward. It takes
practice. The sky’s the limit!
Submitted by Akasha
Daily Aromatherapy Tip
Daily Aromatherapy Tip
.
Clays are another base material to
which essential oils may be added.
Use clays in masks to help the skin release toxins.
They also aid in exfoliation of dead skin cells.
Some clays to choose from:
Green best for oily skin
White milder than Green, best suited for detoxification
Red all purpose for toning and cleansing
Blue for acne, anti-inflammnatory, for drawing out.
Pink soothing, cleansing, hydrating for dry, sensitive skin.
Green best for oily skin
White milder than Green, best suited for detoxification
Red all purpose for toning and cleansing
Blue for acne, anti-inflammnatory, for drawing out.
Pink soothing, cleansing, hydrating for dry, sensitive skin.
.
Brought to you by AromaThyme.com
A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II” – July 14
A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II” – July 14
Eating the greens Grandmother gathered was a trial, an imposition on a
child remembering the fried or roasted meats of wintertime. But she
persisted in gathering them and she insisted that I eat them because
their medicinal properties would ward off many diseases. Grandmother
would have been appalled at many things from fast-food to the tasteless
cooking of greens. She was the matriarch and in many ways remains so,
because her mindset set our minds and even now an unwanted salad comes
with the command, “Eat!” We remember and are the better for it.
~ Our village was healthy and there was no place in the country
possessing such advantages. ~ MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK ~ SAUK AND FOX CHIEF
.
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
possessing such advantages. ~ MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK ~ SAUK AND FOX CHIEF
.
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Lapis Lazuli
This rich blue stone has been treasured throughout history, from Egyptian pharaohs and Babylonian kings to Renaissance painters who ground the precious material themselves to create vibrant ultramarine pigments. Lapis is still held in high esteem by witches, and we are very respectful of its powerful energy. It wards off negative vibrations and, if worn at bedtime, can bring vivid dreams of other lives and links to soul mates who may not have reincarnated at this time and who decided to remain in the spirit world. Lapis alleviates migraines and problems with the throat, and it helps with ear infections too. But its main effect is to bring inner knowledge of other worlds. If you are seeking to enhance your psychic abilities, always wear this stone in jewelry form, and your insight will naturally develop.
Hematite
This shiny black, slate-gray or silvery-red mineral is used for safety during astral travel and to ground you once your spirit returns to your body. This crystal is very good for people with circulatory problems or anemia. It’s also excellent for memory and mental stimulation, so witches wear hematite while performing spells that may be difficult or lengthy. If you were a witch in a previous life, by wearing hematite you may be able to tap into a precious existence and drum up some of the old spells and potions you used in the past.
Amethyst
This lavender-purple crystal has a gentle vibration and can be used for healing or to help clam stress and nerves. When someone is not well, amethyst can be place near the ailing person or worn next to the skin. After the crystal has been worn for a week, it is best to rinse the stone in tepid water every evening for seven days and then let dry it overnight. When the healing process is done, leave the crystal overnight.
Your Daily Number for July 12th: 6
Family matters require your time and attention today. A younger person may look to you for support and guidance, or you may feel duty bound by someone close to you. It’s also a great day for finances, but hold off on any negotiations until tomorrow.
Fast Facts
About the Number 6
Theme: Family and Social Responsibility, Service, Healing
Astro Association: Gemini
Tarot Association: LoversHerb of the Day for July 11th is Pimpernel
Herb of the Day
Pimpernel
Folk Names: Blessed Herb, Greater Pimpernel, Herb of Mary, Luib na muc, Pimpinella, Poorman’s Weatherglass, Shepherd’s Weatherglass.
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Powers: Protection, Health
Magickal Uses: The pimpernel is carried for protection and to keep people from deceiving you. When placed in the home it wards off illnesses and prevents accidents.
Its power is supposed to be so great that when dropped into running water it will move against the current.
Magickal knife blades are rubbed with pimpernel juice to purify and empower them.
Basic Astral Projection
A practice method, to be performed initially while you’re awake. Repeat as needed. Some show quick aptitude for astral prljection but it’s not unusual to require years of practice. Sometimes initial success is followed by a long period of challenge.
- Lie down, relax, shut your eyes.
- Visualize yourself standing at the foot of your bed, exactly as it is, looking at yourself.
Crystal of the Day for July 7th is Shungite Pyramid
Crystal of the Day
Shungite Pyramid
Pyramids amplify and then tightly focus energy through the apex. A pyramid is also used to enhance and focus the inherent properties of the stone:
Shungite is a stone of rejuvenation.
Shungite is sometimes called the “Stone of Life” due to it’s healing and antibacterial properties. Many people use shungite to create a healing spa in the home by placing it in some water to purify and charge the water with cleansing energy.
This mineral is hailed as containing a healing power incomparable to any other. Shungite purifies, protects, normalizes, induces recovery and promotes growth in living organisms.
Did you know……..
Did you know… |
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From Wikipedia’s newest content:
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Crystal of the Day for July 6th is Kunzite
Crystal of the Day
Kunzite
This beautiful pink crystal, named after the American gemstone specialist G. F. Kunz, who discovered it at the start of the 20th century, is the most sought after member of the spodumene family (to which the delicate green hiddenite also belongs). It forms long, striated prisms which can be opaque but are often deeply translucent or completely transparent. Kunzite’s colour from a side view is pale, but looking down the length of the crystal, it deepens to an appealing pinky violet. Occasionally, spodumene crystals will contain areas of pink and green together.
Identification and care
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Kunzite crystals contain parallel striations.
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Stones darken in colour once mined.
Magic
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Strengthens the heart and attunes us to universal love
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Counteracts aggression
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Helps us to understand other people
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Bring conflict to a resolution
Healing Functions
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Supports the cardiovascular system and thyroid function
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Enhances self-esteem
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Helps to override negative, unhelpful thought patterns – very protective
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Creates a space for meditation
Practical Ideas
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To heal and protect where love is lacking place kunzite at the heart and arrange four clear quartz, points outward, in a diamond shape around the body.
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Wear a pendant of kunzite or hiddenite to provide yourself with invaluable protection during difficult emotional times.
Today’s I Ching Hexagram for July 6th is 22:Grace and Beauty
22: Grace and Beauty
General Meaning: A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full moon dances on the surface of a rippling river. Grace and beauty adorn the natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the essential or fundamental thing. By itself, it is form without content. Grace is moonlight on water, not the sunlight at noon. Yet grace brings artistic expression into the world, and enhances the quality of our lives.
In the arts, grace arises out of adherence to form: the dancer becoming the form of the dance, the musician giving life to the form of a musical score, the painter becoming one with the brush and canvas. In human affairs, grace is also aligned with form — with mastery of aesthetic and cultural patterns honed by time and honored by tradition. Through appreciation of graceful customs in human relationships we apprehend the pure beauty of the ideal, of life raised above the mere struggle for survival.
Possession of grace, like the bearing of a beautiful gift to a wedding, can add stature to those in humble positions. Take care to lend grace and dignity even to small happenings, while giving the weight of deep and careful consideration to matters of greater consequence. Though it should not be confused with true substance, an artistic flair can take one far in this world.
Crystals From Ancient to Journey
The forms of crystal healing that are in use today arose in the alternative culture of the 1970’s and 1980’s but like many complementary systems, they have developed out of old cultural traditions. The idea that every store has special magickal properties can be traced back through Europe literature of the early Middle Ages to their sources in Greek, Roman and Arabic philosophy which in turn owe much to the Ayurvedic traditions of indian.
Modern crystal healers initially focused very much on the properties of rock crystal (clear quartz). Traditionally crystals of quartz have been highly valued by healers around the world for their ability to connect with spirit worlds, to reveal and diagnose illness and to allow a Shaman or healer to remove the causes of disease. The use of crystals, crystal mirrors and crystal balls for divination is simply a continuation of the long tradition.
These mystical ways of using crystals are usually dismissed by modern science as mere superstition and yet science recognizes the unique – properties of minerals and crystals, making use of their characteristics in everything from wristwatches (quartz), automobile spark-plugs (kyanite), medical lasers (ruby) and space shuttle windows (sapphire).
The pragmatic and metaphysical views of the crystal world may seem to be mutually exclusive. However, both approaches are valuable. One provides useful tools and technologies, while the other enables us to see beyond the attention to one of these sides of our natures, we miss out on a wealth of experience – both are necessary to keep us whole and healthy. Crystal healing can restore fundamental balance to our existence.
Witches Of The Craft® 
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