Election 2016

I don't usually get political on this blog. When I do, it's generally embarrassing. Here I go, anyway.

I'll try to keep my thoughts on this brief - I have a lot of them, but much of what I would say has already been said by others. A lot of Americans, myself included (and, I think, a lot of folks from other countries included, as well), have been following this United States election cycle very closely. The choice, as it stands, is clear - a choice between backwards white supremacy and fascism, or the most progressive platform run by any candidate ever in the history of this country.

I am #withHer, plain and simple. I have already cast my vote, having voted by absentee ballot last month. Hillary Clinton is pro-LGBTQA+, supports a reformed and nuanced approach to mental health, supports autistic people and those with other neurodivergences, supports women's rights to health care and to make their own reproductive choices, and has spent decades working across party lines to create compromise and make change.

Tonight, I felt called to action. I don't usually share my spells when they're in progress, but tonight, I would like to.

If you, like me, know how critical it is that Hillary Clinton be the next POTUS, then please, take a second to lend your thoughts to this little spell.

And if you want to do something similar for yourself, I just traced a map of the US (in blue!), and inside it, wrote "Madame President Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, 2016-2020". I then surrounded it with several stones - Copper in the center, to conduct energy and charge the spell, Spirit Quartz to draw people together in harmony towards a cause, and then Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite, Turquoise, and Emerald to activate all those powers of communication that get people to lend their voice and say, "Today, I am going to vote".

March 14th, 2015

Look what my friend Destiny made me for my birthday!

It's a beautiful dreamcatcher! I've got a small collection, and this is a brilliant addition to it! She put so much thought into making the beads and the feathers elementally colored, and then added wind chimes, a turquoise stone, and a jar of fairy dust from Faery Fest. It's absolutely wonderful. I've got it hanging up in my room right now (I'm on spring break), but I'll be bringing it back with me to put up in my dorm.

January 6th, 2014

Hey there, internet. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to A) remember that I have a blog and B) to remember to actually post things on it. Another one is to start keeping a dream diary again - so far so good on that one.

In any case, I do have some news! Quite a bit of news, actually. Most excitingly, I got together with Hazelnut last Saturday for the first time since September. We exchanged Yule gifts - she gave me a copy of The Fairy Bible (review to follow), and then we went over to Gypsy Haven. They've done so much with the place since I was there last, and the energy feels fantastic. While I could easily have emptied my bank account in there, I only made one purchase, albeit a significant one. The pendant, more or less identical to the one pictured, features a lemniscate (the infinity symbol) set with stones coordinating to the seven major chakras. Insofar as I can tell, the stones in descending order are Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Aventurine, Tiger's Eye, and two kinds of Agate, but those are my guesses only; the sites selling these over the web are incredibly unspecific. 

At any rate, I love it because the lemniscate is a symbol of neurodivergence, as well as an inside joke with my girlfriend. I love gemstones, I need more chakra-related jewelry, and it's also really satisfying to rub the smooth texture of the stones.

We hung out and talked at the store for a while with the owners, and then we all went over to the local drum circle. It was so nice to be back - I hadn't been in a year, at least, and everyone was so friendly, as always. It's truly a great opportunity to recharge my energy. One woman had a rain drum and thunder sticks that her husband had made her, so we closed the evening with a rainstorm drum session, and it was totally amazing. 

In conclusion, I really need to get back to doing more witchy things. I've missed this.

An Update

First - an update on those activities which I mentioned in my last post! I did indeed end up doing a crystal spread and meditation. I went with chakra- themed stones, because I was feeling off energetically, and so laid the following crystals over the appropriate energy centers: Black Tourmaline for the Root chakra, Red Jasper for the Sacral chakra, Tiger's Eye for the Solar Plexus chakra, Green Calcite for the Heart chakra, Turquoise for the Throat chakra, Lepidolite for the Third Eye chakra, and Clear Quartz for the Crown chakra. I did this while laying down on my carpet, with a blanket thrown over my legs because it was chilly. There was a bit of stiffness in my lower back, but as I began the meditation, this relaxed and dissipated.

Afterwards, I walked over to the campus lake and rented a kayak. I spent about an hour paddling around, enjoying the weather and the wildlife.

There were a ton of ducks, and the turtles were also out in force, basking in the sunlight. By the time I was through, I'd counted eleven, including one itty bitty softshell turtle that was barely an inch and a half long. Moreover, there were many frogs sitting in the shallows, and I spotted a school of minnows darting just under the surface. All things told, it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
That evening, I had had plans to go to a meditation class at the Gaia Center, but when I got there, it looked like the class was in a different location.

I ended up just wandering around town a bit, and besides finding a little Chinese shop which sold delicious bubble tea, I also stumbled upon the Gaia Center's labyrinth, which is painted on an abandoned piece of concrete.

There's also a lot of pretty trees surrounding it, and a little waterfall.
Monday night was Esbat, and also represented my first official ritual since moving onto campus. I had located a really pretty area behind the dining hall near a creek where there was a grove of trees and several stumps. Since it was out of the way, I thought I might use it for my ritual. I don't usually get to do rituals outside, as doing so in our backyard would be more than a trifle obvious, and this seemed like the perfect place to get away from prying eyes.

I grabbed my travel altar and set up camp on one of the flatter stumps. The ritual went really well, I think, albeit a bit short, and even though I was in a pretty secluded area, there were still a few people who walked by. I'll probably do my Mabon ritual there, though, and see how it goes. Because it was a so-called "Supermoon", the moon rise was just beautiful. It was butter-yellow, and huge in the sky as it peeked up over the trees.

My cameraphone cannot begin to do the phenomenon justice, but for the record, that yellow blob in the middle of the picture is the moon (the one on the left is a street lamp).

June 22nd, 2014

Well, I celebrated Litha on time, even if my posting about it isn't. Yesterday was the first day of summer, solstice, and longest day of the year. I completely redecorated my altar earlier in the week, developing a new style to incorporate a fancy metal chalice, which was a graduation present from my Aunt C, and several of the things I bought in Japan. Yes, Japan! I finally got to go!

We left on Wednesday, May 28th, and stayed through June 11th. Among other memorable activities, we visited several temples and shrines, each of which will warrant their own post, and I bought a number of amulets blessed at these shrines as magickal souvenirs. It was an amazing trip.

Before I left, I put together a little travel-safety amulet of my own. I'll share it here, in case you're looking for a quick and inexpensive spell for before an extended journey or vacation.

Hummingbird's Travel Amulet

Begin with a small drawstring bag. Have on hand a handful each of rose petals and lavender, a piece of turquoise, and a small representation of a bird (if traveling by air), a fish (if traveling by sea), or a horse (if traveling by land), either as a photograph, drawing, or other token.

Then, cast a Circle and cleanse all the items with holy water. Individually empower the items as follows:

- Rose petals: positive relationships between your party and the people in the region you are visiting (rose is an herb of love, after all)

- Lavender: general calm and peacefulness throughout the trip

- Turquoise: safety in travel (a property for which this stone is well-known)

- Animal token: to guide you there and back again

Put all the ingredients in the bag and say a final blessing over it. This could be as simple as presenting the pouch to the elements and Spirit and asking their respective blessings. When you've finished, pack the amulet in your luggage. The best part? The herbs make your clothes smell good.

As per the usual, any of these ingredients can be freely substituted to tailor the spell to your specific needs. If you have any particular worries about the trip, you may add a token to solve them. If you think you may use my spell, send me a comment. I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

April 25th, 2014

Yes, I have an excuse for not posting. No, that doesn't make it okay. But between my last senior musical, directing a one-act play, and preping for graduation, perhaps you can understand why I haven't done much blogging lately. (Fanfiction might also have something to do with this, but you didn't hear that from me.) We went to the zoo a month (or two) ago, and I bought me a piece of Dalmatian Jasper, so I thought it might make a good apology to blog about that today.

 

Dalmatian Jasper

Physical Characteristics: Jaspers appear in a multitude of colors according to the content of the sediment they form in, and are also affected by the presence of other minerals, volcanic ash, etc. Dalmatian Jasper, because of its coloration, is often dyed and may be sold as fake Turquoise or other spotted stones.

In Nature: Jasper is an opaque variety of chalcedony, and is likewise an impure silica (that makes it a Network Solid, for all you AP Chem students!). In this particular variety, my research on the internet suggests that the black spotted inclusions are actually pieces of Black Tourmaline, but I do not know that for a fact. If anyone has more information, please feel free to comment.

Chemical Composition: SiO2

 
Mohs Scale Hardness: 6 - 7 (middle)

Can be Found: America, India, and Mexico are the only sources I found cited on the internet, but I'm sure it's more common than that. Again, there seems to be rather a dearth of information.

Healing Properties*: In healing magick, this is a stone to boost the immune system and clear toxins from the body. It is said to aide disorders of the bowels, benefit the muscles, and prevent sprains. Because of its tendency to improve the mood, it may help those suffering depression or those trying to quit smoking.

Magickal Properties: A subspecies of Brown Jasper, this is a nurturing, protective stone. It is also a stone that assists in the manifestation of one's ideas and goals, and could feasibly be useful to an entrepreneur, a student, or even a first-time home buyer. The stone grounds, absorbs atmospheric negativity, and inspires tranquility while reducing geopathic and environmental stressors. The stone's spotted pattern associates it with the animal kingdom, especially the dogs for which it is named, and may be particularly useful when working with your pet or helping children overcome a fear of animals. In the home, Dalmatian Jasper strengthens family ties, encouraging fidelity and emotional harmony. Children may be additionally aided by it as a ward against nightmares. This crystal breaks illusions and is an all around "pick-me-up" stone. Interestingly, Ancient Europeans and Native Americans alike used it to summon rain.

Chakra Association: First (Root) Chakra

Element: Earth

Energy: Receptive

Planetary Association: Earth, according to what I've read. I've never heard of an Earth planetary association before; usually, it's only elemental. Nevertheless, that's the impression I have at this time. Brown Jasper has a Saturn association, so that could also be appropriate.

*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!

December 26th, 2013

I was bored this morning, and frequently when I am bored I play with my photomanipulation software. For lack of another idea, I decided to make a quick illustration of the chakra crystal layout I did yesterday, in case my halfhazard explanation in the previous post was somewhat ambiguous. All the images are shopped together off the internet, so don't sue me, please.

From the bottom up, the list runs as follows:

• Grounding Cord - Andalusian Cross Stone
• Base Chakra - Red Jasper
• Sacral Chakra - Carnelian
• Solar Plexus Chakra - Citrine
• Heart Chakra - Rose Quartz
• Throat Chakra - Turquoise 
• Third Eye Chakra - Lapis Lazuli
• Crown Chakra - Lepidolite
• Higher Crown Chakra - Clear Quartz

Get comfortable - you may want a mat or a blanket, the latter especially if you're likely to get cold. I always find that energy work makes me feel warm, so I didn't use one, but you may find differently. You may want to play music - my family was watching a movie, so I popped in my earbuds, but sometimes silent meditation can be even more powerful. Lay out the stones, from the bottom up. You needn't use the same ones on my list - any stone of the same color or correspondence will do the trick if it's meaningful to you. Getting the last few in place can be a little awkward if you're working by yourself since you can't move around as much.
Then relax - your eyes can be open or closed as you prefer. Breath regularly and focus on each of the chakras in turn. As you contemplate the meaning of each energy vortex, look at your life specifically, see how each chakra relates to it, and decide what changes, if any, need to be made on an energetic level to bring things into balance. If, for example, your work with the heart chakra shows you that your relationships have been lacking due to an inner lack of self-acceptance, then broaden the energy flow to the region, filling it with white light that assimilates into the chakra's pink or green glow. On the other hand, some chakras might be too open, bringing too much of an energy into your life. If this is the case, temper the flow of the energy vortex, bringing it back down to its appropriate level. Work with the stones' natural vibrations to bring the energy centers into equilibrium.
Seek any additional insight from the meditation. Then allow excess energy to drain into the ground. Visualize it returning to the earth and being recycled through the planet's endless cycles. Before you return to your daily life, you may want to do a quick aura combing with the Quartz crystal. Just run it through your aura on all sides, allowing it to fill in any holes in the energy and smooth any rough patches. It only takes a few minutes and feels great afterwards. Make sure to cleanse your crystals after working with them.

December 25th, 2013

Merry Christmas to all those of the Christian faith, most of my family included. I got a lot of wonderful presents from my parents and Santa, but there were a few in particular I wanted to share...

I received Llewellyn's 2014 Faerie calendar, with illustrations by Linda Ravenscroft, and The Crystal Bible, by Judy Hall. The former included this great picture:

The label read "Titania and Puck". After playing Puck in our school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream this year, I was especially appreciative thereof.

I spent most of my day reading my new book and marking the stones I already own with sticky notes. It gives a little bit of physiological information about the individual crystals, but most of the entries are delegated to explaining the metaphysical properties they have, and how they can be used in healing. The book also has an index with lots of great information, including zodiac associations, divinatory meanings, and more. Each stone is illustrated in full color.
Other than the obvious reason of "now I have a Pagan resource regarding minerals", I'm incredibly pleased with my gift because it enabled me to identify a very unusual stone of mine.
I was given one of these by my grandma earlier this year:

Neither of us had any idea what it was. Then, reading through the appropriately named Bible today, I learned that it is what is called a Chrysanthemum Stone. Look it up! Or don't - now that I know what it is, I can do a proper post about its properties in the near future. I also decided to try one of the crystal layouts recommended in the back of the book. It was a chakra layout, and a reasonably simple one at that.
I took a lie down on the floor - my bed is really too soft for this sort of work - but a firm mattress or mat would work just as well. The book said to lay a brown stone in front of the feet, a red one at the base of the spine, an orange stone below the navel, a yellow one on the diaphragm, a pink one on the chest, a blue one on the throat (don't move around too much or it'll slide off), and an indigo one on the forehead. Then place a violet stone above where your head is laying, and a white or clear stone above that. I chose to use Andalusite, Red Jasper, Carnelian, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Lepidolite, and Clear Quartz, respectively. Then I put in my headphones and played some quiet New Age music while I meditated for about 20 minutes. It was ridiculously relaxing and insightful, and it seemed to clear up both my headache and the back pain I usually get from lying on the floor. I'm definitely going to have to get into the habit of working with my stones more frequently!
And then, finally, I figured out why I've been feeling somewhat off-balance all month. After Thanksgiving, I moved my mini shrine to make space for my Yule tree. Unfortunately, I never thought to change the orientation of the things on the shrine, so that my objects for water were pointed South instead of West, and so on. I about clapped myself on the forehead when I saw that, but it's all fixed now and the energy imbalance is corrected. What a day!

Chrysocolla

Chrysocolla

 

Physical Characteristics: Because of its blue color, this stone may be confused with turquoise.

In Nature: Chrysocolla forms in the oxidation zones of Copper ore and is usually found in masses, not individual crystals. It may also be found as vein fillings.

Chemical Composition: (Cu, Al)2H2Si2O5(OH)4·nH2O

Mohs Scale Hardness: 2 (low)

Can be Found: Worldwide, but especially the USA and Australia

Healing Properties*: The stone raises the metabolism and may assist those seeking to achieve a healthy weight. It provides relief from ulcers and arthritis. Chrysocolla also alleviates cramps, infections of the throat, liver toxicity, and high blood pressure.

Magickal Properties: Chrysocolla is generally associated with peace and tranquility, as well as intuition, patience, and unconditional love. It is a powerful stone of life-force energy and feminine empowerment. Chrysocolla releases feelings of guilt, fear, and tension, building one's inner strength. It releases resentment and helps admit forgiveness. It is extremely helpful to releasing anger and pain related to all forms of abuse. The stone promotes promotes level headedness and clarity of thought. Chrysocolla enhances creativity, female energy, and communication. Lay it on the Third Eye to enhance spirituality. The stone bridges the earth and sky as well as the physical and astral realms.

Chakra Association: Fourth (Heart) chakra, though it lightens the aura and removes blockages from all seven.

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!

August 9th, 2013

Howlite

Physical Characteristics: Howlite is a white mineral veined with grey. Rarely forming crystals, the most common form of Howlite is large, cauliflower-like nodules of stone. As it is both soft and white, the stone is easily dyed. The most common dye is a light blue. Given the natural grey veins, this causes the Howlite to look like Turquoise, and it is sold under the name Turquenite. Do not be fooled - Turquoise and Turquenite are not the same stone.

In Nature: This stone occurs in evaporite deposits, and especially around Gypsum-heavy regions. Some Gypsum miners actually consider Howlite a nuisance stone.

Chemical Composition: Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5

Mohs Scale Hardness: 3.5 (low)

Can be Found: Canada and the United States

Healing Properties*: Physically, Howlite releases muscle tension and heals stress-related conditions: ulcers, heart problems, rashes, acne, etc. The stone also assists in balancing the body's calcium level.

Magickal Properties: Howlite is recognized for its associations with self-awareness, creativity, and improving one's attitude. The stone enables character building and dispels anger, resentfulness, and selfishness. It enables one to look within for answers and helps one communicate clearly in the midst of emotional crisis. Students will love this stone, as it is great for beating procrastination (I think everyone at my high school needs a piece!). Meditating with Howlite takes one on journeys outside the body and activates past life recall. Predominantly a calming stone, Howlite eases insomnia and soothes the overactive mind - light sleepers will be especially appreciative of its effects. It relieves stress and bolsters dream recollection.

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

Element: Water

Energy: Receptive

Planetary Association: Moon (Yes, we know it's not technically a planet.)

*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!

October 20th, 2011

Turquoise. One of the better-known gemstones, and one that I have been utilizing a lot these days. It is found (in the USA, anyway) primarily in the South-west. It also occurs in Mexico and Iran. Turquoise comes in a variety of colors, the most common of which is a bright sky-blue. It can, however, have a greenish hue. Some rarer varieties can be found in an apple green. While there are numerous uses for turquoise, the complexities of which I don't know enough about to get into, I generally use it to enhance the 5th, or throat, chakra. Turquoise, when worn or held to this energy vortex, allows one to speak more clearly, and be self-expressive. As I have daily choir and play practice, I have found it extremely helpful. I have a turquoise ring and necklace, both of which get frequent use. If you need a bit of a vocal pick-me-up, if you have any throat or voice-related disease, or if you have difficulty expressing yourself to others, wearing turquoise can be helpful. For some added oomph, cleanse it in ritual, and empower it for your purpose.