Spring Cleaning

I don’t think I have ever been more happy to see Spring than I am this year. While Winter hasn’t been the worst I’ve lived through in Michigan, it has been extremely cold. Yes, we get cold, but this has been extreme for my area of Michigan. We were seeing -30° wind chills and having multiple days in a row where you were in danger of frostbite if you stayed out longer than 10-15 minutes. Yuck!

The temperatures are up in the 30’s-40’s now with a few extremes in either direction, but mostly staying above freezing and all the snow in my yard is completely gone! I’ve been opening the windows on the warmest days and airing out the house. The cats love it.

There is a special energy unique to Spring and that is what has charged the ‘open the windows, but keep the heat on’ fever in this house. Now is the time to wake up, refreshed and charged and ready to take on… well, everything! Part of that energy is Spring cleaning. By cleaning our house, we are raising the vibrations of the energy around us. ‘Cleaning’ doesn’t just mean the physical removal of dirt and grime, though. It also means organizing, rearranging, and donating or throwing out things we no longer need. This article talks about ways to raise the vibration of your home.

This time of year is also perfect for cleansing your home of negative energy, another good way to raise the vibration of your home. Here is an article I wrote about a stealthy way to cleanse your home/room if you need to hide things like that.

If you’re out of the broom closet, live alone, or don’t mind people seeing you cleansing your home, another good and simple way is to smudge with sage or incense. Sage, dragon’s blood, lavender, and vervain are all excellent for dispelling negative energy and have protective effects. Frankincense and myrrh are both good for raising spiritual vibrations.

Now, go out there and:

From Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

 

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New Year’s Wishes

If you have some plans, wishes, or resolutions for the upcoming new year, here are a few things that could help you along the way.

Wishing Powder

1 part Sandalwood

1 part Tonka bean

2 parts Sage

In a private place (preferably outside), hold the powder in your projective hand and visualize your wish as clearly as possible. Focus on it, see it realized. Once you feel that your energies of intent have filled the powder in your hand, throw it as far from you as you can. The energies will be released into the earth and will work for your intentions.

Herbs to Aid in Wish Manifestation

Beech

Dandelion

Dogwood

Violet

Ginseng

Tonka

Pomegranate

Hazel

Walnut

Sandalwood

Buckthorn

Sage

Bamboo

Sunflower

Gemstones

Any quartz would be good here. Check out my quartz guide for ideas on specific quartz crystals to use.

 

Gather whatever of these supplies you have available to you along with a candle (any color/scent you see fit) and use them in their appropriate manner (stones around the candle, herbs in a censer, etc.) with this ritual:

Light the candle and say,

“To the old year I bid a grateful farewell. To the new year I bid a hopeful welcome.”

Take a moment now to envision the wishes/hopes/resolutions you have for the upcoming year. This would also be a good time to use the other materials you may have for this, i.e. the wishing powder, incense, or any of the herbs mentioned above. Focus and see your intentions for the new year clearly and let your visions be filled with energy. When you feel ready, continue.

“These are my wishes for the year 2015 (change year accordingly, of course). I send them out to be fulfilled. May this new year bring (change these, and any other words of this ritual as you see fit, but here are some examples) peace, happiness, and prosperity to all.”

Release your wish energies, confident that they will be fulfilled. You may now let the candle burn down completely of its own accord (be mindful of setting fires) or you may snuff it out and light it every day throughout the coming year until it is burned down. Either way, as the candle burns, the energies of your intentions will be released and will work throughout the entire year.

This is a nice ritual to do with other family members or alone. It can also be done before or during any party you may be throwing. Again, make sure the burning candle is safe.

I very specifically stuck to magical items that work for ‘wish fulfillment’ because I believe that those are good for all types of wishes, be it for good health, weight loss, or prosperity. You can then add additional magical items that focus your ritual further, like basil or clove for wealth, rosemary or peppermint for healing, apple or dragon’s blood to attract love. Again, the various quartzes would do nicely in this, as well.

Whatever your wishes and whatever your plans, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!

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Magical Herbs: Lotus

The lotus, Nelumbo nucifera and other related species, has long been a sacred flower to Hindus, Buddhists, and Egyptian religions. Since it grows in the mud, but rises above that, it is symbolic of divine birth, creation itself, purity, and spiritual growth and potential. It also represents cosmic harmony and enlightenment.

The mantra ‘Om mani padme hum’ can be translated as ‘Oh jewel in the lotus flower’ and means ‘I am in you and you are in me.’ It describes the unity of all beings.

Meditate on the image of the lotus, perhaps even repeat the mantra above, to help you feel your oneness with the universe and to help you on your path to spiritual enlightenment.

 

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Yule Incense

There are a lot of recipes out there for incense for Yule. My favorite is a nice, basic one from Scott Cunningham.

2 parts Frakincense

2 parts Pine needles or resin

1 part Cedar

1 part Juniper berries

Mix these together and smolder on a charcoal tablet. You can also grind them together if you want an even consistency and a thorough mixing or you can leave them as they are for a more rustic look and feel. This mix will serve to cleanse the home and help you maintain a link to nature while you might be stuck inside due to the cold winter weather.

Do you have a favorite Yule or Winter incense recipe? I’d love if you’d share it!

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Free EBook!

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Magical Herbs: Thyme

Finishing off the Simon and Garfunkel song, we come to thyme. Parsley, sage, and rosemary can be found at these links.

Scientifically, thyme is known as Thymus vulgaris. Commonly, it has been called Common Thyme or Garden Thyme.

Thyme is a feminine plant ruled by Venus. The element associated with it is Water.

 

 

Healing/health, love, courage, purification, psychic powers, and sleep are its magical uses.

Wear or burn thyme for good health. Use it in any healing spell.

Put it under your pillow if you’re having trouble sleeping. It is said to keep nightmares away, as well.

Thyme can also be burned to magically cleanse an area. A bath of thyme and marjoram is said to cleanse a person of past ailments and grief.

A woman who wears a sprig of thyme in her hair is said to be irresistible. If you carry it and smell it, it will give you courage and energy. Wearing it will allow you to see fairies.

 

 

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Moving

My husband and I have just put our house up for sale. We’d been thinking for a long time that we would like to move back to his hometown, a place we have both lived and that we both love. My mother recently moved there (finally) after having had a stroke two years ago. She used to live across the country from me and it was difficult for me to go see her and help her. Now that she has moved, even though I’m now only half an hour away, we’re hoping to move into the same town. My husband’s parents also still live in his hometown, so it’s a win for everyone. This post isn’t really about that, though. It’s about my plants.

For those of you that follow this blog, you know that the plants in my gardens are very important to me. With this prospect of selling the house and moving, I now have the unfortunate circumstance of leaving these plants behind. I thought about digging up the yarrow and the lavender, the bloodroot and the wormwood, the mullein and the willow tree my husband gave me for a wedding anniversary. Ridiculous (especially with regards to the young willow tree). While I’m going to miss these lovely friends, they are all growing so happily in the places they are. Each spot was picked for them for their best growth, so who am I to rip them up and pot them and cart them off to an unknown future? We don’t plan on buying another house, but renting an apartment, instead, so I won’t even have a yard to plant them in. While, yes, I could keep them in pots, who’s to say they would thrive and grow? I might not have the right angle of sun depending on where my windows face. They would be deprived of wriggling their roots in the deep soil of the earth. So, I’ve decided that I can’t in good conscience dig all of my flora friends up and move them with me.

There’s also my little thirteen line ground squirrel friend. He has lived with our yard as part of his territory almost as long as we have lived here. He hangs out under our front porch and sits in the front garden and watches me. He even enjoyed me squirting him with water when the days were really hot in the summer. I’m going to miss having a little gardening buddy and, being the worrywort that I am, I hope he stays safe and has a good life.

I’ll miss them, but we’ll always be connected through the earth.

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Blessed Beltane!

Artist is Pineaux

 

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Beltane eve and Beltane!

Also, take advantage of free herbal knowledge for Herb Day, May 4th!

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Magical Herbs: Rosemary

In keeping with the Simon and Garfunkel theme for my magical herbs posts, we come to rosemary. Check out parsley and sage.

 

 

Rosemary’s scientific name is Rosemarinus officinalis. Common names associated with rosemary are Dew of the Sea, Compass Weed, Guardrobe, Sea Dew, Incensier, Libanotis, Polar Plant, and Elf Leaf.

Its gender is masculine and it is ruled by the sun. Fire is the element associated with it.

Its magical powers are protection, enhancing mental powers, love, lust, purification/exorcism, aiding in sleep, youthfulness, and healing.

Burning or smudging rosemary is used to purify and cleanse a place of negativity and is particularly useful before working magic.

Place rosemary under your pillow to guard against nightmares and to promote a good night’s sleep. Place it under the bed itself to protect the sleeper from all harm.

Hang it from the porch or doorposts to protect against thieves.

Carry it for health and to aid the memory. Bathe with it to purify and to preserve youth.

Burn it to promote love or lust.

Use an infusion of it to wash your hands before healing work.

Because of its powerful cleansing and purifying vibrations, rosemary can be used as a substitute for frankincense.

 

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Magical Herbs: Sage

In continuation from the previous Magical Herbs post (Parsley), we move now to Sage thanks to Simon and Garfunkel.

 

 

Sage is an extremely popular magical plant and you may find that you use it in ways that I don’t have listed here, as this is not meant to be all encompassing. Please share!

Its scientific name is Salvia officinalis, though I feel I must mention that this is the scientific name for only one species of sage plant. All sage plants will share the same magical properties.

Sage’s gender is masculine, it is ruled by Jupiter, and its element is Air.

It is used in immortality, wisdom, wish, longevity, and protection spells.

For protection, one can simply burn a bundle of sage, wafting the smoke around oneself or around a room or house, etc.

Carry it to encourage wisdom or again for protection.

For the most part, I use sage in protection/purification mixes. I must admit, I’m not particularly fond of the smell of it when it burns and I tend to lean towards other herbs that do the same things, like lavender or vervain.

What ways do you use sage in your magical workings?

 

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