Tag: Shopping

Laugh-A-Day for Sept. 18: You might be a redneck if…

You might be a redneck if…

You’ve ever barbecued Spam on the grill.

You own all the components of soap on a rope except the soap.

The best way to keep things cold is to leave’em in the shade.

You’ve ever raked leaves in your kitchen.

The neighbors started a petition over your Christmas lights.

Your brother-in-law is your uncle.

You entire family has ever sat around waiting for a call from the governor to spare a loved one.

You go to the family reunion to pick up women.

Your grandmother has ever been asked to leave a bingo game because of her language.

You can’t tell what color your car is because of the dirt.

Your Charm for September 18: The Crescent and Hand

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:   

Guests and visitors will come calling. Their visit brings happiness and joy. This aspect will reflect these emotions for weeks after the visit.

General Description:    

Crescents were worn by the ancients to safeguard them against witchcraft and danger. From the very early Eastern symbols, horseshoes came to be regarded by the Greeks and Romans as charms against sickness and the plague. In the middle ages horseshoes were used as amulets for witchcraft and even today are looked upon as lucky. When the representation of the hand of strength was worn with the crescent it signified hospitality and generosity. Hands of Might are painted on houses in Italy, Syria, Turkey and in the East to protect the buildings from misfortune and the inmates from death. The blue beads were worn to avert the evil eyes.

"Raffle" Up-Date

For the new individuals with us, I apologize. I am sorry I took out the instructions on the raffle. It is very simple to enter. If you scroll down pass the last item listed, you will find a PayPal button. There you enter the amount that you want to purchase your ticket for (ever heard of anything like that?). You can enter any amount that you wish except anything lower than $5.00. The reason being is PayPal charges us for each transaction that comes through there. They don’t care if we are a non-profit or not. But anything over $5.00 is fine. You can also use the PayPal button on the main page. In the description part you fill out, just put Raffle. Since there are two items up for auction, you can go ahead and specific which one you want. But the minute I receive notice from PayPal you are automatically entered in the Raffle.

I hope this explains the process. Again I am very sorry for taking that part out and not putting it back in. Thank you again for your interest in our raffle. Oh, you might want to check out the other item I listed today. It is for a deck of Tarot Cards.

Good Luck,

Lady A

Blessing of the Book of Shadows

BLESSING OF THE BOOK OF SHADOWS

Hearken as the witch’s word calls to all, a gulf to ford.
Bridge the vast realities. An it harm none, do as ye please.
Elements, protect and guard this book, from wandering eyes and prying looks.
Fill it with thine ancient powers, in this right and ready hour.
Powers of the North, the East below, help me to live, to learn, to grow.
Lend your strength and stability, to practice the Craft and with love be free.
Powers of East, the wind, the Sky, watch over these pages with thine eye.
Your wisdom and knowledge, for these I do ask, that this book be worthy of the
Craft and its task. Powers of South, Fire, and hearth, help these Shadows to
prove their worth. Infuse them with all your healing and passion, so only good
comes from the work that is fashioned. Powers of West, the Water and sea,
change and growth are granted by thee. Bless these pages with all that you know,
that righteous readers may learn and grow. And to the unschooled eye that see,
confusing words and sophistry, lead them from these sacred pages, and bless
their passage through the ages. For free will of all, and harm none, as I have
willed it, it is now done.
So mote it be!

Simple Toothpaste

Simple Toothpaste

Ingredients

Baking Soda

Salt Water

Glycerin

Peppermint oil (if possible, if not, try dried parsley just make sure it doesn’t get stuck between your teeth!)

Mix 1/3 cup of baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, water and glycerin until you have a past you are happy with. Use more or less water for the type of paste you wish–thinner or thicker.

Honey Hair Conditioner/Treatment

Honey Hair Conditioner/Treatment

Ingredients

½ cup of honey

2 tablespoons to ¼ cup olive oil, depending on how dry/damaged your hair/scalp is.

Combine together, mix well and saturate hair and scalp. Put on a shower cap on (or use a towel wrapped around your head, if you dnn’t have a shower cap)keeping the treatment on for 30 minutes. Then shampoo, and rinse as usual.

~Glowing Hair Coffee Rinse Recipe~

~Glowing Hair Coffee Rinse Recipe~

This is another recipe that I have not tried, but it looks interesting. Supposedly, this really works for great hair, after just one application. Make a strong brew of coffee, as strong as possible and then allow it to cool until it is warm…not hot. Apply to dry hair and keep it on for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

~Hair Mousse~

~Hair Mousse~

I have seen this next recipe, all over the Internet for years and have even seen it in books. I will admit that I have never used it before, but for those of you who would like an all-natural hair mousse, I hope you find this one enjoyable if you don’t mind the time it takes to make it.

Ingredients

2 egg whites

Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks and then rub into hair, allow hair to dry, and then style as usual. From what I understand, this makes one treatment and being as you are dealing with eggs; that’s really all you need. One treatment at a time is probably your safest bet.

~Old Time Castile Soap Shampoo~

~Old Time Castile Soap Shampoo~

This shampoo method works best only when using re-batched Kirk’s Soap. I use nothing but Kirk’s soap due to its gentle nature, nice fragrance and the ability to re-batch it once you’ve used all of it. This recipe works best, when you have used the bar of soap down to where it is starting to break or it has broken. Here is a more detailed version of the above recipe for re-batching/liquefying it. Cut it up into small pieces into a stovetop safe pot, turn the burner on medium-low (you’ll better be able to see what temperature you need it at, once you start cooking…have it too high and it will burn) and add enough water to make it a liquid.

Though it is soap, you don’t really want it to be soupy, so don’t add too much water. Just add slowly, until the mixture is a nice consistency.

Stir, stir, stir. Yes, you will need to stir it. I would suggest using a wooden spoon, if you have one. If not, just use something sturdy. This may take a while…patience, patience, patience. Once you have it the consistency you like, allow it to cool a bit and then pour it in a bottle and seal it up. It should remain liquid (if you added enough water) for as long as you use it. However, I would advise giving it a good shake before each use.

Magickal Relaxing Peace Bath

Magickal Relaxing Peace Bath

Draw a bath for yourself.
Pour a tablespoon or so of milk into a large bowl of water and say:
‘Water ripples on the breeze…’

Add several rose petals (fresh or dried) to the bowl of water and milk.
Say: ‘Thistledown flies through the air…’

Stir the water, milk, and rose petals with the index finger of your right hand. Say:
‘Silent as the mighty seas…’

Gently pour the mixture that you have created into the bath. Say:
‘Peaceful here without a care.’

Step in. Bathe for as long as you wish.
Let the water absorb negative thoughts and worries.
Allow yourself a few moments of healing peace.

Relaxing Spirit Tea

Relaxing Spirit Tea

1 cup dried rosemary
1 cup dried lavender flowers 1 cup dried sprearmint leaves
1/2 cup dried chamomile
1/4-1/2 cup dried cloves

Blend all herbs thoroughly.
One tsp herbs makes 1 cup tea.
Steep about 5 minutes.

For a special treat: Place a handful of this mixture in a muslin bag and add to bath for a soothing treat.

Author Unknown

Feng Shui Tip for September 12 – 'School Year Clutter'

By now, you should be starting to nip that new school year clutter right in the bud. Start like this: Keep all school books in a single space per student. Put all the things needed for work into another specific space. Donate any books that don’t fit into your current lifestyle. And except for the most recent issues, recycle all magazines, catalogs and circulars. Even get rid of the articles that you’ve been meaning to clip. Trust your Higher Power to always provide you with the information you really need to live your luckiest life. Once the clutter is cleared, feel your incredible lightness of being, and then enjoy your Ahhhhh-Ha moment!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Let's Talk Witch – Do You Know Your Altar Has to Have Balance

phantasmal_familiar_by_rebelkitty-d5iar4f

Let’s Talk Witch – Your Altar Has to Have Balance

If you choose to leave your ritual tools out on your altar, be sure to display all four principal items—Athame, pentagram, chalice and wand—together to establish balance. These four implements represent the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire respectively.

In addition to the four primary tools, you’ll want to keep a variety of other magick items and ingredients on hand for your workings. Most Witches store a supply of candles in different colors, along with incense, essential oils, herbs, crystals, and gemstones. In time, you might also consider adding ribbons, parchment, small bags, a crystal ball, bells a cauldron, tarot cards, runes, pendulum, ritual clothing and jewelry and a Book of Shadows for recording your spells.

Some Witches change the decorations on their altars to coincide with the seasons and sabbats. This practice keeps your altar looking fresh and attractive, while also linking you to the Wheel of the Year and the cycles of life.

"THINK on THESE THINGS" for September 11th

“THINK on THESE THINGS”
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

The truly humble are those who have no thought of using other people to their own avail. They are aware from their own intelligence and abilities, but because somewhere along the way they have acknowledged how inadequate they are alone.

The day of the self-sufficient person has never truly been. Without other people, without a sense of humility, success is lost to the overambitious.

English critic John Ruskin once said that the first test of a truly great person is humility.

There is greatness and sincerity when we can say to ourselves that we are only human and except for the grace of God we would even lack those qualities. We realize that the world owes us nothing, and no person owes us anything but love. It is not simply our job to serve ourselves, but it is our duty to serve others.

Humility is one of the finest qualities found in human nature. Without it we are nothing but a brash machine, with it we are warm and kind and always respected.

If we want to be friends to others, we must meet them on their level. This isn’t to say we have to be the type they are, but understand them and realize that it is a good thing that we are not all alike. This is the beauty of humanity, the variations that keep the human race from being monotonous.

And there is nothing sweeter to the human ear than to hear someone talk its language. Great persons have realized this and have made themselves adaptable to the little and to the big, to the learned and to the unschooled, in order to be more widely understood.

Who knew better than the Wise Master the importance of meeting others on their own level? The Master looked into the lives of every type of person and saw many changes that needed to be made, but also saw much to love and to waken. And in this gentleness and compassion the Wise Master could meet us all and speak out languages, then to be understood and followed.

We live in such narrow existence’s when we cannot communicate with anyone except those on our own level of thought and action. And if we only have one level on which to operate, there’s danger of it becoming a shelf for immovable objects.

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

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

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

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

What Mask Do You Wear? Quiz

What Mask Do You Wear? Quiz

One of the first steps toward creating a life that fills us with joy and  contentment is recognizing the role we play that may be keeping us confined in  unhappy, unsatisfying patterns of behavior. Most of us learned our roles early  in childhood, but after a certain point, those masks we wear stopped helping us.  Which mask do you wear?

Take this quiz to see which role you play. You may recognize the masks your  loved ones wear, too!

1. Do you often find yourself thinking, “It should be like THIS” or “They’re  doing it WRONG”?

2. Does your striving for perfection sometimes drive you crazy?

3. Do you feel like you will never be good enough?

4. Do you often tell yourself, “I can’t help it” or “It’s not my fault”?

5. Do you find yourself looking to the past and thinking, “It would have been  alright if only. . .”

6. Do you look to the future and think “Everything will be alright  when. . .”

7. Do you sometimes do things because you think you should or you feel  obligated to, but you really don’t want to?

8. Do you commonly tell yourself that making others happy is more important  than what you need or feel?

9. Do you often say yes when you really want to say no?

10. Do you often rush in to help people and fix it for them?

If you answered “yes” to 1, 2 or 3, you may be wearing the mask of the  Judge. The Judge is the mouthpiece of the Demon of Perfection that says,  no matter how good it gets, it will never be good enough.

If you answered “yes” to 4, 5, or 6, you may be wearing the mask of the  Victim. The Victim makes up “poor me” stories and is rarely in a state of  gratitude or in the present moment.

If you answered “yes” to 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, you may be wearing the mask of  the Prostitute/Rescuer. The Prostitute pretends to be anything you want  her to be, compromising herself to get what she wants–which is usually love and  acceptance. She hides the truth of how she really feels. The Rescuer is the more  respectable face of this mask–the Nurse endlessly mopping the brows of the  wounded, the Hero rushing in to make everything better. The problem with this  mask is that it subtly (or not so subtly!) tells people, “I don’t respect you  enough to believe you can do this yourself.”

There is no shame in having learned to play one of these roles. Most of us  did. But we can all learn how to gently put aside the masks that hide our  authentic selves.

Feng Shui News for Sept. 11th – 'Today Contains 2 Special Events'

It’s ‘Libraries Remember Day’ and ‘National Day of Service and Remembrance’ — are you sensing a theme here? According to a recent scientific report, just a whiff of the scent of rosemary essential oil was shown to boost the ability to remember to do things, and in some cases even sharpened recall of past events. Of course, we in the holistic world have long known of rosemary’s amazing ability to stall memory decline. Thanks to these findings, more people will be exposed to research that finds that adults who routinely inhaled rosemary essential oil performed better on memory tests than those who did not. Don’t forget now, some rosemary each day will keep memory decline away!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Calendar of the Moon for September 11th

Calendar of the Moon

13 Muin/Boedromion

Day of the Aspen

Color: Scarlet
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a scarlet cloth set a vase of aspen twigs, a single red candle, a pot of soil, seeds of some rare medicinal herb, a bowl of water, and a bell.
Offerings: Plant seeds. Deal with a situation that cannot be solved by black-and-white thinking.
Daily Meal: Vegan

Invocation to the Green Man of the Aspen

Hail, Green Man of the Autumn!
Aspen tree, shield-maker’s joy,
Poplar wood that breaks and snaps,
You come in black and white,
As if to remind us that there are
Two sides to everything,
And yet you are one, and there is
Very little difference.
You made the rod used to
Measure corpses, showing that to
Measure something out is to make it dead.
You make the shield for protection,
Which saves us from the hard blows,
And is laid on the breast of the fallen warrior.
You are the tree of loss of hope,
Teaching us that even when hope is dead,
We must do without it and go on,
Finding some grimmer emotion
To sustain us in our battle.
Whistling Swan with your mourning cries,
You expect no mercy, and give none.
We hail you, sacred aspen tree,
Green Man of the Autumn,
At this the time of your decline.

Chant:
When hope falls then honor calls
When passion yields honor be your shield
(Each comes forward and plants a seed in the pot of soil, saying, “Hail Green Man of the Earth!” Water is poured onto the pot, and then the rest is poured out as a libation. Ring bell and dismiss.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for September 11

Calendar of the Sun

11 Halegmonath

Meditrinalia

Color: Red
Element: Fire
Altar: In the center of the altar should be a fire laid and waiting to be lit in a pot, and around it trays of small honey-cakes (crusta mellei), jugs of old and new wine, a cup of water, a sprig of rosemary, a bowl of salted spelt flour (mola salsa), incense of myrrh, and lanterns.
Offerings: Cakes,
Daily Meal: Honey-cakes, salted spelt flour bread with rosemary and olive oil, wine, lentils.

Meditrinalia Invocation

Caller: Incendio! (One steps forward and lights the fire and lanterns.) So doth the lively flame thrive, whether a little earthen bowl feed the thirsty linen wick, or pinewood that lends its pitch. Accept, Divine One, we pray, the light which we offer you.
Response: Vivax flamma viget, seu cava testula sucum linteolo suggerit ebrio, seu pinus piceam fert alimoniam. Lumen quod vobis offero, suscipe, precor, dive.
Caller: O Father Liber, grant us your favour! We who are come to your sacred rite in your service now open our lips. (One takes the mola salsa and passes it around to be tasted.)
Response: Liber Pater, fave! Quia tibi nunc operata resolvimus ora, quae ad sacrae tuae adsummus.
Caller: Purificatio! (One steps forward and sprinkles the remaining mola salsa.) Ab illos benedicaris, in cuius honore friaris. (One steps forward and asperges each with rosemary and water.) Ab illos benedicaris, in cuius honore spargaris. (One steps forward and censes each in turn.) Ab illos benedicaris, in cuius cremaberis.
Caller: Before thee, Liber, the altars were without offerings and grass grew on the cold hearths.
Response: Ante tuos ortus arae sine honore fuerunt, Liber, et in gelidis herba reperta focis.
(Two step forward and mix the old and new wine together with water, and pass them about.)
Caller: As I drink of this wine old and new, so of all ills old and new may I be healed.
Response: Vinum vetum novumque bibo, de morbo veto novoque medeor
Caller: Liber enjoys honey, and it is right that we give its discoverer honey cakes.
Response: Melle Liber fruitur, liboque infusa calenti iure repertori candida mella damus
(One steps forward to place four cakes on the fire, and pass the rest about to be eaten.)
Caller: So may the fruits of Autumn be sweet to us!
Response: Sicut nobis dulces fruges autumni.
Caller: Ambulatio! (All approach the altar and lay the garlands on it.)
Caller: Sacrificio! Sacred spirit of the spring, be honoured.
Response: Vina dat Liber, fert sibi quisque coronam, miscendas large rivus agit aquas. Anima sacra fontis, macte coronae vinoque crustoque quod inferimus.
Caller: So may all the waters of the earth be sacred to us. So may it be!”
Response: Sic sacrae nobis omnia aquae terrae. Ita sit! (Silence for a moment, then all exit.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

A Word From The Witch

Book & Candle Comments
I will make my message as brief as possible today. My soul is drained and my heart is very heavy. I started once to go back to our old group on September 11 and see what I had to say then. But I didn’t. No matter what I said then or say now words will not help those amongst us who are hurting today.

 

I have lost loved ones myself and no words spoken to me ever healed the hurt. And no words ever will. It is extremely hard to deal with when your loved one is suddenly took from you. It takes a very long time to adjust to the fact they are gone forever. Even as witches, we are not granted the power of knowing when someone’s or our own last day will be. I believe we are not meant to know.

 

When our time comes, we will be taken from this plane to the next. It leaves the ones we love behind to cry with the loss and the heartache. But really there should be no crying because our loved ones have gone home to be with our Great Mother, the Goddess.

 

There are times I stop to think about my mother and sister. I begin to cry. Then I imagine my crossing over the Rainbow bridge and in the distance I see two figures. These figures are running to me, they are my sister and mother. The tears of sorrow are now tears of joy. We hug, we kiss, we laugh, what a beautiful day it will be to see them again. Just think what a beautiful day it will be to see all of our relatives and loved ones that have gone before us.

 

Today let’s take those tears of sadness and loss and turn them to tears of joy. Take the loved ones that you have here with you, hug them so tight and tell them how much you love them. Tell them not only today but each day of the year. Let them know how special they are to us.

 

For we know not when our time will come but it will come….

WOTC Spell of the Day for Sept. 11th: Spell for Bravery

Book & Candle Comments

A Spell for Bravery

To boost courage when you need it.

Items You Will Need:

An orange or red candle
A piece of carnelian or tiger’s eye

Candle You Need to Light:

Light a yellow candle for Air
Light a red candle for Fire
Light a blue candle for Water
Light a green candle for Earth
Light a white candle for Spirit.

This is a simple spell and can be said any time you need a boost. Write it down and tuck the paper in a wallet or pocket if you need to, or carry the stone with you.

“Gods, grant me courage
To face what lies ahead
And deal with challenges
In the best way possible.”
 
 
“Earth, lend me strength
And make me strong and grounded
Air, blow fear away
And keep my head clear.”
 
 
“Fire, burn away doubt
That would sap my will
And water, calm and soothe me
So I might go with the flow.”
 
 
“Spirit burn strong within me
That I might be brave
In the face of difficulty
Gods, grant me courage
Gods, grant me courage.”

So Mote It Be.