August 22nd, 2015

I am officially moved in to my dorm room for this year! My mom and I got to my building around 9:30, at which point we had to haul everything up the elevator to my floor. It took the greatest bulk of the time to get the furniture placed correctly, but once that was done, the decorating went pretty smoothly. I didn't set my altar up at the time because I didn't want to make mom uncomfortable, but I was able to do it this evening after she left.

Once I had the basic unpacking done, she and I went to lunch, and then went shopping. We checked out both the local thrift store and the mall, and I found some very cool things I would like to share.

This is a book I got for a dollar at the thrift store. It's called We'Moon '07: Gaia Rhythms for Womyn; there's no single author, as this almanac was compiled by many people, but it was published by Mother Tongue Ink in 2006. Obviously, the 2007 calendar is way out of date for 2015, but the book contains some beautiful illustrations of goddesses and other figures, poetry, astrological information, and what looks like a lot of other cool things. I'll write you all a review after I read it.

Next, we went to the mall, and I went into my favorite store, Earthbound. They had Himalayan salt candle holders for $6.95, so I picked one up. I'd been wanting a salt lamp of some kind for years, and although this one wasn't fitted for an electric light, I still liked it a lot.

I also got this: a baggie of Guatemalan Worry People. The bag holds seven of the little figures. One is supposed to whisper one's worries at night into the bag, and then the Worry People will carry away your worries. That seemed like the sort of thing which might help me manage my anxiety, and they're handmade, so I was happy to pick up a set. 

Tonight, I got my altar set up. Last year, I put it on my dresser, but this year I didn't want my bed lofted, as that turned out to be a huge hassle. My mom suggested I put my dresser under my bed to make room in my closet, and it doesn't even have an inch of clearance. That left my mini fridge as the only available flat surface. It actually seemed to work out well. My altar cloth fits perfectly, I have crystals all over it, and also some offerings for Athena. In addition, I took a Starbucks Frappuccino bottle, cleaned it out really well, and made a hyssop infusion in it. I'll probably talk about that in a later post.

Hanging off the edge of my bed, I have my travel altar kit, as well as a pixie dust bottle from Fairy Fest. My travel altar I may use to do outdoor rituals, to take on Pagan retreats, etc. 

So that's what's going on here. Days until school starts: T minus one...

August 14th, 2015

On Monday, my good friend Raincloud gave me a packet of hyssop after she had bought quite a bit of it. I always find it both prudent and interesting to research the history and use of magickal tools, so here's a bit of information on this versatile herb.

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Hyssopus officianalis, or hyssop, is an herbaceous plant with antiseptic, cough-suppressing, and sinus-clearing properties. Native to southern Europe and the Middle East, this colorful shrub can grow from one to two feet in height. In the summer, shrubs produce pink, blue, or rarely white flowers. It is drought-resistant, and tolerant of poor soil.

Magickally, hyssop is most commonly used for purification. Part of this may be attributed to one translation of the Bible, from verse 7 of Psalm 51 - "Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean" - though some research indicates that the plant in question may actually be a different herb entirely. That aside, historical use of hyssop as a tool of purification exists elsewhere. In ancient Egypt, hyssop was consumed with bread to purify it and render it suitable for the priests' austere diets. 

Hyssop is commonly used in cooking as an aromatic, although its strong flavor means it is usually used sparingly. More commonly, beekeepers will use it to flavor their honey. 

The medicinal properties of hyssop are many, particularly for those with sinus infections and similar conditions. That being said, caution should be exercised, as a high concentration can trigger epileptic reactions. Oil of hyssop should not be given to children, as even low doses can cause convulsions. 

An herbal infusion is easily made by pouring a boiling cup of water over two tablespoons of the dried herb, and allowing it to sit overnight before straining. Such an infusion could be added to a humidifier, or put in a spray bottle and used in place of incense. 

August 10th, 2015

What a fun afternoon! After I got off work, both Raincloud and Destiny were able to come over for a nice little luncheon. We were hoping Hazelnut would also be able to make it, but regrettably, she didn't have transportation.

Photo by Raincloud
From the left: Destiny, Raincloud, Hummingbird

Raincloud was kind enough to give us both little baggies of Hyssop, an herb which she recently acquired. It's useful both for purification and for protection, so I'm sure it'll get plenty of use. I'm not allowed to burn things at home, but perhaps I can make some sort of infusion and put it in a spray bottle.

We ate, and then we sat on my bed and just talked for several hours. It was so nice to get all caught up and relax with my fellow Pagan friends. While we were talking, I set up a little crystal grid on the blanket, like so:

I set my seven Amethyst points all facing outwards towards us with my Spirit Quartz in the middle. We'd been discussing some pretty heavy stuff, so I felt like we could all use Amethyst's calming, soothing influence, and the Spirit Quartz is great for encouraging harmony between members of a group, which also seemed appropriate. It was my first time working with these stones, and I felt like it was a very powerful grid. I know I could definitely feel the energy radiating off of them. 

It's been so long since I've had a big group of Pagan friends I could sit and just talk with, and it was great to be able to do that again. I know I'm really going to miss them when I leave for school next week, but there's always Facebook and Skype. Maybe we can try to do a group ritual over the internet - that would be interesting. Does anyone have any experience with that sort of thing?