The Ritual Box:
If you wish to make a personal and very imaginative gift to someone who
practices the craft, consider creating a ritual box calendar. Select 12 favorite magickal recipes, magickal tips, or crafts...spells are really not appropriate to give away as spells unless accompanied with a craft. Choose 12 index cards of assorted colors.
Using a pen write down your 12 choices, one per card. Include complete
instructions. Obtain a handsome box, some inexpensive ones can be found at most art and craft stores, place the cards inside, label each one per month: January, February, etc. Bless the cards and box to serve in the highest good and then tie with a brightly colored ribbon. Your box is complete.
Matchbook Magick:
What to do with those little boxes once we use up the stick matches? Bless them first to eliminate the energy of fire, which is considered movement and may interfere in any future magickal works. Next cover the little box in any colored paper you like, or a rainbow colored wrapping paper. Note that each color symbolizes a different need:
1) Green = prosperity
2) Pink = love
3) Red = passion and movement
4) Black = neutral; protection
5) Blue = peace
6) Purple = healing
7) Yellow or gold = healing and the God essence
8) White = for all purposes and the Goddess essence
When you have a need, select the appropriate box and open its little drawer.
Write your name inside a slip of paper and your need and fold it so that it will fit inside the little drawer, close the drawer with the paper inside and hide it somewhere. Leave it there until the wish or need is fulfilled. Then remove and burn the paper, scatter the ashes and return the matchbook to its usual location until it is needed again. This magick is best done on Full or New Moon
Binding Rags:
An ancient custom was to take two pieces of wood and tie them in the shape
of a cross. A rag colored in either yellow or red was tied to the stick
representing an illness one was binding. As the witch worked, she/he would recite the name of the illness and banish it with each turn of the rag onto the stick cross. Once the rag was comepletely tied around the cross, it was buried.
Elemental Braids:
The ancients used knot magick in many forms, most especially in healing. There was also the 4-braided tassel which is believed to have represented the 4 elements and 4 directions. You can create an elemental braid for healing and magick purposes to be using during spellwork.
Select a good yarn. You will need:
Dark green or brown for North/Earth
Yellow for East/Air
Red for South/Fire
Blue for West/Water
Make a good solid braid in each of the 4 colors. Empower these per your usual method. When you are ready to use, they can be a versatile addition to your
magicks:
Use to bring the energies of the color for healing, drape or tie the braid around the area to be healed.
Use to invoke the element of the braid for specific spells.
Use to empower any craft work with the elemental and color energies of the braid itself...for example:
If you make a pouch, you can wrap the braid around the pouch as you empower and bless the pouch so that the braid's energies will also transfer to the pouch. The same can be done with candles before use, etc.
Play Dough Magick:
Take a piece of dough and handle it for a few minutes thinking of your desire. Then shape the play dough into the symbolic shape of your desire. Example:
{LOVE = Heart}
Place the play dough shape on your altar. Annoint with 'OIL' and name it. Then use in your Love Spell to attract the new lover. Best done on a New Moon.
Give Money to Return Money:
In hoodoo, lodestones and lodestone oil is used to keep money coming back to you. Anoint a any bill of currency with lodestone oil and carry in your wallet or purse, or in the case of a business, place the anointed bill in the cash register. Place two loadstones (one to symbolize the male and the other the female) in your purse, wallet or cash register.
It is believed that when you use the anointed bill, it will draw money back in as the loadstones begin to attracted the anointed bill in an attempt to bring it back to themselves. Be sure to always replace the anointed bill you have used with a new one.
Lodestones and magnets used for money drawing powers should also be anointed with the lodestone oil at least once a month. To make lodestone oil:
In a dark glass bottle add almond oil or olive oil. Place a small magnet and allow to sit for at least 24 hours or more before using. Ideally this should be done on Full Moon and allowed to sit unused until next Full Moon. {There are many recipes, this is the easiest.}
Bathing Magick:
When you are using a special oil, blend, bathing salts etc in order to attract or repel something, the direction you rub your body should be noted.
If you want to attract something toward you, then rub the bath oils, salts, etc toward your heart and in an upward motion, beginning with the feet toward the head.
If you want to repel something away from you such as illness, bad luck, etc, rub the bath oils, salts, etc in a downward motion, beginning from your head down toward your feet. Rub away from your heart area.
Widdershins Kitchen Blessing:
Even the most experienced kitchen witch may sense some negativity sneaking into her hearth and heart: the kitchen.
If you feel that your kitchen and its sacred space has been subjected to negative energies, especially after an argument, someone criticizing (just to hurt you) your cooking, etc. you may want to perform a simple kitchen cleansing.
One of the best methods to maintain your kitchen free from negative energy is to keep a potted basil there. If you do not have potted basil in your kitchen, sprinkle some of the herb around your kitchen area, and next using your besom (broom), sweep the basil widdershins (counterclock wise) and say something like
this:
"Basil cleansing, empowering my kitchen.
Bless my work, mundane and witchen!"
Take the scooped up basil and go outside and sprinkle it to the Winds, you can say a simple prayer or thank you for the goodness of your kitchen magick.
Magick Soap Box:
I usually don't know what to do with those little soaps one picks up at toiletry stores. The ones that come in different colors, shapes, etc. And then it hit me: healing baths! The idea is to create a Magick Soap Box using the soaps or little bath pellets in colors that are associated with the magick you want to bring into your life. For instance:
Pink= Love
Red = Passion
Green = Prosperity
Yellow = Health
Blue = Peace
Get the idea? The little soaps or bath oil pellets must be empowered before
placed in the box prior to use. The simplest method is to place the soaps or pellets in the box, place your hands palm down above it and say a silent blessing and ask that the soaps or oil pellets serve the highest good
only.
You can create one of the same color; or you can mix and match your colors. And if you really want to get fancy, take a piece of parchment or decorated stationery paper and write down the color key. This box makes a great gift idea for witchy and non-witchy friends. Perfect for birthdays, Yule, etc. And you can really get creative, you can use heart shaped soaps for love soaps, etc.
Musk Magick Box:
Musk has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac. It is a scent derived from the musk glands of certain animals. Initially, musk was an added ingredient in foods in order to give them an attractive scent.
Boxes make excellent recipients of scent magick because you can open the box to ritually release the magick of the scent you are working with, and then close the box to keep the magick inside until needed again. The aroma of musk is usually very subtle. Musk Boxes are created by saturing a piece of cotton or cotton fabric with the oil and then this is placed inside a wooden box which is then kept closed for at least 30 days. The scent of the musk then transfers to the wood itself and is absorbed by it. When you wish to release the scent of this aphrodisiac, simply open the box. Do not remove the cotton patch. You can refresh the scent by placing a dot of oil on the fabric, and rubbing the fabric on the inside of the box. This same thing can be done with other resins, such as frankincense. Or even with the fruity oils such as orange, lemons, strawberry.
Pomander Boxes:
I love these for Yule gifts! Needed:
1 handsome wooden box to hold.
1 medium sized orange.
1 lemon.
2 packages (about 50) clove tacks.
4 cinnamon sticks.
Red satin ribbon about 12 inches
Instructions:
Place the lemon, orange and cinnamon sticks in a pan. Add water to cover the fruit. Boil the orange, lemon and cinnamon sticks for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and remove fruit from the water. Allow to cool. When fruit is cool
to the touch, begin inserting the clove tacks into the fruit. Use all the clove. When complete, cut the ribbon into 2 pieces so that you can tie a nice red bow on both. Place inside box with the cinnamon sticks and maintain closed for at least one week. To release scent of fruit, open box. Last indefinitely.
Lapis Lazuli:
Lapis Lazuli was a prized stone to the ancient Egyptians. In at least one ancient resource, we learn that they used the stone, shaped as a heart, for healing love magick....that is, they used it for whenever one's heart was hurt either through a failed relationship or an intended slight from someone else. It seems to have been used to heal the heart of the wounded individual without inflicting harm to anyone else.
Lapis Lazuli to Heal A Wounded Heart:
Using a lapis lazuli stone, hold it close to your heart or pressed to your chest:
"Blue as the sky above heal me,
Blue light to soothe me.
Ancient stone of lapis lazuli,
Help me forgive those who hurt me."
Envision blue light from the stone flare and enter your heart. Allow its energy to encompass you and send cool blue light to the sore and hurt areas of your heart and pride. When you feel calm and relaxed and feel better, you have finished this meditation. Carry the stone with you and use it each time you feel sad or think back to those hurtful memories.
