New Year's Purification Bath

As hectic as my life has been, I have tried to keep some magickal things going. The main one was a purification bath I set up on January 1st. 2016 was a disaster on multiple levels, and I knew I wanted to come out of that making 2017 a much better year. This was my first step toward doing so.

I started by collecting bath supplies to represent each of the four elements. I used bath salts for earth, a bath bomb for air (because it's fizzy and makes air bubbles), and some bath confetti for fire; it was pink and heart-shaped, so it seemed to convey the idea of fire's emotional passion. For water, I used a very special ingredient. Back in 2015 when there was that major Super Blood Moon Eclipse event, I charged a bottle of water in the moon's energy, focusing on capturing its qualities of profound transformation. I had never used any of it, wanting to save it for particularly significant moments, but I don't know that I can think of a time that has needed more transformational power than 2016 going into 2017, so I poured some of my Blood Moon Eclipse Water into the bath as well.

As always, these ingredients are just things that I used. I had all of them on hand, and did not go out of my way to source anything. Feel free to make substitutions as you like - other bath products, herbs, crystals, whatever works for you. If you don't have your own Eclipse Water, substitutions there are also perfectly acceptable. You could use Storm Water, if you have some, or just empower the water that's already in the tub.

Once I had my ingredients together, I ran the bath water, and then added everything, invoking each element as I did so. I used a small lamp for mood lighting rather than the overhead, and then took my bath! I also find that it's helpful to shower after doing something like that, to make sure that all the soap is out of my hair, but in terms of set-up, it's quite simple. My only other note would be to then thank the elements once the bath is concluded.

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?

August 9th, 2015

My piece of Aragonite I was able to identify from flipping through some crystal books, but this stone I had to take with me to Fairy Fest and ask around at some of the vendors to learn the name of. It turned out to be synthetic, which I had already guessed at, but here's what information the internet had on it.

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Carborundum

Physical Characteristics: A black crystal that sparkles like a rainbow in the light. Carborundum is water insoluble and does not fade in sunlight, so the more popular modes of cleansing are appropriate for this crystal. As it is synthetic, cleansing it of other people's energy is vital. Do exercise some caution, as pieces may be brittle and break with rough handling.

In Nature: Carborundum only occurs very rarely on Earth; when it does, it is called Moissanite and is generally found in meteorites. The crystal was first developed for mass production in 1890 when Edward Acheson attempted to create artificial diamonds with clay and powdered Carbon. It quickly became popular as an industrial abrasive.

Chemical Composition: SiC

Mohs Scale Hardness: 9.5 (very high)

Can be Found: Rarely in meteorite or Corundum deposits, but is commonly produced in laboratories 

Healing Properties*: The stone can help to clear the mind of chaotic thoughts and stress, while clearing stress' physical symptoms from the body. It can also assist in the treatment of depression or more general melancholy. Carborundum heals eye strain, headaches, and computer-related injuries. Back and neck pain may also be lessened with the stone, as can the severity of problems with the skeletal system.

Magickal Properties: Carborundum is a meditative crystal, inspiring serenity and peacefulness. It strengthens the bond with one's "inner child", or perhaps more accurately with the part of one which is playful and curious before such behaviors are socialized out of our personality. 
It is a purifying stone, and encourages intuition. As a conductor of electricity, Carborundum will amplify energy in any sort of working, but especially in healing efforts.

Chakra Association: All

Element: Air/fire

Energy: Projective/receptive

Planetary Association: Earth

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!

July 31st, 2015

I'm so excited - this weekend is Fairy Fest! And, as if that weren't enough, Destiny is coming over tonight to stay the weekend, and it's a Blue Moon Esbat! So much going on; I love it. I've gotten to start some crystal research, too, which is good since I'm sure I'll get lots more little beauties this weekend.

Blue Calcite

Physical Characteristics: Generally opaque and with a texture describable as "soapy" or "waxy", Calcite is white or clear in its pure form, while the presence of other minerals can turn it grey, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and even black.

In Nature: Calcite is a carbonate mineral, and is common in sedimentary rocks like Limestone. It is often the primary constituent of the shells of marine organisms (e.g. plankton and bivalves) and the hard parts of red algae and sponges.

Chemical Composition: CaCO3

Mohs Scale Hardness: 3 (low)

Can be Found: Worldwide, including Mexico, Africa, and North America

Healing Properties*: This stone helps one get the rest one needs, especially when recuperating from a period of illness. It is a good choice for long distance healing work. Use it to strengthen the bones and joints, or to heal complaints of the throat and head. Paired with a blue or purple candle, its healing properties are especially strong.

Magickal Properties: Blue Calcite soothes anxiety and calms its bearer. It is a great facilitator of communication, particularly when people hold opposing points of view. It encourages people to speak honestly and to reconcile their differences. 

It is also a powerful psychic stone which can be used to enhance astral travel, channeling, and dream recall. Activating intuition, it can likewise improve one's experiences with meditation. The stone draws upon both its psychic and communicative properties by strengthening telepathic and thought-transference skills. 

Additionally, it can be used as a purifier, clearing the energy of a person, room, etcetera.

Chakra Association: Fifth (Throat) and Sixth (Third Eye) chakras

Element: Water

Energy: Receptive

Planetary Association: Venus

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!

Spiral Herb Garden

Two posts in one day? What is this madness?! I guess you can tell I'm having a light-homework-load weekend, huh?

Well, I celebrated Esbat today with something pretty special. My university's sustainable gardening team got together to build a spiral herb garden outside of the Gaia House Interfaith Center, and I got to go and help put it together.

Spiral gardens are really interesting for several reasons. There's the perhaps obvious metaphysical symbolism of the spiral, often associated with the goddess and ideas of eternity and continuity. Then there's the actual, physical construction of them. These gardens are actually a sort of terrace, spiraling not just toward the center, but upward in height as well.

What this does is create a unique sort of microecosystem. Soil at the top will have a lot of drainage and full sun, while areas down the slope get progressively less drainage and different amounts of sunlight. As a result, plants requiring different amounts of water and sun can all be in the same garden together. Here are some further examples from the internet:

For the one we built, we started off with a stake in the ground to mark the center point. Then, we laid cardboard across the whole area we wanted the garden to cover. For the walls, we dry-stacked coal ash bricks, donated to the group from another vendor. Those were in turn made of coal ash (surprise), thus recycling the waste material instead of just disposing of it. 

In order to get the placement correct, we worked off the idea of the Fibonacci Sequence, which goes 1 1 2 3 5 8 13, etc. Basically, you add each number to the one before it to get the next in the sequence (1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, etc.). We laid one brick with the short end against the stake, and one at a right angle to that, and then two at a right angle to that, and so on and so forth; we were making a smaller garden, so we only went through eight bricks max, and even then we ended up adjusting the pattern slightly to get the look we wanted. Here's a diagram of the Fibonacci Sequence for reference:

Once we had a single brick layer set out in a spiral, we then started building up the walls. The goal was to create a gradual slope upwards, with the highest point being the very center. We then went back and added a few stakes around the perimeter. Since we were dry-stacking, we wanted to make sure nothing shifted when we added the dirt.

Speaking of dirt... We actually started with leaves! Lots and lots of leaves all packed in for drainage and also gradual decomposition. Then we layered that with topsoil, mushroom compost, and more topsoil mixed in with some of the clay-rich soil native to our area. Periodically, we threw in another layer of leaves for the heck of it.

Here it is with all the soil added. I was a little worried about the dry-stack holding up, but it seemed to be really solid! Next up was plants.

Rosemary! One of my favorite herbs, both for its fragrance and for its usefulness in memory charms. Finals coming up? Grab some rosemary...

Then from the bottom up there is pictured chamomile, kale, dill, cilantro, and more dill. Uses for these can include what follows.

Chamomile: calming (great for bedtime teas), purification, prosperity, meditation

Kale: I couldn't find anything on kale (trust me, google "magical properties of kale" and you'll just get a million pages of pseudo-scientific health websites), but entries for lettuce include, protection, love, sleep, and divination, so use that as a starting point and experiment!

Cilantro: protection, peace

Dill: prosperity, protection, love

Not pictured are the sage and thyme we planted.
Sage: PURIFICATION! protection, wisdom, health
Thyme: warding negativity, protection, health

Here's the finished garden! I think I'll go back tomorrow and do some painting on the stakes to make them pretty. 

If you would like to build your own spiral herb garden, consider using earth-friendly, recycled materials if possible. Also, consider the magickal properties of the herbs you plant in it. One could plant flowers in a bed just like this, as well. Either way, they needn't take up a lot of space, and are extremely easy to construct. With about ten of us working together, this got built in under an hour. These make great places to grow herbs for your Craft, and to dedicate plants to your deities. 

January 10th, 2012

I can't decide if it's simply that my room gets enough light and is at the right temperature, or if they just like the energy in here, but my Amaryllis and Nick's Paperwhites (which he's keeping in my room) have been growing like gangbusters! Both plants have positively doubled in size over the past week, and, though still small, are a lovely shade of green that makes me smile every time I look their way. Sometimes I swear the little guys grow noticeably just while I'm school!


Nick's Paperwhites.

And my Amaryllis! It's so nice to have living things in my room; I have a bunch of silk flowers, but this will be my first time having live plants. Since I shared a bit of etymology about the name and magickal usage of the Amaryllis the other day, today I will share some Paperwhite info. It's always good to know your plants, after all, particularly when they're residing in one's bedroom! The Paperwhite is the most popular kind of Narcissus flower, and is in the same family as the Daffodil and Jonquil (they are still separate species, however!). The name "Narcissus" comes of course from the Narcissus of Greek legend, who, after his death, was turned into a Daffodil by Apollo. The legend further says that Daffodils bloom in the afterlife. The Greek name for Daffodil is "Asphodelos", similar to the phrase "Asphodel Fields", where those who were neither good nor bad went after death. The Chinese believe that the blooming of any of the Narcissus, Daffodil, or Jonquil plants at New Year's ensures good luck throughout the next 12 months. These plants are used in magick as herbs of countermagick, protection, and purification. However, as with the Amaryllis, I highly suggest avoiding any type of ingestion of them, whether eaten or inhaled (don't burn them!) due to to toxins within the plant.

Self-Cleansing

Sometimes before you can even start thinking about cleansing the home, you have to cleanse yourself, and crystals can help. As far as I'm concerned, you can use just about any crystal or stone you want, but then, I'm no expert on gem magick. However, amethyst is a classic cleansing stone, as is clear/smoky quartz, and jet. Simply take the crystal of choice and hold it to the Third Eye, right between your eyebrows. Imagine all the negativity in your body flowing out through your Third Eye and going into the stone. Afterwards, hold your stone in a stream of running water to send that negativity out of the stone and back to the earth to be recycled into positive energy. If you aren't lucky enough to have a personal or nearby river, stream, etc., you could simply use the sink to cleanse your stone(s). Salt is another great personal cleanser, among other things. Use it in the bath, or dissolve in a cup of water. Use said water to anoint yourself while saying a personal blessing.

January 7th, 2012

Sometimes, life is good, and sometimes life sucks. That's just how it is. Life moves in cycles of happiness and sadness, but that doesn't mean that when the tough parts come along that you can't do anything about them. In honor of a dear friend and sister, here are some ideas for reducing negativity in the home.

• Give the whole place (or your room, if the whole house isn't feasible) a good cleaning. Just getting all that junk off the floor can immediately lift the spirits of everyone in the house, as general dirty and messiness attracts negative energy like flies to honey.
  
• If you're allowed, take any of pine, cedar, or juniper and burn them, getting the smoke to enter every room. If you're like me, and can't burn things, mix salt and water, and use some of the above plant(s) to sprinkle the salt water.
• Get one of those ice trays, or even a few cups or small bowls if you don't have the trays, fill it/them with water, and place in the freezer. Visualize all the negativity being frozen like the water. Once frozen, collect the ice and dispose of it off your property (don't worry: putting the ice on your neighbor's lawn won't transfer the negative energy to them).
  
• Make a mini pouch and fill it with cleansing herbs such as cloves. Then waft it throughout the house. When I used this method, I used fabric with a snowflake on it to further "freeze" the negativity, but one could also use white, as it is commonly associated with purification.
• Go classic: waft a sage smudge stick through the house.
• Say the following: "Water protects the embryo, ancestor love of long ago. Tides and rivers dance and flow, enchant this place, let magic grow. Revive! Bring change! I make it so." Optional: Carve the zodiac symbol of Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio on a candle, and put in in a dish with an inch or so of water in it. Light, and say the incantation.
• To get rid of "bad vibes" after being in or near an argument, light a stick of incense and take a shower. Afterwards, pass the incense around you three times. Then, as soon as possible, get all the clothes you were wearing at the time washed to further get rid of the negativity.
  
• If you are in a situation where you feel you may need protection, find a smooth dark-colored stone. Sit outside, and sprinkle a small salt circle around where you are sitting. Hold the stone and envision rings of protection circle the stone like the planet of protection, Saturn. Then, when you need protection, hold the stone, and, if it helps, re-visualize.