Folk Names: Butter rose, English cowslip, Password
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Deity Freya
Powers: Protection, love
Magickal Uses: Blue and red primroses growing in the garden protect it from all adversities, and they also attract fairies.
Though primroses, to some, represent wantonness, women carry them to attract love.
The Sacred Symbology of Trees
Author: Eldyohr
Trees have been sacred for as long as we have had the written word and probably long before that. The sorcerer of Trois Ferrois was depicted next to a tree and is one of the oldest known glyphs of in mythico-religious iconography.
The Hebrew Goddess, Asherah, who was later known as Ishtar, Astarte, or Inanna, had as her sacred symbol the tree groves. The druids long held trees, especially the oak, ash, and yew, to be sacred and divine symbols and their bardic schools were located within the heart of the forests.
In the dying/resurrecting God myths, the tree plays a prominent role. Christ was sacrificed on a cross made from a tree, Odin hung himself from Yggdrasil to gain the secret of the runes, and Osiris’ maimed body was recovered by Isis from the root of a tree and later resurrected. The most ancient cross-cultural symbolic representation of the universe’s construction is the world tree.
For instance, the Norse considered Yggdrasil, a giant Ash, to be the central structure of their various worlds and, in essence, it contained all of the worlds within it. Other examples of trees featured in mythology are the Bodhi tree in Buddhism and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Judaism.
In folk religion and folklore, trees are often said to be the homes of tree spirits. The tree plays a central role in world mythology and religious iconography, but why would its inclusion be of such importance to religions with such widely different belief systems?
The tree is powerful for human beings because it mirrors, symbolically, the way we should be living our own lives. First of all, the tree is rooted to the earth; it is grounded. Just as the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, grounds all of our spiritual energy, so the tree is grounded to the earth.
Grounding is as important as reach enlightenment. If we are always trying to spiritual and focused on the heavens, we will not be able to care for our physical needs. As pagans, we celebrate our physical life so grounding is especially important and almost sacred to us.
The tree is rooted in the earth, but it grows upward and its branches constantly stretch out and reach towards the heavens (for sunlight) . Just as it is important for us to be grounded, it is equally important to strive towards something greater than our physical selves, or at least to have recognition of it.
Pagans meditate, pray, celebrate the sabbats and commune with their Gods. All of these actions move away from the strictly physical and open us up to the spiritual. Thus the tree is grounded in the earth, but reaches towards heaven. Like the trees, we should be rooted in reality, but striving towards the spiritual until we unite the two in the dance of life, symbolically represented by Shiva’s dancing form.
The tree, like the pentacle, also represents the elements of the world in which we live. The pentacle has four points representing earth, air, fire, and water while the fifth point represents the spirit that binds them all. The tree also symbolizes these qualities. The roots of the tree draw up the water from the deep earth for nourishment. The tree is rooted in the earth and the soil provides nutrients for its continued development and growth.
The tree takes the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans and uses it to assist with its energy requirements. It is interesting to note that the tree exhales, as it were, oxygen. Thus we live with the trees in a symbiotic relationship proving the tree with the carbon dioxide it needs, while they provide us with the oxygen we need. Finally, the tree uses the sunlight for photosynthesis to create its own food via internal chemical reactions (fire) . As discusses earlier, the model of the tree being grounded, but reaching for the heavens is a symbol of spirit. Thus, the tree shares the major symbologies of the pentacle.
The tree is also symbolic of the cycle of death and rebirth. Some trees follow the natural cycles of the seasons. They blossom in spring and thrive in the summer. The light of the God brings them renewal and life. The leaves begin to change and the trees symbolically begin to die in the fall and meet their death in the winter when the light of the God resides in the womb of the mother. This cycle repeats itself every year and we can see in the trees the truth of our being. On the other hand, some trees are deciduous and thrive the entire year and this, too, is symbolic. Our true selves, the essence or soul, never dies, but lives on after death in a different form. So while certain trees provide a reminder of physical death and rebirth, other trees serve as a reminder of the eternity of our spirit. In many of the world mythologies, the tree is central to the dying/resurrecting myth of the Gods, such as Odin, Osiris, and Christ.
In summary, the tree provides a near perfect symbol for the pagan. It is a reminder to be both earthly and spiritual, it is reflective of the elements that created and sustain life, and it is a symbol of death and rebirth. While the pentacle and other such symbols may be as equally powerful in their own way, the tree is something we see every day and they as diverse as the people who see them. We have fat, skinny, tall, short, green, and variegated trees reflecting the diversity inherent in our world.
The next time you see a tree, stop and spend a moment with it. Look at its roots and its mighty branches. Sit beneath its canopy and listen to its story for it is a story of magick and hope.
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.
—Synonyms—Prince’s Feathers. Trailing Tansy. Wild Agrimony. Goosewort. Silvery Cinquefoil. Goose Tansy. More Grass. Wild Agrimony.
—Part Used—Herb.
The Silverweed, one of the commonest of the Potentillas, is very abundant in Great Britain and throughout the temperate regions, extending from Lapland to the Azores, and is equally at home in regions as remote as Armenia, China, New Zealand and Chile.
All soils are congenial to its growth. It spreads rapidly by means of long, creeping runners and thrives in moist situations, especially in clay, where the water is apt to stagnate, and is common by waysides, though on dusty ground it becomes much dwarfed.
It has a slender, branched root-stock, dark brown outside, which has been eaten in the Hebrides in times of scarcity.
The leaves are covered on both sides with a silky, white down of soft hairs, mostly marked on the underside, hence its English name of Silverweed. They are 2 to 5 inches long, much cut or divided, interruptedly pinnate, i.e. divided into twelve to fifteen pairs of oval, toothed leaflets along the midrib, each pair being separated by a shorter pair all the way up.
The buttercup-like flowers, in bloom from early summer till later autumn, are borne singly on long footstalks from the axils of the leaves on the slender runners. They are large, with five petals of a brilliant yellow colour and the calyx is cleft into ten divisions.
The Silverweed is a favourite food of cattle, horses, goats, pigs and geese. Only sheep decline it.
Older writers call it Argentina (Latin, argent, silver) from its appearance of frosted silver. The name Anserina (Latin, anser, a goose) was probably given it because geese were fond of it.
The generic name, Potentilla, is derived from the Latin adjective potens, powerful, in allusion to the medicinal properties of some of the species.
—Parts Used—All parts of the plant contain tannin.
In modern herbal medicine the whole herb is used, dried, for its mildly astringent and tonic action. It has an astringent taste, but no odour.
The roots, which are even more astringent, have been used, also the seeds.
The herb is gathered in June, all shrivelled, discoloured or insect-eaten leaves being rejected. Collect only in dry weather, in the morning, after the dew has been dried by the sun. Failing the convenience of a speciallyfitted drying-shed, where drying is carried on by artificial heat, drying may be done in warm, sunny weather out of doors, but in half-shade, as leaves dried in the shade retain their colour better than those dried in the sun. They may be placed on wire sieves, or wooden frames covered with wire or garden netting, at a height of about 3 or 4 feet from the ground, to ensure a current of air. The herbs must be brought indoors to a dry room or shed at night, before there is any chance of them becoming damp by dew.
For drying indoors, a warm, sunny attic may be employed, the window being left open by day, so that there is a current of air for the moist, hot air to escape; the door may also be left open. The leaves and herbs can be placed on coarse butter-cloth, stented, i.e. if hooks are placed beneath the window and on the opposite wall, the butter cloth can be attached by rings sewn on each side of it and hooked on so that it is stretched quite taut. The temperature should be from 70 degrees to 100 degrees F. Failing sun, any ordinary shed, fitted with racks and shelves can be used, provided that it is ventilated near the roof, and has a warm current of air, caused by an ordinary coke stove or anthracite stove. The important point is rapidity and the avoidance of steaming; the quicker the process of drying, the more even the colour obtained, making the product more saleable.
All dried leaves should be packed away at once in wooden or tin boxes, in a dry place, as otherwise they re-absorb about 12 per cent of moisture from the air, and are liable to become mouldy and to deteriorate in quality.
—Medicinal Action and Uses—A strong infusion of Silverweed, if used as a lotion, will check the bleeding of piles, the ordinary infusion (1 OZ. to a pint of boiling water) being meanwhile taken as a medicine.
The same infusion, sweetened with honey, constitutes an excellent gargle for sore throat. A tablespoonful of the powdered herb may also be taken every three hours.
It is also an excellent remedy for cramps in the stomach, heart and abdomen. In addition to the infusion taken internally, it is advisable to apply it to the affected parts on compresses.
On the Continent, a tablespoonful of the herb, boiled in a cup of milk, has been recommended as an effective remedy in tetanus, or lockjaw. The tea should be drunk as hot as possible. If the patient dislikes milk, boiling water may be used.
The dried and powdered leaves have been successfully administered in ague: the more astringent roots have been given in powder in doses of a scruple and upwards.
As a diuretic, Silverweed has been considered useful in gravel. Ettmueller extolled it as a specific in jaundice. Of the fresh plant, 3 OZ. or more may be taken three or four times daily.
The decoction has been used for ulcers in the mouth, relaxation of the uvula, spongy gums and for fixing loose teeth, also for toothache and preserving the gums from scurvy.
A distilled water of the herb was in earlier days much in vogue as a cosmetic for removing freckles, spots and pimples, and for restoring the complexion when sunburnt.
In Leicestershire, Silverweed fomentations were formerly used to prevent pitting by smallpox.
In a small dish of earth, bury the stone for three days. Most of the time houseplants can be used for this. Put a toothpick or some sort of marker in the surface of the earth above where you’ve buried your stone, though, or you might never find it again. In addition, beware of using houseplant’s earth if the stone contains a lot of negative energy; it will be absorbed by the earth (which is why you’re using the earth to cleanse the stone), but it will in turn be absorbed from the earth into the houseplant, and the house is likely to die.
Some minerals form rosette shapes, and selenite is one of these. The selenite rose rock is also called “the desert rose”, and is often confused with the barite rose. The edges of selenite rose are sharper and the crystalline structure is less hard than the barite rose.
Some desert rose metaphysical properties are:
Selenite is named for Selene, Greek goddess of the Moon because of its moon-like glow. Exchanged between lovers, it will bring about reconciliation.
It makes a wonderful protection stone. Place a selenite sphere at the corners of your home to create a peaceful, safe environment that will not be disturbed by outside influences.
In addition to the properties of white selenite, peach selenite is a transformation stone. It helps to heal old emotional wounds and transforms this negative energy to healing, forgiveness and accceptance. Use peach selenite to increase self awareness and travel a new path.
|
Color: |
white – beige |
|
Element: |
Wind element |
|
Chakra: |
Third Eye, Crown |
|
Energies: |
Healing, Power, Love, Protection |
From the overwhelming number of herbs used for this purpose it is obvious that protection is (and has been) of the utmost concern for many people. Most of the protective herbs are general in their effects; they guard their bearer against physical and psychic attacks; injury; accidents, poison, snake bite, lightning strikes, wicked spirits, the evil eye and so on. In other words they are protective in a general way.
Naturally they won’t do you much good once something has happened–protective herbs should be a preventative. This doesn’t mean that if you wear a protective root or carry a sachet you’ll breeze through life unfettered with annoyances. But carrying some of those herbs will certainly help screen out potential harmful situation.
In today’s world we should guard ourselves with every available means. Protective herbs are one of these. They create a type of force field around your home, possessions, or self. When carried they also increase the effectiveness of your body’s natural defenses.
An ounce of prevention, after all, is worth a pound of cure.
I hope everyone is having a beautiful Saturday so far. I fell asleep in the floor last night and woke up this morning at 3:00 a.m., to Hitler invading Russia. Great to wake up to early, early on your Saturday morning. I got up when to wash dishes and here comes hubby wanting to know if there is any coffee made. Of course, seeing all the violence on TV, I wanted to pop him on the head with the coffee pot. Then I got to thinking coffee, not a bad idea. So I made us a pot, rather me a pot. He had one cup and went back to bed. Dawn was beginning to crack, so I did what I love to do. Take my coffee outside, curl up on my bench and watch the beautiful Sun come up. Curling up wasn’t in the picture this morning. Two of the wildcats were already outside waiting on me. The biggest one and the smallest one and would you believe they were occupying my bench, lol! They wanted to play and love. But out of all of them, the big one is the most hostile. It took me forever to befriend him. Now if there is any of the others out there, forget they don’t come close to me. We played and loved a little bit, then I broke up fights, then I went and got their food. I figured that was the only way I was going to get any peace.
I had noticed when I came back in the house, I had wasted an hour and a half playing with the cats. The sky was beginning to lighten up, so I figured it was a great time to water the garden (since I forgot to last night). I gathered up my pitchers and flashlight. Now remember I said it was just starting to lighten up, you still couldn’t see that great. I put the garden on the back side of the porch. Turns out it was a pretty smart move. I can stand on the porch and water the garden in cast it is super muddy. I forgot to mention, when I was digging this spot up the ground was just so soft and it took no strength what so ever to dig it up. This is very, very unusual for the ground around here. I didn’t think anything about it, I was just thrilled I didn’t have to kill myself. The day I dug up the garden, I went into to get a glass of ice water. When I came back I found out why the ground was so easy to dig, I was digging in a wolf spider’s nest. It was almost down right funny, I went to observe my handy work and there in the middle of the dirt had to be the grandpa of all wolf spiders. He was huge. I figured after I watered the ground some more, they would leave. I brought the hose around the house and started watering. Oh brother, did I get a reaction out of that spider. He jumped at me. Needless to say, I had forgotten they could jump and it scared the crap out of me. Now back to this morning, I had my flashlight and was up on the porch. I noticed one of my plants had been moved. Miss Perfectionist couldn’t stand that. She had to go and put it back in its place. I had totally forgot about the spiders. I pulled the plant up and move it over just a little bit. I wasn’t paying attention but I had opened the spider’s hole back up. I had just stood up and the evil spider jumped on my foot. I am sure I woke up every neighbor in a five-mile radius. I screamed a dirty word while dancing around on one foot. I never did think I was going to get that damn spider off of my foot. Finally after throwing my foot out-of-place, I got the spider off of me. Thank the Goddess he didn’t bite me. I can do some of the stupidest things at times. Please use this as a what not to guide when gardening.
Beware of soft dirty. (It is a mean, cruel joke played on you by some creature or critter)
If your plants get up and move on their own. (Leave them alone, the plant will be happier and so will you)
Never garden by flashlight. ( This should be a no boner)
If you find a spider of any kind in your garden, leave him be and maybe he will do the same. (If not, just give him a good drink of water and a shower. Hopefully the shower will do him in, lol!)
This herb is a native of Southeastern Asia growing in tropical climates all over the world. From a distance it may be mistaken as Johnson grass, but this herb is very useful. It yields the finest commercial lemon oil and make the best culinary herb for lemon lovers. The bulb helps digest fatty meats and its’ leaves flavor teas, seafood and vegetable. Grow me in full sun with lots of water. Propagate the herb from root division or buy a bulb at the Chinese vegetable market, root it in potting soil and it will be producing new leaves in three weeks.
This one is a good one to have on hand for after an argument or for anytime things get too serious, heavy or overwhelming. It’s also a great support in times of grief or trauma. It creates perspective, loose stuck energy, lifts the spirits and enhances harmony and joy.
Ingredients:
Lepidolite essence or an actual lepidolite
Apophyllite essence or an actual apophyllite
Bach Rescue Remedy
Essential oil of Lavender
Essential oil of peppermint
Essential oil of spearmint
Rose water in a mister
Put 3 drops of lepidolite essence or the lepidolite, 3 drops of apophyllite essence or the apophyllite, and 4 drops of Rescue Remedy in the mister. Put 4 drops of lavender, 3 drops of peppermint, and 4 drops of spearmint in the mister. Shake. Hold the bottle in both hands and visualize very bright, sparkly, robin’s egg blue light filling and surrounding the bottle.
Sage–There are several different kinds of sage, and all types work for smudging, but perhaps the king of sage is white broadleaf sage. It is the most aromatic and is excellent not only for smudging to cleanse and purify, but also for meditation.
Rose Dye
The Native Americans removed the spine by rubbing the cactus in the sand.
Plant: Prickly pear cactus
Harvest time: September
Material: Fruit, fresh
Vessel: Earthenware or enamel kettle
Squeeze the juice from 2 pounds of cactus and strain into 3 gallons of water. Add 1 pound of yarn and soak for 1 week in a warm location. Rub the yarn daily. Rinse several times. To deepen the color, repeat the process a second time.
Spring has finally arrived here in Northern California and all this sunshine begs for fun things to do outside, which often also happen to be green. I tend to go outside at even the slightest hint of sunshine (then again, I’ve also been known to walk the dog in the rain just for fun), and do whatever it was I was doing inside, out under the sky. For instance, I’m sitting at an old-fashioned school desk, replete with wooden cross-bars under my seat for holding my books, and peeling green paint; outside; half under the Wysteria-covered arbor and half in the sun (the computer screen is oh-so-much easier to see in the shade); occasionally throwing the ball for my dog, who earlier got a little bath during the watering of the lettuce.
As I sit here considering the glistening, black-bottomed pool, I’m also considering the possibilities for the weekend:
1. Plant some organic lettuce. It’s so fun to open up your front door (or back door, or kitchen window) and snip off a few pieces of lettuce for your sandwich, a garnish or your dinner salad. I love lettuce and would have thought it beyond me to grow such a delicate, frilly, easily wilty plant, until my husband forced me to do so by planting a half-dozen little teeny baby lettuce plants and then promptly leaving them in my daily care. Turns out, lettuce is easy! Oh joy! So hop on down to whatever nursery is nearby and pick up a couple of six packs of the lettuce varieties which suit you. Then, rummage around in your backyard, ask your neighbor, scour the garage sales and thrift stores, and find yourself some shallow, wide pots (you could also plant each lettuce in its own pot, which would be very cute, but perhaps space-consuming). Stop by your local ACE and pick up some organic potting soil (or grab some where you get your lettuce). You’re ready to plant! Lettuce wants its little neck sticking out a bit, so don’t plant all the way up to the leaves. Keep the soil moist. Cut leaves from the bottom as soon as the plant starts growing.
2. Visit the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, held the first Sunday of every month, which just so happens to be next Sunday, April 3. Take a list with you of things you were otherwise going to buy brand new and see what you can find. I have not yet been, but I have it from a reliable source (read: friend who loves antiques and has discerning taste) that this is the best show in the Bay Area.
3. Go to any of the local farmer’s markets held all around the Bay Area. Most have food (the kind someone makes for you, not the kind you buy and take home as ingredients) vendors, so you can take your appetite and eat there. Take your refillable coffee mug along and get your morning dose from one of the local coffee shops along the street. Use these guides to find the market closest to you:
4. Unplug your life (and that of your family or a group of friends) and go outside with a picnic made from the organic stuff you bought at the farmer’s market (or at least from a small, local market). If you drive in a group, you’re lowering your carbon footprint, as well as not using all those electronic devices you’d be using if you stayed at home. Check out any of the local beaches, state parks or local parks and enjoy nature. The California State Parks system is vast, and their website has great ideas and guides for getting outdoors:
I’m likely to do at least two of the above, unless I decide to help my husband and our friend finish changing a Land Cruiser from right-hand-drive to left. I’m guessing the beach will win out over that. At least for me and the dog.
-Jocelyn Broyles
Witches Of The Craft® 
You must be logged in to post a comment.