More Spells & Rituals
To cast a spell is to project energy through a symbol. It is important to note that the energy is what is key, not the symbol; too often, the symbols are mistaken for the agent that casts the spell. While props are useful at times, it is the mind that works the magic. Correspondences between colors, planets, metals, numbers, plants and minerals, and musical notes make up a great deal of magical lore, and particular objects, shapes, colors, scents, and images do work better than others to embody certain ideas. The most powerful spells are often improvised from materials that feel right or that simply happen to come to hand, however.
Theory of Spellcasting
Spells are an important aspect of magical training. They require the use of the combined faculties of relaxation, visualization, concentration and projection. The casting of spells provides practice in coordinating these skills and developing them further. Spells are extremely sophisticated psychological tools that have subtle, but important, effects on a person's inner growth. Spells may highlight otherwise hidden complexes of the person casting the spell.
A person who has conflicts about success will find great difficulty in concentrating on a money spell, for example. Many times the practical results of a spell are far less important than the psychological insights that arise during the magical work, for discovering our inner blocks and fears is the first step in overcoming them. Spells also go one step further than most forms of psychotherapy, in that they allow us not only to listen to and interpret the unconscious, but also to speak to it in the language it understands.
Symbols, images, and objects used in spells communicate directly with Younger Self, who is the guardian of our emotions and who is barely affected by the intellect. We often understand our feelings and behavior but find ourselves unable to change them, but through spells, we can attain the most important power - the power to change our lives.
Spellcasting also forces us to come to terms with the material world. Many people attracted to the spiritual path of the Craft find themselves uneasy with using magic for practical or material goals. Somehow it seems wrong to work magic for oneself, to want things and to get things. This is an attitude which is a holdover of the Judeo-Christian world view that sees spirit and matter as separate and that identifies matter with evil and corruption.
In the Craft, flesh, the material world, none of what is commonly thought of as matter is separate from spirit. The universe is made up of the Goddess who is manifest in all things. Union with the Goddess comes through embracing the material world and all the gifts that She has placed in it for us. Our major task on this plane of existence is to become masters of this realm of manifestation. We do not fight self-interest; we follow it, but with an awareness that transmutes it into something sacred.
Mechanics of Spellcasting
Spellcasting is the lesser, not the greater magic; but the greater magic builds on the lesser. The paradox is that in spellcasting we may start out working with the personal self, but in order to work the magic we are forced to expand and recognize the Self that moves through all beings.
Magic involves the deliberate self-identification with other objects and people. For example, to do a healing, we must become the healer, the one who is healed, and the energy that is to do the healing. To attract love, we must be able to love ourselves and to become love its self.
Spells work in two basic ways. The first is through suggestion; symbols and images implant certain ideas in Younger Self, or the subconscious mind, and we are then influenced to actualize those ideas. Spells can also influence the external world.
The theoretical model that witches use to explain the workings of magic is a clear one and coincides in many ways with the "new" physics. It is simply an elaborate but extremely useful metaphor. The metaphor is based on a world view that sees things not as fixed objects, but as vortexes of energy. The physical world is formed by the vortexes of energy, and if we cause a change in the energy patterns they, in turn, cause a change in the physical world. When our own energy is concentrated and channeled, it can move the broader energy currents. The images and objects used in spells are the channels. They are the vessels through which our power is poured, and by which it is shaped.
As energy is directed into the images we visualize, it gradually manifests physical form and takes shape in the material world. Directing energy is not a matter of simply emoting. Emotion can be likened to a strobe light which provides a very inconstant light, while directed energy is more like a laser beam. Even concentrated power is a small stream compared with the vast surges of energy that surround us. The most adept witch cannot be successful in all her spells, for the opposing currents are often too strong.
The craft teaches to first identify the flow of energy and then to decide whether or not it is going where we want it to go. If it is not, then we can try to deflect it, or we may have to change our own course. Sensing the energy climate is a matter of intuition and experience. Some witches make a study of Astrology in an effort to plan their magical workings at the optimal times, while others prefer to work when they feel the time is right.
Of all the planets, the Moon's influence on subtle energies is the strongest. Subtle power increases as the Moon waxes, so the time of the waxing Moon is best for spells involving growth or increase, such as money spells. The power peaks when the Moon is full and that is the best time for workings of culmination and love. During the waning Moon, power subsides and turns inward. The waning Moon's period is used for banishings, bindings, and discovering hidden secrets. The practical witch soon learns to adjust her spells to fit the time of the Moon. If, for example, she needs to do a money spell during the waning Moon, she would put a little 'English' on it and make it a poverty banishing spell.
Energy pursues the path of least resistance. Material results are more easily achieved on this plane of existence through physical actions than through magical workings. For example, it is simpler to lock your door than suffer the constant drain from maintaining psychic seals on your doors and windows while you are away from home. Of course, once you have locked your door, you might feel more reassured by placing seals on it.
No magic spell is going to bring results unless channels are opened into the material world. For example, a job spell is useless if you are not willing to go out and interview for jobs or at least let potential employers know that you are in the market for one. In the same vein, a healing spell is no substitute for medical care.
Most medicine today can be broken down into two broad categories, emergency medicine and that which is not needed for immediate life-threatening situations. Emergency medicine has excelled at stabilizing the body's condition so that it can repair itself at its own pace. Most other forms of medicine consist of treatment through surgery or chemotherapy or a combination of both. The procedures noted above work on the physical body and do not take the other levels into consideration. Psychic healing works at healing the higher levels of the person so that the physical heals itself or allows the person to let go of their physical body if it cannot be repaired. In either case, the choice rests with the person who is being healed and not the healer.
Visualization used in creating a spell should focus on the desired result, not the individual steps leading up to the result. We give the spell free rein in how it goes about achieving the results with the understanding that it is not to bring harm to anyone or any being. For this reason, spells have a habit of working in very unexpected ways.
To assure that the power we have unleashed does not inadvertently cause harm, we bind the spell. This serves to 'set' the form we have created so that the energy becomes fixed in the pattern we desire. The energy we project to others affects us even more strongly than the other person. This is because we have generated the energy, and thus we have become the object at which the energy is directed. If healing energy is sent out, then the health of the person casting the spell is enhanced. By the same token, any hex or curse that is sent out ALWAYS affects the person who sends it no matter whether it affected the person it was sent at or not.
MAGIC IS NOT TO BE USED TO GAIN POWER OVER OTHERS. Magic is a technique used in developing your own 'power from within.' Spells that are directed at gaining power over others weaken the 'power from within.' Aside from the damage done to oneself, it is important for another reason. Many people who do not understand the laws of magic are afraid of being attacked magically and are given to paranoia. The witch's main stock-in-trade used to be removing a competitor's hexes and preparing charms to protect their clients. While true psychic attacks are EXTREMELY RARE, a person's guilt makes up for any lack, and after using 'forbidden' help, their paranoia leads them to seek protection from the same person they just turned to in desperation. Do yourself a favor, and resist the temptation to 'help' these types. Most magical formularies consist of formulae gathered and tested by witches as well as many charms to protect the common man from those same witches who sold them their charms.
Times and Correspondences
I mentioned earlier that timing and the right props are considered important in spellcasting. Over the years, systems of Correspondences were developed which assigned certain attributes and aspects to the seven ancient planets of Astrology. Each planet was assigned a God or Goddess, who embodies the attributes the ancients wished to invoke. Each of the Gods and Goddesses were assigned an hour of the day, color, incense, metal, number, signature, plant, mineral, musical note, and animal or bird.
General Guidelines for Casting Spells
Set aside a room for your magical work. Decorate it with things that put you in a magical mood. Remember to use things that stimulate all five of your physical senses. Some obvious things would be the use of appropriate colors for sight, incense for scent, music for hearing, wines for taste, and textures for feel.
If you do not have a room you can set aside exclusively for your magical work, then choose a room that can be locked while you do your work. This will allow you to work undisturbed. In any case, you should clean your work area periodically with a purifying powder/floorwash to keep away negative vibrations.
Set up an altar to be used as your worktable. It's size and shape should be those that appeal to you. Placing candles and other items that assist you to concentrate on the work at hand is a good practice. Some people like to cover their altar with a white cloth and place fresh cut flowers on it every day.
Always use the best candles, oils, and incenses that you can afford, or make your own, for scrimping on materials has a negative effect on the subconscious. Don't forget that the subconscious is very good at making do with raw materials that it can shape to its own use.
Never cast a spell until you have a clear and concise picture of what it is you wish to accomplish. This ties in with the saying "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
Always ground out any extra energy you raise for the spell, and bind the spell so that it expires within the pre-determined amount of time. Once you have cast the spell, do not discuss it with any one until after it has worked. Most spells peter out because the person who cast it boasts about it to so many people, that the spell is robbed of power before it has a chance to work. The ancient bond placed on the magician was to dare, to know and to keep silent.
Above all, at all times, remember the Rede: "An ye harm none, do what you will." You do not know all the effects of your spell, therefore, use magick sparingly, if at all.
2.Imagine a mirror image of yourself six feet in front of you. "Urge" yourself towards it.
3.Try to urge yourself eighteen inches above your physical head.
4.Imagine your astral power steaming out of the pores of your body and condensing into a double above you.
5.Imagine yourself climbing a rope or ladder.
6.Imagine yourself as a point of light floating on top of water in a rapidly filling tank. Your task is to exit through a tiny hole in the roof of the tank.
7.Imagine what it feels like to breathe through your ears.
8.Sit erect, with closed eyes, and imagine a horizontal bar above your line of sight. Urge yourself up to see over it. Hold your breath in when you get a sensation of rising.
9.Tighten the muscles in your hands and feet and contract your stomach muscles and imagine yourself falling.
10.Imagine yourself revolving around on tiptoe and then springing off at a tangent.
11.Imagine a whirlpool. Feel yourself being sucked down through the vortex. Try for a sensation of contraction, then expansion.
12.Imagine a twirling star hanging in space.
13.Visualize a spinning disk, and then distend its center so that it grows into a three-dimensional rotating cone or vortex, like a waterspout. Now resolve it back into a disk again. Feel yourself entering the vortex.
14.Imagine yourself carried along on the crest of a wave.
15.Imagine a point of light two feet in front of your throat. Feel it slowly approach. When it reaches you, imagine yourself blending with it and becoming that point of light.
16.Seat yourself in a comfortable chair four feet away from a mirror. Staring at your mirror image, repeat your name over and over until it becomes a series of meaningless sounds. Now pretend the person in the mirror is the "real" you.
One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Cantebury Institute, reknowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems.
Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step.
Step one:
Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the
first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an
OBE. (out of body experience) This includes bothe physical and mental
relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this
relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep
breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or
100) are known to work well.
Step two:
Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic
state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this.
One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on
the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall,
and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control
the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to
concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your
thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch
these images. This will also help you maintain this state of
near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.
Step three:
Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your field of
vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply
look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you.
After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural
discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they
cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one
must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls
Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness
of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in
which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The
ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C
when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition
and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D,
Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after
a short nap.
Step Four:
Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the
technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these
vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a
mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body.
Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying
to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state,
he offers the following directions:
1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.
2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.
4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.
5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6. Enter a state of relaxation
7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times.
8. Proceed to breath through your helf-open mouth.
9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.
11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body.
Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.
Step five:
Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by
mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them
surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves
from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the
vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down
your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command.
Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave
the body.
Step six:
Begin with a partial seperation. The key here is thought control.
Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not
let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the
state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the
OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe
suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a
familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through
the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with
the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate
the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal.
This exercise will prepare you for full seperation.
Step seven:
Disassociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for
this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about
getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state.
Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought
in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An
OBE will occur naturally at this point. Another method is the
"Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the
vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in
bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body
from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out
of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but
next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself
floating above the body. Monroe suggets you begin with the lift-out
method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.
If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo. It only costs $7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book. Good luck!
Add the essential oils first to the bottle and swirl them gently in order to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you wish so that you know what you made and when for use later. As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. Once it seems off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh!
Essential oils are volitile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evapourate completely.
Self-Blessing Oil
For blessing yourself before rituals.
What you need:
2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
apricot kernel oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
2 drops lemon e.o.
4 drops sandalwood mysore e.o.
1 drop frankincense e.o.
2 drops ylang ylang e.o.
WARNING: some folk are sensitive to lemon.
Add the essential oils first to the bottle and swirl them gently in order to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you wish so that you know what you made and when for use later. As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. Once it seems off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh!
Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely.
Feng Shui Oil
What you need:
1 dram (5mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
10 drops lemon e.o.
2 drops lime e.o.
10 drops citronella e.o.
5 drops organic rosemary e.o.
3 drops ylang ylang
3 drops benzoin
Add the benzoin first and then the lemon. Mix them until the benzoin has
been completely mixed with the lemon. This step is important in order to
ensure that the benzoin is mixed in properly. Once mixed, add the other
oils. I specify organix rosemary here specifically because it smells
completely differently from the non-organic type and this blend is for
fragrance only. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and then
add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all my
blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them
charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away
from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name
of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you
wish so that you know what you made and when for use later.
This blend is meant for use in an oil burner and as it is undiluted should not be used really any other way. You could dress candles with it and other uses but it was not really blended for that use. As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. If these blends are exposed to heat or light, they will quickly degrade. Once it seems off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh however be sure no trace of the previous blend remains or your new one will smell rancid straight away.
Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely leaving no oily residue although some will leave a colour.
Balancing Oil
What you need:
2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
sweet almond oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
2 drops cypress e.o.
4 drops sandalwood mysore e.o.
2 drops benzoin e.o.
2 drops palmarosa e.o.
4 drops rose maroc e.o.
1 drop lemonbalm e.o.
Add the benzoin first and then the sandalwood mysore and swirl to blend.
The add the rest of the essential oils to the bottle and swirl them gently
in order to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean
too) and then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use
crystals in all my blends but some people add crystals to their magical
blends to keep them charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep
the oils stored away from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to
be taped on the name of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour
and any other info you wish so that you know what you made and when for use
later.
As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. Once it seems off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh!
Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely.
Moon Goddess Oil
For rituals of the moon when you draw the Lady down or any lunar ritual.
What you need:
2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
sweet almond oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
3 drops sandalwood mysore e.o.
3 drops jasmine e.o.
1 drop rose e.o.
1 drop bergamot e.o.
Add the essential oils first to the bottle and swirl them gently in order
to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and
then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all
my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them
charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away
from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name
of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you
wish so that you know what you made and when for use later.
As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your
sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. If these blends
are exposed to heat or light, they will quickly degrade. Once it seems
off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh however be sure
no trace of the previous blend remains or your new one will smell rancid
straight away.
Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely leaving no oily residue although some will leave a colour.
Moon God Oil
What you need:
2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
sweet almond oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
4 drops sandalwood mysore e.o.
2 drops myrrh e.o.
2 drops violet e.o.
1 drop mimosa e.o.
Add the essential oils first to the bottle and swirl them gently in order
to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and
then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all
my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them
charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away
from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name
of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you
wish so that you know what you made and when for use later.
As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your
sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. If these blends
are exposed to heat or light, they will quickly degrade. Once it seems
off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh however be sure
no trace of the previous blend remains or your new one will smell rancid
straight away.
Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely leaving no oily residue although some will leave a colour.
Altar Oil
For blessing yourself (and coveners).
What you need:
2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial
apricot kernel oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
4 drops lemon e.o.
3 drops cedarwood e.o.
2 drops frankincense e.o.
1 drop myrrh e.o.
WARNING: some folk are sensitive to lemon.
Add the essential oils first to the bottle and swirl them gently in order
to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and
then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all
my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them
charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away
from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name
of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you
wish so that you know what you made and when for use later.
As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your
sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. Once it seems
off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh!
Essential oils are volitile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evapourate completely.
Tisanes
A Tisane is the simplest process for making a mild herbal tea or
potion. Put the dried or fresh leaves of the herb you are using
(amounts vary, but from one to two teaspoons is average) in a jug. If
you are using fresh herbs double the amount. Dried herbs are much
better. Pour one cup of just-of-the-boil water into the jug and leave
it for ten minutes. If you are using woody herbs double the time.
Stir the tea occasionally to help the infusion. Strain liquid into a
cup or glass, and add honey to taste if you prefer your drink
sweeter. The tea or potion will keep well in a covered container in
the fridge for several days, so you can batch cook if you wish.
Remember - check out the herbs you are going to use to make sure they have no toxins. Useful and pleasant tisanes.... Lemon Balm, Raspberry Leaf, Mint, Rose petal, Camomile, and there are hundreds more. Some are medicinal, invigorating, can help you sleep, lift spirits, cure headaches, or allow you to visualize and dream if you are on a pathwalk.
Herbs
SOAPWORT
The Soapwort herb is excellent for washing fragile clothing. On skin
it is not as effective as modern soap, but will give a soap like
lather or froth. The soapwort should be freshly cut, the stems sliced
at a steep angle. Mix the sap with a small amount of warm water. Wash
as normal. Soapwort works best in soft, lime free water.
TANSY
Use the dried herb using gloves or hand protection. Tansy can cause
skin irritation. Place a small amount of Tansy in a small muslin
circle. Scrunch the bag, and tie a small ribbon or string around the
closed edges. Hang in clothes cupboards or place in drawers. Tansy
will repel moths and insects quite effectively. Mix a little dried
tansy in your pot pourie to repel fleas, flies, mosquitoes and other
insects. Do Not Take Internally.
Sunbeam
5 drops lemon
5 drops bergamot
3 drops petitgrain
3 drops geranium
Odor Eliminator
5 drops thyme
12 drops rosemary
8 drops pine
AROMATIC BATHS
A Stimulating Morning Bath
2 drops peppermint
4 drops rosemary
2 drops juniper
A Calming Evening Bath
4 drops lavender
4 drops marjoram
A Bath To Uplift Spirits
2 drops clary sage
2 drops bergamot
2 drops ylang-ylang
A Bath For Muscle Aches
3 drops marjoram
3 drops clary sage
2 drops rosemary
MASSAGE OILS
Stimulating
4 drops juniper
2 drops ginger
8 drops rosemary
2 drops peppermint
Muscle Aches
6 drops marjoram
6 drops lavender
6 drops rosemary
Sedative
4 drops sandalwood
8 drops lavender
6 drops clary sage
INHALATION
Head Cold/Blocked Sinuses
1 drop eucalyptus
1 drop lavender
1 drop peppermint
Headache
1 drop marjoram
1 drop lavender
1 drop benzoin
DIFFUSERS
Calming Blend
4 drops lavender
2 drops petitgrain
Meditation Blend
2 drops frankincense
2 drops sandalwood
2 drops cedarwood
Cauldron Bath Salts
~For Use During the Waning Moon~
1 cup salt
3 drops vervain oil
3 drops synthetic musk oil
6 drops cypress oil
Fantasy Bath Salts
~For Love~
1 cup salt
8 drops honeysuckle oil
8 drops rose oil
4 drops patchouli oil
Cerridwen Bath Salts
1 cup salt
8 drops lotus oil
8 drops jasmine oil
Setting a Witch's besom (broom) near the fireplace or crossing the andirons were also ways of blocking negativity from entering the house. Keeping a cauldron boiling on the hearth was another. Some fireplaces were decorated with three concentric circles above the opening. This probably harkens back to a very old belief that the Triple Goddess protected any home wherein a fire was kindled. The sun god Lugh could also be called upon to protect the hearth by hanging a pouch containing the first grain of the harvest on the mantle. This was also a charm for fertility.
Other herbs were often hung to dry near the hearth, the heat and dryness curing and preserving the plants until they were ready to be used. These herbs could be enchanted and hung up as an additional talisman of protection.
Scrying by hearth light is a relaxing pastime, and gazing softly into a roaring fire to catch glimpses of visions is an age-old practice. You can predict the future by the manner in which the coals, peat, or wood burns.
The fireplace can be as magickal as your imagination will allow. Here you are working directly with the transformative element of fire, and how you choose to utilize it is up to you and your inner self.
The best time to break a spell is the first Saturday after a Full Moon
or the Full Moon itself.
Items you will need:
1 White candle
1 Black candle
either 1 Amethyst stone, 1 Apache tear or a Smokey Quartz
Write the spell to undo what you have done and be specific; for example:
On the Eve of..........
I cast a spell and
the effects I created
I must now quell.
Specifically,..............
May this be lifted
and now I be gifted
Specifically with.........
Be certain that the spell does not last 30 days unless you have placed a time limit on it, or that is was preformed during a special astrological correspondences that have imbued it with a time limit of its own.
1 cup Epsom Salts
2/3 cup of table Salt
1/3 cup of Baking Soda
14 drops of Orange oil
14 drops of Lime oil
10 drops of Rosemary oil
8 drops of Cinnamon oil
Orange food colouring { optional }
When making Bath Salts mix the salts and baking soda together first, then add the oils, drop by drop. Blend together with your hands until thoroughly mixed. Store in an air tight container. The salts may get hard but all you have to do is add them { about � cup } to hot water and they will loosen up and dissolve.
