Tag: Shopping

Magickal Goody for April 28: PLAIN OLD GOOD LUCK CHARM

PLAIN OLD GOOD LUCK CHARM

–Apache tear stone 7 Star Anise seeds
–7 inches of gold ribbon 4 inch square of yellow fabric
Place the stone in the center of the fabric. Add the seeds one at a time and say:
One for luck, Two for money,
Three for favor, Four to keep my days sunny,
Five for old, Six for new, Seven brings success in all that I do.
Gather the ends of the cloth and tie in a pouch with the gold ribbon.
Apache tear is a globule of translucent obsidian. It is carried as a good-luck charm.
It is also used for protective purposes as well as all the other stones referred to as obsidian.
There are many varieties of aniseed, the most common is the ash-colored kind from Spain.
If star anise seed is unavailable to you, regular anise seed will do.
The number seven is know as a lucky number.

A Spell for Protection from the Winds

A Spell for Protection from the Winds
 
Draw down a protective circle. Light some incense and focus on the smoke as it curls skyward. Pick an incense that appeals to you in some way–lavender, sandalwood, and musk are good choices, but any fragrance you like is fine. Say something like the following:
 
Children of the winds, Guardians of Air
Listen to my words. Harken to my prayer.
Breathe upon me gently. Breathe upon me warm.
Guard my home and family. Keep us safe from harm.
 
Be sure to thank the sylphs for their attendance and their cooperation. You might hang a wind chime in a window, on a porch, or in your backyard so you can hear the sylphs as they hover near you.

Smudging as an Air Ritual

Smudging as an Air Ritual
 
Smudging is an easy Air ritual designed to purify, provide balance, cleanse, or sanctify a sacred space. You can smudge a room, a piece of furniture, or even yourself.
 
Let’s say that you inherit a bookcase from your in-laws. You need the extra room, but you want to eliminate their essence. A smudging ritual can purify the bookcase and bring some harmony back to your living space.

There are any number of smudging herbs, but some are more traditional than others. These three are most closely related to the Element of Air:

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.


Sweetgrass–As its name suggests, sweetgrass produces a sweet, light fragrance when burned. Believed to attract only positive spirits, it is excellent for cleansing a sacred space.
 
Lavender–Most useful for attracting peace, happiness, and restful sleep, lavender imparts a lovely aromatic, refreshing scent when burned.
 
Smudging can be accomplished by using a smudge stick or by burning loose herbs in a smudge pot or a firebowl. First dry the herbs by hanging them upside down in a still room, a pantry, or some other dry room where they won’t be disturbed. They will need to dry for several weeks.

If you want to use a smudge stick, cut your dried herbs into 5- or 6-inch lengths, bundle them together , and bind them tightly with red thread, which represents the Fire Element. Use a candle to light the bundle because you will want to hold it in the flame long enough to get the stick really smoking. The combination of Fire and Air purifies the space or object and disperses negative energy. Use a feather or your hand to fan the smoke into the corners of the room you’re purifying. Smudging is the equivalent of spritual spring cleansing. You might find that the house feels cleaner and brighter, even though you haven’t dusted or vacuumed.
 
Sweetgrass is often braided into a small rope to be used in smudging. Tie off the ends with red thread. Although you can find sweetgrass growing wild in some prairie places, it’s rare; you might have to grow your own.

ELEMENT OF AIR

ELEMENT OF AIR
 
Air
 
Air is the element of the intellect; it is the realm of thought, which is the first step toward creation.
Magickally speaking, Air is the clear, uncluttered, pure visualization which is a powerful tool for change. It is also the movement, the impetus that sends the visualization out toward manifestation.
It rules spells and rituals involving travel, instruction, freedom, obtaining knowledge, discovering lost items, uncovering lies and so on.
It can also be used to develop the psychic faculties.
Spells involving Air usually include the act of placing an object in the air or dropping something off the side of a mountain or other high places so that the object actually connects physically with the element.
Air is masculine, being dry, expansive and active. It is the element that excels in places of learning, and which is work while we theorize, think and ponder.
Air rules the East because this is the direction of the greatest light, and the light of wisdom and consciousness. Its color is yellow, the yellow of the Sun and the sky at dawn.
Air governs the magick of the four winds, most divination. concentration and visualization magick.

Blowing In The Wind

Blowing In The Wind
 
 
In the Wiccan Tradition, Air is the Element of the East and might be represented on an altar by incense, feathers or an athame. It can be as soft as a whispered breath and as violent as a tornado, so it isn’t an Element to be taken lightly. It should come as no surprise that particularly persistent winds have even been given names—the Scirocco winds in the Mediterranean and the Santa Ana winds on the United States West Coast, for example. When these winds blow, they can literally change people’s temperaments and often fan wild fires. When mixed with another power Element, Water, Air can produce a fury we call hurricanes.
 
But Air is a necessary and benevolent Element, too. Without even thinking about it, we use our breath to blow out candles, sing songs of celebration and whisper secrets. How often have you “stepped out for a breath of fresh air”? Used during meditation and to alleviate the pains of childbirth, the Element of Air is healing and vital.

ALTARS (Misc. Thoughts)

ALTARS (Misc. Thoughts)
Chris Olmstead

As for Altar set ups…

1. I once read Crowley’s remarks on how he contrived his stuff while he was out
wandering the world or climbing mountains. He found ways to just use the
simple things from his kit…cook knife became Athame, tin cup became the
Cup…etc.

This sort of ‘kitchen witch’ working is accepted by lots of folks. You can set an
altar up and take it down as fast as you can set a table.

2. I also have noted the “Porto-Pagan” set-ups at some of the Pagan Fests I’ve
attended. Carry the stuff in a cardboard box that can be up-ended for an altar, or
even placed on it’s side for a rain-proof ‘shrine’. Close and carry off at the end of
the visit with a minimum of re-wrapping to protect the fragiles. Some just contrive
one with the natural objects at hand…a rock, a stick, a lantern or candle, etc.

3. Some folks (including myself) have a small duffle into which I’ve placed a
second set of “traveling” working tools. I have the great good-fortune of having
friends who give me cool things. The coolest stay on my Altar, the second-
coolest hang out in the sac, and sometimes I shift the goodies around.

4. I have a buncha books that offer arrangements I find a bit Over-whelming, but
I can certainly post them, if you really need them. If you want me to fetch out
Official Altar diagrams from some of the slick commercial works I have on the
shelf, RSVP.

5. For “public” Altar, in my home, I ‘clutter’ a shelf, a mantle, or a small window
sill. It sounds to me as though, since all your stuff is packed andyour space is
totally compressed, that the “window sill” Altar is a good solution for you. I put a
little origami pinwheel up on an Eastern sill, a small shell on a Western one, a
tiny oil lamp on a Southern one, and a pretty rock on a Northern one. The whole
House is the Altar “Table”.

To clear my space I have been known to light a stick of incense, scaling it
upward in my mind until I am swinging a huge flaming brand before the various
Darks I’m dispelling, and run through the house screaming and raving aloud until
they back off. A joss stick lasts about 20 minutes. I can almost guarantee that if
you summon your Ki and Incant over a flaming brand for 15 minutes, most
Shadows _will_ go elsewhere. I haven’t had to do it in THIS house more than
twice in 3 years

Empowerment Ceremony for Wands, Rods, Staves, Stangs, and Brooms

Empowerment Ceremony for Wands, Rods, Staves, Stangs, and Brooms 

Timing: New moon (unless the item will be used to specifically to vanish, then choose dark moon or moon in Scorpio).

Supplies: One red candle; holy water or Florida water; salt; empowering oil; incense of your choice; a carving tool or wood-burning tool; a selection of magickal symbols; a pencil (to trace the designs before you carve or use the wood-burning tool); thirteen bricks or white stones; one cauldron.

Pre-Ritual Preparations: Choose and carve the magickal symbols you desire on the piece. Build your circle with the bricks or stones. When you are finished, sprinkle both wooden tool and circle with holy water or Florida Water. Libation to the Gods.

The Ritual: Cast your circle around the stone circle, which will be in the center. Place the cauldron in the stone circle. Light the fire candle and place inside the cauldron. Call the quarters. Invoke deity. Place the wooden ritual piece inside the stone circle. Pass the four elements over the item (fire, incense, salt and holy water). Stand over the circle, raise your arms to the heavens and say:

Mistress (Master) of the Universe! I call thee forth to cleanse and consecrate this (name of item). Empower this (name of item) in the name of universal perfection!

Outstretch both hands toward the item.

(Name item), I conjure thee in the name of the Mistress (Master) of the universe to work all forms of magick for me! Ye shall conjure, banish, empower or cast aside negative energies as I so dictate. Ye shall overcome all obstacles in the performance of these task. At my very touch ye shall awaken into life in preparation for any and all magick and respond with perfection to my very will, and you shall retain your power in fallow days when magick is not required.

So I will, so shall it be!

Rub the item with the holy oil, then draw an equal-armed cross in the air over the item to seal your work. Complete the ritual by offering a libation to the Gods. Thank deity. Close the quarters. Take up the circle with your fingers and place the circle energy in the tool by directing your finger at the tool and envisioning the energy leaving your finger and entering the tool. Leave the item in the light of the following full moon for at least one hour.

The Chalice

The Chalice
 

The chalice is a smaller version of the cauldron as a representation of the eternal feminin and the element of water. We’re talking about a goblet, usually of the round type, in which we’ll have water represented during rituals, even though on ocassions it might contain some other liquid, for example wine during the simple feast.

The selection of the apropriate chalice is a delicate task. We could use a glass one, even though the traditional is made of metal: gold, brass, silver or the like. We must be very careful when choosing, preffering the ones with their inside covered in glass, silver or stainless steel, because metals like copper and brass can be poisonous when in contact with alcohol. We must also consider the size, preffering the middle-sized, to make it easier to handle. It’s not necesary to get a very ornated one; it’s perfectly valid to use, if wanting to, one of grannie’s crystal glasses, if we perform the appropriate ritual cleansing.

Shops specialising in wedding gifts are bound to have sets of two metal gobblets perfectly capable of handling alcoholic beverages (the ones that have problems when reacting chemically with the metal), and so can be a good place to find our chalice. Having an extra one can be useful if we want to perform rituals where we need both water and wine (or similar), and we won’t have the cauldron available or we’ll be using it for other purposes. Personally, I’d rather have two chalices: a brass one for solar celebrations, and a silver one for the lunar ones.

The ritual uses of the chalice centre mainly in being the holder of the chosen liquid, whether it’s water to purify the circle, or the chosen drink for the simple feast or ritual libation. Usually it’s use will be the first, and even if we can replace it with any glass, due to the ease of getting hold of one, I think it’s better to chose once and for all, and use the chalice regularly, not ocassionally.

Lady A’s Spell of the Day for April 26: Spell to Create A Psychic Electric Fence Around Yourself

A Spell To Create a Psychic Electric Fence Around Yourself

If you are a kind, sensitive person,, you may experience more than your fair share of spite and malice. In time, this can cause you to feel constantly anxious and exhausted because you are unable to relax. You may feel spooked at night (even though you are not), because nasty remarks, sarcasm and belittling words attach themselves to your aura (the invisible psychic energy field that surrounds each of us). By creating a protective psychic fence you can shed the negativity that others have imposed on you and prevent further attacks on your psyche.

You will need:
A fibre optic lamp or two torches
 
Timing:
Just after dark

The Spell:

  • Holding a torch in each hand, shine light all over your body with whirling movements, or stand in the glow of the moving fibre optic light. Picture the light forming sparks around your outline.
  • Put down the torches (but leave them shining towards you), and shake yourself like a dog who has been in water to dislodge any lingering negativity from your aura.
  • Shake your hands and arch the over your head, picturing a gentle golden glow spreading around you like a gold sphere. Say: When I shake my hands I will activate the force field round me so none can harm me with word or malicious thought.
  • The imagined light will fade, but it will remain in the background for whenever you need protection.

Your Charm for April 25 is Leo the Lion

Your Charm for Today
<!–   Interpretation Basics–>
 
 

Leo the Lion
 
Today’s Meaning:
This aspect of your life will be strongly influenced by a person who is generous, warm-hearted, creative, enthusiastic, broad-minded, expansive, faithful and loving. This person is most likely a relative.General Description:
Fifth sign of the Zodiac, July 23rd to Aug. 23rd. Ruled by the Sun; correct metal, Gold. Those born under the influence of Leo were believed to be enthusiastic, high spiritied, affable, generous, strong, quick tempered, artistic, inventive, generally successful and proverbially lucky. The Leo stones are the Peridot and Onyx, also Amber. The Peridot was in former times valued more than the Diamond. In Rome it was worn as a charm to drive away evil spirits, despondencey and illusions. Peridot amulets enjoyed a great reputation in the Middle Ages for inspiring wisdom and eloquence. Many medicinal properies were atrributed to Amber, and its supposed virtues are still relied on in the East.

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for April 25

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today
 
 

The Journey

While physical travel may be involved, The Journey represents an individual’s spiritual trek from one point to another. The Journey is represented by a sailboat gliding across an open sea. Like those traversing the ocean The Journey requires that we move off the firm ground of our present state and strike out for a new destination. The trip itself may well be full of adventure and challenges. There may be times when we lose sight of where we came from and possibly not even know where we’re going. Storms may crop up without warning. Diversions may slow our progress to our destination down. While it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, it’s equally important to remember that often it’s the getting there and not the destination that is the most rewarding. To take such a spiritual voyage takes courage and conviction that direction in which your are moving is right for you.

As a daily card, The Journey indicates a time in which you are likely to derive insight and spiritual growth by moving off your everyday path. Although the time span is short, this movement may have a profound and enduring effect on your life. Indeed you may be on the verge of experiencing a revelation, or enjoying a period of self actualization. Be open to new paths and you may well end up with some very positive changes in your life.

Yellow Dye

Yellow Dye

Plant: Gaillardia “Indian Blanket”
Harvest time:  June
Material: Fresh flowers, leaves, stems
Vessel:  Enamel or granite

Boil 1 pound of fresh material in 5 gallons of water for 2 hours. Strain; add 1/4 cup of raw alum to the water. Allow to dissolve by boiling 10 minutes before adding 1 pound of wet yarn. Mix well and boil the yarn for 2 hours. Steep overnight before rinsing several times.

Safe Witch Kit

Safe Witch Kit

 

Want to be a Witch, yet don’t want dangerous items in your home? We’ve assembled this comprehensive kit to meet the beginning Witch’s needs, without compromising safety.

Includes:

 

1 Rubber Athame. Painted black handle, silver blade. Very flexible. You can swing this about in Circle with no fears about hurting anyone!

Exclusive! The incredible Collapse-a-Wand! Hand-wrought of authentic wood-grained expanded foam, with a special adhesive patch for attaching the Power Stone of your choice (see below).

2 Battery-operated Candles (1 black, 1 white). No more concerns about flowing gowns catching fire.

1 package Glade Stick-ems. Fresh, floral scent, without the concerns of burning incense. No messy ash to clean up!

1 shaker Mrs. Dash. Get all the flavor and zip of salt, without the sodium!

1 Quality Fold-a-Cauldron. Easy-to-assemble, genuine simulated cast iron corrugated material. Complete instructions.

1 Fabric Rainbow Disk. No sharp corners to be concerned about. The perfect centerpiece for your own Altar. No worries of offending anyone, as could happen with those misunderstood pentagrams.

3 Assorted colors soft vinyl “Power Stones.” Focus the energy of crystals. Perfect for attaching to your Collapse-a-Wand!(Choking hazard. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age)

1 Booklet, “How to Be One with the White Light, Because There Is No Dark Side, Luke” subtitled: “The Absolutely, Completely Comprehensive Guide to Everything Possible that a Witch Needs to Know to cast Any Spell at All”

BONUS! Order now, and we’ll send you our exclusive Fill In The Blanks Book of Light! All the spells you’ll ever need, and YOU fill in the names and dates! Quality softcover binding.

All packaged attractively in a lovely carry-case, which unfolds to become your altar cloth.

Rush out and get yours today!

— by René Friberg, aka RaeVynn Sands

Incense of the Day for April 24 is Moroccan Anti-Evil Eye Incense

Moroccan Anti-Evil Eye Incense
Basic Version
 
Benzoin incense, called “jawi” in Morocco destroys the effects of the Evil Eye.
 
1. Mash up benzoin resin or use benzoin powder.
 
2. Sprinkle onto lit charcoals and fumigate an area or a person.
 
Benzoin comes in different colors; for maximum power, blend darker and lighter pieces.

Deity of the Day for April 24 is Yemaya

Deity of the Day

Yemaya

Mother Water, Star of the Sea, Yemaya is the protector of women. Her healing powers are carried in the great waters, her energy powerful during the ebb and flow of life challenges.

MANTRA

  • · Nourishment

GEMSTONES

  • · Lapis lazuli, aquamarine, turquoise (light blue stones), pearl, coral, mother-of-pearl (ocean-sourced)

ESSENTIAL OILS

  • · Goddess-ence Ishtar* blend for the crown chakra

AFFIRMATIONS

  • · I voice my needs
  • · Freedom is a birthright I enjoy
  • · I release my anger, I embrace joy
  • · Others recognise my needs and honour them
  • · I connect with my needs, and let them be known
  • · My body is a temple, and oh what a temple it is!
  • · My body is a pleasure, a temple and a treasure

Her Story

West African, Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean goddess Yemaya is Mother Water, orisha of the oceans. She represents mother love and the affairs of women – fertility, children, birthing, the home and family. She is the merciful goddess of creation and protector of women during conception and childbirth, and of children during their childhood. She is the deep ocean of comfort for those in need.

African deities (orishas) are usually represented by flowing, swirling images of colour and movement, depicting the elemental energies rather than an anthropomorphised image. Yemaya’s energy is depicted with sky blue, white and silver swirling colour. In other images, she is a mermaid or a beautiful woman.

Yemaya brings forth and protects life through all the highs and lows, even during the worst atrocities that can be suffered. She reminds women to take time out for themselves, to nurture their own needs and to respect their deserved position in life.

Her Modern Energy

If Yemaya is speaking to you today, ask yourself, who or what is it that is taking all your time and energy? Whose problems are you trying to fix at the expense of your own vital energy? And why are you trying to fix them? (For approval?) Yemaya does not ask that you conquer your problems nor dominate the source of your problems, but instead to learn how to dance with the ebb and flow of the inevitability of the life cycle.

Yemaya gives you permission to pamper yourself, and for one week at least, to retire from being the “fixer”, the “nurturer”, the “servant”. The world will not end if you withdraw to take care of yourself for a while.

Reconnect With Your Inner Yemaya

Spend some time this week building a shrine to Yemaya, with ocean-sourced items (especially the conch shell), crystal and silver objects, and symbols to represent the moon and stars.

On a Saturday, enjoy watermelon and brew your own raspberry leaf tea (this will take around two weeks to prepare).

Raspberry leaf tea: Tie organically grown raspberry leaves in a bunch and hang in a warm, dark area until dry. Strip the leaves, crumble them into your favourite tea-pot or cauldron, and brew Yemaya’s tea. Take your time to drink this – cancel appointments and other demands for your time, and let yourself truly, purely, “be” in the moment!

Alternatively, on a full moon, invoke Yemaya’s energy by “drawing down the moon”. Here is a suggestion that is in Ffiona Morgan’s book, “Goddess Spirituality”. This ritual can be done as a private ritual with yourself, preferably outside under the full moon. (If it is not possible to go outside, you can sit or stand facing a window in view of the moon, with the moon’s rays shining in on you.)

Start by chanting ‘Ma’, ‘Yemaya’, or ‘Luna’ for five or ten minutes, to raise energy for the drawing down. Then place your hands with palms facing the moon, index fingers and thumbs touching, forming the sacred triangle, or sign of the yoni. Spread your fingers as wide as possible, so they are receptors for moon energy. After you chant to raise power, focus all your energy and vision on Mother Moon and draw her energy down into your body. Move your hands, if desired, back and forth, from arms-outstretched position to your heart and back again. After a few minutes of holding your hands up to the moon, you can feel them tingle. This is magical energy. This can take 15-20 minutes, but you may take more or less time, there are no rules. Here are some songs and chants to the moon:

“Yemaya, O Lo Do, Agua Lo Do Mi O”
(repeat over and over again)
“Moon, Moon, Moon on my mind, think I’ll fly”
(repeat over and over again)
Simple Shower Ritual

First, gather your shower and ritual tools. You will need a bar of soap (pick one that is special to you because of the scent or whatever), a big, fluffy white towel, 3 white votives or pillars and your favourite incense. Pick a soothing CD to put on.

Next, arrange the candles, put on the CD and light the incense. Hang your towel nearby. Take 5 deep breaths, centre, and ground yourself before beginning.

Take the soap and carve a pentagram on both sides of the soap. Ask for the sense and presence of the Goddess. Hold the bar in the air and say these words:

O Mother Goddess,

Bless this soap that you have seen
Soap to make me pure and clean.
Clear away all dirt and grime
Protect my body all the time.

Blessed be.

Place it in the soap holder.

Lastly, take each candle and carve a pentacle or protective rune on its side. Grab all three candles in your hands and repeat these words:

Candles that I light this day,
Keep all evil thoughts away.
As the water washes me,
Burn out all negativity. Blessed be.
Kiss each candle then light it. Now you are ready for your shower.

As the water runs over you visualise all your stress, sadness and worries rinsing away, the bubbles cleaning off dirt and leaving your skin glowing with a radiant white glow all around you. This will keep you feeling strong and protected all through the day. Thank the Goddess for her presence and put all tools away for next time.

Zelda the Witch (“As Told by Zelda’s Familiar, Hemlock the Cat”)

Zelda the Witch (“As Told by Zelda’s Familiar, Hemlock the Cat”)

Author: RainyLane

The sound of clinging glass could be heard from the tiny wooden home occupied by Zelda the witch. Zelda lifted a heavy leather bound book off the table and made her way towards the tiny mirror hanging from the wall. She examined the age that had accumulated on her face, as she had done everyday for the last few years.

Zelda was not always such a vain soul and in her youth enjoyed the attention and praise that often accompanies beauty. But as she began to age, and wrinkles began to plague her once youthful face the compliments from the villagers began to fade and Zelda decided, by Goddess, she was a witch and she would do something about it. For years she had managed to soften times blow by mixing concoctions of toad and bones, lavender and thyme, but these proved to be temporary fixes to an unsolvable problem.

Or was it?

Zelda could remember her mother’s words and a potion she once came across in her childhood. Having no use for the particular potion during her youth, she dismissed it from her memory and for years this spell eluded her thoughts.

As the years passed Zelda became so consumed with her vanity it slowly began turning into desperation and the memory of the potion crept its way into her thoughts once more. Then one night in dream, the spell found its way back into Zelda’s life.

Upon waking the next morning, Zelda scoured her extensive spell collection in an attempt to retrieve the potion. She sat the book back down on the table and began to flip through its aged pages. Flip, flip, flip…nothing. More flipping, more searching and just when Zelda began to think she never really saw the spell at all a loud “ah-ha” rang through the air.

Zelda’s finger halted the next page from landing and quietly she repeated the words before her “Le beau charme de Lune”. Zelda had found the potion! She began to scroll the list of ingredients: Rose hips and sage grounded up fine, with a pinch of moon dust, one can erase time.

To the moon a ladder must be made, from the moon some dust saved. The Beautiful Moon Spell.

Zelda’s first few attempts to retrieve the last elusive ingredient of “Le beau charme de Lune” were quite humorous. There was the broomstick attempt, but witches are people too and getting up that high on an enchanted piece of wood wasn’t flying.

After a few more failed attempts, Zelda was on the verge of giving up when the answer came to her, as it does to most witches, in another dream. Children, millions of children under a powerful spell forming a ladder all the way to the moon.

And so the beginning of the end… began.

The spell had been easy to cast over the children, for Zelda was a powerful well-trained witch. Within moments millions of children began to rise from their silent slumber and follow the enchanted sound of Zelda’s voice.

As Zelda sent the last child up the ladder she tilted her head back and took in the night sky. The moon was high harvest and the smell of burning chimneys could tell anyone dead or alive that Beltane was approaching.

“All these years, all this time”, she mumbled under her breath.

Zelda used to imagine what this moment would feel like. The moment where she knew things could now change. No more toads, no more bones, just eternal youth, in her body… forever.

With a sigh of relief and hike of her skirt was revealed a woman who was about to be herself again.

She couldn’t believe how easy it was to climb the children at first; they said nothing, their eyes blank. Now only remained a hollow emptiness where life used to be. Zelda half questioned herself whether or not this would work, but the closer she got to the moon, the more convinced she became that this time, it would work!

And then… “Oh my Goddess!” she screamed as she lost her footing. Zelda felt the a gust of cold Winter’s air brush by the back of her neck and before she knew it she was plummeting to the ground…and then all that could be heard was a massive shock of screams, children screams, piercing the once silent night sky.

The ladder began to give way as millions of children flew through the air, breaking the strong chain they had formed just moments before. Zelda’s concentration had been broken the moment she slipped and the enchantment over the children was no more.

Zelda’s arms flayed, desperately grasping for anything that might save her life, but all she got was cold night air. And with a soft thud, Zelda’s body finally touched the ground.

It was at that moment I ran over desperate to find sign of life in Zelda’s cold body. There were none. Because of the spell’s workings all the children landed safely and softly on the ground. Silently and without question the children found their way back home as I mourned the loss of my companion and friend.

800 years later the story of Zelda the witch is not easily found in books or prose for it is has now become a cautionary tale told in the silent whispers of wizards and witches around a fire in good company. Vanity to mortal and witch alike is no laughing matter and in some cases, like Zelda’s, could cost you your life.

I, Hemlock the cat and Zelda’s beloved familiar, still reflect fondly on the life and memory of Zelda and wish that she had never found “Le beau charme de Lune”. I guess the lesson to be learned here, dear friends, is to beware of vanity, for it can find its way into your hearth, life and sometimes, if you’re not careful, into your craft as well.

Just as is did in the story of Zelda the Witch.

*Dedicated to the spirit and memory of my mother, Wendy, who passed into her next incarnation in February of 2007.

A Witch In An RV

A Witch In An RV

Author: Olbec

I am a Witch and I live in an RV with my husband and our Pomeranian (my familiar) , Blayde. To clarify, I do not live in one of those big luxurious bus sized RVs but a rather a van converted by Roadtrek (think Chevy Express van + bathroom + bed + 2-burner stove + tiny refrigerator = my house) . As minimalists, my husband and I chose such a small RV in order to leave the smallest carbon footprint on our struggling earth as possible. One really learns how to conserve water when your freshwater tank holds only 30 gallons!

I didn’t start out my Pagan life as a Witch living in an RV. I acknowledged my being a Witch eight years ago while living on our ranch in Texas. I had followed the Pagan path for approximately three years prior to that time, but I held a solitary dedication ceremony on April 10, 2001, and have been spiritually growing and learning ever since.

After we sold our ranch, and gave away most of our earthly belongings, we chose to live in an RV in January of 2008. If you are on a Pagan path, and considering the RV lifestyle as a full-time living option, you should know that there are both unique challenges and advantages to being a Witch living in an RV full-time. Allow me share just a few of these…

One of my biggest challenges is trying to keep an altar in a space barely big enough for the essentials of living. Aside from the fact that there are no open surfaces, which are not currently used for meal preparation, the bouncing and jiggling as we drive down the road would be most detrimental to items placed loosely upon an altar. Because of not having space in our van for a permanent altar I find myself setting up temporary altars at our various stops during our travels.

A temporary altar can present unique challenges, too. If we are staying in an RV park the neighbors are often very curious about, and can even be intolerant of, “the hippie woman” with incense, candles and sacred items chanting and casting a circle around the picnic table at the RV site next to them. I’ve experienced onlookers stopping, staring, and “tutt-tutting” while I was trying to concentrate on ritual… this can be very disruptive to the concentration required in many spells.

If we are staying in the wilderness, as opposed to an RV park, such steps as the preparatory bath prior to ritual can become a challenge all its own, too. (Remember that 30-gallon water tank is also used for washing dishes, flushing the toilet, cooking, etc.) Allow me share the fact that, in all honesty, bathing in a mountain stream (as spiritual as it may sound) is a very cold and tense experience. Depending on what kind of magick you have in mind to do a freezing stream bath may not be the best preparation.

Another challenge in being a Witch living the RV lifestyle in a small RV such as ours is that along with our personal items (clothing, dishes, etc.) I must carry all my incense, herbs, books and divination tools with me. I have no other house or storage area to keep all my goodies. This requires learning spells that require minimal provisions and not having many “extra” supplies on hand.

My familiar, Blayde, has also had to face challenges in adapting to ritual in varying locales. Where once we lived in the confines of a house and fenced yard in which he could enter the circle, lie down near the altar, and watch with his expressive eyes all that happened, he now finds himself needing to be leashed during many of our rituals. Whether because of RV park rules or the risk of harm in the wilderness his harness and leash now invade his life much more often.

Of course, as with all things, there is balance between “the good and the bad” when considering this lifestyle. I believe the advantages of living in an RV balance out the disadvantages very well.

I have the freedom to travel anywhere we want to drive to. This means that I have worshipped the Lady and Lord on the rocky shores of Maine, on the beaches of Florida, amidst the highest peaks of Colorado, and in the serenity of the Arizona desert. I have mediated while leaning with my back against an oak tree in Texas and watched the moon rise over a bayou in Louisiana.

During my travels I have seen both the fragility and the strength of Gaia. All this has combined to help deepen my confidence and understanding of my Pagan path and my magickal practices.
I enjoy the option of attending Pagan festivals anywhere in North America I want to go without worrying about time off from a job or needing a house sitter to care for my material possessions.

I keep a list of Pagan shops from all across the country and can visit them whenever I drive through their area, thus enjoying a wider range of viewpoints and outlooks than if I was anchored to one locale.

Although I wouldn’t recommend my footloose lifestyle to all Witches I do appreciate being able to live my life like this. To those who are considering living in an RV full-time (and this number is ever increasing) I recommend you do it with your eyes and mind wide open.

I gave up my closed in “wall space”, where I once hung various tributes to the Lord and Lady, for open “nature space” where I now see Their handiwork spread out before me. I gave up my lovely wooden altar for makeshift altars such as picnic tables, boulders, tree stumps, or a cloth spread on the grass.

I gave up my pantry full of herbs, candles and magickal supplies for a box of basic supplies that fits under our bed.

I gave up my comfortable routine of an herb-infused candlelit bath prior to ritual for a “sponge bath” under a tree, behind a cactus, or in the cramped quarters of our van.

But best of all, I gave up the concern of house payments, property taxes, and yard maintenance and am now free to concentrate on my family, my spirituality, my health.

Unblocking Spells

In some versions of the Sleeping Beauty story, the handsome prince would very much like to save Sleeping Beauty from her hundred years sleep but is initially unable because the road leading to her castle is obstructed with thorns. The prince can’t pass until he take his sword and cuts his own path. In other versions of the tale, his sword won’t cut; he’s unable to pass through the thicket until powerful fairies recognize his predicament and cut a road for him.

That’s exactly what unblocking or road opening spells do.

When your life seems stagnant, when opportunities always seem to peter out, when no viable alternatives seem to exist, when no roads open for you, you may have what is magically known as a blocked condition. Blocked conditions stem from a variety of causes.

  • Blockages may result from insufficient magick power your magickal gas tank is empty, therefore you can’t proceed.
  • Blockages may be the result of a hex or curse. However the emphasis with Unblocking Spells is emphatically a repairing the situation at hand: opening the roads. There’s little emphasis on who may have placed a hex or on returning it.
  • Blockages may result because you’re desperately in need of magickal cleansing: too much accumulated negative debris is weighing you down, preventing mobility
  • Blockages may result from spiritual causes

Unblocking spells remove blocks, obstacles, and hurdles, opening the roads so that you can proceed happily with life. Blockages are the opposite of a crossroads. Crossroads offer possibilities of change, motion, and power. Blockages weigh you down, removing avenues of opportunity and limiting you to travel a path not of your choosing.

There are two aspects to unblocking spells:

  • Specific spirits, magickal owners of gates and crossroads, control access on all roads. They determine who passes and who is blocked. These road opener spirits may be petitioned to remove your particular blockage
  • Other spells take advantage of the power of herbs and magickal items to remove a block

Spell of the Day for April 15: Spell To Bind Someone Dangerous

Spell To Bind Someone Dangerous

Timing: Best performed on Saturday (Saturn’s Day, to bind a criminal, one who intends to do harm, to bring someone to justice).

Supplies:

  • a poppet made to represent the person in question
  • a black candle
  • myrrh incense
  • red ribbon

 Cast a circle. Light a black candle and burn myrrh incense. Sprinkle the poppet with salt water, saying:

Blessed be, thou creature made of art.
By art made, by art changed.
Thou art not cloth (or wax, whatever)
But flesh and blood.
I name thee ___________ (person being bound)
Thou art s/he, between the worlds, in all the worlds,
So mote it be.

Hold the poppet and imagine it enmeshed in a silver net, binding the person in question. Tie the poppet up firmly with red ribbon, binding all parts of it that could possibly do harm. Charge it, saying:

By air and earth,
By water and fire,
So be you bound,
As I desire.
By three and nine,
Your power I bind.
By moon and sun,
My will be done.
Sky and sea
Keep harm from me.
Cord go round,
Power be bound,
Light revealed,
Now be sealed.

 Earth the power and open the circle. Bury the poppet at the time of the waning moon, far from your home, under a heavy rock.

Herb of the Day for April 15 is White Camphor

Herb of the Day

White Camphor

CAMPHOR, WHITE (Cinnamonum camphora) – When undiluted, familiar smell of Camphor – penetrating, slightly sweet or flowery, quite strong. Diluted, has a “fresh” type of scent, and is commonly used in various household cleaners, room sprays, and disinfectants. It has been used particularly against pneumococci (one type of bacteria which causes pneumonia), and is reported to be of benefit when applied to boils. Antispasmodic. Anti-inflammatory (used externally to soothe joint/muscle pain, and bronchitis). Feels cool to the touch. Numbs the local peripheral nerves, thus has a local analgesic effect..